Background In the Netherlands, the adoption of new tobacco control measures is needed to further reduce rates of adolescent smoking. Adolescents' support for future measures could increase the likelihood of adoption as this provides political leverage for tobacco control advocates. There is, however, scant evidence about to what extent and why adolescents support future measures. We therefore assessed adolescents' support for a range of future measures and explored the criteria that adolescents use to underpin their support. Methods A mixed-method design involved surveys and group interviews with fourth-year students (predominantly 15–16 years). The survey, completed by 345 adolescents, included statements about future tobacco control measures and a smoke-free future where nobody starts or continues smoking. Thereafter, 15 adolescents participated in five group interviews to discuss their support for future measures. Results The survey showed that adolescents generally support a smoke-free future. They expressed most support for product measures, mixed support for smoke-free areas, ambivalent support for price increases and least support for sales restrictions. The group interviews revealed that differences in support were explained by adolescents' criteria that future measures should: have the potential to be effective, not violate individuals' right to smoke, protect children from pro-smoking social influences and protect non-smokers from secondhand smoke. Conclusion Adolescents' high support for a smoke-free future does not lead to categorical support for any measure. Addressing the underlying criteria may increase adolescents' support and therewith provide political leverage for the adoption of future measures.


The Internet will continue to become ever more central to everyday life and work, but there is a new but complementary vision for an Internet of Things (IoT), which will connect billions of objects – 'things' like sensors, monitors, and RFID devices – to the Internet at a scale that far outstrips use of the Internet as we know it, and will have enormous social and economic implications. Policy makers and opinion formers need to understand the Internet of Things (IoT) and its implications. If the right policies and business models are developed, the IoT will stimulate major social, economic and service innovations in the next years and decades. Nations can harvest the potential of this wave of innovation not only for manufacturing but also for everyday life and work and the development of new information and services that will change the way we do things in many walks of life. However, its success is not inevitable. Technical visions will not lead inexorably to successful public and private infrastructures that support the vitality of an IoT and the quality of everyday life and work. In fact, the IoT could undermine such core values as privacy, equality, trust and individual choice if not designed, implemented and governed in appropriate ways.


Fine and gross motor skills of the hand are essential to complete the work of surgery. During examinations and surgery, the hand becomes a surgeon and a medical professional's first point of contact with a patient, as they use their hands to perform tasks with various tools while wearing gloves. The anthropometry of hands and the interaction of the tool can affect the probability of developing a musculoskeletal injury [3]. Tools for healthcare professionals are typically designed using male anthropometric data taken from only one position using tape measures and calipers. The problem with this approach is that humans are rarely in these positions when carrying out everyday tasks and hand measurements and form change with movement. This paper discusses a new method of capturing dynamic hand anthropometry through the use of 3D scanners, to address traditional anthropometric hand data's limitation. Based on an initial assessment of surgical instruments, six functional hand grasps were selected and compared to traditional hand anthropometric poses. Using these poses, a pilot study with one male was conducted. In total 65 measurements were gathered through 8 poses. The positions with the largest range of measurement change were: Total Hand Length-Palmar with 48 mm, Total Hand Length-Dorsal with 39 mm, and the tip of the first digit through webspace to the tip of digit 2 (Web) with 26 mm. Understanding dimensional change in select areas of the hand is essential to developing more ergonomic, better fitting products for surgeons and medical professionals. A 26–48 mm dimensional change can have a significant impact on the positioning of surgical tool properties, as well as the functionality of the tool and precision of work for surgeons and medical professionals with different hand sizes. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of using functional hand grasps as a basis for collecting hand anthropometric data using a 3D scanner.


Abstract Modern control systems are featured by their hierarchical structure composed of cyber, physical and human layers. The intricate dependencies among multiple layers and units of modern control systems require an integrated framework to address cross-layer design issues related to security and resilience challenges. To this end, game theory provides a bottom-up modeling paradigm to capture the strategic interactions among multiple components of the complex system and enables a holistic view to understand and design cyber-physical-human control systems. In this review, we first provide a multi-layer perspective toward increasingly complex and integrated control systems and then introduce several variants of dynamic games for modeling different layers of control systems. We present game-theoretic methods for understanding the fundamental tradeoffs of robustness, security and resilience and developing a cross-layer approach to enhance the system performance in various adversarial environments. This review also includes three quintessential research problems that represent three research directions where dynamic game approaches can bridge between multiple research areas and make significant contributions to the design of modern control systems. The paper is concluded with a discussion on emerging areas of research that crosscut dynamic games and control systems.


A thirteen-year-old boy presented with acute renal tubular dysfunction after an infection with salmonella enteritidis. The child recovered following treatment with ciprofloxacin for a week.


The treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has changed dramatically in the past decade. As the number of available agents, and related volume of research, has grown, it is increasingly complex to know how to optimally treat patients. The authors are practicing medical oncologists at the US Oncology Network, the largest community-based network of oncology providers in the country, and represent the leadership of the Network's Genitourinary Research Committee. We outline our thought process in approaching sequential therapy of mRCC and the use of real-world data to inform our approach. We also highlight the evolving literature that will impact practicing oncologists in the near future.


Introduction and aims: The high prevalence and economic burden of alcohol use disorder (AUD) requires methodologically sound research to guide treatment decisions. Systematic reviews (SR) are fundamental to clinical decision making as they collate results of all studies for a given topic and provide summaries of the clinical evidence. Bias resulting from industry relationships can compromise the validity of SRs. Thus, we investigated financial conflicts of interests (FCOI) within SRs involving the pharmacologic treatment of AUD. Design and Methods: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Database to retrieve SRs published between September 2016 and December 2019. Screening and data extraction were performed in duplicate, blinded fashion—collecting characteristics of the reviews including the authors' FCOI statements. The results and discussion sections were rated as favorable or unfavorable toward the treatment drug. A stepwise method was used to identify undisclosed FCOIs for all SR authors. Results: Nineteen (of 51) authors representing 7 (of 12) SRs were found to have FCOI. Among reviews with conflicted authors, 3 of 7 (42.9%) results sections were favorable toward the treatment drug, whereas 6 of 7 (85.7%) conclusions were rated as favorable. Discussion and Conclusions: More than one-third of SR authors and nearly two-thirds of studies were found to have FCOIs. Our investigation shows that financial ties are frequent among SR authors on AUD pharmacotherapies and that discussion sections often favored the drug for which the sponsor provided payments.


The Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics (TCAA) is a Registered Provider in the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Continuing Education System (CES). The TCAA has developed a standardized introductory short course for architects. The TCAA short course is called "Architectural Acoustics" and attendance at this 1‐hour‐long course can earn an architect one continuing education unit (CEU). This paper will cover the administrative requirements of the AIA/CES, to prepare potential presenters. These requirements include the proper handling of paperwork, so that AIA members may receive credit for the course. Also, the manner in which the course is given is dictated by AIA requirements. TCAA membership and attendance at this workshop are required to qualify as an authorized presenter for this AIA/CES short course.


Accurate estimates of terrestrial water and energy cycle components are needed to better understand climate processes and improve models' ability to simulate future change. Various observational estimates are available for the individual budget terms; however, these typically show inconsistencies when combined in a budget. In this work, a Conserving Land–Atmosphere Synthesis Suite (CLASS) of estimates of simultaneously balanced surface water and energy budget components is developed. Individual CLASS variable datasets, where possible, 1) combine a range of existing variable product estimates, and hence overcome the limitations of estimates from a single source; 2) are observationally constrained with in situ measurements; 3) have uncertainty estimates that are consistent with their agreement with in situ observations; and 4) are consistent with each other by being able to solve the water and energy budgets simultaneously. First, available datasets of a budget variable are merged by implementing a weighting method that accounts both for the ability of datasets to match in situ measurements and the error covariance between datasets. Then, the budget terms are adjusted by applying an objective variational data assimilation technique (DAT) that enforces the simultaneous closure of the surface water and energy budgets linked through the equivalence of evapotranspiration and latent heat. Comparing component estimates before and after applying the DAT against in situ measurements of energy fluxes and streamflow showed that modified estimates agree better with in situ observations across various metrics, but also revealed some inconsistencies between water budget terms in June over the higher latitudes. CLASS variable estimates are freely available viahttps://doi.org/10.25914/5c872258dc183.


Grooving Factory is the name of an interdisciplinary research project in the fields of production logistics engineering and auditory display. It aims to reveal bottlenecks in industrial productions and to improve the achievement of logistic targets by using sonification in production planning and control (PPC). Since data sets derived from production processes are time related, processes in production can be displayed as oscillating complex sounds, e.g. via additive synthesis. In this study, the feedback data of operations at 33 workstations of a circuit board manufactory served as a model for auditory display. The workload of the workstations was compared to their actual performance, which indicated their work in process (WIP) level, i.e. the balance of their input and output. The results of the auditory display were compared to WIP related bottlenecks identified by the bottleneck oriented logistic analysis including logistic operating curves. The research project includes the development of a new PPC method realized as a prototype in a software tool.


AIMS
To assess the impact of a substance abuse treatment program for women with children designed to increase access to treatment through transportation, outreach and child-care services. Also, to assess the impact of using access services on the use of other services and on treatment effectiveness.

DESIGN
A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design was used with path analysis to examine the impact of participation in an enhanced services program that provided transportation, outreach and child-care services on the use of other social services and on the use of alcohol and illicit drugs.

SETTING
Treatment clients were interviewed in-person at enhanced treatment programs and regular substance abuse programs.

PARTICIPANTS
Study participants included a randomly selected sample of women with children who were clients of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Participants were enrolled in enhanced or regular substance abuse treatment programs.

MEASUREMENTS
Study participants completed in-person interviews about their characteristics, services use and past and current substance use.

FINDINGS
Participation in the enhanced program was negatively related to substance use. Further, use of access services was related to use of social services which in turn, was negatively related to substance use.

CONCLUSION
The study indicates that services that enhance access to treatment and respond to the range of social service needs of women are important for effective substance abuse treatment for women with children.


A global analytical potential energy surface for the ground state of H3− has been constructed by fitting an analytic function to the ab initio potential energy values computed using coupled cluster singles and doubles with perturbative triples [CCSD(T)] method and Dunning's augmented correlation consistent polarized valence triple zeta basis set. Using this potential energy surface, time-dependent quantum mechanical wave packet calculations were carried out to calculate the reaction probabilities (PR) for the exchange reaction H−+H2(v,j)→H2+H−, for different initial vibrational (v) and rotational (j) states of H2, for total angular momentum equal to zero. With increase in v, the number of oscillations in the PR(E) plot increases and the oscillations become more pronounced. While PR increases with increase in rotational excitation from j=0 to 1, it decreases with further increase in j to 2 over a wide range of energies. In addition, rotational excitation quenches the oscillations in PR(E) plots.


The bone marrow (BM) niche is the primary site of hematopoiesis, and cues from this microenvironment are critical to maintain hematopoiesis. Obesity increases lifetime susceptibility to a host of chronic diseases, and has been linked to defective leukogenesis. The pressures obesity exerts on hematopoietic tissues led us to study the effects of a high fat diet (HFD: 60% Kcal from fat) on B cell development in BM. Seven week old male C57Bl/6J mice were fed either a high fat (HFD) or regular chow (RD) diet for periods of 2 days, 1 week and 6 weeks. B-cell populations (B220+) were not altered after 2 d of HFD, within 1 w B-cell proportions were reduced by −10%, and by 6 w by −25% as compared to RD (p<0.05). BM RNA was extracted to track the expression of B-cell development markers Il-7, Ebf-1 and Pax-5. At 2 d, the expression of Il-7 and Ebf-1 were reduced by −20% (p = 0.08) and −11% (p = 0.06) whereas Pax-5 was not significantly impacted. At one week, however, the expressions of Il-7, Ebf-1, and Pax-5 in HFD mice fell by -19%, −20% and −16%, and by six weeks were further reduced to −23%, −29% and −34% as compared to RD (p<0.05 for all), a suppression paralleled by a +363% increase in adipose encroachment within the marrow space (p<0.01). Il-7 is a critical factor in the early B-cell lineage which is secreted by supportive cells in the BM niche, and is necessary for B-cell commitment. These data indicate that BM Il-7 expression, and by extension B-cell differentiation, are rapidly impaired by HFD. The trend towards suppressed expression of Il-7 following only 2 d of HFD demonstrates how susceptible the BM niche, and the cells which rely on it, are to diet, which ultimately could contribute to disease susceptibility in metabolic disorders such as obesity.


The epidermis overlying the migrating axolotl pronephric duct is known to participate in duct guidance. This epidermis deposits an extracellular matrix onto the migrating duct and its pathway that is a potential source of directional guidance cues. The role of this matrix in pronephric duct guidance was assayed by presenting matrix deposited on microcarriers directly to migrating pronephric ducts in situ. We found that reorientation of extracellular-matrix-bearing carriers prior to their presentation to migrating ducts caused a corresponding reorientation of pronephric duct migration. Subepidermal microinjection of function-blocking antibodies against α6 integrin, β1 integrin or the laminin-1/E8 domain recognized byα 6β1 integrin, all of which were detected and localized here, inhibited pronephric duct migration. Moreover, pre-exposure to anti-laminin-1/E8 function-blocking antibody prevented reoriented carriers of epidermally deposited matrix from reorienting pronephric duct migration. These results are incorporated into an integrated model of pronephric duct guidance consistent with all present evidence, proposing roles for the previously implicated glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor as well as for laminin 1 and α6β1 integrin.


This study develops a novel method for learning mechatronics using remote monitoring and control, based on a programmable logic controller (PLC) and WebAccess. A mechatronics module, a Web-CAM and a PLC were integrated with WebAccess software to organize a remote laboratory. The proposed system enables users to access the Internet for remote monitoring and control of the mechatronics module via a web browser, thereby enhancing work flexibility by enabling personnel to control mechatronics equipment from a remote location. Mechatronics control and long-distance monitoring were realized by establishing communication between the PLC and WebAccess. Analytical results indicate that the proposed system is feasible. The suitability of this system is demonstrated in the department of industrial education and technology at National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan. Preliminary evaluation of the system was encouraging and has shown that it has achieved success in helping students understand concepts and master remote monitoring and control techniques.


A tuning scheme for continuous-time high-Q biquad filters is presented. An improvement over the existing implementation of the modified-LMS Q-tuning scheme is proposed and efficiently combined with the frequency tuning based on phase-locked loops. The proposed scheme takes much less area without compromising the accuracy achieved previously. The proposed unified Q- and f/sub 0/-tuning scheme does not require the Q-tuning loop to be slower than the f/sub 0/-tuning loop. The optimal case is to have equal speeds for both loops. Also, a low-voltage pseudo-differential operational transconductance amplifier with inherent common-mode feedforward is introduced. The structure is fully symmetric and suitable for high-frequency applications. An experimental test chip is fabricated in standard CMOS 0.5-/spl mu/m technology, with a bandpass filter of center frequency 100 MHz and Q of 20, along with the proposed tuning scheme. The measured Q-tuning error is around 1%. Expected and experimental results are in good agreement.


The oxygen-stable streptococcal hemolysins, which can be induced by a number of diverse substances, have been studied. Differences among these hemolysins have been found in electrophoresis, chromatography, pH stability, and susceptibility to some organic solvents and to an enzyme, RNAase. These properties have in each case been found to characterize the inducing substances as well. In a number of instances it has been found possible to incubate one inducer with the hemolysin induced by another of these agents and then, after appropriate fractionation, to find hemolytic activity in the fraction containing the fresh inducer. These observations suggest that the oxygen-stable streptococcal hemolysins are constituted as carrier-hemolysin complexes, the carriers being the set of molecular species effective as inducers, and the prosthetic group being transferred from one carrier to another under appropriate conditions. After transfer of the hemolytic moiety from a hemolysin molecule which is susceptible to inactivation by a given agent or set of conditions to a carrier which is not itself significantly affected by this agent, the new, derived, hemolysin has been found not to be inactivated by the agent. The hemolysins of this group can thus be inactivated by enzymatic attack on the prosthetic group, or by hydrolysis or deformation of the postulated carrier molecule.


Modern theories of sales make conflicting predictions about the temporal pattern of sales, which we test using retail chain level data. In this paper, we focus on the retail sale patterns of two retail milk prices in a New Member State (NMS), Hungary using weekly data across eight retail chain between 2005 January and 2008 June. We employ a battery of empirical tests, to try a number of sale theory hypotheses. First, we present summary statistics, histograms, and correlations of prices and sales from which we conclude that no theory of sales fully describes sale patterns and price distributions. Second, we apply vector autoregressive analysis and Granger tests of temporal ordering ("causality tests") to determine whether the sale of one retail chain is followed in a predictable way by the sale of another retail chain or its own later sales. Our results suggest a dual retail market structure. Finally, we employ panel cointegration to test confirm that durable goods should have qualitatively different pricing pattern than less-durable goods. Similarly to Berck et al. (2007) we fail to see a clear difference between storable milk and boxed milk patterns.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of three strategies in increasing uptake of HIV counselling and testing (HCT) among male most-at-risk-population (M-MARPs) using programmatic data. Design HIV prevention strategies were evaluated in a cross-sectional analysis. Methods Three HCT strategies were implemented between July 2009 and July 2012 among men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who inject drugs (PWIDs) in four states in Nigeria. The first strategy (S1), involved key opinion leaders (KOLs) who referred M-MARPs to health facilities for HCT. The second strategy (S2) involved KOLs referring M-MARPs to nearby mobile HCT teams while the third (S3) involved mobile M-MARPs peers conducting the HCT. χ2 statistics were used to test for differences in the distribution of categorical variables across groups while logistic regression was used to measure the effect of the different strategies while controlling for confounding factors. Results A total of 1988, 14 726 and 14 895 M-MARPs were offered HCT through S1, S2 and S3 strategies, respectively. Overall, S3 (13%) identified the highest proportion of HIV-positive M-MARPs compared with S1 (9%) and S2 (3%), p≤0.001. Also S3 (13%) identified the highest proportion of new HIV diagnosis compared with S1 (8%) and S2 (3%), respectively, p≤0.001. When controlled for age, marital status and occupation, MSM reached via S3 were 9 times (AOR: 9.21; 95% CI 5.57 to 15.23) more likely to uptake HCT when compared with S1 while PWIDs were 21 times (AOR: 20.90; 95% CI 17.33 to 25.21) more likely to uptake to HCT compared with those reached via S1. Conclusions Peer-led HCT delivered by S3 had the highest impact on the total number of M-MARPs reached and in identifying HIV-positive M-MARPs and new testers. Training M-MARPs peers to provide HCT is a high impact approach in delivering HCT to M-MARPs.


Natural biopolymers such as proteins and nucleic acids in living organisms possess an inherent ability to respond to local environmental stimuli, which motivated researchers to make biomolecule-derived non-biological macromolecules with a biomimetic structure having stimuli-responsive properties. This review mainly focuses on stimuli-responsive polymers having natural amino acid units either in the main-chain or in the side-chain, their self-assembled nanostructures and hydrogel networks. Recent advances in the design and synthesis of amino acid-derived polymers that are responsive to various physical, chemical, or biochemical stimuli such as temperature, light, pH, redox-, metal ions, gas, glucose, enzyme, proteins, DNA or a combination of these are illustrated. Their potential for use as stimuli-responsive "smart" nanomaterials in biomedical and biotechnological applications such as in controlled drug delivery, gene delivery, non-fouling materials, etc. is also highlighted. The primary aim of this review article is to motivate researchers towards the design and synthesis of novel stimuli-responsive biohybrid materials for making next generation smart materials.


Three different types of resonances arise in the photoionization spectra of atoms endohedrally confined within a fullerene cage: atomic resonances, confinement resonances and molecular resonances. In each case, a different mechanism is involved, and different theoretical models are necessary for their study. In this work, we exploit the flexibility of the spherical model-potential method to explore the properties of confinement resonances. Both repulsive and attractive shells are considered. It is demonstrated that the nature of confinement resonances (CRs) emerging in each case is not the same. For attractive shells it is found that CRs result from interference between three waves: the incident wave, and the waves reflected at each of the inner and outer cavity boundaries. We find significant sensitivity of near-threshold confinement resonances to the size and thickness of the shell, we demonstrate modulations and `beats' in the intensities of the resonances and we study them, both as a function of the parameters of the confining shell, and as a function of photoelectron energy. In the case of repulsive shells, the resonances can result from three-wave interference, as above, or can be due to quasi-discrete states appearing as a result of confinement.


OBJECTIVES: To determine if diet choice (vegan vs. omnivore) and specific food consumption are associated with sexual menopausal symptoms and sexual behavior frequency.
STUDY DESIGN: In a cross-sectional design, women aged 45 to 80 completed an online survey.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure was the sexual symptoms subscale of the Menopause Quality of Life Questionnaire. Additionally, 2 sexual frequency variables (masturbation and intercourse) were based on responses to the Menopause Health Questionnaire.
RESULTS: Correlations performed on 277 omnivores and 195 vegans in peri- or postmenopause showed that meat, fish, poultry intakes and dairy intake were positively associated with sexual symptom scores while vegetable and high omega-3 plant food intakes were negatively associated with sexual symptom scores. For those with completedata (n= 429)—87 women in perimenopause and 342 in postmenopause—general linear modeling was conducted with age, exercise level, age at menopause, use of hormone replacement therapy, and presence of sex organs as covariates. ere was a significant main effect of diet, with vegans reporting less bothersome sexual symptoms than omnivores, and a significant interaction of diet and menopausal status, with the difference between vegans and omnivores greater in peri- than postmenopausal women. When specific food groups were entered into the second and third steps, vegetable intake and cruciferous vegetable consumption were associated with less severe sexual menopausal symptoms. Diet type was not significantly related to sexual behavior frequency.
CONCLUSIONS: Greater plant food and reduced animal food consumption is linked to less severe sexual changes in menopause.


Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) are a common pest in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) plantations, and climate intensification threatens to increase the range of bark beetle infestation and vulnerability of loblolly pine. New insecticides and management options are needed to maintain loblolly pine plantation productivity, mitigating increased bark beetle risk. The systemic neonicotinoid insecticide dinotefuran (Safari 20SG systemic insecticide, Valent USA, LLC), is utilized by nursery managers to protect loblolly pine from bark beetles, but there is little published literature on the insecticide's potential phytotoxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dinotefuran on the leaf-level photosynthesis of three loblolly pine genotypes. Dinotefuran was applied to lower tree boles, and photosynthetic measurements occurred two months later. Dinotefuran did not significantly impact leaf-level gross photosynthesis (P gmax ), light- saturated net photosynthesis (P net ) or dark respiration (R d ); nor was there any significant genotypic variation in responses. Dinotefuran appears to be a promising insecticide for bark beetle prevention without risk of foliar toxicity.


A key figure within Arte Povera, Michelangelo Pistoletto is one of the most significant Italian artists of the 20th century. Now in his 80th year, he continues to present challenging projects, such as his forthcoming exhibition at the Louvre. Here he talks about his evolving studio, the difference between design and art, and the path he negotiates between disinterested theory and radical politics.

'I was always telling the students at the Viennese Academy that art is not just something you produce in order to make money, art can be used in a more thoughtful way and make a broader societal impact. It was only while at the academy that I began to develop Cittadellarte, a place that could be simultaneously independent and yet still dependent upon it. I chose the name Cittadellarte precisely because it incorporates two meanings: the citadel, where art is protected, and the city, with its openness.'


This dissertation concentrates on the linguistic influences that exist in the teaching, learning and acquisition of second languages. It gives an account about the effect that the native tongue (L1) has on the L2. The languages we have used for this purpose are Spanish as the mother tongue and English as the L2. After an investigation about some of the linguistic phenomenon that appear in this influence, a questionnaire aimed to get an error analysis takes place. Those errors have been treated to make the reader realise and understand that a negative transfer exists and it must be solved. Only lexico-morphological and grammatical samples and errors have been dealt with as a first approximation about the matter. The obtained outcomes show that influence and transference are two aspects of high importance in the learning of second languages and, either positive or negative, the teacher must be aware of how to benefit or cope with them.


porary one of semi-causality or indeterminism, and the axioms are finally stated with the help of current logical symbolism. The essential difference between these types of causality is that while the classical one postulates for every occurrence another one which is the necessary and sufficient condition for it, the principle of semi-causality demands only that every event has for its consequence a class of "possible effects," the element of the class which is in fact realized not being specified. The author does not clearly distinguish between material implication and facts of deducibility, and mistakenly formulates conditions of temporal priority in terms of logical antecedence; the formalization effected does not therefore add to the clarity of the analysis. Part of the essay is devoted to restating and developing the ideas of Bouligand on domains of causality (i.e., ranges of elements for which a propositional function is true) and the groups of transformations associated with them (i.e., groups which transform a domain into itself while leaving the truth-value of the function invariant). The results obtained are elementary and familiar theorems on ranges. ERNEST NAGEL


This article generally deals with the relationship between religion and identitiy. First part of the article draws theoritical framework of the topic. Second part deals with the identitiy as a problem in Sociology of Knowledge. Third part deals with the religion as a medium of identitiy. Fourth part deals with the practical indicators of the topic. In this context we deal with the modern and  postmodern identities and identitiy crises in social institutions. Article ends with conclusion.


Although tools to control sleeping sickness do exist, their use is difficult; areas where intervention is most required often cannot be targeted for lack of appropriate risk indicators. The importance of human behaviour and habits in the manifestation of the disease is clear. In the development of effective new approaches to the control of the disease, information must be gathered about human populations, and their interaction with the environment, in rural as well as in urban and peri-urban areas. The results of a study carried out in Daloa show that use of some methods for the development of agricultural land leads to increased human-vector contact and, as a result, increased risk of sleeping sickness. Such land-management methods may therefore be useful as risk indicators for transmission. Transmission does not occur in the town of Daloa itself but in surrounding areas under cultivation. The use of the epidemiological risk index seems to be inappropriate in urban (and perhaps peri-urban) areas. The results emphasise not only the importance of environmental and demographic data in elucidating the epidemiology of human trypanosomiasis but also the need for further investigations in peri-urban areas.


Abstract Prairie groundcherry [Physalis hederifolia (A. Gray) var. fendleri (A. Gray) Cronquist] is an invasive perennial weed with the potential to become a significant summer weed across 409 million hectares in Australia. Current management practices do not provide effective control of established populations. A better understanding of the seed biology is needed to effectively manage this weed. A series of field and laboratory studies were conducted to determine plant fecundity, soil seedbank longevity, and the factors that affect seed germination. Physalis hederifolia has the capacity to produce 66 to 86 berries plant − 1, 51 to 74 seeds berry − 1, and approximately 4,500 seeds plant − 1, with the seeds potentially able to persist in the soil seedbank for 20 yr if buried in an intact dry berry pod. The bare-seed component of the soil seedbank can be virtually exhausted within 3 yr if cultivation is minimized to avoid burial of seed. Optimal temperature for germination is diurnal fluctuations of 15 C within the temperature range of 10 and 30 C. Increasing osmotic stress levels reduced the germination under all temperature regimes, with less than 6% germination occurring at −0.96 MPa. Physalis hederifolia seed germination was not significantly affected by substrate pH 4 to 10 or salt levels less than 160 mM, while the germination was significantly reduced at NaCl concentrations above 160 mM. These results suggest that P. hederifolia can adapt to a range of substrate conditions. Stopping seed set, avoiding grazing plants with viable seeds, and minimizing seed burial in the soil are some effective strategies to control this weed.


The authors discuss the basic attributes of an object-oriented (OO) model and examine why this may be an attractive simulation architecture. Attention is given to three concepts that are fundamental in OO modeling and programming: encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. The authors are currently developing an OO communication system simulation that demonstrates the principles mentioned. By making extensive use of inheritance, polymorphism, and encapsulation, the user is able to develop general-purpose algorithms within a structure that allows for future change and integration of the boundary scan technique.<<ETX>>


A 14-month data set of MAX-DOAS (Multi-Axis Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) tropospheric NO2 column observations in De Bilt, the Netherlands, has been compared with the regional air quality model Lotos- Euros. The model was run on a 7 7 km 2 grid, the same reso- lution as the emission inventory used. A study was performed to assess the effect of clouds on the retrieval accuracy of the MAX-DOAS observations. Good agreement was found between modeled and measured tropospheric NO2 columns, with an average difference of less than 1 % of the average tro- pospheric column (14:5 10 15 molec cm 2 ). The comparisons show little cloud cover dependence after cloud corrections for which ceilometer data were used. Hourly differences be- tween observations and model show a Gaussian behavior with a standard deviation ( ) of 5:5 10 15 molec cm 2 . For daily averages of tropospheric NO2 columns, a correlation of 0.72 was found for all observations, and 0.79 for cloud free conditions. The measured and modeled tropospheric NO2 columns have an almost identical distribution over the wind direction. A significant difference between model and mea- surements was found for the average weekly cycle, which shows a much stronger decrease during the weekend for the observations; for the diurnal cycle, the observed range is about twice as large as the modeled range. The results of the comparison demonstrate that averaged over a long time period, the tropospheric NO2 column observations are repre- sentative for a large spatial area despite the fact that they were obtained in an urban region. This makes the MAX-DOAS technique especially suitable for validation of satellite obser- vations and air quality models in urban regions.


Despite intense research efforts by research groups worldwide, the potential of self-assembled nanocrystal superlattices (NCSLs) has not been realized due to an incomplete understanding of the fundamental molecular interactions governing the self-assembly process. Because NCSLs reside naturally at length-scales between atomic crystals and colloidal assemblies, synthetic control over the properties of constituent nanocrystal (NC) building blocks and their coupling in ordered assemblies is expected to yield a new class of materials with remarkable optical, electronic, and vibrational characteristics. Progress toward the formation of suitable test structures and subsequent development of NCSL-based technologies has been held back by the limited control over superlattice spacing and symmetry. Here we show that NCSL symmetry can be controlled by manipulating molecular interactions between ligands bound to the NC surface and the surrounding solvent. Specifically, we demonstrate solvent vapor-mediated NCSL symmetry transformations that are driven by the orientational ordering of NCs within the lattice. The assembly of various superlattice polymorphs, including face-centered cubic (fcc), body-centered cubic (bcc), and body-centered tetragonal (bct) structures, is studied in real time using in situ grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) under controlled solvent vapor exposure. This approach provides quantitative insights into the molecular level physics that controls solvent-ligand interactions and assembly of NCSLs. Computer simulations based on all-atom molecular dynamics techniques confirm several key insights gained from experiment.


The authors review the relations between anxiety and sexual dysfunctions in base of studies that, in general, suggest the anxiety is common among subjects with sexual dysfunctions, but the level and the nature of the anxiety could vary much in the interindividual pattern. It revises experimental and clinical works that describe the anxiety provides the sexual arousal, studying the neurophysiological and neurochemical substratum which compares anxiety and sexual responses. It discusses the presence of psychopathology associated with sexual dysfunction.


The primary motivation of this study is to develop a sensor-less, easily controlled and passively adaptive robotic gripper. A back-drivable Pneumatic Underactuated Robotic Gripper (PURG), which based on the pneumatic cylinder and underactuated finger mechanism, is presented to accomplish the above goals. A feedforward grasping force control method, which based on the learned kinematics of the underactuated finger mechanism, is proposed to achieve sensor-less grasping force control. To enhance the grasping force control accuracy, a state-based actuating force modeling method is presented to compensate the hysteresis error which exists in the transmission mechanism. Actuating force control experiment is performed to validate the effectiveness of the state-based actuating pressure modeling method. Results reveal that compared with the non-state-based modeling method, the proposed state-based actuating force modeling method could reduce the modeling error and control error by about 37.0% and 77.2%, respectively. Results of grasping experiments further reveal that grasping force could be accurately controlled by the state-based feedforward control model in a sensor-less approach. Adaptive grasping experiments are performed to exhibit the effectiveness of the sensor-less grasping force control approach.


Objective: To explore the influence of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on expression of VEGF, HIF-1α and MVD in breast cancer tissue by detection before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to analyse the correlation between the changes of these biological factors and the curative effect of chemotherapy.
Methods: Fifty female patients diagnosed as IIB-IIIC stage breast infiltrating ductal carcinoma in our hospital from September 2013 to September 2014 were treated with CET chemotherapy for 4-6 cycles, and also in surgical therapy to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The expression of VEGF, HIF-1α, and MVD in core-needle biopsy specimens and postoperative specimens were detected by immunohistochemical method before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. SPSS13.0 software was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The MVD value of breast cancer tissue before chemotherapy was 32.17 ± 0.51, while 25.43 ± 0.68 after chemotherapy with the statistically significant difference (P 0.05). Before chemotherapy, MVD value of the effective group was 31.62 ± 1.10, while chemotherapy ineffective group was 33.19 ± 0.88 without statistically significant difference (P>0.05).
Conclusions: 1. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can significantly reduce the expression of VEGF and HIF-1α, and also the MVD value in breast cancer tissue. 2. The effective rate of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in VEGF-negative group was significantly higher than the positive group, suggesting that VEGF can be used as a predictor of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. 3. HIF-1α and MVD cannot be used as predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.


The total number of degrees of freedom of a d-dimensional body in n-space is derived so that equipartition of energy may be applied to a possibly n-dimensional early universe. A comparison is made of a range of proposals to include free and bound black holes as either a small component or the dominant constituent of dark matter in the universe. The hypothesis that dark matter consists in part of atomic gravitationally bound primordial black holes is closely examined in 3-space, as well as in n-space; and the Chavda and Chavda holeum hypothesis is found to be flawed. Blackbody and Hawking radiation are generalized to n-space, and Hawking radiation is shown to be simply proportional to the black hole density. The importance of quantum gravity in understanding the role of early universe dark matter is undermined because present approaches to a theory of quantum gravity violate the equivalence principle. A general heuristic proof for geodesics on an expanding hypersphere is presented. Classical limits of Einstein's General Relativity are considered. A novel approach to the accelerated expansion of the universe is discussed. An anomalous surprising aspect of 4-space is demonstrated.


This article illustrates the ease of modelling the dynamics of wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) using Kane's approach for nonholonomic systems. For a control engineer, Kane's method offers several unique advantages over Newton-Euler and Lagrangian approaches used in available literature. Kane's method provides a physical insight into the nature of nonholonomic systems by incorporating the motion constraints as part of the derivation. The presented approach focuses on the degrees of freedom and not on the configuration, and this eliminates redundancy. Explicit expressions to compute the dynamic wheel loads needed by tyre friction models are derived. This paper describes a procedure developed to deduce the dynamics of a differentially driven WMR with suspended loads and operating on various terrains. Since Kane's approach provides a systematic modelling scheme, the method proposed in this paper can be easily generalized to model WMRs with various wheel types and configurations and for various loading conditions. The dynamic model is mathematically simple and is suited for real time control applications.


This paper, which summarizes the conclusions of a WHO Expert meeting, is aimed at proposing indications to develop technical specifications for an accurate and affordable blood pressure measuring device for office/clinic use in low resource settings. Blood pressure measuring devices to be used in low resource settings should be accurate, affordable, and easily available worldwide. Given the serious inherent inaccuracy of the auscultatory technique, validated and affordable electronic devices, that have the option to select manual readings, seem to be a suitable solution for low resource settings. The agreement on the technical specifications for automated blood pressure measuring devices for office/clinic use in low resource settings included the following features: high accuracy, adoption of electronic transducers and solar batteries for power supply, standard rates of cuff inflation and deflation, adequate cuff size, digital display powered by solar batteries, facilities for adequate calibration, environmental requirements, no need of memory function, resistance to shock and temperature changes, and low cost. Availability of a device with these features should be accompanied by adequate training of health care personnel, who should guarantee implementation of the procedures recommended in recent European and American Guidelines for accurate blood pressure measurement.


It has previously been reported by the authors that the induction of a series of cytokines by 41.8 degrees C Whole Body Hyperthermia (WBH), i.e., interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor alpha, and granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF). As cytokine levels are known to fluctuate as a function of time, i.e. circadian rhythm, the influence of circadian time structure on specific haemotopoetic growth factors is studied, i.e. granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), G-CSF and IL-3. Samples derived from four cancer patients undergoing extracorporeal WBH resulted in the following observations: G-CSF is induced by WBH, but unaffected by circadian rhythm, IL-3 fluctuates with circadian rhythm, but is unaffected by WBH. Specifically, a biphasic temporal pattern of IL-3 (i.e. with a peak at 2:00 and 5:00 a.m. and a nadir concentration at 5:00 p.m.) was found by analysis of variance. GM-CSF was below the lower detection limit pre and post WBH. The data show the importance of measuring cytokines as a function of time to circumvent conflicting results in the inter-relationship of 'true' cytokine induction and circadian rhythm. The implications of the differential induction of G-CSF, GM-CSF, and IL-3 for myeloprotection after WBH are discussed.


Content-based recommender systems suggest documents, items, and services to users based on learning a profile of the user from rated examples containing information about the given items. Text categorization methods are very useful for this task but generally rely on unstructured text. We have developed a bookrecommending system that utilizes semi-structured information about items gathered from the web using simple information extraction techniques. Initial experimental results demonstrate that this approach can produce fairly accurate recommendations.


This study evaluated the microbiological safety of the water distribution system of a city in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil), population 120,000 inhabitants. During the study, the city suffered a severe drought that had a significant impact on water availability and quality in the river that supplies water to the city. Samples (2 liters) were collected from the distribution system over a period of six months, which included wet and dry months, from three points: the point with the lowest altitude in the distribution network, the farthest point from the water treatment works, and an intermediate point. Free chlorine was measured in situ using a Hach kit. DNA was extracted using a FastDNA Spin Kit Soil (Qbiogene). Advanced sequencing techniques (Ion Torrent) were used to identify and quantify the relative abundance of potentially pathogenic bacteria present in the samples. Coliforms and Escherichia coli , indicators currently used worldwide to assess microbiological safety of drinking water, were measured on all samples using an enzyme substrate method (ONPG-MUG Colilert ® ). Next generation sequencing results retrieved 16SrRNA sequences of E. coli and some potentially pathogenic bacteria, even in the presence of free chlorine. Operational taxonomic units related to pathogenic bacteria were present in all samples from the drinking water distribution system (DWS) and, in general, at high relative abundance (up to 5%). A total of 19 species related to bacterial pathogens were detected. Inadequate operational practices that could affect the microbiological safety of the DWS were identified and discussed. The current paper is the first to evaluate the community of potentially pathogenic bacteria in a real DWS.


The synthesis of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) from urea and methanol includes two main reactions: one amino of urea is substituted by methoxy to produce the intermediate methyl carbamate (MC) which further converts to DMC via reaction with methanol again. In a stainless steel autoclave, the kinetics of these reactions was separately investigated without catalyst and with Zn-containing catalyst. Without catalyst, for the first reaction, the reaction kinetics can be described as first order with respect to the concentrations of methanol and methyl carbamate (MC), respectively. For the second reaction, the results exhibit characteristics of zero-order reaction. Over Zn-containing catalyst, the first reaction is neglected in the kinetics model since its rate is much faster than second reaction. After the optimization of reaction condition, the macro-kinetic parameters of the second reaction are obtained by fitting the experimental data to a pseudo-homogenous model, in which a side reaction of DMC synthesis is incorporated since it decreases the yield of DMC drastically at high temperature. The activation energy of the reaction from MC to DMC is 104 KJ/mol while that of the side reaction of DMC is 135 KJ/mol.


BACKGROUND
Three-dimensional imaging of the cornea under physiological conditions is best performed with intrinsic contrast mechanisms for the visualisation of cells and extracellular matrix. However, the unique transparency of the cornea goes along with a lack of contrast for the extracellular matrix (ECM) in reflective mode microscopy and optical coherence tomography.

METHODS
Femtosecond laser-based non-linear microscopy provides novel contrast mechanisms for the visualisation of ECM. The confinement of the non-linear contrast to the focus volume provides an intrinsic sectioning property for 3D imaging. Further advantages of the infrared light are lower phototoxicity and higher penetration depth into the tissue. For the visualisation of the cornea and its layered substructures two non-linear contrast mechanisms are of main interest: Two-photon excited autofluorescence of NAD(P)H in the cytoplasma and second harmonic generation (SHG) in the collagen-I fibres of the stroma. Ex-vivo corneas of the rabbit were imaged to demonstrate the abilities of non-linear microscopy.

RESULTS
Using the autofluorescence of NAD(P)H the corneal epithelium with squamous cells, wing cells and basal cells is visualised in three dimensions without additional exogenoeus staining. Stromal keratocytes are also imaged using the NAD(P)H autofluoresecence. The layered structure of lamella in the stroma is visible after virtual resclicing of the 3D volume data. The en-face SHG images detected through the transparent cornea in forward direction show areas of parallel streaks, which increase in size and periodically alter in orientation (90 degrees , 45 degrees) with increasing depth from anterior to posterior. These streaks are not visible in the backward SHG signal. First results on rabbit corneas, which were cross-linked with Rivoflavin and UV application showed a signature of treatment five weeks post treatment. There were zones in the stroma totally lacking NAD(P)H autofluorescence and the abundance of keratocytes was less homogeneous than in control corneas.

CONCLUSION
These results and current reports on applications in the literature show that femtosecond laser-based non-linear microscopy is an emerging imaging modality which provides dye-free imaging of the corneal ECM and therefore complements scattering imaging modalities such as optical coherence tomography and confocal laser scanning microscopy in the reflective mode.


The article deals with the education of young people, the conditions created for their improvement, the importance of the role of the family, parents and society in the education of the young generation. It reveals the important problems of bringing up children, the conditions for the formation of the personality, the role of the educational environment. It studies the system of education and training of the young generation, as well as parents, the activities of the institute of makhalla in the national educational system. It provides guidance, advice and recommendations on parenting issues. The article covers the essence of the concept of freedom of religion and belief, the law "On freedom of religion and religious organizations", as well as the special role of young people in society, the relationship between religion and belief, and various religions. It reveals the need to increase the responsibility of parents for bringing up children, increasing the responsibility of makhalla committees in improving their knowledge, skills and abilities in matters of birth and upbringing of children, as well as cooperation "Family – makhalla is an educational institution". The article reveals the relationship of parents and children on the basis of national and universal values. It shows the role of education and upbringing in increasing the socio-political activity of women, as well as the huge contribution of women of our country to the spiritual and moral development of society, the well-being of our children. The article reveals the essence and significance of reforms in public education, decrees, resolutions, as well as other problems in this system and specific plans and prospects for its development. It deals with the system of effective measures for spiritual education, emphasizes the importance of further strengthening the cooperation between higher education institutions and general education schools.


A substantial amount of research analyzing student academic achievement has beenconducted throughout the years. Hattie (2009) synthesized over 800 meta-analyses related toachievement. He organized this information into six broad groups that may influence studentachievement: Contributions of the Teacher, Contributions of the Curriculum, Contributions ofthe Teaching Approaches, Contributions of the Child, Contributions of the Home, andContributions of the School. While this knowledge is significant, there is no indication that thisevidence is being used in the schools and classrooms. Hattie expressed concerns about the gapbetween scientific evidence and practice in the schools.The overarching purpose of conducting this research was to gather information aboutwhat teachers perceive to be the factors that influence student achievement. Teachers have asignificant opportunity to influence student achievement. Thus, it is important for theirperceptions to align with research findings. When teachers' perceptions align with the researchfindings, students may be educated in the most effective manner possible.For this study, participants were solicited from school districts that were willing toparticipate in a web-based survey to measure perceptions of factors that influence studentacademic achievement. Participants in this study included teachers working with elementary through high school students. There was even distribution of the participants who teach eachgrade level, with most participants having obtained either a Bachelor's Degree or a Master'sDegree. The majority of the participants were female, veteran teachers that provide regulareducation services in traditional public schools. The sample had a disproportionate number ofparticipants in rural communities, with only a handful of nationally certified teachers.The online survey provider, Qualtrics, was used to create a survey for this research. TheTeachers' Perceptions of the Factors that Influence Student Achievement Survey (see AppendixG) is a survey that was designed to gauge teachers' perspectives regarding the factors thatinfluence student academic achievement. The survey first provided participants with an overviewof the survey questions, information about informed consent, and whom to contact if they hadany questions about the survey results. The survey gathered information on demographics,perceptions of the influence of each factor within the six broad categories, and rankings of mostimportant to least important factor within each group.The information gathered through this study suggests that teachers may not be aware ofthe current research findings regarding the factors that may impact student academicachievement. Results of this study suggested that teachers tend to evaluate most factors to impactstudent achievement in a positive direction.


Security patterns capture the experiences of experts, allowing novices to rely on expert knowledge and solve security problems in a more systematic and structured way. So far, literature provides many examples of security patterns for object-oriented systems. However, no attempt has been made to document security patterns for multiagent systems. In this paper we present a set of patterns for secure agent systems that, currently, consisting of four patterns.


LOVAKIA and Czech Republic went through a long-term process of transformation since they split from the common federation state. Trade flows regarding the agro-food commodities, until before accession into the EU, were limited because of existing different tariff and non-tariff barriers. The position of agro-food trade of a given country can be judged in different ways. In this article we analyze the competitiveness of agricultural sector in the respective countries using Balassa indexes in an approach developed and applied by Bojnec and Ferto (2006). The objective of our analysis is the bilateral Slovak and Czech agro-food trade, respectively with main European partners (EU 25, EU 15 and V-4 & Austria).


G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) make up the largest family of eukaryotic membrane receptors, covering a broad range of cellular responses in the body. This wide range of activity makes them important pharmacological targets. In general, all Class A GPCRs share a common structure that consists of seven transmembrane alpha helices, connected by extracellular and intracellular loops, an extracellular N-terminus, and an intracellular C-terminus. These similarities can be used to construct a model of an unknown receptor, which can then be used to help guide further studies of this receptor and its pharmacology. The orphan GPCR GPR18 is a member of the Class A subfamily of GPCRs. GPR18 binds both lipid-like and small molecule ligands, such as NAGly and abnormal-cannabidiol (Abn-CBD), leading to belief that GPR18 may be the Abnormal Cannabinoid Receptor. The goal of this project was to construct a model of GPR18 in its inactive state and to explore the binding site of a key antagonist already identified for this receptor. A model of the GPR18 inactive (R) state was created using the μ-Opioid receptor (MOR) crystal structure as template (PDB: 4DKL). The Monte Carlo/simulated annealing method, Conformational Memories (CM) was used to study the accessible conformations of three GPR18 transmembrane helices (TMHs) with important sequence divergences from the MOR template: TMH3, TMH4, and TMH7. CM was also used to calculate the accessible conformations for TMH6, which allowed the choice of TMH6 conformers appropriate for the GPR18 R and R* models. Docking studies were guided by the hypothesis that a positively charged residue (either R2.60 or R5.42) may be the primary ligand interaction site in the GPR18 binding pocket. The binding pocket of the antagonist, cannabidiol (CBD) was explored in the inactive state GPR18 model using Glide, an automatic docking program in the Schrodinger modeling suite. These studies identified that both of these argenines are the primary interaction site for CBD. With the pocket determined, extracellular and intracellular loops were calculated using another Monte Carlo technique, Modeler. Once loops were attached, the N and C termini were modeled and added as well. Much like the S1PR1 receptor, and continuing the hypothesis that GPR18 used a lipid level access to the binding pocket, the N terminus displayed a small helical portion that lay atop the bundle, effectively blocking the extracellular side along with EC2. With the identification of key residues and a complete bundle, further mutation studies and dynamic simulations can be used to further refine and test these modeling results.


Opioid analgesics are the standard therapeutic agents for the treatment of pain, but their prolonged use is limited because of the development of tolerance and dependence. Recently, we reported the development of a mu-opioid receptor knock-in (KI) mouse in which the mu-opioid receptor was replaced by a mutant receptor (S196A) using a homologous recombination gene-targeting strategy. In these animals, the opioid antagonist naltrexone elicited antinociceptive effects similar to those of partial agonists acting in wild-type (WT) mice; however, development of tolerance and physical dependence were greatly reduced. In this study, we test the hypothesis that the failure of naltrexone to produce tolerance in these KI mice is attributable to its simultaneous inhibition of delta-opioid receptors and activation of mu-opioid receptors. Simultaneous implantation of a morphine pellet and continuous infusion of the delta-opioid receptor antagonist naltrindole prevented tolerance development to morphine in both WT and KI animals. Moreover, administration of SNC-80 [(+)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-((2S,5R)-4-allyl-2,5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide], a delta agonist, in the naltrexone-pelleted KI animals resulted in a dose-dependent induction in tolerance development to both morphine- and naltrexone-induced analgesia. We conclude that although simultaneous activation of both mu- and delta-opioid receptors results in tolerance development, mu-opioid receptor activation in conjunction with delta-opioid receptor blockade significantly attenuates the development of tolerance.


Abstract Agricultural intensification, especially enhanced mechanisation of soil management, can lead to the deterioration of soil structure and to compaction. A possible amelioration strategy is the application of (structural) lime. In this study, we tested the effect of two different liming materials, ie limestone (CaCO3) and quicklime (CaO), on soil aggregate stability in a 3-month greenhouse pot experiment with three agricultural soils. The liming materials were applied in the form of pulverised additives at a rate of 2 000 kg ha−1. Our results show a significant and instantaneous increase of stable aggregates after quicklime application whereas no effects were observed for limestone. Quicklime application seems to improve aggregate stability more efficiently in soils with high clay content and cation exchange capacity. In conclusion, quicklime application may be a feasible strategy for rapid improvement of aggregate stability of fine textured agricultural soils.


Streaming submodular maximization is a natural model for the task of selecting a representative subset from a large-scale dataset. If datapoints have sensitive attributes such as gender or race, it becomes important to enforce fairness to avoid bias and discrimination. This has spurred significant interest in developing fair machine learning algorithms. Recently, such algorithms have been developed for monotone submodular maximization under a cardinality constraint. In this paper, we study the natural generalization of this problem to a matroid constraint. We give streaming algorithms as well as impossibility results that provide trade-offs between efficiency, quality and fairness. We validate our findings empirically on a range of well-known real-world applications: exemplar-based clustering, movie recommendation, and maximum coverage in social networks.


Coal based thermal power plants have been the backbone of a country due to its major contribution in electricity generation for the developmental purposes. Due to indomitable rise in demand of the electricity, the increase in generation of fly ash has become inevitable now-a-days. Moreover, the disposal of fly ash has become a major issue for coal based thermal power plants as it requires a vast disposal area and gives rise to a lot of problems like shortage of useful land, increase in disposal cost and dusting of atmospheric air. Fly ash generated from the coal fired thermal power plants is mostly sluiced into ash ponds by wet disposal method. This fly ash contains a number of soluble major and trace elements such as As, Fe, Cd, Hg, Zn, Pb and Cu, etc. There is possibility that leachate emanating from this fly ash bed may contaminate the ground and pose a threat to the human as well as aquatic life. Therefore, stabilization of fly ash by some chemical additives like lime/cement is an excellent method to mitigate the leachate characteristics of fly ash in addition to improve the strength and stability of the structure.
The leaching of metals mainly depends on two factor such as pH and hydraulic conductivity. The pH plays a pivotal role in reducing the concentration of the elements. Hydraulic conductivity also has a major effect in preventing the leachate from contaminating the ground water. If the material can be made less permeable, the leachate can be confined at the source of generation and thus the ground water can be protected from being contaminated.
A thorough study of the previous research works reveals that lime stabilization is an effective means of reducing the permeability and concentration of metals in the leachate emanating from ash ponds. In the present research work an effort has been taken to study the effect of lime on hydraulic conductivity and leaching characteristics of fly ash by varying the mix-proportion and curing period.
In addition to this, an experimental set up has been developed to investigate the efficacy of lime column in mitigating the leachate characteristics of compacted and sedimented ash beds.
The experiments were performed in two phases. At first, the compaction characteristics of fly ash mixed with different lime content such as 0%, 2%, 4%, 8%, 12% and 15% were found out from light and heavy compaction tests. The hydraulic conductivity and leachate characteristics of compacted fly ash-lime mixes were determined after 0, 7, 15, 30, 60 and 90 days of curing. All these samples were prepared corresponding to their respective MDD and OMC and cured for the specified curing periods as mentioned above. The concentration of the major and trace elements like Cu, Fe, Zn, Ca, Ni, Pb and Cr were found out by atomic absorption spectrometer. The effects of lime content and curing period on microstructure, morphology and hydration products in the stabilized specimens were studied by various microanalyses such as XRD and SEM tests.
Further, large scale laboratory models of sediment and compacted fly ash beds were prepared with a centrally installed lime column simulating a field condition as closely as possible. The samples were collected from various radial distances and depths after 7, 30, 90 and 180 days of curing period and subjected to different tests such as pH, and leachate analysis of different elements like Ca, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cr, and Fe. In addition to this, the hydraulic conductivity of treated ash deposit was measured by collecting undisturbed specimens from different radial distances and depths.
From compaction test results it is found that for light compaction test, with increase in lime content the OMC value increases up to 4% and thereafter, it decreases whereas in case of heavy compaction test, the OMC increases up to 2% lime addition and thereafter, it decreases. Similarly, the MDD in case of light compaction test decreases with increase in lime content up to 4% and thereafter it increases whereas in case of heavy compaction test the same value decreases up to 2% lime addition and thereafter, it increases.
The hydraulic conductivity value is found to depend on the lime content, compaction effort, and curing period. The samples containing higher doses of lime shows significant decrease in hydraulic conductivity value. It was found that at 90 days curing, it reduces about 10 times for samples compacted with light compaction energy whereas in case of heavy compaction, it decreases about 100 times than the unstabilized specimen. However, sample with no lime content showed marginal change in hydraulic conductivity value with curing period. XRD analysis shows the presence of compounds like ettringite, C-S-H and C-A-H gel which blocks the pore space and reduces the capillary voids. SEM analysis also confirms an interlocking network of hydration products which is responsible in reducing the hydraulic conductivity.
From the leachate analysis, it was observed that concentration of all elements was less than that of leachate sample of raw fly ash collected from acid digestion and extraction method. At 0 days curing the concentration of each metal (except Ca) is approximately same for different lime contents whereas at higher curing period, as the lime content increases, the concentration of metals in the leachate follows a decreasing trend. This is due to presence of alkaline medium which is unfavorable for metal precipitation and also due to encapsulation of metals by the hydration products. It is also observed that the concentration of all the metals was below the threshold limit of IS-10500 and WHO water quality standard.
The pH test results of the sample collected from sediment and compacted ash deposits show that the value is more in the sample collected adjacent to the lime column than that of the sample collected at a remote area from the lime column and also it increases with increase in depth. This is due to migration of lime to the periphery and downward direction of the tank. Moreover, it is observed that the pH value increases with curing period up to 180 days and thereafter, it decreases. Because with longer curing period lime is consumed in pozzolanic reaction which results in reduction of the pH value.
The permeability test result of lime column stabilized ash bed shows that during the early period of stabilization (30 days of curing) no significant variation in hydraulic conductivity value is observed in specimens collected at different locations (different radial distances and depths). However, as the curing period increases, the hydraulic conductivity follows an increasing trend with increase in radial distance whereas the same decreases with depth. In addition, it is also observed that as the curing period increases, a significant reduction in hydraulic conductivity occurs in all the layers of sedimented pond ash deposit.
The leachate analysis result shows that concentration of elements in the leachate sample collected from the test tank is much lower than the leachate sample extracted from raw fly ash. At early stage of curing the concentration of Ca is found to be more than that in the virgin fly ash, however at longer curing period, i.e at 365 days, the concentration of Ca is found to be decreased due to participation of lime in pozzolanic reaction. It is also observed from the results that the concentration of major and trace elements in the leachate sample collected adjacent to the lime column is lesser than that of the sample collected at the periphery of the test tank. This is due to higher pH value adjacent to the lime column as compared to remote areas. Moreover, the concentration of other elements in the leachate collected on 365 days curing is less than that of the sample collected on 90 and 180 days. This is due to the formation of hydration product such as C-S-H gel which encapsulates the elements and prevents leaching. The concentration of elements is found to be less than the threshold limit of WHO and IS-10500 water quality standard.Thus, it is concluded that lime treatment is an effective means of reducing the hydraulic conductivity and concentration of metals in the leachate emanating from compacted as well as sedimented fly ash specimens.


The remaining oil reserves in the UKCS and Norwegian North Sea are some 18¹ billion barrels. Figure 1 shows a plot of expected recovery factors from 40 UK and Norwegian North Sea fields. The recovery factors have been arranged in ascending order and plotted versus the cumulative percentage of the total initial oil in place from the 40 fields. It can be seen from Figure 1 that the median recovery factor is 42%. The original oil in place in the North Sea is probably in the range of 70 to 120 billion barrels. This gives a residual oil volume of 40 to 70 billion barrels. We conservatively assume that reserves growth of 5% of oil in place can be attributed to improved reservoir management techniques with a further 5% growth through the application of EOR. This amounts to an Improved Oil Recovery (lOR) target of between 7 and 12 billion barrels from the currently discovered North Sea oilfields. In addition we estimate that there remain some 15 billion barrels of oil yet to be discovered, lOR will also expand this resource. There is tremendous target resource for additional reserves to be generated though lOR technology.


Of primary concern in peripheral nerve injuries is evaluation according to mechanism of injury, evidence of clinical dysfunction, and quality of responce to diagnostic tests. Surgical intervention may be necessary in open or closed injuries and is elected in either case when the return of function has not been demonstrated or is not expected on the basis of the mechanism of injury. Surgical exploration may be part of diagnosis and is usually indicated in open wounds. A nerve which is divided surgically for the excision of a tumor or other lesion may well be sutured primarily. Delayed suture, however, is preferable in the case of injury either sharply incised or heavily contused. Stretch injuries rarely require operative treatment, but they, with all others, will demand thoughtful supportive therapy.


A positive family history of cardiovascular disease is an established risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. In clinical practice, this evident relation between the presence of cardiovascular disease in families and first cardiovascular events has resulted in family history being an integral part of a patient's medical history. However, in cardiovascular risk prediction models, family history of cardiovascular disease is undervalued. In the present thesis it was demonstrated that offspring of patients at increased vascular risk (presence of cardiovascular risk factors or established vascular disease) have a higher prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes mellitus at young age compared with the general population. This demonstrates the importance of family history from a young age already.
In European and American cardiovascular guidelines, no strict definition of a positive family history is used. In this thesis it was demonstrated that there is no difference in vascular risk in offspring having a father with vascular disease or a mother with vascular disease and therefore in family history inquiry no distinction has to be made whether the affected parent is the mother or the father. The location of vascular disease of the affected family member should be taken into account as it was demonstrated that offspring of patients with established peripheral artery disease have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than offspring of patients with cerebrovascular disease and coronary artery disease.
In patients with established vascular disease, the clinical value of family history in risk assessment is not as clear as for patients without vascular disease, since the risk for subsequent vascular events did not increase for the majority of patients with vascular disease having a positive parental or sibling history. This is different for having a child with vascular disease or risk factors. Currently, it is not standard in clinical practice to also assess the presence of vascular disease in offspring, probably because offspring are considered too young to have developed cardiovascular disease yet. However, the risk of developing new or subsequent vascular events more than tripled in patients at increased vascular risk having offspring with vascular disease or risk factors (especially diabetes mellitus) compared with patients at increased vascular risk without affected offspring. This positive offspring history may be interpreted as a proxy of the genetic base of the parent and of the degree of exposure to (unknown) risk factors. Although family history assessment towards children of patients is a new approach, substantial increased risks are observed and increasing awareness of this approach by physicians may influence further differentiation in therapy. Since gathering information regarding the offspring's health is easy to add as part of a patient's (family history), it can easily be implemented in clinical practice.


A new application area of Petri nets is introduced in this paper. In particular it shows how, by means of Petri nets, the protein production process can be modeled and analyzed. In order to develop a Petri net model of the protein production process, firstly the paper describes the protein production process from DNA. Although the aim of this paper is to develop a Petri net model of protein production rather then the molecular events and chemical reactions that occur during this process, some basic information about the molecular events, and precursors/molecules that are required for each step of the protein production process are described in both part one and part two of this paper, prior to the Petri net model construction. After constructing a Petri net model of the protein production processes, based on information contained in it, there are some program modules developed. These program modules are written in a pseudo functional language, which can be easily translated into any high level programming or simulation languages for final implementation.


Despite extensive genetic analysis, the evolutionary relationship between polar bears (Ursus maritimus) and brown bears (U. arctos) remains unclear. The two most recent comprehensive reports indicate a recent divergence with little subsequent admixture or a much more ancient divergence followed by extensive admixture. At the center of this controversy are the Alaskan ABC Islands brown bears that show evidence of shared ancestry with polar bears. We present an analysis of genome-wide sequence data for seven polar bears, one ABC Islands brown bear, one mainland Alaskan brown bear, and a black bear (U. americanus), plus recently published datasets from other bears. Surprisingly, we find clear evidence for gene flow from polar bears into ABC Islands brown bears but no evidence of gene flow from brown bears into polar bears. Importantly, while polar bears contributed <1% of the autosomal genome of the ABC Islands brown bear, they contributed 6.5% of the X chromosome. The magnitude of sex-biased polar bear ancestry and the clear direction of gene flow suggest a model wherein the enigmatic ABC Island brown bears are the descendants of a polar bear population that was gradually converted into brown bears via male-dominated brown bear admixture. We present a model that reconciles heretofore conflicting genetic observations. We posit that the enigmatic ABC Islands brown bears derive from a population of polar bears likely stranded by the receding ice at the end of the last glacial period. Since then, male brown bear migration onto the island has gradually converted these bears into an admixed population whose phenotype and genotype are principally brown bear, except at mtDNA and X-linked loci. This process of genome erosion and conversion may be a common outcome when climate change or other forces cause a population to become isolated and then overrun by species with which it can hybridize.


Redox metalloproteins immobilized on metallic surfaces in contact with aqueous biological media are important in many areas of pure and applied sciences. Redox metalloprotein films are currently being addressed by new approaches where biotechnology including modified and synthetic proteins is combined with state-of-the-art physical electrochemistry with emphasis on single-crystal, atomically planar electrode surfaces, in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and other surface techniques. These approaches have brought bioelectrochemistry important steps forward towards the nanoscale and single-molecule levels. We discuss here these advances with reference to two specific redox metalloproteins, the blue single-copper protein Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin and the single-haem protein Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cytochrome c, and a short oligonucleotide. Both proteins can be immobilized on Au(111) by chemisorption via exposed sulfur-containing residues. Voltammetric, interfacial capacitance, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and microcantilever sensor data, together with in situ STM with single-molecule resolution, all point to a coherent view of monolayer organization with protein electron transfer (ET) function retained. In situ STM can also address the microscopic mechanisms for electron tunnelling through the biomolecules and offers novel notions such as coherent multi-ET between the substrate and tip via the molecular redox levels. This differs in important respects from electrochemical ET at a single metal/electrolyte interface. Similar data for a short oligonucleotide immobilized on Au(111) show that oligonucleotides can be characterized with comparable detail, with novel perspectives for addressing DNA electronic conduction mechanisms and for biological screening towards the single-molecule level.


The present contribution aims at offering an exposition and a critical evaluation of the
 philosophical-anthropological theory of the origin of language developed by the American philosopher Susanne K. Langer
 (1895–1985). Langer's theory traces human language and, in particular, its denotative and communicative functions, back to the
 expressive vocal utterances of the pre-human beings from which humanity would have derived. In her inquiry, Langer refers in
 particular to the article "The festal origin of the human speech" (1891–92), written by the psychologist J. Donovan. In his study,
 Donovan outlines a possible scenario of the birth of language out from pre-linguistic utterances: the spontaneous gatherings that
 hominids would have dedicated to emotionally relevant events and objects (the death of a conspecific, a killed predator or enemy).
 Langer refers to Donovan's study (which she considers as a sort of fecund thought experiment) in order to highlight some basic
 anthropological, evolutionary, and semiotic requisites that a plausible theory on the origin of language has to fulfil. Langer's
 own proposal for such a theory bases on the assumption that the functions of language (expression, denotation, communication) are
 separately conveyed by the different elements of the ritual situation: collective vocalizations, the festal objects themselves,
 and the inner images that individuals retain of the ritual experience. In its final part, the paper includes an evaluation of
 Langer's theory, in particular of its semiotic and anthropological-philosophical relevance among the contributions that support
 (at least partially, as we will see) the thesis of the social origin of language.


MIT Lincoln Laboratory is responsible for developing the ATR (automatic target recognition) system for the DARPA-sponsored SAIP program; the baseline ATR system recognizes 10 GOB (ground order of battle) targets; the enhanced version of SAIP requires the ATR system to recognize 20 GOB targets. This paper presents ATR performance results for 10- and 20-target MSE classifiers using high-resolution SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imagery.


This guide will help Mizzou Law students prepare for their Professional Responsibility class exam and provides information about the MPRE.


Background Selective decontamination of the digestive tract has been proven to be the best measure to prevent ventilator associated pneumonia (VAP) and the only one that has demonstrated modest reductions in mortality. The preparations are typically non-absorbable, topical admixtures of antibiotics with broad spectrum activity administered either orally and/or enterally applied as an oropharyngeal paste (OP), or as a suspension (decontamination of the digestive tract suspension, DDS). Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyse the composition, costs of acquisition or elaboration at the pharmacy department (PD) of these preparations to determine the most cost effective option and the annual economic impact of the implementation of this new measure at the anaesthesia critical care unit (ACCU). Material and methods We conducted a literature research and analysed if the preparations could be acquired through a regular provider (A) or had to be made at the PD (B). To determine the costs if the preparations were made at the PD, we considered the total costs of raw materials, packaging materials, consumables and staff time. Results We found that antibiotics commonly used were tobramycin, colistin and anfoterincin B (or nystatin instead), and vancomycin was added in the case of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. We agreed with the ACCU for the PD to provide tobramycin, colistin and nystatin. Preparation costs/acquisition were: OP: €1.43/g A; €0.12/g B; and for DDS: €4.42/10 mL A; €0.70/10 mL B. Regarding the annual consumption, estimating the average of intubated patients per day and the dosage (10 mL DDS every 8 hours and 5 mL orally every 8 hours, equating to 4.58 g B and 1.6g A), we estimated the costs on: €1.556 if we made it and €36.234 if we acquired it. We agreed with the ACCU for the PD to provide these preparations as it may result in estimated annual saving of €24 678. Conclusion After analysing the composition, costs of acquisition or elaboration at the PD, we concluded that the elaboration of OP and DDS at the PD significantly saved costs compared with the acquisition of both preparations already commercialised. This implies optimisation of resources, one of the main objectives of healthcare management. References and/or acknowledgements Klompas M, et al. Strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia in acute care hospitals: 2014 update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2014;35:S133–54. No conflict of interest


Glutamate-triggered signal transduction is thought to contribute widely to cancer pathogenesis. In melanoma, overexpression of the metabotropic glutamate receptor (GRM)-1 occurs frequently and its ectopic expression in melanocytes is sufficient for neoplastic transformation. Clinical evaluation of the GRM1 signaling inhibitor riluzole in patients with advanced melanoma has demonstrated tumor regressions that are associated with a suppression of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathways. Together, these results prompted us to investigate the downstream consequences of GRM1 signaling and its disruption in more detail. We found that melanoma cells with enhanced GRM1 expression generated larger tumors in vivo marked by more abundant blood vessels. Media conditioned by these cells in vitro contained relatively higher concentrations of interleukin-8 and VEGF due to GRM1-mediated activation of the AKT-mTOR-HIF1 pathway. In clinical specimens from patients receiving riluzole, we confirmed an inhibition of MAPK and PI3K/AKT activation in posttreatment as compared with pretreatment tumor specimens, which exhibited a decreased density of blood vessels. Together, our results demonstrate that GRM1 activation triggers proangiogenic signaling in melanoma, offering a mechanistic rationale to design treatment strategies for the most suitable combinatorial use of GRM1 inhibitors in patients.


textabstractIt is well known that our choices and judgments depend on the context. For instance, prior experiences can influence subsequent decisions. People tend to make riskier decisions if they have a chance to win back a previous loss or if they can gamble with previously won money. Another example of context is social environment. People often change their judgments to conform to observed group behavior. Since the reasons driving such context effects are less clear, this dissertation explores the mechanisms behind behavioral patterns with the help of a modern neuroscience technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging. The dissertation concentrates particularly on choice and judgment in risky and in social settings. It consists of three parts. The first part provides a primer on the methodology of neuroeconomics and a synthesis of the body of knowledge on the brain mechanisms of valuation and choice. The second part investigates risk behavior in sequential choice situations. The findings suggest that decision makers tend to take excessive risk after both wins and losses, due to increasing affective arousal and decreasing control. The third part of this dissertation focuses on the influence of social context on judgment. Results indicate that people automatically learn to behave as others do—being different from others is processed in the brain in a similar way to behavioral errors. This indicates the great power of relevant social groups in influencing our behavior. Overall, this dissertation highlights the reasons behind context dependency and demonstrates the power of modern neuroscientific methods for understanding economic behavior.


Dr. Ralph R. Greenson is a superb therapist, a brilliant teacher, an entrancing ex-temporaneous lecturer, and a charismatic personality. It is not unexpected that as an author of a badly needed text book, of which this is the first volume on the technique of psychoanalysis, his production should make fascinating reading and an effective pedagogical instrument. Greenson makes only passing reference to the theory essential for technique; he is more interested and adept in describing techniques with references to illustrative clinical vignettes. His reading lists and bibliography are amazingly complete. The book has both author and subject indices. Naturally, Greenson is critical of modifications of the classical psychoanalytic techniques such as Alexander proposed. Yet, I believe his book can be profitably studied by those interested in psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy, as well as those who limit themselves to psychoanalysis. Although I would disagree with Greenson on a number of points, there is no question that he has written the best book yet on psychoanalytic technique; I recommend it highly not only for students, but also practitioners.


Risk Perceptions of Adults in the Town of Unicoi, Tennessee, Regarding the Building of a Uranium Enrichment Plant by Shannon Kathleen Sellards A prolonged siting controversy for a uranium enrichment facility has occurred in the Town of Unicoi, Tennessee. One hundred-seventy residents of Unicoi were interviewed using a questionnaire regarding the building of a proposed uranium enrichment facility for Unicoi. The questionnaire sought to determine relationships between residents' risk perceptions and 18 variables. When the Fisher's exact procedure was applied at α< 0.05, the results indicated several associations. Odds ratio measured the strength of association. Results are reported as crude measures of association. Risk perceptions were influenced by the choice of possible locations for the facility [p=0.0003; OR=32.6]. Residents' risk perceptions were associated with a history of working with nuclear materials [p=0.0476; OR=3.2]. Finally, risk perceptions were associated with residents' beliefs that the nuclear facility would affect their health [p=0.0001; OR=18.8]. These results are discussed in light of risk perception and communication theories.


Managers aiming to utilise the potential of involving ordinary users in ideation for innovation receive very little guidance from the existing literature with regard to how to do so in a satisfactory way. This paper aims to fill this knowledge gap by contributing to a better understanding of how users contribute to the ideation process of technology-based services, as well as how users may satisfactorily be managed within it. This is accomplished by identifying and investigating different ideation patterns and their effects on the created ideas' characteristics in the context of mobile telephony services. The current paper is based on a quasi-experimental study lasting 12 days and involving 56 ordinary users and 12 professionals as idea creators. Three different groups of users and one reference group of professionals were used. The paper inductively identifies four different ideation patterns leading to different types of ideas with regard to their innovativeness (incremental/radical). These are further related to the existing literature. The paper concludes with the managerial implications concerning how to manage user involvement for ideation to obtain either more incremental or more radical ideas.


Hyperparathyroidism is very rare disorder in childhood. Patients usually present with non-specifi c symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, irritability, lethargy, headache, polyuria and polydipsia, and the diagnosis can therefore be delayed. Diagnosis is made by clinical examination and laboratory fi ndings. Parathyroid hyperplasia and adenomas can be differentiated with imaging methods. Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia may have similar fi ndings and investigating urine calcium levels is important for the differential diagnosis. Defi nitive treatment of a parathyroid adenoma is removal of the adenoma. End organ damage such as bone changes and nephrocalcinosis should be kept in mind. We discuss a 12-year-old boy who had hypercalcemia due to hyperparathyroidism. He presented at our emergency department because of nausea and vomiting and was diagnosed with a solitary parathyroid adenoma located on the lower right side of the thyroid gland by using parathyroid scintigraphy.


We present a scheme of preparing the tripartite W state among three cavity modes of radiation field inside high-Q superconducting cavities. Our scheme is based on the interaction of a four-level atom with the cavity field for precalculated interaction times with every mode.