Since the opening of its doors to the outside world, Nepal has seen a large growth in tourist arrivals. One of the fast growing tourist markets attracted to Nepal is the trekking vacationers. In order for the suppliers and decision makers of the trekking product to be able to meet the demand of users it is important that they are able to target the development in the appropriate direction. A lack of communication among the components of the tourism industry has resulted in a lack of cooperation. The purpose of this study is to develop an instrument that enhances communication allowing for better cooperation between the users, suppliers, and decision makers of the trekking industry. Unlike other studies using the same technique, this study is a model for the comparison of the perceptions of the different components. An evaluation tool known as Importance-Performance Analysis was adapted for the purpose of this study. This tool determines the perceptions of the different components of the industry in six phases. First, the attributes of the trekking industry in Nepal were identified. Second, a survey was developed and conducted on the trekking agencies in Nepal. Third, the data was gathered and compiled into a manageable size for interpretation. Then, the means of the perceptions of the attributes were plotted for visual interpretation on an two-dimensional action grid of four quadrant. The last two phases of the study are left ii for further research. They include: conducting the previous four phases on the other two components and comparing the results of the perceptions of each group to develop strategic action plans for the development of the industry . This study determined that the suppliers of the trekking industry in Nepal felt there were specific areas of the industry that were not receiving the appropriate recognition, funding, and commitment. These areas were ranked according to their significance relative to each other. It was found that the major areas of concern were the attributes in the environmental and health and safety groups . There were also a few attributes in the information and promotion, transportation as well as the hiking facilities group that were considered to be of significant concern. The attributes in the lodging group were found to be either doing well or are of low concern. Furthermore, the majority of the attributes in the hiking facilities group were found to be doing well. However a considerable amount were also found to be receiving too much


The knowledge of the propagation characteristics of the electromagnetic fields is fundamental in the analysis and planning of modern radio communication systems. When the dimensions of the systems are large in terms of the electromagnetic wavelength, diffraction contributions due to material discontinuities can't be negligible and must be accurately calculated. In this work are presented the explicit closed form solutions for the high-frequency evaluation of the electromagnetic field produced inside and outside an arbitrary-angled lossless penetrable wedge. Primarily, the full problem of the diffraction of plane waves by an acute-angled dielectric wedge is analyzed and solved. Then, its solutions are generalized to the cases of rightand obtuseangled wedges. Both cases of Eand H-polarized incident plane waves are addressed in the study. The problems is tackled and solved in the framework of the uniform theory of diffraction, so that the total field at the observation point is determined by adding the geometrical optics contributions and the diffraction one. This last is obtained by performing a uniform asymptotic evaluation of the radiation integrals arising from a physical optics approximation for the equivalent electric and magnetic surface currents lying on the wedge boundaries. The solutions for the diffracted field are able to compensate the discontinuities of the geometrical optics field at the shadow boundaries and their accuracy is assessed by comparisons with data produced by numerical tools. The big advantage of this approach consists in the possibility of evaluating the corresponding diffraction coefficients in the time domain for the same geometries. The inverse Laplace transform is applied to the frequency domain solutions for the diffraction coefficients and the transient diffracted field is evaluated via a convolution integral. Simulations have verified the goodness of the time domain solutions, too. To the author's knowledge, no other closed form solutions for time domain scattering problems involving penetrable wedges are available in literature.


. Brick masonry is considered as one of the old construction materials, and several cultural heritage assets are made of unreinforced masonry (URM), which is susceptible to earthquakes due to its brittle behavior. The equivalent frame method (EFM) is a nonlinear modeling method widely utilized for the seismic analysis of URM buildings with lower computational efforts than finite and discrete element methods. In this study, three macroelements, including the unified method (UM), composite spring method (CSM), and double modified multiple vertical line element model (DM-MVLEM), were utilized to model three case studies. The first case study is a full-scale two-story URM wall that was tested by applying the cyclic prescribed displacements, and two other case studies were developed by changing the configuration of openings. The second case study is with short piers, and weak spandrels exist in the third model. The efficiency of the methods in terms of the accuracy of the pushover results, prediction of damage patterns, and duration of the incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) are discussed. Finally, seismic fragility curves are provided to compare the IDA results.


This thesis work describes a numerical study on the effect of evaporative cooling on the augmentation of forced convective cooling. In recent years, on-demand phase change boosted cooling has drawn major interest where convective heat transfer is augmented/aided by evaporative heat and mass transport processes. This dual mode (convection and evaporation) cooling method is envisioned to drastically enhance the heat transfer coefficient where conventional convective cooling has already reached its maximum value and furthermore dry cooling is still a desired objective. A multi- dimensional mathematical model has been developed to conduct simulations over a range of operating parameters to obtain insight into the 'hybrid' system where phase change process and convection both contribute to the heat transfer process. The system being modeled consists of a thin liquid water film that undergoes evaporation as a result of being exposed to a prescribed heat flux and laminar convective flow condition. The mathematical model utilized comprises of coupled conservation equations of mass, species, momentum and energy for the convection-evaporation domain (gaseous), and only mass and energy conservation being resolved in the liquid film domain, together with a moving mesh to resolve the receding liquid film. Predictions from the simulations indicate that in comparison to pure forced convection cooling, under convective- evaporative conditions the overall heat transfer coefficient is increased by a factor of ~ 5, where evaporation alone contributes to 80% - 90% of the overall performance. For a fixed heat flux, an increase in Reynolds number was found to increase the heat transfer coefficient and vice versa for film thickness. It has been found that overall heat transfer coefficient can be enhanced by making the film thinner, since the conducting resistance across the liquid film diminishes as the film thickness is reduced. A critical film thickness has been identified beyond which the conductive resistance becomes dominant and starts to attenuate the thermal performance. Spatiotemporally averaged interface temperature has been found to be increasing with the increase of film thickness, as an evidence of suppressed cooling. A critical Reynolds number is identified beyond which no significant increase in overall heat transfer coefficient is observed. Furthermore, surface enhancement studies have been conducted with view to assessing its effect on overall thermal performance of convective-evaporative dual mode heat transfer system. To accomplish that, bottom surface of the evaporating liquid has been modified by introducing circular grooves to promote mixing. A set of parametric study based on enhanced surface structures predicts that surface modification results in a significant reduction in thermal resistance across the liquid film. .


Throughout his brilliant career, John Williamson has frequently focused his considerable analytical skills and powers of persuasion on reform of the international monetary system. This paper examines two principal areas of his concern: (1) exchange rates and the adjustment process, and (2) international liquidity, seigniorage, and the stability of the system. With respect to exchange rates, I find that there has been a moderate reduction in variability, but over the past 40 years external imbalances have, if anything, worsened. The adjustment process has malfunctioned. With respect to international liquidity, reserves have expanded rapidly, but their expansion has been demand-determined, has not involved a remonetization of gold or an increase in inflation. I find that concerns about the size and maldistribution of seigniorage are misplaced. Moreover, we are seeing a steady evolution toward a multicurrency international monetary and financial system. However, reserve diversification does not appear to have adversely affected exchange rate volatility to date. I conclude that the principal benefits of the Bretton Woods international monetary system remain and the principal weaknesses remain. But the system is evolving. It could be improved with respect to the adjustment process and the role of the International Monetary Fund as the international lender of last resort.


The optimum condition selection of rotary dressing operations using Hall and AE sensor is presented. The acquired current signals from a hall sensor were studied as one of the method to obtain the optimum condition of dressing and the correlations between dressing condition and AE signals were also evaluated with the root mean square (RMS). Dressing operation was performed to investigate the effects of depth of cut, rotating speed and coolant. In order to verify the optimum condition of dressing, AE and hall sensor signals were compared in RMS with the surface micrograph of grinding wheel. This verification experiment demonstrates the effective dressing condition selection for centerless grinding.


This paper presents a new method for minimizing of voltage stress across devices in Z-source inverter. Both the dc boost and the ac output voltage of the Z-source inverter have been controlled using neural network controllers. The capacitor voltage of Z-source network has been controlled linearly in order to improve the transient response of the dc boost control of the Z-source inverter. The peak value of the line to line ac output voltage is used to control and keep the ac output at its desired value. A modified space vector pulse-width-modulation method is also applied to control the shoot-through duty ratio for boosting dc voltage. This modified method lets the dc voltage stress across the inverter switches be minimized. The new method for minimizing of voltage stress is verified by simulation results.


Abstract Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a relatively rare rheumatic condition of unknown aetiology. It is characterized by recurrent episodic inflammation of cartilaginous structures (nose, ear and trachea). The clinical diagnosis of polychondritis can frequently be made with confidence in the absence of histological confirmation. A 61-year-old diabetic man, with bilateral relapsing aural inflammation, left ear deafness with tinnitus and pain at the sternocostal junctions is reported. After clinical diagnosis of relapsing polychondritis steroid therapy was started. An ear cartilage biopsy was performed confirming the clinical diagnosis. Subsequently soft tissue infection occurred at the operation site. The abscess was drained and oral ciprofloxacin was given with complete resolution of the infection over 30 days. As the infection is the main cause of death in these patients, we analyse whether biopsy is absolutely necessary for the diagnosis of RP in some patients.


Objectives Sexually transmitted infections (STI) and bacterial vaginosis (BV) cause female genital tract inflammation. This inflammation, which is often present in the absence of symptoms, is associated with increased susceptibility to HIV infection. We aimed to evaluate genital cytokine profiles and the degree of inflammation associated with common STIs and BV. Methods HIV-uninfected women (n=227) were screened for BV, Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and Trichomonas vaginalis. Concentrations of 42 cytokines in cervicovaginal lavages and 13 cytokines in plasma were measured using Luminex. Changes in cytokine profiles were evaluated using Mann–Whitney U test, logistic regression and factor analysis. p Values were adjusted for multiple comparisons using a false discovery rate step-down procedure. Results Women with chlamydia or gonorrhoea had the highest genital cytokine concentrations, with 17/42 and 14/42 cytokines upregulated compared with women with no infection, respectively. BV was associated with elevated proinflammatory cytokine concentrations, but lower chemokine and haematopoietic cytokine concentrations. HSV-2 reactivation was associated with lower levels of inflammation, while trichomoniasis did not cause significant differences in genital cytokine concentrations. Genital infections did not influence plasma cytokine concentrations. Although certain STIs, in particular chlamydia and gonorrhoea, were associated with high genital cytokine concentrations, only 19% of women with an STI/BV had clinical signs. Conclusions Chlamydia was associated with the highest genital cytokine levels, followed by gonorrhoea, HSV-2, trichomoniasis, and BV. In regions where HIV is prevalent and STIs are managed syndromically, better STI/BV screening is urgently needed, as certain infections were found to be highly inflammatory.


Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), but not EGF, binds to cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG). This was demonstrated in (a) the binding of 125I-HB-EGF to mutant CHO cells deficient in HS production was diminished by 70% compared to wild-type CHO cells, (b) the binding of 125I-HB-EGF to CHO cells and bovine aortic smooth muscle cells (BASMC) was diminished 80% by heparitinase or chlorate treatment, and (c) 125I-EGF did not bind to CHO cells and its binding to BASMC was not diminished at all by heparitinase and only slightly by chlorate treatment. Accordingly, the role of HB-EGF interactions with HSPG in modulating bioactivity was examined. Heparitinase or chlorate treatment of BASMC diminished the ability of HB-EGF to stimulate BASMC migration by 60-80%. A similar inhibition of migration occurred when BASMC were treated with a synthetic peptide (P21) corresponding to the sequence of the putative heparin-binding domain of HB-EGF. As a control for BASMC viability, and for specificity, it was found that heparitinase and P21 did not inhibit at all and chlorate inhibited only slightly the stimulation of BASMC migration by PDGF AB. Since heparitinase, chlorate, and P21 treatment also diminished by 70-80% the cross-linking of 125I-HB-EGF to the EGF receptor, it was concluded that the interaction of HB-EGF, via its heparin-binding domain, with cell surface HSPG was essential for its optimal binding to the EGF receptor on BASMC and hence for its optimal ability to stimulate migration.


Background: The present study aimed to explore psychometric properties of Korean version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children-Revised (PTGI-C-R), and related variables. Methods: The PTGI-C-R was translated into Korean and 716 children and adolescents in a general population sample completed a self-report battery. Results: 361 participants reported experiencing of traumatic event and 145 among them showed clinical symptoms. In clinical group, Korean version of PTGI-C-R has exhibited good internal consistency and construct validity. Those who experienced traumatic event reported more PTG than unexperienced group. PTG was positively related with resilience, optimism, and rumination, but negatively related with depression and anxiety, also nonlinearly related with intensity of perceived stress. Conclusions: This study found the distinct changes of PTG from normative maturation by comparing those who experienced traumatic event and those who did not.


This book focuses on how machine learning techniques can be used to analyze and make use of one particular category of behavioral biometrics known as the gait biometric. A comprehensive Ground Reaction Force (GRF)-based Gait Biometrics Recognition framework is proposed and validated by experiments. In addition, an in-depth analysis of existing recognition techniques that are best suited for performing footstep GRF-based person recognition is also proposed, as well as a comparison of feature extractors, normalizers, and classifiers configurations that were never directly compared with one another in any previous GRF recognition research. Finally, a detailed theoretical overview of many existing machine learning techniques is presented, leading to a proposal of two novel data processing techniques developed specifically for the purpose of gait biometric recognition using GRF. This bookintroduces novel machine-learning-based temporal normalization techniquesbridges research gaps concerning the effect of footwear and stepping speed on footstep GRF-based person recognitionprovides detailed discussions of key research challenges and open research issues in gait biometrics recognitioncompares biometrics systems trained and tested with the same footwear against those trained and tested with different footwear


The aim of this paper is to estimate the relationship between public sector expenditure and public sector output. The literature in this field is relatively scarce due to difficulties in measuring public sector output. In this study we construct an index for public sector performance based on the structure presented by Afonso et al. (2005), for a panel of OECD countries between the years 2000-2010. We then estimate the effect of general government expenditure, as well as other variables, such as public debt and demographic structure, on public sector performance. We find that public sector expenditure is characterized by diminishing returns. Maximal public sector performance is achieved when the general government share of GDP is at 52%-60%, dependent on the control variables used. However, this range represents only an upper bound for optimal government size as it does not consider the opportunity cost of public expenditure. Moreover, increasing public expenditure beyond this range leads to lower public sector performance.


In the era of personalized medicine, interindividual differences in the magnitude of response to an exercise training program (subject-by-training interaction; "individual response") have received increasing scientific interest. However, standard approaches for quantification and prediction remain to be established, probably due to the specific considerations associated with interactive effects, in particular on the individual level, compared with the prevailing investigation of main effects. Regarding the quantification of subject-by-training interaction in terms of variance components, confounding sources of variability have to be considered. Clearly, measurement error limits the accuracy of response estimates and thereby contributes to variation. This problem is of particular importance for analyses on the individual level, because a low signal-to-noise ratio may not be compensated by increasing sample size (1 case). Moreover, within-subject variation in training efficacy may contribute to gross response variability. This largely unstudied source of variation may not be disclosed by comparison to a control group but calls for repeated interventions. A second critical point concerns the prediction of response. There is little doubt that exercise training response is influenced by a multitude of determinants. Moreover, indications of interaction between influencing factors of training efficacy lead to the hypothesis that optimal predictive accuracy may be attained using an interactive rather than additive approach. Taken together, aiming at conclusive inference and optimal predictive accuracy in the investigation of subject-by-training interaction entails specific requirements that are deducibly based on statistical principles but beset with many practical difficulties. Therefore, pragmatic alternatives are warranted.


Violence against civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) is complex, driven by numerous conflicts at different levels. A national-level peace agreement may contribute to stability, but cannot fully address these diverse conflict drivers. Efforts by the UN peacekeeping mission in CAR, MINUSCA, to support a political solution to the conflict have so far been undermined by armed groups' competing economic interests; the CAR government's lack of commitment; the persistence of diverse local conflicts; and the mission's own weaknesses. In order to protect civilians from violence and promote stability, MINUSCA must shift its political strategy to navigate these challenges.


To determine if increases in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine caused by hypoglycemia are associated with increments in cerebral blood flow (CBF), we measured CBF with positron emission tomography in normal humans at ambient fasting arterial plasma glucose levels and at clamped plasma glucose levels of 5.3, 3.5, and 2.8 mmol/l using the hyperinsulinemic, stepped hypoglycemic clamp technique. Despite significant increases in plasma epinephrine to 7,340 +/- 350 (SE) pmol/l and in plasma norepinephrine to 3.32 +/- 0.35 nmol/l, mean hemispheric CBF (41 +/- 1, 49 +/- 1, 48 +/- 2, and 51 +/- 3 ml x 100 g-1 x min-1) remained constant at the ambient (5.2), 5.3, 3.5, and 2.8 mmol/l glycemic levels, respectively. Furthermore, there was no correlation between CBF and either plasma epinephrine levels ranging from 160 to 10,580 pmol/l or plasma norepinephrine levels ranging from 0.56 to 5.10 nmol/l. Failure to demonstrate any dose-response relationship between plasma catecholamine levels and CBF argues against their primary role in cerebrovascular control during hypoglycemia.


Summary 14Carbon from glucose-U-14C was found to be incorporated into DNA, RNA and protein in HeLa cell cultures infected with poliovirus. This incorporation was partially inhibited by the 2nd hr of infection. The inhibition was related to the multiplicity of exposure to poliovirus and DNA was inhibited to a greater degree than RNA. In infected and normal HeLa cultures the rate of evolution of 14CO2 from glucose-1-14C was 77 times greater than from glucose-6-14C. The incorporation of 14C from these sugars into macromolecules in normal and infected cultures did not reflect this difference, thus the 14C in the macromolecules comes from the glycolytic pathway rather than the hexosemonophosphate shunt. Concentrations of guanidine inhibiting poliovirus replication also inhibit the incorporation of 14C from glucose-U-14C into DNA and RNA in normal and infected cultures. In cultures receiving both virus and guanidine, the inhibitory effects of each were not additive, suggesting that the viral inhibition of 14C incorporation requires some early step in virus replication.


15 High-throughput sequencing has fundamentally changed how molecular phylogenetic datasets 16 are assembled, and phylogenomic datasets commonly contain 50-100-fold more loci than those 17 generated using traditional Sanger-based approaches. Here, we demonstrate a new approach for 18 building phylogenomic datasets using single tube, highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing, 19 which we name HiMAP (Highly Multiplexed Amplicon-based Phylogenomics), and present 20 bioinformatic pipelines for locus selection based on genomic and transcriptomic data resources 21 and post-sequencing consensus calling and alignment. This method is inexpensive and amenable 22 to sequencing a large number (hundreds) of taxa simultaneously, requires minimal hands-on time 23 at the bench (<1/2 day), and data analysis can be accomplished without the need for read 24 mapping or assembly. We demonstrate this approach by sequencing 878 amplicons in single 25 reactions for 82 species of tephritid fruit flies across seven genera (384 individuals), including 26 some of the most economically-important agricultural insect pests. The resulting dataset 27 (>150,000 bp concatenated alignment) contained >40,000 phylogenetically informative 28 characters, and although some discordance was observed between analyses, it provided 29 unparalleled resolution of many phylogenetic relationships in this group. Most notably, we found 30 high support for the generic status of Zeugodacus and the sister relationship between Dacus and 31 Zeugodacus. We discuss HiMAP, with regard to its molecular and bioinformatic strengths, and 32 the insight the resulting dataset provides into relationships of this diverse insect group. 33


Abstract. Earthquake network describes the complexity of seismicity both qualitatively and quantitatively. The procedure of constructing an earthquake network contains as a single parameter the size of the cells, into which a geographical region under consideration is divided. Then, the characteristics of the network depend on the cell size, in general. Here, the dependency of the clustering coefficient, C , of network on the cell size is studied. Remarkably, C of the earthquake networks constructed from the seismic data taken from California, Japan, and Iran well coincide for each value of the scaled dimensionless cell size. It is found that the networks in California and Japan are three-dimensional, whereas the one in Iran is rather two-dimensional. In addition, the values of C of all these three networks monotonically converge to C ≈ 0.85 as the scaled dimensionless cell size increases, highlighting a universal aspect of the concept of earthquake network.


In this paper, we study on-line wavelength assignment in wavelength-routed WDM networks under both unicast and multicast traffic where nodes in the networks have wavelength conversion ability. Since wavelength converters are still expensive and difficult to implement, we consider the case where nodes in networks have only a limited number of converters that are shared by all input channels. We study the problem of setting up connections in such networks using minimum number of wavelength converters. For unicast traffic, we first study the problem of setting up a lightpath on a given link-path with minimum number of conversions. We give a simple algorithm that solves it in O(tk) time where t is the number of links on the path and k is the number of wavelengths per fiber, as compared to the best known existing method that needs to construct an auxiliary graph and apply the Dijkstra's algorithm. We also consider the problem of setting up a lightpath while using wavelength converters at nodes with fewer available converters only when necessary, and give an O(tk) time algorithm. We then generalize this technique to WDM networks with arbitrary topologies and give an algorithm that sets up an optimal lightpath network-wide in O(Nk+Lk) time, where N and L are the number of nodes and links in the network, respectively. We also consider multicast traffic in this paper. Finding an optimal multicast light-tree is known to be NP-hard and is usually solved by first finding a link-tree then finding a light-tree on the link-tree. Finding an optimal link-tree is also NP-hard and has been extensively studied. Thus, we focus on the second problem which is to set up a light-tree on a given link-tree with minimum number of conversions. We propose a new multicast conversion model with which the output of the wavelength converter is split-table to save the usage of converters. We show that under this model the problem of setting up an optimal light-tree is NP-hard and then give efficient heuristics to solve it approximately


This study aimed to evaluate the emergence, growth and phytomass accumulation of coriander cultivars under saline stress. The experiment was carried out from August to September 2014, in a protected environment (greenhouse), at the Center of Sciences and Food Technology - CCTA of the Federal University of Campina Grande – UFCG, located in the municipality of Pombal-PB, Brazil (6°47'20'' S; 37°48'01'' W; 194 m). Two coriander cultivars (C1 – 'Verdao SF 177' and C2 – 'Portugues Pacifico') were evaluated under five levels of irrigation water salinity (0.6 (control); 1.2; 1.8, 2.4 and 3.0 dS m-1), arranged in a 2 x 5 factorial scheme, in a randomized block design, with four replicates and five plants per replicate. Coriander plants were cultivated on trays of 36 cells with capacity for 0.1 dm3 of substrate, until 20 days after sowing, and evaluated for emergence, growth, phytomass accumulation and tolerance to salinity. The increase in irrigation water salinity reduced emergence percentage, growth and phytomass accumulation of coriander plants. The cultivar 'Portugues Pacifico' is more tolerant to salinity than 'Verdao SF 177'. The cultivars 'Portugues Pacifico' and 'Verdao SF 177' can be irrigated with water of up to 2.6 and 1.9 dS m-1, respectively, in the initial growth stage.

 Key words: Coriandrum sativum, salinity, emergence, initial growth.


The single-crystal structures of two incommensurate compounds, Ba1+x[(CuxRh1-x)O3] with x = 0.1605 and x = 0.1695, were solved by a general method using the superspace group approach. A saw-tooth function was used to model both the occupational and displacive modulations. This approach requires very few refineable parameters and leads to low residuals, R = 0.0370 and R = 0.0330 for x = 0.1605 and x = 0.1695, respectively. The idealized structures of these two compounds consist of [(CuxRh1-x)O3]∞ chains containing groups of five face-shared (RhO6) octahedra separated by (CuO6) trigonal prisms. These chains in turn are separated from each other by [Ba]∞ chains. The idealized composition of both phases is Ba7CuRh5O18. Their modulated structures, described in the text, deviate from the ideal composition and structure. The approach used for the structure determinations of these compounds is completely general and can be applied to other modulated composite structures of this series.


Architectures of 3D hierarchical nanostructure arrays consisting of 1D nanostructures offers a large surface area and an unobstructed electron transport pathway which are of great technological importance for energy applications. I have developed nanomanufacturing methods to consistently and reproducibly obtain 3D hierarchical architectures through the controllable synthesis of 1D zinc oxide (ZnO) and carbon nanofibers. I have demonstrated that by adjusting the catalyst properties, engineered 3D morphologies of ZnO and carbon nanofibers can be achieved on metal current collectors. Three approaches were generated to produce such hierarchical structures, using as-synthesized 1D nanostructures as scaffolds, and I have used a multi-pronged approach to functionalize these 3D surfaces. By oxidation of a few layers of outer carbon, quinone functional groups can be formed by air annealing. As a result, more than 100% enhancement in energy storage capability has been observed. I have also developed polymer electrografting techniques, both on ZnO and on carbon surfaces. Using grafted polymers as templates, a N and O co-doped carbon layer is conformably deposited on carbon nanostructures. This new carbon heterostructure leads to a greatly enhanced oxygen reduction capability. With grafted polymer as template, I have successfully generated densely populated nanoparticles on ZnO nanowire surfaces. Rationally, these nanoparticles can be then used to grow 3D branched structures. Due to the greatly enhanced surface area, I have shown that the photoactivity of ZnO is increased both as an oxidant for dyes and for photoelectrochemical systems. This set of robust nanomanufacturing protocols are transformative and can served as platforms for a myriad of application such as future environmentally conscious energy technologies


The magnetically weakly anisotropic cubic Ni-Mn-Ga Heusler alloys exhibit martensitic transformation resulting in martensitic phases with elastically soft crystal lattices and strong magnetocrystalline anisotropies. The magnetic state of these martensites is coupled with a highly mobile twin structure through the ordinary magnetoelastic interactions giving rise to a giant magnetic-field-induced-strain effect. This effect is the key ingredient of a new scientific field. In the present article, the basic phenomena and concepts of this field, such as lattice instability, soft-mode behavior, electron concentration, ferromagnetic shape memory effect, magnetic-field-induced superelasticity, twinning strain-induced change of magnetization, and magnetoelastic mechanism of magnetostress are briefly reviewed.


Heterogeneous nucleation of water plays an important role in wide range of natural and industrial processes. Though heterogeneous nucleation of water is ubiquitous and everyday experience, spatial control of this important phenomenon is extremely difficult. Here we show, for the first time, that spatial control in the heterogeneous nucleation of water can be achieved by manipulating the local nucleation energy barrier and nucleation rate via the modification of the local intrinsic wettability of a surface by patterning hybrid hydrophobic-hydrophilic regions on a surface. Such ability to control water nucleation could address the condensation-related limitations of superhydrophobic surfaces, and has implications for efficiency enhancements in energy and desalination systems.


Background: The primary objective of this study was to analyse the association between multiple sclerosis (MS) disease modifying therapy (DMT) exposure and subsequent hospitalisation in patients infected with COVID-19.Methods: Data were extracted on the 18th January 2021 from the Swedish MS Registry, which collates nationwide, prospectively-collected clinical, demographic and, from March 2020 onwards, Covid-19-related information (including diagnostics and need of health care including needs of hospitalization, intensive care and ventilation) among persons with MS. Associations between MS DMT exposure and COVID-19 hospitalisation were analysed using univariable and multivariable clustered logistic regression, where the models were clustered on the individual patients to control for patients contributing multiple COVID-19 episodes. Propensity score based inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) approach was used to adjust for confounders.Findings: As of 18th January 2021, a total of 476 reported COVID-19 cases had been recorded in MS patients in the Swedish MS registry. Of these, 292 (61.3%) had confirmed COVID-19. The mean (SD) age at infection was 44.0 years (11.6). Of the 292 confirmed infections 68 (23.2%) required hospitalisation. A total of 49 of the 164 confirmed COVID-19 patients on rituximab at baseline (29.9%) required hospitalisation, compared to a rate of 12.7% for all other DMTs combined. Rituximab in confirmed COVID-19 patients was associated with 2.95 times the weighted odds of hospitalisation relative to treatment with any other alternate DMT combined (Odds Ratio 2.95;95% CI 1.48-5.87). The risk of severe COVID-19 increased with duration of rituximab treatment with a yearly Odds Ratio of 1.24 (95% CI 1.04-1.48).Interpretation: Rituximab treatment, known to increase the risk of severe infections in general, also confers such a risk for MS patients with COVID-19, in comparison with other MS DMTs.Funding: This study was supported by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Brain Foundation.Declaration of Interest: TS has received compensation for serving on scientific advisory boards, honoraria for consultancy and funding for travel from Biogen Inc;speaker honoraria from NovartisLF declared no competing interestsKAM receives postdoctoral research funding from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare.AG has received research support from Novartis.JH has received honoraria for serving on advisory boards for Biogen, Celgene, Sanofi, Merck KGaA, Novartis and Sandoz and speaker's fees from Biogen, Novartis, Merck KGaA, Teva and Sanofi. He has served as P.I. for projects, or received unrestricted research support from, Biogen, Celgene, Merck KGaA, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi. His MS research was funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Brain foundation.


This paper presents a joint project of the Humboldt Chair of Digital Humanities at the University of Leipzig, the Perseus Digital Library at Tufts University, and the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies to produce a new open series of Greek and Latin fragmentary authors. Such authors are lost and their works are preserved only thanks to quotations and text reuses in later texts. The project is undertaking two tasks: (1) the digitization of paper editions of fragmentary works with links to the source texts from which the fragments have been extracted; (2) the production of born-digital editions of fragmentary works. The ultimate goals are the creation of open, linked, machine-actionable texts for the study and advancement of the field of Classical textual fragmentary heritage and the development of a collaborative environment for crowdsourced annotations. These goals are being achieved by implementing the Perseids Platform and by encoding the Fragmenta Historicorum Graecorum, one of the most important and comprehensive collections of fragmentary authors.


Normal granulocyte-macrophage precursors (CFU-GM) were studied in 65 multiple myeloma patients by means of culture assays. The patients were divided into separate groups on the basis of previous therapy (i.e. analysis performed at diagnosis or after chemotherapy), time elapsed from the last therapy (i.e. more or less than 1 month) and clinical features of the disease (i.e. tumor stage, immunoglobulin type, bone marrow plasma cell infiltration). The results were evaluated by Wilcoxon rank sum test and linear regression analysis. There was no statistical difference in CFU-GM cloning efficiency or in the number of CFU-GM/ml of bone marrow, even though a larger CFU-GM recovery was found in patients evaluated at diagnosis or at least 1 month or more from previous chemotherapy. In addition, no correlation was demonstrated between bone marrow plasma cell percentage and CFU-GM cloning efficiency. This finding was confirmed by the number of myeloid bone marrow cells in S-phase, assessed by the bromodeoxyuridine labeling index, which showed similar results in patients with different degrees of plasma cell infiltration. In conclusion our data indicate that the granular-monocytic lineage keeps its cell-line potentiality regardless of the degree of marrow plasma cell infiltration and the type of therapeutic approach. These data suggest that autologous bone marrow transplantation might be feasible even in patients with a large neoplastic infiltration.


Technological and theoretical advancements in modern radiocarbon chronology make the precise dating of archaeological and geological events possible. Here, we show examples of how these state-of-the-art methods can be used to establish and refine the archaeological cultural chronology for the Shangluo area in the Qinling Mountains of central China. In this study, the Donglongshan and Zijing sites were dated using the high-precision accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C method. Also, detailed magnetic-susceptibility measurements were conducted at both sites to gain preliminary information about past climate changes. The 14C dates, after being treated with Bayesian statistics, provide a firm constraint on the archaeological chronological framework for this area. Within this framework, the Malan loess-Holocene soil transition can be placed at 10,400–10,090 BC, while the duration of the Yangshao and Longshan cultures was dated to ∼4200–2900 and ∼2900–2100 BC, respectively, revealing an undisrupted history of human occupation in this area until the early dynastic period. Magnetic susceptibility values began to increase in the early Holocene, indicating a progressive amelioration of regional climate. The widespread development of paleosol during the middle Holocene indicates that warm and wet climate conditions prevailed, providing a favorable environmental context within which the Yangshao culture thrived. Magnetic susceptibility values then decreased from ∼2100 BC when the Xia Dynasty started, and loess accumulated again, pointing to cooling and drying climate conditions that may have led to a cultural transition from the Neolithic to the dynastic civilization.


Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 disease in Iraq has been a daunting challenge. Given the overwhelmed Iraqi healthcare system, healthcare directors struggled to manage this unprecedented crisis. The role of telemedicine during the coronavirus pandemic has evolved to allow for social distancing while providing appropriate health care to the community at large. Telemedicine emerged as a reasonable solution to deliver appropriate care to COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study explores the role of telemedicine using the "WhatsApp" application between doctors and patients at home in the "Al-Anbar" province west of Iraq. Patients and Methods: All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 disease who were managed by a group of physicians willing to offer telemedicine service in many cities of the "Al-Anbar" province west of Iraq were included in this study. Patients' demographics included age, gender, disease severity, and mortality rate. All patients were followed until they were declared cured of the disease or otherwise. The telemedicine service was provided using the "WhatsApp" platform. The data were entered into a digital database for final analysis. Results: from April through July 2020, at the beginning of the disease in Iraq, 716 patients were managed inclusive of diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up using telemedicine services. Of these, 414 (57.8%) were male, and 302 (42.2%) were female. Of the males, 12 patients succumbed to the disease, resulting in a survival rate of 97.10%, whereas of the females, nine patients succumbed to the disease, resulting in a survival rate of 97.02%. Most COVID-19 patients contracted mild-to-moderate disease with a reported mortality rate of 1.2%. Those with severe disease had a higher mortality rate of 17.5%. There was a statistically significant association between the mortality rate and increasing age and COVID-19 disease severity. Conclusions: We believe that our experience using telemedicine in its most basic form proved effective in managing COVID-19 patients in areas where resources are scarce. It provided essential health care while minimizing the risk of disease spread among healthcare workers, patients, and their families.


Distributed pressure sensing schemes for human positioning and plantar mapping is desired to be unconstrained for human activity in their daily life in the form of a floor and mat. On the other hand, an optical fiber has several advantages such as lightweight, minimal material, and resistance to corrosion and electromagnetic interference. Additionally, a novel hetero-core optic fiber nerve sensor is only sensitive to be bending action of the sensor portion and the fiber transmission line is unaffected to external disturbance as pressure and temperature fluctuation because of its single-mode stable propagation scheme. Therefore, the hetero-core fiber optic sensor could be suitable for the distributed pressure sensing in human natural activity and be placed in various sites. In this paper, we proposed several smart mat applications in the form of a thin mat in the floor for human positioning and sole pressure mapping mat using the hetero-core optic fiber sensors. We successfully demonstrated the distributed pressure sensing mat using hetero-core sensors to detect human positioning with their circumstance and sole pressure mapping.


Recent work has demonstrated the effectiveness of using patch based representations when learning from image data. Here we provide theoretical support for this observation, by showing that a simple semi-supervised algorithm that uses patch statistics can efficiently learn labels produced by a one-hidden-layer Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Since CNNs are known to be computationally hard to learn in the worst case, our analysis holds under some distributional assumptions. We show that these assumptions are necessary and sufficient for our results to hold. We verify that the distributional assumptions hold on real-world data by experimenting on the CIFAR-10 dataset, and find that the analyzed algorithm outperforms a vanilla one-hidden-layer CNN. Finally, we demonstrate that by running the algorithm in a layer-by-layer fashion we can build a deep model which gives further improvements, hinting that this method provides insights about the behavior of deep CNNs.


The principal striped bass Morone saxatilis population in North Carolina the Albemarle/Roanoke (A/R) stock has grown tremendously in size and age structure over the last twenty years necessitating an up-to-date maturity and fecundity schedule. The last study was conducted for the Albemarle Striped Bass Management Board in 1989-1990 by Olsen and Rulifson (1992) after the stock had crashed and just before stock rebuilding took place. There have been many advances in the understanding of teleost reproduction since their study and in recent years otolith microchemistry with concentrations of elements such as strontium (⁸⁸Sr) has been used to determine movement and migration of different species to delineate movement from freshwater to more saline environments. The objectives of this study were to complete a maturation and fecundity schedule compare results to Olsen and Rulifson (1992) and test the use of ⁸⁸Sr to elucidate migration patterns. Samples were collected (n=453) in 2009 and 2010 on the Roanoke River near the spawning grounds and in Albemarle Sound during the pre-spawn spawning and post-spawn periods (March through May) with total lengths (TL) ranging from 300 to 1 080 mm corresponding to age-3 to age-16. Striped bass are total spawners with determinate fecundity maturing one clutch or group of oocytes each year and having primary growth oocytes (PG) at each stage of development. Female striped bass were 96.8% mature by age-4 with fecundity ranging from 176 873 eggs (age-3) to 3 163 130 eggs (age-16). These findings are different from Olsen and Rulifson (1992) who reported 92.9% mature by age-4 with 43.8% overall greater fecundity estimates attributed to the sample size and methodologies. Otoliths were examined using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to determine changes in concentrations of the element ⁸⁸Sr over the life of the fish that reflect high salinity or freshwater environments and fish were assigned residency (77.4%) or anadromy (22.6%). It is recommended that management agencies continue to consider age-4 female striped bass the first year class to contribute to the spawning population in the A/R stock and to keep the minimum size limit of 18 in in place; however adjusting the slot limit of 22-27 in would be beneficial to fishermen without decreasing the spawning stock. It is recommended to continually monitor the reproductive rates of the population to ensure the health of the stock.Â


Context: Studies identified prevalence of vitamin A deficiency among Indian preschool-aged children. Aims: The meta-analysis was conducted on peer-reviewed articles published between 1960 and 2007. Settings and Design: Thirteen epidemiologic studies were identified from 250 potentially relevant articles. Material and methods: Studies were selected on, Firstly; a broad criterion of vitamin A deficiency among Indian preschool-aged children was developed on information provided in the WHO publication. Secondly, 'Night Blindness (XN)' among preschool-age children along with Corneal Xerosis associated with Bitot's spot (X1B) was considered as positive clinical signs. Finally, in absence of universally accepted criteria of reporting of prevalence, weighted average data was considered as positive cases irrespective of criteria of diagnosis. Statistical analysis used: Median and inter-quartile range was used. Results: Wide differences in samples and primary outcome variables in these studies were observed. After adjusting for these confounding characteristics, consistent patterns of vitamin A deficiency among Indian preschool-aged children was calculated. The total number of children in this study population was 208379 [with median=1094 and IQR = 283.0 - 8978.0] and the number of children suffering from Vitamin A deficiency disorders was 12510 [with median =80 and IQR = 36.5 - 201.0]. The median prevalence was 7.0% and Inter-Quartile Range (IQR) = 3.3% - 9.3%. Though the study period varied between 1960 and 2005, the median study period was found to be 1999 [with IQR = 1981.5-2004.5]. Conclusion: Wide inter-regional variation in these studies on the prevalence was possibly because of the non-uniform adherence to the diagnostic criteria.


The major therapeutic goal for immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is to restore normal platelet counts using drugs to promote platelet production or by interfering with mechanisms responsible for platelet destruction. Eighty percent of patients with ITP possess anti–integrin αIIbβ3 IgG autoantibodies that cause platelet opsonization and phagocytosis. The spleen is considered the primary site of autoantibody production by autoreactive B cells and platelet destruction. The immediate failure in approximately 50% of patients to recover a normal platelet count after anti-CD20 rituximab-mediated B cell depletion and splenectomy suggests that autoreactive, rituximab-resistant, IgG-secreting B cells (IgG-SCs) reside in other anatomical compartments. We analyzed more than 3,300 single IgG-SCs from spleen, bone marrow, and/or blood of 27 patients with ITP, revealing high interindividual variability in affinity for αIIbβ3, with variations over 3 logs. IgG-SC dissemination and range of affinities were, however, similar for each patient. Longitudinal analysis of autoreactive IgG-SCs upon treatment with the anti-CD38 mAb daratumumab demonstrated variable outcomes, from complete remission to failure with persistence of high-affinity anti–αIIbβ3 IgG-SCs in the bone marrow. This study demonstrates the existence and dissemination of high-affinity autoreactive plasma cells in multiple anatomical compartments of patients with ITP that may cause the failure of current therapies.


To reduce product development time, upstream testing and downstream design processes are often overlapped. Existing studies do not recommend overlapping in situations where test results may have a significant effect on downstream redesign. However, this study identifies that, due to long procurement time and lengthy physical tests, companies may have no choice but to overlap these tasks to meet product delivery deadlines. This research investigates how a case study company manages these overlaps, and proposes a model to support the overlapping of testing and subsequent redesign phases during the


Economic upheaval and project complexity often lead to unequal risk allocation between contractual parties. A review of the literature identifies major problems in relation to the fairness and equality of the risk allocation process. However, most existing studies have been conducted from the client's perspective rather than that of contractors or consultants and do not focus specifically on risk misallocation. This paper aims at determining the factors involved by a questionnaire survey of the perceptions of contractors and consultants of the main issues in relation to medium to large commercial construction projects in South East Queensland, Australia. The findings are generally consistent with existing research results in that approximately half the respondents feel that their contractual risk allocation is unfair. In addition, there is a lack of use of formal risk management methods, and the arbitrary passing down of risks from the client has increased in recent years. A better understanding is provided of the issues contributing to unequal risk allocation, decision-making and management that will help promote fairness and equality between the contractual parties in the current process of risk management.


In 2005, a network of 3 large, district-wide marine protected areas (MPAs) and 17 village-managed closures (tabu) was established in Kubulau District, Fiji. Underwater visual census (UVC) data of fish biomass and benthic cover were collected between 2007 and 2009 and analysed with PERMANOVA and ANOSIM to assess differences between closed and open areas. High reef fish biomass (>1000 kg/ha) within closures, significantly elevated over open areas, was consistently observed from: (1) tabu areas on naturally productive reefs within visual distance from villages; and (2) the large, long-term permanent closure located away from fishing pressure. Factors that may have contributed to low fish biomass within closures include small size of closures; noncompliance with management rules; and disclosure of management success to fishers from villages with high reliance on fisheries products. Future success of the network depends on improving awareness of management rules and ensuring implementation within a broader ecosystem framework.


The article examines how Russian students comprehend and use digital technologies for self-tracking (mobile apps, smart wristbands, smartwatches) allowing them to receive behavioral biometrics data. The study presents the results of a reflexive thematic analysis of student essays on the topic. What meanings do the students actualize in their works? How do they describe their personal experience in self-tracking technologies? How do they envisage the digital future and construct the futurological discourse related to self-tracking? The study shows that self-tracking is conceptualized as a value-based, corporeal, social and technological phenomenon. Almost all the students have a certain degree of experience in self-tracking, however some of them strive to limit it or have stopped using it for a number of reasons. Based on student stories (former and current users) the author proposes to tentatively distinguish three self-tracking strategies: (1) gamer, (2) manager, and (3) transformer.  Gamers prize passion, enjoyment and newness; managers lean more toward bringing order to their lives; transformers are eager to make radical changes to body and mind. In actual life any self-tracker combines all three roles with one of them being dominant.  According to the students, self-tracking technologies are not capable of inciting a strong motivation for self-optimization but their effectiveness might increase in the future. Dystopian discourse in the student essays points to the problems such as  the use of personal data for the benefit of large corporations, prospects for coercive self-tracking (and total control), transformation of social practices and institutions under the influence of "digital doubles". Recognizing the inevitability of further technological development the authors of the essays consider it important to critically assess possible consequences and risks of human and social life datafication.
Acknowledgments. The article was part of the study (grant no. 17-01-0077) carried out in the framework of HSE Academic Fund Program in 2017—2019 (grant No. 17-01-0077) and Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100.


This paper reports the layer-by-layer synthesis and growth kinetics of a new class of nanostructured multilayers consisting of montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclays "glued" by sol–gel oxides, such as zirconia (ZrO2) and tin oxide (SnO2), {MMTx-(sol–gel oxide)}n. The multilayers possess an ordered layer structure with tunable nanoscale periods of thickness. Systematic investigation of growth kinetics revealed unique underlying film growth mechanisms. The growth of the MMT and sol–gel ZrO2 layers is strongly coupled. For fresh aqueous ZrO2 precursors, the growth rates of sol–gel ZrO2 layers on MMT surfaces as functions of time and precursor concentration do not follow the standard mass transfer or interfacial reaction controlled kinetic models. Furthermore, the growth of the sol–gel oxide layers on MMT surfaces is self-limited to a maximum thickness of ∼50–60 nm. These observations suggest a surface-mediated growth of sol–gel oxide layers on MMT surfaces, and such growth is likely influenced or controlled by electrostatic interactions. For the aged precursors, the growth mechanism differs; the growth of sol–gel oxide layers is controlled by hydrodynamics and follows the Landau–Levich model. These new findings on detailed growth kinetics, which have been difficult to observe and quantify via the synthesis of more prevailing polyelectrolyte-based multilayers, significantly advance the general understanding of the layer-by-layer electrostatic assembly. Overall, layer-by-layer assembly of multilayers using sol–gel oxides, instead of polyelectrolytes, as both adhesive and functional components in the structure, is a new concept of nanoscale fabrication, which can lead to the development of a broad range of inorganic nanostructured films. The mechanical properties and potential applications of this new class of multilayers are briefly discussed.


Spas are whales rich in medicinal water, mud, air or other properties that help in the healing process. By analysing the factors of Serbian spa tourism, it can be determined their integrity and importance for the development of certain types of tourism, as well as the importance of these factors for the strengthening of the region in which the spas are located. Can Serbia rely on its own capabilities and resources? The answer to this question should be sought in the successful management of the country, its regions and the state of natural resources, in the establishment of proper national strategy for sustainable development. Given that Serbia has a considerable sources of renewable energy, among which occupies an important place and hydro energy, and that they are not utilized enough, both at the national and regional levels, the paper will try to give an overview of the factors of spa tourism with emphasis on Gamzigrad spa.


ABSTRACT This study examines the degree of integration of the Turkish economy and European markets as well as the nature of price convergences across major cities for common categories of goods. A series of unit root tests are performed to assess these price convergences by considering non-linearity, cross-sectional correlations, and structural breaks. We find that the Turkish and European markets are well-integrated. Moreover, Turkey's highest rate of convergence occurs in the fresh fruits and vegetables (supermarkets) and canned goods (mid-priced stores) categories, suggesting arbitrage activities exist across common categories of goods.


Abstract An analysis was made of some immunological indices in patients with podagra. It was established that women showed a more pronounced reduction of T-lymphocytes in the peripheral blood and their functional activity in tests with phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin as well as a deficit of B-lymphocytes, hyperproduction of C-immunoglobulin and antibodies to DNA in the blood serum. Males showed an increased level of B-lymphocytes. M-immunoglobulin and antirenal antibody titers. The concentration of circulating immune complexes in the blood rose equally independent of age.


This paper describes how the effects of possible component failures on an electrical system can be predicted through simulation of the correct behavior of the system, and repeated simulation of versions of the system containing faulty components. The results of such simulation are useful both for failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and for diagnosis. Such results have been used commercially for FMEA for a much longer time than for producing diagnostics. This has led to techniques for reducing the amount of engineer effort needed to repeat the FMEA when changes to the design occur, a modified process we have termed "incremental FMEA". This modified process significantly reduces the amount of engineer effort needed to evaluate the consequences of minor changes to a system design. This paper shows how the results of FMEA are also being used to generate diagnostics, and applies incremental FMEA techniques to the diagnostic challenges of variants and of producing diagnostics as a system evolves over time. The idea of incremental diagnostics should reduce the amount of effort needed to produce different versions of related diagnostics in a similar way to how it reduced the effort needed for repeated FMEAs.


Background Distinguishing between substance-induced psychosis (SIP) and primary psychosis is crucial for understanding illness and providing optimal treatment. Substance use is widespread and causes concern for many reasons, particularly the psychotogenic properties of many substances. Aim The purpose of this study was to differentiate SIP from primary psychosis. Patients and methods A cross-sectional comparative study on 100 patients of both genders who were divided into two groups: group I included those with SIP and group II included those with primary psychosis; 18–65 years old was collected from the Neuropsychiatry Department, Tanta University and from the Centre of Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery. The study was conducted from July 2016 to July 2017. Psychosis was assessed by positive and negative syndrome scale. Arabic version of the addiction severity index was used to assess the severity of addiction and drug screen of urine once the patient was admitted. Results There was a significantly older age among group II (primary psychosis) with a mean age of 34.540±10.017. There were more men in group I, all patients were men in group I. Group II shows significantly more unemployed patients (45 patients, 90%). Unmarried patients were significantly more among group II. There were more patients with a family history of addiction among group I (35 patients, 70%) and more patients with a family history of psychiatric disorders among group II (30 patients, 60%). The number of patients presented with visual hallucination was higher among group I (33 patients, 66%). The number of patients presented by negative symptoms in group II was higher (42 patients, 84%). The total score of positive and negative syndrome scale was higher among group II. Conclusion There is a great difference between SIP and primary psychosis.


Objectives: To assess the frequency, interventions, and outcomes of children presenting with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy in low-resource settings. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Four hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa. Patients: Children age 1 day to 17 years old evaluated at the hospital with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: We evaluated the frequency and outcomes of children presenting consecutively over 4 weeks to any hospital department with traumatic brain injury or infectious encephalopathy. Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category score was assessed pre morbidity and at hospital discharge. Overall, 130 children were studied (58 [45%] had traumatic brain injury) from hospitals in Ethiopia (n = 51), Kenya (n = 50), Rwanda (n = 20), and Ghana (n = 7). Forty-six percent had no prehospital care, and 64% required interhospital transport over 18 km (1–521 km). On comparing traumatic brain injury with infectious encephalopathy, there was no difference in presentation with altered mental state (80% vs 82%), but a greater proportion of traumatic brain injury cases had loss of consciousness (80% vs 53%; p = 0.004). Traumatic brain injury patients were older (median [range], 120 mo [6–204 mo] vs 13 mo [0.3–204 mo]), p value of less than 0.001, and more likely male (73% vs 51%), p value of less than 0.01. In 78% of infectious encephalopathy cases, cause was unknown. More infectious encephalopathy cases had a seizure (69% vs 12%; p < 0.001). In regard to outcome, infectious encephalopathy versus traumatic brain injury: hospital lengths of stay were longer for infectious encephalopathy (8 d [2–30 d] vs 4 d [1–36 d]; p = 0.003), discharge rate to home, or for inpatient rehabilitation, or death differed between infectious encephalopathy (85%, 1%, and 13%) and traumatic brain injury (79%, 12%, and 1%), respectively, p value equals to 0.044. There was no difference in the proportion of children surviving with normal or mild disability (73% traumatic brain injury vs 79% infectious encephalopathy; p = 0.526). Conclusions: The epidemiology and outcomes of pediatric traumatic brain injury and infectious encephalopathy varied by center and disease. To improve outcomes of these conditions in low-resource setting, focus should be on neurocritical care protocols for pre-hospital, hospital, and rehabilitative care.


Introduction Attrition from antiretroviral therapy (ART) programmes is a critical challenge among children receiving care in resource-limited settings. Our objective was to determine the rates and predictors of attrition among children on ART in Ethiopia. Methods Between December 2014 and September 2016, we conducted a prospective cohort study in eight health facilities in Ethiopia. Eligibility criteria included age 3 months–14 years; being on ART for not more than a month. Outcome was attrition due to death and/or loss to follow-up. Predictor variables were child clinical and socio-demographic characteristics, and caregiver socio-demographic characteristics. We used Cox Regression analyses to examine the association between predictors and outcome. Results Of 309 children, 304 were included, 52% were male. Their median age was 9 years (Inter-quartile range, IQR, 6–12). At ART initiation, their median CD4 was 362 cells/mm3 (IQR 231–499); and 74.3% had WHO stage 1 or 2 disease. During 287.7 person-years of observation (PYO), 24 attritions were recorded, yielding an attrition rate of 8.3 per 100 PYO (95% CI 5.4–12.1). Of these, six children were reported dead, leading to a mortality rate of 2.1 per 100 PYO (95% CI 0.8–4.3). Eighteen were lost to follow-up (LTFU) leading to LTFU rate of 6.26 per 100 PYO (95% CI: 3.83–9.70). The majority, 14 (58%) of attrition occurred during the first six months of treatment. Age below three years [aHR] = 5.14 (95% CI: 2.07–12.96), rural residence (aHR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.34–11.78) and baseline Hgb in g/dl < 10 g/dl [aHR] = 5.68 (95% CI: 2.03–6.23) predicted higher risk of attrition. Baseline Hgb < 10 g/dl (aHR = 16.63, 95% CI: 1.64–168.4) and WHO stage III or IV (aHR = 12.25, 95% CI: 1.26–119.05) predicted the death of the child. Higher attrition was documented among children of both biological parents alive and biologically related close family caregivers. Conclusion Younger children, those from rural areas, and children with anaemia were at higher risk of attrition, especially during the early months of treatment, and therefore should be prioritized during treatment follow-up. Further studies should examine underlying reasons for higher attrition.


The aim of this study was to compare the take-off's kinetic and kinematic variables between three types of jumps from a standing position: counter movement jump with arm swing (CMJa), standing back somersault with landings on the spot (BSls) and standing back somersault with rear displacement at landing (BSld). Five elite level male gymnasts (age 23.17 ± 1.61 years; height 165.0 ± 5.4 cm; weight 56.80 ± 7.66 kg) took part in this investigation. A force plate and a 3D movement analysis system were synchronized and used for data collection. Statistical analysis via non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant difference between the take-off variables. The vertical component of force, peak power, impulse and displacement of the centre of mass were significantly different (P<0.01). Similarly, the horizontal component of force, maximum speed, peak power and displacement of the centre of mass were significantly different (P<0.01). However, vertical velocity remained relatively constant. In conclusion, the standing back somersaults performed on the spot's variables (without back displacement) were very similar to the ones analysed during counter movement jump with arm swing. The standing back somersault with landing on the spot allowed better force impulse. This was facilitated by a take-off closer to the centre of mass, unlike the standing back somersault with rear displacement in landing. Analysing kinetic and kinematic together, allowed the endorsement of linear regression equations enabling the prediction of some variables from others.


In Statistical Machine Translation, in-domain and out-of-domain training data are not always clearly delineated. This paper investigates how we can still use mixture-modeling techniques for domain adaptation in such cases. We apply unsupervised clustering methods to split the original training set, and then use mixture-modeling techniques to build a model adapted to a given target domain. We show that this approach improves performance over an unadapted baseline, and several alternative domain adaptation methods.


Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) occurs when medical cost is equal or exceeding 40% of a household's non-Poverty and poor health are common consequences of CHE and vice versa. CHE occurs in the form of out of pocket spending on healthcare. Poverty, type of illness, lack of health insurance all contribute to CHE. Health financing mechanisms are the mainstay to appropriate use of healthcare services and to reduce the overdependence on out of pocket payment. When there are no financial barriers to access healthcare then CHE can be prevented and universal coverage can be achieved. In order to do that, governments should implement prepayment mechanisms in the form of social health insurance to pool risk across the population. Unlike private health insurance, enrollment in social health insurance is compulsory and contributions are based on a person's income and not his health status.


Genetics is a fast-developing field and it has been argued that genetics education is lagging behind. Genetics education has, for example, been suspected of indoctrinating strong genetic determinism. As the updating of the national upper secondary school curricula is about to start, we decided to study how the current curriculum manifests in Finnish biology textbooks. We studied the main four textbooks for historical gene models and definitions of genes using content analysis. Hybrid models were pervasive in textbooks. The textbooks expressed sometimes even strong genetic determinism, which might be linked to the dominance of older historical models in the textbooks. We also found instances of determinism which we call 'weak determinism': genes were depicted as more important factor than environment in relation to the expressed properties. Subsequently, there were no modern gene models found. We suggest gene models should be presented explicitly to reduce misconceptions about genes. We argue that genetics education needs to take more into account than environmental effects and there needs to be more emphasis on the temporal and developmental aspect of genotype-phenotype link. Specifically in Finland this could be done by a more explicit formulation of the national curriculum.


Creating native‐species‐rich grasslands to replace agricultural grasslands can be an important strategy for supplementing the area of grasslands, which are in decline in many regions. In the northeastern United States, sandplain grasslands support a diverse plant community and rare plant and animal species that are declining because of reductions in historical disturbances such as fire and grazing. We designed an experiment on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, to test methods of establishing native‐species‐rich coastal sandplain grassland on former agricultural land. We tested the efficacy of: (1) tilling, herbicide, hot foam, and plastic cover in removing initial nonnative vegetation, and (2) combinations of tilling and seeding for establishing native species. We measured native and nonnative species richness and percent cover before and for 5 years after treatment. Herbicide, plastic cover, and spring, summer, and fall tilling were about equally effective in reducing nonnative species cover and promoting native species cover. Tilling and seeding each increased native species richness and percent cover, and seeding and tilling together increased native species richness and cover more than either treatment alone. Combined seeding and disturbance also reduced the cover of nonnative species, but nonnative species cover remained higher than in adjacent reference sandplain grassland. Results indicated that native species establishment was enhanced by the availability of seeds and by reduction of initial nonnative plant cover. The most efficient method of converting coastal agricultural grasslands to sandplain grassland with a higher number and proportion of native species is a single season of plant removal and seeding.


Sex-specific lifespans are ubiquitous across the tree of life and exhibit broad taxonomic patterns that remain a puzzle, such as males living longer than females in birds and vice versa in mammals. The prevailing "unguarded-X" hypothesis (UXh) explains this by differential expression of recessive mutations in the X/Z chromosome of the heterogametic sex (e.g., females in birds and males in mammals), but has only received indirect support to date. An alternative hypothesis is that the accumulation of deleterious mutations and repetitive elements on the Y/W chromosome might lower the survival of the heterogametic sex ("toxic Y" hypothesis). Here, we report lower survival of the heterogametic relative to the homogametic sex across 138 species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, as expected if sex chromosomes shape sex-specific lifespans. We then analysed bird and mammal karyotypes and found that the relative sizes of the X and Z chromosomes are not associated with sex-specific lifespans, contrary to UXh predictions. In contrast, we found that Y size correlates negatively with male survival in mammals, where toxic Y effects are expected to be particularly strong. This suggests that small Y chromosomes benefit male lifespans. Our results confirm the role of sex chromosomes in explaining sex differences in lifespan, but indicate that, at least in mammals, this is better explained by "toxic Y" rather than UXh effects.


Health[1] Health[1]Cancer [2]Health [3]Denmark [4]Videnskab.dk [5] Don?t count on a cure for cancer any time soon, say scientists. Instead we will find a way to live with it. If all the positive cancer breakthrough headlines are to be believed, then the cure for cancer is right around the corner. But that is a far cry from reality, says Dr. Jørgen Olsen, head of research at The Danish Cancer Society. "I think it's an illusion to imagine that after millions of years of this disease we'll suddenly find a solution. I don't think that we'll ever beat it, but I think that we'll get it under control so that it becomes chronic but not deadly," says Olsen. Prominent cancer researcher, Mads Daugaard from the Molecular Pathology & Cell Imaging Laboratory at the University of British Colombia, Canada, agrees. "We won't find a cure, but we'll probably reach a point where we have so many ways to attack cancer that people won't die from it anymore," says Daugaard. Read More: Is immunotherapy really a revolution?[6]


Lagoons are highly productive coastal features that provide a range of natural services that society values. Their setting within the coastal landscape leaves them especially vulnerable to profound physical, ecological, and associated societal disturbance from global climate change. Expected shifts in physical and ecological characteristics range from changes in flushing regime, freshwater inputs, and water chemistry to complete inundation and loss and the concomitant loss of natural and human communities. Therefore, managing coastal lagoons in the context of global climate change is critical. Although management approaches will vary depending on local conditions and cultural norms, all management scenarios will need to be nimble and to make full use of the spectrum of values through which society views these unique ecosystems. We propose that this spectrum includes pragmatic, scholarly, aesthetic, and tacit categories of value. Pragmatic values such as fishery or tourism revenue are most easily quantified and are therefore more likely to be considered in management strategies. In contrast, tacit values such as a sense of place are more difficult to quantify and therefore more likely to be left out of explicit management justifications. However, tacit values are the most influential to stakeholder involvement because they both derive from and shape individual experiences and beliefs. Tacit values underpin all categories of social values that we describe and can be expected to have a strong influence over human behavior. The articulation and inclusion of the full spectrum of values, especially tacit values, will facilitate and support nimble adaptive management of coastal lagoon ecosystems in the context of global climate change.


: A monopolar electrode was implanted surgically in the canine tooth dentine layer to evaluate pain threshold responses of horses. A constant-current stimulator was used to deliver a known electrical current to the tooth pulp nerve. A single stimulus of 2-ms duration, repeated at greater than or equal to 20-s intervals, was used to elicit a head lift response. The lowest current level that produced 3 positive head lift responses was recorded as the pain threshold of the horse. The testing technique, dental dolorimetry, was easily performed. Tooth pulp pain thresholds (TPPT) were established on 8 nonmedicated adult male horses. Electrodes were nonreactive and remained functional for up to 98 days. Base-line TPPT values were consistent with repeated measurements on the same day and measurements on subsequent test days. The quantity of electrical current necessary to elicit the TPPT was increased after administration of xylazine HCl as a test analgesic.


This study evaluated the impact of the Uro-Quick (UQ) screening system (Alifax, Italy) for a rapid and accurate reporting of urine cultures, and whether it can provide bacterial yield to be used in identification and susceptibility testing. A total of 1480 urine samples collected between October 2006 and July 2008 were tested by conventional culture (CC) methods and UQ simultaneously. Sediments of positive UQ vials were used as bacterial yields for identification and susceptibility testing procedures. Of the 1480 samples, 999 revealed bacteria and/or leukocytes in direct microscopy. Among these 999 samples, positive growth was detected in 420 (42%) and 433 (43.3%) by UQ and CC, respectively. However, only 0.6% of samples without bacteria and leukocytes exhibited positive growth. When compared to CC, UQ demonstrated high levels of positive predictive value (95.9%), negative predictive value (94.8%), sensitivity (93%) and specificity (96.9%). Both CC isolates and UQ bacteria showed 81.3% concordance in identification results. Susceptibility testing of UQ bacteria displayed >90% agreement, when compared with standardized disk diffusion test. Our results indicate that UQ can reliably be used in routine laboratories giving microbial growth results in 3 hours. The most significant part of the study is that bacterial yields of UQ positive samples can be used in identification and susceptibility testing, allowing a rapid, same-day reporting of urine cultures.


Background: Pathology and lung function studies show that small airways are affected early in CF lung disease. Due to the inaccessibility of the distal air spaces little research has been performed in this area. The lung microstructure can be studied using the relatively new technique of hyperpolarised noble gas magnetic resonance (3HeMR) scanning(1).

Study aims: To compare acinar airway size of children with CF with that of healthy controls.

Methods: In children with relatively mild CF lung disease 3HeMR was undertaken during breath-hold following inhalation of a bolus of hyperpolarised 3He gas mixture. A signal was obtained using the q-space technique(2). We applied Yablonskiy's acinar model(3) on the raw data to obtain the values for mean acinar duct diameter, R and mean alveolar sleeve depth, h. All children had spirometry and lung clearance index (LCI) measured.

Results: We studied 9 children (6-10y) with CF (FEV1: 97.6%predicted; SD ± 14.3) and 18 age-matched controls. LCI was elevated in all CF patients (median 10.7; range 9.1-12.9). Acinar duct diameters (438.4μm; SD ± 21.8) and alveolar sleeve depth (294.2μm; SD ± 60.3) were both significantly (p<0.05) larger compared to controls (404.3μm; SD ± 34.8 and 223.8μm; SD ± 38.5 respectively).

Discussion: 3HeMR is well tolerated in children from school age. We found that R and h, both surrogate values for acinar size, are larger in children with mild CF lung disease compared to healthy controls. 3HeMR may constitute a sensitive technique for investigating CF lung disease.

References:

1.Narayanan M et al 2012 AJRCCM; 185:186

2.Shanbhag DD et al 2006 JMRI; 24:84

3.Yablonskiy DA et al 2002 PNAS; 99:3111.


Yemen faces enormous challenges. Assistance to the country can be improved, however, if the International Development Association (IDA) establishes priorities in its future assistance strategy that are consistent both within and across sectors and focuses on ensuring the sustainability of its assistance. That means strengthening the capacity of appropriate agencies, reducing the complexity of project design, building broad consensus for reforms, allocating adequate resources during planning, and protecting vulnerable groups. Future IDA assistance to Yemen should focus on several key areas: growth, water resources, the gender gap, governance capacity, and consensus building and the social safety net.


Superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles were used more and more universally in biomedical research recently. In order to develop a suitable immuno-magnetic probe which can be applied in antigen-antibody based immunoassay, such as tumor marker or cardiovascular marker detection, SPIO capped by dextran was synthesized with chemical coprecipitation method. With sodium periodate method, hydroxyl groups of dextran were oxidated to aldehyde groups, thus conjugated with antibodies by covalent bonds. Western blot pattern illustrated that structure integrity of the most antibodies was kept well, harmful influence given by oxidation of conjugation was very finite. Both immune reactivity and antigenicity of antibodies in the SPIO based immunoprobes were retained effectively. This probe has a potentially application in SPIO based novel suspension array for its superparamagnetic property that can be separated under gradient magnetic field.


Abstract Background: Advanced information systems have changed the way managers work with planning and performance measurement. Traditional management control concepts such as efficiency have changed in meaning due to these information systems. Objectives: The main purpose behind this paper is to try to understand how a new managerial context is shaped and re-shaped by new information systems that constitute a digital enterprise. Methods/Approach: Three different cases are presented and analysed. Results: The new managerial function of advanced information systems is presented through the three cases. Conclusions: The digitalisation debate and agenda need to develop an even deeper understanding of how digital initiatives affect organisations. This is possible by dealing with concepts such as the digital enterprise, which integrates digital technical solutions with organisational challenges and management control intent.


Hydrocarbon production is a function of various elements such as reservoir quality, petrophysical properties, geophysical properties and also volume. Lateral extent of reservoir body is important information for estimation of hydrocarbon initially in place and the recoverable quantity. A method of integrated lateral prediction towards understanding reservoir geometry and rock properties towards enhanced hydrocarbon production is explored with dataset from Bohai bay, Northern China. The methods of conventional well log analysis, seismic interpretation and geostatistical modeling has been employed for this study. Computation of useful logs like Volume of shale, porosity, permeability, Acoustic impedance and Elastic impedance was primarily done on well logs followed by the identification of potential reservoir formation. Lateral extent of reservoir horizons was traced on seismic reflection data with precision through continuity and dominance. Seismic attributes were also computed to assist in better understanding of the characteristics of the rock units in structure and stratigraphy. Computation of variograms and data transformation was done prior to geostatistical simulations for all rock properties considered. The result shows an all encompassing realization on a static model of lateral rock properties within the zone of interest thereby making it easy for making decisions locating parts of the field with high values in rock and fluid properties as potential portions towards hydrocarbon production.


By using an efficient and alignment tolerant fiber-chip coupling technology we can realize semiconductor space switches with a new and highly promising modular architecture. We present a completely packaged 8/spl times/8 matrix switch based on InGaAsP-InP intended for routing applications around wavelength 1.55 /spl mu/m. The matrix is composed of sixteen 1/spl times/8 InGaAsP-InP switches that are optically interconnected by a shuffle comprising 64 single-mode fibers (SMFs). All the fiber ports of the InGaAsP-InP chips are provided with monolithically integrated optical spot-size transformers (MOSTs) that allow simple yet highly efficient self-aligned multifiber coupling. The 8/spl times/8 matrix shows a fiber-matrix-fiber insertion losses of 20 dB and a crosstalk suppressions of 28 dB. An extension of the matrix architecture to a 64/spl times/64 switch seems straightforward.


Hydroxyapatite/collagen composites were prepared in-situ synthesis. The composites were finally achieved by dehydration including air-drying and freeze-drying methods. FTIR, XPS and DSC were employed to investigate the composites dehydrated by two methods. The air-dried composites had better mechanical properties than those of the composites dried by freeze drying. Air-drying of the composite induced more bond formation and crosslink between collagen fibers and HA crystals compared with freeze-drying of the composite, as indicated by the shifting of amide A and I bands to the lower wavenumber and by the changes in the binding energy of O1s, Ca2p, and P2p, leading to the increase of the peak temperature of the composites. Collagen crosslink and bond formation in the air-dried composites were key factors to increase the bending strength of the composites. The results of this study confirm that in situ synthesis and air-dry method are effective ways to obtain nanoHA/COL composites with high mechanical properties.


Adult scallops, Patinopecten yessoensis, held for 8 d separately in tanks and fed known amounts of cultured cells of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium tamarense were held without feeding for an additional 10 d. During the 18 d study, 3 scallops were removed every 2 d and the quantity of of each toxin present was analyzed individually. The toxins released into the environmental seawater were recovered and also analyzed. These experiments showed that the individual variation in bivalve toxicity often observed in feeding experiments and field surveys is due to differences in the amounts of dinoflagellate cells ingested by the bivalves and that a portion of the total amount of toxins accu- mulated in the scallop is released into the environmental water. However, the sum of the amount of toxins in the scallop and that released into the water cannot be explained in terms of the amount sup- plied by A. tamarense, suggesting that in addition to toxin accumulation from the food chain, another unknown mechanism is involved in toxin accumulation in the scallop. The toxins incorporated into the scallop from A. tamarense are considered to undergo metabolism in the scallop through which the toxins are changed to derivatives undetectable by HPLC.


The purpose of this article is twofold. First, we summarize research on the topic of privacy in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI), outlining current approaches, results, and trends. Practitioners and researchers can draw upon this review when working on topics related to privacy in the context of HCI and CSCW. The second purpose is that of charting future research trends and of pointing out areas of research that are timely but lagging. This work is based on a comprehensive analysis of published academic and industrial literature spanning three decades, and on the experience of both ourselves and of many of our colleagues.


In April of 2013 the Chief Justice of Uganda issued the Constitution (Sentencing Guidelines for the Courts of (Practice). In doing so Uganda joined a movement of criminal justice reform that cuts across anglophone jurisdictions. This article includes a general background on the emergence of sentencing guidelines and the two primary structural approaches to sentencing guidelines design. This article's primary purpose is to offer a preliminary critical assessment of Uganda's Sentencing Guidelines. An overview of key features in the Sentencing Guidelines serves as a prelude to the analytical content. Uganda's Sentencing Guidelines are a commendable effort. They are more than mere recastings of foreign guidelines. The Guidelines include several features that are tailored to fit the needs, circumstances and culture of the Ugandan context. Noteworthy elements in the Guidelines include the incorporation of restorative justice, community engagement and pragmatic approaches adjusted to the limited present capacity of government services. While the Guidelines are a praiseworthy development, there are several improvements and adjustments that could be made to improve them over time. Suggested adjustments include clear sentencing incentives for defendants to accept responsibility without going to trial and the modification of elements of the Guidelines that potentially lead to the denial of due process.


Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) films are generally brittle in nature and have poor barrier against moisture. Herein four different types of styrene butyl acrylate latices, one large particle size latex and three nanolatices, were combined with CNF in varying proportions in an attempt to improve the nanocomposite film properties. The influence of latex particle size, and glass transition temperature (Tg) and carboxylation level of nanolatex on the mechanical, water vapor barrier and optical properties of the nanocomposite films was evaluated. Nanolatices improved the strength properties, contrary to large particle size latex, indicating a better network formation between nanolatex and CNF. Both low Tg and low carboxylation level nanolatices increased the toughness of films considerably, by making them flexible. A very low addition level (1 wt%) of low carboxylation level nanolatex, for instance, increased the film toughness by more than 100%. All four latices improved the moisture barrier and light transmittance of films to some extent.


The purpose of this study was to investigate empirically the role of knowledge and innovation within Central and Eastern Europe's changing economy. We applied qualitative research methods, and focused only on professional services firms within the region. The connection between knowledge and innovation as well as knowledge and competitiveness was analyzed by top managers and senior industry experts. Our findings revealed that knowledge might be a real value driver for professional services firms. These companies can significantly contribute to the development of modern economies through the dissemination of their internal best practices in knowledge management. We found three factors that might influence the effectiveness of knowledge management. These three factors are the involvement of international knowledge networks, the investments in human capital, and focus on critical resources. These issues proved to be essential to maximize the potential of knowledge and to leverage this into increased business performance. Keywords: Knowledge management, professional services, innovation, competitiveness, Central and Eastern Europe


Food authenticity has become increasingly important as a result of food adulteration. To identify the authenticity of sweet potato starch noodles, the ladder-shape melting temperature isothermal amplification (LMTIA) method of determining cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) DNA in sweet potato starch noodles was used. A set of primers targeted at the internal transcription spacer (ITS) of cassava was designed, genomic DNA was extracted, the LMTIA reaction temperature was optimized, and the specificity of the primer was verified with the genomic DNAs of cassava, sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), Solanum tuberosum L., Zea mays L., Vigna radiate L., Triticum aestivum L., and Glycine max (L.) Merr. The sensitivity with the serially diluted genomic DNA of cassava and the suitability for the DNA extracted from sweet potato starch adulterated with cassava starch were tested. The LMTIA assay for identifying the cassava component in sweet potato starch noodles was established. At the optimal temperature of 52 °C, the primers could specifically distinguish a 0.01% (w/w) cassava component added to sweet potato starch. Additionally, the LMTIA method was applied to the cassava DNA detection of 31 sweet potato starch noodle samples purchased from retail markets in China. Of these, 14 samples were positive. The LMTIA assay could be a reliable method for the rapid detection of cassava components in sweet potato starch noodles, to protect the rights of consumers and to regulate the sale market order of starch noodles.


Introduction The aim of this study is to detect the possible reasons of abdominal pain in the patients aged 65 and older admitted to emergency department (ED) with complaint of abdominal pain which is not related to trauma, to determine the length of hospitalization of old (65–75 age) and elderly (aged 75 and older) patients, and to define the hospitalization and mortality rates. Material and Methods In the study, 336 patients were included. Groups were compared in respect to gender, internal or surgical prediagnoses, complaints accompanying abdominal pain, vital findings, comorbidities, requested consultations, hospitalizing service, waiting time in the ED and in the hospital, and treatment methods. Results Of the patients, 48.2% were male, and 51.8% were female. While 52.4% of the patients were in 65–74 age group, 47.6% of them were aged 75 years and above. An internal disease was detected in 76.8% of the patients as an origin of abdominal pain. Most common prediagnoses were biliary diseases and diseases related to biliary tract followed by nonspecific abdominal pain, abdominal pain secondary to malignity, ileus, and acute gastroenteritis, respectively. The most frequent finding accompanying abdominal pain was vomiting. The most frequent chronic disease accompanying abdominal pain was hypertension in both age groups. We observed that 75.9% of the patients required consultation. We detected that 48.8% of the patients with abdominal pain were hospitalized and they were hospitalized mostly by gastroenterology ward (24.8%). Surgical treatments were applied to the 17.6% of the patients with abdominal pain. Conclusion Clinical findings become indistinct by age, and differential diagnosis of abdominal pain gets more difficult in geriatric patients. Therefore, physicians should consider age related physiological changes in order to distinguish geriatric patients admitted to emergency service with abdominal pain from pathological cases requiring immediate surgical operation.


This study was planned to observe prospectively the effects of standard open pulmonary lobectomy on leukocyte subsets and their connection with oncological outcome. Leukocyte subsets from 200 patients undergoing pulmonary lobectomy were analyzed: 151 patients had nonsmall-cell lung cancer, and 49 had non-malignant diseases. Blood samples were taken for leukocyte flow cytometry before and five, 30 and 60 days after operation. The end points were: observation of postoperative leukocyte subsets that are dynamic in patients with lung cancer vs. patients without malignant disease; correlations between leukocyte subsets trend and disease-free interval or survival; and identification of prognostic factors related to preoperative leukocyte subsets. Lymphocyte counts significantly decreased at five days after lobectomy while monocyte counts increased, and complete recovery of the preoperative leukocyte setting was documented at 30 and 60 days. The patients with lung cancer showed a significant low percentage of human leukocyte antigens on their monocytes before surgery ( P=0.0017), followed by a peculiar disarrangement of leukocytes subsets compared with patients without malignant disease at the five-day control point. There was no correlation between leukocyte subset dynamics and disease free interval or survival. This study proves reductions of T-, B and natural killer cells, and the expression of DR on T-lymphocyte after pulmonary lobectomy; oncological patients were significantly less affected by surgery than non-cancer patients.  2011 Published by European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.