The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (UNION) has a decade of experience in conducting short courses on research methods for the promotion of lung health. In a parallel initiative, the UNION has collaborated with the American Thoracic Society (ATS) to develop courses on international respiratory epidemiology that have been expanded by the ATS throughout Latin America. The two initiatives have similar aims, and the courses offered by the two organisations have intentionally been similar in terms of focus and complementary in regions targeted. The target regions of the UNION, drawing on several decades of experience in offering short courses on tuberculosis, have been Africa, the Black Sea Rim, the Middle East and Asia, while the target regions of the ATS have been Central and South America. This workshop aimed first to provide an opportunity for those who have taught on the courses and those who have participated to share their experiences and learn from them, and second to provide a basis on which to develop a strategic plan for future courses. This report summarises the contributions of the workshop participants and the conclusions reached.


This special issue gathers together a selection of short articles reflecting on the historical construction of inequality and race in the histories of archaeology. The articles also suggest ways in which the discipline might grapple with the—often obvious, sometimes subtle—consequences of that historical process. Solicited via an open call for papers in the summer of 2020 (one made with the aim of speedy publication), the breadth of the topics discussed in the articles reflect how inequality and race have become more prominent research themes within the histories of archaeology in the previous five-to-ten years. At the same time, the pieces show how research can—and should—be connected to attempts to promote social justice and an end to racial discrimination within archaeological practice, the archaeological profession, and the wider worlds with which the discipline interacts. Published at a time when a pandemic has not only swept the world, but also exposed such inequalities further, the special issue represents a positive intervention in what continues to be a contentious issue.


Background: Treatment with Pis (vs no PIs) and d4T (vs other NRTIs) have been independently associated with higher risk of fat wasting (lipoatrophy) in HIV-infected patients. We sought to determine whether the revision of d4T and/or PI-containing regimens to ZDV/3TC/ABC would be safe, efficacious and result in prevention (fat sparing) and/or reversibility (fat restoration) of lipoatrophy.
Methods: 40 subjects with stable HIV RNA<400 copies/mL and taking 1 of 3 baseline regimens, d4T/3TC/indinavir, d4T/3TC/nelfinavir, and ZDV/3TC/indinavir were randomised to continue therapy or switch d4T to ZDV and PI to ABC, such that the universal switch regimen was ZDV/3TC/ABC. Primary endpoints included percentage change from baseline in fat in the legs and arms in whole body DEXA scans at 24 and 48 weeks. Secondary endpoints were HIV RNA concentration, adverse events, abdominal fat in single-cut L4 CT scans, anthropometric and metabolic parameters.

Results: At 48 weeks in intention-to-treat analysis, subjects who switched therapy to ZDV/3TC/ABC had a significant mean percentage increase from baseline in percentage of leg fat (+0.45) compared with a mean decrease (-0.45) in those who continued any of the baseline regimens (p=0.03, t-test). There was also an average increase in percentage of arm fat in the switch groups (+0.95 at 24 weeks,+1.73 at 48 weeks) compared with +0.02 at 24 weeks (p=0.05, t-test) and +0.66 at 48 weeks (p=0.08, t-test) in the continue groups. The change from baseline in percentage of arm fat observed on those who switched both d4T and PI was significantly greater than that observed in those who switched PI alone or continued therapy (p=0.01, t-test). No subjects in the switch groups experienced virological failure. For metabolic parameters, there was a mean decrease in LDL cholesterol in those who switched away from indinavir containing regimens (p=0.03, t-test).

Conclusions: Switching to ZDV/3TC/ABC maintained virologic control and was associated with objective evidence of fat sparing as well as some fat restoration, compared with continued d4T and/or PI therapy.


The paper presents insights from carrying out a pan-EU sustainability assessment using Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) data (the old wine) with societal metabolism accounting (SMA) processes (the new bottles). The SMA was deployed as part of a transdisciplinary study with EU policy stakeholders of how EU policy may need to change to deliver sustainability commitments, particularly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The paper outlines the concepts underlying SMA and its specific implementation using the FADN data. A key focus was on the interactions between crop and livestock systems and how this determines imported feedstuffs requirements, with environmental and other footprints beyond the EU. Examples of agricultural production systems performance are presented in terms of financial/efficiency, resource use (particularly the water footprint) and quantifies potential pressures on the environment. Benefits and limitations of the FADN dataset and the SMA outputs are discussed, highlighting the challenges of linking quantified pressures with environmental impacts. The paper concludes that the complexity of agriculture's interactions with economy and society means there is great need for conceptual frameworks, such as SMA, that can take multiple, non-equivalent, perspectives and that can be deployed with policy stakeholders despite generating uncomfortable knowledge.


The potential applications of the photon to thermal conversion technique by gold nanorods has attracted attention for biomedical applications since they show an intense absorption spectrum in the near-infrared region, and therefore, penetrate more deeply into biological tissues. The goal in this study is to assess a local heating phenomenon with a single patterned cluster of gold nanorods that are prepared as a wet chemically synthesized gold nanorod solution and mixed with aqueous 1% alginate and 0.1 M calcium chloride. In particular, we utilized the initiated chemical vapor deposition method to coat the cluster with poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) to enhance its high temperature resistance in the solution. The influence of the thermal energy on the surroundings is studied by measuring the surface temperature of the single patterned gold nanorod cluster as a function of laser irradiation time. The experimental results were compared with numerical simulation results. The results showed that the irradiated gold nanorods could rapidly heat to maximum surface temperatures of over 60 • C within 120 s. Furthermore, the temperature remained almost constant (i.e. reached a steady state) under continuous laser irradiation and rapidly cooled to the initial temperature within 90 s when the laser was turned off.


BACKGROUND
Vitamin D and calcium may affect the cardiovascular system independently and interactively.

PURPOSE
To assess whether vitamin D and calcium supplements reduce the risk for cardiovascular events in adults.

DATA SOURCES
Studies published in English from 1966 to July 2009 in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

STUDY SELECTION
Two investigators independently selected 17 prospective studies and randomized trials that examined vitamin D supplementation, calcium supplementation, or both and subsequent cardiovascular events.

DATA EXTRACTION
Three investigators extracted and checked data about study designs, participants, exposures or interventions, outcomes, and data quality.

DATA SYNTHESIS
Five prospective studies of patients receiving dialysis and 1 study involving a general population showed consistent reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among adults who received vitamin D supplements. Four prospective studies of initially healthy persons found no differences in incidence of CVD between calcium supplement recipients and nonrecipients. Results of secondary analyses in 8 randomized trials showed a slight but statistically nonsignificant reduction in CVD risk (pooled relative risk, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.77 to 1.05]) with vitamin D supplementation at moderate to high doses (approximately 1000 IU/d) but not with calcium supplementation (pooled relative risk, 1.14 [CI, 0.92 to 1.41]), or a combination of vitamin D and calcium supplementation (pooled relative risk, 1.04 [CI, 0.92 to 1.18]) compared with placebo.

LIMITATIONS
Only articles published in English that reported cardiovascular event outcomes were included. The small number of studies, the lack of trials designed specifically to assess primary effects on cardiovascular outcomes, and important between-study heterogeneity preclude definitive conclusions.

CONCLUSION
Evidence from limited data suggests that vitamin D supplements at moderate to high doses may reduce CVD risk, whereas calcium supplements seem to have minimal cardiovascular effects. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of these supplements in CVD prevention.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE
The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.


Resveratrol, a grape polyphenol, is thought to be a cancer preventive, yet its effects on metastatic breast cancer are relatively unknown. Since cancer cell invasion is dependent on cell migration, the chemotactic response of MDA-MB-231 metastatic human breast cancer cells to resveratrol, estradiol (E2), or epidermal growth factor (EGF) was investigated. Resveratrol decreased while E2 and EGF increased directed cell migration. Resveratrol may inhibit cell migration by altering the cytoskeleton. Resveratrol induced a rapid global array of filopodia and decreased focal adhesions and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activity. E2 or EGF treatment did not affect filopodia extension but increased lamellipodia and associated focal adhesions that are integral for cell migration. Combined resveratrol and E2 treatment resulted in a filopodia and focal adhesion response similar to resveratrol alone. Combined resveratrol and EGF resulted in a lamellipodia and focal adhesion response similar to EGF alone. E2 and to a lesser extent resveratrol increased EGFR activity. The cytoskeletal changes and EGFR activity in response to E2 were blocked by EGFR1 inhibitor indicating that E2 may increase cell migration via crosstalk with EGFR signaling. These data suggest a promotional role for E2 in breast cancer cell migration but an antiestrogenic, preventative role for resveratrol.


Forword. Valuing Companies in Emerging Markets: Importance and Challenges. Valuing Companies in Developed Markets: A Review. Fundamental Discounted Cashflow Valuation in Emerging Markets: Cashflows and the Cost-of-Equity Capital. Fundamental Discounted Cashflow Valuation in Emerging Markets: Unsystematic Risk and Synthetic Company Value. Valuing Companies in Emerging Markets via Real Options. Relative Valuation in Emerging Markets: Comparable Companies and Transactions. Valuing Technology Startups in Emerging Markets. Appendix A: Valuation Parameters in the Reference Emerging Markets. Appendix B: Valuation Parameters in the United States. Appendix C: Valuation Parameters in Argentina. Appendix D: Sources of Data on Comparable Companies and Transactions. Appendix E: Valuation Parameters of U.S. Internet Companies. Appendix F: Present Value of Asset/Present Value of Exercise Price. Appendix G: Best Valuation Practices in the United States and Argentina. Index.


KARAKTERISTIK FUNGSIONAL PROTEIN MISELIUM JAMUR TIRAM MERAH MUDA DAN MERANG [Functional Characteristics of Protein Mycelium of Pink Oyster and Paddy Straw Mushrooms] Sukarno 1) *, Nadia T. Hendartina 1) , Dedi Fardiaz 1) dan Nampiah Sukarno 2) 1) Departemen Ilmu dan Teknologi Pangan, Fakultas Teknologi Pertanian, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor 2) Departemen Biologi, Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengetahuan Alam, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Bogor Diterima 12 Maret 2014 / Disetujui 13 Juni 2014 ABSTRACT Mycelium of mushroom contained high protein, which determined its functional characteristics such as water holding capacity (WHC), oil holding capacity (OAC), emulsion stability, and gel formation. This study aimed to determine the protein functional properties of Pleurotus flabellatus and Volvariella volvacea mycelia. Information obtained can be used to increase utilization of the mycelia as source of food. Mycelia biomass were obtained by growing the fungal cultures in Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) on shaker at 100-150 rpm. Mycelia were harvested three times at 7, 8, and 9-days after inoculation for measuring their protein contents by kjehdahl method. Functional properties of mycelium protein measured were WHC, OAC, emulsion stability, and gel formation by folding test method. Based on the analysis of protein content in dry weight basis, 8-day old P. flabellatus and V. volvacea mycelia produced the highest protein contents with the value were 31.72 and 19.98%, respectively. Further analysis of protein functional properties showed that P. flabellatus mycelium had 10.38% of WHC, 0.52 mL/g of OAC, 57.14% of emulsion stability and gel strength level with the valueof  2, whereas the V. volvacea mycelium had 15.89% of WHC, 0.80 mL/g of OAC, 48.69% of emulsion stability, and did not form a gel. Protein functional properties of P. flabellatus were better than that of V. volvacea mycelium in terms of protein content, emulsion stability, and gel formation.


Myofibroblastic sarcoma is an extremely rare malignant tumor in the oral and maxillofacial region. We report a case of myofibroblastic sarcoma probably induced by irradiation for maxillary sinus cancer. The patient was a 61-year-old man whose present history was as follows. In October 1989, he presented with pain in the left maxillary molar region. A squamous cell carcinoma of the left maxillary sinus was diagnosed, and he was treated with external irradiation of 50Gy combined with chemotherapy. Left maxillectomy was done in February 1990. The postoperative course was satisfactory. However, in June 1998, he presented again with a tumor arising in the posterior region of the defect on the left side of the maxilla. Although histopathological examination of a biopsy specimen revealed granulation tissue with inflammatory changes, the tumor grew rapidly. The tumor was therefore suspected to be malignant and was resected under general anesthesia. Histopathological examination revealed atypical and spindle tumor cells with immunohistochemically positive staining for a-smooth muscle actin, desmin, vimentin, and muscle specific actin, but negative staining for h-caldesmon. On the basis of these histopathological and clinical findings, a final diagnosis of a myofibroblastic sarcoma of the maxillary region was made. The lesion was strongly suspected to be a radiation-induced tumor. The patient was followed up for 4 years 5 months after operation. The subsequent course was satisfactory, with no signs of recurrence or distant metastasis.


JANE WHEELOCK IS READER IN SOCIAL Policy and Susan Baines is an ESRC Management Research Fellow, both at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to better understanding of the concerns, needs and achievements of the 'business family', which may include a very wide variety of formal and informal relationships between family and business. Some of the results of a study of 200 micro-businesses, defined as businesses with up to nine employees, in the business services in the north-east and the south-east of England are reported here. Although the northern and southern location had very different socio-economic characteristics, patterns of family support for businesses were extremely similar. In both locations, there was extensive family involvement, in particular the involvement of spouses. Family labour could be a vital resource without which a struggling business would fail to survive but the extent of self-exploitation and the sacrifices made by some individuals should not be glossed over. Employment growth was a goal for only one in four of the businesses interviewed. Case study material confirmed survey findings that growth seeking business owners were the most likely to seek out partnerships with non-family members and to participate actively in non-family networks.


Field microplot experiments were conducted from 1995 to 1998 to determine the relationship between fresh shoot weight of stalk-cut broadleaf and shade-grown cigar wrapper tobacco types (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and initial density of Globodera tabacum tabacum second stage juveniles (J2) per cm soil. Total shoot weight was negatively correlated with initial nematode densities of 12.3 to 747.3 J2/cm soil (r = −0.53 and −0.70 for broadleaf and shade-grown tobacco, respectively). Nonlinear damage functions were used to relate initial G. t. tabacum densities to shoot weight. The models described shoot weight losses of less than 14% or 39% for broadleaf and shade tobacco, respectively, at G. t. tabacum densities below 50 J2/cm soil. Total shoot weights were reduced by 40% and 60% of uninfested plots as preplant nematode densities approached maximum levels (>600 J2/cm soil) for broadleaf and shade tobacco, respectively. Globodera t. tabacum population increase over a growing season was described by a linear relation on a log/log plot (R = 0.07 and 0.61 for broadleaf and shade, respectively). These experiments demonstrate that G. t. tabacum can directly reduce shoot weight of stalk-cut broadleaf tobacco. Broadleaf is more tolerant to nematode infection than shade tobacco, as shade tobacco shoot weight reductions were greater at the same initial nematode densities in the same years.


Individual differences have an influence on a wide range of education fields. These differences can range from organizing teaching environments to the techniques and strategies that the teacher uses. This study focused on individual differences of pre-service teachers and aimed to investigate the perceptions of Education Faculty students on teaching methods and education materials. A descriptive method was utilized for the study. The participants were 691 female and 364 male students from seven different departments of the education faculty. Personal information forms were used to collect data. Teaching method and teaching material preference questionnaires were used to determine the preferences of teaching methods and materials. According to pre-service teachers, the most effective teaching methods are case studies and discussions, and the most effective teaching materials are film demonstrations; however, models, schemas and graphics are also effective. As a result of this study, lecturing, question and answers, group work, individual work, inductive, discussion, case study, problem-solving and presentation methods show significant differences at a 0.01 level, while the points based on schemas, graphics, film demonstrations, computer software (CD-VCD), PowerPoint presentations and over-head projector show significant differences at a 0.01 level. Conversely, books and written materials show significant differences at a 0.05 level.

 Key words: Teacher training, teaching methods, teaching materials.


Which type of work do Italians perform? In this contribution we aim at detecting the anatomy of the Italian occupational structure by taking stock of a micro-level dataset registering the task content, the execution of procedures, the knowledge embedded in the work itself, called ICP (Indagine Campionaria sulle Professioni), the latter being comparable to the U.S. O*NET dataset. We perform an extensive empirical investigation moving from the micro to the macro level of aggregation. Our results show that the Italian occupational structure is strongly hierarchical, with the locus of power distinct by the locus of knowledge generation. It is also weak in terms of collaborative and worker involvement practices, and possibility to be creative. Our analysis allows to pinpoint the role exerted by hierarchical structures, decision making autonomy, and knowledge as the most relevant attributes characterizing the division of labour.


The use of design notebooks has long been common practice for engineers and designers. Wikis, freely editable collections of web sites, are becoming increasingly popular as flexible documentation and communication tools for collaborative design tasks. The main goals of this work are to better understand & improve wiki support for early design collaboration, and to give students hands-on experience in using wikis as a design tool. For this study, a wiki was provided for 500 engineering students (5 students per team) who worked to solve a challenging design problem. Surveys and interactive feedback sessions were used to analyze the wiki use upon completion of the design project. The results confirm that wikis are a useful and easy to use tool, but certain improvements would increase the utility of wikis for design projects. More features such as easier integration of graphics, metadata, and management options would improve the usefulness of wikis in design thereby improving shared understanding, allowing faster design iterations and better collaboration.


The principle of quenching undesirable indirect external trouble in nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (QUIET-NOESY) relies on a doubly selective inversion of the longitudinal magnetization components of a source spin A and a target spin X to measure the cross-relaxation rate (Overhauser effect) between A and X without significant perturbation by spin diffusion. In 15N-enriched proteins, this can be achieved by using a bilinear rotation decoupling (BIRD) sequence for the selective inversion of amide protons that have a scalar coupling to nitrogen-15. The procedure can be improved by using editing techniques to simplify the resulting NOESY spectra. [on SciFinder (R)]


This is the only English language publication with a distinctly Northeast Asian (outside Japan) and Chinese perspective on pan-East Asian Regionalism (including both Northeast and Southeast Asian Regionalism) published within the last 5 years that is distributed internationally. It traces the development of Asian regionalism and analyzes China's role and policy on East Asian cooperation and integration. The 15 chapters in this volume directly involve all major policy researches and project designing in the process of the East Asia cooperation. They provide valuable information for knowing, understanding and studying the ongoing process of regional cooperation in East Asia.


This study explored the treatment pattern of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients in 2015 using the Commercial and Medicare MarketScan databases. Therapy lines were defined in Table 1. A total of 115,091 adult patients with newly diagnosed (Dx) T2D were identified. Of patients who had antidiabetic drug (ADD) claims within a year after first T2D Dx (n = 53,041), about 20% progressed to second line. The average time from initial Dx to first line and from first to second line were 53 and 117 days respectively. The proportion of combination therapy (≥ 2 ADDs) was increased from 12% in first line to 63% in second line. Table 1 captured the top 20 therapies in each line. About 76% of patients started with metformin (MET) as monotherapy or in combination with sulfonylurea (SU). Substantial variation exists in second line therapies with SU leading the top monotherapy (8.7%). A very small number of patients received newer drugs such as dapagliflozin, dulaglutide and empagliflozin. In line with ADA recommendations, the majority of patients initiated MET-based regimens in first line. SUs were widely used in second line. Despite ongoing research and drug development, little has changed in prescribing of ADD, suggesting a need for better understanding of the gaps in diabetes management and/or education on use and benefits of newer drugs. This study most likely underestimated ADD therapy due to lack of prescriptions filled without pharmacy benefits. Disclosure J. Wu: None. J. Xie: None. S. Wong-Jacobosn: None. V.S. Haynes: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Z. Zhao: None.


Aquaporins and aquaglyceroporins mediate the transport of water and solutes across biological membranes. Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fps1 is an aquaglyceroporin that mediates controlled glycerol export during osmoregulation. The transport function of Fps1 is rapidly regulated by osmotic changes in an apparently unique way and distinct regions within the long N- and C-terminal extensions are needed for this regulation. In order to learn more about the mechanisms that control Fps1 we have set up a genetic screen for hyperactive Fps1 and isolated mutations in 14 distinct residues, all facing the inside of the cell. Five of the residues lie within the previously characterized N-terminal regulatory domain and two mutations are located within the approach to the first transmembrane domain. Three mutations cause truncation of the C-terminus, confirming previous studies on the importance of this region for channel control. Furthermore, the novel mutations identify two conserved residues in the channel-forming B-loop as critical for channel control. Structural modelling-based rationalization of the observed mutations supports the notion that the N-terminal regulatory domain and the B-loop could interact in channel control. Our findings provide a framework for further genetic and structural analysis to better understand the mechanism that controls Fps1 function by osmotic changes.


The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of participation in competitive sports on school connectedness among secondary school students. The demographics of gender, age, class, school type, school status and athletic status (participation/non participation in sport) were treated as independent variable while school connectedness was treated as the dependent variable. The study employed a descriptive survey design. The study employed stratified random sampling to select 26 schools while simple random sampling was used to select 384 students. Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics of percentages, means and standard deviations and inferential statistics of t-tests and ANOVA. The study established that gender (t 340=0.64, p>0.51) and class level (t340=-1.25, p>0.21) did not have any significant differences on students' connectedness to school. However, the study findings revealed that age (F4, 342=2.70, p<0.031) school type (F3,342=7.20,p<0.00) and school status(F2,336=0.60,p<0.021) had a significant effect on students' connectedness to school. It was recommended that competitive sports be emphasized in secondary schools to promote school connectedness. The study also recommended adequate provision of sporting facilities to all schools so as to enhance school connectedness.


Herein, we report the gelation behaviour and gel properties of two-component organogels consisting of 1,4-bis[(3,4-bisoctyloxyphenyl) hydrozide] phenylene (BPH-8) and a photoresponsive gelator 4-[3,5-(bisoctyloxyphenyl)]-9-anthracene formyl hydrazine (MB8). It was demonstrated that the mixture of BPH-8 and MB8 showed self-sorted aggregation behaviour in ethanol. A gradient cooling procedure was used to obtain self-sorted gels of BPH-8 and MB8. Kinetics of gelation of the two component gels showed that Df values of MB8 fibers decreased due to the presence of BPH-8 gel. The two-component gels showed visible light (λvisible light = 350–570 nm) induced gel–gel transitions due to the orthogonal self-assembly of two gelators through the trans–cis conformation transition of –CN– bond of MB8 component. In addition, the stable patterned two-component gel was achieved using a special shape mask, which enabled the gels to be irradiated by visible light in a particular area. The irradiated gels showed weak emission, reduced storage modulus, a shorter linear viscoelastic region, and higher wetting angle compared to that unirradiated region due to the collapse of the MB8 aggregates under visible light.


Patient's complaints about adverse drug effects in the course of antidepressant drug therapy are related to a considerable extent to their subjective experience. Therefore general assessment of adverse drug effects that relies exclusively on the investigator's rating scales appears unsatisfactory. Additional assessment with self-rating scales should record the experience which arises from patient's perception. However, there are presently no satisfactory instruments available. Therefore, we developed the Bonner Erhebungsinstrument to assess subjective adverse drug effects. We administered this rating scale on 310 occasions to 130 patients. In order to evaluate the influence of indirect and direct questions, we devised an additional instrument the Erhebungsinstrument direkt. As it turned out, patients answering direct questions stated nearly twice as many side-effects than patients answering the indirect questionnaire. A comparison of our two rating scales with the observer-rating scale UKU showed, that investigators noted 79% of the symptoms that patients mentioned, but rated only 30% as probably due to a drug effect. A statistical evaluation of the data showed an interdependence between the number of adverse drug effects in the Bonner Erhebungsinstrument and fluvoxamine's daily dose; furthermore, the number of adverse drug effects of clomipramine correlated with its serum level; dose and serum concentrations of doxepin correlated significantly with the adverse side effects. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are generally considered to have fewer side effects than tricyclic antidepressants; in our investigation this turned out to be true for the symptom "dry mouth" but not for other symptoms. Thus the novel Bonner Erhebungsinstrument discriminates well between different adverse drug effects; it provides important information to assess unwanted side effects and to understand and improve patients' compliance.


Metal-oxide-recast Nafion composite membranes were studied for operation in hydrogen/oxygen proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) from 80 to 130 °C and at relative humidities ranging from 75 to 100%. Membranes of nominal 125 μm thickness were prepared by suspending a variety of metal oxide particles (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, and ZrO2) in solubilized Nafion. The composite membranes were characterized using electrochemical, X-ray scattering, spectroscopic, mechanical, and thermal analysis techniques. Membrane characteristics were compared to fuel cell performance. These studies indicated a specific chemical interaction between polymer sulfonate groups and the metal oxide surface for systems that provide a good elevated-temperature (i.e., fuel-cell operation above 120 °C) performance. Composite systems that incorporate either a TiO2 or a SiO2 phase produced superior elevated-temperature, low-humidity behavior compared to that of a simple Nafion-based fuel cell. Improved temperature tolerance permits the intr...


The Internet of Things (IoT) is being hailed as the next wave revolutionizing our society, and smart homes, enterprises, and cities are increasingly being equipped with a plethora of IoT devices. Yet, operators of such smart environments may not even be fully aware of their IoT assets, let alone whether each IoT device is functioning properly safe from cyber-attacks. In this paper, we address this challenge by developing a robust framework for IoT device classification using traffic characteristics obtained at the network level. Our contributions are fourfold. First, we instrument a smart environment with 28 different IoT devices spanning cameras, lights, plugs, motion sensors, appliances, and health-monitors. We collect and synthesize traffic traces from this infrastructure for a period of six months, a subset of which we release as open data for the community to use. Second, we present insights into the underlying network traffic characteristics using statistical attributes such as activity cycles, port numbers, signalling patterns, and cipher suites. Third, we develop a multi-stage machine learning based classification algorithm and demonstrate its ability to identify specific IoT devices with over 99 percent accuracy based on their network activity. Finally, we discuss the trade-offs between cost, speed, and performance involved in deploying the classification framework in real-time. Our study paves the way for operators of smart environments to monitor their IoT assets for presence, functionality, and cyber-security without requiring any specialized devices or protocols.


The need to use alternative sources of water for irrigation has arisen from the current shortages of potable water within Australia. As a result local governments are investigating alternative water sources (treated effluent, stormwater and groundwater) for irrigating urban playing fields and open spaces to cope with times of water shortages. In this paper, using Manly Local Government as a case study, the quality of treated effluent, stormwater, groundwater and the receiving water was analysed, to determine the potential impacts of capturing and using these alternative sources on the local environment. Systems analysis was used to identify the connectivity between the various water sources. It was observed that the injection of stormwater and effluent into the local water cycle could potentially pose a risk to the environmental, including ground and surface waters which are estuarine influenced systems. Stormwater was found to be of a variable quality and therefore requires constant monitoring to ensure no contamination events (such as road spill) enter the system. Groundwater salinity levels also required constant monitoring to prevent ingress of saline estuarine water. It also appears that as long as appropriate safeguards are put in place, the use of alternative water sources could help improve the local water cycle processes of urbanised catchments.


When COVID-19 emerged, the U.S. Veterans Health Administration (VA) was in the process of implementing a national contingency staffing program called Clinical Resource Hubs (CRHs). CRHs were intended to provide regional contingency staffing for primary and mental health clinics experiencing staffing shortages primarily through telehealth. Long-term plans (year 2) included emergency management support. Early in the implementation, we conducted semi-structured interviews with CRH directors and national program leaders (n = 26) and used a rapid analysis approach to identify actions taken by CRHs to support the resiliency of the VA healthcare system during the pandemic. We found that the CRH program was flexible and nimble enough to allow VA to leverage providers at hubs to better respond to the demands of COVID-19. Actions taken at hubs to sustain patient access and staff resiliency during the pandemic included supporting call centers and training VA providers on virtual care delivery. Factors that facilitated CRH's emergency response included hub staff expertise in telehealth and the increased acceptability of virtual care among key stakeholders. We conclude that hub providers serving as contingency staff, as well as specialization in delivering virtual outpatient and inpatient care, enabled VA health system resiliency and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic.


We present a pipeline to reconstruct the corticospinal tract (CST) that connects the spinal cord to the motor cortex. The proposed method combines a new white matter microstructure model coined Diffusion Directions Imaging and a new tractography algorithm based on a particle filter adapted for approximating multi-modal distributions. In this paper, we put the computation time and accuracy of our pipeline to the test in the context of the MICCAI 2014 DTI challenge, which aims to provide fast and accurate reconstructions of the CST for presurgical planning of brain tumor extraction. These two key performance metrics are expected in such a situation where time is of the essence and the quality of the data is dependent on the patient's health condition and ability to cooperate. In no more than 1.5 hours per patient, we successfully provide accurate CSTs of 2 very collaborative patients who underwent a diffusion MRI protocol that included 69 diffusion-sensitizing gradients spread over 4 different shells ranging from b = 200 to b = 3000 s/mm2.


Abstract. Volatile organic compound (VOC) control is an important issue of air quality management in Hong Kong because ozone formation is generally VOC limited. Several oxygenated volatile organic compound (OVOC) and VOC measurement techniques – namely, (1) offline 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) cartridge sampling followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis; (2) online gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (FID); and (3) offline canister sampling followed by GC with mass spectrometer detection (MSD), FID, and electron capture detection (ECD) – were applied during this study. For the first time, the proton transfer reaction–mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) technique was also introduced to measured OVOCs and VOCs in an urban roadside area of Hong Kong. The integrated effect of ambient relative humidity (RH) and temperature (T) on formaldehyde measurements by PTR-MS was explored in this study. A Poly 2-D regression was found to be the best nonlinear surface simulation (r  =  0.97) of the experimental reaction rate coefficient ratio, ambient RH, and T for formaldehyde measurement. This correction method was found to be better than correcting formaldehyde concentrations directly via the absolute humidity of inlet sample, based on a 2-year field sampling campaign at Mong Kok (MK) in Hong Kong. For OVOC species, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acetone, and MEK showed good agreements between PTR-MS and DNPH-HPLC with slopes of 1.00, 1.10, 0.76, and 0.88, respectively, and correlation coefficients of 0.79, 0.75, 0.60, and 0.93, respectively. Overall, fair agreements were found between PTR-MS and online GC-FID for benzene (slope  =  1.23, r  =  0.95), toluene (slope  =  1.01, r  =  0.96) and C2-benzenes (slope  =  1.02, r  =  0.96) after correcting benzene and C2-benzenes levels which could be affected by fragments formed from ethylbenzene. For the intercomparisons between PTR-MS and offline canister measurements by GC-MSD/FID/ECD, benzene showed good agreement, with a slope of 1.05 (r  =  0.62), though PTR-MS had lower values for toluene and C2-benzenes with slopes of 0.78 (r  =  0.96) and 0.67 (r  =  0.92), respectively. All in all, the PTR-MS instrument is suitable for OVOC and VOC measurements in urban roadside areas.


The world's population is aging dramatically and in most countries the cost of care is rising rapidly. We need a system which helps to minimize the onset of chronic conditions which are costly to treat and diminish quality of life, rather than one primarily directed towards the care of the sick. Innovative use of new technologies may be the only way to provide care affordably in future and to scale that care to far greater numbers as our societies adapt to change. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) can provide a solution. More integration between the health system and life at home and work will benefit everybody, providing better, more holistic lifelong care at lower cost. This book presents and summarizes the achievements of an accomplished group of researchers around the globe and from diverse technical backgrounds. They use a wide range of approaches to optimize the use of healthcare technology and integrate such technology into human lives in a way that will benefit all. The book is divided into seven main sections: AAL in the health space; Devices and infrastructure to facilitate AAL; AAL in gerontology; Smart homes as a vehicle for AAL; Applications of AAL in rehabilitation; AAL initiatives; and finally, Novel developments and visions for the area. Developing technologies which cater for the broad range of individuals in our complex societies is a major challenge which poses many problems. The research described here pushes the boundaries, and will inspire other researchers to continue their exploration of technologies to improve lives.


Aim. The clinical utility of digital linear tomosynthesis in musculoskeletal applications has been validated in only a few reports. Technical performance and utility in hip prosthesis imaging have been discussed in technical reports, but no clinical evaluation has been reported. The purpose of the current study was to assess the added clinical utility of digital linear tomosynthesis compared to radiography in loosening of total hip joint arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. In a prospective study, radiography and digital tomosynthesis were performed in 40 consecutive patients with total hip arthroplasty referred for suspect prosthesis loosening. Tomosynthesis images were compared to anterior-posterior (AP) and cross-table lateral radiographs regarding demarcation and extent of demineralization and osteolysis. Further noted were skeletal fractures, cement fractures, fragmentation, and artifacts interfering with the diagnosis. Results. Tomosynthesis was superior to radiography with sharper delineation of demineralization and osteolysis in the AP projection. A limitation was the inability to generate lateral tomosynthesis images, with inferior assessment of the area anterior and posterior to the acetabular cup compared to cross-table radiographs. Artifacts interfering with diagnosis were found in one hip. Conclusion. Tomosynthesis improved evaluation of total hip arthroplasty in the AP projection but was limited by the lack of lateral projections.


Medical image fusion combines the complementary images from different modalities and enhances the quality of fused output image that provides more anatomical and functional information to the experts. In this paper, a new hybrid approach is proposed to combine the images obtained from Computer Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Wavelet and Curvelet Transform Techniques. Alongside, sub-band coding, scale search algorithm was also been used for filtering and image scaling operations was used for decomposition. Ridgelet Transform techniques was used along with radon Transform to perform image transition from 1-D to 2-D during reconstruction stage of fused image. The resulting image was evaluated using objective metrics of Entropy (H), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR). The results showed that the proposed approach has resulted better information in terms of undertaken performance than the existing methods.


This essay explores the reason behind the sexless human figures depicted in rock carvings from the Bronze Age in Scandinavia, to understand why they are sexless while others have indicated sex markers, and to investigate which theories about them are the most reliable - are they sexless by purpose, or are they women, men, children or are they a third gender? This interdisciplinary study with archeology and gender research will discuss and analyze human figures with non distinct sex markers from 10 pictures of rock carvings from Scandinavia with the purpose to understand the lack of sex markers such as phallus and long hair. The ambition of this essay is that a study of this kind will deepen the general knowledge of the subject of rock art and possibly contribute to the discussion about the Bronze Age society's view of gender.The result and discussion of this study have shown that several earlier theories about the sexless human figures could be confirmed, for example that small mostly sexless human figures are children but that they are not a specific indicator of sex and that shamans are depicted in ceremonies, but that not all sexless human figures should be interpreted as shamans. The discussion also contradicted a few of the earlier theories, for example the theory that weapons always indicate male sex and that the lack of it indicates female sex, and that all human figures on ships should be interpreted as male even if they do not have any sex markers. The sexless human figures are still a mystery, but this study have lead to the conclusion that they are sexless by purpose and that sex markers such as phallus and long hair are indicators of masculinity and femininity, not the biological male and female sex.


"The end of the war saw every belligerent with vast stocks of aircraft and aircraft supplies in all stages of usefulness, much of the material being absolutely new. The question of the best method of getting rid of this accumulation is one which has been agitating those responsible for its disposal for more than three years now, but no wholly satisfactory solution has yet been reached" (p. 1).


Singed Skin-on meat from Red Sokoto Goat is favourably consumed in Nigeria, different singeing materials: kerosene, wood, scrap tyre, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) randomly assigned to singed Red Sokoto Goats to evaluate the quantity of singeing materials, duration of singeing, quantity of detergents and time take to clean up the carcass. Significant difference (P<0.05) exist in the quantum of singeing materials and detergent used, the time required to remove soot and other particulate matter from singeing was least in LPG singed carcass (15.04 Minutes) while the duration for removing the physical and certain chemical contaminants from the carcass was significantly similar. Even though the quantity of tyre used was least, the duration of singeing using tyre was more than that of LPG. It was noted that the quantity of detergent in LPG and tyre singed carcass were highest while the quantity and duration of singeing were highest in wood and kerosene. Particulate matter emitted during singeing process poses threat to safety of life both on land and below water henceforth singeing should be replaced with other carcass dressing methods with strict policy.


An experiment was conducted at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Maiduguri, to study the effect of hot water treatment and temperature on the morphological characteristics of Arabic gum. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design in a factorial arrangement. The treatments included a combination of different times of seed exposure to hot water in hours of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16; and boiling temperatures of 30, 40, 60, 80 and 100 oC which was replicated three (3) times. Data collected include days to first emergence, days to 50 % emergence, number of emerged seedlings, plant height, number of leaves per plant, number of compound leaves, stem diameter and plant mortality. Data collected was subjected to Analysis of Variance. Differences between treatment means were separated using the Least Significant Difference. Result shows that time of exposure significantly affected number of emerged seedlings. Pre-treatment temperature significantly affected days to 50 % emergence, number of emerged seedlings, plant height, seedling leaves at 6 weeks after sowing, stem diameter and plant mortality. Based on the result obtained, soaking Arabic gum seeds in hot water at 40oC and exposing it for sixteen (16) hours broke seed dormancy and improved the germination and emergence of the seeds.  Key words: Arabic gum, dormancy, pre-sowing treatment, seed emergence


To gain a comprehensive view of the changes in host gene expression underlying Zika virus (ZIKV) pathogenesis, we performed whole-genome mRNAseq of ZIKV infected Drosophila adult flies. RNA-seq analysis revealed that ZIKV infection alters several and diverse biological processes including stress, locomotion, lipid metabolism, imaginal disc morphogenesis and regulation of JAK/STAT signaling, To explore the interaction between ZIKV infection and JAK/STAT signaling regulation, we generated genetic constructs overexpressing ZIKV-specific non-structural proteins NS2A, NS2B, NS4A and NS4B. We find that ectopic expression of non-structural proteins in the developing Drosophila eye significantly restricts growth of the larval and adult eye and correlates with a considerable repression of the in vivo JAK/STAT reporter, 10XStat92E-GFP. At the cellular level, eye growth defects are associated with reduced rate of proliferation without affecting the overall rate of apoptosis. In addition, ZIKV NS4A genetically interacts with the JAK/STAT signaling components; co-expression of NS4A along with dominant negative form of domeless or StatRNAi results in aggravated reduction in eye size while co-expression of NS4A in HopTuml mutant background partially rescues the Hop-induced eye overgrowth phenotype. The function of ZIKV NS4A in regulating growth is maintained in the wing, where ZIKV NS4A overexpression in the pouch domain results in reduced growth linked with diminished expression of Notch targets, Wingless and Cut and the Notch reporter, NRE-GFP. Thus, our study provides evidence that ZIKV infection in Drosophila results in restricted growth of the developing eye and wing, wherein eye phenotype is induced through regulation of JAK/STAT signaling while restricted wing growth is through regulation of Notch signaling. The interaction of ZIKV non-structural proteins with the conserved host signaling pathways further advance our understanding of ZIKV-induced pathogenesis.


Background: Bacteria are capable of invading and infecting humans, leading to disease and sometimes death. Systems and tissues in human body are vulnerable to different organisms. Infection pattern is likely to differ by geographical regions. Aim: This study was aimed to isolate and identify the type of aerobic bacteria causing Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in different age groups and sexes, and also in some predisposing conditions. Their antibiogram also was done. Materials and Methods: Midstream urine sample collected aseptically from 276 patients were subjected for isolation and identification of aerobic bacteria by standard technique and subsequently antibiogram was done by Kirby –Bayer Method. Both sexes of patients with an age range of 10-70 years and patients with diabetes (22), hypertension (8) and anemia (8) were also included in the study. Results: Escherichia coli was the predominant organism(50%) among other isolates – Klebsiella species (27.3%), Proteus species(7.14%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (5.95%), Staphylococcus aureus (3.57%), Enterococci (3.57%), Pseudomonas species(2.38%). UTI was more common among patients of 60 and more years of age; however, incidence was more in female patients (36.2 – 38.5%) compared with male patients (25-30%). Anemia, Diabetes and Hypertension conditions were found to predispose UTI. Aminoglycosides and Quinolones were found to be more effective against the isolates. Conclusion: The present study reveals in spite of the topographical diversity, the infecting bacterial isolates from this area were found to be the same as from any other part of India.


With the rapid increase of large-scale, real-world datasets, it becomes critical to address the problem of long-tailed data distribution (i.e., a few classes account for most of the data, while most classes are under-represented). Existing solutions typically adopt class re-balancing strategies such as re-sampling and re-weighting based on the number of observations for each class. In this work, we argue that as the number of samples increases, the additional benefit of a newly added data point will diminish. We introduce a novel theoretical framework to measure data overlap by associating with each sample a small neighboring region rather than a single point. The effective number of samples is defined as the volume of samples and can be calculated by a simple formula $(1-\beta^{n})/(1-\beta)$, where $n$ is the number of samples and $\beta \in [0,1)$ is a hyperparameter. We design a re-weighting scheme that uses the effective number of samples for each class to re-balance the loss, thereby yielding a class-balanced loss. Comprehensive experiments are conducted on artificially induced long-tailed CIFAR datasets and large-scale datasets including ImageNet and iNaturalist. Our results show that when trained with the proposed class-balanced loss, the network is able to achieve significant performance gains on long-tailed datasets.


The computational fluid dynamic (CFD) is an influential method for measuring Heat transfer profiles for typical meteorological years. CFD codes are managed by numerical algorithms that may undertake fluid glide headaches. CFD offers the numerical results of partial differential equations with main airflow and heat transfer in a discretized association. The complex fluid glide and the warmth transfer publications worried in any heat exchanger can be determined with the help of the CFD software program (Ansys Fluent). A study states and framework which implicitly rely on the computational fluid dynamics, which is being formulated for computing the efficiency-related parameters of the thermal part and the capability of the EATHE system for cooling. A CFD simulation program is being used for modeling the system. The framework is being validated with the help of the simulation set-up. A thermal model was developed to analyze thermal energy accumulated in soil/ground for the purpose of room cooling/heating of buildings in the desert (hot and dry) climate of the Bikaner region. In this study, the optimization of EATHE design has been performed for finding the thermal performance of straight, spiral, and helical pipe earth air tunnel heat exchanger and Heat transfer rate for helical pipe was found maximum among all designs.


Egypt is among the most susceptible countries in the world to the potential impacts of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identified the Nile Delta as one of the most exposed deltas to sea level rise. Despite these alarming predictions, there is a lack of in-depth studies on public risk perceptions of climate change in Egypt. Understanding the public's risk perception of climate change is vital in informing policy and developing effective risk communication strategies that improve public engagement with climate change and, in turn, encourage actions to address its potentially harmful impacts.  This thesis provides a novel contribution to the literature through a mixed methods approach, using an online survey and semi-structured interviews. The research investigates three main topics: (1) Public perceptions of climate change; (2) Predictors of climate change risk perception; and (3) Perceptions of climate change adaptation. Results of the survey and the interviews showed that while participants were concerned about climate change and believed in the human causation of it, they had limited understanding and misconceptions about its causes (for example, erroneously linking climate change to the ozone layer).  The Climate Change Risk Perception Model (CCRPM) adopted in this study explained 19.2% of the variance in risk perception. In addition, it revealed that experiential factors (affect and personal experience) were the strongest predictors of climate change risk perception in Egypt, while socio-cultural factors (value orientations) were the weakest predictors. Interviews with participants also highlighted that negative feelings featured prominently when speaking about personal experiences with the impacts of climate change. Moreover, regression analysis showed that personal and societal climate change risk perception had different predictors. These results offer important recommendations for policy, relating to matters such as targeted ways of communicating the science, impacts and risks associated with climate change.


As part of the contract with the US Department of Energy, Nevada Field Office (DOE/NV), URS/John A. Blume & Associates, Engineers (URS/Blume) maintains a network of seismographs in southern Nevada to monitor the ground motion generated by the underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). The seismographs are located in the communities surrounding the NTS and the Las Vegas valley. When these seismographs are not used for monitoring the UNE generated nations, a limited number of seismographs are maintained for monitoring motion generated by other than UNEs (e.g. motion generated by earthquakes, wind, blast). During the subject earthquake of April 22nd 1992, a total of 19 of these systems recorded the earthquake motions. This report contains the recorded data.


The present research is on the Cretaceous microbioand litho-stratigraphy of the Cauvery Basin, Southeast India. The planktonic and benthonic foraminifera are used to establish microbiostratigraphic zonations for the mid-Cretaceous succession in the Basin; leading to the first proposal of a benthonic foraminiferal zonation scheme. The schemes are primarily defined for regional application. In the absence o f a formal lithostratigraphic classification for the Cretaceous succession in the Basin, a revised lithostratigraphy, in line with standard stratigraphic procedure, is proposed. The systematic taxonomy of the foraminifera studied is documented and revised in line with Western standards. The study shows that, in contrast to the standard European forms, the fauna fi-om the Cauvery Basin is composed of more robust individuals. The study also shows some interesting differences in the planktonic foraminifera fi*om the standard Tethyan assemblage. Comparative studies indicate a longer time range for some of the "index" species and more ornamented forms in the Cauvery Basin. The study records two levels, ( I ) in the late Albian and (2) fi-om the late Cenomanian to mid-Turonian, when anoxic conditions developed in the Basin. These anoxic events record major taxonomic changes in the planktonic foraminiferal assemblage. The study shows that the anoxic events had a major affect on the microfaunal community and that the post anoxic microfaunal population was dominated by more robust and heavily ornamented individuals. The planktonic foraminifera are used to identify the mid-Cretaceous sea-level changes in the Basin. The pattern of evolution and expansion of the planktonic foraminifera suggest a continuously rising sea-level in the mid-Cretaceous; with four periods of major transgressions. These levels are, at the late Albian, mid-Cenomanian, late Cenomanian-early Turonian and mid-Turonian. The pattern of sea-level changes in the Cauvery Basin followed , in general, the global sea-level curve, but has been influenced by local factors particularly tectonics. A pilot study demonstrates how palaeontology (including ichnology) in conjunction with sedimentology and stratigraphy is used to apply sequence stratigraphy concepts to the late Turonian-Coniacian succession in the Basin. A comprehensive study of Teredolites-infested fossil wood documents the morphological characters of the wood and its palaeoenvironmental significance. The study shows that there exists a close link between the influx of the fossil wood and sea-level dynamics.


Paper, Lir 33,500. ISBN 88-7653-122-X. This comprises a close reading of two chapters-and more. After an analysis of the lexical units, style and structures, Bozak draws out several threads that weave a redactional unity. Finally, and importantly, she moves to issues of historical and social context, using the motif of feminine imagery as an index, and taking literary, historical and psychological perspectives on that imagery to suggest an exilic matrix for its generation. Whether or not this argument is right ('exile' may be a 'post-exilic' syndrome), this is an important and confident exercise in analysis and method. PRD


From the nucleus to black holes, the model of a spinning liquid drop can describe the physics of a large number of systems. With diamagnetic levitation, it is possible to accurately study the many shapes a rapidly rotating liquid drop can take and compare the results against theoretical predictions.


Vortex induced vibration (VIV) of long flexible riser subjecting to ocean currents is ubiquitous in offshore industry. Although significant efforts have done to understand this complicated fluid structure interaction problem, the numerical modeling and predicting is still a big challenge. The primary objective of this thesis is to characterize the frequency components of VIV response measured in flexible riser model tests under shear current, and try to establish a general frequency competition system for semi-empirical model VIVANA. As the base of present work, experimental data from Norwegian Deepwater Programme (NDP) and Hanoytangen tests are studied. Wavelet analysis method is applied to reveal the frequency components included in measured signals, time-varying intensity of each active frequency will be present as wavelet result. Peak frequency and frequency range defined as two key parameter of wavelet result for further studying. In experiment, the neighbored locations on the riser often display same time-varying peak frequency, rather the whole riser length as assumed by VIVANA. In the other word, the time sharing method maybe better to perform in different zones separately. Based on the observation above, an ideal model combined time sharing and space sharing are proposed. In addition, by observations of VIVANA results, energy limit and excitation length are attempted to limit the active frequency range in VIVANA. The frequency components in measured signal are compared with eigenfrequencies in still water and eigenfrequencies calculated by Riflex, the differences are stated after discussion. Displacement histories corresponding to single participating mode are composed by modal analysis method, the frequency components of these signals are analyzed by wavelet, an unexpected observation that all decomposed signals have similar frequency components is found, Rayleigh-Ritz method and mono-frequency response are proposed as explanation. Some other study like high harmonic effects and coexistence of chaotic and stationary signals in NDP are included in this thesis, these can induced more interesting topics for future research.


Ninety-five patients undergoing an allogeneic bone marrow transplant (BMT) and developing acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD) were randomized to receive low-dose intravenous 6-methylprednisolone (6MPred; 2 mg/kg /d; n = 47) or high-dose 6MPred (10 mg/kg/d; n = 48) for 5 days, with subsequent tapering doses. On day 5 patients not responding or progressing on low-dose 6MPred could be switched to high-dose 6MPred. All patients, aged 1 to 55 years, were recipients of unmanipulated BMT from HLA identical sibling donors. Patients were stratified at randomization for age (/= 20 years), disease (acute leukemia, chronic myeloid leukemia [CML], nonneoplastic disease), disease status (early/advanced), and GvHD prophylaxis (cyclosporin/cyclosporin + methotrexate). Primary endpoints were response to treatment and evolution of aGvHD to grade III-IV. Secondary endpoints were cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, transplant-related mortality (TRM), and relapse. The median interval between BMT and treatment was 12 days (6 to 43). Results in the two groups (2 v 10 mg/kg) were as follows: response of aGvHD 68% versus 71% (P = .9), evolution to aGvHD grade III-IV 17% versus 20% (P = . 6), CMV infections 55% versus 60% (P = .7), 3-year actuarial TRM 28% versus 32% (P = .7), relapse 17% versus 7% (P = .1). The actuarial survival at 3 years was 63% versus 62% (P = .9) with a median follow up of 580 and 778 days. On day 5 of therapy, 26 patients assigned to low-dose (2 mg/kg) 6MPred were switched to a higher dose of 6MPred because of no response or progression. Their actuarial TRM was 46%, which is significantly higher than TRM of patients who responded on 2 mg/kg and continued with tapering doses (TRM = 16%, P = .007). In conclusion, early treatment of acute GvHD with 6MPred 10 mg/kg/d does not improve the response rate as compared with 2 mg/kg/d, nor does it prevent evolution to aGvHD grade III-IV. CMV infections, TRM, and survival were also comparable. A group of patients at high risk of TRM can be identified after 5 days of treatment with 6MPred 2 mg/kg and could be eligible for alternative forms of therapy.


Theories of object recognition that are based purely on part decomposition do not take into account the role of textural, shading, and color information, nor do they differentiate between stylistic factors in the preparation of line-drawn pictorial stimuli. To investigate these factors, naming and verification experiments were performed using line drawings, monochrome photographs, and color photographs of common objects. For line drawings, it was shown that line width, exposure, and contrast affected naming latency, which increased for lines of narrow width and extremes of exposure. Naming latencies were compared for objects drawn by a professional artist, with varying degrees of surface detail, and objects produced by a computer-aided design (CAD) system, with no surface detail. The mean naming latencies for the artist set were faster than for the CAD set, though not significantly, with a significant degree of object correlation being observed. However, in certain cases there were significant differences between objects. These were investigated in a further experiment in which subsets with common properties of present or absent surface detail were selected from the artist-drawn stimuli. It was found that the presence of surface features resulted in lower response latencies even for those objects that intuitively could be recognized by parts alone. The time to name photographic and line-drawn stimuli was compared, and a progressive decrease in naming latency from line to monochrome to color stimuli was observed. In a verification task, no significant advantage for color or monochrome photographs over line drawings was found, either when comparing stimuli of equivalent or of different mode. However, there was a tendency for the comparison of different modes to take longer than the comparison of same modes. The results are discussed in terms of theories of human visual processing and cognitive and computational models of object recognition.


Stem cell transplantation, whether autologous or allogeneic, improves the outcome of patients with a number of hematologic malignancies or solid tumors. A relevant proportion of these patients are excluded from this treatment because sufficient numbers of hematopoietic stem cells cannot be obtained by standard cytokine-assisted mobilization. In this article we review the physiology of peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) mobilization and discuss the role of adhesion molecules, such as integrins and selectins, chemokines and their ligands, such as SDF1a and CXCR4, and proteolytic enzymes. Based on this knowledge, several innovative pharmacologic approaches have been proposed to boost the PBPC harvest. Some of them (CTCE, C3a receptor agonist and GrobT) are still subject of pre-clinical development, others, such as chemokine receptor ligand AMD3100, have recently been introduced in clinical trials and already deliver promising results. It appears possible to harvest PBPC successfully in poor mobilizers and to cut down the number of collections required in the remaining PBPC donors.


Results: Eleven cases of suspected venous anomalies of the cardinal and umbilical veins were evaluated. B-flow provided complete 3D rendition of anomalous anatomy in interrupted IVC with azygos continuation, three cases of agenesis of ductus venosus, one draining into the right atrium, one to the IVC, and one to the right iliac vein; one case of persistent left SVC with drainage to the coronary sinus, one case of PRUV, and one intra-abdominal umbilical vein varix. B-flow was found to have added value as compared to both power Doppler and inversion mode in the evaluation of these lesions, by demonstrating the three dimensional structure of the affected vessels in these complex lesions. The modality was found to improve diagnostic capability as well as communication with professionals and parents. Conclusions: In cases of venous anomalies, B-flow modality can become an important adjunct to complete fetal assessment, and may aid in diagnosis, counseling, and professional consultation.


The provision of food to breeding and migrating waterfowl is one of the major functions of submerged aquatic vegetation in shallow lakes. Vallisneria spiralis L. is a submerged aquatic plant species widely distributed within Jiangxi Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve, China. More than 95% of the world population of the endangered Siberian crane as well as significant numbers of Bewick's swan and swan goose over winter in this area, while foraging on the tubers of Vallisneria. The objective of this paper was to explore the possibility of estimating the aboveground biomass of Vallisneria in Dahuchi Lake using Landsat TM image. The relations between aboveground biomass and the bands of a Landsat TM image and their derived variables were investigated using uni- and multivariate linear and non-linear regression models. The results revealed significant but very weak relations between aboveground biomass and the remotely sensed variables. Hence Landsat TM imagery offered little potential to predict aboveground biomass of Vallisneria in this particular region. Possible reasons which could have caused these results were discussed, including: 1) the possible influence of suspended matter in the water; 2) the less accurate field sampling; 3) the limitations of spatial and spectral resolutions of Landsat TM image; 4) the methods used are not appropriate; 5) the homogeneously spatial distribution of aboveground biomass. We propose considering two alternative methods to improve the estimation of aboveground biomass of Vallisneria. First of all, results might be improved while combining alternative data sources (hyperspectral or high spatial resolution images) with innovative methods and more accurate sampling data; Secondly we propose assessing aboveground biomass while using productivity simulation models of submerged aquatic vegetation integrated with geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing.


Irrespective the many secured transactions reform projects around the globe, field warehousing as a peculiar constructive pledge-based (or pledge by bailment) security device, and what it may offer especially to emerging markets, has largely escaped attention. The few international projects that devoted some attention to warehousing as a financing method were almost invariably limited to public (terminal) warehousing or have canvassed an incomplete picture about this many-faced security device. Scholarly neglect is characteristic also to the United States (US), where field warehousing as a security device has had presumably the richest history yet has declined after the adoption of the unitary Article 9 system of the Uniform Commercial Code by the States. In new forms, adapted to the changing business needs, however, the industry has survived to date. While what is of little importance in the US, should be invaluable to reform systems, which could enormously profit from the US experiences yet by taking a look not only at contemporary but more importantly on earlier law as well. English law, as another leading financial law system and thus a model for others, is taken a look at because it knows not about field warehousing. The conventional yet not fully explored justification is the earlier recognition of the floating charge in England compared to its kin on the other side of the Atlantic. The article counters this argument by juxtaposing not just the US but also the more recent Hungarian developments corroborating that floating securities and field warehouses are not mutually exclusive. This seminal article aims to remedy the hinted at cognitive gaps in comparative scholarship by revisiting the pertaining US law, reflecting on the English position and uniquely juxtaposing the parallel recent Hungarian experiences with field warehousing. The heightened importance of this analysis is linked also to the continued interest in the reform of secured transactions laws (recently also in Africa and China), and the unsatisfactory economic output of such recently reformed systems as those of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) — well reflected in the third in-depth revamping of Hungarian secured transactions law by the new Civil Code of 2013.


Self-healing polymer is a kind of functional polymer materials that can repair scratches, cracks and other mechanical damage, whose unique self-healing ability is of great significance for prolonging the life of materials. Eigen self-healing polymers have become the focus of current research due to their advantages of mild healing conditions and repeatable healing. In this paper, the preparation technology and properties of self-healing elastomers were reviewed, which provided guidance for the preparation of polymers with high repair efficiency and pointed out its future development trend. The self-healing polymer materials based on Diels-Alder reaction, metal bond, hydrogen bond, ionic bond, disulfide bond, etc ., are mainly introduced, and their preparation process, healing mechanism and healing properties are reviewed. Although much progress has been made in self-healing elastomers based on different dynamic bonds, the development of materials with high repair efficiency remains a huge challenge. In this paper, various repair pathways of self-healing elastomers were reviewed, which provided guidance for the balance between repair and mechanical properties. The development of inherently self-healing polymers was also prospected.


Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is risk factor for complications after orthopedic surgery. Objectives: We tested the hypothesis that anesthesia preoperative clinic (APC) referral for elevated glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) reduces complication rate after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Patients and Methods: Patients (n = 203) with and without DM were chosen from 1,237 patients undergoing TJA during 2006 - 12. Patients evaluated in the APC had surgery in 2006 - 8 regardless of HbA1c (uncontrolled). Those evaluated between in subsequent two-year intervals were referred to primary care for HbA1c ≥ 10% and ≥ 8%, respectively, to improve DM control before surgery. Complications and mortality were quantified postoperatively and at three, six, and twelve months. Length of stay (LOS) and patients requiring a prolonged LOS (> 5 days) were recorded. Results: Patients (197 men, 6 women) underwent 71, 131, and 1 total hip, knee, and shoulder replacements, respectively. Patients undergoing TJA with uncontrolled HbA1c and those with HbA1c < 10%, but not those with HbA1c < 8%, had a higher incidence of coronary disease and hypercholesterolemia than patients without DM. An increase in complication rate was observed in DM patients with uncontrolled HbA1c versus patients without DM (P < 0.001); the complication rate progressively decreased with tighter HbA1c control. More DM patients with preoperative HbA1c that was uncontrolled or ≥ 10% required prolonged LOS versus those without DM (P < 0.001 and P = 0.0404, respectively). Conclusions: APC referral for elevated HbA1c reduces complication rate and the incidence of prolonged hospitalization during the first year after surgery in diabetics undergoing TJA.


Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is seen as the fundamental part for an open and successful international economic system and a major mechanism for development. In this circumstance, the paper examines the benefits of FDI as a key component for successful and sustainable economic growth and also as a part of a method to social improvement. The aim is to highlight the most important channels through which FDI makes a significant and exceptional impact on the economic development of the host countries. At the same instance, it is important to recognize that, like all things, FDI is not all good no bad. A separate discussion is devoted to the potential negative impacts of FDI flows on host economies.


This study was conducted in order to determine the effect of different storage temperatures (0 o C and 3 o C) and durations (7, 14, 21 and 28 days) on oil yield and essential oil components of oil rose (Rosa damascena Mill.). In this study, the rose oils were obtained by hydro-distillation in Clevenger-type apparatus and the components in the rose oil were analyzed by GC-MS. It was determined that the effect of storage temperatures on oil content wasn' t significant whereas the effect of storage duration was significant (p�0.01). The highest essential oil content was obtained at 0.043% from the petals distilled immediately after the harvest while the lowest oil content was obtained at 0.022% from the petals stored at both temperatures for 28 days, respectively. The rate of citronellol, one of the main components of rose oil, was 25.34% in the petals distilled immediately whereas it varied from 41.07 to 72.52% in the petals stored at 0 o C and 3 o C for 28 days. The rates of nerol and geraniol in the petals distilled immediately were 14.30% and 33.02%, respectively whereas they are 2.68%, the trace amount, and range between 0.43 and 6.74% in the stored petals, respectively. The rates of hexadecane, nonadecane, eicosane and methyl eugenol in the petals distilled immediately were determined to be lower than those of the stored petals. The optimal results in terms of its oil content and components were obtained from the rose petals distilled immediately after the harvest as well as from the petals stored at 0 o C for 7 days.


This study investigated the perceptions and attitudes of Malaysian civil sector and private sector workers toward the use and acceptance of Malaysian English, a variety of nonstandard English. A survey using a 20-item Likert Scale questionnaire highlighted some language issues: current perceptions and attitudes about and use of standard English, international intelligibility, public models of language use, and behavioral intentions of civil sector and private sector Malaysians toward standard English. The major findings for the combined sectors were 1) a recognition of the importance of attaining international intelligibility of English in their interactions with foreigners and 2) mixed reactions toward the use of standard English language within their Malaysian society. Differences were found for some items between the civil sector and private sector workers as well as for the factors of age, gender and ethnicity. Studies like this one can be used as a model for replication to find out more about language perceptions and attitudes in other countries and are significant for raising the language awareness needed by educators to better help their students succeed in finding employment, by employers to gain insight into employees' perceptions and attitudes toward and use of English in order to enhance communication. In addition, the study raises important questions and issues such as about the growth and acceptance of non-native varieties of English in Malaysia and other countries.


The environment of a sports organization is currently considered unstable, uncertain, and turbulent, with constantly changing conditions. There is a need to implement risk management in sports organizations, taking into account their specifics as well as the requirements for the nature of the activity that the risk manager should provide. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the current state of sports organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovakia, to propose the inclusion of a risk manager in the management of sports organizations and to describe the basic steps of applying the risk management process in sports organizations. In accordance with the set goal, the research methodology was selected. Observational methods, conclusions from empirical research, studies as well as scientific methods focused on the analysis and synthesis of the proposed solutions were used to obtain data.


Deficiency of the sixth component of complement in rabbits is an autosomal recessive defect which also renders C7-9 functionally unavailable. The function of C6-9 appears to be that of amplification of immunologic processes. Defective animals are associated with a subtle disadvantage. Normal rabbits injected with cobra-venom-anticomplementary-factor show primary C3-9 and secondary polymorphonuclear leukocyte and platelet functional deficiency. Animals treated with cobra venom showed striking deficits in manifestations of some immunologic functions. Thus the complement system plays a vital role in maintaining integrity of immunologic mechanisms.


A study was required of the methods of protecting
chemical reactors against overpressure. At present the use of
bursting discs, or pressure relief valves is not only normal
but virtually mandatory. There are, however, some
uncertainties and difficulties in the design of venting
systems based on bursting discs and pressure relief valves and
some evidence of failures of such systems. There is also some
pressure to permit alternative means of protection based on
control systems, including trip and interlock systems.


This thesis is concerned with various aspects of perturbed conformal field theory and the methods used to calculate finite-size effects of integrable quantum field theories. Nonlinear integral equations are the main tools to find the exact ground-state energy of a quantum field theory. The thermodyamic Bethe ansatz (TBA) equations are a set of examples and are known for a large number of models. However, it is also an interesting question to find exact equations describing the excited states of integrable models. The first part of this thesis uses analytical continuation in a continuous parameter to find TBA like equations describing the spin-zero excited states of the sine-Gordon model at coupling β(^2) = 16π/3. Comparisons are then made with a further type of nonlinear integral equation which also predicts the excited state energies. Relations between the two types of equation are studied using a set of functional relations recently introduced in integrable quantum field theory. A relevant perturbation of a conformal field theory results in either a massive quantum field theory such as the sine-Gordon model, or a different massless conformal field theory. The second part of this thesis investigates flows between conformal field theories using a nonlinear integral equation. New families of flows are found which exhibit a rather unexpected behaviour. The final part of this thesis begins with a review of a connection between integrable quantum field theory and properties of certain ordinary differential equations of second- and third-order. The connection is based on functional relations which appear on both sides of the correspondence; for the second-order case these are exactly the functional relations mentioned above. The results are extended to include a correspondence between n(^th) order differential equations and Bethe ansatz system of SU(n) type. A set of nonlinear integral equations are derived to check the results.


We present the first Chinese case of D-bifunctional protein (DBP) deficiency, a single peroxisomal protein disorder. A non-dysmorphic, 2.53 kg hypotonic female infant developed seizure at fifty-six hours. After seizure onset, she lost her sucking and deep tendon reflex. On day 10, brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) and visual evoked potential (VEP) studies showed marked impairment. Plasma amino acid, serum acylcarnitine pattern and urine organic acid analysis were normal. For persistent seizures, therapeutic trial of pyridoxine, biotin and folinic acid had no effect. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glycine level and urine sulphite screen by Dipstick were normal. At eighth weeks of life, the markedly elevated level of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) level was identified. Subsequent biochemical tests revealed pattern consistent with peroxisomal DBP deficiency. Awareness of the suggestive clinical features and loopholes in the routine metabolic screening tests will facilitate early detection of this rare disorder.


In the last decade of his life, John Wesley became increasingly concerned with the biblical promise of God's new creation (Revelation 21:1). This theological motif has generated substantial interest among Wesley's interpreters, especially within the last fifteen years. However, one aspect of Wesley's account of the new creation that has not been very widely considered is the notion of union with God, which is precisely what Wesley says will "crown all" in his sermon "The New Creation" (par. 18).  Wesley's image of union with God in the new creation reflects a holistic trinitarian approach that can be further developed by following Wesley's trajectory toward a robust understanding of cosmic redemption. Given its trinitarian focus, holistic balance, and grounding in solid eschatological hope, such an account holds promise for the task of critical engagement with the theological concerns of our time in an authentically Wesleyan way.


The <110> grain oriented alloy was grown by zone melting directional solidification technique. The strain-stress curves of Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2 <110> oriented alloy in different magnetic fields have been measured and the magnetic field dependence of Young's modulus under different compressive stress has been confirmed. It is found that Young's modulus gradually decreases with increasing the magnetic fields when the compressive stress is in the range of 15-25 MPa and changes a little in the range of 40-50 MPa. The experimental result indicates that the magnetic field has a marked effect on the Young's modulus of the Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe2 <110> oriented alloy at a low compressive stress and its change should be considered during the design of magnetostrictive devices.


In this study, 2-substituted 4-[3/4-(4-arylthiazole-2-yl)aminophenyl]thiazole derivatives and 2-[4-[2-substituted 4-methylthiazole-5-yl]thiazole-2-yl]amino-5-arylidenethiazoline-4-one derivatives have been synthesized. The cytotoxic and/or growth inhibitory effects of the 16 selected compounds were evaluated in vitro against approximately 66 human tumor cell lines derived from nine neoplastic diseases. Some of the compounds were found to act as anticancer agents.


BACKGROUND
Recent research has indicated an increase in the severity of head injuries in Switzerland. The aim of the present study was to describe the epidemiological features of cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) injuries due to interpersonal violence in patients at the Bern University Hospital Emergency Department (ED), based on injury patterns.

METHODS
Retrospective analysis was performed on data collected during an 11-year period between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 covering 1,585 patients. A distinction was drawn between neurocranial and maxillofacial injuries, and two time periods (2000-2004 and 2005-2010) were compared.

RESULTS
The patients' median age at the time of admission was 26 years (range 12-82), and 1,473 of 1,585 patients (92.9%) were males. Referrals increased from an annual average of 119.6 in 2000-2004 to 164.5 in 2005-2010 (p <0.001). Severe neurocranial injuries doubled in number - from an annual average of 4.2 in 2000-2004 to 8.5 in 2005-2010 (p = 0.010). Maxillofacial injuries seen in the ED increased from an average of 163.6 per year in 2000-2004 to 247.8 in 2005-2010 (p <0.001), and the number of maxillofacial injuries per patient increased from 1.37 to 1.51 (p = 0.015).

CONCLUSIONS
Cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) injuries chiefly affect young people, and thus impose a heavy economic burden on society. Synergies are possible between the implementation of violence prevention strategies and other prevention objectives in every age group and intervention area.


Montcada's family had in Middle Ages the Baronia d'Aitona in the land known as Baix Segre, in Lleida. His properties included the villages of Seros, Aitona, Mequinensa, Faio, Vallobar and Maials. This part of the family, who lived in Lleida, is really unknown. Documents from the Arxiu Ducal de Medinaceli a Catalunya have shown new members of this part of the family unknown since now. This new information has allowed to complete the genealogical trees of the Montcada's family in Lleida.


Nicosia today has the characteristics of being the only divided city in Europe. By examining the inside of the walls, one observes that the structure of the city is determined by the circular plan of the walls that were constructed during the Venetian period. There are 11 bastions on the walls and three Venetian gates, namely Kyrenia Gate, Famagusta Gate and Paphos Gate, were originally designed to allow entrance to the city that is encircled by the walls. Nicosia continued to be the islands capital which has fallen under Ottoman rule in between 1571-1878. In the period of British occupation 1878-1960, as a result of the increasing population, the city of Nicosia overflew the walls and developed by spreading beyond the city walls and 8 new passages were opened. The organic fabric of the walled city, with the establishment of buffer zones after the peace operation of 1974, resulted in the division of the island that divided the capital city into two. In 1931, because of the increased vehicle needs through the north side, the walls around the Kyrenia Gate (Porta del Proveditore) were trimmed and designed as a single monumental building. Between Kyrenia Gate and Barbaro bastion wall height is lower than the existing. Public lavatory and 9 small shops were inserted. Sitting steps were designed on the walls and two stairs were constructed to reach these area. To give an access from the moat to the inner city there is a passage. In this context, identifying changes of the Kyrenia Gate-Barbaro bastion site, during this historic period, is the main goal of this study. Decisions with regard to these walls and observations to be made on right places to determine the changes are main focuses of the study.


Proper cell-cell adhesion and communication are
essential during development. Both are heavily maintained and
regulated by the content present in the extracellular matrix (ECM),
which composes the tough exoskeleton called the cuticle. An enzyme
called Chitin synthase (CS) provides the exoskeleton with much of
its strength and stability through the production of chitin.
Chitin, a polymer of N-acetyl-s-D-glucosamine, is an important
element in the exoskeleton of invertebrates and functions much like
cellulose in plants and keratin in vertebrates, that is, to provide
hardness, strength, and protection against the external
environment. The underlying component for both chitin and cuticle
formation is CS, which is found across several different species.
It is now known that nearly 5-6 different copies of CS in yeast and
fungi have been condensed into only two copies in insects. During
insect development, one of the two copies is involved in formation
of the gut lining while the other is involved in epidermal tissue
development, helping to produce the tracheal lining as well as the
exoskeleton. The gene that encodes for the chitin synthase involved
in the epidermal tissue in D. melanogaster is called krotzkof
verkehrt (kkv); we are specifically interested in its involvement
in the formation of the exoskeleton. kkv is an important gene
during development as it is involved in production of chitin by CS,
which is then used to synthesize the cuticle found in the ECM.
Mutant kkv results in detachment of the cuticle from the apical end
of the cellular body, which then dilates and results in a lethal,
curved, short embryo with a scrambled head that is unable to hatch.
Not only does kkv need to function properly but CS must also be
localized to the appropriate region in order to synthesize chitin.
There are currently two hypotheses as to how that may occur: (1) CS
rests on the apical membrane, and secrets chitin into the ECM,
which is then guided to the proper location, and a cuticle is
formed or (2) CS is carried around in vesicles termed chitosomes,
which localize kkv to the right region while chitin synthesis is
initiated inside. Upon proper localization, chitin is finally
released. Recent discoveries in CRISPR/Cas9 have been used to
facilitate understanding of this predicament.


This paper presents a system for detecting intrusions when analyzing the network traffic payload looking for malware evidences. The system implements the detection algorithm as a Snort preprocessor component. Since they work together, a highly effective system against known attacks has been achieved (based on Snort rules) and a highly effective system against unknown threats (which was the main aim of the designed system). As the majority of such systems, the proposal consists of two phases: a training phase and a detection phase. During the training phase a statistical model of the legitimate network usage is created through Bloom Filters and N-grams techniques. Subsequently, the results obtained by analyzing a dataset of attacks are compared with such model. This will allow a set of rules to be developed which will be able to determine whether the packets payloads contain malware. In the detection phase, the traffic to analyze is compared with the model created in the training phase and the results obtained when applying rules. The performed experiments showed really satisfactory results, with 100% malware detection and just 0.15% false positives.


Objective: Despite the advantages of esthetic posts, lack of studies on their fracture resistance has limited their clinical use. This study aimed to compare the effect of two types of esthetic posts namely zirconia and zirconia enriched glass fiber composite posts on fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth against compressive forces. Methods: This in vitro study was conducted on 20 mandibular premolar roots cut at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ). The roots were endodontically treated and randomly divided into 2 groups of 10. After post space preparation, in group 1 zirconia posts (CosmoPost, Ivoclar, Liechtenstein) and in group 2 zirconia enriched glass fiber composite posts (Ice Light, Danville, USA) were cemented in the roots using a dual-cure resin cement (Panavia F 2.0, Kuraray, Japan) according to the manufacturer's instructions. The teeth were restored with composite resin cores (Lumiglass, RTD, France) using a prefabricated polyester matrix. After periodontal ligament (PDL) simulation by elastic polyether impression material (Impregum, 3M ESPE, USA), specimens were mounted in acrylic resin and subjected to 1195 Instron universal testing machine. Compressive load was applied at a 90° angle relative to the long axis of the teeth at a crosshead speed of 1mm/min until fracture. Since the data were normally distributed, t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The fracture resistance was 816.69 (120.89) N for zirconia posts and 843.76 (120.93) N for zirconia enriched glass fiber composite posts and these values were not significantly different (p=0.62). Fractures in group 2 were restorable. Conclusion: The fracture resistance of zirconia and zirconia enriched glass fiber composite posts was not significantly different and both types of posts can be successfully used.


had familial and the other sporadic MND, so the occurrence of MND in these two patients does not represent a cluster. Other reports of clusters of MND must be examined critically, especially with regard to the adequacy of the family history which may at times be difficult or impossible to obtain. This report also highlights the difficulties that can be expected if the policy of destroying hospital medical records after relatively short intervals becomes widespread. Roger Pamphlett, MRCPath Senior Lecturer, Department of Pathology University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 1 Sanders M_Clustering of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. JAMA 1980; 244: 435 2. Hyser CL, Kissel JT. Mendell JR Three cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis In a common occupational environment. J Neural 1987; 234: 443-444. 3. Melmed C. A cluster of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Arch Neural 1982; 39: 595·596. Sienko DG. Davis PG, Taylor JA. Brooks BR Amyotropruc lateral sclerosis. A case-control study following detection of a cluster In a smallWisconsincommunity. Arch Neuro11990; 47: 38-41 5 Paolino E, Gramen E. Tola MR Rosati G. Conjugal amyotrophic lateral scterosis. Ann Neural 1983, 14: 699.


Changes in the species composition associated with the presence of Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands and changes in the potential activity of the fungus were measured at a dry sclerophyll forest site in Kinglake National Park. In soil infested with P. cinnamomi, both the percentage cover and density of the major overstorey species (Eucalyptus dives Schauer in Walp. and E. macrorhyncha F.Muell.) and major understorey species (Xanthorrhoea australis R.Br., Daviesia ulicifolia Andrews and Dillwynia phylicoides Cunn.) were significantly reduced, while both the cover and density of the sedge species (Gahnia sieberiana Kunth., Lepidosperma laterale R.Br.and L. semiteres F.Muell.) increased significantly. The density of the major grass species, Chionochloa pallida (R.Br.) S. W. L.Jacobs, did not change. Species that were susceptible to P. cinnamomi showed varying patterns of decline. Xanthorrhoea australis was the most sensitive to the presence of P. cinnamomi, showing an immediate and large decline in both percentage cover and density, while Daviesia ulicifolia was the least sensitive, showing a decline only at later stages of disease development in the vegetation. Lepidosperma laterale and L. seiiziteres were the major colonisers of the diseased vegetation at this site, and were succeeded by Gahnia sieberiana, which became the dominant sedge species in the diseased zone after the dead plants of X. australis had collapsed. A seasonal survey (1992-1994) of P. cinnamomi found the pathogen to be potentially active all year round at this site, with summer and winter maxima. A decline was measured in the potential activity of P. cinnamorni underneath diseased and dead plants of X. australis after a disease outbreak. The potential activity of P. cinnamomi was greatest in soil collected from the base of dying plants of X. australis and zero in soil from under dead and collapsed individuals of that species. A similar pattern of decline in the potential pathogen activity was measured for the same host species at disease sites in the Brisbane Ranges National Park and Angahook State Park. A similar consistent pattern of decline in the disease potential of P. cinnamomi in soil from under diseased and dead plants of X. australis was observed in a pot bioassay. This decline in disease potential was overcome by the addition of Eucalyptus sieberi L.A.S.Johnson seedlings and P. cinnamomi inoculum to the soil.