Ultrasonic phase spectrum of reflection coefficient has been used to nondestructively characterize the density, porosity, and microcracks of plasma sprayed Cr2O3 coatings irradiated by high-intensity pulsed ion beam (HIPIB). The ultrasonic measurement was investigated using immersion focusing pulse echo method with a 25 MHz transducer and the phase spectrum of reflection coefficient has been experimentally obtained. The relationship among velocity, density, attenuation coefficient and the phase spectrum was analyzed based on an acoustic transmission model in a multi-layered structure. The velocity relates to the harmonic frequency of the phase spectrum, and the density and attenuation coefficient play roles on the amplitude of the maximum and the shape of the spectrum. The effects of the three parameters (velocity, density and attenuation coefficient) on the amplitude of the maximum of the phase are similar. Some critical value exists which change the relationship between the individual parameter and the maximum of the phase spectrum. When one of the three parameters exceeds the corresponded critical value, the amplitude of the maximum decreases in the form of exp( ) n y = A Bx . For the as-sprayed and irradiated coatings with the thickness of 50 0m, the velocity calculated from the phase spectrum is 2522 and 2772 m/s, harmonic frequency corresponding to 12.61 and 13.86 MHz, respectively. These ultrasonic determinations demonstrated that the coating becomes more densified after irradiation by HIPIB, in agreement with SEM observations. Ultrasonic phase spectrum itself is a good indicator to reveal differences between density and microstructures of coating prepared with various conditions as well as to follow their evolution after HIPIB irradiation.


This essay elaborates on crucial aspects of the semiotics of American pragmaticist Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) and applies them to two Filipino texts: "Three O'Clock in the Morning" by Cirio H. Panganiban and "Kristal na Tubig" by Antonio Rosales. Delivered first in 2 March 2012 as part of the Kritika Kultura lecture series at Ateneo de Manila University, the essay makes a number of distinct yet interrelated claims before proceeding to an interpretation of the aforementioned texts. First, San Juan points out the communal ("komunidad") underpinning of Peirce's formulations: San Juan argues that only within a social context—where agreed-upon methods, principles, and processes operate—can the tripartite division of Peirce's thought become valid. The second argument pertains to Peirce's objective in semiological work: for San Juan, Peirce's fundamental aim is to arrive at a sense of belief ("pagtakda ng paniniwala"), however provisional and subject to correction. Such an understanding is achieved only after a long process of socially-undergirded inquiry where nothing is taken for granted and deeply-held assumptions are investigated ("paghahanap ng kasunduan sa pangkat ng mga matiyagang nagsisiyasat"). According to San Juan, Peirce considers semiotics as an organon of inquiry that endeavors to articulate effective research principles in any of the (human and social) sciences ("makapagdudulot ng mabisang prinsipyo sa pananaliksik sa anumang siyensiya"). San Juan's third claim argues for, and elaborates on, Peirce's tripartite scheme: Firstness (Qualisign), Secondness (Sinsign), and Thirdness (Legisign). The Qualisign refers to signs of possibility and icons that resemble—but are not—things ("icon na kahawig ng bagay; tanda ng posibilidad"). The Sinsign—which is equivalent to the index—refers to the realm of actuality ("larangan ng aktuwalidad") and the interaction with things and their context: a sign of the real existence of things in the world. The Legisign refers to overall rules and regulations ("pangkalahatang regulasyon o panuto") which link Qualisign and Sinsign: laws, behaviors, conventions, and regularities ("batas, ugali, nakagawian, regularidad"). For San Juan, what is crucial is that the numerous semiotic elements which comprise Peirce's system are grounded on a specific historical moment ("sitwasyong pangkasaysayan na nagbubuklod sa senyas, semiotikong bagay, at interpretant"). Once Peirce's interpretive framework is established, San Juan offers readings of "Three O'Clock in the Morning" and "Kristal na Tubig" as well as an engagement with a number of previous interpretations of the texts, most notably by Virgilio Almario. For San Juan, "Three O'Clock in the Morning"—contra what he suggests to be Almario's moralistically- inflected and conservative reading—interrogates the disappointment, paradox, and disaster caused by succumbing to the attractions posed by Western capital: a romance without consummation. Moreover, central to "Kristal na Tubig" is the image of the Pieta: for San Juan, the religious underpinnings of the image, along with its embedment in a community steeped in Catholicism, accounts for the forcefulness of the story.


PID torque damper controller was designed and PID parameters were set with RBF neural network for the torque control of large-scale variable speed pitch regulated (VSPR) wind turbine. The system state equation can be extracted by the process of modal linearization using Bladed software, then PID controller was designed, parameters optimized and verification of design test with the control system of 3MW wind turbine was taken finally. The simulation result shows that the damper controller designed reduces driving chain vibration obviously, the adaptive ability and dynamic performance of system is improved with the use of RBF neural network which makes the system with good control quality.


With the words quoted above, the new Secretary of State for Defence in the Thatcher government revealed for the first time the existence of a project that have remained a closely guarded secret, even from amny Cabinet members of four governments, since the late 1960s. Despite the passage of more thatn 20 years since Mr Pym's announcement, the story of the Chevaline project still remains largely unknown outside a small group of select politicians, officials and scientists. This article sets out to use recently declassified documents and what is in the public domain to tell the story of Chevaline from the secret debates about the need to improve Britain's Polaris deterrent force shortly after it was deployed in the late 1960s to the official announcement of the project in 1980 and its eventual operational deployment in 1982. In particular, attention is focused on three main questions: Why was the project kept secret for so long? Why did the improvement programme take so long to come to fruition? Why, given the spiralling costs involved, was it not cancelled? In order to consider these questions relating to what Pym described as 'the front end' of the Poaris missile, it is necessary to begin by looking at the background to the project.


Seabirds are marine top predators and accumulate high levels of metals and metalloids in their tissues. Contamination by metals in the highly productive offshore region has become a matter of public concern. It is home to 80% of the seabird population in the U.S.A., 95% of northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus), and major populations of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) and whales. Here, the concentrations of eight heavy metals (Hg, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb) and a metalloid (As) in the liver and kidneys of the northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis), thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), short-tailed shearwater (Puffinus tenuirostris), tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata) collected in the Bering Sea were measured. As proxies of trophic level and habitat, nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) stable isotope ratios of breast muscles were also measured. Hepatic Hg concentration was high in northern fulmar, whereas Cd level was high in tufted puffin and northern fulmar. The Hg concentration and δ15N value were positively correlated across individual birds, suggesting that Hg uptake was linked to the trophic status of consumed prey. Furthermore, Hg concentration in our study was higher than those of the same species of seabirds collected in 1990.


We report here that dissolution and regrowth of resorcinol formaldehyde (RF) colloidal particles can occur spontaneously when they are subjected to etching in solvents such as ethanol and tetrahydrofuran, resulting in the formation of hollow nanostructures with controllable shell thickness. The hollowing process of the RF particles is attributed to their structural inhomogeneity, which results from the successive deposition of oligomers with different chain lengths during their initial growth. As the near-surface layer of RF colloids mainly consists of long-chain oligomers while the inner part consists of short-chain oligomers, selective etching removes the latter and produces the hollow structures. By revealing the important effects of the condensation degree of RF, the etching time and temperature, and the composition of solvents, we demonstrate that the morphology and structure of the resulting RF nanostructures can be conveniently and precisely controlled. This study not only improves our understanding of the structural heterogeneity of colloidal polymer particles, but also provides a practical and universal self-templated approach for the synthesis of hollow nanostructures.


Bovine peripheral blood monocytes were cultured in vitro for as long as 60 days. Although mitotic figures were not observed, the amount of cytoplasm was observed to increase; most cultures developed multinucleated cells, some containing as many as 200 nuclei. In multinucleated cells, the nuclei were peripherally distributed around a cytoplasmic matrix and surrounded by an undulating membrane. Receptors on macrophages were identified with erythrocytes sensitized with various immunoglobulins and complement (C'). A receptor for immunoglobulin G, but not immunoglobulin M, was detected. By the use of freshly prepared equine serum, a C' receptor was detected; however, by the use of freshly prepared bovine serum, C' receptor was not detected.


Background: Humanistic nursing practice which is dominated by technological advancement, outcome measurement, reduced resources, and staff shortages is challenging in the present work environment. Objective: To examine the main concern in humanistic nursing area and how the way it is solved and resolved by Iranian nurses in acute care setting. Research design: Data were collected from interviews and observations in 2009–2011 and analyzed using classic grounded theory. Memos were written during the analysis, and they were sorted once theoretical saturation occurred. Participants and research context: In total, 22 nurses, 18 patients, and 12 families from two teaching hospitals in Tehran were selected by purposeful and theoretical sampling. Ethical considerations: The research was approved by the Ethics Committee of the university and hospitals. Results: The main concern for the nurses is the violation of their rights. They overcome this concern when there is a synergy of situation–education/learning, that is, a positive interaction between education and learning of values and sensitivity of the situation or existence of care promotion elements. They turn to professional values and seeking and meeting others' needs, resulting in "success and accomplishment" of nurse/nursing manager and patient/family. Conclusion: This theory shows that professional values, elements of care promotion, and sensitivity of the situation have a key role in activation of humanistic approach in nursing. Violation of the nurses' professional rights often leads to a decrease in care, but these factors make the nurses practice in an unsparing response approach. It is necessary to focus on development of professional values and provide essential elements of care promotion as changeable factors for realization of humanistic nursing although there is a context in which the nurses' rights are violated.


Eukaryotic cells contain various types of proteasomes. Core 20 S proteasomes (abbreviated 20 S below) have two binding sites for the regulatory particles, PA700 and PA28. PA700-20 S-PA700 complexes are known as 26 S proteasomes and are ATP-dependent machines that degrade cell proteins. PA28 is found both in previously described complexes of the type PA28-20 S-PA28 and in complexes that also contain PA700, as PA700-20 S-PA28. We refer to the latter as "hybrid proteasomes." The relative amounts of the various types of proteasomes in HeLa extracts were determined by a combination of immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting. Hybrid proteasomes accounted for about a fourth of all proteasomes in the extracts. Association of PA28 and proteasomes proved to be ATP-dependent. Hybrid proteasomes catalyzed ATP-dependent degradation of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) without ubiquitinylation, as do 26 S proteasomes. In contrast, the homo-PA28 complex (PA28-20 S-PA28) was incapable of degrading ODC. Intriguingly, a major immunomodulatory cytokine, interferon-gamma, appreciably enhanced the ODC degradation in HeLa and SW620 cells through induction of the hybrid proteasome, which may also be responsible for the immunological processing of intracellular antigens. Taken together, we report here for the first time the existence of two types of ATP-dependent proteases, the 26 S proteasome and the hybrid proteasome, which appear to share the ATP-dependent proteolytic pathway in mammalian cells.


Overall summary of main results, discussion and conclusions WP1
The aim in WP1 was to map the performance of local breeds compared to commercial dairy breeds on organic farms in Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland and Germany with regard to health associated traits, fertility and production traits. In a study covering the whole population of the selected breeds, managed under organic conditions during the period 1.7.2011 to 30.6.2014, we found lower milk yields for local breeds. In general we found better fertility performance (less days open, shorter calving intervals, lower number of inseminations) for at least one of the local breeds involved in each country. We also detected lower proportions of milk records with somatic cell counts above 100.000 cells/ ml milk for in at least one of the local breeds in Austria, Switzerland and Sweden, but not so for Poland where the commercial breed performed best. Moreover, we found a lower proportion of test day records with a fat: protein ratio above 1.5 in the first 100 days in milk for many local breeds (Grey Cattle (AL) and Original Braunvieh (OB) in Switzerland. AL by trend in Austria, Swedish Red (SRB) in Sweden and Polish Red and White (ZR) in Poland) hinting at a lower risk of subclinical ketosis for some of the local breeds compared to the respective commercial breed. We could not find breed differences regarding overall occurrence of veterinary treatments or those due to fertility or leg/ claw problems in Austrian data, but found that AL had less treatments due to udder problems than the commercial Braunvieh (BV). In Sweden, the local breed SRB had less overall treatments, fewer treatments due to fertility or udder disorders and also showed less remarks on claw or leg disorders than the commercial breed. We did not find breed differences regarding treatments due to metabolic disorders in Swedish data. We analyzed Austrian and Swiss data from culled cows on productive life span and detected a superiority of local breeds for this trait, but higher lifetime production (kg ECM) in the commercial breed. The second study on cows managed under very similar conditions in Sweden (period: 1.7.2011 to 30.6.2014) and Germany (period 1.7.2011 to 30.6.2015) revealed no significant breed differences in total ECM yield in German data, while we found higher milk fat and milk protein contents for the local breed Original Red Angler Cattle breed (AAZ). In Sweden, we found the highest ECM yield in the commercial breed Swedish Holstein (SH). The local breed Swedish Polled (SKB) had the highest fat and protein contents, followed by the second local breed Swedish Red (SRB), both differed significantly from the respective commercial breed SH and also among each other. We could not detect significant breed differences in the German data set with regard to fertility traits, although the local AAZ tended to have fewer days open than the commercial breed HO. In Sweden, we did not find breed differences for calving interval, but both local breeds had fewer days open, and SKB needed fewer inseminations compared to SH. No breed differences in any of the two countries regarding the proportion of test day records with a SCC content of over 100.000 cells per ml milk was found. We assessed the risk of subclinical ketosis during the first 100 days in milk by comparing fat protein ratios (FPR), applying differing thresholds in Germany (AAZ >1.7, HO >1.5) per breed, without detecting breed differences. However, in Sweden (with a threshold of >1.5) where the local SRB performed best, SKB showed an intermedium position, while SH had the highest proportion of FPR >1.5. Occurrence of veterinary treatments and those due to fertility problems did not differ between German breeds. Data on treatment due to metabolic disorders and leg or claw problems had low incidences, but models did not converge. In Sweden, we found the lowest incidence of overall veterinary treatments and treatments due to mastitis in the local breed SRB, but the local breed SKB did not differ from the commercial SH in neither of the two traits. We did not find breed differences regarding veterinary treatments due to fertility problems or diagnosis of claw/leg problems during claw trimming in the Swedish data set. Incidences of treatments due to metabolic disorders were low in all Swedish breeds, but models for this trait failed to converge. From our finding's we conclude that local breeds partly have advantages with regard to many functional traits studied and that their potential should be better exploited in future, especially on farms with a medium production level (most clearly shown in the small study on German and Swedish farms). We also found overall high proportions of test day records with elevated SCC in Germany and even more so in Poland from which we deduct a great potential for further overall management improvement regardless of the involved breeds in these countries.


Abstract Background: Sexual transmission continues to be the primary mode of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in Western Europe. We aimed to describe predictors of unsafe sex and reasons given for such behaviour. Methods: We performed a survey examining sexual risk behaviours and reasons for unsafe sex in a nationwide cohort of adult Danish HIV-1-positive patients. Differences in characteristics between those who practiced safe and unsafe sex were estimated by binary logistic regression. The fraction with detectable viral load was determined in the 2 groups, and reasons for unsafe sex were evaluated. Results: Of 812 eligible patients, a total of 275 (34%) had engaged in unsafe sex with an HIV-negative partner or a partner with unknown HIV status in the previous year. On multivariate analysis, men who have sex with men (MSM) was the only statistically significant risk factor associated with unsafe sex (odds ratio 3.24, 95% confidence interval 1.72–6.12). The main reason for practicing unsafe sex was that the partner did not wish to use a condom (53%). Conclusions: A high proportion of HIV-positive patients engage in unsafe sex, especially MSM. The reasons for unsafe sex are primarily linked to negotiation issues concerning condom use, including assumptions about the sexual partner's intent.


Economic evaluation of green or renewable power should compare the cost of renewable power with the cost savings from displaced fossil generation plus the avoided harm from reduced emissions of air pollution and greenhouse gases. We use existing estimates of the values of the harm and we calculate cost savings from renewable power based on wholesale spot prices of power in Ontario and steady-state estimates of the cost of new gas generation to estimate the value or affordability of various forms of renewable power in Ontario. We find that timing matters in evaluating intermittent renewable sources. Considering air pollution and greenhouse gases we find that coal generation is dominated by natural gas, supporting Ontario's policy of ending coal generation by 2014. Renewable power thus displaces gas. Dispatchable renewable generation sources, such as many biogas, biomass and some hydroelectric sites cause savings and reduced harm that can justify some of the Ontario Feed-in-Tariff prices up to $130/MWh; other FIT prices are too high. Wind and solar power are variable, so the value of their power depends on system marginal costs when they generate. Wind's displacement of gas capacity is low because it cannot be depended upon when demand is high and generation is needed, so it justifies prices of only $60 to $95/MWh, less than the FIT price of $115. Solar power justifies higher prices than wind, up to $152/MWh because solar generates in the daytime when prices are higher and when solar can fairly reliably displace gas capacity. Still, solar power falls far short of justifying the 2012 Ontario FIT prices of $347 to $549/MWh. Ontario's Feed-in-Tariff program costs more than necessary to achieve its environmental goals.


A flat microlens array whose focal length can be switched from positive to negative by electric field is demonstrated experimentally and confirmed by computer simulations. To generate the required gradient refractive index, an inhomogeneous electric field is created by a spherical indium-tin-oxide (ITO) electrode which is imbedded in the top flat substrate. The bottom substrate has a planar ITO electrode on its inner surface. A thin polymeric layer is overcoated on top of the spherical ITO to create a flat surface. The disclination lines are eliminated. Because of the employed dual-frequency liquid crystal, the microlens array has fast response times.


Sultan Marshes, an important ecosystem and wildlife refuge in the Develi Basin in Turkey, originally included two lakes and two freshwater marshes, with a total surface area of 176 km2, surrounded by wet meadows and salt steppes. The Develi Irrigation Project changed the Sultan Marshes severely starting in 1988 by diverting surface and ground-water flows from the wetlands. Water diversions caused more than 1 m decline in water levels in the lakes and marshes. Spatial changes in the Sultan Marshes ecosystem with time were analyzed using Landsat images from 1980, 1987, 2000, and 2003 that were transformed into five information classes (water, marsh, agriculture, dry lake, and steppe) by unsupervised classification. Changes were identified by a post-classification change detection method. Classification accuracies were 89% to 93%, and accuracies of the change maps were 80% to 85%. The analysis showed that lake surface areas decreased by 93% from 1980 to 2003. Yay Lake was almost completely dry in 2003. The marshes receded more than 50%, and the surrounding steppe expanded into the lakes and marshes. Agriculture expanded in the western and eastern parts (Kepir Marshes) of the study area. Although the years 2000 and 2003 had lower than average annual precipitation, and lower annual precipitation than in 1980 and 1987, the changes in Sultan Marshes are so large that they cannot be solely attributed to weather fluctuations. Surface water diversions and increased use of spring waters and ground water are responsible for the changes.


This paper describes an asynchronous training approach to introduce physicians to forthcoming user interface (UI) changes for a product they have been using in their patient care workflows. The UI changes are expected to impact users since the changes are so drastic, so training is needed to help users quickly learn how to perform critical job tasks without interrupting patient care or dissent in product use. Since the product is aimed at simplifying the physician workflow, any training materials need to do the same. A threetier approach was developed that includes a brief introduction to the main UI areas that all users will see when they initially login to the updated version, a self-paced, user-controlled interactive module that lets users discover the areas of the UI by hovering over labels and view in-depth demonstrations of those areas, and a job-aid reference document that identifies the areas of the UI. Each of these training materials considers the value of physician's time, the need to quickly perform critical job tasks they could perform in the previous UI, and the company's mission of simplifying workflows and making tasks intuitive.


ABSTRACT From 1 January 1997 through 31 December 2000, 2,047 bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to Candida spp. were reported from hospitals in the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Europe participating in the SENTRY Antifungal Surveillance Program. Among individuals in four age groups (≤1, 2 to 15, 16 to 64, and ≥65 years) Candida albicans was the most common species, causing 60, 55, 55, and 50% of infections, respectively. C. glabrata caused 17 to 23% of BSIs in those ages 16 to 64 and ≥65 years, whereas it caused only 3% of BSIs in the individuals in the two younger age groups (P < 0.001). C. parapsilosis (which caused 21 to 24% of BSIs) and C. tropicalis (which caused 7 to 10% of BSIs) were more common than C. glabrata in individuals ages ≤1 year and 2 to 15 years. Isolates of Candida spp. showed a trend of decreasing susceptibility to fluconazole, itraconazole, and amphotericin B with increasing patient age (P ≤ 0.01). None of the C. glabrata isolates from individuals ≤1 year old were resistant to fluconazole, whereas they made up 5 to 9% of isolates from individuals ages 16 to 64 and ≥65 years. Isolates of C. tropicalis from patients ≤1 year old were more susceptible to flucytosine (MIC at which 90% of isolates are inhibited [MIC90], 0.5 μg/ml; 0% resistant isolates) than those from patients ≥65 years old (MIC90, 32 μg/ml; 11% resistant isolates). The investigational triazoles posaconazole, ravuconazole, and voriconazole were all highly active against all species of Candida from individuals in all age groups. These data demonstrate differences in the species distributions of pathogens and differences in antifungal resistance among isolates from individuals in the pediatric and adult age groups. Ongoing surveillance will enhance efforts to limit the extent of antifungal resistance in individuals in various age groups.


The increasing demands for high-quality multimedia services have challenged the wireless industry to rapidly develop wireless network architecture and technologies. These demands have led wireless service providers to struggle with the current network migration dilemma of how to best deliver high-quality multimedia services. Currently, there are many alternative wireless network technologies, such as TDMA, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, cdma2000, etc. These wireless technology choices require close examination when making strategic decisions involving network evolution.This study assesses the technology options for wireless networks to establish next generation networks (i.e., 3G), based on the real options approach (ROA), and discusses wireless network operatorsi¯ technology migration strategies. The goal of this study is to develop a theoretical framework for wireless network operators to support their strategic decision-making process when considering technology choices. The study begins by tracing the evolution of technologies in wireless networks to place them in the proper context, and continues by developing the strategic technology option model (STOM) using ROA as an assessment tool. Finally, STOM is applied to the world and US wireless industries for the formulation of technology migration strategies. Consequently, this study will help wireless network service providers make strategic decisions when upgrading or migrating towards the next generation network architecture by showing the possible network migration paths and their relative value. Through this study, network operators can begin to think in terms of the available network options and to maximize overall gain in networks. Since the migration issues concerning the next generation wireless network architecture and technologies remain the subject of debate, with no substantial implementation in progress now, this study will help the industry to decide where best to focus its efforts and can be expanded for further research.


The gut microbiome performs many crucial functions for the human host, but the molecular mechanisms by which host, microbe and diet interact to mediate health and disease are only starting to be revealed. Here we review the literature on how changes in the diet affect the microbiome. A number of studies have shown that within a geographic region, different diets (such as vegan vs. omnivore) are associated with differences in a modest number of taxa but do not reliably produce radical differences within the gut microbial community. In contrast, studies that look across continents consistently find profoundly different microbial communities between Westernized and traditional populations, although it remains unclear to what extent diet or other differences in lifestyle drive these distinct microbial community structures. Furthermore, studies that place subjects on controlled short term experimental diets have found the resulting alterations to the gut microbial community to generally be small in scope, with changes that do not overcome initial individual differences in microbial community structure. These results emphasize that the human gut microbial community is relatively stable over time. In contrast, short term changes in diet can cause large changes in metabolite profiles, including metabolites processed by the gut microbial community. These results suggest that commensal gut microbes have a great deal of genetic plasticity and can activate different metabolic pathways independent of changes to microbial community composition. Thus, future studies of the how diet impacts host health via the microbiome may wish to focus on functional assays such as transcriptomics and metabolomics, in addition to 16S rRNA and whole-genome metagenome shotgun analyses of DNA. Taken together, the literature is most consistent with a model in which the composition of the adult gut microbial community undergoes modest compositional changes in response to altered diet but can nonetheless respond very rapidly to dietary changes via up- or down-regulation of metabolic pathways that can have profound and immediate consequences for host health.


In this paper, static and oscillatory instability of nanopipes conveying fluid and modelled as a thin-walled beam is investigated. Effects of boundary conditions and non-classical transverse shear and rotary inertia are incorporated in this study. The governing equations and the three different boundary conditions are derived through Hamilton`s principle. Numerical analysis is performed by using extend Galerkin method which enables us to obtain more exact solutions compared with conventional Galerkin method. Variations of critical flow velocity for different boundary conditions of carbon nanopipes are investigated and pertinent conclusion is outlined.


Epilepsy concerns several thousands of children in Switzerland, and is refractory to classic antiepileptic drugs in an important proportion of cases. This percentage has remained stable, despite a constant production of new antiepileptic molecules. To alleviate this problem, several alternative approaches have been developed these last years. In this article, we present three children who suffer from different forms of pharmacoresistant epilepsy, managed with immunomodulatory or neurosurgical treatments, and we summarize the current knowledge about these therapeutic options.


Slips and tongs produce permanent marks on pipe body and tool joints. Such marks develop high stress concentration that reduces strength of pipes. The remaining strength of pipes often falls below the pipe stresses which can lead to tubular failure. Slim pipes are most susceptables to failure due to die-marks. In many instances, slim pipes are handled using double elevator system to reduce pipe failure. In this paper, results of a recent study of various die-mark related failures of drill pipes under different loading conditions, with particular emphasis on fatigue damage are presented. Stress concentration due to die-marks is characterised by finite element analyses as a function of mark sizes to cover various gripping systems available in the market. Then a methodology is presented for the prediction of failure due to cumulative fatigue damage. Effect of stress concentration arising from die-marks is taken into account in the analysis. Results of this study suggest that the effect of stress concentration on the cumulative fatigue damage may be significant depending on particular gripping system in use. In most cases, the fatigue life evaluation based on conventional assumption of smooth pipe surface is found to be very unsafe. Thus, a new approach is proposed in this paper for prediction of true safe life of marked drillpipes against fatigue failure. Fatigue damage results are presented in graphical forms. Calculation of cumulative fatigue damage of drillpipes used in a number of drilling events is then presented systematically in tabular form to assist drilling engineers in the evaluation of actual remaining fatigue life of drillpipes for the target drilling event using a particular gripping system.


The thesis is about the Filipino migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong and how they carve an alternative space in Central on their days off. This alternative space speaks of not merely a social space but a material built environment around which the migrants build their new subjectivities and constitute a transnational movement construed through the assertion of their rights as workers, women and human beings under the rubric of universal human rights. I first discuss the spatial practices of the community to adapt to changes in the physical landscape and reveal the nuanced social relationships and contestation of spaces amongst the members of the community. The linear and cyclical repetitions of their Sunday life act to punctuate the everyday repetitive life they have as domestic workers and create and inscribe patterns of usage of space that disrupt the dominant corporate space of Central that has come to represent faceless capital and consumers of spectacles. Through encounters with the representatives of the authorities in protest marches and everyday interactions, I examine the tensions between the dominant abstract space and the marginalised lived space and argue that the negotiations and creative alternative ways of appropriating spaces by the Filipinos illustrate that the domination of abstract space is not absolute. Alternative social relations emerge in the cracks of the abstract space and these alternatives are the beginning of something hopeful –the transnational migrant domestic workers' movement. Lastly, I argue that the transnational migrant movement in Hong Kong is underpinned by 'practising hope' – of one's encounter with injustice; of the political awakening that the personal is political; of the identification of oneself as part of a collective and a community. The basis of it all is underpinned by the Sunday gatherings they have in Central that substantiate their claim to the 'right to the city'.


Shadows are a useful source of information about object structure. Shadows cast under oblique lighting often indicate the location of the silhouette of an object. This paper describes a method for reliably detecting shadow edges corresponding to object edges. It is able to distinguish between detected edges due to shadows and those due to surface markings. The basis of the technique is to observe the differences in shadows due to changes in the direction of illumination. Analysis is further aided by a simple stereo technique that does not require a solution to the general correspondence problem. Both the multilight source and multi-camera methods can be implemented in an extremely efficient manner.


Federated learning (FL) has been developed as a promising framework to leverage the resources of edge devices, enhance customers' privacy, comply with regulations, and reduce development costs. Although many methods and applications have been developed for FL, several critical challenges for practical FL systems remain unaddressed. This paper provides an outlook on FL development as part of the ICASSP 2022 special session entitled "Frontiers of Federated Learning: Applications, Challenges, and Opportunities." The outlook is categorized into five emerging directions of FL, namely algorithm foundation, personalization, hardware and security constraints, lifelong learning, and nonstandard data. Our unique perspectives are backed by practical observations from large-scale federated systems for edge devices.


Introduction: Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome is one of the rare disorders. Herein we report a case of Laurence-Moon-Biedl syndrome with urogenital sinus anomaly. Case Report: The patient was a 17 years old girl with colicky and periodic abdominal pain since 4 months ago who was referred to the gynecology ward of Rasoul Akram hospital affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. In the physical examination we found an abdomino-pelvic mass at the umbilical region. In examination of the genitalia, the vestibule was not seen and no orifice was found between the urethra and the anus. During the laparotomy we found the mass was a huge vagina full of old blood and pyometra, which were drained. The uterus was enlarged but the fallopian tubes and the ovaries were normal. An incision was performed in the perineum, between the urethra and the anus. Then a petzer drain was inserted from the inside of the uterus to the incision. After operation, the patient was treated with conjugated estrogen 0.625 mg/day for 25 days and medroxy progesterone acetate 10 mg/day for 10 days. After discontinuing the both drugs she menstruated. After the first menstruation the petzer drain was dislodged.


To test the hypothesis that the dose requirement for local anesthetics is changed in aged animals, the effects of two different local anesthetics on nerve conduction block were tested in young and old rats. Young (6 months) and old (27 months) male Fisher-344 rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal pentobarbital and diazepam. Stimulating electrodes were placed in the sciatic notch and in the ankle and recording electrodes were placed distally in the ipsilateral foot to record evoked electrical activity of the interosseous muscles. Motor nerve conduction velocity was significantly less in old (48.8 +/- 3.9, mean +/- SD m.sec-1) than in young rats (56.4 +/- 10.3 m.sec-1) (P < 0.05). To test the effects of aging on conduction block, equipotent doses of bupivacaine (0.2%), an amide-linked local anesthetic, or procaine (0.6%), an ester-linked local anesthetic, were injected next to exposed sciatic nerves and evoked electrical activity was monitored following repeated stimulation at the sciatic notch. At 10 minutes after injection, bupivacaine produced significantly greater nerve block in old rats (100 +/- 0.0%) than young rats (29.8 +/- 41.6%) (P < 0.01); the difference for procaine (old 67.5 +/- 40.4% vs. young 30.4 +/- 35.3%) was not statistically significant. The lower dose requirement for bupivacaine, and the apparent differences compared to procaine, may have implications for the use of local anesthetics in an aging patient population.


Samuel Rochotius à Rochiczerberga (ante 1580 – post 1629) was a minister ot the Czech Brethren at Prusinowitz, Moravia (today: Prusinovice, Czech Republic) in 1607. After 1624 as an exile he found asylum at Lednic (today: Lednica, Slovakia) of the dowry of Zsuzsanna Lorántffy, György Rákóczi's wife. Rákóczi bought a part of his library, helping the minister's financial difficulties in 1629. This time we introduce eleven books of the minister's former library (seven in Sárospatak, two in Debrecen and two in Budapest now), giving detailed description and analysis of the works preserved in the volumes. Bible commentaries, theological controversies, the 'opera omnia' of Melanchthon and a collection of funeral sermons and elegies testify the Moravian minister's high erudition.


Abstract: The Ordovician strata of the South Mayo Trough in western Ireland were deposited as a conformable sequence, first in the forearc of a north-facing oceanic arc, then in a synorogenic basin above the arc–continent collisional Grampian orogen, then in an extensional hanging-wall basin above the exhuming Dalradian metamorphic complex and, finally, in an Andean-type margin successor basin. This depositional history, and its relationship to the Grampian orogeny, to the pre- and post-collision arcs, and to sources in the Laurentian foreland, is recorded in detrital heavy mineral suites, Ar/Ar ages of detrital white micas, and U–Pb ages of detrital zircons. Heavy minerals record the progressive extensional unroofing of an obducted ophiolite complex, then the rapid extensional unroofing of the Grampian Dalradian metamorphic complex. White mica ages give Neoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, and Neoarchaean ages in the lower part of the sequence then, at about 466 Ma, synchronously with the appearance of amphibolite-facies metamorphic detritus, a tightly unimodal Grampian metamorphic age. Zircons yield mainly Mesoproterozoic and Neoarchaean ages, indicating a Laurentian source, and a Grampian age of 460–468 Ma. Paralleling the appearance of Grampian-age micas, the colour of zircon changes from dominantly purple to dominantly colourless, reflecting the thermal annealing effect of metamorphism. However, the temperature of Grampian metamorphism was not high enough to reset the U–Pb isotopic systematics of detrital zircons.


Leukoaraiosis is a common finding in stroke patients and has been strongly associated with risk of incident stroke and dementia. Leukoaraiosis may also be an independent predictor of stroke outcomes. There is increasing evidence from neuroimaging to support the concept that some leukoaraiosis is caused by white matter infarcts, which may be particularly frequent in patients with aggressive small vessel diseases such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy. The relatively similar distribution of leukoaraiosis regardless of the distribution of vascular pathology suggests a conserved vulnerability to white matter injury across various vascular diseases, possibly related to resting patterns of blood flow. More insights into the pathophysiology of leukoaraiosis are sorely needed to reduce the burden of disability associated with this common condition. (Stroke. 2010;41[suppl 1]:S139-S143.)


We present a systematic experimental and theoretical investigation of the magnonic band structure in dense arrays of both asymmetric and symmetric cross-section trilayered Fe(10 nm)/Cu( $t$)/Py(10 nm) nanowires (NWs). The Cu spacer thickness ($t$) is varied in the range between 0 and 10 nm. The frequency dispersion of collective spin-wave excitations in the above trilayered NW arrays has been studied by the Brillouin light-scattering technique while sweeping the wave vector perpendicularly to the nanowire length over four Brillouin zones of the reciprocal space. The experimental results have been quantitatively reproduced by an original numerical model that includes a two-dimensional Green's function description of the dipole field of the dynamic magnetization and exchange coupling between the layers. We found that, depending on $t$, the Py and Fe magnetic layers within the same nanowire are coupled by either the interlayer exchange or dipolar interactions. This has an impact on both the magnetization reversal and the collective dynamical properties of the artificial crystal. In particular, it is possible to stabilize a magnetization configuration where the layer magnetization vectors point in the same or in the opposite direction over a field range that varies with the Cu thickness. In addition, several modes are detected whose propagation properties (i.e., stationary or dispersive) through the array depend on static magnetization configuration as well as on the relative phase (in-phase or out-of-phase) of dynamic magnetizations between the two layers within the same nanowire.


Cytoplasmic extracts prepared from cells infected with metabolically radiolabeled virions of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 contain viral DNA in association with labeled viral proteins. Viral DNA can be purified from these extracts by gel filtration chromatography and sucrose gradient sedimentation as a part of a nucleoprotein complex containing integrase as the only viral protein detectable by immunoprecipitation and gel electrophoretic analysis. The purified complex contains no detectable gag gene products, including p17, p24, p7, or p6, and contains no additional pol gene products, including the p10 protease, p66 and p51 polymerase, or the p15 RNase H. Nearly all of the purified nucleoprotein complexes are capable of integrating into heterologous DNA targets in vitro. These observations demonstrate that integrase is a component of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 preintegration complex and suggest that integrase may be the only viral protein necessary for the integration of retroviral DNA.


This paper presents partial discharge trends of various developing faults such as drying out of impregnated paper cables, moisture ingress, earth screen damage, etc. These trends were measured over either weeks, or months, by PD-OL (PD Online with Location), which measures and locates PD activity. The presented cases are results from continuous measurements on more than 150 cable connections. The paper also briefly discusses the principles behind the measurement technique, the centralized data processing, and the internet portal. PD-OL is a mature and unique diagnostic and monitoring tool for medium-voltage power cable connections, up to several kilometers length for any desired period of time (hours, weeks, years). The network owner can monitor the actual health of their cable systems via the internet, backed up by a warning service. The results show that PD-OL is an economical and reliable alternative for off-line PD measurement methods, while offering so much more.


Hemolysins purified from non-O1 Vibrio cholerae (non-O1 hemolysin) and a Vibrio chokrae 01, biotype El Tor (El Tor hemolysin) were investigated for their homology. The hemolysins were isolated from the culture supernatant fluids by ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 columns. The purified hemolysins gave single bands with an identical mobility on conventional polyacrylamide gel disc electrophoresis. The molecular weights of the non-O1 and El Tor hemolysins were estimated to be about 60,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the amino acid compositions of the hemolysins were very similar. The specific activities of the hemolysins were identical, and both hemolysins were neutralized to the same extent with antisera against the homologous and heterologous hemolysins. Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion tests with both hemolysins and antihemolysin serum gave a common (fused) precipitin line. These data indicate that the non-O1 hemolysin is biologically, physicochemically, and immunologically indistinguishable from the El Tor hemolysin.


This paper explores how farm programs, watershed groups, and conservation decisions are related. In recent years, watershed groups have become a more important component of the decision process over the allocation of government subsidies focused on environmental improvements, and this research presents one of the first attempts to assess whether watershed groups have had an influence on landowner decisions. Three questions are addressed. First, we explore what factors influence landowner decisions to enter into government conservation programs. Second we consider factors that influence the adoption of conservation tillage. Third, we explore what factors influence farmer decisions to participate in watershed activities occurring near their farms. These questions are addressed with a survey of Ohio farmers conducted during the winter of 2004. The results indicate that watershed groups have had little influence on historically important programs like CRP and conservation tillage adoption, but that they seem to be having a more important influence in more recent programs and state and local programs. The results also indicate that conservation tillage decisions are mainly influenced by age, education, conservation compliance requirements, and attitudes. Surprisingly, owners appear less likely to engage in conservation tillage than renters.


Abstract. Geological heterogeneity enhances spreading of solutes and causes transport to be anomalous (i.e., non-Fickian), with much less mixing than suggested by dispersion. This implies that modeling transport requires adopting either stochastic approaches that model heterogeneity explicitly or effective transport formulations that acknowledge the effects of heterogeneity. A number of such formulations have been developed and tested as upscaled representations of enhanced spreading. However, their ability to represent mixing has not been formally tested, which is required for proper reproduction of chemical reactions and which motivates our work. We propose that, for an effective transport formulation to be considered a valid representation of transport through heterogeneous porous media (HPM), it should honor mean advection, mixing and spreading. It should also be flexible enough to be applicable to real problems. We test the capacity of the multi-rate mass transfer (MRMT) model to reproduce mixing observed in HPM, as represented by the classical multi-Gaussian log-permeability field with a Gaussian correlation pattern. Non-dispersive mixing comes from heterogeneity structures in the concentration fields that are not captured by macrodispersion. These fine structures limit mixing initially, but eventually enhance it. Numerical results show that, relative to HPM, MRMT models display a much stronger memory of initial conditions on mixing than on dispersion because of the sensitivity of the mixing state to the actual values of concentration. Because MRMT does not restitute the local concentration structures, it induces smaller non-dispersive mixing than HPM. However long-lived trapping in the immobile zones may sustain the deviation from dispersive mixing over much longer times. While spreading can be well captured by MRMT models, in general non-dispersive mixing cannot.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the accuracy of a continuous cardiac output monitor (FloTrac sensor) for measuring cardiac index in children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization. Cardiac index is a critical hemodynamic parameter measured during catheterizations in children with congenital heart disease. This has been challenging to measure accurately and many clinicians rely on predictive equations for calculating cardiac index.

DESIGN
Prospective, nonrandomized trial.

SETTING
Tertiary care congenital heart center.

PATIENTS
Consecutive participants ≤18 years old undergoing clinically indicated cardiac catheterizations from September 2014 through August 2015.

INTERVENTIONS
Oxygen consumption was measured using the Vmax Encore 229 monitor attached to the ventilator circuit. The FloTrac transducer with third generation software was connected to a pigtail catheter in the descending aorta and cardiac index was obtained.

OUTCOME MEASURES
Cardiac index by the Fick equation using measured oxygen consumption was compared to cardiac index from the FloTrac sensor using paired t-test and Bland-Altman analysis.

RESULTS
39 participants (median age 5.1 years, 1.5-18.3, 64% female) were studied. Cardiac index by FloTrac was higher than cardiac index by Fick (6.4 ± 3.4 vs 3.7 ± 1.2 L/min/m2 , P < .001). Bland-Altman analysis showed a consistent overestimation of cardiac index by FloTrac which worsened as cardiac index increased (mean bias 2.7 L/min/m2 , 95% limits of agreement -4.2, 9.5).

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study show that the FloTrac sensor provides cardiac index measures which are not accurate enough to justify use in children with congenital heart disease undergoing catheterization. Further studies may allow for modifications of the algorithms to obtain more accurate cardiac index in this population.


Voting choices are a product of both personal attitudes and social contexts, of a personal and a social calculus. Research has illuminated the personal calculus of voting, but the social calculus has received little attention since the 1940s. This study expands our understanding of the social influences on individual choice by examining the relationship of partisan biases in media, organizational, and interpersonal intermediaries to the voting choices of Americans. Its results show that the traditional sources of social influence still dominate: Interpersonal discussion outweighs the media in affecting the vote. Media effects appear to be the product of newspaper editorial pages rather than television or newspaper reporting, which contain so little perceptible bias that they often are misperceived as hostile. Parties and secondary organizations also are influential, but only for less interested voters—who are more affected by social contexts in general. Overall, this study demonstrates that democratic citizens are embedded in social contexts that join with personal traits in shaping their voting decisions.


Abstract At mass-gathering events of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, a well-organized, on-site medical system is essential. This study evaluated the vulnerabilities of the prehospital medical system of the TOKYO 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games (TOKYO2020) to propose corrections that can be generalized to other mass gatherings. The healthcare failure mode and effect analysis (HFMEA) was adopted to analyze vulnerabilities of the on-site medical system proposed by the organizing committee of TOKYO2020. Processes from detecting a patient on the scene to completing transport to a hospital were analyzed. Ten processes with 47 sub-processes and 122 possible failure modes were identified. HFMEA revealed 9 failure modes as vulnerabilities: misidentification of patient, delayed immediate care at the scene, misjudgment of disposition from the on-site medical suite, and inappropriate care during transportation to hospital. Proposed corrections included surveillance to decrease blind spots, first aid brochures for spectators, and uniform protocol for health care providers at the scene. The on-site medical system amended by HFMEA seemed to work appropriately in TOKYO2020.


Multiple, detailed settlement excavations in the Delfland region in the Dutch coastal area have shown that local communities of the Hazendonk group (c.  BC) chose to follow different trajectories in an advanced phase of the Neolithisation process. The Rijswijk community led a fully agrarian life, while the others extensively exploited the rich aquatic resources. The multi-household Schipluiden settlement shows us long continuity, up to the time when the dune on which it lay became submerged, and a strong sense of collectiveness represented by its fences and concentrated wells, whereas other house sites were short-lived and wide apart. This demonstrates that the Neolithisation as a whole should be seen as the outcome of small-scale interaction processes between the native population and the farming communities in the loess zone further south.


Background The successful recruitment and retention of health professionals to rural and remote areas of Australia is a health policy priority. Nursing or allied health professional students' learning placements in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia, most of which is considered remote, may influence rural or remote work location decisions. Objective The aim of this study is to determine where allied health professionals and nurses who have had a student placement in the NT of Australia end up practicing. Methods This research is an observational cohort study, with data collection occurring at baseline and then repeated annually over 10 years (ie, 2017-2018 to 2029). The baseline data collection includes a demographic profile of allied health and nursing students and their evaluations of their NT placements using a nationally consistent questionnaire (ie, the Student Satisfaction Survey). The Work Location Survey, which will be administered annually, will track work location and the influences on work location decisions. Results This study will generate unique data on the remote and rural work locations of nursing and allied health professional students who had a placement in the NT of Australia. It will be able to determine what are the most important characteristics of those who take up remote and rural employment, even if outside of the NT, and to identify barriers to remote employment. Conclusions This study will add knowledge to the literature regarding rates of allied health and nursing professionals working in remote or rural settings following remote or rural learning placements. The results will be of interest to government and remote health workforce planners. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12620000797976; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12620000797976.aspx International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/21832


Non-tariff measures have become a central topic to the debate of how international trade rules and domestic regulatory choices are to co-exist. They are an essential feature of the trade in goods and services, investment, and public procurement regimes. Moreover, different ideas on what is fair and legitimate and how this is justified coexist. The evolution of the inclusion of non-tariff measures can be explained by rational choice explanations looking at the changed composition and patterns of trade and resulting domestic-international dynamics. However, this explanation is only partial since it does not tell us which factors explain the different understanding of non-tariff measures and how this varies in different periods and contexts. While the constructivist literature and mainly, the literature on the role of ideas in EU trade policy have brought a stronger understanding of the content and influence of ideas, we are still missing an understanding of the content and ideas vis-a-vis non-tariff measures and regulatory issues due to the principal focus on neoliberal ideas.
The dissertation aims to provide a theoretically and empirically grounded analysis of the policy process behind what we term negotiability or the overlap between what agents perceive as negotiable in the coordinative and communicative discourse. Through a combination between theory-induced and data-induced thematic and discourse analysis, we identified which factors affect negotiability. The empirical material uses a combination of primary sources, official EU documents, and in-depth elite interviews. Building on existing ideational theories, we show how two different problem definition of non-tariff measures as regulatory protectionism and as regulatory heterogeneity affect their treatment and lead to discrimination across partners. Drawing on existing theories about ideational change, we also show the meeting between the trade and regulatory regimes have brought slow, gradual change in EU trade policy through inconsistencies, ad-hoc processes, and experimentation thus creating space for discontinuities in neoliberal ideas. By analysing the international political economy causes of the treatment of non-tariff measures, we contribute new aspects to EU trade policy and on the role of ideas in understanding change-continuity.


The past decade has seen the proliferation of scholarly work on audio culture by philosophers, sociologists, ethnographers, musicologists, anthropologists, and others. There is now a range of histories and ethnographies on listening and on the soundscape, and a proliferation of epistemological, methodological, and cultural investigations of the sonic. At the same time, as John Kieffer notes, sound art is fast becoming "the new kid on the cultural block" (2010).

Different writers have engineered different conceptual approaches for studying the sonic. These voices are symptomatic of a body of work that has developed as a way of reacting against the primacy of Cartesian reason, looking for ways of escaping the Western tendency to measure, calculate and represent everything. They offer strategies for defending and resurrecting the nullified senses, like hearing, which must no longer surrender to the tyranny of ocularcentrism. However, the belated recognition of sound as a valid academic object of study and art discipline, often risks fetishizing the sonic and repeating the same ideological separations between sound and image, body and mind. Moreover, refreshing as they may be, they are too often confined within a human-centred position and interested in predominantly addressing the phenomenal experience of sound.

This article wishes to discuss alternative schemas daring to go beyond the audiophile anthropocentric angle. It mainly draws on Kodwo Eshun's unconventional method of 'sonic fiction' (1998), in order to argue for the value of developing a sound theory that brings together speculative philosophy, science fiction, and experimental audio art. Ultimately, it attempts to explore how such 'a sonic intervention into thought' (Goodman, 2010) can drag us away from the sociopolitical and historical organisation of sound and toward the vicinity of a more 'unreal state', where the boundaries between fiction and theory are provisional and utterly permeable.


Fairly all selected NTFPs of the upland commune Ngo Luong in northwest Vietnam reveal a high market potential including opportunities for sustainable resource management. In order to achieve win-win situations at the research site, management of specific NTFPs through intensification or diversification applied by single households or interest groups is discussed. Apart from better management practices the NTFP producers' position within the market chain should be strengthened by calling for extension trainings on marketing relevant features. These findings base on investigations of household income, NTFP extraction and market chains of economically valuable NTFPs.


2D finite element model with the same material for backup to minimize the burr size was developed to investigate mechanism of burr formation and burr minimization. The flowstress of the workpiece and backup material are taken as a function of strain, strain-rate and temperature. Temperature-dependent material properties are also considered. The Cockroft-Latham damage criterion has been adopted to simulate ductile fracture. The crack initiation and propagation is simulated by deleting the mesh element. The result shows putting a backup material behind the edge of the workpiece is an effective way to minimize the burr size. The effects of cutting condition, temperature and different backup material properties on the burr formation and burr size can be investigated using the developed finite element model. This model could be useful in the search for optimal tool geometry and cutting condition for burr minimization and for the modeling of a burr formation mechanism.


Introduction: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone, which has a key role in the number of red blood cells in mammalian blood. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether EPO is associated with anthropometric outcomes in low birth weight infants. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted on 90 premature neonates aged under 35 gestational weeks, with the weight of less than 2000 g, and selected through convenience sampling. The subjects were assigned to EPO (n=45) and control groups (n=45) by random allocation with the aim of evaluating the relationship between EPO and anthropometric outcome, hemoglobin, and hematocrit in low birth weight infants. The weight and head circumstance of the infants were measured on their birthdays, and days 14, 28, and 42. Additionally, hemoglobin and hematocrit were measured on days 7 and 42. From day 14, EPO injection was given to the EPO group three times a week for one month (12 times). The dosage for each baby was 100 U/kg of 2000 unit ampules which was given as a subcutaneous injection in the baby's arm. Results: The mean weights on birthday and day 42 in the EPO group were 1397±270 g and 2614±739 g, respectively, while in the placebo group they were 1280±281 g and 1486±208 g, respectively. In addition, the mean head circumstance on birthday and day 42 in the EPO group was 28.6±1.7 cm and 33±2.5 cm, respectively, while in the placebo group it was 27.8±2.3 cm and 29.8±2.2 cm, respectively. Conclusion: According to the results of the current study, weight gain and head circumstance gain rose significantly in the EPO group compared with the placebo group (P<0.001). Trial Registration: The trial protocol was approved by the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (identifier: IRCT20160511027853N2, https://en.irct.ir/trial/47069, ethical code; IR.QUMS.REC.1398.133).


The purpose of the present study is to determine the effects of two select types of high school extracurricular activities on future earnings: athletics and the National Honor Society. Utilizing data from the 1979 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and a two-stage least squares estimation technique, the results of the present study indicate that high school athletes earn more in later years than honor society students. In fact, after controlling for academic achievement, honor society students earned no more in later years than non-honor society students. Finally, in examining the impact of participation in extra-curricular activities on future earnings, results of the present study suggest that participation in such activities increases earnings later in life.


We study the continuous-time counterpart of Q-learning for reinforcement learning (RL) under the entropy-regularized, exploratory diffusion process formulation introduced by Wang et al. (2020). As the conventional (big) Q-function collapses in continuous time, we consider its first-order approximation and coin the term ``(little) q-function". This function is related to the instantaneous advantage rate function as well as the Hamiltonian. We develop a ``q-learning"theory around the q-function that is independent of time discretization. Given a stochastic policy, we jointly characterize the associated q-function and value function by martingale conditions of certain stochastic processes, in both on-policy and off-policy settings. We then apply the theory to devise different actor-critic algorithms for solving underlying RL problems, depending on whether or not the density function of the Gibbs measure generated from the q-function can be computed explicitly. One of our algorithms interprets the well-known Q-learning algorithm SARSA, and another recovers a policy gradient (PG) based continuous-time algorithm proposed in Jia and Zhou (2022b). Finally, we conduct simulation experiments to compare the performance of our algorithms with those of PG-based algorithms in Jia and Zhou (2022b) and time-discretized conventional Q-learning algorithms.


ABSTRACT We present a distinctive approach to knowledge exchange used in the 'Shared Space' project; an inter-disciplinary researcher–teacher partnership using Allport's contact theory contact theory as a lens to interpret teachers' self-reported practice in the subject Religion and Worldviews (RWE). By so doing, we created new professional knowledge and understanding of how RWE could be used as a vehicle for promoting community relations. At the project's heart was a team of six whose collaboration across the theory-practice divide has proved unusually close and successful. Here we reflect as a team on our relationships, with each other and the project, through a 'Collective Writing' approach, identifying positive experiences, tensions and disagreements, and strategies used to (partially) resolve these. Issues we faced included potentially irreconcilable differences within and across disciplines related to ontology and epistemology. We identify three particular strategies we have used to address them: reciprocal hospitality and embodying Allport's contact principles within a 'community of enquiry'. We conclude that, despite the challenges, we have remained a strong and productive team, literally 'sharing space', by affording each team member equal status; collaborating towards common goals and in ways that have been supported by our respective institutions. 193/200


Neuroinflammation is a fundamental feature in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and arises from the activation of astrocytes and microglial cells. Previously, we reported that Miyako Bidens pilosa extract (MBP) inhibited microglial activation and prolonged the life span in a human ALS-linked mutant superoxide dismutase-1 (SOD1G93A) transgenic mouse model of ALS (G93A mice). Herein, we evaluated the effect of MBP on microglial activation in the spinal cord of G93A mice and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells. The administration of MBP inhibited the upregulation of the M1-microglia/macrophage marker (interferon-γ receptor (IFN-γR)) and pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6) in G93A mice. However, MBP did not affect the increase in the M2-microglia/macrophage marker (IL-13R) and anti-inflammatory cytokines (transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and IL-10) in G93A mice. BV-2 cell exposure to MBP resulted in a decrease in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium (MTT) reduction activity and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, without an increase in the number of ethidium homodimer-1-stained dead cells. Moreover, MBP suppressed the production of lipopolysaccharide-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) in BV-2 cells. These results suggest that the selective suppression of M1-related pro-inflammatory cytokines is involved in the therapeutic potential of MBP in ALS model mice.


Although molecular luminescent probes capable of detecting target analytes in an organelle of interest are especially appreciated, lanthanide complex-based organelle-targetable luminescent probes have rarely been developed. Herein, by using an anthryl-substituted terpyridine derivative, 4′-(9-anthryl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (ATPY), as a singlet oxygen (1O2)-recognition ligand, and a diphenyl-containing β-diketone coligand, 6-(1′,1′′-diphenyl-4′-yl)-1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-4,6-hexanedione (DHH), a new β-diketonate–Eu3+ complex-based luminescent probe, Eu(DHH)3(ATPY), has been designed and synthesized for the time-gated luminescence imaging detection of 1O2 in the mitochondria of living cells. The probe showed only weak luminescence due to the quenching effect of the 9-anthryl group. After the specific reaction of the 9-anthryl group with 1O2, the corresponding endoperoxide derivative that exhibited great quantum yield (Φ = 53%), Eu(DHH)3(EP-ATPY), was formed, accompanied by a remarkable luminescence enhancement. The luminescence response behaviors of Eu(DHH)3(ATPY) to 1O2 were investigated using two different 1O2 reaction systems in aqueous media. In addition, the time-gated luminescence imaging study has demonstrated the applicability of the probe for monitoring the 1O2 generation in 5-aminolevulinic acid (a drug for photodynamic therapy) loaded HepG2 cells with high sensitivity and selectivity. Furthermore, by coloading the probe and a mitochondrial indicator, Mito-Tracker Green, into HepG2 cells, the mitochondria-targetable feature of the probe has also been confirmed by confocal luminescence imaging measurements.


The macroscopic behavior of stationary micromagnetic phenomena can be modeled by a relaxed version of the Landau--Lifshitz minimization problem. In the limit of large and soft magnets $\Omega$, it is reasonable to exclude the exchange energy and convexify the remaining energy densities. The numerical analysis of the resulting minimization problem, \begin{align*} \min E_0^{**}({\bf m})\text{ amongst }{\bf m}:\Omega\to\mathbb{R}^d\text{ with } |{\bf m}(x)|\le1\text{ for almost every }x\in\Omega, \end{align*} for $d=2,3$, faces difficulties caused by the pointwise side-constraint $|{\bf m}|\le1$ and an integral over the whole space $\mathbb{R}^d$ for the stray field energy. This paper involves a penalty method to model the side-constraint and reformulates the exterior Maxwell equation via a nonlocal integral operator $\mathcal{P}$ acting on functions exclusively defined on $\Omega$. The discretization with piecewise constant discrete magnetizations leads to edge-oriented boundary integrals, the implementation of which and related numerical quadrature are discussed, as are adaptive algorithms for automatic mesh-refinement. A priori and a posteriori error estimates provide a thorough rigorous error control of certain quantities. Three classes of numerical experiments study the penalization, empirical convergence rates, and performance of the uniform and adaptive mesh-refining algorithms.


ABSTRACT Candida albicans is a human commensal that is also responsible for superficial and systemic infections. Little is known about the carriage of C. albicans in the digestive tract and the genome dynamics that occur during commensalisms of this diploid species. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, diversity, and genetic relationships among C. albicans isolates recovered during natural colonization of the digestive tract of humans, with emphasis on Crohn's disease patients who produce anti-yeast antibodies and may have altered Candida sp. carriage. Candida sp. isolates were recovered from 234 subjects within 25 families with multiple cases of Crohn's disease and 10 control families, sampled at the oral and fecal sites. Prevalences of Candida sp. and C. albicans carriage were 53.4% and 46.5%, respectively, indicating frequent commensal carriage. No differences in prevalence of carriage could be observed between Crohn's disease patients and healthy subjects. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) of C. albicans isolates revealed frequent colonization of a subject or several members of the same family by genetically indistinguishable or genetically close isolates. These latter isolates differed by loss-of-heterozygosity events at one or several of the MLST loci. These loss-of-heterozygosity events could be due to either chromosome loss followed by duplication or large mitotic recombination events between complementary chromosomes. This study was the first to jointly assess commensal carriage of C. albicans, intrafamilial transmission, and microevolution. The high frequency of each of these events suggests that the digestive tract provides an important and natural niche for microevolutions of diploid C. albicans through the loss of heterozygosity.


Consistently an outsider - a child of the fundamentalist South with an eighth-grade education, a self-taught intellectual, a black man married to a white woman - Richard Wright nonetheless became the unparalleled voice of his time. The first full-scale biography of the author best known for his searing novels Black Boy and Native Son, Richard Wright: The Life and Times brings the man and his work - in all their complexity and distinction - to vibrant life. Acclaimed biographer Hazel Rowley chronicles Wright's unprecedented journey from a sharecropper's shack in Mississippi to Chicago's South Side to international renown as a writer and outspoken critic of racism.Drawing on journals, letters, and eyewitness accounts, Richard Wright probes the author's relationships with Langston Hughes and Ralph Ellison, his attraction to Communism, and his so-called exile in France. Skillfully interweaving quotes from Wright's own writings, Rowley deftly portrays a passionate, courageous, and flawed man who would become one of our most enduring literary figures.


One hundred twenty-six primary total hip arthroplasties composed of a hybrid cemented femoral component and a cementless acetabular component were followed for a minimum of two years (mean, 42 months). The average patient age was 63 years. The most common diagnosis was osteoarthritis (85 hips), although 13 of the cases were severe or total congenital dislocations. Overall, the results were excellent. The mean Harris hip score was 93. Postoperative pain was rated as none or slight in 94% of the cases. No patient had moderate or severe pain. No femoral or acetabular components were revised. Roentgenographically no femoral component was definitely or probably loose. One acetabular reconstruction component had migrated. The authors conclude that the selective use of cemented and cementless fixation by anatomic site in this hybrid form of hip arthroplasty provided excellent results for five and one-half years.


The FIRBACK project is a collaboration of eight institutes aimed at using long wavelength surveys with ISO to uncover the nature of the Cosmic Far-Infrared Background. We have surveyed nearly 4 sq. deg. in three regions in the northern and southern hemispheres with the ISOPHOT instrument on ISO, using the 175 micron filter. As reported by Puget et al. (1998) and Reach et al. (these proceedings), the first 0.25 sq. deg. region studied in this programme contains many more 175 micron sources than expected. Initial reduction of the remaining survey areas appears to confirm this result. The area surveyed by FIRBACK represents the largest and deepest long wavelength far-IR survey available before the launch of SIRTF.


Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus – 2 (SARS-CoV-2), an emerging novel coronavirus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has now rapidly spread to more than 215 countries and has killed nearly 0 75 million people out of more than 20 million confirmed cases as of 10th August, 2020 Apart from affecting respiratory system, the virus has shown multiple manifestations with neurological affections and damaging kidneys SARS-CoV-2 transmission mainly occurs through close contact of COVID-19 affected person, however air-borne route is also now considered as dominant route of virus spread The virus has been implicated to have originated from animals Apart from bats, pangolins and others being investigates to play role in transmitting SARS-CoV-2 as intermediate hosts, the recent reports of this virus infection in other animals (cats, dogs, tigers, lions, mink) suggest one health approach implementation along with adopting appropriate mitigation strategies Researchers are pacing to develop effective vaccines and drugs, few reached to clinical trials also, however these may take time to reach the mass population, and so till then adopting appropriate prevention and control is the best option to avoid SARS-CoV-2 infection This article presents an overview on this pandemic virus and the disease it causes, with few recent concepts and advances


Conn's syndrome due to an adrenal adenoma is very rare in children. This paper reports a 14-year-old boy with primary hyperaldosteronism due to an adrenal adenoma. His biochemistry data were compatible with either bilateral adrenal hyperplasia or an adrenal adenoma. A dexamethasone test did not suppress aldosterone levels. Venous catheter sampling and 75Se-selenomethylcholesterol scanning suggested that the hyperaldosteronism originated at the right adrenal. Computed tomography showed an 8-mm low-density nodule in the right adrenal gland and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the nodule which had high signal intensity on T2-weighted images consistent with a functioning adenoma. Surgery confirmed the right adrenal adenoma, and the patient was cured by right adrenalectomy. This case illustrates the difficulty of defining the aetiology of primary hyperaldosteronism and we review the biochemical and scanning techniques available to aid in diagnosis. Hypertension is unusual in children and endocrine causes are very rare, but Conn's syndrome should always be considered in the differential diagnosis.


3-Hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is an isomer of 2-hydroxypropionic acid (2-HP) and an important platform molecule. A biological production route of 3-HP has become of interest as a sustainable alternative to the chemical route. However, its hydrophilic property makes the separation of 3-HP from the fermentation broth difficult. In this study, reactive solvent extraction and an aqueous two phase system (ATPS) were utilized to extract 3-HP from an aqueous solution. In the reactive extraction system, synergism, which was found in the reactive extraction of 2-HP, was not observed with mixed extractants of TBP and TOA diluted in heptane. TOA diluted in 1-octanol gave the highest extractability in the reactive extraction system. There was little effect on the extractability of 3-HP by the addition of salt to the system. In an ATPS composed of alcohols and salts, binodal curves and tie lines were measured, and then 3-HP was extracted with the ATPS. The highest extractability and distribution ratio were obtained by using an ATPS composed of t-BuOH and Na2SO4. The maximum distribution ratios in both systems were similar.


The usefulness of totally automated irrigation control systems is well established. Mass-flow porometers can be used as the sensing and feedback elements to implement such a system for the experimental control of water stress in the field. This study was conducted to determine if consistent relationships could be established between the mass-flow readings and other water-related physiological parameters. A range of stress conditions were imposed on plots of corn (L.) by the system during the 1986 and 1987 field seasons in Greeley, CO. Midday leaf xylem water potential, leaf diffusive conductance, and year-end grain yields were measure during both years. In 1987, additional measurements were made of the infrared canopy temperature for calculating the Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI), and individual kernel weights and numbers, to determine the components of the grain yield predictions observed in 1986. Reductions in the number of kernels produced per unit land area were associated with stress-induced delays of silking relative to pollen shed. Additional yield reductions in some treatments were attributable to reduced weight per kernel. Significant correlations were found between the mass-flow sensors and grain yield and CWSI. The relationship between grain yield and stomatal conductance was consistent over both years, suggesting that the cumulative mean conductance may be useful as a yield predictor.


This guide identifies the rare books, artists books, archival slides, art, drawings, and other special materials held by the Design Library.


We explore the benefits of augmenting state-of-the-art model-free deep reinforcement algorithms with simple object representations. Following the Frostbite challenge posited by Lake et al. (2017), we identify object representations as a critical cognitive capacity lacking from current reinforcement learning agents. We discover that providing the Rainbow model (Hessel et al.,2018) with simple, feature-engineered object representations substantially boosts its performance on the Frostbite game from Atari 2600. We then analyze the relative contributions of the representations of different types of objects, identify environment states where these representations are most impactful, and examine how these representations aid in generalizing to novel situations.


South- central area of Chile area has a Mediterranean climate and high crop water requirements. Irrigation water is distributed through long channels which have low water conveyance efficiency (Ec), difficult to improve by conventional techniques. The objective of this study was to quantify Ec and to evaluate the use of Linear Anionic Polyacrylamide (LA-PAM) to reduce seepage losses. The study was carried out in south-central area of Chile, (UTM Coordinate N 5745000; E 725000 m, datum is WGS-84, zone 18S) in 250 km of channels whose flow varied between 0.12 and 24.6 m3 s–1. Water users indicated channel reaches with potential low Ec, which were selected for LA-PAM application. In 11 reaches between 0.51 and 3 km in length, 1 to 3 LAPAM applications were performed at rates of 10 kg ha–1, considering the wet perimeter area as basis of calculation. Thirty-one LA-PAM applications were performed over a 30.5 km length. Most of the channels were large enough to allow motorboat moving against the current to carry-out LA-PAM application. Water flow was measured (StreamPro ADCP) at both ends of selected reaches before and after granular LAPAM application. Weekly measurements were made to quantify treatment effect duration. Water turbidity and temperature were measured. Channels showed variable Ec from 87% to 94%. Two reaches showed 6% water gains. In more than 80% cases LA-PAM effect was positive, achieving loss reductions of 15 to 760 L s–1. In other cases LA-PAM had a negative effect since it mainly affected water entry into the channel. It was determined that field conditions referred by users as indicators of Ec are not always correct and vary in time according to climatic conditions. Ec was estimated and it was possible to reduce seepage through LA-PAM applications. This allow increasing irrigation security in critical periods, especially under drought conditions.


During the twentieth century, Congress's power to regulate commerce grew sensationally while its human rights powers atrophied. This strange phenomenon originated in the choice, made by lawyers and politicians in the early 1930s, to base labor rights statutes like the Wagner Act on the Commerce Clause instead of the Thirteenth Amendment. Unions and workers argued that the rights to organize and strike made the difference between freedom and involuntary servitude. But a bevy of progressive lawyers who styled themselves "friends of labor" undermined labor's Thirteenth Amendment theory. The article argues that this clash reflected not merely tactical differences among allies, but fundamentally conflicting constitutional goals. It contends that the Supreme Court upheld the Wagner Act not because of the lawyers' Commerce Clause arguments, but because workers staged a series of sit-down strikes that confronted the swing justices with a choice between industrial peace or war. Afterward, unions and workers interpreted the Wagner Act decisions as victories for labor freedom, but the Act's Commerce Clause foundation pointed in a different direction - one leading to fateful distortions in the jurisprudence of congressional powers.


The Australian Maritime College (AMC) with partner
Swinburne University of Technology, is addressing a critical
knowledge gap in understanding the performance of ocean
wave-energy devices in arrays when operating in relatively
close proximity. This work is a critical part of a collaborative
project supported by the Australian Renewable Energy
Agency (ARENA) and wave energy companies BioPower
Systems and Carnegie Wave Power.
The project involves a novel set of physical experiments
to investigate array interactions of Wave Energy Convertors
(WECs). The experimental set up is a first of kind following
a full hydrodynamic and mathematical analysis of the
interactions, described as 'the Phenomenological Theory'.
The main premise underlying the design of these
experiments is as follows:
1) The models should be as generic as possible to
encompass a maximum type of WEC behaviours.
2) Under linear wave theory, the total wave field can be
separated into its diffraction and multiple radiation subparts.
3) The typical radiation wave field induced by a WEC
motion can be separated in two distinctive forms: Monopole
 Dipole
4) Using the method of superposition the radiated wave
patterns and the diffraction pattern can be combined
proportionally to produce the total wave field
comparable to a real world WEC.
5) The experiments will produce a set of bench mark results
to compare and validate a numerical tool which will
ultimately be able to assist government agencies and
WEC developers in designing WECs arrays.
The measurement systems include a set of load cells in
each of the WEC devices resulting in the 6 components of the
total force and moments and a state of the art stereo
videogrammetry system to measure the wave field elevation.
The presentation will include the full hydrodynamic
theory justifying the experimental approach, a description of
the experiments and results, and examples of these results
applied to the optimisation of Power Take Off (PTO)
parameters of an array for maximising power production.


'Bill' Wager, after undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Cambridge, became a lecturer at the University of Reading in southern England in 1929. He was granted leave in the 1930s to participate in lengthy expeditions that explored the geology of Greenland, an island largely within the Arctic Circle. With friends made on those expeditions, he became in June 1940 an early recruit to the Photographic Development Unit of the Royal Air Force that pioneered the development of aerial photographic interpretation for British armed forces. He was quickly appointed to lead a 'shift' of interpreters. The unit moved in 1941 from Wembley in London to Danesfield House in Buckinghamshire, known as Royal Air Force Medmenham, to become the Central Interpretation Unit for Allied forces—a 'secret' military intelligence unit that contributed significantly to Allied victory in World War II. There Wager led one of three 'shifts' that carried out the 'Second Phase' studies in a three-phase programme of interpretation that became a standard operating procedure. Promoted in 1941 to the rank of squadron leader in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, he was given command of all 'Second Phase' work. Sent with a detachment of photographic interpreters to the Soviet Union in 1942, he was officially 'mentioned in a Despatch' on return to England. By the end of 1943 the Central Interpretation Unit had developed into a large organization with an experienced staff, so Wager was allowed to leave Medmenham in order to become Professor of Geology in the University of Durham. He resigned his commission in July 1944. Appointed Professor of Geology in the University of Oxford in 1950, he died prematurely from a heart attack in 1965, best remembered for his work on the igneous rocks of the Skaergaard intrusion in Greenland and an attempt to climb Mount Everest in 1933.


A series of methacrylamide-based polyampholytes were synthesised for the first time and their temperature responsive properties investigated. N-[3-(Dimethylamino)propyl]methacrylamide (DMAPMAm) and methacrylic acid (MAA) were copolymerised in equimolar amounts along with N-(tert-butyl)methacrylamide (tBMAm) via RAFT polymerisation, forming a series of polymers with varying tBMAm content. A variety of solvents were assessed to determine the optimal conditions for synthesis. The solution properties of the resultant polymers were then determined via turbidimetry and NMR. Results from this study show that tBMAm was an effective modulator of TCP events when it was present in levels of 16% or more of the total monomers in the polymer chain. Below this threshold, polymers displayed properties akin to traditional polyampholytes due to the antipolyelectrolyte effect. Above this level however, the polymers displayed properties analogous to other temperature-responsive polymer systems. Interestingly changes in both pH and addition of salt led to an increase in the polymer cloud points, and in some cases loss of thermoresponsivity entirely, despite the high level of anionic and cationic charges present in the side chains.


Background The ligation of the inter-sphincteric fistula tract plus bioprosthetic anal fistula plug (LIFT-plug) is a new procedure in the treatment of trans-sphincteric perianal fistulas. The aim of this study was to evaluate its long-term outcomes. Material/Methods Clinical data of 78 patients with trans-sphincteric perianal fistula who were managed by the LIFT-plug technique between March 2014 to October 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. The operation time, healing rate, postoperative complications, recurrences, and length of stay were reviewed. Results No serious complications occurred during the operation in all patients. The median follow-up was 30 months (16 to 47 months), clinical healing of the anal fistula occurred in 75 patients (96.2%). The median operative time was 25 minutes (18 to 45 minutes). The mean complete healing time was 16 days (9 to 46 days). The median healing time for the external anal fistula opening was 2 weeks (range, 2 to 3 weeks), and the inter-sphincteric groove incision healing time was 4 weeks (range, 3 to 7 weeks). The median hospital stay after operation was 5 days. Fistula recurred in 2 patients because of spontaneous expulsion of the plug at 7 days post-surgery; perianal abscess occurred in 1 patient. The anal function was evaluated in 70 patients of the 78 patients. Perfect control of continence was recorded for 97.1% of the patients (68 out of 70 patients). Two patients were identified to a rare complication of gas incontinence (Wexner score 1). Conclusions LIFT-plug procedure for the treatment of trans-sphincteric fistulas is a simple procedure with a high healing rate, minimal invasiveness, quick healing, and without disturbance to anal function. LIFT-plug is an ideal procedure for trans-sphincteric fistula.


Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant carotenoid, plays a major role in modulating the immune response. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory effects of astaxanthin on cytokine production in primary cultured lymphocytes both in vitro and ex vivo. Direct administration of astaxanthin (70–300 nM) did not produce cytotoxicity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100 µg/ mL)- or concanavalin A (Con A, 10 µg/ mL)-activated lymphocytes, whereas astaxanthin alone at 300 nM induced proliferation of splenic lymphocytes (p < 0.05) in vitro. Although astaxanthin, alone or with Con A, had no apparent effect on interferon (INF-γ) and interleukin (IL-2) production in primary cultured lymphocytes, it enhanced LPS-induced INF-γ production. In an ex vivo experiment, oral administration of astaxanthin (0.28, 1.4 and 7 mg/kg/day) for 14 days did not cause alterations in the body or spleen weights of mice and also was not toxic to lymphocyte cells derived from the mice. Moreover, treatment with astaxanthin significantly increased LPS-induced lymphocyte proliferation ex vivo but not Con A-stimulated lymphocyte proliferation ex vivo. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis revealed that administration of astaxanthin significantly enhanced INF-γ production in response to both LPS and Con A stimulation, whereas IL-2 production increased only in response to Con A stimulation. Also, astaxanthin treatment alone significantly increased IL-2 production in lymphocytes derived from mice, but did not significantly change production of INF-γ. These findings suggest that astaxanthin modulates lymphocytic immune responses in vitro, and that it partly exerts its ex vivo immunomodulatory effects by increasing INF-γ and IL-2 production without inducing cytotoxicity.


The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between learning styles and learning outcomes of 141 engineering drawing students at a computer training center in Taiwan. This study employed a quantitative research methodology employing both a questionnaire as well as examination scores to address the research objectives. There were five parts included in this study. First, the Learning Style Inventory categorized the learners' learning preferences into four dimensions: perception, input, processing and understanding. Second, the learners' learning styles were compared according to gender. Third, the learners' learning styles and their learning performance were compared. Fourth, the study also compared the learners' learning outcomes between new and current students. Fifth the relationship between the number of times learners repeated the engineering drawing course and their learning performance was computed. Overall, there were eight findings of the study: 1) the most preferred learning style of both female and male students was sensing, visual, reflective and global; 2) there was no significant difference in learning style preference between males and females; 3) there was no statistically significant relationship found in the degrees of the input, processing and understanding learning styles and grade - however, there was a correlation between the perception learning style and grade; 4) the number of male students who were willing to take the exam right after the course was greater than that of female students - however, the average grade of females was higher than that of males; 5) as for learning style preferences between new and current students, new students preferred to learn sequentially and current students were global learners; 6) the number of times students repeated the course did not affect their learning outcomes; 7) in terms of demographic factors and learning style preferences, no statistically significant differences were found; 8) no significant differences were found between demographic factors and learning outcomes.


Public inquiries into social care scandals have had a major public impact and have provoked demands for fundamental reform and innovations in children's services. In Britain, the inquiry into the case of Peter Connolly (Baby P), who was killed by his mother and her partner in London, despite numerous contacts with child protection services, led to disciplinary actions against professionals in both social and health care. In Ireland the Ryan Report, revealing systematic child abuse over decades in residential care institutions run by religious congregations, has undermined public confidence in the church and state as well as in the caring professions. This article considers the impact of these reports, particularly in terms of their consequences for the ascendant therapeutic dynamics in children's social policy. The author concludes that if the cases such as Baby P or those who experienced abusive regimes lead to the intensification of therapeutic intervention, they may result in more widespread social control over family life.