In some earlier studies, as a response to the media debate during the hot summer of 2006, regarding Romania's emigration as following the accession to the EU, we were saying that the fear of mass migration from Romania was not justified. Romania is not only a gateway for the East-West international migration (like Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece for the South-North direction), but a labour market in need of workers. Nowadays, almost two years after January 1st, 2007, the facts prove our prediction as being true. While a big part of the labour force is already migrated, mostly to the SE Europe (some 2.5m workers are cited to be abroad, with both legal and illegal/irregular status, even before the EU enlargement), the Romanian companies could not find local workers to use them in order to benefit from the money inflow targeting Romania in the light of its new membership to the European Union (foreign investments and European post accession funds). Instead of increasing the salaries, the local employers rather prefer to 'import' workers from poorer countries (Moldavians, Chinese, Ukrainians and others who still accept a lower wage as compared to the medium wage in Romania, but bigger enough as compared to those from their countries of origin).


Abstract:In this article I discuss a particular aspect of the Dutch reception of the ideas of René Descartes, namely the use of his Traité de l'homme by Henricus Regius. I analyze the use that Regius made of the theory of the movement of muscles, passions, hunger, and more generally of the neurophysiology expounded by Descartes in his book (not printed until 1662–1664). In my analysis, I reconstruct the internal evolution of Regius's neurophysiology, I illustrate its sources beyond Descartes (i.e., Jean Fernel and Santorio Santorio), and I show that he was certainly acquainted with some of its contents as early as 1641 (when he used it with the mediation of Descartes), before relying on it—as variously discussed in secondary literature—in his Fundamenta physices (1646), when he appropriated from it without Descartes's authorization.


Experts are asked important questions relating to rainwater harvesting: Is the quality of roof-harvested water acceptable? Is the cost of RWH acceptable? Is rainwater harvesting a useful part of water supply services everywhere? Is RWH equally useful in urban and rural environments? And how can we measure the water harvesting potential of seasonal rivers?


As it is common to imbed business objects/rules within the code of traditional ERP systems, the flexibility, scalability of these systems has been greatly restricted. This paper proposes extensible business objects framework, by which service-oriented componentization of business objects are modeling and a homogeneous component enterprise business system is constructed. The framework described in this paper enables enterprises to develop enterprise resource planning systems that systematically map their business logic to externally applied entities called business objects. Practice shows, when using the toolkits supplied by this framework, the ERP systems will be flexible, extensible and easy-to-develop.


Samuel Beckett's works are characterized by a pervasive sense of lateness—of having arrived after the peak of European civilization, with no choice but to work with outdated materials—that informs the works' challenging formal qualities and defines their historical consciousness with regard to the crisis of Europe in the twentieth century. The mutual and reciprocal articulation of this sense of lateness and the works' radical formal, aesthetic, and even technological experimentation yields an instance of what Edward W. Said has called "late style:" works characterized by an historical untimeliness that is expressed formally. Close readings of the prose fiction reveal a generative, essayistic literary practice that relentlessly assays habitual or conventional literary forms and consistently refuses closure or culmination as only another example of these conventions. This essayistic procedure and its gesture of refusal—the mark of Beckett's famous "fidelity to failure"—leave traces of the literary forms and conventions that the work has tried on and abandoned as obsolete. Within these traces, an image of Europe emerges—in the moment of its obsolescence—from the vestiges of forms of intelligibility that no longer communicate or have outlasted their use. "Europe," in this reading, does not stand outside the work as the "context" that renders the work legible to and available for interpretation; rather, it emerges vestigially and in retrospect, as the detritus that the essayistic process of testing and experimentation leaves behind as it searches for new forms of intelligibility that will inaugurate new beginnings. Beckett's career-long practice of self-translation contributes to this essayistic process by staking out a critical position between languages from which to test the limits and possibilities of each, while his experimentation with new technologies and media in his dramatic works seeks non-literary, non-linguistic poetic means in the wake of literature's dominance as the bearer of culture.


In this essay, I examine elements of the Goddess ethos in science fiction through comparing the eponymous character of the comic book series Tank Girl, a punk Goddess, with the Borg Queen character of the film Star Trek: First Contact, a cyborg Goddess. I argue that Tank Girl offers opportunities for integrating a Goddess ethos with a vision of a heteroglossic cyborg-like body politic. Through this integration, Tank Girl offers alternative visions of social organization to those promoted in narratives like those that form the Star Trek corpus, which legitimate a vision of body politic that, derived from Enlightenment idealisms, is based on relationships of government and subjection. I argue that the graphic texts of the Tank Girl corpus produce an antisocial myth that engenders heteroglossic subjectivity, allowing a Goddess ethos to emerge at the expense of not only myths of male heroes and gods but also male-generated Goddess myths.


Protective antibodies (Abs) are needed to reduce the size of a virus inoculum and block infection of target cells. Since sera from some HIV-infected individuals have broad neutralizing activity and several human monoclonal Abs neutralize a broad spectrum of primary isolates, it is clear that the human B-cell repertoire includes genes capable of coding for broadly protective Abs. The epitopes that are known to induce broadly neutralizing Abs include the membrane proximal external region of gp41, the CD4 binding site on gp120, complex glycans on gp120, the CD4-induced epitope in and around the gp120 bridging sheet, and the V3 loop of gp120. Despite the extensive information on HIV neutralizing Abs, it has proven difficult to induce broadly neutralizing Ab responses against HIV by immunization. This is due to several factors including the predominant induction of non-neutralizing rather than neutralizing Abs, the masking of neutralization-sensitive epitopes, the high mutation rate of HIV leading to antigenic variability, the physicochemical characteristics of the virus membrane, and the variable affinities of the different gp120 proteins for the virus receptors. While various forms of the HIV envelope proteins have been used as immunogens, the best, albeit modest, results in terms of generating broadly neutralizing Abs have been achieved with strategies utilizing a DNA prime and either a recombinant adenovirus or protein boost. An alternative immunization approach is the construction and use of an immunogen that will focus the immune response on one or a few epitopes that are known to induce neutralizing Abs. An advantage of this approach is the potential to induce an immune response with a larger proportion of neutralizing Abs. To test the concept of "immunofocusing vaccines," we developed an immunization regimen designed to focus the immune response on the V3 loop of the HIV envelope. For this, we used both classical immunologic approaches and more recent data that stress the importance of the conformation of B cell epitopes to prime and selectively stimulate memory B cells. Here, we report the results of experiments in rabbits in which animals were primed with gp120 DNA and boosted with a V3-fusion protein in order to preferentially induce anti-V3 Abs. The results provide a proof-of-principle that it is possible to focus the immune response on a neutralizing epitope and induce a vigorous neutralizing anti-HIV Ab response. The results suggest that immunofocusing vaccine regimens do indeed, target Abs to particular epitopes. This approach can now be employed to provide a platform for inducing Abs of greater potency and breadth by defining the best combinations of strains from which to build the priming and boosting immunogens and by designing immunogens that will optimally present several neutralizing epitopes. This abstract was published in Cancer Immunity, a Cancer Research Institute journal that ceased publication in 2013 and is now provided online in association with Cancer Immunology Research.


This article discusses methodological aspects of Big Data analyses with regard to their applicability and usefulness in digital media research. Based on a review of a diverse selection of literature on online methodology, consequences of using Big Data at different stages of the research process are examined. We argue that researchers need to consider whether the analysis of huge quantities of data is theoretically justified, given that it may be limited in validity and scope, and that small-scale analyses of communication content or user behavior can provide equally meaningful inferences when using proper sampling, measurement, and analytical procedures.


The strangeness nuclear physics is an important branch of nuclear physics. The spectroscopic study of λ hypernuclei has been used as a tool for investigating the λ-N interaction as well as probing the nuclear interior structure. In this paper some high-lights and open questions in the spectroscopic study of p-shell λ hypernuclei are presented.


Introduction. With regard to transsexual developments, onset age (OA) appears to be the starting point of different psychosexual pathways. Aim. To explore differences between transsexual adults with an early vs. late OA. Methods. Data were collected within the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence using the Dutch Biographic Questionnaire on Transsexualism (Biografische Vragenlijst voor Transseksuelen) and a selfconstructed score sheet according to the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, Text Revision) criteria of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and Gender Identity Disorder in Childhood (GIDC). One hundred seventy participants were included in the analyses. Main Outcome Measures. Transsexual adults who, in addition to their GID diagnosis, also fulfilled criteria A and B of GIDC ("a strong cross-gender identification," "persistent discomfort about her or his assigned sex") retrospectively were considered as having an early onset (EO). Those who fulfilled neither criteria A nor B of GIDC were considered as having a late onset (LO). Participants who only fulfilled criterion A or B of GIDC were considered a residual (RES) group. Results. The majority of female to males (FtMs) appeared to have an early OA (EO = 60 [77.9%] compared to LO = 10 [13%] and to RES = 7 [9.1%]). Within male to females (MtFs), percentages of EO and LO developments were more similar (EO = 36 [38.7%], LO = 45 [48.4%], RES = 12 [12.9%]). FtMs presented to gender clinics at an earlier age than MtFs (28.04 to 36.75). The number of EO vs. LO transsexual adults differed from country to country (Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway). Conclusion. OA has a discriminative value for transsexual developments and it would appear that retrospective diagnosis of GIDC criteria is a valid method of assessment. Differences in OA and sex ratio exist between European countries. Nieder TO, Herff M, Cerwenka S, Preuss WF, Cohen-Kettenis PT, De Cuypere G, Hebold Haraldsen IR, and Richter-Appelt H. Age of onset and sexual orientation in transsexual males and females. J Sex Med 2011;8:783–791.


Facing the diversified demands and design complexity, a systematic design method for low-voltage motor protector is proposed based on axiomatic design theory, which integrates with design constraints and expert's knowledge. Zigzagging mapping between functional requirements and design parameters is obtained by the top-to-down decomposition according to the customer's needs, and the hierarchy of independent functions is also built. Systematic chart and mapping process are also analyzed in order to simplify the design process for different designers. Finally, a case of motor protector of LM5 series is illustrated to verify the method's feasibility and effectiveness.


The purpose of this paper is to examine the relevance of biometric technologies in increasing the fight against terrorism and other related border security challenges such as identity dominance. Since the 11th September, 2001 catastrophe in USA the need for biometrics technology for identification purpose has become important. Consequently, the many ripostes that were renewed on identity management included enhanced use of biometrics to verify and authenticate travellers at various airports as well as the use of video surveillance equipped with facial recognition sensors. The growth in data and storage devices have also become a critical phenomenon in biometrics deployment, the swiftness and accuracy with which these biometrics details can be processed is a prevailing challenge. This paper provides an extensive review of literatures on prospects of biometric technologies and other interrelated technologies in the fight against terrorism. To date, there is relatively meagre academic research examining how biometric technologies enhance border security as well as individual security.


It is common knowledge that resistance exercise promotes muscle growth
(hypertrophy) and increased strength and function: thus, regular exercise can
help minimize the loss of muscle mass and function in healthy ageing.
Skeletal muscle can contract by either shortening or lengthening
(concentrically or eccentrically, respectively).
A substantial number of studies
focused on the effect of concentric versus eccentric training protocols on
muscle morphological and functional changes: eccentric contractions are
generally thought to result in more increased muscle hypertrophy and
strength, because of the higher force produced by the muscle and the more
severe exercise induced muscle damage, which may lead to a stronger
adaptations in muscle remodeling and repair processes. Study 1 shows that
ECC and CON exercise protocols lead instead to similar gains in muscle
size, but through different architectural remodeling mechanisms: moreover,
acute contraction-specific molecular responses have been characterised.
Study 2 and Study 3 were then performed in order to gain novel insights into
the relationship between these morphological adaptations and the metabolic
responses (MPS, muscle protein synthesis) of human skeletal muscle in
response to chronic ECC vs. CON loading paradigms. Study 2 was first
carried out in order to validate the use of deuterium oxide isotope tracing
technique for measuring changes in MPS in free-living subjects over longerterm
periods (compared to normal AA infusion studies) of resistance
exercise. After assessing the feasibility of deuterium oxide tracing technique
in measuring MPS response during resitance-training protocols, study 3
investigated the chronic responses in MPS to ECC vs. CON loading in two
3
different sites of the human vastus lateralis, presenting novel insights into
MPS and skeletal muscle homogeneity, attempting to link MPS changes to
the different mechanisms of muscle morphological remodelling occurring
after ECC vs. CON training.


This paper describes an integrated product design study conducted with Polaroid Corporation for a liquid crystal display video projector, applying a research system called DOME. The services of distributed objects—encapsulating CAE simulations, component catalogs, manufacturing cost models, geometric and configuration models, customer preference models, and environmental life-cycle assessment—are mathematically related to form an integrated product system model. Software objects providing optimization and decision support are also included in the model to create a design tradeoff environment. As such, designers can obtain sales predictions based upon configuration changes and make tradeoffs with other requirements. Benchmarking suggests there would be approximately a 30% increase in the time to fully evaluate the first design configuration due to the overhead of creating the integrated system model. However, the time to fully evaluate subsequent alternatives may be reduced from months to minutes.


The aim of this article is to design a moment transformation for Student-t distributed random variables, which is able to account for the error in the numerically computed mean. We employ Student-t process quadrature, an instance of Bayesian quadrature, which allows us to treat the integral itself as a random variable whose variance provides information about the incurred integration error. Advantage of the Student-t process quadrature over the traditional Gaussian process quadrature, is that the integral variance depends also on the function values, allowing for a more robust modelling of the integration error. The moment transform is applied in nonlinear sigma-point filtering and evaluated on two numerical examples, where it is shown to outperform the state-of-the-art moment transforms.


The simultaneous extraction of oil and sand during the cold production of heavy oil generates high permeability channels termed as "wormholes". The development of wormholes causes reservoir pressure decrease below the bubble point, resulting in dissolved gas out of solution to form foamy oil. The foamy oil could fill depressurized drainage regions (production footprints) around the borehole, leading to fluid phase changes. In this paper, the upper bound and lower bound models on the fluid mixture bulk moduli have been used to detect the sensitivity of seismic P-wave velocity. Then the Gassmann Equation has been employed to calculate the bulk modulus variations of the drainage rocks, where the velocity and density decrease dramatically due to some exolved gas. A 2D cold production model has been built to examine the seismic responses of drainage regions based on well logs in the Lloydminster cold production pool. The seismic modelling responses indicate amplitude anomalies and traveltime delays in these regions upon comparison of pre and post production results. However, because most heavy oil cold production reservoirs are very thin, with less than 10 m of net pay, seismic resolution is a challenge. Different seismic frequency bandwidths have also been tested to look at how vertical seismic resolution determines the detection of the drainage regions.


This information is meant to be a general introduction to this topic. The purpose is to provide a starting point for you to become more informed about important matters that may be affecting your life as a survivor and to provide ideas about steps you can take to learn more. This information is not intended nor should it be interpreted as providing professional medical, legal and financial advice. You should consult a trained professional for more information. Please read the Suggestions (http://www.livestrong.org/Get-Help/Learn-About-Cancer/Cancer-SupportTopics/Physical-Effects-of-Cancer/Female-Sexual-Dysfunction#S#S) and Additional Resources (http://www.livestrong.org/Get-Help/Learn-About-Cancer/Cancer-SupportTopics/Physical-Effects-of-Cancer/Female-Sexual-Dysfunction#A#A) sections for questions to ask and for more resources.


Transactional Memory (TM) shows promise as a new concurrency control mechanism to replace lock-based synchronization. However, there have been few studies of TM systems with real applications, and the real-world benefits and barriers of TM remain unknown. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of the behavior of real applications on a software transactional memory system. Based on this analysis, we aim to clarify what programming work is required to achieve reasonable performance in TM-based applications. We selected three existing Java applications: (1) HSQLDB, (2) the Geronimo application server, and (3) the GlassFish application server, because each application has a scalability problem caused by lock contentions. We identified the critical sections where lock contentions frequently occur, and modified the source code so that the critical sections are executed transactionally. However, this simple modification proved insufficient to achieve reasonable performance because of excessive data conflicts. We found that most of the data conflicts were caused by application-level optimizations such as reusing objects to reduce the memory usage. After modifying the source code to disable those optimizations, the TM-based applications showed higher or competitive performance compared to lock-based applications. Another finding is that the number of variables that actually cause data conflicts is much smaller than the number of variables that can be accessed in critical sections. This implies that the performance tuning of TM-based applications may be easier than that of lock-based applications where we need to take care of all of the variables that can be accessed in the critical sections.


The clinical syndrome of food‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is typified by the onset of anaphylaxis during (or soon after) exercise which was preceded by the ingestion of the causal food allergen/s. In FDEIA, both the food allergen/s and exercise are independently tolerated. FDEIA is an uncommon allergic condition in childhood, but nonetheless is an important differential diagnosis to be considered when faced by a child who has experienced exercise‐associated anaphylaxis. The diagnosis of FDEIA is heavily dependent on the clinical history. Allergy tests may need to be performed to a broad panel of food and food additives. Modified exercise challenges (performed with and without prior ingestion of food) are frequently required as allergy test results frequently return low‐positive results. A diagnosis of FDEIA facilitates the safe independent return to exercise and reintroduction of foods for patients who otherwise may unnecessarily avoid exercise and/or restrict their diet. The natural history of FDEIA is unknown; however, a safe return is usually achieved when the ingestion of the causal food allergen/s and exercise are separated.


Basic practical advice about healthy food choices is reviewed via the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Food Guide Pyramid, and Daily Values on Food Labels. Special considerations for their use with the healthy elderly are included. Nutrient requirements of the elderly are presented for the oldest RDA age category, "51+ years and older" as is newer research on altered nutrient needs that accompany aging. The Nutrition Counseling Checklist helps determine when referral for in-depth diet therapy is needed.


Abstract We investigated possible healing effects of melatonin (MEL) on biochemical and histological changes in the lungs of rat offspring caused by exposure to nicotine (NT) in utero. Pregnant rats were divided randomly into five groups. The SP group was treated with physiological saline. The EA group was treated with ethyl alcohol. The MEL group was treated with MEL. The NT group was treated with NT. The NT + MEL group was treated with NT and MEL. At the end of the study, the biochemistry and histopathology of lung tissue of the offspring were examined. Reduced alveolar development and increased numbers of alveolar macrophages and mast cells were observed in the NT group compared to the SP, EA and MEL groups. We also found increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and decreased total glutathione (GSH) levels in the NT group. Application of MEL ameliorated the histological and biochemical damage caused by NT. The number of alveoli was greater in the NT + MEL group than in the NT group. Also, the increased numbers of alveolar macrophages and mast cells resulting from exposure to NT were decreased following MEL treatment. We found that MEL caused a significant decrease in the level of MDA. Maternal exposure to NT caused significant structural and biochemical changes in the lungs of the offspring and administration of MEL ameliorated the changes.


We present a discussion and initial empirical investigation of user-interface designs for a set of three Web browsers. The target end-user population we identified were experienced software engineers who maintained large Web sites or portals. The user study demonstrated the strengths and weaknesses of two conventional 2D browsers for this target user, as well as that of XML3D, a novel browser that integrates an interactive 3D hyperbolic graph view with a more traditional 2D list view of the data. A standard collapse/expand tree browser and a Web-based hierarchical categorization similar to Yahoo!, were competitively evaluated against XML3D. No reliable difference between the two 2D browsers was observed. However, the results showed clear differences between XML3D and the 2D user interfaces combined. With XML3D, participants performed search tasks within existing categories reliably faster with no decline in the quality of their responses. It was informally observed that integrating the ability to view the overall structure of the information space with the ability to easily assess local and global relationships was key to successful search performance. XML3D was the only tool of the three that efficiently showed the overall structure within one visualization. The XML3D browser accomplished this by combining a 3D graph layout view as well as an accompanying 2D list view. Users did opt to use the 2D user-interface components of XML3D during new category search tasks, and the XML3D performance advantage was no longer obtained in those conditions. In addition, there were no reliable differences in overall user satisfaction across the three user-interface designs. Since we observed subjects using the XML3D features differently depending on the kind of search task, future studies should explore optimal ways of integrating the use of novel focus+context visualizations and 2D lists for effective information retrieval. The contribution of this paper is that it includes empirical data to demonstrate where novel focus+context views might benefit experienced users over and above more conventional user-interface techniques, in addition to where design improvements are warranted.


I Know Where I'm Going! is widely regarded as one of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's most remarkable films. A simple moral tale set in the wild Scottish Highlands, it follows the journey of a headstrong young woman forced by her encounter with this magical, mythical world and its exotic customs to revise her materialistic priorities. This book traces the film's production history, exploring its place in Powell and Pressburger's canon and showing how it wove into its narrative the memories and aspirations of an international group of film-makers working in 1940s Britain. Focusing on the extensive use of special effects, the book reveals a technologically ambitious masterpiece and a multilayered work rich in allusions whose emotional power reaches beyond the boundaries of time and place to touch profound human desires.


In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards cultivating leafy vegetables in hydroponic systems. Floating system is an alternative hydroponic system suitable for the production of baby vegetable products, ready-to eat salads and minimally processed leafy vegetables. However, the implementation of this system for the production of fully grown leafy vegetables is not sufficiently studied. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential of floating system as an alternative growing technique of lettuce and rocket plants, as well as the effect of nitrogen (N) application rate (three treatments 100, 150 and 200 mg L -1 of N) on plant physiology, quality and yield during three growing periods. The results showed that increasing the N application rate resulted in an increase of fresh weight of the aerial parts of both lettuce and rocket, while total yield ranged between 12.0 to 41.9 and 8.0 to 30.2 kg m -2 of fresh leaves, for lettuce and rocket, respectively. In addition, increasing the nitrogen rate resulted in higher number of leaves for lettuce and rocket, as well as in a significant increase in the rate of photosynthesis. A similar increase was observed in nitrate, K, Mg and Mn content in the leaves, without however exceeding the permissible limits for nitrates in any case. In conclusion, the use of floating raft technique for lettuce and rocket cultivation in order to produce not only seedlings production or baby products, but also fully grown plants of high quality is highly recommended.


SIR,-Professor F. A. Jenner in his letter (September 15, p. 731) reaffirms the significance of changes in total body sodium in depressive mental states, but he suggests also that it is too early to generalize on the relation of blood chemistry to mental states. I write to remind the reader of an article by M. D. Altschulel on " Some Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Acetone-dried Beef-pineal Substance in Chronic Schizophrenia." The unqualified conclusion was: " Proteinfree pineal extracts made at a pH of about 8.5 and at a temperature between 55' C. [670 F.] and 700 C. [940 F.] reverse biochemical abnormalities in schizophrenia and cause clinical improvement." This was a study of chronic schizophrenia where remissions were not to be expected, and was an extension of a similar study by the same Harvard group.2 The conclusion here was similar but less well defined, because both recent and chronic cases were included in the survey-that is, in an unspecified fraction natural remission might have been on the way, and the findings were therefore less uniform. Dr. Henry R. Rollin directed attention to this matter in your correspondence columns,3 and it was also noted in the "Science and Medicine" column of The Times at about the same time.4 Among the biochemical states associated with chronic schizophrenia are lowered glucose tolerance, lowered blood glutathione, and lowered adrenal-cortex function with its multiple metabolic changes. All these, in all cases, are corrected by injections of dried pineal substance as is the critical phenylketonuria ; the defect in the pineal must therefore be causal in schizophrenia. Furthermore, the production of aldosterone is located in the pineal, and so we have the whole body of metabolic abnormalities found in disturbed water level and electrolyte imbalance adding to the biochemical complexity. Is it not unrealistic, hopeless, and wasteful of resources to investigate the numberless individual deviations in a metabolism so disturbed; and is it not rational to make a fundamental generalization-namely, that schizophrenia is a consequence of pineal dysfunction ? The fact that the pineal glands of 15 oxen are required each day for each patient renders the discovered treatment impractical, and so a synthetic substitute is required until the problem of direct therapy of the pineal is solved.-I am, etc., London W.14. GRIFFITH I. EVANS.


This dissertation examines 50,000 American migrants of Japanese ancestry (Nisei) who traversed across national and colonial borders in the Pacific before, during, and after World War II. Among these Japanese American transnational migrants, 10,000-20,000 returned to the United States before the outbreak of Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and became known as Kibei ( return to America ). Tracing the transnational movements of these second-generation U.S.-born Japanese Americans complicates the existing U.S.-centered paradigm of immigration and ethnic history. The history of these transnational migrants revises the existing model of immigration history by complicating the linear and predictable notion of the so-called sending and receiving societies. The transnational experiences of Japanese Americans in both Japan and the United States offer diverse notions of citizenship, nationalism, race, colonialism, and loyalty by placing the history of an ethnic community beyond dichotomous cultural and political distinctions between two nation-states. The five chapters in this dissertation explore the period from 1930 to 1955 in Japanese American history as a history of transnational movements. The experiences of Japanese American migrants in Japan, Japan's colonial posts, and the United States before WWII illuminate the complex interplay between the rise of Japanese militarism, diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Japan, and the heightened anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States. During the Pacific War, their education in Japan and their bilingual and transnational identities made the Kibei in the U.S. convenient scapegoats as a pro-Japan element. Declassified federal and military records reveal that the presence of Kibei had a profound impact on the U.S. government's policy on the mass incarceration of Japanese and Japanese Americans during WWII. Meanwhile, many Japanese Americans who were stranded in Japan during the war had to endure firebombing and starvation; and many Nisei men in Japan were conscripted into the Japanese military to fight the Allied forces in the Pacific Theatre. For many Nisei strandees in Japan, the war blurred the cultural, political, and even legal boundaries of their citizenship, as they found themselves in situations in which they had little room to negotiate their national allegiance. This dissertation offers an example of how Japanese American transnational experiences before, during, and after WWII demonstrate a critical intersection of the histories of migration, transnational families and communities, and diplomatic policies on both sides of the Pacific.


HIV/AIDS is one of the most destructive health diseases of modern times, affecting approximately 45.5 million people worldwide. But the advent of the Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) in 1996 has significantly reduced HIV/AIDS-related mortality and morbidity and it has allowed many previously bed-ridden patients to live healthier and more productive lives. In order for the treatments to be successful, a very high level of adherence to HAART is required. It is estimated that at least 95% adherence to antiretroviral treatment is essential to reduce the replication of the virus and prevent the development of resistance to treatment. Generally, adherence is considered to be a complex clinical behaviour with a wide array of determinants. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the level of adherence to HAART among HIV/AIDS-positive patients in a major hospital in Malaysia as well as its determinants.
Using prospective cohort study design, 925 participants who were on antiretroviral treatment were selected for the purpose of this study. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were also applied. The following three instruments for measuring the level of adherence to HAART were used in this study: self-reported adherence questionnaire, pharmacy refill records and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring (TDM) for testing drug in human plasma. Two blood samples were collected and tested for the presence or absence of three antiretroviral drugs, namely Efavirenz, Nevirapine and Lamivudine in human plasma using the LC-MS/MS machine. A test-retest reliability assessment was performed on a pilot test of 40 HIV/AIDS-positive patients. Three main data analysis techniques were used to analyze the collected data: descriptive analysis, comparative analysis of contingency tables, lastly logistic regression analysis. This is the first study in South East Asia and Malaysia to analyze three antiretroviral treatment using LC-MS/MS machine. It is also the first study in Malaysia to use three different methods for measuring the adherence level to Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HART).
The overall adherence level as measured by the self-reported questionnaire was 81.7%. The adherence levels using TDM for Efavirenz, Nevirapine and Lamivudine were 71.2%, 69.6% and 60.3% respectively. Sensitivity was highest for Efavirenz (0.95; 95% CI 0.92, 0.96) and lowest for Lamivudine (0.89; 95% CI 0.85, 0.92). SRA specificity ranged between 0.56 and 0.63 and was highest for Nevirapine. Positive Predictive Value Positive (PPV) for Self-Reported Adherence (SRA) ranged between 0.76 (Lamivudine) to 0.84 (Efavirenz). Overall diagnostic accuracy ranged between 0.76 (Lamivudine) to 0.84 (Nevirapine) while Area Under the Curve (AUC) ranged between 0.76 (Lamivudine) to 0.83 (Efavirenz). In our findings of the logistic regression and cross tabulation analysis, we evaluated 48 variables which can be classified into four groups: reasons for missing medications, factors facilitating adherence, adverse effects of medications and alternative medications used for HIV treatment. Some of the factors associated with adherence include age, income, educational level, marital status, diarrhoea, vomiting, use of Alarm clock, acceptance of HIV status and use of herbal medicine.
In conclusion, according to the different methods of comparative analysis, it is evident that self-reported adherence is good enough for measuring adherence level in a poor resource setting and many factors have been found to be associated with adherence level to HAART.


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Background: While some personality traits may reduce risk of dementia, this is controversial and has not been studied as much among diverse populations. We examined associations between 2 traits – Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience – and risk of dementia among black and white older adults. Methods: We studied 875 older adults (ages 71–82, 47% black) without prevalent dementia from the Health, Aging and Body Composition study, who completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory for Conscientiousness and Openness to Experience. Incident dementia over 8 years (mean = 6.9 years) was determined by hospital records, medications, or ≥1.5 SD race-specific decline on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination. In adjusted models, we investigated associations between each trait and risk of dementia, including for race interactions. Results: Associations between personality traits and dementia risk did not differ by race (interactions: p > 0.7). Higher Conscientiousness was associated with lower dementia risk (adjusted HR per 1SD = 0.78; 95% CI 0.65–0.94). There was no association for Openness to Experience (adjusted HR per 1SD = 0.88; 95% CI 0.71–1.08). Conclusions: Higher Conscientiousness is associated with lower dementia risk, even among diverse populations. Higher Conscientiousness may be protective, or lower Conscientiousness may be an early symptom of neurodegenerative disease.


There are different methods to measure the volatility regarding clustering in financial series, in which the assumption of the error distribution determines the structure of the log-likelihood function. This paper analyses the flexibility of ARCH models to capture the volatility of TRM in Colombia. The results show that the MA (1) model in mean and GARCH (1, 1) model in variance outperform another kind of specification, which tries to measure the volatility clustering of the TRM in Colombia.


Han's inequality on the entropy rates of subsets of random variables is a classic result in information theory, which often finds its application in multiuser information theoretic problems. In this note, we generalize Han's inequality to allow common components among the random variables, or, in an equivalent manner, to replace the simple random variables in Han's inequality by subsets of random variables. This additional ingredient significantly complicates the matter and the form of the resultant inequalities are rather different from the original Han's inequality. Our proof only relies on the sub-modularity property of the entropy function and the super-modularity property of the conditional entropy function. This new set of inequalities also provides a new link between Han's inequality and the n-way sub-modularity inequality.


Scientific discovery has shifted from being an exercise of theory and computation, to become the exploration of an ocean of observational data. Scientists explore data originated from modern scientific instruments in order to discover interesting aspects of it and formulate their hypothesis. Such workloads press for new database functionality. We aim at sampling scientific databases to create many different impressions of the data, on which the scientists can quickly evaluate exploratory queries. However, scientific databases introduce different challenges for sample construction compared to classical business analytical applications. We propose adaptive weighted sampling as an alternative to uniform sampling. With weighted sampling only the most informative data is being sampled, thus more relevant data to the scientific discovery is available to examine a hypothesis. Relevant data is considered to be the focal points of the scientific search, and can be defined either a priori with the use of functions, or by monitoring the query workload. We study such query workloads, and we detail different families of weight functions. Finally, we give a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of weighted sampling.


Many real-world data sets are sparse or almost sparse. One method to measure this for a matrix $A\in \mathbb{R}^{n\times n}$ is the \emph{numerical sparsity}, denoted $\mathsf{ns}(A)$, defined as the minimum $k\geq 1$ such that $\|a\|_1/\|a\|_2 \leq \sqrt{k}$ for every row and every column $a$ of $A$. This measure of $a$ is smooth and is clearly only smaller than the number of non-zeros in the row/column $a$. The seminal work of Achlioptas and McSherry [2007] has put forward the question of approximating an input matrix $A$ by entrywise sampling. More precisely, the goal is to quickly compute a sparse matrix $\tilde{A}$ satisfying $\|A - \tilde{A}\|_2 \leq \epsilon \|A\|_2$ (i.e., additive spectral approximation) given an error parameter $\epsilon>0$. The known schemes sample and rescale a small fraction of entries from $A$. We propose a scheme that sparsifies an almost-sparse matrix $A$ -- it produces a matrix $\tilde{A}$ with $O(\epsilon^{-2}\mathsf{ns}(A) \cdot n\ln n)$ non-zero entries with high probability. We also prove that this upper bound on $\mathsf{nnz}(\tilde{A})$ is \emph{tight} up to logarithmic factors. Moreover, our upper bound improves when the spectrum of $A$ decays quickly (roughly replacing $n$ with the stable rank of $A$). Our scheme can be implemented in time $O(\mathsf{nnz}(A))$ when $\|A\|_2$ is given. Previously, a similar upper bound was obtained by Achlioptas et. al [2013] but only for a restricted class of inputs that does not even include symmetric or covariance matrices. Finally, we demonstrate two applications of these sampling techniques, to faster approximate matrix multiplication, and to ridge regression by using sparse preconditioners.


Dispersion of E.coli transport in homogeneous fine and coarse soil in coastal area of degema has been examined. The transport of E.coli where confound to have deposited in coastal formation, through the predominant of alluvium deposition in the study location, shallow aquifers where also confirmed to deposit at the study area, the influence from high degrees of porosity where confirmed to have play a major role in the dispersion of the contaminants in the study location. The study is imperative because these source of transport are through the flow path in the soil resulting to the spread of  the contaminants,  dispersion where found to occurred through high degree of porosity and void ratio in the study area, this condition where found to  increase  the concentration of the microbes in some of the region, the degradation of the microbes in these condition can only take place when there is an inhibition that will  reduce the concentration to the standard, where the microbial  meets  world heath organisation standard, these confirms that  quality of water can be abstracted those aquiferious zone, voids ratio and porosity variation in there degree of deposition are  through the stratification of the soil ,under the influence of geological formation of the study area, the study can be applied as a bench mark to determine the rate  .of dispersion ,on the study location.


While extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanics strongly regulate stem cell commitment, the field's mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon largely derives from simplified two-dimensional (2D) culture substrates. Here we found a three-dimensional (3D) matrix-specific mechanoresponsive mechanism for neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. NSC lineage commitment in 3D is maximally stiffness-sensitive in the range of 0.1-1.2 kPa, a narrower and more brain-mimetic range than we had previously identified in 2D (0.75 – 75 kPa). Transcriptomics revealed stiffness-dependent upregulation of early growth response 1 (Egr1) in 3D but not in 2D. Egr1 knockdown enhanced neurogenesis in stiff ECMs by driving β-catenin nuclear localization and activity in 3D, but not in 2D. Mechanical modeling and experimental studies under osmotic pressure indicate that stiff 3D ECMs are likely to stimulate Egr1 via increases in confining stress during cell volumetric growth. To our knowledge, Egr1 represents the first 3D-specific stem cell mechanoregulatory factor.


The basic mobile IP has a so called "triangle routing" problem, namely, all datagrams for a mobile host have to been routed first to its home agent and then forwarded by the home agent to the mobile host. Those paths are often significantly longer than optimal. Although the route optimization extensions in mobile IP can solve this problem, it requires the Internet hosts that communicate with a mobile host to be able to understand some mobility related messages. Unfortunately, that's not true for most Internet hosts. We propose a novel and simple virtual home agent based route optimization solution to this problem. It is based on two observations: a permanent home address is not really necessary for many Internet applications on a mobile host and a mobile host's mobility is highly localized during a certain period of time. By having a foreign network within a mobile host's localized footprint to be it's virtual home network, it can greatly alleviate the triangle routing problem because of the mobility locality nature, and, at the same time, enable the mobile host to communicate with any conventional Internet hosts that are not mobility aware.


Two different types of treatment of the Other in Northern Iran are briefly discussed here: the inhabitants of Gilān as an object of mockery by the people of the Iranian plateau, and the frequent interfaith marriages between Sunnis and Shias in Talesh. These two types of relationship reflect an interesting and different treatment of the Other, who, even if seen as negative, is still perceived as harmless. The data are grounded on fieldwork done in Northern Iran from the 1970s onwards.


Climate change is predicted to increase the length, severity, and frequency of drought, which limits plant development by changing various physiological and biochemical processes. Therefore, the present study investigated the effects of drought stress on indole-3-acetic and exopolysaccharide production by Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13, developed bioformulations of plant growth-promoting Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13, and evaluated the synergistic effects of these bioformulations in combination with different chitosans on the physiological responses of rice under drought stress. Drought stress inhibited the biosynthesis of indole-3-acetic and exopolysaccharides by Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13. The viability and stability of Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13 in bioformulations ranged between 4.70 and 5.70 log CFU g-1 after 80 days at an ambient temperature. Oligochitosan and chitosan at 40 mg L-1 were appropriate concentrations for improving rice seedling growth, namely, plant height, root length, shoot and root fresh weights, biomass, and the vigor index (P<0.05). The abilities of these bioformulations, in combination with oligochitosan and chitosan, to alleviate drought stress in rice were examined. The results obtained revealed that the combined application of oligochitosan (40 mg L-1) and the FON13 bioformulation (filter cake+40 mg kg-1 oligochitosan+10% Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13) exerted the strongest synergistic effects to alleviate drought stress in rice plants by increasing ascorbate peroxidase and catalase activities, chlo-rophyll concentrations, and relative water content and suppressing proline accumulation and electrolyte leakage from rice plants under drought stress. The present results indicate that the application of oligochitosan combined with these bioformulations effectively improved plant physiology and development. Therefore, the combined application of oligochitosan and a bioformulation of Enterobacter sp. NRRU-N13 is recommended to alleviate drought stress in rice plants.


Light spectral quality is known to affect flavonoid biosynthesis during fruit ripening. However, the response of fruits to different light conditions, when ripening autonomously from the parent plant (detached), has been less explored. In this study, we analyzed the effect of light quality on detached and naturally ripening (attached) non-climacteric wild bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruits accumulating high amounts of anthocyanins and flavonols. Our results indicated contrasting responses for the accumulation of phenolic compounds in the berries in response to red and blue light treatments. For detached berries, supplemental blue light resulted in the highest accumulation of anthocyanins, while naturally ripening berries had elevated accumulation under supplemental red light treatment. Both red and blue supplemental light increased the expression levels of all the major structural genes of the flavonoid pathway during ripening. Notably, the key regulatory gene of anthocyanin biosynthesis, VmMYBA1, was found to express fivefold higher under blue light treatment in the detached berries compared to the control. The red light treatment of naturally ripening berries selectively increased the delphinidin branch of anthocyanins, whereas in detached berries, blue light increased other anthocyanin classes along with delphinidins. In addition, red and far-red light had a positive influence on the accumulation of flavonols, especially quercetin and myricetin glycoside derivatives, in both ripening conditions. Our results of differential light effects on attached and detached berries, which lacks signaling from the mother plant, provide new insights in understanding the light-mediated regulatory mechanisms in non-climacteric fruit ripening.


Many regional higher education institutes (mainly regional university) promoted to be comprehensive regional higher education institutes (CRHEIs) from 2006 in China. Students in those CRHEIs become more and more, and the quality of teaching should be improved. This paper reports on findings amongst staff in adopting information technology at Linyi University and Southwest University. The methodology for carrying out the tasks involved using questionnaire that assessed views of staff in their use of email, software tools and internet facilities for teaching and learning issues. We discussed these issues using normative Delphi method. The paper ends with recommendations for future research.


Peltariosilis Wittmer, 1952 is a South American Silinae genus characterised by the highly modified male pronotum and scutellum with a remarkable lamellar projection. Six species were previously recognised. The study of numerous specimens from previously unsampled localities and the revision of previously studied material shows that Peltariosilis is far more diverse than previously recognised. 15 species are here recognised as valid, nine of which are described as new: P. brancuccii, P. brunneoapicalis, P. cleidecostae, P. diversicollis, P. flavicornis, P. gracilicornis, P. major, P. orientalis and P. parviscutellaris spp. nov. A comparative study and new morphological terminologies are introduced for pronotum, scutellum and male genitalia. All Peltariosilis species are described and illustrated, including the first illustration of a female pronotum, and an identification key is provided. A map is given, including records of all known Peltariosilis, showing a distribution confined to the Amazonian subregion (Suriname, French Guiana, N Brazil, E Peru and NE Bolivia). The identity of the type species P. scutulata (Wittmer, 1952), hitherto considered as broadly distributed and highly variable, is addressed through study of their type series and additional specimens from widespread localities.


In previous experiments it has been demonstrated that nerve growth factor (NGF), subsequent to its binding to specific membrane receptors, is internalized. Ultrastructurally, this internalized NGF is localized in membrane-confined compartments which ultimately fuse with lysosomes. The present experiments were designed, first, to evaluate whether a very small but functionally important portion of the internalized NGF might reach the free cytoplasm (and subsequently the nuclear chromatin) and might be responsible for the induction of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in PC12 cells. Second, we investigated whether a lysosomal proteolytic degradation product of NGF might act as a second messenger in the NGF-mediated ChAT induction. In one series of experiments, guinea pig erythrocyte ghosts, loaded with NGF (or NGF antibodies), fluorescein isothiocyanate-coupled bovine serum albumin, and/or horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were fused with PC12 pheochromocytoma cells. Electron microscopy showed that [125I]NGF and HRP reaction product were located throughout the cytoplasm and the nucleus but did not penetrate membrane compartments such as the endoplasmic reticulum, the Golgi complex, the perinuclear space, or mitochondria. Biochemically, NGF injected into the cytoplasm did not produce an induction of ChAT, whereas NGF acting via cell surface receptors resulted in a 2-fold increase in ChAT. Conversely, injection of NGF antibodies did not prevent the receptor-mediated ChAT induction. In a second series of experiments, the half-life of internalized NGF was increased from 40 min to 24 hr by the administration of leupeptin, a protease inhibitor which is accumulated in lysosomes. However, the NGF- mediated ChAT induction was not affected by this treatment. It is concluded that NGF itself does not act directly on cytoplasmic or nuclear target sites, nor is a proteolytic degradation product of NGF responsible for the NGF-mediated ChAT induction. Thus, NGF must act via a second messenger mechanism, the nature of which remains to be established.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the efficacy of moxibustion, through stimulating acupoints of Danzhong (CV 17) and Ganshu (BL 18) in rats with hyperplasia of mammary gland (HMG) which induced by estrogen and progestogen.

METHODS
Thirty female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into saline control group, HMG model group, and HMG moxibustion group with 10 in each group. Saline control was the group injected by saline. HMG model were created by injection of estrogen and progestogen. Moxibustion group was also injected of estrogen and progestogen with moxibustion at the same time. The Changes of nipple diameter and height were measured. The rats' skin temperature was recorded by an infrared thermal camera at the nipples, mammary areas, Danzhong (CV 17) and Ganshu (BL 18). Pathological changes of mammary gland in rats were also observed under light microscope.

RESULTS
The diameter and height of the nipples in model group were prominently bigger and higher than that in control group (P < 0.01). The diameter and height in moxibustion group were prominently smaller and lower than that in model group (P < 0.01), and there was no significant difference between moxibustion group and control group. Compared with control group, skin temperature of the nipples, mammary area, and acupoints Danzhong (CV 17) and Ganshu (BL 18) decreased prominently in model group (P < 0.01-0.05). Compared with model group, skin temperature of that in moxibustion group increased prominently (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION
Treatment with moxibustion can effectively decrease the HMG rats' nipple diameter and height, and increase the skin temperature in HMG model rats at the nipples, mammary areas, Danzhong (CV 17) and Ganshu (BL 18). This study convinces the therapeutic effect of moxibustion on mammary gland hyperplasia.


This article examines the infrastructure and efficiency of administrative personnel employed by hospitals in South Carolina. The analysis suggests that variation in the administrative complement and the efficiency of hospital administrators is related to the scale of operations and related organizational complexity, the occupancy rate, ownership, and affiliation with multihospital systems. The results of the study also indicate that the administrative complement should be regarded as a resource that results in a discretionary rather than a committed cost and might be altered to increase productivity and improve profitability.


Development and optimisation of a robust energy yield prediction methodology is the ultimate aim of this research.
Outdoor performance of the PV module is determined by the influences of a variety of interlinked factors related to the environment and device technologies. There are two basic measurement data sets required for any energy yield prediction model. Firstly, characterisation of specific PV module technology under different operating conditions and secondly site specific meteorological data. Based on these two datasets a calculation procedure is required in any specific location energy yield estimation.
This research established a matrix based multi-dimensional measurement set points for module characterisation which is independent of PV technologies. This novel approach has been established by demonstrating an extended correlation of different environmental factors (irradiance, temperature and spectral irradiance) and their influences on the commercial PV device technologies. Utilisation of the site specific meteorological data is the common approach applied in this yield prediction method. A series of modelling approach, including a tri-linear interpolation method is then applied for energy yield calculation.
A novel Monte Carlo simulation is demonstrated for uncertainty analysis of irradiance (pyranometer CM 11) & temperature (PT 1000) measurements and ultimately the yield prediction of c-Si and CIGS modules. The degree of uncertainties of irradiance is varies from ±2% to ±6.2% depending on the level of monthly irradiation. The temperature measurement uncertainty is calculated in the range of ±0.18°C to ±0.46%°C in different months of the year. The calculated uncertainty of the energy yield prediction of c-Si and CIGS module are ±2.78% and ±15.45%.
This research validated different irradiance translation models to identify the best matched model for UK climate for horizontal to in-plane irradiance. Ultimately, the validation results of the proposed Fast Energy Yield Calculation (FEnYCs), shows a good agreement against measured values i.e. 5.48%, 6.97% and 3.1% for c-Si, a-Si and CIGS module respectively.


In unselected populations of women, the progestins medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and megestrol acetate (MA) have produced response rates of 14% to 31% in metastatic breast cancer, sparking new investigative activity to define their proper role. One proposed mechanism of action for progestins is that they interfere with replenishment of the cytoplasmic estrogen receptor. Although not binding to estrogen receptors, progesterone has been shown to decrease the quantity of estrogen receptor in target tissue. Prediction of response of metastatic breast cancer to progestins largely follows the conventional rules established for the selection of additive hormonal therapy. Little difference is seen between appropriate doses of MPA and of MA in reports of prognostic factors associated with tumor response. The presence of hormone receptors in tumor tissue may be the most significant predictor for response to progestins. Tumors that contain both estrogen and progesterone receptors will respond to progestins in over 61% of instances, whereas those with only one type of hormone receptor will respond 20% to 30% of the time. Response to MPA or MA is probably independent of the presence of progesterone receptor. Response rates to MA of around 30% have been noted in patients who had previously responded to tamoxifen and then progressed. Previous exposure to chemotherapy does not appear to jeopardize chances for response to MA. A limited number of randomized trials of tamoxifen versus MA show no significant response difference between the two therapies in breast cancer patients with similar prognoses.


This paper presents the results of detection and segmentation of artefact from endoscopic video frames for EAD2020 competition. In this competition, a deep learning based system is applied, which is built upon RetinaNet. Since RetinaNet employs a one-stage method that lacks facilitating masks of segmented objects, inspired by the work of real-time instance segmentation, this system accomplishes object segmentation through two parallel branches to generate a set of prototype masks and to predict per-object mask coefficients respectively. Overall, top 7 (out of 32 entries) position was achieved in this competition on the leaderboard.


In this paper, we deal with the problem of object detection in aerial images. A lot of efficient approaches uses a cascade of classifiers which process vectors of descriptive features such as HOG. In order to take into account the variability in object dimension, features at different resolutions are often concatenated in a large descriptor vector. This prevents from taking into account explicitly the different resolutions but results in losing some valuable information. To overcome this problem, we propose to use a new method based on a SVM network. Each resolution is processed, regardless to the others, at the input layer level, by a dedicated SVM. The main drawback of using such a network is that the computational complexity for the classification phase drastically increases. We propose then to foster an incomplete exploration of the network by defining an activation path. This activation path determines an order to activate the network neurons, one after the other, and introduces a rejection rule which allows the process to end before crossing the whole network. Experimental results are obtained and assessed in an industrial application of urban object detection. We can observe an average gain of 17% in precision while the computational cost is divided by more than 5, with respect to a standard method.


Interaction between cement and a kind of sulfate compatible polycarboxylate type admixture (PCA) and action mechanism of the novel water reducer were investigated. Experimental results indicate that adsorption amount of PCA on surfaces of cement particles is lower than that of polynaphthalene sulfonate condensate water reducer (PNS) because of the formation of more ettringite and calcium monosulfoaluminate, and calcium monocarboaluminate when CaCO3 presents in hydration system, even at initial period of hydration. Results from XRD analysis, derivative thermogravimetric (DTG) analysis and chemical analysis all verify the benificial effect of sulfate compatible PCA on initial and early age hydration of C3A. An establishment of electrostatic repulsion by grafting SO3- in molecule structure of PCA may result in a more negative zeta potential in the dispersion system. The improved dispersibility and fluidity retention are the result of a combination action mechanism of electrostatic repulsion cooperating with steric hindrance, and the acceleration effect of sulfate compatible PCA on initial and early age formation of ettringite and AFm phase. A combined high range water reducer mainly consisting of sulfate compatible PCA and PNS was made up based on the experimental and theoretical investigation results.


Ecotourism in China exposed many issues, including the contradiction between economic development and ecological protection, the contradiction between national culture and foreign culture, the contradiction between the rapid development of eco-tourism and ecotourism legislation insufficiency. Solutions to these problems require a multi-pronged, but the most important thing is to adhere to the rule of law. Only to comply with the rule of law,in order to fundamentally solve a series of problems encountered in sustainable development.


This study aims to determine the application of goods and distribution purchases for kitchen by purchasing department at Kuta Central Park Hotel. Data was collected by interview, observation, and documentation with the help of note-taking techniques. Furthermore, the data was analyzed by qualitative descriptive analysis method. The results showed that the purchase of goods for the kitchen at Central Park Kuta Hotel uses two ways. First, through the daily market list. Purchasing goods through this process is a type of item that does not last long enough and requires special storage areas, such as: dairy products, meat and poultry, herbs and spice, seafood, vegetables and fruits, ice cream, process meat, pastry and bakery, syrup, juice food, and also groceries. Second, namely through purchase requisition submitted by the storekeeper section for inventory at the general store. The type of goods purchased through this process is a type of groceries that can last more than one year. The flow of goods distribution from the general store to the kitchen starts with using the form store requisition made by the kitchen, then submitted to the storekeeper. The storekeeper issues the item in accordance with the request and a copy of the form is given to the kitchen staff who receive the item for review.


This study compares the theoretical basis of the two wind velocity retrieval methods, Velocity Azimuth Display (VAD) and Velocity Area Display (VARD) by using data obtained by a single Doppler radar. Two pre-assumed shapes of the wind velocity distribution with altitude are considered, uniform and parabolic. The former presents an approximation of the non-sheared or low-sheared wind flow in the upper troposphere, while the latter is a simplified representation of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) in lower troposphere or high-sheared wind flow at the edges of the tropospheric jet streams. Both techniques for the wind velocity retrieval considered in this study are reformulated in order to get more precise information on the wind velocity components. An algorithm is proposed to decrease the uncertainty in retrieving by evaluating the coefficients of the polynomial equation and applying a transfer function with respect to the angle formed between the wind flow direction and direction of radar beam. It is concluded that, provided the formulated transformation functions are used, the application of the VAD and VARD techniques to the singleDoppler data may be an invaluable tool for solving various climate and wind engineering problems. Noname manuscript No. (will be inserted by the editor) A Comparative Analysis of Two Wind Velocity Retrieval Techniques by using a Single Doppler Radar Hee-Chang LIM · Dong-In LEE† Received: date / Accepted: date Abstract This study compares the theoretical basis of the two wind velocity retrieval methods, Velocity Azimuth Display (VAD) and Velocity Area Display (VARD) by using data obtained by a single Doppler radar. Two preassumed shapes of the wind velocity distribution with altitude are considered, uniform and parabolic. The former presents an approximation of the nonsheared or low-sheared wind flow in the upper troposphere, while the latter is a simplified representation of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) in lower troposphere or high-sheared wind flow at the edges of the tropospheric jet streams. Both techniques for the wind velocity retrieval considered in this study are reformulated in order to get more precise information on the wind velocity components. An algorithm is proposed to decrease the uncertainty in retrieving by evaluating the coefficients of the polynomial equation and applying a transfer function with respect to the angle formed between the wind flow direction and direction of radar beam. It is concluded that, provided the formulated transformation functions are used, the application of the VAD and VARD techniques to the single-Doppler data may be an invaluable tool for solving various climate and wind engineering problems.


Background/Aims
Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) is a widely used method for long-term tube feeding. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients who utilized long-term feeding tube via PEG.

Methods
The medical records of 137 patients who underwent PEG tube insertion at Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital between January 2002 and December 2013 were reviewed.

Results
PEG was indicated most frequently for cerebrovascular accidents (66 patients, 48.2%), followed by head and neck cancer (20 patients, 14.6%), and Parkinson's disease (10 patients, 7.3%). The tubes were endoscopically inserted in 133 patients (97.1%); 4 patients (2.9%) underwent radiologic intervention. The tubes of 90 patients (65.7%) were exchanged at least once during the follow- up period. At the first exchange, 71 patients (78.9%) had their tubes exchanged by endoscopy, 24 patients (16.7%) by manually, and 4 patients (4.4%) by radiologic intervention. Of the 61 patients (44.5%) who had their tubes exchanged twice, 44 patients (72.1%) changed their tubes by endoscopic exchange, 13 patients (21.3%) by manually, and 4 patients (4.4%) via radiologic intervention. The mean time interval between the initial insertion and the first exchange was 9.83±6.19 months, and that between the initial insertion and the second exchange was 10.7±6.25 months. Of all the 137 patients, acute complications at initial insertion occurred in only 18 patients (13.1%), with insertion site infection (9 patients, 6.6%) being the most common acute complication.

Conclusions
PEG appears to be a safe procedure for providing long-term tube feeding. Our results may help to develop strategies for further management of subjects receiving feeding tubes via PEG.


Years of rural-urban migration has resulted in a significant population in China seeking ad-hoc work in large urban centres. At the same time, many businesses face large fluctuations in demand for manpower and require more efficient ways to satisfy such demands. This paper outlines AlgoCrowd, an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered algorithmic crowdsourcing platform. Equipped with an efficient explainable task-worker matching optimization approach designed to focus on fair treatment of workers while maximizing collective utility, the platform provides explainable task recommendations to workers' personal work management mobile apps which are becoming popular, with the aim to address the above societal challenge.


Objectives Atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) is considered precursor of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. The 2014 WHO classification divides endometrial hyperplasia into two categories: hyperplasia without atypia and atypical hyperplasia. However, this classification ignores the degree of nuclear atypia. The objective of this study was to show the importance of grading nuclear atypia (low vs high-grade) and find out the risk of developing endometrial carcinoma following a diagnosis of AEH. In addition, we investigated the potential role of genes known to be involved in endometrial carcinogenesis such as ARID1A, PIK3CA, PTEN, KRAS, CTNNB1 and mismatch repair genes. Methods We reviewed 91 biopsies of AEH from 91 patients who subsequently underwent hysterectomy within 1 year interval. The association between the grade of nuclear atypia at biopsy and findings at hysterectomy was assessed via a Fisher's exact test. Targeted sequencing was performed in 30 cases. Results The grade of nuclear atypia at biopsy was highly predictive of the findings at hysterectomy (P=5.0x10–25), with none of the low-grade AEH having a diagnosis of high-grade AEH/carcinoma at hysterectomy, whereas 9 (29%) of the high-grade AEH had high-grade AEH and 22 (71%) FIGO grade-1 carcinoma. None of the genes tested showed a mutational load significantly associated with the degree of nuclear atypia. Conclusions In AEH is crucial to assess the degree (low or high) of nuclear atypia. Our data strongly support that low-grade AEH is inconsequential, questioning the need of hysterectomy for such patients.


The focus of this paper is on the solution of Maxwell's equations for time-harmonic fields on triangular, possibly nonorthogonal meshes. The method is based on the well-known Finite Integration Technique (FIT) [33, 35] which is a proven consistent discretization method for the computation of electromagnetic fields. FIT on triangular grids was first introduced in [29, 31] for eigenvalue problems arising in the design of accelerator components and dielectric loaded waveguides. For many technical applications the 2D simulation on a triangular grid combines the advantages of FIT, as e.g. the consistency of the method or the numerical advantage of banded system matrices, with the geometrical flexibility of non-coordinate grids. The FIT-discretization on non-orthogonal 2D grids has close relations [26] to the Nédélec elements [14, 15] or edge elements in the Finite Element Method.


RATIONALE: Proteasome complexes play essential roles in maintaining cardiac protein homeostasis in normal and stressed conditions. However, proteasomal function is often compromised in diseased myocardium; and the regulation of proteasomal dynamics remains poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied cardiac proteolytic function and its regulation by acetylation in murine and human models of heart disease. Proteasomes, from both normal and diseased myocardium, were treated with histone de-acetylases (HDACs) inhibitors and they exhibited enhanced proteolytic capacity in vitro and in vivo. This unique regulatory paradigm was first examined in a murine model of ischemic injury (n=5); where diminished proteolytic function in the ischemic hearts was restored by HDACs inhibition (either by SAHA or by Sodium Valproate) in a dose-dependent fashion. Importantly, this phenomenon was validated in human samples, where inhibition of HDACs augmented proteolytic functions in the diseased myocardium (n=5). Using high resolution LC-MS/MS coupled with a combined collision-induced dissociation and electron-transfer dissociation approach, the acetylome (N-terminal and lysine) of cardiac 20S proteasomes was delineated. Targeted enrichment strategy of the posttranslationally modified peptides enabled the capture of eight lysine and nine N-terminal acetylation sites in the murine heart, contributing to the first comprehensive acetylome map for the cardiac 20S proteasomes. Among them, at least six lysine acetylation sites were inducible by HDACs inhibitors. Furthermore, parallel investigations using cardiac 20S proteasomes pinpointed the functional impact of HDAC inhibitions to specific acetylation sites on the 20S proteasomal subunits. CONCLUSIONS: Proteasomal biology is modulated by acetylation modifications in the heart. This regulatory mechanism is punctual and potent; and it was observed both in an acutely pathological murine model of ischemia-reperfusion injury as well as in a chronic human disease of end-stage heart failure. These findings demonstrate the utility of pharmacological interventions (e.g., HDAC inhibition) to restore damaged proteolytic function in diseased myocardium.


We investigated through simulation the performance of dense wavelength-division-multiplexing transmission systems based on polarization-multiplexed quadrature phase-shift keying over long-haul uncompensated links. We looked at three system configurations, whose per-channel Baud-rate was 14, 28, and 56 GBaud, respectively. Their total net capacity in the C-band (8 Tb/s) and net spectral efficiency (2 b/s/Hz) were exactly the same. We found that the systems long-haul performance is almost the same in the three cases, with the 56-GBaud configuration only slightly under-performing. By means of backward-propagation, we also found that the balance between intrachannel and interchannel nonlinear (NL) effects is completely different in the three cases, with 14-GBaud dominated by interchannel NL effects and 56-GBaud dominated by single-channel NL effects. We also show that, where possible to actually exploit backward-propagation, the 56-GBaud per channel system would outperform the lower Baud-rate configurations.


To ensure the safe use of L-type deflection machine for processing and manufacturing railway vehicles. This paper analyzes the use conditions of L-type deflection machine, and makes a contact nonlinear finite element analysis on various typical use conditions. The positions of parts subject to danger can be found out through the results of static strength analysis, which finds out the weaknesses and prejudges the failure trend of parts, and which provides guidance for prejudging the faults in actual production and can prevent occurrence of accidents.


Background In addition to classical neurological symptoms, Huntington's disease (HD) is complicated by peripheral pathology, including weight loss, altered body composition and skeletal muscle wasting. Both the mutant gene and protein are expressed in cells and tissues throughout the body. Changes in gene expression in the brain, blood and peripheral tissues have been shown in human HD as well as in HD mice. HD mice exhibit early disruption of adipose tissue (AT) storage mechanisms and HD mouse adipocytes have been shown to acquire a de-differentiated phenotype, characterised by impaired expression of fat storage genes. Aims We propose that human AT may be a useful model with which to investigate molecular pathways of HD. The goal of this study is to demonstrate that adipose tissue can provide an understanding of HD specific molecular changes and further, can be used to identify HD-related gene expression signatures. Methods/techniques Subcutaneous AT biopsies were obtained from premanifest HD gene carriers, stage II/III HD patients and control subjects. Samples were snap frozen and subsequently, RNA was extracted. Gene expression analysis was performed using Affymetrix GeneChip®Human Gene 1.0 ST Array and RT-qPCR. A SAM analysis was performed to identify significantly differentially expressed genes between groups and pathway analyses were performed with MetaCoreTM pathway analysis software. Results/outcome Principal components analysis reveals a distinction between control and premanifest HD groups. Pathway analysis suggests alterations in fatty acid metabolism pathways, angiotensin signalling pathways and immune pathways in HD adipose tissue. Conclusions Our data suggests that studying gene expression changes in AT could provide an understanding of HD specific molecular changes and the knowledge obtained could offer valuable insight into HD pathology, as well as translate into potential disease markers.


This article examines the emergence of local identity and language use in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, from its annexation in 1704 to the present day. Contrary to popular opinion, it shows that the founding population of British Gibraltar was divided along racial and linguistic grounds, and only in the 19th century evolved into a cohesive Spanish-speaking community, before its subsequent development into the bilingual English- and Spanish-speaking society of the present day. Through the analysis of census data, reportage and colonial government records, the article shows that the Dynamic Model of Postcolonial English in Schneider (2007) aptly captures the spread of English knowledge on the Rock. The population's persistent attachment to its British identity, and its framing of Gibraltar English as a variety of British English, are however theoretically problematic. The article concludes that local identity and language use are dependent as much on the territory's relationship with Spain as the United Kingdom.


Adapted from Bucknell University Library. Created by Nancy Frazier, Instructional Services Librarian, Jill Hallam-Miller, Blended Learning Librarian. (Permission granted: 9/20/2015).


One of the vehicle identification techniques is to recognize the license plate numbers. The license plate recognition system consists of three major parts: sensing, image capturing, and recognition. The car sensing part is usually based on proximity or loop coil sensors and sends the signal to the image capturing part to trigger a video camera. The image capturing part, after receiving the trigger signal from the sensing part, captures the car image using high speed shutter to reduce motion blurring. The recognition part then processes the captured image and recognizes the license plate numbers. In this paper, we describe new methods for each part. For the sensing and image capturing, we propose a sensorless technique based on temporal filtering. For the recognition part, we present a robust algorithm for locating the license plate in a car image.<<ETX>>


Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator may be effective in preventing cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage by resolving subarachnoid clots. We previously demonstrated that blood placed on the adventitial surface of cerebral arteries enhances intimal platelet accumulation, positively correlating with endothelial damage and other pathologic changes in vessel walls. In this study, we investigated the ability of a single bolus injection of tissue plasminogen activator to prevent platelet accumulation in cerebral vessels after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was produced in cats by the transorbital intracisternal injection of 2.5 ml autologous arterial blood around the proximal part of the right middle cerebral artery. In 10 animals, 25 micrograms tissue plasminogen activator was injected at intervals of 10 (five cats) and 60 minutes (five cats) after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Intracisternal physiological saline (0.5 ml) was injected in six cats 10 minutes after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Platelets labeled with indium-111 were injected intravenously just before subarachnoid hemorrhage, and their radioactivity was measured in cerebral arteries at death. The results indicated that, after subarachnoid hemorrhage, early injection of tissue plasminogen activator inhibited intimal platelet accumulation, but later injection did not, although the extent of subarachnoid clot was reduced at both plasminogen injection times.


Various physical limitations in electromagnetic theory and antenna theory have received considerable attention recently. However, there are no previous limitations on the scattering of higher order electromagnetic vector spherical waves, despite the widespread use of spherical wave decompositions. In the present paper, bandwidth limitations on the scattering matrix are derived for a wide class of heterogeneous objects, in terms of their electrical size, shape and static material properties. In particular, it is seen that the order of the dominating term in the Rayleigh limit increases with the order of the spherical wave. Furthermore, it is shown how the limitations place bounds on the antenna scattering matrix, thus introducing a new approach to physical limitations on antennas. Comparisons to other types of antenna limitations are given, and numerical simulations for two folded spherical helix antennas and a directive Yagi-Uda antenna are included to illuminate and validate the theory. The results in this paper are derived using a general approach to derive limitations for passive systems: First, the low-frequency asymptotic expansion of the scattering matrix of a general scatterer is derived. This gives a set of sum rules, from which the limitations follow.


In this paper, we present an overview of the switched split vector quantiser (SSVQ), its advantages over the traditional split vector quantiser, and its application to LPC parameter quantisation in wideband speech coding. By utilising an unconstrained switch vector quantiser as an initial stage, the SSVQ is able to exploit global vector dependencies in order to compensate for rate-distortion (R-D) losses in the split vector quantiser, which are due to the structural constraints on the codebook. The resulting scheme is not only more efficient in the R-D sense, but also possesses lower computational complexity than the split vector quantiser. We apply the SSVQ to quantising line spectral frequency (LSF) parameters of wideband speech and compare its spectral distortion performance with the split vector quantiser (SVQ), PDF-optimised scalar quantiser, and the split-multistage vector quantiser (S-MSVQ) with MA predictor from the ITU-T G.222.2 AMR-WB speech coder. The results show that the SSVQ requires less bits for achieving transparent coding of wideband LSFs than SVQ and scalar quantisers. Finally, SSVQ (which is a memoryless scheme) achieves comparable spectral distortion with the S-MSVQ with MA predictor at 36 and 46 bits/frame.


This paper examines several facets of gender integration within academic sociology: total segregation, as in all-male faculties; appointments of women in token or solo positions; variations in the departmental faculty sex ratio; and the "ghettoization" of women in lower academic ranks and positions with heavy committee assignments. These outcomes are analyzed at the organizational level as the product of the operation of internal and external labor markets in academia. Drawing on a representative 1984 national survey of sociology departments (N = 230), multivariate analyses indicate that a large proportion of the variation in gender integration from one department to the next can be predicted from the organizational context. Several organizational factors appear to militate against total segregation (all-male faculties) while promoting balance in the faculty sex ratio and in the distribution of academic rank. These include demand for labor in the form of job opportunities, especially those created through turnover; women in the institutional power structure, including a separate women's studies program; and a state legislative climate favoring women's legal and political rights.


When grasping and manipulating objects, people are able to efficiently modulate their grip force according to the experienced load force. Effective grip force control involves providing enough grip force to prevent the object from slipping, while avoiding excessive force to avoid damage and fatigue. During indirect object manipulation via teleoperation systems or in virtual environments, users often receive limited somatosensory feedback about objects with which they interact. This study examines the effects of force feedback, accuracy demands, and training on grip force control during object interaction in a virtual environment. The task required subjects to grasp and move a virtual object while tracking a target. When force feedback was not provided, subjects failed to couple grip and load force, a capability fundamental to direct object interaction. Subjects also exerted larger grip force without force feedback and when accuracy demands of the tracking task were high. In addition, the presence or absence of force feedback during training affected subsequent performance, even when the feedback condition was switched. Subjects' grip force control remained reminiscent of their employed grip during the initial training. These results motivate the use of force feedback during telemanipulation and highlight the effect of force feedback during training.


ABSTRACT Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) carries high mortality. The roles of specific mechanical circulatory support (MCS) systems are unclear. We compared the clinical outcomes of Impella versus extracorporal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with CS. Methods: This is a systematic review and meta-analysis that was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov (inception through May 10, 2022) for studies comparing the outcomes of Impella versus ECMO in CS. We used random-effects models to calculate risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CIs). End points included in-hospital, 30-day, and 12-month all-cause mortality, successful weaning from MCS, bridge to transplant, all reported bleeding, stroke, and acute kidney injury. Results: A total of 10 studies consisting of 1,827 CS patients treated with MCS were included in the analysis. The risk of in-hospital all-cause mortality was significantly lower with Impella compared with ECMO (RR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65–1.00; P = 0.05), whereas there was no statistically significant difference in 30-day (RR, 0.97, 95% CI, 0.82–1.16; P = 0.77) and 12-month mortality (RR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.74–1.11; P = 0.32). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of successful weaning (RR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.81–1.15; P = 0.70) and bridging to transplant (RR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.58–1.35; P = 0.56). There was less risk of bleeding and stroke in the Impella group compared with the ECMO group. Conclusions: In patients with CS, the use of Impella is associated with lower rates of in-hospital mortality, bleeding, and stroke than ECMO. Future randomized studies with adequate sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings.


Various industrial applications involving microporous material lead to synthesis of zeolite with different structural framework and properties. Even though the synthesized zeolite could expand the applications in adsorption processes, some structures are highly hydrophobic or highly hydrophilic, others are thermally unstable at temperature higher than 700 °C or adsorb at very low capacity. Therefore, their applications are limited to certain application. Thus, to overcome the problem, modifications or post synthesis treatments are introduced in order to produce modified zeolites with desired properties for specific applications. However, any modification causes some changes, thus special attention has to be paid to the texture of the zeolite because it may result in severe structural defects or variants. This paper will examined the effect of different metal cations on adsorption characteristics. The metal cations were introduced by cation exchange method. It was found that the presence of different metal cations alters the properties of zeolites and thus the adsorption characteristics. Results from gas adsorption uptake and FTIR spectra show that charge and size of metal cations could influence, the gas adsorption capacity and the interaction of gas adsorbates with zeolite surface.


This paper explores the possibility of analyzing the diachronical change of land cover and thus grassland transition in Corfu Island through the usage of 18 th century Venetian cadastral maps and modern orthophotomaps. GIS software was used to integrate the historical cadastral and modern maps and analyze the impact of physiographic factors of the landscapes, such as altitude, slope and aspect on land cover change. The cadastral maps that were used determined three study areas: the landscapes of Spartillas, Episkepsi and Socraki areas. In 18 th century the land cover in all study areas consisted of grasslands, shrublands, agricultural areas and mixed areas, creating diverse heterogenic landscapes. At that time, the impact of aspect proved fairly important, especially at the northern orientated landscapes of Episkepsi and Sokraki areas. Northern aspects in particular, were more likely to be dominated by natural grasslands and shrublands than agricultural land due to the negative effect of the 'Boras' local cold wind on agriculture. Venetians had a significant impact on the landscape by the reinforcement of olive groves, which expanded to their biological height limit. That is clearly illustrated in Spartillas landscape evolution to the 20 th century, where the expansion of agricultural land (olive groves) took place over the grasslands. Episkepsi area evolved into a homogeneous agricultural landscape of olive groves, while Socraki area turned out to be more diverse. Overall, the methodology that was used in this paper is suitable for investigating long-term land cover changes with sufficient accuracy.


In this study, our objective was to investigate the possible hypolipemic effect of Persea americana (PA) on hypercholestrolemic rats. Acute administration of cholesterol resulted in the elevation of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDLC) and reduction in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC). However, treatment with various doses of the methanolic extract of the seeds of Persea americana caused a significant reduction in the levels of TC, TG, LDLC and VLDLC while the levels of HDLC increased significantly. These effects were dose dependent as marked changes were observed at the highest concentration (300mg/kg) of the methanolic extract of Persea americana seeds. It was concluded that Persea americana seeds showed an hypolipemic effect and may serve as possible alternative treatment for hyperlipemia and hypertension.


This study aimed to elucidate college freshmen science students, secondary science teachers, and scientists' perceptions of 'scientific' argument; to compare participants' perceptions with Stephen Toulmin's analytical framework of argument; and to characterize the criteria that participants deployed when assessing the 'quality' or 'goodness' of arguments. Thirty students, teachers, and scientists—with 10 members in each group—participated in two semi‐structured individual interviews. During the first interview, participants generated an argument in response to a socioscientific issue. In the second interview, each participant 'evaluated' three arguments generated by a member from each participant group without being privy to the arguer's group membership. Interview transcripts were qualitatively analyzed. The findings point to both similarities and differences between participants' conceptions of argument and those based on Toulmin's analytical framework. Participants used an array of common and idiosyncratic criteria to judge the quality or goodness of argument. Finally, contrary to expectations, participants independently agreed that the 'best' arguments were those generated by participant science teachers.


Background
Although coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is the main method to revascularize the occluded coronary vessels in coronary artery diseases, the full benefits of the operation are mitigated by ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Although many studies have been devoted to reducing IR injury in animal models, the translation of this research into the clinical field has been disappointing. Our study aimed to explore the underlying hub genes and mechanisms of IR injury.

Methods
A weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was executed based on the expression profiles in patients undergoing CABG surgery (GSE29396). Functional annotation and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were executed within the modules of interest. Potential hub genes were predicted, combining both intramodular connectivity (IC) and degrees. Meanwhile, potential transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) were predicted by corresponding bioinformatics tools.

Results
A total of 336 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. DEGs were mainly enriched in neutrophil activity and immune response. Within the modules of interest, 5 upregulated hub genes (IL-6, CXCL8, IL-1β, MYC, PTGS-2) and 6 downregulated hub genes (C3, TIMP1, VSIG4, SERPING1, CD163, and HP) were predicted. Predicted miRNAs (hsa-miR-333-5p, hsa-miR-26b-5p, hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-16-5p, hsa-miR-98-5p, hsa-miR-17-5p, hsa-miR-93-5p) and TF (STAT1) might have regulated gene expression in the most positively related module, while hsa-miR-333-5p and HSF-1 were predicted to regulate the genes within the most negatively related module.

Conclusions
Our study illustrates an overview of gene expression changes in human atrial samples from patients undergoing CABG surgery and might help translate future research into clinical work.


We studied the viscosity behavior of 500 cSt dimethyl silicone oil with considerable concentration of absorbed air. For this purpose, a Couette rheometer with a transparent rotating outer cylinder and a fixed inner cylinder was established, in which the ambient pressure is controlled by a piston–cylinder apparatus. Careful torque calibration and equilibrium examination for the air–silicone–oil mixture were carried out. In the range of ambient pressure from 1 to 5 atm, corresponding to the air molar fraction from 11 to 35%, it was found that viscosity of the silicone oil decreases monotonically as the air concentration increases. The viscosity variation can be explained by the Eyring's model in which the free energy of activation is modified to account for the nonideality of the air–silicone–oil mixture. The excess free energy used to fit the viscosity variation is approximately equal to that used in the Krichevsky–Ilinskaya equation, which accounts for the nonideal solubility of the air–silicone–oil solution. The activation energy in the Arrhenius equation for viscosity–temperature relationship is identified as the activation enthalpy. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2011