Accurate and real-time prediction of network traffic can not only help system operators allocate resources rationally according to their actual business needs but also help them assess the performance of a network and analyze its health status. In recent years, neural networks have been proved suitable to predict time series data, represented by the model of a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network and a temporal convolutional network (TCN). This article proposes a novel hybrid prediction method named SG and TCN-based LSTM (ST-LSTM) for such network traffic prediction, which synergistically combines the power of the Savitzky–Golay (SG) filter, the TCN, as well as the LSTM. ST-LSTM employs a three-phase end-to-end methodology serving time series prediction. It first eliminates noise in raw data using the SG filter, then extracts short-term features from sequences applying the TCN, and then captures the long-term dependence in the data exploiting the LSTM. Experimental results over real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed ST-LSTM outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of prediction accuracy. Note to Practitioners—This work considers real-time and high-accuracy prediction of network traffic. It is highly important to well predict network traffic by capturing long-term dependence and effectively extracting high- and low-frequency information from time series data. Yet, it is a big challenge to achieve it because there are unstable characteristics and strong nonlinear features in the network traffic due to continuous expansion of network scale and fast emergence of new services. Current prediction methods usually have oversimplified theoretical assumptions, need significant time and memory, or suffer problems of gradient disappearance or early convergence. Thus, they fail to effectively capture the nonlinear characteristics of large-scale network sequences. This work proposes a hybrid prediction method named SG and TCN-based LSTM (ST-LSTM), which integrates the merits of the Savitzky–Golay filter, the temporal convolutional network (TCN), and the long short-term memory (LSTM), serving as smoothing time series, capturing short-term local features, and capturing long-term dependence, respectively. Experimental results based on the real-life dataset demonstrate that it achieves better prediction accuracy than its state-of-the-art peers, including the TCN and the LSTM. It can be readily implemented and deployed in many real-life industrial areas including smart city, edge computing, cloud computing, and data centers.


One option of development that governments in Africa can pursue but which does not appear to have crossed their minds, is encouraging towns, represented as incorporated units, to borrow financial credit. There are several reasons why this appears to be a viable option of development. No government has the financial capacity to address the social and developmental needs of every town under its jurisdiction. A government that encourages or makes it easy for individual towns to utilize credit available from financial institutions, therefore, will be opening a hitherto underutilized component of development in the form of local savings and entrepreneurship in addressing the particular needs of communities. That the constant demands of several communities on government for developmental assistance will be substantially mitigated will also be complemented by the fact that the simultaneous engagement of several towns in myriad development projects may be the most cost-effective way of accelerating economic development. This paper examines a developmental option that could potentially relieve poverty in Africa by examining the feasibility of making townships the primary recipients of financial credit and offers a look at the problems that might be associated with pursuing that policy.


Heart disease is the principal cause of mortality and the major contributor to reduced quality of life. The electrocardiogram is used to monitor the cardiovascular system. The correct classification of the beats in electrocardiograms gives an opportunity to have treatment more focused. The manual analysis of the ECG signals faces different problems. For this reason, automated diagnosis systems are fed by ECG signals to detect anomalies. In this paper, we propose a method based on a novel preprocessing approach and neural networks for the classification of heartbeats which is able to classify five categories of arrhythmias in accordance with the AAMI standard. The preprocessing stage allows each beat to have "P wave-R peak-R peak" information. We evaluated the proposed method on the MIT-BIH database, which is one of the most used databases. According to the results, the proposed approach is able to make predictions with the average accuracies of 97%. The average accuracies are compared to different approaches that use different preprocessing and classifier stages. Our approach is superior to that of most of them.


Corporate charitable programs help attract and retain socially aware employees and directors. As these employees and directors are likely to be conscious of the social harm caused by corporate misconduct, they are less likely to tolerate wrongdoing. Consistent with this notion, we document that employees at philanthropic firms are more likely to whistle blow when they observe wrongdoing. Moreover, directors at giving firms are more likely to force out a CEO after misconduct is revealed. The higher likelihood of whistle blowing along with greater penalties upon discovery should lower the propensity to engage in misconduct. In line with this, we find that corporate philanthropy is associated with less misconduct. To address the endogeneity of corporate giving, we instrument it by peer giving, with qualitatively similar results. The results are robust to differing approaches for defining misconduct and employer attractiveness, and also in different subsamples of the data. Our findings highlight the role of non-financial imperatives of employees and directors in mitigating misconduct.


The manufacturing industry is subject to structural economic change. The paradigm shift from a product-dominant to a service-dominant logic can hardly be refuted. The shift in focus to services is a shift from the product and manufacturing perspective to the utilization and customer perspective. Being confronted with the strategic challenge of reducing operating costs while at the same time meeting ever-increasing service demands, manufacturing firms struggle to find the appropriate information systems solution for planning and operations. The Institute of Information Management (IWI) at the University of St. Gallen aims to address this issue from an information systems perspective. Starting the analysis with the customer relationship management (CRM) seems reasonable, since the system is designed for sales and service planning. However, information on the installed base is limited in the technical level of detail. Serialized descriptions about sold assets incorporate information on maintenance, contracts, and warranty, but lack deep technical information. Heavy equipment goods are hence not adequately modeled in the CRM system. The equipment goods that are produced by this industry are characterized as longliving and highly productive. Consequently, maintenance, repair and change operations are particularly important capabilities of the heavy equipment manufacturers for achieving and maintaining high profit margins. Traditional mobile CRM solutions obtain replication-based information on the installed equipment and consequently, service technicians have very limited access to back stage information. Heavy equipment goods manufacturers are well known for operating internationally with strong exports. Delivering excellent services to customers who are distributed around the globe states another key capability in achieving competitive advantages. Since business customers show enormous interest in the condition of the installed heavy equipment, large manufacturers have built large-scale proprietary systems for service support which combine detailed knowledge of the heavy equipment [bill of material] with the customer knowledge which is buried in the CRM. The installed base describes the equipment installed at the customer. Installed base data comprise the bill of material, customer master data, and transactions performed on the equipment that is owned by the customer. Accordingly, the installed base, in its core definition, has to be considered as collaborative. However, delivering excellent service worldwide by a singular manufacturer becomes physically very hard to realize. The necessary workforce would be too large, while education remains an unsolved issue. Moreover, it is often not profitable to set up service locations and the corresponding infrastructure in small markets. Collaboration with partners that know the local market is hence a necessary precondition. The service processes enabling installed base management for heavy equipment goods are known but the implementation falls short in collaboration, scalability and consistency. Addressing these shortcomings, the IWI proposes a smart multivendor installed base management. Smart is the combination of the as-is bill of material [from production planning systems] with as-is maintenance data and sensor data [from the machinery equipment] to achieve a deeper customer integration. Big data management allows the aggregation and consolidation of all installed base data across enterprise boundaries without suffering information losses. Realtime processing of mass data opens new sources of revenue in terms of performance-based contracts and condition-based maintenance and recovery services. Equipped with this comprehensive source of information, business analytics are able to perform extensive analyses that generate deep insights about the customer usage of their productive machinery equipment.


Background Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a marker of advanced atherosclerosis with an elevated risk of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Although intensive risk reduction therapy is critical in reducing the adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with PAD, the awareness of this information among all physicians is felt to be low. Given the role of family physicians (FP), general internists (GI), cardiologists (C), and vascular surgeons (VS) in treating patients with PAD, we sought to determine their perceptions and knowledge of risk reduction therapy in these patients. Methods and results We conducted a cross-sectional self-administered survey of 84 physicians who work at a major teaching hospital. FP, GI, C, and VS represent 39%, 33%, 16%, and 12% of the surveyed physicians, respectively. The recommended targets of LDL-cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure in PAD patients were known to 37.3%, 94.1% and 35.3% of physicians, respectively. The majority of physicians reported to screen for risk factors in PAD. Although 86.3% of physicians would recommend antiplatelets therapy in PAD, only 17.6% would recommend angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors; 25.5% would recommend nicotine replacement therapy for smokers and 62.7% would recommend statins. Compared to other specialties, cardiologists had the lowest threshold, whereas GI had the highest threshold for initiating antiplatelets and statins for patients with PAD. Conclusion The perceptions towards risk reduction in PAD identify glaring knowledge and action gaps. Effective strategies to encourage health professionals to use risk reduction therapy are needed.


The inclusive endings of most Calderón plays have latterly troubled critics to the point where some have seen his indeterminacy as a failure to face the consequences of his own dramatic postulates. "Comic Pharmacology" invites the calderonista to put aside the sharp and mutually exclusive binary oppositions inherent in the thinking of the Poetics of Aristotle, as inscribed in generic ideology, in favor of two other models, an earlier one provided by Socrates in the Symposium and the Phaedrus, and a later Derridaian one derived from these. "Comic Pharmacology" proposes that Socrates's struggle to align comedy with tragedy likewise informs the dramaturgy of Calderón and that the degree to which a play partakes of one mode rather than its companion other—sibling, twin—is a function of the strength of the tragic dose, pharmakon. Comedy is thus a dilute of the prime tragic potion.


This review of spatial innovation literature explores the evolution of initiatives to promote innovation by firms in local and regional settings. First stimulated by the evident success of Silicon Valley, California in the 1970s and 1980s, many national and regional governments sought to encourage the formation of high technology industry complexes by earmarking budgets and special high-tech development zones, modelled, to some extent, on the pattern established by the science park at Stanford University, founded in 1951 (Castells and Hall 1994). It is well-known that Frederick Terman, later Provost and Vice-President at Stanford, was the driving force behind Stanford Industrial Park, as it was officially known, and that among his student entrepreneurs were the founders of Litton Industries, and later Hewlett and Packard, preceded as tenants on the park by Varian and succeeded by Fairchild Semiconductors. Fairchild was the matrix for Intel, National Semiconductors, American Micro Devices and some forty other US chip-manufacturers from 1957, when the "Shockley eight" began to find their feet. What is less well-known, perhaps, is that much of this history arose from an initial institutional borrowing and learning process in which knowledge-transfer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was crucial. First, from working on a wartime military project at MIT, Terman realised that the electrical engineering programmes there and elsewhere on the east coast of the USA were far superior to those of Stanford, and he sought to emulate them. But second, he also realised that university-industry relations were much stronger, particularly at MIT, which was substantially dependent on industry funding for its research and educational programmes. Third, in order to build up Stanford's academic and industrial liaison strengths, technology transfer from the east coast was also a necessary condition for innovative industrial development. This was assisted considerably by the foundation by William Shockley of Shockley Semiconductors near Stanford; Shockley having left Bell Laboratories in New Jersey in 1954, to capitalise on his invention of the transistor. Stressing the first rather than the second part of the story fitted in well with the dominant linear model of innovation then at the forefront of understanding of the relationship between scientific progress and the commercialisation of products and processes. It is also clear, with hindsight, that for the truly radical innovations of semiconductors, integrated circuits and microprocessors, technology-push was a significant impulse, at least in relation to civilian applications. Even so, the role of the Department of Defence and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as users of miniaturised computers and guidance systems has perhaps been highlighted less than their role as suppliers of large-scale funding for the development of microcircuitry. We still know relatively little about the nature and extent of interaction between users and technologists at the early stage of the development of these new technologies, though it has been argued that 67% of the functional source of innovation development for semiconductors was users and only 21% manufacturers (von Hippel 1988: 4). To return to the efforts by policy-makers to model high tech innovation on developments at Stanford and Silicon Valley, it is clear that most approaches have involved the idea of co-locating research centres and innovation-intensive firms in science and technology parks. In some cases this has involved designating whole cities as Science Cities or Technopoles. Although benefits have accrued from such plans, there is also in the literature that reviews such developments a frequent sense of disappointment that more has not been achieved. In cases drawn from France and Japan, countries that have arguably proceeded furthest with the technopolis policy, a certain absence of synergies has been observed among co-located laboratories and firms. …


In a world increasingly driven by digital technology, cyber-safety is becoming a pressing concern for Internet users. This article contributes to sociological, psychological, and criminological literature on digital risks by investigating the determinants of individuals' cyber-safety behaviors. Our study adds new insights to digital inequalities studies, cognitive health behavior models, and fear of crime literature by developing and testing a comprehensive theoretical model in a developing economy (Uruguay). To validate our model, we fit structural equations with data from the 2017 WIP+DiSTO Uy survey, a representative sample of Uruguayans (N=653). We found that operational digital skills were the strongest predictor of cyber-safety, while also providing support for the sequentiality of the digital divide hypothesis, as education and age-based disparities affect cyber-safety through their effect on Internet use, which in turn affects digital skills. Additionally, findings contribute both to cognitive behaviors and fear of crime literature, by attesting that gender and age-based disparities only have an indirect effect on cyber-safety, which is mediated by user beliefs regarding the severity of cyber-victimization. The study also provides evidence for the generalization of cyber-safety behavior theories — originally formulated based on data from developed economies — to developing ones, by stressing the role of digital skills and perceptions of victimization severity as the main direct antecedents of cyber-safety.


The concern about the link between eating habits and gout has existed for over a hundred years, but nowadays scientific research aims to verify the multitude of information and opinions, as well as the presentation of evidence supported by epidemiological or clinical studies. Promoting healthy dietary behaviors, maintaining a normal body mass and a suitable food pattern are the factors that contribute to lowering the serum level of uric acid. The dietary care process in gout involves not only reducing the intake of purines, but also ensuring a nutritional balance, adequate amounts of nutrients, the inclusion in the diet of alkaline products, foods rich in antioxidants and an adequate amount of fluids. Even though, at present, the therapeutic base in gout is represented by pharmaceuticals, nutritional education and lifestyle change through diet and physical activity can significantly contribute to reducing the dose of drugs and thus to decrease their adverse effects and eliminating other factors which in turn constitute a risk to onset gout.


Abstract High-quality deep-ocean records of tsunamis generated by the 30 November 1987 ( M w = 7.8) and 6 March 1988 ( M w = 7.7) earthquakes in the Gulf of Alaska were inverted for fault-plane parameters and seismic moment using a model that consists of a uniform ocean layer overlaying an elastic half-space. Results were poor for the 30 November 1987 event, the more complex of the two earthquakes. Results were excellent for the 6 March 1988 event, being consistent with values derived from seismic data. Furthermore, the tsunami waveform inversion provided an additional constraint on the rupture length (less than 50 km) of the latter event, demonstrating the supplementary value of tsunami data to analyses of earthquake finite-faulting characteristics.


Infection and injury lure leukocytes from the bloodstream, but they first have to traverse a vessel wall to reach the traumatized tissue. As van Buul et al. show, the GTPase RhoG helps the cells make the crossing.

Figure 1

RhoG helps an endothelial cell swaddle a leukocyte in membrane folds.

As leukocytes exit a blood vessel, they either pass right through the endothelial cells in the lining or wriggle between them. To get across this layer, a leukocyte first hooks onto the protruding protein ICAM1. An endothelial cell then puckers its membrane to produce a cup that cradles the leukocyte. The molecular events that prompt cup formation remain unclear. The endothelial structures resemble the phagocytic cups that allow cells to gobble pathogens. Because the GTPase RhoG spurs phagocytosis in certain cells, van Buul et al. wanted to determine whether the molecule also promotes construction of endothelial cups.

The researchers found that the binding of a leukocyte to ICAM1 activated RhoG, which congregated at the site of attachment. Knocking down RhoG with RNAi slashed the number of cups that cells fashioned and the number of leukocytes making the crossing.

An activator of RhoG, called SGEF, bound to the cytoplasmic side of ICAM1, suggesting that the molecule might link ICAM1 engagement to RhoG activation. Supporting that hypothesis, RNAi against SGEF decreased cup formation and hindered leukocyte crossing. Still unresolved is how the cups allow a leukocyte to slip through the endothelium.

Reference:

van Buul, J.D., et al. 2007. J. Cell Biol. 178:1279–1293. [PubMed]


The simplification of the plant cultures range and the yields in the last 10-15 years brings into the actuality the role of crop rotation and of fertilization on the yield level and stability f or wheat and maize even on the soils with a high na tural fertility. The results of the researches performed between the years 2006 – 2009 on a cambic low gleyed chernozem from the Banat Plain showed t hat the wheat cultivated in monoculture gives productions with 59-81% lower tha n that cultivated in crop rotation with other plant s during 2-4 years. In maize, the yield obtained in monoculture is situated behind that obt ained in crop rotation with 11-21%. The most favora ble crop rotations for wheat were rape-wheat in a 4 years rotation and soybean-wheat in simple rotation of 2 years. In maize, the most f avorable was the 2 years rotation (wheat-maize). The mineral fertilization was very e fficient both in wheat (11-36%) and maize (9-31%). The organic fertilization with manure was very efficient for maize, the yields being supe rior with a mean value by 34% for a 60 t/ha dose an d with 16% for 30t/ha. The fertilization compensates the negative effect expressed by the mo nocultivation only in a small measure.


Knechtle, B, Wirth, A, Knechtle, P, and Rosemann, T. Training volume and personal best time in marathon, not anthropometric parameters, are associated with performance in male 100-km ultrarunners. J Strength Cond Res 24(3): 604-609, 2010-We investigated the relation between selected anthropometric and training variables and the personal best time in a marathon with total race time in 66 Caucasian male nonprofessional ultrarunners in a 100-km run. In the multiple linear regression analysis, the average weekly training volume in kilometers (r2 = 0.224, p < 0.01) and the personal best time in a marathon (r2 = 0.334, p < 0.01) were significantly associated with total race time, whereas no anthropometric variable was related to race performance (p > 0.05). We conclude that high training volume and a fast time in a marathon were more important for a fast race time in male 100-km runners than any of the determined anthropometric variables.


Abstract. Images from two sensors, the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and the Context Camera (CTX), both on-board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), were used to generate high-quality DEMs (Digital Elevation Models) of the Martian surface. However, there were discrepancies between the DEMs generated from the images acquired by these two sensors due to various reasons, such as variations in boresight alignment between the two sensors during the flight in the complex environment. This paper presents a systematic investigation of the discrepancies between the DEMs generated from the HiRISE and CTX images. A combined adjustment algorithm is presented for the co-registration of HiRISE and CTX DEMs. Experimental analysis was carried out using the HiRISE and CTX images collected at the Mars Rover landing site and several other typical regions. The results indicated that there were systematic offsets between the HiRISE and CTX DEMs in the longitude and latitude directions. However, the offset in the altitude was less obvious. After combined adjustment, the offsets were eliminated and the HiRISE and CTX DEMs were co-registered to each other. The presented research is of significance for the synergistic use of HiRISE and CTX images for precision Mars topographic mapping.


An effective one-pot synthesis of dihydropyrimidinonoes in solvent free conditions using CuCl2 as an inexpensive and readily available reagent through Biginelli condensation reaction of aldehyde derivatives, 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds and urea is described. Excellent yields, short reaction times for formation of the products and simple work-up are attractive features of this green protocol.


Importance Predictions of long-term survival and functional outcomes influence decision making for critically ill patients, yet little is known regarding their accuracy. Objective To determine the discriminative accuracy of intensive care unit (ICU) physicians and nurses in predicting 6-month patient mortality and morbidity, including ambulation, toileting, and cognition. Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective cohort study conducted in 5 ICUs in 3 hospitals in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and enrolling patients who spent at least 3 days in the ICU from October 2013 until May 2014 and required mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, or both. These patients' attending physicians and bedside nurses were also enrolled. Follow-up was completed in December 2014. Main Outcomes and Measures ICU physicians' and nurses' binary predictions of in-hospital mortality and 6-month outcomes, including mortality, return to original residence, ability to toilet independently, ability to ambulate up 10 stairs independently, and ability to remember most things, think clearly, and solve day-to-day problems (ie, normal cognition). For each outcome, physicians and nurses provided a dichotomous prediction and rated their confidence in that prediction on a 5-point Likert scale. Outcomes were assessed via interviews with surviving patients or their surrogates at 6 months. Discriminative accuracy was measured using positive and negative likelihood ratios (LRs), C statistics, and other operating characteristics. Results Among 340 patients approached, 303 (89%) consented (median age, 62 years [interquartile range, 53-71]; 57% men; 32% African American); 6-month follow-up was completed for 299 (99%), of whom 169 (57%) were alive. Predictions were made by 47 physicians and 128 nurses. Physicians most accurately predicted 6-month mortality (positive LR, 5.91 [95% CI, 3.74-9.32]; negative LR, 0.41 [95% CI, 0.33-0.52]; C statistic, 0.76 [95% CI, 0.72-0.81]) and least accurately predicted cognition (positive LR, 2.36 [95% CI, 1.36-4.12]; negative LR, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.61-0.92]; C statistic, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.54-0.68]). Nurses most accurately predicted in-hospital mortality (positive LR, 4.71 [95% CI, 2.94-7.56]; negative LR, 0.61 [95% CI, 0.49-0.75]; C statistic, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.62-0.74]) and least accurately predicted cognition (positive LR, 1.50 [95% CI, 0.86-2.60]; negative LR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.73-1.06]; C statistic, 0.55 [95% CI, 0.48-0.62]). Discriminative accuracy was higher when physicians and nurses were confident about their predictions (eg, for physicians' confident predictions of 6-month mortality: positive LR, 33.00 [95% CI, 8.34-130.63]; negative LR, 0.18 [95% CI, 0.09-0.35]; C statistic, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.84-0.96]). Compared with a predictive model including objective clinical variables, a model that also included physician and nurse predictions had significantly higher discriminative accuracy for in-hospital mortality, 6-month mortality, and return to original residence (P < .01 for all). Conclusions and Relevance ICU physicians' and nurses' discriminative accuracy in predicting 6-month outcomes of critically ill patients varied depending on the outcome being predicted and confidence of the predictors. Further research is needed to better understand how clinicians derive prognostic estimates of long-term outcomes.


The current-injected equivalent-circuit approach has been developed for modelling and analysis of switching dc-dc converters and is very versatile. This approach can also be applied for modelling and analysis of complex converters or cascaded converters. To demonstrate the ability of the current-injected equivalent-circuit approach, the modelling and analysis of a Cuk converter is carried out. A small signal equivalent-circuit model is obtained which represents both input and output properties of the nonlinear converter. The results are presented in the form of linear equivalent-circuit models, as well as transfer functions.


The replacement of the falleln tower must appeal conivilacigll]y to luiindreds of grateful aid generotus mindiis witin the Associatioa, as indeed it will appeal to the iider circlo of doctols anid biologists thr ouglhout the world. If the clainiu be piroper ly presenited in the proper quarters, I ami satisfiedI it will be met. The Br itisl Medical Association is assuredly onie of the proper quarters, andcl the members of the, Britishli Medical Association wi-ill inot fail to resl)oid to the best of their ability.aii, etc.,


This account deals with the algae collected during a survey of the pearl and chank beds off Tuticorin during December 1958 to May 1959, conducted by Dr.F. Baschieri-Salvadori, F.A.O. Underwater Expert, in collaboration with Mr. K.
Nagappan Nayar of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and Mr. Isaac Rajendran of Madras State Fisheries, to whom the author is grateful for the algal
collections. In addition, during the above period pearl fishery was in progress (March to May) and the algae brought by divers along with oysters were also studied by the author. Practically no information is available on the deep water algae of the Indian coast except a few records published by Boergesen (1937a, 19376 and 1938). The
present account gives a fair picture of the flora of these pearl beds (Paars) in relation to substratum and depth. Though all the Paars had some form of algal vegetation,
of the 33 Paars examined, only 11 had luxuriant growth of algae. Broadly, these Paars are grouped into four zones based on the dominant community ; i.e., dominated
by red algae as in Zone I, dominated by green algae as in Zone II, a balanced vegetation without any particular group dominating as in Zone III, and dominated by brown algae as in Zone IV. It may be mentioned here that Zone III merges with Zone IV and the dominance by brown algae in Zone IV is not very distinct.


Currently, many parallel algorithms are defined for shared memory architectures. The preferred machine model is the PRAM, but this model does not take into account properties of existing architectures that have a distributed memory and an asynchronous execution model. A transformation of PRAM programs into distributed, asynchronous ones is known. In order to produce not only correct but also efficient code the tasks have to be clustered. We introduce a parallel algorithm producing an optimal clustering for coarse grained task graphs with respect to the execution time on an asynchronous distributed random access machine, the A-DRAM. This machine model assumes distributed memory, asynchronous execution of tasks, computation costs, and communication delay.<<ETX>>


Aim: Fatty liver is a common liver disease in the community. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative process cause insulin resistance, causing fatty liver. Fatty liver diseases are higher in patients infected with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) than the normal population. We aimed to investigate the relationship between hepatosteatosis and biochemical and histopathological parameters in chronic HBV patients. Materials and Methods: Patients with follow-up between September/2017-November/2019 with chronic HBV diagnosis were included. Demographic and histopathological data of all patients were documented. Comorbid diseases, medications and previous operations were questioned. The presence of steatosis was determined by ultrasonography (USG) to all patients. Biochemical and histopathological data were compared with the presence of steatosis. Results: A total of 94 patients, 50(53.1%) women were included in the study. As a result of liver biopsy; while 20(21.2%) patients had no fibrosis (steage 0), 74(78.8%) patients had fibrosis (steage 1-3). In USG, 45(47.8%) patients were found to have hepatosteatosis and 49(52.2%) patients were not. In the comparison between the groups; there was no significant relationship between sex, age, liver function tests, HBV-DNA level, hepatic activity index and hepatosteatosis (p>0.05). A significant relation was found between the presence of fibrosis and hepatosteatosis (p=0.021). Conclusions: Chronic HBV is an inflammatory process that ends with cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and in this process, fatty liver may increase disease and cause disease progression. In this context, it is important to prevent the development of steatosis in chronic HBV patients. However, this should be supported in prospective studies in larger populations.


This paper depicts a method to elaborate a high-frequency (100 kHz to 50 MHz) model of a current transformer. The method uses finite-element analysis to determine the values of the parameters of the circuit model; all electrostatic and magnetic couplings are taken into account and calculated. The paper shows how parasitic capacitance and flux leakage alter the transformer frequency response. These effects are deeply modified by the primary conductor position, by an air gap in the core, and by the presence of a shielding case around the transformer. The paper compares simulation results with experimental ones to show the accuracy of the models.


The design of a utopia was devised as a studio project in order to bring critical thinking into the design studio and to stimulate creativity. By suggesting a utopia, the pedagogical aim was to improve progressive thinking and critical thought in the design education of architectural students — and also future architects. From this perspective, the utopia called Edilia, from the book Spaces of Hope by the critical geographer David Harvey, was taken as a basis for the students to design a utopic environment. In addition to Harvey's book, students were not only challenged by the idea of an alternative society but also by the idea of a different space. Utopia, as an inter-disciplinary subject, brought various issues and different perspectives into the design studio such as public and private realms, everyday life, work, leisure, nature, technology and sustainability. With the help of the concept of utopia, a theoretically-informed design studio enabled students to criticise the existing world, dream about an alternative one and make the design of their dreams in a creative way.


Background : Respiratory scores are an objective method of detecting severity of disease and response to treatment. However, choosing the most accurate system can be confusing with the availability of many different scores of varying complexities. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to a) compare 2 respiratory scores i.e.Kristjansson Respiratory Score (KRS) and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Respiratory Scores (CHWRS), at predicting admission, b) correlate oxygen saturation at with length of stay (LOS), need for admission andnon-invasive ventilator, c) correlate change in respiratory score within 24 hours admission and LOS, d) determine the interrater reliability of the 2 scores, e) determine the association between aetiology and length of stay and e) identify components of the respiratory score which correlated with admission, in children admitted with bronchiolitis. Design: This is a single center, cross-sectional study at Pediatric Trauma Unit University Malaya Medical Centre, from March 20 l 7 to August 2017. Sample Population: Children aged l till 18 months old presenting with acute bronchiolitis were included. Patients with: chronic respiratory di case, congenital heart disease, more than 2 episodes of wheezing, diagnosis of asthma, symptoms more than 14 days and parents who refused consent were excluded. Methods: Each patient was assessed by 2 doctors using the 2 scoring systems(KRS and CHWRS) in the emergency department and within 24 hours after admission. Admission was decided by the managing doctor. , Demographic date, length of stay, nasopharyngeal cultures and virology, treatment received during admission and clinicalprogress were collected. Results: One hundred and twenty-nine children met the inclusion criteria but only 122 patients were recruited. Median (IQR) age of patients was 9 (6,12) months old and majority were discharged (69.7%). The are under receiver operating characteristic curve (aROC) for predicting admission was 0.832 for Children's Hospital of Winconsin Respiratory Score and 0.760 for Kristjansson Respiratory Score. Low saturation (Spo2<95%) was associated with need for admission (p=0.008) and for non-invasive ventilation (p= 0.027). The inter-rater reliability between the first and second assessors for CHWRS (Intraclass Classification [ICC] 0.918) was higher than for KRS (ICC: 0.829). The highest interrater reliability for CHWRS were chest x-ray (ICC 0.918) and heart rate (ICC O.892); whereas for the KRS, general condition (ICC 0.749) and respiratory rat (ICC00.742) were the highest. There was no association between length of stay and change in respiratory score from admission to 24 hrs after admission ( CHWRS r= 0.137, p 0.418; KRS r= 0.157, p= 0.352). Co-infection (bacterial and virus) was associated with a longer hospital tay (p=0.032). Breath sounds and surgical status in the CHWRS and breath sound and skin colour in the KRS were poor at predicting admission. Conclusion CHWRS had a better discriminative power in predicting admission and higher interrater reliability compared to KRS. Low saturation was significantly a ssociated with the need for admission and non-invasive ventilation. Co-infection (bacterial and virus) was associated with a longer hospital stay. Breath sound and skin colour were poor at predicting outcome. (Word count 488)


The present work reports the study of oil-water dispersed flows experimentally. Small scale experiments using small diameter pipe flow loops or rheometers are commonly used for the characterization of oil-water flows in the industry. These small scale techniques offer a relatively simple and low cost alternative. However, the applicability of these small scale results in large scale real systems remains uncertain.The objective of the present work is to have a better understanding on the scale up of oil-water dispersed pipe flow. To this aim a combination of dispersed oil-water flow experiments with unstable and stable mineral oil mixtures as well as with real crude oils was carried out. The experiments were performed in different pipe diameters using different experimental setups depending of the stability of the oil-water mixtures. An existing flow loop at the Statoil Research Centre was used for the crude oil experiments. Unstable dispersions were tested in the Multiphase Flow loop at NTNU. Major modifications had to be made to this facility for the experiments with stable oil-water mixtures in different pipe diameters. Mineral oils with special additives that resemble real crudes, available as part of the FACE consortium, were used here.The qualification of small scale characterization methods was also part of the initial plan. Nevertheless, the pipe diameter effect results with stable dispersions required additional experiments which took additional time. Therefore, the small scale characterization techniques were not properly qualified.Appropriate instrumentation is of key importance when studying complex flow structures as in dispersed oil-water two phase flow. A feasibility study for the development of a multiple beam two energy gamma densitometer was also performed as part of the present work. An instrument capable of providing the cross sectional distribution of the phases in the pipe would certainly have added interesting information if used in the present work. The development of this instrument will be extremely useful for future work in this field.


The pl.lrpOse of this study was to identify the principles and practices curr ently implemented in providing reading instruction in kindergarten through grade five in the Fairport Central School District. The subjects in this study included 149 elementary classroom teachers and 11 elementary reading teachers from the four elementary school buildings in the Fairpbrt Central School District. Of these 160 teachers, 1 P of them were also interviewed. The survey responses were presented quantitatively. All of the answers on the survey questions were compared by percentages of t:\le total number of responses. Both the survey results and the interview responses were analyzed qualitatively to 1ocate any patterns or trends that occurr ed. The findings revealed that there are a wide variety of professional principles and practices being currently implemented in teaching reading in Fairport in grades K -5. The district adopted the Houghton Mifflin Literary Reader about ten years ago, and it is still used in a variety of ways. There is an emphasis on early intervention, and reading instruction incorporates reading, writing, listening, and speaking through a variety of methods. The administration and teachers support each othet in efforts to bring about reading success for all students. Flexibility, team teaching, daily reading, and providing successful reading opportunities were other key pieces of teachers' reading philosophies and instruction. The teachers' experience, with an average of twenty years, coupled with a high level of professionalism, allows for continuous growth in the well-rounded reading program.


Abstract Although the nature of warfare has changed beyond recognition since the 1920s and 1930s when Chairman Mao Zedong penned his main military writings, his military thoughts are still a point of reference for any discussion on military thinking in modern China. Developments in warfare have superseded Mao's operational principles and tactics visualised in his three-stage warfare; however, his philosophical and political understanding of war has value that transcends time and space. The present article shows that the political and military situation in China in the 1920s and 1930s shaped Mao's military thoughts, and his military ideas were an original contribution to Marxist thought. The extent to which pre-existing non-Marxist Chinese and Western scholarly traditions of strategic thinking influenced his ideas is uncertain. Mao's military ideas continue to provide normative direction in China, with the potential of opportunistic philosophical manipulation by the government. In addition, the righteous convictions of his military thoughts continue to capture the imagination of anti-system dissenters worldwide.


Abstract Primary nerve repair is the gold standard in nerve reconstruction. When primary repair is not possible for injured nerves, conduit-assisted repair methods are frequently used. As conduits, autologous vein segments or allogenic biodegradable products can be used. However, their effectiveness when used in a nerve defect where a size discrepancy exists has not been compared. In this study, either a vein graft or a synthetic collagen conduit was used to bridge 10-mm defects between size-discrepant tibial and peroneal nerves in a rat model. After 90 days, nerve regeneration was evaluated using electrophysiological and histological methods. It can be concluded based on the results of this study that bridging a 10-mm nerve gap with synthetic collagen conduits and autologous vein grafts yielded similar results in small-to-large nerve coaptations, with the vein graft being slightly more effective.


Researchers and practitioners have increasingly recognized the importance of offering value propositions to customers that enable value co-creation as discussed in the Service-Dominant Logic (S-D logic). S-D logic recognizes customers as active cocreators and posits that products and services are only means to an end. Also, different approaches, methods and tools have been developed to design value propositions however they still lack to explicit the S-D logic principles. The design of solutions that provide value-in-use is at the center of both Product Service System (PSS) approach and Service Design (SD). Whereas PSS focuses on designing required functions and aims at sustainability, embedding a more organization-centered approach and problem-solving way of thinking; SD adopts a more human-centered perspective for creative enquiry and focuses on the customer experience, orchestrating interactions between different actors that engage over time, in a complex socio-technological environment. Although SD becomes more established as a discipline, it tends to focus on the early stages of the design process and could further expand its impact if integrated with current organizational innovation approaches. Moreover, PSS design is currently well known in industries and similar principles may be shared among these disciplines. However, so far, these approaches have not been fully integrated. This paper analyses the PSS and SD approaches in light of the S-D logic. It attempts to provide a more comprehensive discussion about these two approaches and proposes a conceptual framework for integrating PSS organizational point of view; and SD human-centered focus to design better service.


This Review emphasizes the impact of APOE4—the most significant genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD)—on peripheral and neural effects starting in childhood. We discuss major mechanistic players associated with the APOE alleles' effects in humans to understand their impact from conception through all life stages and the importance of detrimental, synergistic environmental exposures. APOE4 influences AD pathogenesis, and exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), manufactured nanoparticles (NPs), and ultrafine particles (UFPs) associated with combustion and friction processes appear to be major contributors to cerebrovascular dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress. In the context of outdoor and indoor PM pollution burden—as well as Fe, Ti, and Al alloys; Hg, Cu, Ca, Sn, and Si UFPs/NPs—in placenta and fetal brain tissues, urban APOE3 and APOE4 carriers are developing AD biological disease hallmarks (hyperphosphorylated-tau (P-tau) and amyloid beta 42 plaques (Aβ42)). Strikingly, for Metropolitan Mexico City (MMC) young residents ≤ 40 y, APOE4 carriers have 4.92 times higher suicide odds and 23.6 times higher odds of reaching Braak NFT V stage versus APOE4 non-carriers. The National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA) framework could serve to test the hypothesis that UFPs and NPs are key players for oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, protein aggregation and misfolding, faulty complex protein quality control, and early damage to cell membranes and organelles of neural and vascular cells. Noninvasive biomarkers indicative of the P-tau and Aβ42 abnormal protein deposits are needed across the disease continuum starting in childhood. Among the 21.8 million MMC residents, we have potentially 4 million APOE4 carriers at accelerated AD progression. These APOE4 individuals are prime candidates for early neuroprotective interventional trials. APOE4 is key in the development of AD evolving from childhood in highly polluted urban centers dominated by anthropogenic and industrial sources of pollution. APOE4 subjects are at higher early risk of AD development, and neuroprotection ought to be implemented. Effective reductions of PM2.5, UFP, and NP emissions from all sources are urgently needed. Alzheimer's Disease prevention ought to be at the core of the public health response and physicians-scientist minority research be supported.


Cool thermal energy storage could become one of the primary solutions to manage peaks, low load factors, electrical power imbalance between daytime and nighttime, and to offer the possibility to reduce electricity costs for the customer. This kind of storage uses off-peak power to provide cooling capacity by extracting heat from a storage medium. Typically these systems use refrigeration equipment to create at night a reservoir of cold liquid or solid material. During the day, the reservoir is tapped to provide cooling capacity. To evaluate the opportunities of storage it is necessary to have accurate load models. The problem of modeling of cool thermal storage is addressed in this work. The proposed load model rely on information about the physical characteristics of an hypothetical load at the residential sector of customers. Some simulation results are shown and some demand responsive alternatives are also proposed in the work.


The eruption of COVID-19 pandemic virus caused a challenge to the whole world, prevent or cure from its further spreading or survive with it, or revive of economy. To prevent from the spreading of virus government of India resisted lockdown which stops travel and tourism completely. Restrictions on global and interstate travel affected business sector exception allowed to daily need commodity its huge shock to nations economy. This research paper is investigating the results of covid-19 pandemic on economic growth in tourism sector. This paper is classified into following dimensions: domain of tourism facilities, tourists arrival and methodology. The aspects of this paper are focusing on tourism industry, including revenue impact, employment loss, issues facing by workers, market demand, recovery of the tourism industry, behavior of tourist for safety and health, preference of customers. Its analysis based on secondary data which discuss the pandemic activities and measuring the impression of the pandemic on the tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh.


Introduction An increasing number of case reports have associated vaccinations against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with immune-mediated thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP), a very rare but potentially life-threatening thrombotic microangiopathy, which leads to ischemic organ dysfunction. Thrombus formation in iTTP is related to a severe deficiency of the specific von Willebrand-factor-cleaving protease ADAMTS13 due to ADAMTS13 autoantibodies. Methods We present a case of iTTP following exposure to the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine BNT162b2 (Comirnaty®, Pfizer-BioNTech). In addition, we review previously reported cases in the literature and assess current evidence. Results Apart from our case, twenty cases of iTTP occurring after COVID-19 vaccination had been published until the end of November 2021. There were 11 male and 10 female cases; their median age at diagnosis was 50 years (range 14–84 years). Five patients (24%) had a preexisting history of iTTP. Recombinant adenoviral vector-based vaccines were involved in 19%, mRNA-based vaccines in 81%. The median onset of symptoms after vaccination was 12 days (range 5–37), with 20 cases presenting within 30 days. Treatment included therapeutic plasma exchange in all patients. Additional rituximab, caplacizumab, or both these treatments were given in 43% (9/21), 14% (3/21), and 24% (5/21) of cases, respectively. One patient died, despite a prolonged clinical course in one patient, all surviving patients were in clinical remission at the end of the observational period. Conclusion Clinical features of iTTP following COVID-19 vaccination were in line with those of pre-pandemic iTTP. When timely initiated, an excellent response to standard treatment was seen in all cases. ADAMTS13 activity should be determined pre-vaccination in patients with a history of a previous iTTP episode. None of the reported cases met the WHO criteria for assessing an adverse event following immunization (AEFI) as a consistent causal association to immunization. Further surveillance of safety data and additional case-based assessment are needed.


Abstract While fragility is typically defined as 'the quality of being easily broken or damaged', within a musical framework the term can be understood through a myriad of causal lenses. One must consider what can be 'broken' or damaged' in a musical context, and secondly how this sense of impairment might present itself. This article offers an extensive categorisation of musical fragility, and a characterisation of it in its numerous forms across the works of a broad range of composers. Through classification, a distinction between local and large-scale fragility emerges. A typology of fragilities makes it possible both to identify them in works that might not necessarily be considered fragile and to identify works that use combinations of fragility types. This classification involves ten types, with compositions from new and experimental acoustic music offered as examples.


Lithographically defined microelectrode arrays now permit high-density recording and stimulation in the brain and are facilitating new insights into the organization and function of the central nervous system. They will soon allow more detailed mapping of neural structures than has ever before been possible, and capabilities for highly localized drug-delivery are being added for treating disorders such as severe epilepsy. For chronic neuroscience and neuroprosthesis applications, the arrays are being used in implantable microsystems that provide embedded signal processing and wireless data transmission to the outside world. A 64-channel microsystem amplifies the neural signals by 60 dB with a user-programmable bandwidth and an input-referred noise level of 8 μV rms before processing the signals digitally. The channels can be scanned at a rate of 62.5 kS/s, and signals above a user-specified biphasic threshold are transmitted wirelessly to the external world at 2 Mbps. Individual channels can also be digitized and viewed externally at high resolution to examine spike waveforms. The microsystem dissipates 14.14 mW from 1.8 V and measures 1.4 x 1.55 cm 2 .


Diphtheria is caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae primarily affecting mucous membrane of upper airways. Global incidence of diphtheria has reduced due to worldwide immunization programs. Yet cases of diphtheria are reported across the world because of poor vaccine coverage, large population and low socio economic status. We report here a case of diphtheria in an 11-year-old girl who presented with fever, sore throat, difficulty in swallowing and hoarseness of voice for 3 days. Hematological analysis showed neutrophil leukocytosis with normal lymphocytes, CRP was raised, cardiac profile, renal function test, hepatic functions and chest x-ray were normal. Microscopy of throat swab revealed rods containing metachromatic granules on Albert stain. Intramuscular penicillin was started and diphtheria antioxin was administered. The child recovered uneventfully and was kept on follow up.


A series of composite inorganic–organic materials from the copper/cyanide/organoimine system have been isolated and structurally characterized. The structural consequences of introducing sterically demanding substituents and of expanding the donor to donor distance in linear dipodal organodiimine ligands has been addressed, exploiting the bridging bidentate ligands pyrazine (pyr), 2-methylpyrazine (mpyr), 2-ethylpyrazine (etpyr), 2,3-dimethylpyrazine (2,3-dmp), 2,5-dimethylpyrazine (2,5-dmp), 2,6-dimethylpyrazine (2,6-dmp), quinoxaline (qox), phenazine (phenz), 4,4′-bipyridine (4,4′-bpy) and trans-4,4′-bipyridylethylene (dpe). Hydrothermal reactions of CuCN and KCN with the appropriate ligand yielded two general subclasses of materials: two-dimensional networks and three-dimensional frameworks. The 2-D phases include [Cu3(CN)3(pyr)] (1), [Cu2(CN)2(etpyr)]
(2), [Cu2(CN)2(tmp)] (3), [Cu2(CN)2(qox)] (4), [Cu2(CN)2(phenz)] (5) and [Cu7(CN)7(4,4′-bpy)2] (6). The 3-D materials are represented by [Cu3(CN)3(pyr)2] (7), [Cu2(CN)2(mpyr)] (8), [Cu2(CN)2(2,3-dmp)] (9), [Cu2(CN)2(2,5-dmp)] (10), [Cu2(CN)2(2,6-dmp)] (11), [Cu2(CN)2(4,4′-bpy)](12)
and [Cu2(CN)2(dpe)] (13). The materials characteristically exhibit {Cu(CN)}n chains and/or {Cux(CN)x} rings as structural motifs. The detailed connectivity between such substructures is influenced by the identity of the organodiimine ligand and the associated steric demands and spatial extension. The syntheses and structural characterization by X-ray diffraction of 1–13 are discussed in relation to the supramolecular chemistry of other copper cyanide solid state materials.


Seismic processing techniques, such as migration, have strict requirements on information content in the input seismic data. Although not a substitute for well-sampled field data, interpolation can provide useful data preconditioning that allows migration to work better. Seismic data interpolation has been around for long time, but only recently have we been able to use complex multidimensional and global algorithms that have the capability to infill large gaps in 3D land surveys. This innovation offers great potential for improvement, but for this technology to become useful, many questions still need answers. What are the best domains in which to interpolate? What is the optimal size of operators given a particular level of structural complexity? Should we pursue an ideal geometry for migration or should we stay close to the input geometry in order to minimize distortions? How does sampling in multiple dimensions affect our traditional aliasing constraints? How can we infill large gaps without using a model for our data? Are irregularities in sampling beneficial? Understanding land data interpolation may help to solve many problems in seismic processing. In this paper, we address some of these issues and show some examples of multidimensional land data interpolation.


Until recently few local authorities had considered the need for cycling network plans covering entire regional areas. Even fewer had implemented and evaluated such plans. The Fremantle City Council from 1980 to 1987 set about establishing Fremantle as a 'bicycle friendly city'. Using detailed field monitoring and evaluation data gathered over those years, this report analyses the cost-effectiveness of their bicycle planning, and the transport effectiveness of Fremantles safer cycling routes. The analysis shows that the Fremantle Network Bike Plan was a worthwhile economic investment for the community. A 12% annual increase in the cycling population brought transport and health savings to that community of $420,000 per annum, compared to the implementation costs of the bike plan at 273,00Opa. In addition to social and environmental benefits this meant a benefit to cost ratio, in economic terms alone, of 1.46 to 1. Some conclusions are also presented on the effectiveness of different cycling facilities, in particular the need to maintain route continuity and speed for cyclists as a priority issue, and the need for other Councils to encourage cycling and promote their achievements.


An experimental program was conducted to characterize the failure modes of fiber-reinforced composite materials which are important to the automotive industry for both structural and non-structural applications. The composite materials utilized for this study included a randomly oriented, chopped glass reinforced polyester (SMC), Azdel's P-100 glass mat reinforced polypropylene, reaction injection molded (RIM) glass mat reinforced polycarbonate, Wellman's magnesium silicate filled nylon (Wellamid), and Dow's glass filled polyurea (Spectrum HT). The study included (1) conditioning and mechanical testing of samples, (2) fractographic examination, (3) development of a computerized atlas of all fractographs, and (4) design of a preliminary failure analysis expert system. Fractographs of all five materials unconditioned, and subjected to thermal aging or humidity aging identifying typical topographical features and fracture surfaces are presented for specimens subjected to tension, compression, flexure, impact, tension-compression fatigue, and flexure fatigue testing. The fractographic information obtained was summarized in two computerized atlases. In addition, the results were used to develop an expert system that guides the user in establishing potential failure modes based on the type of material, environmental conditions, and features observed on fracture surfaces. It should be noted that the expert system has been utilized for test specimens only and has not been tested on actual parts fabricated of the materials utilized in this study.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether or not pre-donation testing of blood donors affords substantial cost savings without compromise to blood transfusion safety. Pre-donation testing of blood donors for Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTIs) is done in most developing countries because substantial cost savings are made from resources, materials and man-hours which would have been spent to procure infected blood units. Simple rapid test kits used in pre-donation testing is not as sensitive as the Enzyme Linked Immuno-sorbent Assay (ELISA) method used in post-donation screening in a quality assured manner.

DESIGN
It is a retrospective study where records of pre- and post-donation tests done in donor clinic of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, between January and December 2010 were retrieved. All processes and inputs were evaluated and costs calculated for pre-donation testing by simple rapid techniques and post donation screening by ELISA.

RESULTS
5000 prospective donors were tested in the study period. The cost of single rapid Pre-donation testing was less than that of single ELISA Post-donation screen. The cost of double rapid Pre-donation and Post donation ELISA screen exceeded the cost of single post donation ELISA screen. Substantial cost savings were made when single rapid Pre-donation testing is relied on. More blood units were found reactive for the TTIs with the more expensive Post-donation ELISA.

CONCLUSION
Pre-donation testing of blood donors was not cost effective. Although, there is an apparent savings if pre-donation testing is not followed by post-donation ELISA testing, it is done at a compromise to blood transfusion safety.


Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis) tree has high adaptability to environment and tolerance to water stress, and a long history of utilization and plantation in many countries. However, researches on Chinese Hackberry were mostly focused on the biomass analyses and utilizations of its wood, and lacked those to analyze the chemical components of extractives of Chinese Hackberry leaves, which was very important to recover and utilize the polluting waste Chinese Hackberry leaves. Therefore, the chemical components of benzene/ethanol extractives of Chinese Hackberry leaves were analyzed by method of GC/MS in order to identify top value-added bioactive components from waste leaves of Chinese Hackberry tree. The analytical result showed that the main components of benzene/ethanol extractives of freeze-dried Chinese Hackberry leaves by GC/MS analysis were identified 10 components (106 peaks) as: Sesquirosefuran (48.57%), Thiophene, 2-ethyltetrahydro- (20.01 %), Hexatriacontane (8.67%), Octadecane (8.60%), 1-Eicosanol Pregn-4-en-3-one, 20-hydroxy-, (20R)- (4.52%), 1-Amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)anthraquinone (3.63%), 1,3-Diphenyl-(4H)1,2,4-triazoline- (1.92%), Tricyclo[220.127.116.11,8]undecane-1-carboxylic acid (1.69%), Eucalyptol (1.60%), etc. As the first report here, our result by GC/MS showed that the benzene-methanol extractive of freeze-dried Chinese Hackberry leaves can be developed into top value-added materials of spicery, biomedicines, and biofuel.


S This paper provides investigation about the links between Polymers and Drug, which can provide information for drug enforcement authorities. Oral route of drug administration is oldest and safest mode of drug administration which does not possess the sterility problem with minimal risk of damage at the site of administration. Close cooperation between laboratory and law enforcement personnel is essential to maximize the operational value of drug characterization studies. For stable & satisfactory extend release profile of drug from fabricated polymeric matrix preparation in the form of tablets were identified with different proportion. Chemical links between Drug (Trimetazidine.HCl) and Polymer (Metalose) were established, which was studied by FTIR, UV and with other technique. There were some comparative study between drug and polymer which, analytically determines the approach of stability. For stability measurement relative humidity was under taken; 30°C/65 % RH & 40°C/75 % RH for 30 days. Formulations of drug content, hardness, friability were measured. From drug formulation, measurement after 30 days (drug-polymer contact time), the drug content found to be ~95.92 which is nearly equivalent to original drug content. This experiment found that by using Metalose polymer causes no change in drug property and can satisfactorily use.


Agent-based systems are rapidly gaining prominence in the industry. These agent-systems are all heterogeneous in nature and usually are not inter-operable with each other. The agents follow different languages and offer customized services. We foresee that in the future, there would be a need to discover agents depending on the type of work they do and the type of service they offer. We would also need an uniform network independent communication infrastructure to make the agents collaborate with each other. In this paper, we describe an architecture which aids in the efficient discovery of agents using semantic knowledge. The agents are developed using the Ronin Agent Development framework which enables agents to communicate with each other in the a network independent manner.


Known as the father of the Jewish Enlightenment, Mendelssohn argued powerfully for religious toleration and Jewish emancipation. His campaign to take Jewish people into secular society brought him into conflict with both anti-Semites and conservative rabbis. These volumes include his biography, documents relating to the controversy and Mendelssohn's main work, "Jerusalem".


In this paper, the influence of tie beams for piers is investigated on the dynamic characteristics and the seismic performance of a continuous rigid frame bridge with twin-legged piers. Modal analyses and the linear seismic response analyses are performed on a practical continuous rigid frame bridge with twin-legged piers with no tie beam, one tie beam and three tie beams of pier, using software Midas/civil. The findings indicate that installing tie beams of pier can increase the natural frequencies of this kind of bridge. Setting tie beams of pier is disadvantageous to the seismic performance of the bridge beam, but advantageous to improving the seismic performance of the twin-legged piers. The influence of tie beams of pier on the seismic performance on the whole structure is relevant to the pier height. These analytical results provide a reference for the seismic design and analysis of similar structures.


Richard de Filippi says it won't be easy and it won't happen quickly, but with the help and collaborative leadership of key partners--including the hospital trustee community--health care reform will happen. The new chair-elect of the American Hospital Association, a trustee himself and a former hospital board chairman, is very optimistic.


Technology is one of the most powerful tools that can be provided to people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). It is widely accepted among user and clinical communities that wheelchairs can be tremendously empowering when properly selected, fitted, and the users are adequately trained. Unfortunately, wheelchair users are being negatively impacted by misguided changes in reimbursement for wheelchairs and associated technology resulting in them obtaining lower quality products. To make matters worse, newly injured people rarely receive sufficient training in wheelchair skills and maintenance, leading to premature wheelchair failure, injuries and down-time for users, and higher barriers to community participation. Conversely, new technologies show promise to increase the capabilities of people with SCI, but will trends change and make these technologies available and reimbursable? Science must push ahead and show the possibilities, while advocacy must drive policy to catch up.

Participatory action design (ie. the inclusion of end-users extensively throughout the research, design and development process) is a growing trend and will likely become a de facto norm over time. At some point, engineering, science, clinical service, and public policy will embrace the "Screams of Nothing About Us Without Us" from people with SCI and the advocacy community.

People with SCI rely heavily on a wide variety of technology to maintain health and to participate in life's activities. Some technology is obvious to the casual observer, such as wheelchairs, whereas others are incorporated in universal design, such as curb-cuts, automated doors openers, and computer-operating systems. As the world has become more technologically advanced, it has become more accessible for people with SCI in many regards. For example, cellular phones provide ready communication, help make people safer, and will likely become a standard means of providing education, coaching performance, and helping to maintain health.

Many new technologies are emerging or improving at a substantial rate, which is a hopeful sign in light of declining state and federal research expenditures. A bright spot is the growing interest from industry, and the perspective that people with SCI are a viable commercial market. With successful employment initiatives, more will become employed, thus increasing their discretionary income, and expanding their voice for positive change.

Some clear patterns seem to be emerging: wearable or wheelchair mounted sensors are becoming ubiquitous, which will expand the use of the "medical home model" and "rehabilitation in the natural environment"; robotic and intelligent systems are likely to transform the quality of life and independence of people with SCI in years to come; flexible manufacturing and additive fabrication (e.g. 3D printing) will transform practice, manufacturing, and research; wheelchairs remain essential means of mobility and support for people with SCI, with much that remains to be understood and translated into practice; and sports are an essential, yet under-utilized modality of rehabilitation, community reintegration, and long-term health.

Scientists, engineers, and clinicians with SCI are growing in number and gradually, but steadily, changing the research landscape. Ideally, in the future, we will see more teams of scientists, engineers, and clinicians that include people with and without SCI working together to conduct pioneering research, to create transformational technology, and to establish model clinical programs. Assuredly, technology will play a major role to make this vision of the future become reality.


Background: DNA double strand breaks are the cytotoxic lesions produced by ionising radiation. Critical for the repair of these lesions is the DNA damage response protein MRE11 which, in a complex with RAD50 and NBS1, mediates DNA damage signalling and double-strand break repair. We previously found the presence of an MRE11 germline single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs1805363 (G > A), to be associated with poor outcome following radiotherapy (RT) and increased expression of MRE11 isoform 2 in a limited panel of bladder cancer cell lines and tumours. Objectives: To look for further evidence in support of the SNP/isoform association in a larger panel of germline and tumour samples donated by patients diagnosed with invasive bladder cancer, and to test the hypothesis that bladder cancer cells expressing MRE11 isoform 2 would be more radio resistant than cells expressing MRE11 isoform 1. Methods: Germline DNA from 189 patients with invasive bladder cancer (141 T2, 48 T1) was genotyped for the rs1805363 G > A SNP. Loss of heterozygosity was determined by genotyping tumour DNA in 17GA germline patients. The Cancer Genome Atlas was mined to correlate presence of the GA germline genotype with MRE11 isoform expression. We used colony formation assays and γH2AX foci kinetics after ionising radiation in RT112 MRE11 knockdown cells expressing ectopic MRE11 isoform 1 or 2. Results: Of the 189 germline DNA samples, 22 contained both the A minor allele and G major allele with the remaining wild type containing only the G major allele. LOH was identified in seven of 17 available tumour samples. Tumour MRE11 isoform 2 expression was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.007) in patients's samples containing the A minor allele compared to those with only the G major allele (n = 23). In the TCGA database we found 16% (66 out of 406) of bladder tumours heterozygous for the SNP and only two homozygous, and a significant relative increase of isoform 2 usage (p = 0.017). We identified no significant difference in radio sensitivity between bladder cancer cells expressing either MRE11 isoform. Conclusions: In this study the MRE11 isoform 2 was not found to be associated with increased cellular sensitivity to radiation. We conclude that the previously reported association between the germline rs1805363 SNP and poor survival in MIBC patients following RT is unlikely to be related to the DNA damage response function of MRE11 isoform 2.


Their tunable electrical, optical, and mechanical properties make freestanding membranes of organically cross-linked gold nanoparticles (GNPs) interesting materials for applications in micro- and nanoelectromechanical systems. Here, we demonstrate the application of α,ω-alkanedithiol-cross-linked GNP membranes as electrostatically driven actuators. The devices were fabricated by depositing these membranes (thickness 29-45 nm) onto cylindrical cavities (diameter ∼200 μm; depth ∼8-15 μm), which were lithographically patterned in a SU-8 resist. Applying voltages of up to ±40 V across the membrane and the silicon substrate deflected the membranes by several hundreds of nanometers, as measured by atomic force microscopy, confocal microscopy, and interferometry. A simple electrostatic model, which takes into account the membranes' mechanical properties, was used to interpret the experimental data.


This paper concerns multiphase piecewise smooth image segmentation with intensity inhomogeneities. Traditional methods based on the Mumford-Shah (MS) model require solving complicated diffusion equations evolving in irregular subdomains, leading to significant difficulties in efficient and accurate segmentation, especially in multiphase scenarios. In this paper, we propose a general framework to modify the MS model by using smoothing operators that can avoid the complicated implementation and inaccurate segmentation of traditional approaches. A detailed analysis connecting the smoothing operators and the diffusion equations is given to justify the modification. In addition, we present an efficient algorithm based on the direct augmented Lagrangian method, which requires fewer parameters than the commonly used augmented Lagrangian method. Typically, the smoothing operator in the general model is chosen to be Gaussian kernel, the bilateral kernel and the directional diffusion kernel, respectively. Ample numerical results are provided to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the modified model and the proposed minimisation algorithm through various comparisons with existing approaches.


Eight expert orthopedic pathologists voluntarily reviewed the clinicoradiologic and histologic data from 12 selected cases coded as osteosarcoma over the past seven years (procured from a total of 40 cases) from the files of the University of North Carolina and Wake Forest University. The study sample was chosen to include a full spectrum of histologic grades and subtypes including conventional, low-grade central, chondroblastoma-like, osteoblastoma-like, small cell, telangiectatic, parosteal, and periosteal variants. Participants were asked to render a diagnosis, provide a histologic grade (if applicable), and offer an opinion as to whether the patient could benefit from chemotherapy. Uniform agreement regarding the diagnosis of osteosarcoma was observed in 7 cases (58 hr %), including the most common, conventional subtypes, and the telangiectatic, parosteal, and periosteal variants. Among the remaining 5 cases, the consensus majority (> 4) also was osteosarcoma. However, additional diagnoses ranged from osteoblastoma to high-grade osteosarcoma in two tumors, mesenchymal chondrosarcoma versus small cell osteosarcoma in one, fibrosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma versus fibroblastic osteosarcoma in another, and clear cell chondrosarcoma versus chondroblastoma versus chondroblastic osteosarcoma in a fifth. Among osteosarcoma diagnoses, histologic grading ranged from low- to high-grade osteosarcoma in 6 tumors (50%). Regarding the necessity for chemotherapy, there was disagreement from at least one consultant in 7 cases (58 hr %). Evaluation of the intraclass correlation coefficient revealed modest agreement with respect to histologic grade and therapy but poor agreement for diagnosis, the latter reflecting the wide range of diagnoses in a minority of cases. Interobserver variability exists among expert orthopedic pathologists for determining the diagnosis, histologic grade, and necessity of chemotherapy in less common forms of osteosarcoma. A more objective histologic grading and scoring system for osteosarcoma should be established, followed by multi-institutional studies assessing the usefulness of the system as it relates to the necessity of chemotherapy and survival.


The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the temperature-humidity index (THI) on milk production traits and somatic cell score (SCS) of dairy cows raised in 4 different housing systems: (1) warm loose housing with access to grazing (WG), (2) warm loose housing without access to grazing (WI), (3) cold loose housing with access to grazing (CG), and (4) cold loose housing without access to grazing (CI). For each of the 4 housing systems, 5 farms with a herd size of 70 to 200 lactating cows in Lower Saxony, Germany, were studied. Ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded hourly in each barn to calculate THI. Milk production data included 21,546 test-day records for milk, fat, and protein yield, and SCS. These data were associated with the average THI of the 3 d preceding the respective measurement, which was divided into 6 classes (<45, ≥45 to <50, ≥50 to <55, ≥55 to <60, ≥60 to <65, and ≥65). Furthermore, bulk milk samples including the fat and protein percentage, and SCS taken 4 to 6 times per month were associated with the average and maximum THI of the 3 d before sampling. Data were recorded from April 2010 to March 2011. In each of the housing systems, monthly THI values above 60, indicating heat stress, were recorded between June and September, with higher values in WI and WG. In all systems, fat-corrected milk, fat, and protein yields of the test-day records decreased in tendency from 60 ≤ THI<65 to THI >65. In WI and CI, values for SCS were greater in the class THI > 65 than in 60 ≤ THI<65, whereas no difference between any of the THI classes was found in WG and CG. The fat and protein percentage of the bulk milk samples decreased with increasing 3-d maximum THI in all 4 systems, whereas the SCS increased with increasing 3-d average THI. In conclusion, negative effects of heat stress conditions under a temperate climate on milk production traits and SCS were found, although a housing system being superior to the other systems in altering heat stress effects was not identified.


The Aladag Ophiolite (also known as the Pozanti-Karsanti Ophiolite) is one of the largest Neotethyan ophiolites in Turkey and represents Cretaceous oceanic lithosphere derived from the Inner Tauride seaway of Neotethys. Its peridotites consist of spinel harzburgites, dunites and chromitites. The harzburgites display a depleted mineral and whole-rock geochemistry, indicating high degrees of partial melting. They contain Pd- and Pt-rich interstitial sulphides, which crystallized from S-saturated melts during melt–rock interactions. Their spoon-shaped rare earth element patterns indicate metasomatism by fluids, derived from a subducting slab, which were enriched in light rare earth elements. The chromitites in both the mantle and mantle–crust transition zone rock units show similar geochemical compositions, typical of high-Cr chromitites. They also show similar chondrite-normalized platinum group element patterns characterized by Os, Ir, Ru and Rh enrichments relative to Pt and Pd. The parental melts of the Aladag Ophiolite chromitites were S-undersaturated and boninitic in composition. The presence of microdiamond, moissanite, zircon and needle-shaped clinopyroxene exsolutions in chromite (chr) grains suggests that their formation might have originally involved high-temperature and high-pressure conditions within the mantle transition zone before their participation in further melting and the formation of oceanic crust at shallow depths in a forearc tectonic setting during the initiation of intra-oceanic subduction within the Inner Tauride seaway. Supplementary material: Sampling and analytical methods, representative microprobe analyses and whole-rock major and trace element compositions are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4153631 Thematic collection: This article is part of the 'Tethyan ophiolites and Tethyan seaways collection' available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/tethyan-ophiolites-and-tethyan-seaways


Objectives The current treatment of cats with chronic enteropathy frequently includes use of a prescription diet and daily medication administration, with the potential for side effects or problems with owner compliance, and may still result in treatment failure in some cases. The objective of this study was to determine if stem cell therapy was a safe and viable treatment in cases of feline chronic enteropathy. Methods Allogeneic adipose-derived feline mesenchymal stem cells (fMSC) were used to treat seven cats with diarrhea of no less than 3 months' duration, while four cats with a similar clinical condition received placebo, in a blinded manner. Three additional cats were treated with an identical fMSC protocol, but owners were not blinded to the treatment. Owners completed a questionnaire characterizing clinical signs both before entering the study and 2 weeks following the second of two fMSC or placebo treatments. Owners were also surveyed for similar input by email 1–2 months later before being unblinded to their cat's study group. Besides the fMSC or placebo treatment, no other changes were made in diet, supplement or medication administration during the study. Results No adverse reactions or side effects were attributed to the fMSC therapy in any of the cats. Owners of 5/7 fMSC-treated cats reported significant improvement or complete resolution of clinical signs, while the owner of the remaining two cats reported modest but persistent improvement. Owners of placebo-treated cats reported no change or worsening of clinical signs. Of the owners not blinded to the treatment, one reported marked improvement, one reported no change and one was lost to follow-up. Conclusions and relevance Although allogeneic adipose-derived fMSC therapy appears to be a safe and potentially effective treatment for cats suffering from chronic enteropathy, these preliminary results require significant follow-up study.


We present a patient with end-stage kidney disease receiving hemodialysis therapy who developed severe metabolic alkalosis secondary to vomiting. This case illustrates the important differences in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of this common acid-base disorder in patients without kidney function. The diagnostic approach and management strategy for metabolic alkalosis are discussed, highlighting the special issues to be considered in dialysis patients.


Friction tests were carried out to assess the friction between a human finger
and contacting surface, in different conditions. Tests examined the effect of
normal force, the area of contact, the effect of triangular and rectangular
cross-section ridges and the effect of moisture.
The tests found that when a finger is contacting a nominally flat surface, the
friction force increases with normal force, following a two part linear
relationship. This is associated with a large initial deformation of the finger,
followed by a smaller scale deformation, after a certain load.
The introduction of water to the contact results in an initial increase, which is
followed by a decrease, in friction. There are two principal mechanisms
responsible for this increase; water absorption to the stratum corneum, and
capillary adhesion. These mechanisms increase friction by increasing the
area of contact, and therefore the amount of adhesion.
When the finger is contacting a ridged surface, triangular ridges display a
higher friction force than rectangular ridges. This is thought to be due to the
larger penetration depth that is possible with triangular ridges. The main
mechanisms of friction for the triangular ridges are adhesion and interlocking
friction. The main mechanisms of friction for the larger, rectangular ridged
surfaces are adhesion, ploughing friction and a reduction in friction force due
to an energy return from the finger forming back to its original shape. These
tests showed that for a large friction force, surfaces should have high, narrow
and widely spaced ridges. This, however, is at the expense of consistent
friction across the surface.
The understanding gained was then applied to the area of rugby ball design.
Tests showed that the existing rugby ball surface designs with the highest
friction were ones with pyramid pimples. However, rounded pimpled
surfaces performed more consistently across all test conditions.


My starting point in this paper is the artistic structures of the Renaissance. Resorting to what I call an epistemology of blindness, I set out to identify the limits of representation in modern science. This epistemology applies to different sciences in different degrees. I argue that the degree is particularly high in the case of mainstream economics. At the end of the paper I indicate some possible ways of advancing from an epistemology of blindness toward an epistemology of seeing.


A smart contract is hard to patch for bugs once it is deployed, irrespective of the money it holds. A recent bug caused losses worth around $50 million of cryptocurrency. We present ZEUS—a framework to verify the correctness and validate the fairness of smart contracts. We consider correctness as adherence to safe programming practices, while fairness is adherence to agreed upon higher-level business logic. ZEUS leverages both abstract interpretation and symbolic model checking, along with the power of constrained horn clauses to quickly verify contracts for safety. We have built a prototype of ZEUS for Ethereum and Fabric blockchain platforms, and evaluated it with over 22.4K smart contracts. Our evaluation indicates that about 94.6% of contracts (containing cryptocurrency worth more than $0.5 billion) are vulnerable. ZEUS is sound with zero false negatives and has a low false positive rate, with an order of magnitude improvement in analysis time as compared to prior art.


Background Endovascular treatment is evolving field and acceptable complication rate getting lower. In addition, changes in practice patterns have decreased the volume of specific cases for each practitioner, such as aneurysm coiling, which reduces the opportunity for intervention suite. Therefore, practitioners need training for endovascular treatment for their certified experience and procedural skills. In addition, even expert also need patient specific model for planning patient treatment, and training new developed device. Objective The authors developed a hands-on, dimensionally patient specific model for aneurysm coiling using patient anatomic data and three-dimensional (3D) printing. Design of the model focused on prevalence of aneurysm, level of difficulty and point of teaching. We report a preliminary series of endovascular planning with 3D printed aneurysm model. Methods An aneurysm model was printed based on the patient data acquired from the 3D rotational angiogram and CT angiography. A hollow aneurysm model with an identical vessel and aneurysm lumen to the actual anatomy was constructed with use of the 3D printed model as a mold and 3D virtual molding technique. Results Through the 3D manufacturing process, a patient-derived simulator was developed for endovascular treatment before procedure. A microcatheter shaping mandrel was formed to identically line the 3D curvature of the parent vessel and the long axis of the aneurysm. With use of the model, treatment plan was more precise and procedure time also shorter. Also learner could practice same patient model for their training without any complication. They can shape microcatheter and validated for the accuracy with the model. Conclusions The proposed aneurysm coiling simulator has the potential to improve learning experiences in medical environment. 3D printing and elastomeric casting can produce patient-specific models for treatment planning that add value to endovascular training and preparation. Abstract P-027 Figure 1 Disclosures Y. Kim: None. S. Baik: None. S. Lee: None.


We have examined the activation of phosphoinositide metabolism by muscarinic agonists in rat cerebral cortex, in an attempt to delineate the mechanisms by means of which some selective antagonists inhibit this response in a manner that deviates from simple mass action law. The accumulation of [3H]inositol phosphates induced by the full agonist carbamylcholine in cell aggregates preparations was inhibited by muscarinic antagonists with the following order of potency: telenzepine greater than atropine greater than 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methyl-piperidine methbromide greater than pirenzepine greater than hexahydro-sila-difenidol greater than AF-DX 116. The same order of potency was found for the competition of these antagonists with [3H]telenzepine binding to M1 muscarinic receptors. The inhibition of the formation of [3H]inositol phosphates activated by acetylcholine, carbamylcholine, and oxotremorine-M by pirenzepine and telenzepine showed biphasic curves, with 62-73% of the response being inhibited with high affinity. Atropine, AF-DX 116, and pirenzepine shifted the concentration-response curves of oxotremorine-M to the right in a parallel manner. However, pirenzepine at micromolar concentrations showed deviation from linearity of the Schild regression. The blockade by high concentrations of pirenzepine and telenzepine showed less than additive dose ratios when assayed in the presence of atropine, suggesting deviation of their antagonism from simple competition. However, after alkylation with propylbenzilylcholine mustard in the presence of low concentrations of pirenzepine, the response to carbamylcholine and oxotremorine-M showed monophasic inhibition curves by pirenzepine and linear Schild regression for this antagonist. These results support the interpretation that the formation of [3H]inositol phosphates is activated by multiple muscarinic receptor subtypes in rat cerebral cortex. The profile of affinities of muscarinic antagonists indicates that a major component of the response is activated by an M1 receptor subtype and a minor component is probably mediated by M3 muscarinic receptors when acetylcholine, carbamylcholine, or oxotremorine-M are used to stimulate the response. Conversely, pirenzepine inhibited the response induced by methacholine and bethanechol in a monophasic manner with high affinity (Ki = 13 nM), suggesting that these agonists can selectively stimulate phosphoinositide metabolism through activation of M1 muscarinic receptors in rat cerebral cortex.


. This paper presents a belief revision operator for legal systems that considers time intervals. This model relates techniques about belief revision formalisms and time intervals with temporalised rules for legal systems. Our goal is to formalise a temporalised belief base and corresponding timed derivation, together with a proper revision operator. This operator may remove rules when needed or adapt intervals of time when contradictory norms are added in the system.


Background: Lack of awareness has alarmingly raised the proportion of drug noncompliance among psychiatric patients, which are proven worrisome not only to the patients but also to their caregivers. An individually tailored family psychoeducation will address the issue by enhancing the knowledge among patients and their caregivers. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of family psychoeducation on drug compliance, self-esteem, and caregiver's burden among psychotic and mood disorder patients in a selected tertiary care center, Uttarakhand, India. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was performed among 120 participants using total enumerative sampling in a general hospital psychiatric ward. Data were collected from patients and caregivers using the Medication Adherence Rating Scale, Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, and Zarit burden interview-22. The outcome measures were evaluated in the 2 and 4th weeks, and data were analyzed using the descriptive (frequency, percentage) and inferential statistics (Friedman analysis of variance, Wilcoxon signed-rank test) using the SPSS software version 23.0. Results: The present study showed that almost 30% of patients were noncompliant with their drug regime (mean ± standard deviation, 4.23 ± 1.57), and a majority (63.33%) of them presented with a low level of self-esteem. Furthermore, 71.7% and 13.3% of caregivers experienced a moderate and severe burden. An increase in drug compliance (35%) and self-esteem (31%) and a decrease in caregivers' burden (13%) were observed after the administration of family psychoeducation (P = 0.00). Conclusion: There is a great need to provide family psychoeducation on a routine basis in general hospitals. Patients with higher self-esteem will ultimately show improved social and occupational functionality resulting in satisfactory treatment compliance and decreased caregivers' burden.


The effect of sintering condition, sandblasting and heat treatment on biaxial flexure strengths of the zirconia/ alumina nanocomposite stabilized with cerium oxide (Ce-TZP/Al2O3 nanocomposite, referred to NANOZR) was evaluated in comparison to that of yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP). The disc-shaped specimens of NANOZR and Y-TZP were cut from the full-sintered or middle-sintered ones. The discs cut from the middle-sintered ones were finally sintered at the same temperature for the full-sintered one. These four kinds of disc were treated in various conditions combined with the sandblasting, the heat treatment, and the storage. The biaxial flexure strength of both middle- and full-sintered Y-TZP decreased with the autoclaving, whereas those of both NANOZR did not change with it. The monoclinic content of both the materials increased with the sandblasting and decreased with the heat treatment. Regardless of the sintering condition, the monoclinic content of the Y-TZP dramatically increased with the autoclaving and those of NANOZR remarkably increased with the sandblasting. Regardless of the different surface roughness, the biaxial flexure strengths of both materials strongly depended on the content of monoclinic ZrO2 on the surface.


I argue that Einstein overlooked an important aspect of the relativity of time in never quite realizing his quest to embody Mach's principle in his theory of gravity. As a step towards that goal, I broaden the strong equivalence principle to a new principle of physics, the cosmological equivalence principle, to account for the role of the evolving average regional density of the universe in the synchronisation of clocks and the relative calibration of inertial frames. In a universe dominated by voids of the size observed in large-scale structure surveys, the density contrasts of expanding regions are strong enough that a relative deceleration of the background between voids and the environment of galaxies, typically of order 10−10 ms−2, must be accounted for. As a result one finds a universe whose present age varies by billions of years according to the position of the observer: a timescape. This model universe is observationally viable: it passes three critical independent tests, and makes additional predictions. Dark energy is revealed as a mis-identification of gravitational energy gradients and the resulting variance in clock rates. Understanding the biggest mystery in cosmology therefore involves a paradigm shift, but in an unexpected direction: the conceptual understanding of time and energy in Einstein's own theory is incomplete.


The aim of this study was to lower benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) contents in sesame seed oil (SSO) during manufacture by using a self-designed apparatus, to determine its optimal conditions, and to analyze antioxidants in SSO which might be related to BaP content reduction. Washing and spin-drying steps reduce exogenous BaP contamination, and the reduced moisture in seeds lowered BaP content in final SSO. A ventilation system in the roasting step inhibits BaP formation and reabsorption, followed by a controlled compression step. The optimal condition, a single washing cycle with 2-min spin-drying, 1350-rpm ventilation, and a single compression cycle, reduced the BaP content in SSO to 2.93 μg/kg, where the raw seeds had been spiked with 10-μg/kg BaP. Total phenolic contents showed a reversal pattern to the distribution of BaP contents. Sesamol and sesamolin were quantified by a high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detector, and it was suggested that sesamol which is a strong antioxidant might have prevented BaP formation during the roasting step. This study enabled the commercial production of low-BaP SSO, and the data could be used in further investigations of the BaP content reduction mechanism with quantitative chemical analysis of the SSO composition.