1. Under conditions where heart rate, mean aortic pressure and enddiastolic pressure in the left ventricle are held constant, the intravenous infusion of isoprenaline is accompanied by large changes in dP/dt max in the left ventricle.

2. Under similar conditions, during stepwise increments in the rate of infusion of isoprenaline the changes in dP/dt max (measured at a constant paced heart rate) were proportional to changes in the free (intrinsic) heart rate. It is concluded that dP/dt max is a quantitative index of inotropic changes in the left ventricle.

3. In comparison to dP/dt max, three other variables which have been used to indicate inotropic changes in the heart (peak pressure in the left ventricle, duration of systole and stroke work at constant end-diastolic pressure), were shown to be unreliable indices of inotropic changes.

4. Using dP/dt max to indicate inotropic changes, alteration in the heart rate while mean aortic pressure and end-diastolic pressure in the left ventricle were held constant, and in mean aortic pressure while heart rate ane end-diastolic pressure in the left ventricle were held constant, were each shown to be accompanied by small inotropic changes in the heart.

5. Under similar conditions, changes in end-diastolic pressure in the left ventricle alone were not accompanied by inotropic changes as indicated by dP/dt max.


During the course of several decades, several scientists and groups of scientists lobbied the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) about science broadcasting. A consistent theme of the interventions was that science broadcasting should be given exceptional treatment both in its content, which was to have a strongly didactic element, and in its managerial arrangements within the BBC. This privileging of science would have amounted to 'scientific exceptionalism'. The article looks at the nature of this exceptionalism and broadcasters' responses to it.


Toll-like receptors (TLRs) recognize specific motifs which are frequently present in bacteria, fungi, prokaryotes and viruses. Amongst TLRs, TLR9 can be activated by such bacterial or viral DNA fragments, immunoglobulin-DNA complexes or synthetic oligonucleotides, which all contain unmethylated cytosine-guanine nucleotide sequences (CpGs). Emerging data indicate that TLR9 signaling has a role in, and may influence, colorectal carcinogenesis and colonic inflammation. CpGs are classified into three groups according to their influence on both the antigen-specific humoral- and cellular immunity, and the production of type 1 interferons and proinflammatory cytokines. TLR9 activation via CpGs may serve as a new therapeutic target for several cancerous and various inflammatory conditions. Due to its probable anti-cancer effects, the application possibilities of TLR9-signaling modulation may be extremely diverse even in colorectal tumors. In this review we aimed to summarize the current knowledge about TLR-signaling in the pathogenesis and therapy of inflammatory bowel diseases and colorectal cancer. Due to the species-specific differences in TLR9 expression, however, one must be careful in translating the animal model data into the human system, because of the differences between CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide-responsive cells. TLR9 agonist DNA-based immunomodulatory sequences could also represent a promising therapeutic alternative in systemic inflammatory conditions and chronic colonic inflammations as their side effects are not significant.


The conductive biofilms of Geobacter sulfurreducens have potential applications in renewable energy, bioremediation, and bioelectronics. In an attempt to alter biofilm properties, genes encoding proteins with a PilZ domain were deleted from the G. sulfurreducens genome. A strain, in which the gene GSU1240 was deleted, designated strain CL-1, formed biofilms much more effectively than did the wild-type strain. Increased production of pili and exopolysaccharide were associated with the enhanced biofilm production. When grown with an electrode as the electron acceptor CL-1 produced biofilms that were 6-fold more conductive than wild-type biofilms. The greater conductivity lowered the potential losses in microbial fuel cells, decreasing the charge transfer resistance at the biofilm–anode surface by ca. 60% and lowering the formal potential by 50 mV. These lower potential losses increased the potential energy of electrons reaching the biofilm–anode interface and enabled strain CL-1 to produce 70% higher power densities than the wild-type strain. Current-producing biofilms were highly cohesive and could be peeled off graphite electrodes intact, yielding a novel conductive biological material. This study demonstrates that simple genetic manipulation can yield improved bioelectronics materials with energy applications.


Abstract Introduction Morphological variations at the basilar artery terminal end are documented risk factors for cerebral vascular complications like atherosclerosis, thromboembolisms, and aneurysms that further predispose to fatal arterial occlusions. Pathological abnormalities of the basilar artery are usually ignored on diagnosis in third world countries despite their role in brain ischemia. There is a paucity of literature on the gross anatomy of cerebral vasculature in the Ugandan population. Therefore, this study set out to determine the terminal end variations and common pathological abnormalities of the basilar artery among the Ugandan population. Materials and Methods This was a cross sectional study that accessed intact basilar arteries from 115 human autopsy brains (77 males and 33 females) at the Kampala City Council Authority mortuary. Arachnoid matter was removed and arteries perfused with clear water for visibility. The arteries were checked for variations including bifurcations, trifurcations, quadrifurcation, hexafuraction and pathological abnormalities. Representative photographs were taken and results presented as proportions and percentages. Results The average age of the human cadavers was 38 years (Range 18–85 years). Normal bifurcation of the basilar artery was observed in 48.7% of the study population. Other variations included trifurcations (22.6%); quadrifurcations (21.7%), pentafurcations (6.1%) and hexafurcations (0.6%). With regard to abnormalities, 16 arteries (13.9%) had atheromatous plaques, 21 (18.3%) were rigid, and 26 (22.6%) were tortuous. There was significant correlation between age and pathological abnormalities (p = 0.01) Conclusion There are several variations at the terminal end of the basilar artery in the Ugandan population. Arterial pathological abnormalities are also not uncommon and tend to increase with age. Thus, the need for routine imaging investigations in patients with cerebrovascular disorders and individuals of 40 years and above.


The role of fibronectin (FN) in cell interactions of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and mesenchyme surrounding the optic cup during choroid formation in chick embryos was studied by indirect immunofluorescence using antibodies against FN. Experimental coloboma of retina and choroid was used as a model. During the initial stages of coloboma the regions structured like retina rudiment appear in the outer layer of the optic cup. Such regions were formed in microphthalmic eyes obtained by excision of lens from the eyes of 3.5 day old chick embryos (stage 21). At stage 21 bright FN-specific immunofluorescence was observed in basal membrane located along the external surface of the normally differentiated RPE. Later on, FN-specific immunofluorescence appeared in mesenchyme condensing along the RPE. The most intensive FN-specific immunofluorescence was observed in chorio-capillary layer of choroid after 5-7 days of incubation. In microphthalmic eyes retina-like regions of RPE and adjacent mesenchyme showed negative reaction, and the choroid was not formed from the adjacent mesenchyme in such zones. The data obtained suggest that the presence of normally differentiated RPE producing FN-containing basal membrane is necessary for the formation of chorio-capillary layer of the choroid in chick embryos.


Abstract In this talk, we discuss the formation of the near-ultraviolet and optical continuum emission in M dwarf flares through the formation of a dense, heated chromospheric condensation. Results are used from a recent radiative-hydrodynamic model of the response of an M dwarf atmosphere to a high energy flux of nonthermal electrons. These models are used to infer the charge density and optical depth in continuum emitting flare layers from spectra covering the Balmer jump and optical wavelength regimes. Future modeling and observational directions are discussed.


In this paper I lay out a proposal for a typology of appositive relative clauses. By studying the characteristics of appositive relative clauses in five languages (Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian and English), I identify three types of appositive relative clauses: non-integrated, semi-integrated and (fully)-integrated. The empirical investigation leads to the following findings:  1. Mandarin Chinese and Japanese appositive relative clauses belong to the class of fully integrated appositives;  2. English appositive relative clauses are diametrically different from the fully integrated ones. I classify them as non-integrated appositives;  3. Italian and French have two types of appositives: semi-integrated and non-integrated;  4. Reduced relative clauses can also be appositive: if pre-nominal, they are fully integrated; if post nominal, they are semi-integrated. The empirical data is accounted for by a proposal that is based on the following elements:  1. the syntax of non-integrated and semi-integrated appositive relative clauses involves a CommaP projection and/or a ForceP projection; fully integrated appositives lack both of these projections;  2. the non-integrated appositives' relative pronoun is E-type;  3. the syntax of prenominal appositive relative clauses prevents them from licensing an overt relative pronoun, and therefore an E-type pronoun;  4. the CommaP triggers the intonational break at PF and, following Koev (2013) in spirit, it introduces a variable for the content of the constituents in its scope, thereby preventing such constituents from being bound from operators and quantifiers in the host clause.  The empirical data analyzed and the account proposed leave us with an interesting fine-grained typology of appositives, thereby confirming a trend in the research on appositives pointing to the conclusion that we are dealing with a more variegated set of constructions than previously thought.


This article "endogenizes" the copper supply, incorporating demand for mining-sector inputs represented by other goods in the economy (specifically, intermediate goods) and also energy into a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model for a sample of the 2003-2013 period. The model estimation reveals that a rise of 1% in the copper price leads to a 0.16% increase in gross domestic product (GDP) over five years. The main contribution of the study is to show that, if the mining sector is treated as integrated into the rest of the economy rather than being assumed to be an enclave, as it usually is, the effects of the copper price on the Chilean economy at least double.


Abstract. Currently, multimodal remote sensing images have complex geometric and radiometric distortions, which are beyond the reach of classical hand-crafted feature-based matching. Although keypoint matching methods have been developed in recent decades, most manual and deep learning-based techniques cannot effectively extract highly repeatable keypoints. To address that, we design a Siamese network with self-supervised training to generate similar keypoint feature maps between multimodal images, and detect highly repeatable keypoints by computing local spatial- and channel-domain peaks of the feature maps. We exploit the confidence level of keypoints to enable the detection network to evaluate potential keypoints with end-to-end trainability. Unlike most trainable detectors, it does not require the generation of pseudo-ground truth points. In the experiments, the proposed method is evaluated using various SAR and optical images covering different scenes. The results prove its superior keypoint detection performance compared with current state-of-art matching methods based on keypoints.


Crystalline "trypsin-inhibitor" of pancreatic origin and the antitrypsin of soybean origin completely inhibit the fibrinolytic activity of cultures of β hemolytic streptococci, of filtrates of such cultures and of concentrates of such filtrates. It is suggested that the streptococcal fibrinolysin is a protease and that it may be related to trypsin. The author wishes to acknowledge gratefully the cooperation of Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. King, Lieutenant Colonel E. D. Embree and Captain Edward Freis.


Recession of glaciers throughout the Himalayas is resulting in the development of a growing number of high-altitude proglacial lakes that are retained behind natural moraine dams. Some of these have failed catastrophically and the consequential Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) have resulted in substantial damage and loss of life downstream. With growing populations in remote valleys coupled with the demand for substantial growth in the capacity for hydro-electric power for export, the risk of further disasters is increasing. Accordingly, His Majesty's Government of Nepal has undertaken a series of studies since 1985 to investigate the risks associated with such glacial lakes. This photofeature encapsulates aspects of the work undertaken between 1994 and 1997 at Tsho Rolpa, which is thought generally to be the largest and most dangerous glacial lake in Nepal. The present project at Tsho Rolpa is the first of its kind in Nepal and represents the first time that such detailed glacial hazard assessment has been undertaken through to the development of a full remediation scheme in Nepal. Tsho Rolpa lies about 110 km north east of Kathmandu at the eastern end of the Rolwaling Valley (Fig. 1) and immediately south of Gauri Sankar (7146 m). The lake (Fig. 2) is about 3.5 km long by 0.5 km wide and is up to 135 m deep. It is fed by Trakarding Glacier (Fig. 3) to the southeast which is itself a composite glacier supplied by several glaciers from among the peaks to the east and south east of


Bottom sediment removal, a widely used technique in restoration management of standing water bodies, has a strong influence on communities of aquatic organisms. As most information on the impact of sediment removal on the aquatic environment comes from studies on lakes, the aim of this study was to describe macroinvertebrate assemblage succession in a fishpond (Stěpanek fishpond, Bohemian-Moravian highlands, Czech Republic) littoral zone following restoration by sediment removal during the winter of 2003/2004. Semi-quantitative hand net sampling was undertaken one year before (2003) and in each of the following five years (2004–2008) after sediment removal. A significant decrease in both abundance (approx. 90% of individuals) and diversity (approx. 30% of taxa) of macroinvertebrates was detected immediately after pond restoration. The values gradually increased over subsequent years, reaching comparable abundance and diversity three years after sediment removal. A significant shift was recorded in the taxonomic and functional composition of the macroinvertebrate assemblage after sediment removal. Mayfly larvae were the dominant invertebrates before restoration, while chironomid larvae and oligochaetes dominated after sediment removal. Phytophilous taxa, grazers and scrapers, and swimming or diving invertebrates were common in 2003, whilst open-water taxa preferring mud and other mostly inorganic microhabitats, gatherers/collectors, and burrowing/boring invertebrates were relatively common after sediment removal. In 2008, the assemblage reverted towards the situation before sediment removal, probably connected with a lower water level and accelerated macrophyte bed succession. Principal Component Analysis on the species data confirmed the differences in invertebrate taxonomic structure among sampling years. Succession of the fishpond invertebrate assemblage in the years following sediment removal was mainly influenced by fish farming practice and local conditions, i.e. the presence of macrophyte beds, mesohabitat changes following restoration, and the presence of other water bodies in the surroundings.


Background This systematic review examines the evidence for preprocedural neuraxial ultrasound as an adjunct to lumbar spinal and epidural anesthesia in adults. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases from inception to June 30, 2014, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies that reported data answering one or more of the following 3 questions: (1) Does ultraound accurately identify a given lumbar intervertebral space? (2) Does ultrasound accurately predict the needle insertion depth required to reach the epidural or intrathecal space? (3) Does ultrasound improve the efficacy and safety of spinal or lumbar epidural anesthesia? Results Thirty-one clinical trials and 1 meta-analysis were included in this review. Data from 8 studies indicate that neuraxial ultrasound can identify a given lumbar intervertebral space more accurately than by landmark palpation alone. Thirteen studies reported an excellent correlation between ultrasound-measured depth and needle insertion depth to the epidural or intrathecal space. The mean difference between the 2 measurements was within 3 mm in most studies. Thirteen RCTs, 5 cohort studies, and 1 meta-analysis reported data on efficacy and safety outcomes. Results consistently showed that ultrasound resulted in increased success and ease of performance. Ultrasound seemed to reduce the risk of traumatic procedures but there was otherwise insufficient evidence to conclude if it significantly improves safety. Conclusions There is significant evidence supporting the role of neuraxial ultrasound in improving the precision and efficacy of neuraxial anesthetic techniques. What's New We know that neuraxial ultrasound is a useful complement to clinical examination when performing lumbar central neuraxial blocks. It provides anatomical information including the depth of the epidural space, the identity of a given intervertebral level, and the location of the midline and interspinous/interlaminar spaces. This information can be used to successfully guide subsequent needle insertion. Since 2010, new data from RCTs and 1 meta-analysis suggest that neuraxial ultrasound increases the success and reduces the technical difficulty of lumbar central neuraxial blocks. Findings from the meta-analysis suggest that neuraxial ultrasound reduces the risk of traumatic procedures, and thus may possibly contribute to the safety of lumbar central neuraxial blocks.


The new complex method of seismic hazard assessment resulted in creation of the probabilistic maps of seismic microzonation is presented in this paper. To study seismicity and analyze seismic hazard of the territory the following databases are formed: macroseismic, seismologic databases and the database of possible seismic source zones (or potential seismic sources PSS) as well. Using modern methods (over-regional method of IPE RAS Russia) and computer programs (SEISRisk-3 – USA) in GIS technologies there were designed some probabilistic maps of seismic hazard for the Republic North Ossetia-Alania in intensity units (MSK-64) at a scale of 1:200 000 with exceedance probability being of 2%, 5%, 10% for a period of 50 years, which correspond to recurrence period of 2500, 1000, 500 years, correspondingly. Moreover, first the probabilistic maps of seismic hazard were made in acceleration units for the territory of Russia. The map of 5% probability is likely to be used for the large scale building, i.e. the major type of constructions, whereas the map of 2% probability should be used for high responsibility construction only. The approach based on physical mechanisms of the source is supposed to design the synthesized accelerograms generated using real seismic records interpretation. For each of the zoning subject the probabilistic map of the seismic microzonation with location of different calculated intensity (7, 8, 9, 9*) zones is developed (the zones, composed by clay soils of fluid consistency, which can be characterized by liquefaction at quite strong influences, are marked by the index 9*). The maps in accelerations units show the similar results. The complex approach based on the latest achievements in engineering seismology, can significantly increase the adequacy or foundation for assessments and reduce the inaccuracy in earthquake protected design and construction. Realization of investigations on mapping of seismic hazards such as detailed seismic zoning (DSZ) based on the most advanced field research methods and analysis of every subject of the Northern Caucasus separately on a scale of 1:200 000 gives the possibility to merge a bit unavailable, at first glance, schemes into geologically and geophysically quite reasonable map of DSZ for the Northern Caucasus with equal scale system of the source zones.


In the context of restructuring the indigenous health policies over the last 20 years in Brazil, and the consequent creation of the Special Sanitary Indigenous Districts since 1999, the Indigenous Health Agents appear as central elements of this new model for indigenous health attention, since they are understood as possible "links" or "translators" between the traditional systems and the official biomedicine. Considering this context, my intention was, through the presentation of ethnographic data about the formation process and the performance of the Indigenous Health Agents at the Upper Xingu, to question the role attributed to them, as well as the model of differentiated attention where this role was proposed. Exactly because they occupy a "border position" between different medicaltherapeutic systems, the agents' performances are involved in several ambiguities and conflicts, which result from the imprecise definition of their functions, as well as from the effective existing conditions for their acting in the spaces attributed to them. I intend to show that the Indigenous Health Agents have their role redefined twice: by the non-indigenous professionals – who think of them as transmitters of the biomedical knowledge to the attended populations – as well as by the indigenous themselves, who see them as sources of goods and services from national society, in the general context of the political appropriation of this role and its acting spaces by the upper-xinguanos and local leaders themselves. Key-words: anthropology of health; indigenous ethnology; indigenous health agents.


The debate on how an individual human life can be understood as being more or less meaningful has been pursued for a considerable time now. Despite extensive discussion some important aspects remain under-explored, namely the relation between meaningfulness and morality – even though many authors implicitly assume a connection between these two value dimensions. But how does morality contribute to a meaningful life? Is it a necessary condition? Or is it not necessary but sufficient or contributive? Or is there, when explored further, no connection at all? This article discusses the relation between morality and meaning by outlining the central positions in the debate, explains the main arguments for and against, and offers some indications for future work in the field.


A non-contact interface for modular smartphones that can provide a data connection at a maximum MIPI rate of 6 Gb/s has been developed. A two-fold transmission line coupler, which is a small-size coupler that has a wide bandwidth, is proposed for modular smartphones, where the layout area is strictly limited. The coupler size is 6 mm2 for a 5 mm communication distance, which is 1/24 smaller than the conventional coupler. Since many wireless communication components, such as LTE, WiFi, and GPS transceivers, are assembled in a small module, the interference between the non-contact interface and the wireless transceivers should be suppressed. To improve noise immunity and reduce unwanted radiation from the coupler, an electromagnetic-compatibility robust pulse transceiver is proposed. A synchronous receiver using an edge counting clock recovery circuit improves noise immunity, and a bi-phase pulse transmitter reduces noise radiation in the GPS band. There is no EMS by LTE or WiFi signals on the data connection at BER <; 10-12 when the coupler is separated by a distance of 2 mm and no EMI on GPS signals at a separation of 10 mm. Compared with the state-of-the-art result, the highest energy efficiency (6 pJ/b) and space efficiency (1.2 mm2/1 mm distance) is achieved.


We demonstrate that nanometer-scale TiN coatings deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD), and to a lesser extent by magnetron sputtering, will significantly improve the electrochemical cycling performance of silicon nanowire lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes. A 5 nm thick ALD coating resulted in optimum cycling capacity retention (55% vs. 30% for the bare nanowire baseline, after 100 cycles) and coulombic efficiency (98% vs. 95%, at 50 cycles), also more than doubling the high rate capacity retention (e.g. 740 mA h g−1vs. 330 mA h g−1, at 5 C). We employed a variety of advanced analytical techniques such as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), focused ion beam analysis (FIB) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to elucidate the origin of these effects. The conformal 5 nm TiN remains sufficiently intact to limit the growth of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which in turn both improves the overall coulombic efficiency and reduces the life-ending delamination of the nanowire assemblies from the underlying current collector. Our findings should provide a broadly applicable coating design methodology that will improve the performance of any nanostructured LIB anodes where SEI growth is detrimental.


The investigation described in this paper was aimed at obtaining information about the way in which the human being controls an automobile at high speed on a winding road. A dynamic systems approach was taken, and three different classes of models were postulated. The optimal models in these classes were then obtained for data taken from three subjects in a driving simulation which projected a large moving roadway image.


Seagrass meadows are an important organic matter (OM) reservoir but, are currently being lost due to global and regional stressors. Yet, there is limited research investigating the cumulative impacts of anthropogenic stressors on the structure and functioning of seagrass benthic assemblages, key drivers of OM mineralization and burial. Here, using a 16‐month field experiment, we assessed how meiobenthic assemblages and extracellular enzymatic activities (as a proxy of OM degradation) in Posidonia oceanica sediments responded to ocean acidification (OA) and nutrient loadings, at CO2 vents. P. oceanica meadows were exposed to three nutrient levels (control, moderate, and high) at both ambient and low pH sites. OA altered meiobenthic assemblage structure, resulting in increased abundance of annelids and crustaceans, along with a decline in foraminifera. In addition, low pH enhanced OM degradation rates in seagrass sediments by enhancing extracellular enzymatic activities, potentially decreasing the sediment carbon storage capacity of seagrasses. Nutrient enrichment had no effect on the response variables analyzed, suggesting that, under nutrient concentration unlikely to cause N or P imitation, a moderate increase of dissolved nutrients in the water column had limited influence on meiobenthic assemblages. These findings show that OA can significantly alter meiobenthic assemblage structure and enhance OM degradation rates in seagrass sediments. As meiofauna are ubiquitous key actors in the functioning of benthic ecosystems, we postulated that OA, altering the structure of meiobenthic assemblages and OM degradation, could affect organic carbon sequestration over large spatial scales.


Abstract. We describe here the construction and characterization of a new smog chamber facility (NCAT chamber) for studying the chemical and optical properties of biomass burning (BB) aerosols from biomass fuels native to sub-Saharan Africa. This facility is comprised of a ~9 m3 fluorinated ethylene propylene film (FEP) reactor placed in a temperature-controlled room and coupled with a cavity ring-down spectrometer, nephelometer, condensation particle counter, differential mobility analyzer and other analytical instruments, such as NOX and O3 analyzers, a GC, a filter sampler, and an impinger for collecting particles in water. Construction details and characterization experiments are described, including measurements of BB particulate size distribution and deposition rate, gas wall loss rates, dilution rate, light intensity, mixing speed, temperature and humidity variations, and air purification method. The wall loss rates for NO, NO2, and O3 were found to be (7.40 ± 0.01) × 10−4, (3.47 ± 0.01) × 10−4, and (5.90 ± 0.08) × 10−4 min−1 respectively. The NO2 photolysis rate constant was 0.165 ±0.005 min−4, which corresponds to a flux of (7.72 ± 0.25) × 1017 photons•nm•cm−2•s−1 from 296.0−516.8 nm. Particle deposition rate was found to be (2.46 ± 0.11) × 10−3 min−1 for pine at Dp = 100 nm. After initial mixing in the chamber, with the ultraviolet (UV) light off, the particle size distribution for BB samples used for the initial work did not stabilize until ~7.5 hours after injection peaking near a mobility diameter of ~340 nm. The chamber demonstrated gas and particle loss rates, and other properties comparable to other similar indoor smog chambers.


Highly sensitive ac susceptibility measurements were performed in order to resolve the controversy regarding the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter in κ-BEDT-TTF materials. The experimentally obtained superfluid density behaviour qualitatively contradicts s-wave symmetry theoretical predictions, but disagrees also quantitatively with the d-wave expected behaviour in the weak coupling limit. The mixture of d-wave and s-wave parameters, with a rather large proportion of the latter, describes well the results; however, it also opens new questions regarding the origin of the superconducting pairing.


The computational cost of using nearest neighbor classification often prevents the method from being applied in practice when dealing with high-dimensional data, such as images and micro arrays. One possible solution to this problem is to reduce the dimensionality of the data, ideally without loosing predictive performance. Two different dimensionality reduction methods, principle component analysis (PCA) and random projection (RP), are investigated for this purpose and compared w.r.t. the performance of the resulting nearest neighbor classifier on five image data sets and five micro array data sets. The experiment results demonstrate that PCA outperforms RP for all data sets used in this study. However, the experiments also show that PCA is more sensitive to the choice of the number of reduced dimensions. After reaching a peak, the accuracy degrades with the number of dimensions for PCA, while the accuracy for RP increases with the number of dimensions. The experiments also show that the use of PCA and RP may even outperform using the non-reduced feature set (in 9 respectively 6 cases out of 10), hence not only resulting in more efficient, but also more effective, nearest neighbor classification


Low intensity pulsed ultrasound [LIPUS], a physical modality that has demonstrated utility in bone healing contexts including non union fracture situations has been proposed to also impact articular cartilage chondrocyte cell metabolism in a favorable way. This current review focuses on two questions: a) whether LIPUS produces any clinically significant impact on chondrocyte structure or function; b) whether the impacts observed support a role for LIPUS in efforts to foster cartilage regeneration and healing applications. Drawn from the English language literature published over the last 35 years, the majority of the available basic or preclinical studies presently reviewed demonstrate LIPUS applications to consistently yield favorable cartilage chondrogenic responses, regardless of substrate, and to be worthy of further exploration in the clinical realm for promoting much sought after osteoarthritic reparative and repair effects.


Radioligand therapy (RLT) with Lu-177-labeled PSMA-ligands is a new therapy option for prostate cancer. Biodistribution in normal tissues is of interest for therapy planning. We evaluated if the biodistribution of Ga-68-PSMA-11 is influenced by tumor load.

RESULTS
In patients with high tumor load, SUVmean was reduced to 61.5% in the lacrimal glands, to 56.6% in the parotid glands, to 63.7% in the submandibular glands, to 61.3% in the sublingual glands and to 55.4% in the kidneys (p < 0.001). Further significant differences were observed for brain, mediastinum, liver, spleen and muscle. Total tracer retention was higher in patients with high tumor load (p < 0.05). SUV in lacrimal, salivary glands and kidneys correlated negatively with PSA.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
135 patients were retrospectively evaluated. SUV was measured in the lacrimal and salivary glands, brain, heart, liver, spleen, kidneys, muscle and bone. SUV was correlated with visual tumor load, total tracer retention and PSA.

CONCLUSIONS
Patients with high tumor load show a significant reduction of tracer uptake in dose-limiting organs. As similar effects might occur when performing RLT using Lu-177-labeled PSMA-ligands, individual adaptations of therapy protocols based on diagnostic PSMA PET imaging before therapy might help to further increase efficacy and safety of RLT.


Equations to predict foliage weight and surface area, and their vertical and horizontal distributions, within the crowns of unthinned loblolly pine (Pinus tuedu L.) trees are presented. A right-truncated Weibull function was used for describing vertical foliage distributions. This function ensures that all of the foliage located between the tree tip and the foliage base is included. Foliage distribution prediction is based on actual two-dimensional foliage location. It is shown that the average time of full foliage, and hence average foliage weight or surface area prediction, is highly variable for loblolly pine and subject to considerable error. To help account for the old and new foliage differences during the approximate time of "full leaf," the prediction equations for new and old foliage weight and surface area include a day-of-year term. New equations to predict branch weight, surface area, and the vertical distributions of branch biomass and surface area were also developed. The vertical distributions of branch biomass and surface area are described with logarithmic equations constrained to equal zero when relative crown depth is equal to zero, and to equal one when relative crown depth is one.


Novel polyurethane (PU) conducting films consisting of hydroxyl-terminated polybutadienes (HTPB) and carboxyl functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs-COOH) were developed by a simple coupling approach based on hydrogen bonding interactions between MWNTs-COOH and PU moieties. The morphologies and structural characterization were conducted by means of FTIR, TEM and TGA etc; and the influence of the MWNTs-COOH loading and curing temperature on vapor response was investigated. The experimental results indicated that a micro-phase separation structure between soft and hard segments was formed, and MWNTs-COOH was tightly encapsulated by PU moieties and homogeneously dispersed in the PUs. The developed films displayed selective response to non-polar organic solvent vapor and good long-term stability.


Area selective atomic layer deposition (ALD) of titanium dioxide using polymer films as masking layers has been investigated. A number of factors which must be considered while designing a successful area selective ALD process have been determined and are briefly discussed. Reactivity of the polymer with the ALD precursor species, diffusion of ALD precursors through the polymer mask, and remnant precursor content in the masking film during ALD cycling are key factors. This article investigates the effect of different precursor chemistries in view of the above mentioned factors. Titanium tetrachloride and titanium isopropoxide have been used as two different metal precursors in conjunction with poly(methyl methacrylate) films as photodefinable masking layers. Processing problems arising from factors such as diffusion of precursors through the masking layer can be solved through careful choice of ALD precursors.


We previously demonstrated (Guo et al., 1987. Nucl. Acids Res. 15, 7081-7090) that purified proheads of bacteriophage phi 29 contain an RNA of 120 bases which is essential for DNA packaging. Here we report that this RNA exists primarily as a polymer of ca. 174 residues in phage-infected cells and that ca. 54 bases are cleaved from its 3'-terminus by adventitious nucleases during the purification of proheads. The long and short forms of the RNA had similar activity in in vitro DNA packaging and phage assembly. We report the sequence of the long form of the RNA and show that similar long and short forms can be isolated from the proheads of the phi 29 relatives phi 21, phi 15 and SF5. The concentration dependence in the reconstitution of RNA-free proheads suggests that one copy of the RNA is sufficient to restore DNA packaging activity to RNA-free proheads. However, quantitative measurements indicate that 5 to 6 copies of the RNA are present on proheads isolated from phage-infected cells.


Laos is a landlocked country in South East Asia, ranking fifth for primary liver cancer incidence worldwide. Risk factors that might explain this worrying situation are poorly known. We conducted a review of the literature concerning the etiologies of terminal liver diseases in Laos. A double infectious burden with hepatitis B and C viruses and the liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini seems to be the main cause of the high liver cancer incidence. Moreover, it was also suggested that mutagenic substances frequently found in tobacco, alcoholic beverages, fermented fish, and mold-contaminated cereals or nuts, which are all substances heavily consumed by Lao people, lead to the accumulation of DNA mutations in the liver cell genome causing tumor processes. However, the respective proportions of liver cancer cases attributable to each category of infections and substances consumed, as well as the histological nature of the neoplasia are still not precisely documented in Laos. The international medical and scientific communities as well as public health stakeholders should urgently consider the alarming situation of liver health in Laos to stimulate both research and subsequent implementation of prevention policies.


Peri-prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication of prosthetic joint arthroplasty. A better understanding and reversal of modifiable risk factors may lead to a reduction in the incidence of incisional (superficial and deep) and organ/space (e.g., PJI) surgical site infections (SSI). Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) published the Guideline for Prevention of Surgical Site Infection. This targeted update applies evidence-based methodology in drafting recommendations for potential strategies to reduce the risk of SSI both across surgical procedures and specifically in prosthetic joint arthroplasty. A panel of PJI content experts identified nine PJI prevention research opportunities based on both evidence gaps identified through the guideline development process (transfusion, immunosuppressive therapy, anticoagulation, orthopedic space suit, and biofilm) and expert opinion (anesthesia, operative room environment, glycemic control, and Staphylococcus aureus nasal screening and decolonization. This article offers a road map for PJI prevention research.


Context: A new and highly sensitive method for the determination of gabapentin (GBP), this method is of high importance in the assessment of GBP and other pharmaceutical preparations. GBP is a widely used antibiotic. There is a big challenge of analysis of anti-epilepsy drugs due to their instability and sensitivity to various conditions. The simple, sensitive, precise, and kinetic spectroscopy method was used to measure GBP in some pharmaceuticals developed and validated. Objective: The objective of the study was to develop a simple, sensitive, accurate, and kinetic spectroscopy method for the measurement of GBP in a pharmaceutical product. Materials and Methods: The current method was based on the spectral kinetic examination of epileptics (GBP) with potassium permanganate in alkaline medium at room temperature. Absorption of the stained manganese ions of the product was absorbed at 605 nm. Results: The concentration of GBP was calculated using the calibration equation for the time method and the initial rate method. The above method is used to determine GBP from 2.0 to 20 μg/mL. The BER Act was applied to roads within the range of concentrations used for analysis. The limit of quantification and limit of detection, equal to 0.640 and 1.940, were calculated, respectively. The relative standard deviation values was found to be 0.345% and Recovery values were 99.38 and 0.50%, respectively. Conclusion: The proposed and developed method is sensitive, accurate, and tolerable and can be used for the routine analysis of GBP in various pharmaceuticals. The proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of the drug jabapentin in the pharmaceuticals and the validation of the statistical data. The results were compared to the reference method showed good compatibility.


SIR,-I shall be grateful if you will kindly allow me on behalf of my colleagues to apologise to Professor J Wawrzyn'ska-Pagowska and colleagues (9 October, p 876) for misquoting their article.' In fact they studied exactly the same number of patients as we did although their patients were pre-erosive. We are pleased that our own results2 are in broad agreement with theirs and look forward to reading the report on their 10-year follow-up.


On the next generation network, application support functions and service support functions (ASF & SSF) are defined as those that control services. We propose a software architecture of ASF & SSF on real networks. Our architecture has generalized sequence-parts that control communication sessions and provide the application functions with high-level interfaces (IFs), such as Parlay-X, for using these parts. Our challenge is to force high-level IFs for application functions and low-level IFs (signallevel IFs), for example SIP, work in cooperation. Our evaluation results demonstrate that our architecture can reduce the number of states in an application function; therefore, we believe it can reduce the program size of an application function.


Over the past quarter century there has been a resurgence of warfare in the New Guinea Highlands. Much of this warfare and other violence has occurred at the interface between electoral politics and more "traditional" forms of segmentary social organization: tribes, clans, and the like. It has been seen by some scholars as a matter of "upward colonization," whereby local political traditions have penetrated the state. Although this view is illuminating, it has its limits: in prac tice, state and local forms of politics cannot be articulated with each other with out having a substantial impact on both. Here I illustrate this ethnographically, drawing on case materials from the Ku Waru region, Western Highlands Province. Tracing the history of marital and ceremonial exchange relations between two Ku Waru groups over the past two generations, I show how an emerging alliance between them was undermined by a conflict of interest over the 1992 national election. Although such conflicts could never be avoided alto gether, I argue that they could be reduced by a change from the present first-past the-post voting system to a preferential system. keywords: Papua New Guinea, politics, segmentary groups, violence, voting This content downloaded from 22.214.171.124 on Fri, 05 Aug 2016 05:13:44 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms


The PROOF Analysis Framework (PAF) has been designed to improve the ability of the physicist to develop software for the final stages of an analysis where typically simple ROOT Trees are used and where the amount of data used is in the order of several terabytes. It hides the technicalities of dealing with PROOF leaving the scientist to concentrate on the analysis. PAF is capable of using available non specific resources on, for example, local batch systems, remote grid sites or clouds through the integration of other toolkit like PROOF Cluster or PoD. While it has been successfully used on LHC Run-1 data for some key analysis, including the H →WW dilepton channel, the higher instantaneous and integrated luminosity together with the increase of the center-of-mass energy foreseen for the LHC Run-2, which will increment the total size of the samples by a factor 6 to 20, will demand PAF to improve its scalability and to reduce the latencies as much as possible. In this paper we address the possible problems of processing such big data volumes with PAF and the solutions implemented to overcome them. We will also show the improvements in order to make PAF more modular and accessible to other communities.


In this paper, we approach the problem of finding the zeros of the sum of a maximally monotone operator and a monotone and Lipschitz continuous one in a real Hilbert space via an implicit forward-backward-forward dynamical system with nonconstant relaxation parameters and stepsizes of the resolvents. Besides proving existence and uniqueness of strong global solutions for the differential equation under consideration, we show weak convergence of the generated trajectories and, under strong monotonicity assumptions, strong convergence with exponential rate. In the particular setting of minimizing the sum of a proper, convex and lower semicontinuous function with a smooth convex one, we provide a rate for the convergence of the objective function along the ergodic trajectory to its minimum value.


The stroke-averaged lift forces due to various vortex rings and their mutual interactions are studied using a flapping flight vortex model (Rayner, J. Fluid Mech., vol. 91, 1979, p. 697; Ellington, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B, vol. 305, 1984b, p. 115). The vortex system is decomposed into the wing plane (wing-linked) vortex ring, a loop closed by the bound vortex and (arc-shaped) trailing vortex and the wake (the vortex rings shed previously). Using the vorticity moment theory (Wu, AIAA J., vol. 19, 1981, p. 432) we are able to identify the roles of vortex rings in lift production or reduction and express the lift as function of areal contraction or expansion of vortex rings. The wake vortex rings induce areal contraction of the trailing vortex, which should decrease the lift, but this decrease is exactly compensated by the inducing effect of the trailing arc on the wake. The wake reduces the lift through inducing a downwash velocity on the wing plane. The lift force is shown to drop to a minimum at the second half stroke, and then increases to an asymptotic value slightly below the lift at the first half stroke, in such a way following the experimental observation of Birch & Dickinson (Nature, vol. 412, 2001, p. 729). The existence of the negative peak of lift is due to the first shed vortex ring which, just at the second half stroke, lies in the close vicinity to the wing plane, leading to a peak of the wing plane downwash velocity.


Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) influences spermatogenesis, but its impact on seasonally regulated sperm production is still not fully understood. Thus, we investigated both expression levels and localisation of VEGFA and its receptors VEGFR1 and 2 in roe buck testis via real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry in relation to seasonal changes in the cellular composition of the testis. VEGFA was expressed by interstitial cells while its receptors were found on endothelial and perivascular cells. Inside the tubules, VEGFA was located in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, VEGFR1 was present on elongating spermatids and VEGFR2 on Sertoli cells. VEGFR1 mRNA was expressed tenfold lower than VEGFR2 and VEGF mRNAs. Relative VEGF and VEGFR2 expression (divided by the number of VEGFA and VEGFR2 expressing cells) showed an increase towards the rut (July/August) and a decrease thereafter. The results suggest involvement of VEGFA in the adjustment of vascular permeability as well as in spermiogenesis and the proliferation of spermatogonia.


A defining feature of contemporary public authorities in Sweden is the production of texts labelled platform of values or core values. Previous research points to three main factors contributing to this development: an increased interest in ethics in the public sector, new forms of management and control, and the importance of the external promotion of public authorities. This paper focuses on the perspective of civil servants when addressing the research question: What are the most important functions of 'platform of values' texts? The paper draws on two types of data – a focus group of senior HR officers and a quantitative survey for civil servants. Critical Genre Analysis is presented as a methodological framework for understanding 'value texts' as social actions. The results show that 'platform of values' practices are connected to the creation of the "ethically aware" civil servant; that neither their connection to control over civil servants nor to the external promotion of the authority are directly recognised, whereas their connection to goal achievement is; and that the role of the 'value texts' as such has been somewhat overrated in previous research – it is the dialogue about the values that matters.


Following the changes carried out in recent years in buildings, such as ventilation systems, computers, etc., a series of diseases, that are related to this, have been described. This paper concentrates on the syndrome of the sick building, which is formed by a group of symptoms normally suffered by workers in the same "sick" building. This syndrome is related to its interior ambience, since the clinical manifestations appear some hours after entering the building and improves a few minutes after leaving this ambience. The origin is probably multifactorial: volatile airborne pollutants, the ventilation system, factors related to work organisation, or even dependent on the host. Since there is no single cause, we enumerate the risk factors in developing this syndrome as well as the steps for reaching a diagnosis and useful measures for preventing the sick building.


Introspective findings show that remembering musical material is easier and lasts longer than the remembering other types of material. It is also known that people believe that music is a good mnemonic. However, these assumptions have not been experimentally confirmed. Experiments show that the positive effect of music on memorising is dependent on the conditions of memorising (e.g., memory for a musically accompanied or unaccompanied material is equal if the rate at which material is presented is the same). The effect of the degree of musical accompaniment on memory has rarely been studied. This study aimed at examining whether the degree of musical accompaniment affects the quantity of remembered text. Furthermore, memory strategies and characteristics of the material which might help memory were examined, depending on the degree of musical accompaniment A sample of 91 participants participated in the study. Participants were divided into three groups, and their task was to listen to a composition and remember as many lyrics as they can. The first group listened to the a capella version, the second group listened to a drum-only composition, and the third group listened to a composition with full musical accompaniment. Participants listened to a composition 6 times and wrote down all the lyrics they could remember after each listening. Demographic data were collected and participants filled out the Questionnaire on the use of strategies. ANOVA found no differences in the quantity of remembered lyrics between the three experimental groups. Also, no differences in the frequency of various memory strategies used were found. However, Fisher's exact test revealed a trend showing that the number of participants which reported that music helped them remember the lyrics has increased with the degree of musical accompaniment. Also, the number of participants which stated that the nature of vocal helped them remember text declines as the degree of musical accompaniment increases. The results of this study are in accordance with previous findings which suggest that musical accompaniment does not help in memorising. However, it seems that, regardless of objective indicators, participants have the impression that music helps them remember. This possibility is discussed through Kelley's covariation model of attribution. Two hypotheses are proposed to explain the results: the hypothesis on wrongly perceived high distinctiveness and the hypothesis on wrongly perceived high consistency of memory of music material.


Decay of apples (Malus sylvestris Mill.) inoculated with Penicillium expansum was controlled by acetaldehyde vapor concentrations (v/v) of 0.5% for 180 min, 1% for 120 min, 2% for 60 min, and 3% for 30 min. The above treatments did not produce lenticel or skin injury. Fumigated conidia did not germinate in 21 days at 21°C on artificial media and failed to induce decay in stem-punctured apples. The pathogen could not be re-isolated from fumigated inoculated punctures, however, the pathogen was obtained from inoculated punctures not exposed to acetaldehyde vapor. Fungicidal action of acetaldehyde vapor was a function of concentration and exposure period. Objectional off-flavors were not detected in fumigated apples, although appreciable amounts of acetaldehyde vapor were absorbed.


A cost-accounting analysis can help group practices assess their costs of doing business and determine the profitability of managed care contracts. Group practices also can use cost accounting to develop budgets and financial benchmarks. To begin a cost analysis, group practices need to determine their revenue and cost centers. Then they can allocate their costs to each center, using an appropriate allocation basis. The next step is to calculate costs per procedure. The results can be used to evaluate operational cost efficiency as well as help negotiate managed care contracts.


The GAO disputes growers' claims of a labor shortage, using unreliable farm employment data rather than relative wages. A shortage, implying a failure of intersectoral arbitrage, may arise due to hysteresis in labor movement. Estimates find the probability of a farm labor shortage (30%) three times that of a surplus.


Diseases of the urachus are uncommon clinical entities, evidenced by the relatively small number of case reports in the literature. Since 1550 approximately 400 cases of urachal disease have been reported, of which more than 200 were of infections. However, many of these cases are poorly documented or unproved. Thus, in his recent review, Sterling4was able to collect only 26 proved cases of infected urachal cyst with onset of symptoms after the age of 5 years. It is the purpose of the present paper to review the embryology, pathogenesis, and clinical features of infected urachus cysts and to add six cases to the literature. Embryology In order to achieve adequate insight into urachal disease, brief reference must be made to the embryology of this structure. Begg1,2has demonstrated that the urachus is not the remnant of the allantoic stalk, as was formerly believed, but, rather, is derived


Literature on Canada-United States (US) counter-terrorism (CT) cooperation from the early 2000s presumed that Canadian CT policy was driven by US security imperatives and fear, leaving little room for Canada to develop its own path in fighting terrorism. It presumed that: the Canadian government was more worried about the US reaction to terrorism than terrorism itself; Canadian security policy sought to be "separate but cooperative"; and Canadian policy was informed by "wise" understandings of the US. We argue these assumptions no longer hold. Since 2011, with the rise of the Islamic State and foreign fighter activity, the Canadian government took independent steps to address national security concerns in a multilateral environment. We use process tracing to track evolutions in the Passenger Protect Program (Canada's "no-fly list" policy), showing how Canada has increasingly asserted agency in response to violent extremism. It suggests the prior scholarly consensus on the US role in Canadian CT policy must be rethought.


In a rare combination of comprehensive coverage and sustained critical focus, this book examines Japanese history in its entirety to identify the factors underlying the nation's progression to superpower. Japan's achievement is explained not merely in economic terms, but at a more fundamental level, as a product of historical patterns of response to circumstance. Japan is shown to be a nation historically impelled by a pragmatic determination to succeed. The book also highlights unresolved questions and little-known facts.


Background Motorcycles are becoming an increasingly popular mode of travel in Bangladesh. There are around 1.3 million registered motorcycles in Bangladesh, representing nearly 55% of total registered motor vehicles. Motorcycles are increasing at an astonishing rate, around 95% during 2009–2015 with fleet growing at a faster rate than other vehicles. Motorcycle crashes are a growing problem resulting from massive increase of motorcycles. Methods To assess the risk factors of motorised two wheelers in Bangladesh, police reported crash data were analysed and International Road Assessment Program (iRAP) methodologies were applied in assessing road environment hazards associated with motorcyclists together with field observation of motorcycle travel behaviour. Results Motorcycle crashes are claiming over 200 deaths annually and nearly 70% occurred in rural areas, mostly attributable to effects of speeding. Predominant crash types are head-on, hit-pedestrian and rear-end, which together account for nearly 86%. Recent iRAP assessment revealed that national highways are mostly 2-star or less for motorcyclists indicating a relatively high level of risks of deaths and injuries. Major risk factors are mostly related to road infrastructure and environmental deficiencies and unsatisfactory driver behaviour and law enforcement. Conclusions Sustained and accelerated reduction in road fatalities involving pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists is clearly a priority, particularly for achieving the target of 50% reduction of deaths by 2020 in Bangladesh. Road fatalities involving motorcycles are unacceptably high. Addressing the safety of motorcycles and the riders is therefore an enormous challenge to transport engineering professionals. It is urgent to conduct in depth research and to develop pragmatic strategies and actions with particular emphasis for wider application of road engineering and environment measures for preventing motorcycle crashes and injuries.


Experiments with cultured pea roots were conducted to determine (i) whether extrachromosomal DNA was produced by cells in the late S phase or in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, (ii) whether the maturation of nascent DNA replicated by these cells achieved chromosomal size, (iii) when extrachromosomal DNA was removed from the chromosomal duplex, and (iv) the replication of nascent chains by the extrachromosomal DNA after its release from the chromosomal duplex. Autoradiography and cytophotometry of cells of carbohydrate-starved root tips revealed that extrachromosomal DNA was produced by a small fraction of cells accumulated in the late S phase after they had replicated about 80% of their DNA. Velocity sedimentation of nascent chromosomal DNA in alkaline sucrose gradients indicated that the DNA of cells in the late S phase failed to achieve chromosomal size. After reaching sizes of 70 X 10(6) to 140 X 10(6) daltons, some of the nascent chromosomal molecules were broken, presumably releasing extrachromosomal DNA several hours later. Sedimentation of selectively extracted extrachromosomal DNA either from dividing cells or from those in the late S phase showed that it replicated two nascent chains, one of 3 X 10(6) daltons and another of 7 X 10(6) daltons. Larger molecules of extrachromosomal DNA were detectable after cells were labeled for 24 h. These two observations were compatible with the idea that the extrachromosomal DNA was first replicated as an integral part of the chromosomal duplex, was cut from the duplex, and then, once free of the chromosome, replicated two smaller chains of 3 X 10(6) and 7 X 10(6) daltons.


The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of screw preload values on the bone-plate system. The preload value was taken differently in the literature range from 50 N to 3000 N. These preload value were examined in this study. The finite element method was used to calculate the strain and stress on the models. The long bone, plate and screws were modeled as 3D using CAD software. The finite element models were created using Ansys Workbench software. The convergence and validation study were made for the correct results. The 400 N axial load was applied to the proximal end of bone. The distal end of the bone fixed for boundary condition. The preload values were applied to the screws differently. The results of the finite element analysis were compared and evaluated. The results showed that when the preload values increased, the von Mises stresses and strains on the bone and plate system increased. The critical preload value of the screw is the 500 N. The upper values of this critical value can be damaged bone and plate system. The critical region of the bone is the holes where the screw inserted. In conclusion, the preload values of the screw should not exceed the 500 N for the successful fixation.


ABSTRACT Bronchial circulation plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of burn and smoke inhalation–induced acute lung injury. A 10-fold increase in bronchial blood flow is associated with excessive production of nitric oxide (NO) following smoke inhalation and cutaneous burn. Because an increased release of neuropeptides from the airway has been implicated in smoke inhalation injury, we hypothesized that direct delivery into the bronchial artery of low-dose 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a specific neuronal NO synthase inhibitor, would attenuate smoke/burn-induced acute lung injury. Eighteen adult female sheep were instrumented for chronic hemodynamic monitoring 5 to 7 days before the injury. The bronchial artery was cannulated via intercostal thoracotomy, while blood flow was preserved. Acute lung injury was induced by 40% total body surface area third-degree cutaneous burn and smoke inhalation (48 breaths of cotton smoke, <40°C) under deep anesthesia. Following injury, animals (35.4 ± 1.1 kg) were divided into three groups: (a) 7-NI group: 1 h after injury, 7-NI (0.01 mg · kg−1 · h−1, 2 mL · h−1) was continuously infused into the bronchial artery, n = 6; (b) control group: 1 h after injury, same amount of saline was injected into the bronchial artery, n = 6; (c) sham group: no injury, no treatment, same operation and anesthesia, n = 6. After injury, all animals were ventilated and fluid resuscitated according to an established protocol. The experiment was conducted for 24 h. Injury induced severe pulmonary dysfunction, which was associated with increases in lung edema formation, airway obstruction, malondialdehyde, and nitrate/nitrite. 7-Nitroindazole injection into the bronchial artery reduced the degree of lung edema formation and improved pulmonary gas exchange. The increase in malondialdehyde and nitrate/nitrite in lung tissue was attenuated by treatment. Our data strongly suggest that local airway production of NO contributes to pulmonary dysfunction following smoke inhalation and burn injury. Most mechanisms that drive this pathophysiology reside in the airway.


In our earlier paper (1991), a textured decomposition based algorithm is developed to solve the optimal routing problem in data networks; a few examples were used to illustrate the speedup advantage and the convergence conditions for the textured algorithm to converge to a global minimum. The speedup advantage is investigated in Huang et al. (1993). However, the theoretical foundation is not provided. In this paper, we provide the foundation. First, we show that for any textured decomposition, the algorithm always converges to a stationary point, which may not be a global minimum. And then, we prove that if the conditions of the exact convergence theorem are satisfied, the textured algorithm will converge to a global minimum.


Abstract:The essay considers the critical stakes of contemporary fiction's mobilization of lyric strategies by reassessing Zadie Smith's much-discussed essay on the complacencies and duplicities of "lyrical realism." Playing devil's advocate with her largely derogatory use of that term, the essay turns to the recent work of Joseph O'Neill and David Grossman, in order to offer a more multi-layered account of lyrical realism as a mode that stages contemporary fiction's negotiation between particularism and social commentary, between affective interiority and the possibility of political engagement. Far from being a comforting, superficially placating style that distracts readers from material contradictions, O'Neill and Grossman in their different contexts show how lyrical realism offers a testing ground for fiction's ability to reflect, at the level of aesthetic form, on the nature and viability of its own critical mission. The poignant experiences their novels so lyrically convey don't simply service their plots, but also activate our participation as readers in what Jonathan Culler calls, in Theory of the Lyric, "the lyric's varied imagining of the world … with all the elegance it can muster"—even if they also confirm that elegance alone is hardly enough to compensate the personal and social privations they bring so arrestingly to light.


The Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP) is an open and global community whose mission is to accelerate earthquake predictability research through rigorous testing of probabilistic earthquake forecast models and prediction algorithms. pyCSEP supports this mission by providing open-source implementations of useful tools for evaluating earthquake forecasts. pyCSEP is a Python package that contains the following modules: (1) earthquake catalog access and processing, (2) representations of probabilistic earthquake forecasts, (3) statistical tests for evaluating earthquake forecasts, and (4) visualization routines and various other utilities. Most significantly, pyCSEP contains several statistical tests needed to evaluate earthquake forecasts, which can be forecasts expressed as expected earthquake rates in space–magnitude bins or specified as large sets of simulated catalogs (which includes candidate models for governmental operational earthquake forecasting). To showcase how pyCSEP can be used to evaluate earthquake forecasts, we have provided a reproducibility package that contains all the components required to re-create the figures published in this article. We recommend that interested readers work through the reproducibility package alongside this article. By providing useful tools to earthquake forecast modelers and facilitating an open-source software community, we hope to broaden the impact of the CSEP and further promote earthquake forecasting research.


The purpose of this study was to analyze the historical background of artistic batik skill that had strong influence on the construction of batik knowledge and role of women in rural batik sector. A case study of qualitative strategy involving 40 rural batik entrepreneurs and batik workers indicated that the collective action of community outside the palace to meet the batik needs of noblewomen became the first settler of batik entrepreneurs, batik firms and batik workers. Most of the noblewomen took part in delivering personal capability building of village women to have better understanding of the aesthetic subtleties of hand drawn batik than men.. The majority of rural women play important roles in rural batik sector, such as seeking regular jobs to keep village women to do batik work, active in creating new batik motif and quality controlling that were key to determining batik price in a competitive market.


The so called " cogen approach " to program specialisation, writing a compiler generator instead of a specialiser, has been used with considerable success in partial evaluation of both functional and imperative languages. This paper demonstrates that this approach is also applicable to partial evaluation of logic programming languages, also called partial deduction. Self-application has not been as much in focus in logic programming as for functional and imperative languages, and the attempts to self-apply partial deduction systems have, of yet, not been altogether that successful. So, especially for partial deduction, the cogen approach should prove to have a considerable importance when it comes to practical applications. This paper first develops a generic offline partial deduction technique for pure logic programs, notably supporting partially instantiated datas-tructures via binding types. From this a very efficient cogen is derived, which generates very efficient generating extensions (executing up to several orders of magnitude faster than current online systems) which in turn perform very good and non-trivial specialisation, even rivalling existing online systems. All this is supported by extensive benchmarks. Finally, it is shown how the cogen can be extended to directly support a large part of Prolog's declarative and non-declarative features and how semi-online specialisation can be efficiently integrated.


Maximum L-asparaginase activity was obtained when 1.0% lactose and 1.5% yeast extract were supplied as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. Glucose inhibited the enzyme formation. The diauxie phenomenon was observed with Erwinia aroideae NRRL B-138 grown in a medium containing glucose and lactose.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices can utilize either a conventional copper magnet or a superconducting NbTi magnet. In this study, copper and NbTi large bore magnets were designed by numerical optimization procedure for optimum wire length. The optimized magnets represent roughly the main coils of an MRI system. Then, life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to compare the environmental impact of these two types of magnets. LCA is an established tool to investigate the interaction between a product and the environment. In the inventory phase of LCA all material inputs, energy consumption, wastes and emissions to air and water are assessed, beginning from the extraction of raw materials and ending to the delivery of products from the factories. The optimization results showed that the construction of the copper magnet requires much more wire than the NbTi one. However, the manufacturing of NbTi/Cu wire requires more raw materials and is more energy-intensive than the manufacturing of copper wire per unit ton. Thus, more wastes and emissions to air and water are generated during the production of NbTi/Cu wire, but when the magnets were compared the results became reversed.


To ensure honey foodstuff safety, a rapid and sensitive mass spectrometric analysis method with minimal or no prior sample pretreatment was developed for the direct detection of trace amounts of tetracycline (TC) in honey products by using a microwave plasma torch combined with mass spectrometry (MPT-MS). In the study, reagent ions observed in the MPT background spectrum were commonly formed from the MPT source-generated plasma reacting with discharge gas (Ar), H2O and O2 in air. Moreover, the ionization process of the MPT for target molecules (M) was summarized in the positive ion mode, including proton transfer, charge transfer, penning ionization, high energy electron–molecule reaction and so on. For semi-quantitative detection of tetracycline in honey by MPT-MS, considerations for each approach including adjustment of the microwave power and optimization of the discharge gas flow rate are discussed. The present research mainly focused on the most abundant precursor ion [M + H]+ (m/z 445) and its fragment ion (m/z 427) in collision-induced dissociated (CID) experiments. In addition, the semi-quantitative data by monitoring m/z 427 vs. the amounts of samples illustrated that the limit of detection (LOD) for tetracycline is 19.27 μg L−1, the linear dynamics range is from 0.05 mg L−1 to 10 mg L−1, and the correlation coefficient (R2) is 0.98812. Moreover, the direct detection of four kinds of honey samples was conducted, and the recoveries of samples were shown to be in the range of 84.35–112.86%, and relative standard deviations (RSD, n = 11) of the method were in the range of 0.35–3.59%. With advantages of rapidity and high sensitivity, this research showed that MPT-MS is promising to be applied in on-site analysis of samples which are a little glutinous involving several fields, such as drug quality control, food safety and criminal investigation.


Looking into our individual differences, either as a group (e.g., women; Israelis who support boycotts of Israel) or as a particular human being is important and interesting. Despite assuming commonalities, the persistent quest for the uniqueness of the individual, however, is instrumental in obscuring the reality that we are all a lot more similar than different. In the same manner, the search for the uniqueness of poetic language may also blur the fact that both poetic and non-poetic linguistic uses follow, in most part, similar cognitive principles, and may have similar aesthetic effects, whether in production or in comprehension. Good science underlines that which we have in common even while looking at our differences; at the end of the day, when our idiosyncrasy is filtered out, our similarities stand out quite clearly. Clearly, studying our uniqueness only as well as studying both our idiosyncratic and shared characteristics are political choices. Even as scientists, we are always faced with a choice.


Author(s): Armstrong, Eric James | Advisor(s): Stillman, Jonathon H; Power, Mary E | Abstract: Marine species face several challenges as a result of human activities including direct effects on populations (e.g. overharvesting) and indirect impacts on individuals (e.g. physiological responses to ocean warming and acidification). Ameliorating these impacts requires successful regulation at both the population and physiological levels. One group of critically threatened organisms are the so called "giant clams" (genus Tridacna) of tropical coral reefs. Like corals, giant clams possess calcifying larvae and host symbiotic microalgae and are therefore susceptible to environmentally-driven failure of biomineralization and symbiotic disruption. In addition, giant clams are economically important fisheries species which have been severely overexploited throughout much of their range. While marine reserves have been established to replenish dwindling giant clam stocks, their efficacy in promoting population recovery remains unknown. Similarly, little is known regarding the magnitude of climate-change associated physiological effects on giant clams. This stems, in part, from a lack of knowledge regarding the response of early life-history stages to warming and acidification and because the molecular mechanisms regulating acid-base homeostasis and symbiont photosynthesis in giant clams remain poorly characterized. I addressed these knowledge gaps in populations of the small giant clam, Tridacna maxima, from across a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) on Mo'orea, French Polynesia. I employed a combined physiological and ecological approach to (1) investigate mechanistic processes underlying acid-base regulation within giant clams, specifically in relation to maintenance of host-symbiont homeostasis, (2) measure the effects of increased temperature and elevated pCO2 on giant clam fertilization success, and (3) assess the efficacy of a recently established Marine Protected Area Network in promoting conservation and recovery of this species in an exploitative environment.I demonstrate that giant clams regulate symbiont photosynthesis through the activity of an ion-transport protein, vacuolar-type H+-ATPase (VHA), which is strongly localized in close proximity to symbiotic algae. I further show that clam VHA actively promotes algal photosynthesis, increasing rates of O2 production and holobiont metabolic rate, and likely represents a convergent exaptation for carbon concentration shared by reef-building corals. This process has implications for climate-related responses and may offset the negative impacts of future ocean acidification in these species. I also present the first data demonstrating giant clam early life-history responses to climate change drivers and show that syngamy in giant clams is extremely sensitive to environmental warming. Finally, I demonstrate the significant, positive, effect of MPA establishment in permitting recovery of overharvested giant clam populations. T. maxima populations have increased approximately 3-fold in Mo'orea's protected sites relative to non-protected controls and this rate of recovery is significantly higher than the global average for marine reserves. Taken together, these results suggest that effective regulation at both the population and physiological level may permit the recovery and persistence of giant clams in the face of anthropogenic challenges.


The Great Recession furnishes a significant field of research for the analysis of trends in employment and national policies from a gender perspective. We argue that it is necessary to take a hol istic view of the consequences of the recession both on the labour market and on labour market policies. In the c ontext of widespread rises in female employment rates prior to the crisis, we highlight foregone employment growth, as well as the differing responses of women's and men's activity patterns. Furthermore, our review of European Union and national policies shows how advances based upon previous policy gains were also foregone. The position of gender equality in policy-making was challenged as governments responded to the crisis by "reverting to type" and weakening gender equality commitments.


The studies in this dissertation aim to identify hidden infections and evaluate the prevention, surveillance and infectious disease control policies currently in place. This is illustrated with studies on pertussis and hepatitis. Several methods are used to identify hidden infections. This dissertation reveals that the notification period is a valuable tool to identify the different levels and influential factors involved in combating infectious diseases. Epidemiological and geographical analyses help to identify high-risk groups and estimate the prevalence of hidden infections. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to all infectious diseases. This dissertation also demonstrates the importance of testing models and estimates in practice. The results were shared with general practitioners, laboratories, health institutes and the Netherlands' National Institute for Public Health (RIVM). Our recommendations were included in the national guideline drafted by the Health Council and were applied in practice.


Mango farmer need a technology to improve the production and the quality of mango. This study was aimed to analyse the factors related to the use of information by mango farmer, the relationship of farmer characteristics, level of information need, and level of information access with the use of information sources by the mango farmer, and to analyze the relationship between the use of information sources and the level of utilization of technology information by the mango farmer. A survey was conducted towards 65 farmers as respondents in Sedong Subdistrict, Cirebon Regency.The results showed that in the use of information sources of mango farmer, a few of information sources were used, the intensity of information access was low and the level of information appropriateness were low and very high. The influential factors towards the use of information sources were age, level of formal and non-formal education, scale of business, level of income, level of information need of cultivation, post-harvest, and marketing, and so level of easiness and affordability to access information. The level of utilization of information were very high to enhance the knowledge, very low to be applicated, and high to be forwarded to others. A very significant possitive correlation was found between the use of information sources and utilization of information. Keywords: utilization of information, mango, information need, information sources


Since 1909 the international community has worked to eradicate the abuse of narcotics. A century on, the efforts are widely acknowledged to have failed, and worse, have spurred black market violence and human rights abuses. How did this drug control system arise, why has it proven so durable in the face of failure, and is there hope for reform?


Unlike the great majority of OHE publications, this paper was not researched and written 'in-house'. It is a minimally edited translation of a study prepared in German by Dr Klaus Leisinger of the Swiss company CIBA-GEIGY. Hence its style, and at certain points its interpretation, differs from that of OHE; yet as regards the basic sentiments expressed OHE fully supports the line taken. Our objectives in publishing this English version are basically two fold. First, it contains a wealth of fact useful to anyone who wishes to gain an informed view of third world health care problems and requirements. Second, it provides an example of how some major multinational pharmaceutical companies are working to build up a sensitive understanding of the needs of the poor nations, and of how they can play an appropriate part in meeting them. Dr Leisinger stresses the need to utilise technologically based contributions to development prudently; that is in a manner compatible with the social and cultural conditions prevailing in each less developed nation. For example, agriculture is an area where companies like CIBA-GEIGY can rightly take a degree of credit for creating the tools of the 'green revolution'. But they will only contribute effectively to mass wellbeing in the third world if used hand in hand with the help poorer farmers and landless labourers need in the form of job opportunities, credit facilities, land redistribution, economic incentives and the like. Similarly, with regard to demographic transition, Dr Leisinger notes that life preserving medicines (and the availability of contraceptives) may in time help to reduce expressed fertility and so ultimately reduce population growth rates. Yet his work also stresses the urgent need to understand the social determinates of fertility behaviour if desired changes are to be achieved before Malthusian disaster overwhelms the third world poor. He highlights issues like the need to liberate women from past positions of disadvantage relating to matters like their access to education. Regarding the role of multinational companies in the process of development, the paper argues forcibly that it is a potentially desirable one. In terms of increasing capital investment, domestic production and third world trade balances, the role of multinational private enterprise is benign - isolated examples of ill-judged or clearly immoral behaviour coupled with propaganda from the critics of the social-market system should not obscure this fact. But Dr Leisinger's theme of technological advance via socially appropriate application needs constantly to be restated; the contributions of the western multinationals can only be optimised if there is an ongoing process of checking the relevance of their products and their policies to local community needs. In the specific context of pharmaceuticals this is a timely reminder. The current activities of Health Action International participants (HAI is a loose grouping of like-minded bodies co-ordinated in part by the International Organisation of Consumer Unions) are aimed at increasing political pressures on medicine manufacturers. As part of this international programme the charity Oxfam has, for instance, recently organised a series of meetings aimed at linking potentially damaging domestic attacks on British industry to third world medicine supply concerns. To the extent that actions like this last encourage the pharmaceutical industry to adopt clear and responsible policies towards the poor they must be welcomed. But they should not be permitted to mislead the public into believing that multinational industry is currently unconcerned, or that it has nothing to offer the least advantaged communities of the world. This paper gives some important insights into the nature of the benefits the major drug houses generate. It can be argued (perhaps in contrast to the line adopted in documents like the Brandt Report) that good health is not just a bi product of the economic process of development - it is its central goal. The inherent value of a full life span free from disability coupled with the survival of one's family and friends far outweighs any other 'lifestyle' gain that social and economic progress may bring. With this point fully perceived the future role of the innovative pharmaceutical industry and the powerful curative therapies and preventive techniques it has contributed and will contribute to our global society will surely be seen as an important one. Yet here again benefits will be maximised only if the social and economic factors relating to drug usage are fully understood and appropriate policies pursued. There may be a need at present, for instance, to involve traditional health practitioners more closely in the distribution of basic modern medicines in poor areas. Failure to do so could delay unacceptably the translation of initiatives like the WHO'S Drug Action Programme into practical reality.


Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze drug administrations via enteral tube of nurses working intensive care unit Material and Method: Cross-sectional descriptive study was realized with 91 intensive care nurses between 19 March and 9 April, 2012. Data were collected by a survey form. Data were evaluated by number, mean, standart deviation, percentages, chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Results: Before drug administration via enteral tube, it was determined that 70.3% of nurses were always checked the location of enteral tube, provided clarity of the tube with tap water (58.2%), washed their hands (96.6%), wore of gloves (95.5%). During drug administration, it was found that the nurses were controlled pharmaceutic form of drug (94.5%), applied as a bolus of drug (87.9%), immediately passed nutritional after applying medication (56%). It was determined that there was statistical significant difference between applications of nurses and nurses's work years, education, training (p<0.05) Conclusion: It was determined that nurses were made errors on the drug applications via enteral tube.


This paper contributes to the growing domain of 'post-qualitative' research and experiments with a new (re)presentational form to move away from traditional and cliched descriptions of research methods. In this paper, I want to interrogate the category of interview, and the habit of interviewing, to disrupt the cliches, so as to allow thinking of different ways of writing/speaking/representing the interactions between researcher and researched that will breathe new life into qualitative inquiries. I will attempt to flatten and shred, destabilise and disrupt our common-sense ideas about interview, including those held most sacred to the qualitative community, that of anonymity and confidentiality, as well as the privilege of the 'transcript' in re-presenting interview data.


The experiment described in this paper was undertaken in an attempt to shed additional light on the relationship between abnormalities of the intake of minerals and of vitamin D by the mother and the mineralization of the rat fetus. Specifically, we wished to know whether: (1) mineral deficiency of the mother during gestation results in a demonstrable mineral deficiency in the fetus; (2) maternal mineral deficiency not severe enough to show osteoporosis in a roentgenogram could affect fetal mineral metabolism; (3) demineralizing effects of hypervitaminosis D, such as those observed by Harris in young rats on a diet low in calcium and phosphorus, were apparent in the offspring of rat mothers who were similarly maintained; (4) vitamin D in therapeutic doses administered to pregnant rats being maintained on a diet deficient in calcium and phosphorus would change materially the mineral content of the fetus. The effects on the developing fetus


A frequent starting point of the ongoing debates on a future platform regulation – in the EU in the form of a "Digital Markets Act" (DMA) – is the alleged ineffectiveness of competition law enforcement in the digital realm, and in particular when it comes to "abuse of domi-nance" or monopolization proceedings against the largest digital platforms. This paper aims to do add to this debate in two ways: In a first part, it provides a rough overview of the competition law cases on unilateral practices in digital markets that have been initiated and partly completed over the last 10 years or so, with a strong focus on cases against large digital platforms. While there is a focus on the EU and its Member States, the overview also looks at relevant cases in other jurisdictions like the U.S., Australia, India, Russia and China in order to give an impression of the global enforcement dynamics. The overview – which is mostly based on the Concurrences database, with only some additional research on our part, which is by necessity selective – does not dive into a discussion of the merits of the cases. Rather, it is meant to systematize the enforcement actions and to provide a clearer picture when, where and why action has been taken on which grounds. A second part strives to draw some tentative conclusions from this overview against the background of ongoing pol-icy debates. Has enforcement indeed been intolerably slow? Does the enforcement pano-rama indicate what's special about ensuring undistorted competition in the presence of gatekeepers and why we might need a special regime of platform regulation? Does it tell us something about the optimal scope of such a regulation, and about the interaction of com-petition law, the law on unfair business terms and consumer protection law in the digital realm? Does it hold insights about what we can expect from public and private enforcement respectively?


Objectives: To investigate changes in clinical characteristics of SGLT2i and GLP-1RA initiators in Denmark before/after landmark trials. Materials and Methods: Compared first-time SGLT2i (25,070) and GLP-1RA (15,803) initiators to initiators of DPP-4i (without proven cardiovascular benefits), using linked population-based healthcare data to examine initiation incidence, medication patterns, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) during 2014-2017. Results: Nationwide incidence of SGLT2i initiators increased 3.6-fold (53/100,000 to 172/100,000 per year) vs. a 1.7-fold increase for GLP-1RA. DPP-4i initiation remained stable (Figure). From the end of 2015, SGLT2i was increasingly used as 2nd-line and GLP-1RA as 1st-line therapy. Among SGLT2i users, ASCVD increased slightly from 28% to 30%; age- and gender-adj. prevalence ratio (aPR) = 1.03 (95% CI:0.97-1.10). In contrast, among GLP-1RA initiators, ASCVD declined from 29% to 25% (aPR: 0.87 (95% CI:0.81-0.93)), and in DPP-4i initiators from 31% to 29% (aPR: 0.91 (95% CI:0.88-0.96)). Conclusion: For SGLT2i, the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial may have driven earlier adoption i.e., increased 2nd-line use, with minor increases in proportions with ASCVD. For GLP-1RA, we observed increased 1st-line use and decreasing ASCVD despite the LEADER trial, possibly due to anti-obesity treatment launch. Disclosure J.S. Knudsen: None. L.M. Baggesen: None. M. Lajer: Employee; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. L. Nurkanovic: Employee; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. A.V. Ustyugova: Employee; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. H.T. Sorensen: None. R.W. Thomsen: None. Funding Boehringer Ingelheim


The purpose of this paper is to obtain conditions on weak tournaments, which guarantee that every non-empty subset of alternatives admits a stable set. We show that every stable set always contains the core. We also show that there exists a unique stable set for each non-empty subset of alternatives which coincides with its core if and only if the weak tournament is quasi-transitive. However, a unique stable set exists for each non-empty subset of alternatives (which may or may not coincide with its core) if and only if the weak tournament is acyclic.


A real-time analysis (RTA) system, based on a personal computer with a digital signal processor card (DSP) was developed. The system extracts and saves the QT and RR intervals from an incoming ECG signal sampled at 1 kHz. The method of defining the QT and RR intervals is based on performing multiple cross-correlations that enables rejection of artifacts from the analysis. The relationship between the RR and the QT intervals is found using the following general formula QT(i) cRR(i)(i-1). Linear regression is performed on the logarithms of QT and RR measurements obtained to estimate a constant (a = logc) and a slope (b), reflecting the dynamic change of the QT intervals. Having these two values, the dynamic QT extrapolated to a heart period of 1 s (QTcd) was calculated. The system also performs spectral analysis of the intervals and dynamic QT-RR relation analysis. The system was evaluated on recordings from 10 infants aged 4 to 24 weeks. The QT/RR computerized measuring device used in the present study answers to the requirements for precise dynamic beat-to-beat QT measurement. Its sampling rate is high and can achieve a real millisecond-precision without the need of interpolation methods. The measurements are performed on-line, at the time of the actual recording. Results appear immediately and a measure of dynamic QT behavior can be easily obtained within minutes. The computerized system with the dynamic QT-RR measurements may provide a simple and accurate tool for testing drug treatment and effects of other interventions for cardiac disorders and arrhythmia risk.