The purpose of this study was to determine if there are allied dental health education programs within the State of Florida currently using Technical Skills Standards (any non-academic abilities or requirements necessary to perform the job) as part of their applicant counseling and admissions process. In addition, the research was to determine faculty's knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its impact on the admissions policies and procedures of their programs was examined. The program faculty and administrators representing 27 institutions throughout the State of Florida offering accredited, Dental Assisting, Dental Hygiene, and Dental Lab Technology training programs were surveyed as experts in their field. Analysis of the responses suggests that a majority of those surveyed from the three disciplines agree that there should be published technical skill standards used for program admissions purposes. In addition, although a majority of those surveyed were found to have some knowledge of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) enacted in 1990, approximately 96% responded negatively regarding this federal mandate's affect on the admissions criteria for their program. As baseline statistical information, the data from this project serves to provide educators and program advisors in Florida allied dental health education programs an opportunity to assess the opinion of their peers and colleagues regarding the current need to establish and adopt uniform, statewide technical skill standards for dissemination to all potential program applicants. 1 Hallock: The Use of Technical Skill Standards in the Admissions Process Published by STARS, 2001


The firing characteristics of 1437 CA1 pyramidal neurons were studied in relation to both spatial location and the phase of the theta rhythm in healthy young and old rats performing a simple spatial task on a rectangular track. The old rats had previously been found to be deficient on the Morris spatial learning task. Age effects on the theta rhythm per se were minimal. Theta amplitude and frequency during rapid eye movement sleep were virtually identical. During behavior, theta frequency was slightly reduced with age. In both groups, cell firing occurred at progressively earlier phases of the theta rhythm as the rat traversed the place field of the cell (i.e., there was "phase precession," as reported by others). The net phase shift did not differ between age groups. The main finding of the study was a loss of experience-dependent plasticity in the place fields of old rats. During the first lap around the track on each day, the initial sizes of the place fields were the same between ages; however, place fields of young rats, but not old, expanded significantly during the first few laps around the track in a given recording session. As the place fields expanded, the rate of change of firing with phase slowed accordingly, so that the net phase change remained constant. Thus changes in field size and phase precession are coupled. A deficit in plasticity of place fields in old rats may lead to a less accurate population code for spatial location.


A series of biologically active benzimidazole derivatives (2a-2n) was synthesized by the reaction of o-phenylenediamine with the derivatives of benzoic acid in presence of 4N-HCl followed by the reaction with piperazine and formaldehyde to undergo Mannich reaction. The structures of all the synthesized Mannich bases were characterized by UV, FTIR, 1H NMR, mass spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The compounds were evaluated for their anthelmintic activity by the identification of paralyzing and death time by using mebendazole as standard in the concentration of 2 mg/ml. The compounds 2a, 2b, 2e and 2h were found to be most potent for anthelmintic activity. All the compounds were also evaluated for antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacterial strains like Bacillus subtilis and Streptococcus aureus, and gram-negative bacterial strains like Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The study was performed through disc diffusion method by using Ciprofloxacin as standard in the concentration of 50µg/ml. The compounds 2e, 2h, 2k, 2l and 2m were found to possess significant antibacterial activity.


Abstract. Calving is a crucial process for the recently observed
dynamic mass loss changes of the Greenland ice sheet. Despite its importance
for global sea level change, major limitations in understanding the process
of calving remain. This study presents high-resolution calving event data
and statistics recorded with a terrestrial radar interferometer at the front
of Eqip Sermia, a marine-terminating outlet glacier in Greenland. The
derived digital elevation models with a spatial resolution of several metres
recorded at 1 min intervals were processed to provide source areas and
volumes of 906 individual calving events during a 6 d period. The calving
front can be divided into sectors ending in shallow and deep water with
different calving statistics and styles. For the shallow sector,
characterized by an inclined and very high front, calving events are more
frequent and larger than for the vertical ice cliff of the deep sector. We
suggest that the calving volume deficiency of 90 % relative to the
estimated ice flux in our observations of the deep sector is removed by
oceanic melt, subaquatic calving, and small aerial calving events. Assuming a
similar ice thickness for both sectors implies that subaqueous mass loss
must be substantial for this sector with a contribution of up to 65 % to
the frontal mass loss. The size distribution of the shallow sector is
represented by a log-normal model, while for the deep sector the log-normal
and power-law model fit well, but none of them are significantly better.
Variations in calving activity and style between the sectors seem to be
controlled by the bed topography and the front geometry. Within the short
observation period no simple relationship between environmental forcings and
calving frequency or event volume could be detected.


In this paper, mould configurations are studied by finite element simulation for superplastic blow forming of combustion chamber outer jacket. One concave and two convex mould configurations are basically considered to determine which type would be advantageous in terms of forming time and thickness distribution. For the simulation, the flow stress equation of duplex stainless steel was determined from free bulging test. The simulation results showed that the concave type was quit a bit different from the other two cases. The concave mould configuration produced shorter forming time and thicker thickness distribution than the others, and it seems to be more effective for superplastic forming of outer jacket. The obtained pressure profile for the concave mould configuration was employed in actual forming and the thickness distribution was compared for the verification.


Numerical simulations suggest that submesoscale turbulence may transform lateral buoyancy gradients into vertical stratification and thus restratify the upper ocean via vertical flow. However, the observational evidence for this restratifying process has been lacking due to the difficulty in measuring such ephemeral phenomena, particularly over periods of months to years. This study presents an annual cycle of the vertical velocity and associated restratification estimated from two nested clusters of meso- and submesoscale-resolving moorings, deployed in a typical midocean area of the northeast Atlantic. Vertical velocities inferred using the nondiffusive density equation are substantially stronger at submesoscales (horizontal scales of 1–10 km) than at mesoscales (horizontal scales of 10–100 km), with respective root-mean-square values of 38.0 ± 6.9 and 22.5 ± 3.3 m day−1. The largest submesoscale vertical velocities and rates of restratification occur in events of a few days' duration in winter and spring, and extend down to at least 200 m below the mixed layer base. These events commonly coincide with the enhancement of submesoscale lateral buoyancy gradients, which is itself associated with persistent mesoscale frontogenesis. This suggests that mesoscale frontogenesis is a regular precursor of the submesoscale turbulence that restratifies the upper ocean. The upper-ocean restratification induced by submesoscale motions integrated over the annual cycle is comparable in magnitude to the net destratification driven by local atmospheric cooling, indicating that submesoscale flows play a significant role in determining the climatological upper-ocean stratification in the study area.


while dealing with sub-micrometer precision robots, thermal expansion is the most significant source of inaccuracy. Thermal variations in the environment, in the robot parts and in the frame change the robot geometry, lowering the robot precision. In this article we propose a strategy to model and compensate such effects. The thermal behavior of a 3 DOF (Degree(s)-of-freedom) parallel robot has been studied using a high-precision measuring system. A model of the robot thermal behavior has been built and implemented in the controller. By using it, thermal deformations are compensated in real-time and an absolute accuracy of ±71 nm has been reached.


Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) encompasses two major entities: ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD).1 Both are chronic, progressive, disabling conditions that require lifelong medical treatment in most cases. IBD has a major impact on the patient's health-related quality of life,2 and the treatment-related costs place a significant burden on healthcare systems.3

Historically, the medical management of IBD has been based on the use of several small-molecule drugs (SMDs), including corticosteroids, immunomodulators (such as azathioprine, 6-mercaptopurine and methotrexate) and aminosalicylates.4 The introduction of biologic anti-tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) agents in the first few years of this century has revolutionised the clinical management of IBD. In parallel, treatment goals have shifted from symptomatic control towards more objective endpoints (such as mucosal healing and deep remission) associated with better long-term outcomes.5 ,6 Over the past 20 years, drug research in the field of IBD has focused on the development of new, large-molecule biologics; hence, several anti-TNF-α monoclonal antibodies (including infliximab,7 ,8 adalimumab,9 ,10 certolizumab pegol,11 ,12 and golimumab)13 and, most recently, antibodies with other targets (such as vedolizumab14 ,15 and ustekinumab)16 have become available in clinical practice.

However, monoclonal antibodies have limitations in terms of efficacy, safety and cost. First, the available biologics are only moderately efficacious17 since up to 30% of patients show a lack of improvement after induction therapy with anti-TNF drugs (ie, primary non-response).18 Furthermore, a significant proportion of patients (between 13% and 25% per year)19–21 may develop a loss of response to anti-TNF agents over time (ie, secondary non-response).20 ,21 This loss of response may be due to pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic and/or immunogenic factors.22 Combination therapy is the best way to prevent the formation of antibodies,23 which …


In this careful study of the fragments of Parmenides' hexameter poem, On Nature, Alexander P. D. Mourelatos combines traditional philological reconstruction with the approaches of literary criticism and philosophical analysis to reveal the thought structure and expressive unity of the best preserved, most important and coherent text of Greek philosophy before Plato. The author shows how Parmenides' deduction of the signposts and bounds of what-is critically defines the concept of reality implicit in Greek-cognitive vocabulary and in early speculative cosmologies. He interprets the second part of the poem, the Doxa, as a cosmology designed to bring out both similarities and contrasts with Parmenides' own doctrine of what-is. The Doxa thus serves as a semantic commentary on the first part, the Truth. Mourelatos' discussions of the concepts of persuasion, fidelity, opinion, belief, and appearance elucidate terms strategically important for interpreting Parmenides and contribute in the history of Greek philosophical vocabulary. This first-time in paperback edition includes a new Introduction by the author. Also included are three essays by him, as well as one previously unpublished paper by Gregory Vlastos.


The design of rainwater harvesting based gardens requires considering current climate but also climate change during the lifespan of the facility. The goal of this study is to present an approach for designing garden variants that can be safely supplied with harvested rainwater, taking into account climate change and adaptation measures. In addition, the study presents a methodology to quantify the effects of climate change on rainwater harvesting based gardening. Results of the study may not be accurate due to the assumptions made for climate projections and may need to be further refined. We used a tank flow model and an irrigation water model. Then we established three simple climate scenarios and analyzed the impact of climate change on harvested rain and horticulture production for a semi-arid region in northern Namibia. In the two climate scenarios with decreased precipitation and medium/high temperature increase; adaptation measures are required to avoid substantial decreases in horticulture production. The study found that the most promising adaptation measures to sustain yields and revenues are a more water efficient garden variant and an enlargement of the roof size. The proposed measures can partly or completely compensate the negative impacts of climate change.


These lecture notes are about financial innovations. We ask why are there some innovation and how is an innovative idea realized. This forces us to consider practical and structural aspects (regulations, taxation, markets) as key drivers of innovations and also basic formal aspects in valuation. Contents: Overview: Taxes and Regulation, Technology, Who Innovates, Life Cycle, Pricing and Hedging Discount Factors and No Arbitrage Investment: Rule Bases, Alpha, Beta, View and Trade, Fund Industry, Portfolio Theory Swaps and Financial Markets: IRS, TRS, ALM, ISDA Retail Structured Products Real Estate Asset Class, Green Banking, Demographic Risk Financial Crisis: Overview Leverage, Systemic Risk, Securitization, Pricing


Mercury (Hg) was investigated in bone tissues of skua ( Catharacta maccormick )and penguin ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) collected in the maritime Antarctic using atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) and synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence (SR-XRF) method. The total levels of mercury in bone tissues of penguin and skua are much lower than those in other organs(e.g., kidney,liver). The toxic effects of mercury in bone tissues of seabirds in polar region are not known. We have used SR- XRF method to map the distribution of trace levels of mercury in bones. The levels of mercury are found to be enriched somewhere near the periosteal surface and/or endos- teal surface. The distribution of mercury shows strongly correlation with that of some essential elements and probably poses negative effect on the bone metabolism inferring from the relationship of mercury with the other elements. These studies represent a first step toward understanding the toxic effects of mercury on bone of polar animals by suggesting the possible microscopic investigation.


Abstract A relationship between winter weather and survival of northern ungulates has long been established, yet the possible roles of biological (e.g., nutritional status) and environmental (e.g., weather) conditions make it important to determine which potential limiting factors are most influential. Our objective was to examine the potential effects of individual (body mass and age) and extrinsic (winter severity and snowmelt conditions) factors on the magnitude and timing of mortality for adult (>2.5 years old) female white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus [Zimmerman, 1780]) during February–May in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA. One hundred and fifty deer were captured and monitored during 2009–2015 in two areas with varying snowfall. February–May survival ranged from 0.24 to 0.89 (mean = 0.69) across years. Mortality risk increased 1.9% with each unit increase in cumulative winter severity index, decreased 8.2% with each cumulative snow‐free day, and decreased 4.3% with each kg increase in body mass. Age and weekly snow depth did not influence weekly deer survival. Predation, primarily from coyote (Canis latrans [Say, 1823]) and wolves (Canis lupus [L., 1758]), accounted for 78% of known‐cause mortalities. Our results suggest that cumulative winter severity, and possibly to a lesser degree deer condition entering winter, impacted deer winter survival. However, the timing of spring snowmelt appeared to be the most influential factor determining late‐winter mortality of deer in our study. This supports the hypothesis that nutrition and energetic demands from weather conditions are both important to northern ungulate winter ecology. Under this model, a delay of several weeks in the timing of spring snowmelt could exert a large influence on deer survival, resulting in a survival bottleneck.


Aim: To design and characterize oral controlled release matrix tablets of lamivudine to improve efficacy and patient compliance. Materials and Methods: Lamivudine matrix tablets were prepared by wet granulation method using various proportions of hydrophilic polymers such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose (Na CMC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), Eudragit-L155, and xanthan gum alone or in combination with hydrophobic polymer ethyl cellulose (EC). In-vitro release studies were performed using USP Type II dissolution apparatus 900 ml of pH - 6.8 phosphate buffer at 100 rpm. Drug release kinetics was analyzed using zero-order, first-order, Higuchi and Hixon equation. No chemical interaction between drug and the polymer was seen as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared studies. Results and Discussion: All the formulations showed good results which were compliance with pharmacopeial standards. Formulations X2, X3, X4, X5, X7, X9, X12, and X14 containing a combination of two polymers, i.e., xanthan gum, combine with EC, Na CMC, HPMC, and Eudragit-L155 in the different ratios shows zero-order kinetic of release with 80-97% of drug released. But in the presence of Na CMC in the formulation X4, X9, and X14, the drug released in 12 h was in the range of 75-85% and shows zero-order kinetics. Mathematical analysis of the release kinetics indicated that the nature of drug release from the matrix tablets was dependent on drug diffusion and therefore followed non-Fickian or anomalous release. The formulation X4 containing xanthan gum with Na CMC gave more sustaining action, i.e., 79.16% in 12 h. Conclusion: Based on the in-vitro drug release study, it can be concluded that among the prepared formulations, X4 is the optimized formulation and can overcome the demerits of conventional lamivudine tablet.


(ANNs) is usually a slow process in which the human expert has to test several architectures until he finds the one that achieves best results to solve a certain problem. This work presents a new technique that uses Genetic Programming (GP) for automatically generating ANNs. To do this, the GP algorithm had to be changed in order to work with graph structures, so ANNs can be developed. This technique also allows the obtaining of simplified networks that solve the problem with a small group of neurons. In order to measure the performance of the system and to compare the results with other ANN development methods by means of Evolutionary Computation (EC) techniques, several tests were performed with problems based on some of the most used test databases. The results of those comparisons show that the system achieves good results comparable with the already existing techniques and, in most of the cases, they worked better than those techniques.


Abstract. An 8-year climatological analysis (1989–1996) of lightning network data over Belo Horizonte, a large city located in Southeastern Brazil, and nearby surrounding areas has indicated a significant enhancement of approximately 100% in the negative flash density and of 50% in the positive flash density over and downwind of the city, compared with the other adjacent areas. A decrease of 25% in the percentage of positive flashes was also observed over and downwind of the city. No urban effect was evident in the peak current of both negative and positive flashes. These results are in agreement with the recent results obtained by Steiger et al. (2002) for Houston, except that the strength of the effect is twice larger than in Houston. The reason for this difference is not clear. Key words. Meteorology and atmospheric dynamics (atmospheric electricity; convective processes; lightning)


It is very important to understand the underlying physical phenomena at the steel/slag interface in a continuous casting tundish in order to control reoxidation and deoxidation phenomena that can occur. Aiming to investigate probable sources of exogenous inclusions originating from the covering slag, an existing mathematical model of the tundish was augmented to include key physical parameters needed for the prediction of the physical behaviour of steel/slag mixing phenomena. Results showed a recirculation flow in the inlet region to be responsible for both the entrainment of steel drops into the slag and slag fragments into the steel. The highest concentration of slag in the steel was found to be in the area behind the inlet where slag fragment sizes are smaller due to a high degree of turbulent energy dissipation. Likewise, higher concentrations of steel in the slag, consisting of smaller steel droplets, were only found in the inlet region and along the walls. The results indicate that only small slag fragments of approximately 10‐50 microns from the covering slag reach the outlet.


Submitted to the University of Gezira in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Science, in, Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, January 2017


The main aim of this study was to analyze the training in ICT of Primary Physical Education teachers, according to this model. The Spanish translation of the TPACK survey and Computer Self-Efficacy scale was administered along items to measure the Internet use. A sample of 60 physical education teachers from 40 schools in Seville and Huelva were selected. The results revealed that TPACK perceptions of physical education teachers were at satisfactory levels, especially in the pedagogical component and content knowledge. Also, the teachers showed acceptable levels in the computer self-efficacy scale, by means of using the Internet daily with a social purpose rather than professional. Positive correlations were found in terms of the most important variables of the study (4 types of knowledge of the TPACK and self-efficacy in the use of ICT). Specifically, the technological knowledge (TK, PCK+TPK and TPACK) correlations with computer self-efficacy were higher.


Expression of recombinant proteins using a secretion system can minimize co-purification of contaminating host proteins. Production of His-tagged recombinant proteins in the yeast alpha-factor secretion system has previously required a fermenter system to control the growth conditions such as pH of the yeast culture. We describe an inexpensive non-fermenter system for the production of secreted recombinant His-tagged proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that uses a buffered low peptone YP glycerol medium, which does not interfere with immobilized metal affinity chromatography. Maspin, a tumor suppressor serpin, was expressed as a secreted N-terminal His/FLAG-tagged protein. Purification of the soluble active recombinant protein only requires centrifugation, concentration by ultrafiltration, and Ni2+ affinity chromatography. Purified protein yields of this system are 3-5 mg/L culture medium.


ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (200, 300, 400 MPa; 5°C, 15°C and 25°C; 5 and 10 min) on some quality properties of pomegranate juice. Juice samples are obtained under industrial conditions at two different squeezing pressure levels (100 and 150 psi – 0.689 and 1.033 MPa, respectively). Results are compared against conventional thermal treatment (85°C/10 min) and raw sample. For all three processing temperature, HHP combinations at 400 MPa for 10 min were sufficient to decrease the microbial load around 4.0 log cycles for both squeeze levels. All HHP treatments showed no significant decrease at antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and monomeric anthocyanin pigment concentrations, while there was a significant decrease (p ≤ .05) in thermal-treated samples. Being the highest sugar alcohol in pomegranate juice, mannitol content must be considered for determining the authenticity, and mannitol content increased with squeezing pressure and thermal treatment.


A strain of spontaneous lung adenocarcinoma of inbred T739 mice has been successfully transplanted and retained for generations in the syngenic mice. By light microscopy, the cancer cells appeared oval or cubic and were arranged in a few or multiple layers, sometimes in papillary form. Metastasis to lung was 100%. By histochemistry, it was negative for glycogen, ALKase and all mucin stains, while being positive for LDHase, G6PDHase and SDHase stains. By electron microscopy, numerous microvilli on the cell surface, lamellar bodies, osmiophilic globuli, Golgi apparatus mitochondria and granular endoplasmic reticula in the cytoplasm were observed. The lung tumor strain, recognized as mouse lung adenocarcinoma (papillary type), may derive from the type II alveolar epithelial cells.


Many bacterial use flagella to swim in liquids and swarm over surface. In Salmonella enterica, over 50 genes are required to assemble flagella. The expression of these genes is tightly regulated. Previous studies have found that flagellar gene expression is bimodal in S. enterica, which means that only a fraction of cells express flagellar genes and are motile. In the present study, we found that two separate mechanisms induce this bimodal response. One mechanism, which was previously identified, tunes the fraction of motile cells in response to nutrients. The other results from a developmental checkpoint that couples flagellar gene expression to flagellar assembly. Collectively, these results further our understanding of how flagellar gene expression is regulated in S. enterica. ABSTRACT Flagellar gene expression is bimodal in Salmonella enterica. Under certain growth conditions, some cells express the flagellar genes whereas others do not. This results in mixed populations of motile and nonmotile cells. In the present study, we found that two independent mechanisms control bimodal expression of the flagellar genes. One was previously found to result from a double negative-feedback loop involving the flagellar regulators RflP and FliZ. This feedback loop governs bimodal expression of class 2 genes. In this work, a second mechanism was found to govern bimodal expression of class 3 genes. In particular, class 3 gene expression is still bimodal, even when class 2 gene expression is not. Using a combination of experimental and modeling approaches, we found that class 3 bimodality results from the σ28-FlgM developmental checkpoint. IMPORTANCE Many bacterial use flagella to swim in liquids and swarm over surface. In Salmonella enterica, over 50 genes are required to assemble flagella. The expression of these genes is tightly regulated. Previous studies have found that flagellar gene expression is bimodal in S. enterica, which means that only a fraction of cells express flagellar genes and are motile. In the present study, we found that two separate mechanisms induce this bimodal response. One mechanism, which was previously identified, tunes the fraction of motile cells in response to nutrients. The other results from a developmental checkpoint that couples flagellar gene expression to flagellar assembly. Collectively, these results further our understanding of how flagellar gene expression is regulated in S. enterica.


This research examines the relationship between the work and non-work lives of Malaysian public sector employees. The study sought to analyse how the interface between work and non-work life is influenced by both organisational contexts as well as the broader social and cultural context of Malaysia. As the research in the context have been under-investigated and the research subject usually adopts a single-level of analysis, therefore, this study is based on a multi-level analysis examining the interaction between the macro level (role of the State), meso level (the role of the organisations), with micro level influences (such as the individual"s religious and cultural values) and how, in turn, these factors affect the ways in which employees organise their work and non-work lives. The research is conducted in three organisations and includes 71 in-depth interviews. Each organisation chosen reflected different workforce compositions in terms of gender, ethnicity, age and religious backgrounds. A multi-level perspective demonstrates how structural factors are significant when examining how actors are either enabled or constrained in their ability to manage the relationship between work and non-work. The findings of this study demonstrate that the State, organisations (through their different working practices, working hours and organisational cultures), religious and cultural values as well as the range of familial, communal and institutional supports influence how employees organise their work and non-working lives. Within the Malaysian context, religious and cultural values emphasise the dual commitment of work and non-work lives for employees. Thus, the study highlights how this context affects management"s decisions and employees" expectations and experiences. This study also found that work/non-work life approaches vary at the meso level because of different organisational contexts. Finally, the nature of the relationship between work and non-work varies according to the strategies which workers adopt. Variations of work/non-work integration identified among workers in the study demonstrates that some achieve partial to full integration, whereas others either experience conflictual relations between work and home, or develop strategies to segment work and non-work. Thus, the study identified different degrees of satisfaction and dis-satisfaction with the relationship between work and non-work. Hence, work/non-work integration can be best viewed as a continuum. A multi-level examination of macro-, meso- and micro levels can provide critical learning points for policy makers and employers aware of the need to find culturally appropriate ways to enhance work/non-work integration as well as to alleviate the harmful effects of work/non-work conflict.


BackgroundThere is substantial and growing literature on the actions of general anesthetics on a variety of neurotransmitter-gated ion channels, with the greatest attention being focused on inhibitory &ggr;-amino butyric acid type A receptors. In contrast, glutamate receptors, the most important class of fast excitatory neurotransmitter-gated receptor channels, have received much less attention, and their role in the production of the anesthetic state remains controversial. Methods&agr;-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors formed from a variety of different subunits were expressed in Xenopus oocytes and HEK-293 cells, and their sensitivities to the inhalational general anesthetics xenon, isoflurane, and halothane were determined using two-electrode voltage clamp and patch clamp techniques. The effects of desensitization on anesthetic sensitivity were investigated using cyclothiazide and site-directed mutagenesis. An ultrarapid application system was also used to mimic rapid high-concentration glutamate release at synapses. ResultsThe authors show that xenon can potently inhibit AMPA receptors when assayed using bath application of kainate. However, when the natural neurotransmitter l-glutamate is used under conditions in which the receptor desensitization is blocked and the peak of the glutamate-activated response can be accurately measured, the pattern of inhibition changes markedly. When desensitization is abolished by a single-point mutation (L497Y in GluR1 and the equivalent mutation L505Y in GluR4), the xenon inhibition is eliminated. When AMPA receptors are activated by glutamate using an ultrarapid application system that mimics synaptic conditions, sensitivity to xenon, halothane, and isoflurane is negligible. ConclusionsAMPA receptors, when assayed in heterologous expression systems, showed a sensitivity to inhalational anesthetics that was minimal when glutamate was applied rapidly at high concentrations. Because these are the conditions that are most relevant to synaptic transmission, the authors conclude that AMPA receptors are unlikely to play a major role in the production of the anesthetic state by inhalational agents.


We introduce a new general-purpose approach to deep learning on three-dimensional surfaces based on the insight that a simple diffusion layer is highly effective for spatial communication. The resulting networks are automatically robust to changes in resolution and sampling of a surface—a basic property that is crucial for practical applications. Our networks can be discretized on various geometric representations, such as triangle meshes or point clouds, and can even be trained on one representation and then applied to another. We optimize the spatial support of diffusion as a continuous network parameter ranging from purely local to totally global, removing the burden of manually choosing neighborhood sizes. The only other ingredients in the method are a multi-layer perceptron applied independently at each point and spatial gradient features to support directional filters. The resulting networks are simple, robust, and efficient. Here, we focus primarily on triangle mesh surfaces and demonstrate state-of-the-art results for a variety of tasks, including surface classification, segmentation, and non-rigid correspondence.


Real-time semantic segmentation on high-resolution videos is challenging due to the strict requirements of speed. Recent approaches have utilized the inter-frame continuity to reduce redundant computation by warping the feature maps across adjacent frames, greatly speeding up the inference phase. However, their accuracy drops significantly owing to the imprecise motion estimation and error accumulation. In this paper, we propose to introduce a simple and effective correction stage right after the warping stage to form a framework named Tamed Warping Network (TWNet), aiming to improve the accuracy and robustness of warping-based models. The experimental results on the Cityscapes dataset show that with the correction, the accuracy (mIoU) significantly increases from 67.3% to 71.6%, and the speed edges down from 65.5 FPS to 61.8 FPS. For non-rigid categories such as "human" and "object", the improvements of IoU are even higher than 18 percentage points.


BACKGROUND
Total lean body mass (LEAN-tot) is one of the three major components of body weight. Its deterioration is a risk factor for frailty. Despite this, there are few studies examining the contribution of genetic factors.

OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to examine the contribution of genetic factors for LEAN-tot variation, including a genome-wide search for the genes.

RESEARCH METHODS
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry measurements of LEAN-tot were obtained from each of the 3180 United Kingdom females (509 monozygotic and 1081 dizygotic twin pairs). Contribution of genetic factors was assessed using variance component analysis. A genome-wide linkage analysis was performed on the dizygotic twins using a modified version of the Haseman-Elston method.

RESULTS
Age, body height, total fat, and bone mass were correlated with LEAN-tot, and commonly explained 52% of the LEAN-tot variation. The crude heritability estimate was 74.0 +/- 4.0%, after adjustment for the aforementioned factors; 65.2 +/- 4.6% was attributable to independent genetic effects. Significant (P < 0.001) genetic correlations were found between LEAN-tot and bone mass, and LEAN-tot and total fat. Adjusted only for age, LEAN-tot showed no significant linkage. After adjustment for all covariates, significant linkage (LOD = 4.49 and 3.62) was observed at chromosome 12q24.3 and 14q22.3, respectively. Additional peaks of interest were on 7p15.3-15.1 (LOD = 2.86) and 8p22 (LOD = 2.83).

CONCLUSIONS
LEAN-tot measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is highly heritable, independent of other body measures. This first genomic search for genes associated with the lean component of body mass suggests significant linkage to quantitative trait loci on chromosomes 12 and 14.


A prospective longitudinal study assessed 967 consecutive patients who attended an emergency clinic shortly after a motor vehicle accident, again at 3 months, and at 1 year. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was 23.1% at 3 months and 16.5% at 1 year. Chronic PTSD was related to some objective measures of trauma severity, perceived threat, and dissociation during the accident, to female gender, to previous emotional problems, and to litigation. Maintaining psychological factors, that is, negative interpretation of intrusions, rumination, thought suppression, and anger cognitions, enhanced the accuracy of the prediction. Negative interpretation of intrusions, persistent medical problems, and rumination at 3 months were the most important predictors of PTSD symptoms at 1 year. Rumination, anger cognitions, injury severity, and prior emotional problems identified cases of delayed onset.


Background: Doctors' handover has been the subject of investigation since the implementation of the European Working Time Directive in 2004. Little is known regarding handover quality and safety in clinical practice. This study aims to systematically assess handover practice across different clinical settings and to consider its implications for person-centered healthcare. Method: Prospective observational study of handover practice over a period of three weeks in the Obstetrics-Gynaecology, Acute Care Unit and General Surgery departments of one UK General District Hospital. Checklists developed on the basis of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons' and Physicians' guidelines were used to assess clinical practice. Results: A total of 306 patients were admitted in the departments during the study period; 45 patients (15%) were not handed over during the change of the shift. Accuracy of handover compared to our gold standard were:  Obstetrics-Gynaecology (45%); Acute Medicine (51%); General Surgery (52%). Information less likely to be handed over was related to patients' management plan in all specialities. Medicine and Surgery rarely discussed aims and limitations of treatments while Obstetrics-Gynaecology handed over tasks to be done only in 43% of patients. All specialties performed well during the handover of current diagnosis and list of patient problems Conclusions: A number of weaknesses were identified in handover practice across the clinical settings explored. The existing handover process focuses on the current status of patients, whereas safety concerns, time critical actions. Anticipated next steps should address the lack of the so called 'third level' of situation awareness as one method aimed at improving the person-centeredness of clinical services.


Among the new approaches to tissue regeneration platelet rich fibrin (PRF) is shown to have significant effect in different surgical fields like pulpotomy. The PRF clot forms a strong natural fibrin matrix with platelets and growth factors and makes a complex structure as a healing matrix. The blood of adult healthy dogs weighting 18 ± 3 kg centrifuged for 12 min at 10000 /rpm. The PRF was isolated. A cervical cavity was prepared in the three incisors of both upper and lower jaw. When the pink color of pulp was seen through the thin layer of dentin, a No.2 explorer was used to expose the pulp. In group A no treatment was performed and the cavities were filled only by zonalin cement. In group B, PRF was placed on exposure site and zonalin cement over it. All teeth were extracted and sections were viewed under light microscope. Different degrees of inflammation and necrosis were observed in pulpal tissues in group A. Dentinal bridge was not observed in group A. Different degrees of dentin bridge formation were observed in group B. Mean necrosis in group A (1) was significantly higher when compared to the mean degree of necrosis in group B (0.16). (P=0.001). Dentin bridge formation occurred in the pulpal tissue of the dog's incisor teeth capped with PRF, which shows promising effects in healing of the wounded pulp.


Cities are playing an ever more important role in the mitigation and adaption to climate change. This book examines the politics shaping whether, how and to what extent cities engage in global climate governance. By studying the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and drawing on scholarship from international relations, social movements, global governance and field theory, the book introduces a theory of global urban governance fields. This theory links observed increases in city engagement and coordination to the convergence of C40 cities around particular ways of understanding and enforcing climate governance. The collective capacity of cities to produce effective and socially equitable global climate governance is also analysed. Highlighting the constraints facing city networks and the potential pitfalls associated with a city-driven global response, this assessment of the transformative potential of cities will be of great interest to researchers, graduate students and policymakers in global environmental politics and policy.


PURPOSE
To determine the morphologic features of the epithelium and extracellular matrix in spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects (SCCED) in dogs.

METHODS
Forty-eight superficial keratectomy specimens were obtained after confirmation of the presence of a superficial corneal erosion for longer than 3 weeks with no discernible underlying cause. Histologic samples were examined by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Immunolocalization of laminin, collagen IV, fibronectin, and collagen VII was performed.

RESULTS
Epithelial cells adjacent to the defect were poorly attached to the underlying extracellular matrix. A prominent superficial stromal hyaline acellular zone composed of collagen fibrils in the area of the erosion was present in most specimens. Samples exhibited a varying degree of fibroplasia, vascularization, and leukocytic infiltrate. Laminin, collagen IV, and collagen VII were usually either not present or were present only in discontinuous segments on the surface of the erosion. Fibronectin usually coated the surface of the erosion, either as a continuous sheet or in discontinuous segments. Transmission electron microscopy of 15 samples revealed that the basement membrane was either absent in the area of the erosion or was present only in discontinuous segments. Scanning electron microscopy of eight of nine samples confirmed the absence of continuous basement membrane. Epithelial and extracellular matrix components in the peripheral cornea appeared normal.

CONCLUSIONS
Most canine patients with spontaneous chronic corneal epithelial defects do not have a normal basement membrane structure in the region of the epithelial defect and have other abnormalities in the subjacent extracellular matrix that may reflect a part of the underlying pathophysiology of chronic and recurrent erosions.


Abstract Introduction: The emergence of novel psychoactive substances has changed the epidemiology of drugs used recreationally throughout Europe and have posed significant challenges for clinicians, researchers and regulators. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists have made up a large proportion of these novel psychoactive substances. Developed for legitimate scientific research, synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists are potent agonists at CB1 and CB2 receptors and there have been many case reports of severe or fatal toxicity following their recreational use. At least 180 analytically confirmed compounds belonging to this group of drugs have been reported in Europe as of January 2019. Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists have a complex molecular structure, consisting of four pharmacophore components termed the 'core', 'tail', 'linker' and 'linked' groups. This structural complexity offers multiple opportunities for chemical modification to evade drug control legislation based on chemical structure, and this explains the large numbers of individual products that have been detected. Objectives: To discuss the chemical structure of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and to describe the different nomenclature used to identify individual compounds thereby increasing understanding of their chemical heterogenicity and the potential relevance of their molecular structure to the risk of toxicity. Methods: The European Database on New Drugs (EDND) and EMCDDA-Europol annual implementation reports (2010–2017) was searched for compounds with known agonist activity at CB1 and/or CB2 receptors. Information on the different names and chemical structures of each compound was extracted and analysed for patterns. PUBMED, Google Scholar and MEDLINE databases were searched, in addition to non-peer reviewed sources, for data on structure, structure-activity relationships and nomenclatures for each compound. Nomenclature of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists: The structural complexity of synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists presents challenges for nomenclature. There are several nomenclature systems in use. Colloquial and clandestine names: Non-scientific names (e.g. AKB-48, 2NEI, XLR-11) have been used to refer to specific compounds and most have probably been invented by vendors, presumably for the purpose of successful marketing of recreational products, however such names do not convey useful information about structure. Systematic chemical names: Each compound has a systematic chemical name that describes its exact structure; however, it is complex, unwieldy, inaccessible to non-chemists and not suitable for routine communication or clinical use. Serial names: Represent iterative designations assigned to compounds produced as a series in a laboratory (e.g. 'WIN-', 'HU-', 'CP-', 'JWH-' and 'AM-'). This nomenclature does not provide structural information or reflect structural similarities between compounds. Systematic abbreviated names: Succinctly describe each compound utilising structural pharmacophores. The chemical motif in each pharmacophore group is assigned a unique code-letter and assembled into a name with the format of 'Linked Group – TailCoreLinker'. Frequently encountered groups include indole and indazole cores, amino-acid-like like groups, most notably methyl-3,3-dimethylbutanoate (MDMB), methanone linker groups and pentyl, 5-fluoropentyl and 4-fluorobenzyl tails. There has been inconsistent usage of this nomenclature, likely due to a lack of consensus and identification of code-letters for several chemical motifs. Emerging compounds and practices: Tricyclic carbazole and γ-carbolinone core analogues have been identified and may represent the next significant structural analogues to emerge onto the recreational market. There is a need to establish basic pharmacological and toxicological data for these analogues. Conclusions: There is a need for international consensus on the nomenclature used to name synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists to ensure precise and effective communication between professional groups in the clinic and for the purposes of research and regulation, especially with the emergence of analogues of existing compounds and novel structural motifs. A well-defined nomenclature system also supports quick and accurate communication of the structure-activity of these compounds, potentially highlighting compounds that carry a significant risk of toxicity.


In recent years, we have witnessed a dramatic change in the field of product design. Fundamentally, product design is now commonly referred to as 'development'. This term conveys the extension of the designer's influence throughout the entire process, and not just in the middle, but in the front end marketing and the back end engineering stages. This change has broadened our scope, opened up our worlds and our minds, and has made product designers more important to the practice of developing products than ever before. Integrated in this change are other realities that must be confronted in order to succeed in the field of product design. New software and technologies have profoundly altered the value and core of the traditional set of skills of the designer. New methods of market research extract from consumers the unspoken needs and unrealised habits and behaviours. There is an almost universal desire for corporations to contract-out industrial design and full engineering development in order to maintain lean organisations, while leveraging world class design expertise. In order to prepare product design students for these new realities, we must continually evolve curriculums to teach and inform students of what is required of development. This expanded learning must be carefully incorporated into the formal education of product design so that students are prepared to confront today's new, altered face of design.


OBJECTIVE: To develop a validated mortality prediction score for children with traumatic injuries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified all children (<18 years of age) in the US military established Joint Theater Trauma Registry from 2002 to 2009 who were admitted to combat-support hospitals with traumatic injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. We identified factors associated with mortality using univariate and then multivariate regression modeling. The developed mortality prediction score was then validated on a data set of pediatric patients (≤18 years of age) from the German Trauma Registry, 2002–2007. RESULTS: Admission base deficit, international normalized ratio, and Glasgow Coma Scale were independently associated with mortality in 707 patients from the derivation set and 1101 patients in the validation set. These variables were combined into the pediatric "BIG" score (base deficit + [2.5 × international normalized ratio] + [15 − Glasgow Coma Scale), which were each calculated to have an area under the curve of 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.83–0.95) and 0.89 (95% confidence interval: 0.87–0.92) on the derivation and validation sets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The pediatric trauma BIG score is a simple method that can be performed rapidly on admission to evaluate severity of illness and predict mortality in children with traumatic injuries. The score has been shown to be accurate in both penetrating-injury and blunt-injury populations and may have significant utility in comparing severity of injury in future pediatric trauma research and quality-assurance studies. In addition, this score may be used to determine inclusion criteria on admission for prospective studies when accurately estimating the mortality for sample size calculation is required.


Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the successful and cost-benefit surgical treatments. One-stage bilateral THA (BTHA) offers many benefits. However, there are concerns about the safety of the procedure and higher complications. We aimed to evaluate the complications and outcomes of one-stage BTHA with Hardinge approach for femoral head avascular necrosis patients. A total of 60 patients from April 2009 and May 2013, were underwent one-stage bilateral total hip arthroplasty (BTHA) in Milad and Erfan hospitals, Tehran, Iran. A prospective analysis of the functional outcomes and complications of one-stage BTHA through Hardinge approach in patients with femoral head avascular necrosis (AVN) performed. We evaluated all patients clinically and radiologically with serial follow-ups. A clinical hip score based upon the modified Harris Hip Score (MHHS) was performed preoperatively and again postoperatively. During period of study 44 men (73.3%) and 16 women (26.6%) with a mean age of 31.40±4.08 years (range 25 to 36 years) at the time of presentation were entered. The mean surgical time was 2.6±0.38 hrs. The mean hospital stay was 3.50±0.72 days. Hemoglobin level decreased significantly after operation (P= 0.046). There was no reported patient with perioperative death, deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, infection, dislocation, periprosthetic fracture or heterotrophic ossification. The mean preoperative MHHS score was 47.93±7.33 in patients. MHHS score improved to 95.06±3.47 in the last follow-up (P=0.0001).Our results recommend the use of one-stage BTHA through Hardinge approach in femoral head avascular necrosis patients.


We present TODS, an automated Time Series Outlier Detection System for research and industrial applications. TODS is a highly modular system that supports easy pipeline construction. The basic building block of TODS is primitive, which is an implementation of a function with hyperparameters. TODS currently supports 70 primitives, including data processing, time series processing, feature analysis, detection algorithms, and a reinforcement module. Users can freely construct a pipeline using these primitives and perform end- to-end outlier detection with the constructed pipeline. TODS provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI), where users can flexibly design a pipeline with drag-and-drop. Moreover, a data-driven searcher is provided to automatically discover the most suitable pipelines given a dataset. TODS is released under Apache 2.0 license at https://github.com/datamllab/tods. A video is available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/JOtYxTclZgQ)


Choice of first-line antidepressants for depression has been debated in psychiatric journals over the last 9 months, in relation to the widely reported meta-analysis by Cipriani et al in the Lancet , comparing 21 antidepressants for efficacy and tolerability.1 They found that agomelatine, amitriptyline, escitalopram, mirtazapine, paroxetine, venlafaxine, and vortioxetine were more effective than other antidepressants.1 They also found agomelatine, citalopram, escitalopram, fluoxetine, sertraline, and vortioxetine to be relatively better tolerated than others.1 Three antidepressants with higher efficacy also had relatively high acceptability: agomelatine, escitalopram, and vortioxetine. So should these antidepressants now be considered first-line choices for depression in primary care?

The Cipriani group's conclusions should be treated with some caution, as they are based on network meta-analysis (NMA). NMA methodology enables multiple treatments to be compared using both direct comparisons within randomised controlled trials, and indirect comparisons across trials based on a common comparator. So, if antidepressants 'A' and 'C' have each been compared with antidepressant 'B' directly, you can infer how 'A' would perform compared with 'C' through NMA, even if 'A' and 'C' have never been compared in the same trial. However, the inferences from NMAs that some antidepressants are more effective or acceptable than others are not always consistent with direct head-to-head comparisons of drugs within trials. It is therefore important to look also at systematic reviews of trials comparing drugs with each other directly.

This is not the first time Cipriani's group has suggested that escitalopram should be a preferred first-line choice due to its combined higher efficacy and tolerability. In 2009, they published an NMA comparing 12 antidepressants showing similar clinically important differences in favour of escitalopram and sertraline.2 Following the 2009 study, sertraline prescribing rose significantly while citalopram prescribing levelled off, and that of fluoxetine fell.3 However, escitalopram …


Person re-identification (ReID) with descriptive query (text or sketch) provides an important supplement for general image-image paradigms, which is usually studied in a single cross-modality matching manner, e.g., text-to-image or sketch-to-photo. However, without a camera-captured photo query, it is uncertain whether the text or sketch is available or not in practical scenarios. This motivates us to study a new and challenging modality-agnostic person re-ideruification problem. Towards this goal, we propose a unified person re-identification (UNIReID) architecture that can effectively adapt to cross-modality and multi-modality tasks. Specifically, UNIReID incorporates a simple dual-encoder with task-specific modality learning to mine and fuse visual and textual modality information. To deal with the imbalanced training problem of different tasks in UNIReID, we propose a task-aware dynamic training strategy in terms of task difficulty, adaptively adjusting the training focus. Besides, we construct three multi-modal ReID datasets by collecting the corresponding sketches from photos to support this challenging study. The experimental results on three multi-modal ReID datasets show that our UNIReID greatly improves the retrieval accuracy and generalization ability on different tasks and unseen scenarios.


Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have led to significant improvements in tasks involving semantic segmentation of images. CNNs are vulnerable in the area of biomedical image segmentation because of distributional gap between two source and target domains with different data modalities which leads to domain shift. Domain shift makes data annotations in new modalities necessary because models must be retrained from scratch. Unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) is proposed to adapt a model to new modalities using solely unlabeled target domain data. Common UDA algorithms require access to data points in the source domain which may not be feasible in medical imaging due to privacy concerns. In this work, we develop an algorithm for UDA in a privacy-constrained setting, where the source domain data is inaccessible. Our idea is based on encoding the information from the source samples into a prototypical distribution that is used as an intermediate distribution for aligning the target domain distribution with the source domain distribution. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm by comparing it to state-ofthe-art medical image semantic segmentation approaches on two medical image semantic segmentation datasets.


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In order to eliminate unnecessary table-over-travel of a surface grinding machine, the authors previously developed an adaptive table-reciprocation-control system using a hydrophone. The system eliminated the over-travel and reduced grinding time by 20-40%. However, during the stage of the grinding-wheel approach to a workpiece the system did not work. In order to improve the efficiency and reliability of the system, a fluid-flow stabilizer and a new coolant-supply nozzle have been developed and their performances were experimentally investigated. By using these devices, the reciprocation-control system showed its capability even during the stage of the grinding-wheel approach and this ability improved the system efficiency and reliability.


Anna Freud defined adolescence "evolutional disorder", meaning also a compulsory and temporary shift. Corresponding, biologically, to the puberty, it is an age full of expectations and hopes, nevertheless not free from psychological and social risks: because of a changing relation with family, of the searching of new models, of the coming in contact with less protective contexts, of the differentiation of affective expectations. Therefore it can be that the passing from childhood to active subjectivity brings on anxiety, conflicts and deviance; and it can suggest illusory remedies as overindulgence in alcohol, alarming phenomenon denounced by WHO and by many other international and Italian institutions. After these preliminary remarks, the A. reminds as alcohol and its by-products reached Europe, describes its metabolism and its biological effects, the genetic factors which could predispose to the tolerance and/or to the addiction, the environmental and social ones, and the costs, both individual and public. Conclusions want suggest two omens: the reclamation of a new kind of family relation, based on listening and dialogue; and the achievement of a concrete alliance between society and young adult, which could conjugate the expectations of the community with the rights of the new subject for a free and integrated growing up.


We present a 2-D quantum mechanical simulation framework based on self-consistent solutions of Schrödinger-Poisson system, using the Finite Element Method. The quantum mechanical model includes direct as well as phonon-assisted transitions and it is applied to Germanium electron-hole bilayer tunnel FETs (EHBTFET). It is found that 2D direct tunneling through the underlap regions may degrade the subthreshold characteristic of germanium EHBTFETs and requires careful device optimization to make the tunneling in the overlap region dominate over the parasitic paths.


OBJECTIVES
Mucuna pruriens (MP) seeds contain levodopa (up to 2% by weight) and have been used in traditional Indian medicine to treat an illness named "Kampavata," now understood to be Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies have shown MP to be beneficial, and even superior, to levodopa alone in treating PD symptoms. Commercial products containing MP are readily available from online and retail sources to patients and physicians. Products often contain extracts of MP seeds, with significantly higher levodopa content than the seeds. However, MP products have limited regulatory controls with respect to quality and content of active ingredient. The aim of this study was to apply a quantitative method to determine levodopa content in readily available MP products that might be used by patients or in research studies.

DESIGN
Levodopa present in six commercial MP products was quantified by solvent extraction followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection (FD). Certificates of analysis (COA) were obtained, from manufacturers of MP products, to assess the existence and implementation of specifications for levodopa content.

RESULTS
HPLC-FD analysis revealed that the levodopa content of the six commercial MP products varied from 6% to 141% of individual label claims. No product contained levodopa within normal pharmacopeial limits of 90%-110% label claim. The maximum daily dose of levodopa delivered by the products varied from 14.4 to 720 mg/day. COAs were inconsistent in specifications for and verification of levodopa content.

CONCLUSIONS
The commercial products tested varied widely in levodopa content, sometimes deviating widely from the label claim. These deficiencies could impact efficacy and safety of MP products used by PD patients and compromise the results of scientific studies on MP products. The HPLC-FD method described in this study could be utilized by both manufacturers and scientific researchers to verify levodopa content of MP products.


On March 20, 2019, the Appeals Chamber of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals set aside Radovan Karadžić's prior sentence of forty years and imposed a life sentence. Karadžić was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violations of the laws or customs of war in March 2016 by a Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and sentenced to forty years in prison. His crimes relate to war crimes he committed during the 1990s conflicts in the Balkans, in particular the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Serbs and the three-year long siege of Sarajevo. The Appeals Chamber reversed part of Karadžić's convictions related to the Overarching JCE and dismissed the rest of his appeal, while also dismissing most of the Prosecution's appeal, aside from the sentence. The Appeals Chamber judges found that the Trial Chamber "committed a discernible error and abused its discretion in imposing a sentence of only 40 years of imprisonment," and consequently imposed a life sentence.


Previous research has documented the rise in rates of suicidal behaviors following media reports of celebrity suicide. Whereas most research has focused on documenting and analyzing suicide rates, little is known about more subtle psychological effects of celebrity suicide on the public, such as despair and feelings of abandonment. The Internet has revolutionized the responses to news reports, enabling immediate and anonymous responses potentially reflecting these psychological processes. Thus, the current study explored the unique psychological impact of a celebrity suicide on the public by analyzing the big data of readers' comments to suicide news reports, using computational linguistics methods. Readers' comments (N = 14,506) to suicide news reports were retrieved from 4 leading online news sites. The comments were posted in response to 1 of 1 types of reports: a celebrity suicide (Robin Williams), a non-celebrity suicide, and general reports of suicide as a social phenomenon. LIWC software for computerized linguistic analysis was used to calculate the frequency of the various types of words used. Comparison of the responses to the 3 types of suicide reports revealed higher frequency of first-person pronouns and for emotionally charged words on comments to a celebrity suicide, compared with comments to the other types of suicide reports. The findings suggest that celebrity suicide news reports evoke the expression of positive emotions, possibly related to the venerated celebrity, alongside negative, internalized emotions, and feelings of social isolation. Theoretical, practical, and methodological implications are discussed.


The objective of this dissertation is the experimental study and control of laser-kicked molecular rotors. Nonresonant rotational Raman excitation of linear molecules by periodic sequences of ultra-short laser pulses allows for the realization of a paradigm system the periodically kicked rotor. This apparently simple physical system has drawn much interest within the last decades, especially due to its role in the field of quantum chaos. This thesis presents an experimental apparatus capable of producing long sequences of high-energy femtosecond pulses. Rotation of diatomic molecules, the most basic version of quantum rotors, is investigated under multi-pulse excitation. In the case of periodic kicking, the wave function of the quantum rotor dynamically localizes in the angular momentum space, similarly to Anderson localization of the electronic wave function in disordered solids. We present the first direct observation of dynamical localization in a system of true rotors. The suppressed growth of rotational energy is demonstrated, as well as the noise-induced recovery of diffusion, indicative of classical dynamics. We examine other distinct features of the quantum kicked rotor and report on quantum resonances, the phenomena of rotational Bloch oscillations and Rabi oscillations. In addition, multi-pulse excitation is investigated in the context of creating broad rotational wave packets. Another goal of the reported study is the coherent control of quantum chaos. We demonstrate that the relative phases in a superposition of rotational states can be used to control the process of dynamical localization. We specify the sensitivity to external parameters and illustrate the loss of control in the classical limit of laser-molecule interaction. Our work advances the general understanding of the dynamics of laser kicked molecules and complements previous studies of the quantum kicked rotor in a system of cold atoms. The results encourage further studies, e.g. of quantum phenomena which are unique to true rotors. The possibility of control in classically chaotic systems has far reaching implications for the ultimate prospect of using coherence to control chemical reactions.


Diierential-Interference-Contrast (DIC) microscopy is a powerful technique for the visualization of unstained transparent specimens, thereby allowing in vivo observations. Quantitative interpretation of DIC images is diicult because the measured intensity is nonlinearly related to the gradient of a specimen's optical-path-length distribution along the shear direction. The recent development of reconstruction methods for DIC microscopy permits the calculation of a specimen's optical-path-length distribution or phase function and provides a new measurement technique for biological applications. In this paper we present a summary of our work on quantitative imaging with a DIC microscope. The focus of our eeorts has been in two areas: 1, model development and testing for 3D DIC imaging; and 2, development of a phase-estimation method based on this model. Our method estimates a specimen's phase function using rotational-diversity DIC images, i.e. multiple DIC images obtained by rotating the specimen. Test objects were viewed with a conventional DIC microscope using monochromatic light, and images were recorded using a cooled CCD camera. Comparison of the images to model predictions show good qualitative and quantitative agreement. Results obtained from testing the phase-estimation method with 2D simulations and with measured DIC images demonstrate that an estimate of an object's phase function can be obtained even from a single DIC image and that the estimated phase becomes quantitatively better as the number of rotational-diversity DIC images increases.


Rice blast disease is considered one of the most serious diseases of cultivated rice and is mediated by the causal agent, Magnaporthe oryzae. During infection, dome-shaped fungal cells, called appressoria, form on the surface of the leaf and generate turgor through the accumulation of glycerol. This enormous pressure is directed down onto a thin penetration hypha emerging from the base of the cell, forcing it through the surface of the rice leaf and allowing fungal colonization of the plant interior. The non-reducing disaccharide, trehalose, is present in conidia of M. oryzae and is mobilised during appressorium formation. The first step in trehalose biosynthesis involves trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (Tps1), and deletion of the TPS1 gene in M. oryzae abolishes its ability to cause disease. This loss of pathogenicity was thought to be due to the role trehalose might play in turgor generation in the appressorium, or from the loss of the trehalose intermediate, trehalose-6-phosphate, a known signalling molecule in other organisms. However, subsequent analysis determined that, in M. oryzae, it is the Tps1 protein itself that is a central regulator of plant infection. Here, we discuss how the role of trehalose metabolism in M. oryzae development was determined to differ from other eukaryotes and show how, independent of its biosynthetic role, Tps1 functions as a sugar sensor to integrate carbon and nitrogen metabolism and regulate a subset of primary and secondary metabolic pathways, such as the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and pigment formation, respectively, during plant colonisation. This is a critical role that allows the fungus to adapt to the nutritional and redox conditions encountered in the plant cell and establish disease.


To support the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements of embedded multimedia applications off-the-shelf middleware like common object request broker architecture (CORBA) must be flexible, efficient, and predictable. Moreover, stringent memory constraints imposed by embedded system hardware necessitates a minimal footprint for middleware that supports multimedia applications. This paper provides three contributions toward developing efficient object request broker's (ORBs) middleware to support embedded multimedia applications. First, we describe optimization principle patterns used to develop a time and space-efficient CORBA inter-ORB protocol (IIOP) interpreter for the adaptive communication environment (ACE)-ORB (TAO), which is our high-performance, real-time ORB. Second, we describe the optimizations applied to TAO's interface definition language (IDL) compiler to generate efficient and small stubs/skeletons used in TAO's IIOP protocol engine. Third, we empirically compare the performance and memory footprint of interpretive (de)marshaling versus compiled (de)marshaling for a wide range of IDL data types. Applying our optimization principle patterns to TAO's IIOP protocol engine improved its interpretive (de)marshaling performance to the point where it is now comparable to the performance of compiled (de)marshaling. Moreover, our IDL compiler optimizations generate interpreted stubs/skeletons whose footprint is substantially smaller than compiled stubs/skeletons. Our results illustrate that careful application of optimization principle patterns can yield both time and space-efficient standards-based middleware.


The structural proteins of an arenavirus pathogen, Machupo virus, were compared to the structural proteins of two previously characterized non-pathogenic arenaviruses, Pichinde and Tacaribe, in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. Similarities in mol. wt. of the major structural proteins from both pathogenic and non-pathogenic viruses were apparent; however, some differences in the number of glycosylation properties of minor proteins were observed. Machupo virions contain two major protein species. The most prominent is a non-glycosylated protein with a mol. wt. of 68000, while the other was glycosylated protein with a mol. wt. of 41000. Minor amounts of other proteins (mol. wt. 84000, 74000, 50000 and 15000) and a glycolipid were also observed.


In some parts of Canada, including most of British Columbia, settlement proceeded in the absence of land cession treaties with Aboriginal peoples. This gives rise to possible Aboriginal title claims to significant tracts of privately owned land. The result is a challenging legal question linked to a highly fraught moral dilemma. Should the property rights of private owners or those of Aboriginal title holders prevail? Should a serious historic wrong be corrected, or should the reliance interests of innocent modern-day owners, and of the society in which they live, be protected? The author seeks to address these problems from the perspective of a sophisticated, rights-based jurisprudence. This approach emphasizes the rights of the parties, but does so within the broader context of the system of rights that the legal system is meant to protect. The author argues that while it is unlikely that past Crown grants to settlers had the effect of extinguishing Aboriginal title, the question of the remedies available to Aboriginal title claimants remains open. Courts considering remedial options can appropriately take account of disruptive effects on the wider legal system, including effects on foundational interests like private property rights. It is possible to vindicate Aboriginal title claims while protecting third-party reliance interests. The clearest way to do this is through monetary damage awards against the Crown, which is the party ultimately responsible for the wrong in these cases. The author argues that in most, if not all, cases of Aboriginal title claims to private land, this will be the most appropriate remedy. Courts can combine such monetary awards with orders for the Crown to cooperate in land exchanges or with proposals by First Nations to add land they purchase on the private market to their reserves, allowing them to reassemble a land base within their traditional territory. The author argues that this approach is consistent with existing private law and Aboriginal title jurisprudence, as well as principles governing remedies in constitutional cases.


Background: Biomass has been identified as an important source of renewable energy. However, growing demand for dedicated energy crops could lead to conflicts with food production and ecosystem services. This study uses a geographic information systems-embedded modeling approach to assess the spatial supply of short-rotation coppice, taking into account social, economic and environmental constraints. Results: Results suggest that 7.5 million tons of biomass (from short-rotation coppice) is realistically available in England. Such production would require 0.8 million ha and could be grown almost entirely on poor quality marginal lands. Conclusion: We therefore conclude that short-rotation coppice energy crops have the potential to play an important role in meeting UK renewable energy targets without compromising environmental sustainability or food production.


The author considers the influences that different psychoanalytic trends have had on the thought processes of psychoanalysts in the River Plate region. She begins by giving a history of the way in which these trends were shaped by the sociocultural context of the region, and of how the dialectical relationship between these two factors produced the River Plate region's (Argentina and Uruguay) own theoretical model. The author includes a study--albeit incomplete--of major local developments, and attempts to define the characteristics of a regional model. The model is based on the following parameters: the fundamental rules of evenly suspended attention and free association; the technical frame; links between theory and clinical practice such as transference-countertransference, resistance, identification, the analytic field; the concept of psychic change and its indicators; and the interpretive instrument. The author considers the past and present influence of Lacanian thought on this model. She concludes by reviewing some of these theoretical and clinical concepts.


Scottish adventurer James Lamont led hunting expeditions to Svalbard (1858 and 1859) and to Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya (1869 to 1871), voyages chronicled in his two publications, Seasons with the Sea-horses (1861) and Yachting in the Arctic Seas (1876). These works were modeled on the English whaler William Scoresby, Jr.'s An Account of the Arctic Regions, with a History and Description of the Northern Whale-Fishery , Vol. 1, written in 1820. Scoresby's book, as well as a correspondence with evolutionary theorist, Charles Darwin, inspired Lamont to pursue science during an Arctic hunt. Lamont's scientific endeavours included geographical surveys, the collection of geological specimens, and basic experiments in physical oceanography. However, most importantly, Lamont provided the first account of Arctic wildlife in the context of natural selection. Lamont's legacy as an Arctic explorer linked the early sea-hunters like Scoresby to a later generation of Victorian hunter-explorers, such as Benjamin Leigh Smith, who followed Lamont's lead and journeyed northward to hunt and conduct scientifically grounded explorations.


Managing the New Bank Technology is a practical action-oriented guide for bank CEOs, executives, business students, and boards. The book is aimed at educating those involved in banking on the key technological issues facing the industry. "Quick reference" guides opening each chapter are a special feature of the book, blueprints that offer bottom line summary suggestions for bank officers and executives. Topics include: Banking as Retailing; The Internet and Financial Services; Strategies for Future Payment Systems; Risk Management Technology; Protecting Technology Investments in an Age of Rapid Change; Negotiating Outsourcing Contracts; Developing an Information System Plan; Organizational Strategies to Manage Technology; Battling Fraud and Security Issues; and Selling Your Bank's Technology Vision.


SUMMARY Species- and subspecies-specific trypanosome DNA hybridization probes have been employed in the detection and identification of trypanosome infections in Glossina morsitans centralis. Several ways of sample preparation including the use of tsetse organ suspensions, proboscides and dissected midguts, as well as tsetse abdominal content touch-blots were explored. The results of hybridization of radio-isotope-labelled species-specific DNA probes to tsetse samples indicated that it was possible to detect trypanosomes in the organs where parasite development is known to characteristically occur for each subgenus. Duplicate slot-blots of samples prepared from midguts of tsetse infected with 2 strains of T. congolense and from non-infected fly controls show that it is not only possible to detect infection in tsetse but also to identify the strain of parasite present in a sample after hybridization with the DNA probes specific for each strain. The results, obtained after hybridization of sequential abdominal touch-blots from the same fly with the DNA probe specific for one strain of T. congolense, indicated that at least 8 positive signals can be observed after an overnight exposure. Because of their simplicity and potentially low cost, the techniques described here would be appealing for screening large numbers of tsetse samples from the field for the presence of any trypanosome residing in the guts or proboscis of the vector. In addition, the possibility of doing multiple touch-blots from the same fly gives the opportunity of detecting mixed trypanosome infections in the vector.


Background: To determine the effect of intramuscular administration of Neostigmine® on the visualization of the pancreatic duct on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis or abdominal pain. Methods: We reviewed patients undergoing magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography followed by a Neostigmine®-enhanced magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. Patients with a history of recurrent acute pancreatitis or abdominal pain who had a magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography where the pancreatic duct was not entirely seen, were selected to undergo a second magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography 40 minutes after 0.5 mg Neostigmine®. Images were analyzed by 2 radiologists. The diameter of the pancreatic duct was measured in the head, body, and tail of the pancreas on the baseline images and after Neostigmine®. Results: Ten patients were included, with a median age of 33 years (range 15-61). The maximum diameter of the pancreatic duct increased significantly after Neostigmine® administration in all patients, from 1.84 ± 0.98 to 3.41 ± 1.27 mm in the head, 1.34 ± 0.42 mm to 2.5 ± 0.49 mm in the body and 0.72 ± 0.52 mm to 1.78 ± 0.43 mm in the tail (mean ± SD, P < .0001). Neostigmine® helped to provide better detail of the pancreatic duct anatomy in 4 patients. In 2 patients we confirmed pancreas divisum, in another the Santorini duct was not seen on the baseline images but it was clearly visualized after Neostigmine®, and in the fourth patient, Neostigmine® improved visualization of multiple pancreatic duct stenosis. Conclusion: Neostigmine®-magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography significantly increases the diameter of the pancreatic duct, allowing an accurate morphological evaluation. It could be a cheap alternative to secretin, which is expensive and hardly available.


Abstract: The results of two Saskatchewan Agriculture Development Fund (ADF) projects and greenhouse studies are presented. Hybrid poplars are the fastest-growing trees in Saskatchewan and may have economic potential as an alternative crop. They also need more moisture and nutrients annually than other tree species for maximum growth. Under the projects, two hybrid poplar plantings were designed at Arborfield and Preeceville, SK, planted in 2002, which were compatible with field application of swine effluent. The nitrogen response of young hybrid poplar trees in the field was assessed and clonal differences were determined that might make some clones more appropriate in such plantings. Effluent was successfully applied to the two plantings at Arborfield and Preeceville with the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) effluent application truck to which modifications to the delivery system had been made. Nitrogen growth response was not shown in the newly-planted trees, but there was an increase in annual growth parameters in older trees at Henribourg, SK even though the final height of the trees did not depend on the nitrogen treatment. The projects showed important clonal differences in growth with Walker, Katepwa, WP69 and a clone of Populus tristis (Fisch.) having greater height and diameter than other clones. Greenhouse studies showed that clonal differences exist in nitrogen uptake rates and in preference for the form (ammonium or nitrate) with Hill poplar combining a relatively high productivity with a relatively greater preference for ammonium.


A naturally occurring floral mutant is infrequently observed in some populations of birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.). The petals of mutant flowers are folded inward and do not extend fully, producing a vestigial corolla (vc), while other floral parts remain normal. The style extrudes through a gap between the rudimentary keel and the folded standard. Consequently, the stigma and style extend beyond the corolla and are exposed. The spatial separation between stigma and anthers could facilitate hand-pollination as it eliminates the need for emasculation. The objective of this study was to determine the fertility of L. corniculatus genotypes expressing vc floral characters. Sixteen genotypes of L. corniculatus expressing the vc phenotype were collected from field grown populations. Pollen from vc genotypes was compared with pollen from genotypes of the germplasm MU-81 used as controls. All vc genotypes produced some pollen that appeared normal, although the quantity of such pollen was variable among the vc genotypes. Mean pollen germination among vc genotypes was 22%, compared with 50% for MU-81. Only five of 16 vc genotypes produced pods when crossed to genotypes of MU-81 and both pod and seed set were less than in control crosses. Normal and abnormal ovules were observed in ovaries of vc genotypes and the reduced fertility may have resulted from smaller, incompletely developed ovules. Unidirectional reversion of the vc genotypes, from abnormal to normal flower morphology, was common. Using the vc mutant to eliminate the need for emasculation in hand-pollination programs depends on its fertility. The combination of phenotypic instability and reduced fertility make the vc mutant less desirable for use in breeding programs.


The process of individual decision-making is discussed in terms of interaction among three computational agents: a human decision maker, a computer system, and a third agent which is termed an intelligent controller and resolver (ICOR). The ICOR system uses the resolution metaphor to facilitate the interaction between the two principal computational agents. This helps in synthesizing different universes of discourse of the principal agents. The ICOR system is discussed and a prototype example of an ICOR that approximates the role of an arbitrator in a manufacturing organization is briefly described in terms of an inventory-control scenario.<<ETX>>


The United States is a country of many overlapping local governments. Theoretical explorations of the potential influence of this institutional arrangement abound; however, empirical evidence as the influence of such an arrangement on local public sector remains relatively thin. Instead of competing for mobile resources as suggested by Tiebout, overlapping jurisdictions utilize similar tax and voting bases introducing a potential commons problem. Using a county-level dataset from 1972 to 2012, this commons problem is explored. The results suggest that a positive relationship between jurisdictional overlap and the size of local public workforce amounting to approximately a one percent increase in employment or an increase of less than one full-time equivalent employee.


This article will describe the current legal framework on assisted reproduction technology (ART) regulation in Italy, taking into account recent case-law derived from the implementation of the Law 40 of 2004 on ART. Special attention will be devoted to the case of Costa and Pavan v. Italy, recently decided by the Tenth Session of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). In that decision, the European Court declared the incompatibility of the ban to pre-implantation genetic diagnosis introduced by the abovementioned Italian law on ART. The case will be analysed from a dual perspective. On the one hand, it will be considered in the light of the ECtHR case-law, in order to derive systematic aspects of continuity or discontinuity between the former and the latter. On the other hand, the case will be considered in the light of its concrete and prospective impact on the Italian legal approach to ART regulation, considering especially the direct and indirect influence of the case: e.g., its possible utilisation by Italian judges when they are called upon to implement Law 40.


Knowledge in the hands of the UN peacekeepers can be a power for peace. Lacking knowledge, peacekeepers often find themselves powerless in the field, unable to protect themselves and others. The United Nations owes it to its peacekeepers and the "peacekept" to utilize all available tools to make its monitoring and surveillance effective. Keeping Watch explains how technologies can increase range, effectiveness and accuracy of UN observation. Satellites, aircraft and ground sensors enable wider coverage of areas, over longer periods of time, while decreasing intrusiveness. These devices can transmit and record imagery for wider dissemination, further analysis, and as evidence in human rights cases and tribunals. They also allow observation at a safe distance from dangerous areas, especially in advance of UN patrols, humanitarian convoys or robust forces. Sensor technologies have been increasing in performance ..., but the United Nations continues to use technologies from the 1980s. The few cases of technologies effectively harnessed in the field are identified. This book identifies potential problems and pitfalls with modern technologies and challenges of incorporating them into the UN system. It offers creative recommendations on how to overcome institutional inertia and widespread misunderstanding of ways in which technology can improve security in war-torn regions. Technological innovation can serve as a complement to human initiative in the quest for peace.


The aim of this study was to investigate whether time‐dependent variations in the relaxant effect of acetylcholine, an endothelium‐dependent vasorelaxant via muscarinic receptors, and isoprenaline, a nonselective β‐adrenoceptor agonist in rat aorta, are influenced by streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced experimental diabetes. Adult male rats were divided randomly into two groups: control and STZ‐induced (STZ, 55 mg/kg, intraperitoneal) diabetes. The animals were synchronized to a 12∶12 h light‐dark cycle (lights on 08∶00 h) and sacrificed at six different times of day (1, 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21 hours after lights on; HALO) eight weeks after STZ injection. The in vitro responsiveness of thoracic aorta rings obtained from control and diabetic rats to acetylcholine (10−9–10−5 M) and isoprenaline (10−10–10−3 M) was determined in six different times. EC50 (the concentration inducing half of the maximum response) values and maximum responses were calculated from cumulative concentration‐response curves of the agonists and were analyzed with respect to time and STZ treatment. Treatment, time, and interactions between treatment and time were tested by two‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA). To analyze differences due to biological time, one‐way ANOVA was used. STZ treatment did not significantly change EC50 values or maximum responses for both agonists. There were statistically significant time‐dependent variations in the EC50 values for isoprenaline and maximum responses for both acetylcholine and isoprenaline in control groups by one‐way ANOVA, but significant time‐dependent variations disappeared in the aortas isolated from STZ‐induced diabetic rats. The vasodilator responses to acetylcholine and isoprenaline failed to show any significant interaction (treatment×time of study) between STZ treatment and time of sacrifice in both EC50 values and maximum responses by two‐way ANOVA. These results indicate there is a basic temporal pattern in the responses to acetylcholine and isoprenaline in rat aorta which continues in diabetes. It is shown for the first time that experimental diabetes does not change the 24 h pattern of responses to acetylcholine and isoprenaline, and that time‐dependent variations in the responses to these agonists disappear in diabetic animals. Although further studies are required to define the underlying mechanism(s) of these findings, results suggest that experimental diabetes can modify the time‐dependent vasorelaxant responses of rat aorta. This may help to understand the circadian rhythms in cardiovascular physiology and pathology or in drug effects in diabetes.


Probiotics are of great beneficial functions, especially on gastrointestinal health. Probiotic yoghurt is gaining popularity for it is the main way to supplement probiotics. In this study, a novel probiotic yoghurt was made by adding a freeze-dried aerotolerant Bifidobacterium animailis subsp. lactis Qq08 (Bl Qq08) to traditional yoghurt. Microbial, physical, chemical and flavor changes of the yoghurt during cold storage were analyzed weekly to study the effects of Bifidobacterium addition on the yoghurt quality. Results showed that the addition of Bl Qq08 didn't significantly affect the cell viabilities in yoghurt which kept above the recommended level. Chemical and flavor characteristics of the probiotic yoghurt kept similar or turned better, indicating that the lyophlized Bl Qq08 was an excellent probiotic bacteria to product yoghurt.


Translation is a popular known job in today's world and this has been explored by many studies in terms of strategies, knowledge and theoretical framework. In this study, the researcher aims to discover attitudes towards translation in respect to common difficulties and strategies used in translation. The study employed 29 students studying Business Translation at University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City. A questionnaire was designed based on the mixture of a five-point Likert scale and a yes-no question type. It uncovered that the majority of them confessed that they still have difficulties in using vocabulary including specialized terms and grammar. They also had an attitude that translation is interesting, and they need to read more in both English and Vietnamese for linguistic and stylish equivalence. Then, the majority of them found Google as a tool to help them solve translation strategies. Finally, the study also suggested some solutions and other solutions discussed in the related studies to tickling translation challenges.


Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with scientific information on many of today's important health related topics and issues.


Research on network traffic measurement is becoming popular because it could find the reason and valuable information regarding the occurrence of timestamp accuracy error. In this thesis the performance of UDP traffic between application level and link level has been investigated on three different Smartphone operating systems. One Java ME traffic generator and sink was developed for this thesis work. Distributed Passive Measurement Infrastructure with Measurement Point was used for the experiment. To get high timestamp accuracy DAG 3.5E card was used which was synchronized with GPS. Through the different tests under different protocol layers, it can be concluded that the Android mobile performs better as Java ME application works like a native application, whereas Symbian and Windows mobile struggles with incompatible implementation for poor JVM support. Time stamping at link level is more accurate and far different from application level. This thesis also investigated the performance evaluation of different JVM for Windows mobile.


The PARC (plutonium accident resistant container) project resulted in the design, development, and certification testing of a crashworthy air-transportable plutonium package (shipping container) for certification by the USNRC. This PAT-1 (plutonium air transportable) package survives a very severe sequential test program of impact, crush, puncture, slash, burn, and water immersion. There is also an individual hydrostatic pressure test. The package has a payload mass capacity of 2 kg of PuO2 and a thermal capacity of 25 watts. The design rationale for very high energy absorption (impact, crush, puncture, and slash protection) with residual high-level fire protection, resulted in a reasonalby small air-transportable package, advancing the packaging state-of-art. Optimization design iterations were utilized in the areas of impact energy absorption and stress and thermal analysis. Package test results are presented in relation to radioactive materials containment acceptance criteria, shielding and criticality standards. (14 figs, 7 tables)