Background. Endocapillary proliferation (EP) is a common pathological finding in proliferative glomerulonephritis (GN). Its appearance indicates the presence of active lesions of GN. In this study, we reinvestigated the pathological features of EP. Methods. Cell markers that included CD15, CD68, CD45RO, CD31 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) were used to identify the intraglomerular cells in renal biopsy tissues collected from patients with poststreptococcal acute GN (PSAGN), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-associated GN (MRSAGN) with or without EP, membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) with or without EP, Henoch-Schönlein nephritis, immunoglobulin A nephropathy, membranous nephropathy and minimal change nephrotic syndrome. Proliferating cells and apoptotic cells were investigated simultaneously. Results. The glomerular infiltrating polymorphonuclear leukocytes, macrophages, T cells, mesangial cells and endothelial cells were enumerated. In PSAGN, the glomerulus was enlarged and all cell types were greatly increased. In MRSAGN EP, the glomerulus was slightly enlarged with abundant infiltrating leukocytes and monocyte/macrophages and had moderate mesangial cell proliferation with negligible endothelial cell proliferation. In MPGN, the glomerulus markedly enlarged with multiple monocyte/macrophages and remarkable mesangial proliferation. The mesangial cells in EP glomeruli were highly activated as evidenced by alpha-SMA expression, particularly in PSAGN. Conclusions. This is the first report to use monoclonal antibodies specific for cell markers to quantitatively analyze and compare the proliferating cell types in EP glomeruli in different forms of GN. The results suggest © The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com D ow naded rom http/academ ic.p.com /ndt/article-at/27/8/3234/1814370 by gest on 07 April 2019 that identification of the presence of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the capillary lumen might help in differentiating between glomerular global and segmental EP.


Clinical, ultrasound and ECG studies of the left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) carried out in 25 patients with extensive breast cancer in the course of 148 cycles of standard CAF combination therapy established a protective effect of cardioxane (ICRF-187, dexrazoxane) treatment against the cardiotoxicity of doxorubicin, administered in the maximal cumulative dose of 850 mg/sq. m (decrease in LVEF over 20% as compared with basal level, without clinical symptoms of cardiomyopathy or ECG-revealed disturbances in 0.6% of cycles). 1000 mg/sq.m cardioxane, administered in conjunction with doxorubicin in the ratio of 20:1, neither inhibited the antitumor activity of chemotherapy nor contributed to untoward side-effects which are not associated with cardiotoxicity.


Summary Protein S (PS) is a vitamin K-dependent anticoagulant that acts as a cofactor to activated protein C (APC). To date PS has not been shown to possess anticoagulant activity in the absence of APC. In this study, we have developed monoclonal antibody to protein S and used to purify the protein to homogeneity from plasma. Affinity purified protein S (PSM), although identical to the conventionally purified protein as judged by SDS-PAGE, had significant anticoagulant activity in the absence of APC when measured in a factor Xa recalcification time. Using SDS-PAGE we have demonstrated that prothrombin cleavage by factor X awas inhibited in the presence of PSM. Kinetic analysis of the reaction revealed that PSM competitively inhibited factor X amediated cleavage of prothrombin. PS preincubated with the monoclonal antibody, acquired similar anticoagulant properties. These results suggest that the interaction of the monoclonal antibody with PS results in an alteration in the protein exposing sites that mediate the observed anticoagulant effect. Support that the protein was altered was derived from the observation that PSM was eight fold more sensitive to cleavage by thrombin and human neutrophil elastase than conventionally purified protein S. These observations suggest that PS can be modified in vitro to a protein with APC-independent anticoagulant activity and raise the possibility that a similar alteration could occur in vivo through the binding protein S to a cellular or plasma protein.


In Rhoeo spathacea var. variegata (2n = 2x = 12), the most frequent meiotic configuration was the chain-of-12 chromosomes (36%) and the second most frequent was the ring-of-12 chromosomes (25.6%). All six possible two-chain situations and eleven of the twelve possible three-chain situations were observed. A maximum of five chains was observed in four cells. The size of chains ranged from on through twelve chromosomes. The mean number of chiasma failures was 1.36 +/- 0.07 per cell and 0.1133 per pair of chromosome arms. Because the observed frequencies of various configurations agree with the expected, which were calculated under the assumption that chiasma failure is equally likely at each of the twelve positions around the ring, it was concluded that chiasma failures occurred at random among the arm-positions. Due to the lengths of arm-pairs in the ring vary considerably, the randomness may mean that chiasma formation was restricted to small terminal regions on all chromosomes.


Developed primarily for optimization of functional and object-oriented software, escape analysis discerns information to determine whether the lifetime of data exceeds its static scope. We demonstrate how to apply escape analysis to software engineering tasks. In particular we present novel software testing and retesting techniques for object-oriented software which utilize escape analysis. We exploit a combined pointer and escape analysis that is able to identify how individual objects allocated in one region of a program interact with other regions of a program. The analysis framework increases flexibility and scalability as testing coverage can be targeted to a specific arbitrary region of a program, followed by integration testing that can be focused on particular sets of objects escaping the region. We demonstrate how regression testing can be performed utilizing this framework. We believe such a flexible framework becomes increasingly beneficial as applications become more component-oriented.


Introduction. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a neoplasm and clinically occurred by progressive enlargement of the prostate. However, prostate neoplasm can also be malignant, which is come out from high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). It is a proven precancerous condition. Purpose. Тo evaluate the data published on September and October 2020 on the prevalence, pathogenesis of BPH and PIN and methods of their treatment. Materials and methods. The search results in scientific databases PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase were analyzed for the queries «BPH», «PIN», «epidemiology of BPH», «pathogenesis», «treatment of PIN». Results. BPH is a very common disease in the elderly population. The pathogenesis of BPH includes age, genetics or hormones disorders, growth factors, inflammation, and lifestyle factors. PIN is the only common precursor of prostatic cancer. The main treatment methods are 5α-reductase inhibitors, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, and surgical methods. In addition, plant active molecules are also widely used in the treatment of BPH and PIN. Conclusions. While 5α-reductase and phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors treatment, as well as surgical methods have a lot of adverse events and complications, a unique herbal complex Gardaprost was developed, which suppresses hyperplasia of prostate. Curcumin, genistein and epigalocatechin-3- gallate, which are part of the preparation, form a safe agent aimed at combating the growth of the prostate gland in BPH, and also has a significant effect in the prevention of exacerbations of chronic prostatitis and malignancy in patients with PIN.


Growing adoption of health information technologies is allowing healthcare providers to capture and store enormous amounts of patient data. In order to effectively use this data to improve healthcare outcomes and processes, clinicians need to identify the relevant measures and apply the correct analysis methods for the type of data at hand. In this dissertation, we present various data mining and statistical methods that could be applied to the type of datasets that are found in healthcare research. We discuss the process of identification of appropriate measures and statistical tools, the analysis and validation of mathematical models, and the interpretation of results to improve healthcare quality and safety.
We illustrate the application of statistics and data mining techniques on three real-world healthcare datasets. In the first chapter, we develop a new method to assess hydration status using breath samples. Through analysis of the more than 300 volatile organic compounds contained in human breath, we aim to identify markers of hydration. In the second chapter, we evaluate the impact of the implementation of an electronic medical record system on the rate of inpatient medication errors and adverse drug events. The objective is to understand the impact on patient safety of different information technologies in a specific environment (inpatient pediatrics) and to provide recommendations on how to correctly analyze count data with a large amount of zeros. In the last chapter, we develop a mathematical model to predict the probability of developing post-operative nausea and vomiting based on patient demographics and clinical history, and to identify the group of patients at high-risk.


Abstract This study reports a new species of Domeykoa (Apiaceae; Azorelloideae) from the Andes of northern Chile. A detailed description and an illustration of the species are provided. Diagnostic morphological characters that distinguish it from similar species are its erect habit, fewer flowers per umbel, and opposite leaves. The new species is an erect annual or short-lived perennial herb, it is glabrous, up to 25 cm high, and is profusely branched close to the base. Its umbels are simple, sessile, or sub-sessile with three or four yellow flowers. DNA was obtained for molecular phylogenetic analyses. Bayesian analyses showed that the new species, D. andina, is nested within the previously recognized Clade Eremocharis-Domeykoa, as sister to D. amplexicaulis from the southern coast of Peru. This study confirms previous findings that neither of the two genera in the clade are monophyletic, raising questions about the nomenclature. The phylogeny also suggests an interesting Peru-Chile latitudinal disjunction of more than 500 km, also seen in other recently described species. However, a more complete phylogeny is needed to make conclusions on this matter. Based on IUCN criteria and categories, we suggest assigning a critically endangered (CR) category to Domeykoa andina.


During the third millennium BC, Mesopotamia (the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, in modern Iraq-Syria), was dominated by the world's earliest cities and states, which were ruled by powerful elites. Ur, in present-day southern Iraq, was one of the largest and most important of these cities, and irrigation-based agriculture and large herds of domesticated animals were the twin mainstays of the economy and diet. Texts suggest that the societies of the Mesopotamian city-states were extremely hierarchical and underpinned by institutionalised and heavily-managed farming systems. Prevailing narratives suggest that the animal management strategies within these farming systems in the third millennium BC were homogenous. There have been few systematic science-based studies of human and animal diets, mobility, or other forms of human-animal interaction in Mesopotamia, but such approaches can inform understanding of past economies, including animal management, social hierarchies, diet and migration. Oxygen, carbon and strontium isotopic analysis of animal tooth enamel from both royal and private/non-royal burial contexts at Early Dynastic Ur (2900–2350 BC) indicate that a variety of herd management strategies and habitats were exploited. These data also suggest that there is no correlation between animal-management practices and the cattle found in royal or private/non-royal burial contexts. The results demonstrate considerable divergence between agro-pastoral models promoted by the state and the realities of day-to-day management practices. The data from Ur suggest that the animals exploited different plant and water sources, and that animals reared in similar ways ended up in different depositional contexts.


The recent advancement of nanotechnology has enabled the fabrication of nanofibers through
a number of processing techniques. Among these, electrospinning offers a unique
ability to produce nanofibrous membranes for different materials and of different assemblies
or textures that make them suitable for various applications including filtration, tissue
engineering, nanocomposites and textiles. In these applications, electrospun nanofibrous
membranes are frequently subjected to complex stresses and strains which could lead to
fiber failures. Therefore, the understanding of their mechanical properties becomes crucial
in order to facilitate the design and performance evaluation of the materials. In view of
probing the mechanical response of nanofibrous membranes, relevant experimental characterizations
are conducted such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), nanoindentation, nanotensile
tests or conventional tensile tests. These experimental techniques are often daunting,
costly and time-consuming. If a robust and cost-effective alternative method in evaluating
the mechanical properties of electrospun nanofibrous materials through numerical simulation
can be established, the strong dependence on experimental works can therefore be
significantly reduced. The present thesis focuses on the development of a simple constitutive
model with reduced number of material parameters for the mechanical response of
randomly oriented electrospun PVDF nanofibrous membranes. To this end, the thesis is
divided into two parts. The first part focuses on the experimental aspects that include the
fabrication of electrospun nanofibrous membranes using different sets of electrospinning
parameters and the characterization of their surface morphology. Subsequently, samples
obtained using the optimum set of parameters are chosen for further characterizations, i.e.
physical evaluation of undeformed and deformed membranes, mechanical testing and fiber orientation analysis. Three types of uniaxial mechanical tests are conducted: monotonic
tensile tests, cyclic loading tests with increasing maximum strain and cyclic-relaxation tests.
Results show that the material exhibits complex mechanical responses, which include
finite strain, irreversible deformation, hysteresis and time-dependent response. Furthermore,
fiber orientation analysis suggests that the material is initially isotropic in the plane
(transversely isotropic) and the deformation-induced fiber re-orientation takes place. The
second part of the thesis deals with the development of a constitutive model capturing the
observed responses. Motivated by the experimental observation, the model development
starts from the description of material response at fiber-scale in order to describe individual
fiber response and irreversible inter-fiber interactions using hyperelastic and large strain
elasto-plastic frameworks respectively. The macroscopic response of the membranes is subsequently
obtained by integrating the fiber responses in all possible fiber orientations. The
efficiency of the proposed model is assessed using experimental data. It is found that the
model is qualitatively in good agreement with uniaxial monotonic and cyclic tensile loading
tests. Two other deformation modes, i.e. equibiaxial extension and pure shear (planar
extension) are simulated to further evaluate the model responses.


Human eyes can recognize person identities based on small salient regions, i.e., person saliency is distinctive and reliable in pedestrian matching across disjoint camera views. However, such valuable information is often hidden when computing similarities of pedestrian images with existing approaches. Inspired by our user study result of human perception on person saliency, we propose a novel perspective for person re-identification based on learning person saliency and matching saliency distribution. The proposed saliency learning and matching framework consists of four steps: (1) To handle misalignment caused by drastic viewpoint change and pose variations, we apply adjacency constrained patch matching to build dense correspondence between image pairs. (2) We propose two alternative methods, i.e., K-Nearest Neighbors and One-class SVM, to estimate a saliency score for each image patch, through which distinctive features stand out without using identity labels in the training procedure. (3) saliency matching is proposed based on patch matching. Matching patches with inconsistent saliency brings penalty, and images of the same identity are recognized by minimizing the saliency matching cost. (4) Furthermore, saliency matching is tightly integrated with patch matching in a unified structural RankSVM learning framework. The effectiveness of our approach is validated on the four public datasets. Our approach outperforms the state-of-the-art person re-identification methods on all these datasets.


Abstract Background We examined the influence of the organizational environment on challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities to increase understanding of the quality of support services for people with intellectual disabilities. Method Twenty‐one professionals and managers from four specialized Dutch disability service organizations were interviewed. Data were analysed with a grounded theory approach, using Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory as a sensitizing frame. Results The organizational environment (i.e., vision, values, sufficient resources) is related via the support service (i.e., providing stability, constant awareness) to residents' challenging behaviour and is also linked directly to challenging behaviour (e.g., living environment, values). Organizations are restricted by national regulations, negative media attention and changing societal values, which negatively influence quality of support. Conclusions The creation of a supportive organizational environment for staff, who in turn can provide quality support services to residents with demanding care needs, was found to prevent challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities.


An integral equation method (IEM) surface scattering model was examined in terms of its applicability to laboratory measurement and numerical simulations. New expressions for both single scattering and multiple scattering were obtained by rederiving the scattering coefficient to keep all the phase terms in the spectral representation of the Green's function. After quite intricate mathematical manipulations, a fairly compact form is obtained for the scattering coefficients. In addition, the Fresnel reflection coefficients used in the model were replaced by a transition function that takes surface roughness and permittivity into account. The results of comparisons with both the numerical simulations and measurements for the backscattering case indicate that the IEM is improved, becoming more accurate and practical to use.


ABSTRACT Research aimed at understanding the barriers that family members of persons with mental illness may encounter in seeking supportive and preventative services from social workers during the hospitalization of their family member is scarce. Therefore, a cross-sectional survey study was implemented among 120 family members of persons with mental illness in family-centered services in two psychiatric hospitals in Israel. The research instrument included structured questionnaires and open-ended questions examining the barriers to seek help and the experience of families caring for a person with mental illness. The findings indicate that having a person with mental illness in the family may have significant implications on the barriers experienced by family members to seek help for themselves. The extent of the barriers could be related to factors such as the stigma they may experience, overwhelming reactions, lack of knowledge about the mental illness and about the availability of services for families, and dilemmas about seeking help. Social workers are in a key position in psychiatric hospitals to identify and reduce the individual as well as the contextual barriers. To increase family members' readiness to seek help and their access to early intervention, they should adopt a family-centered approach.


The sufficiency of 169 athletes (six disciplines: bullet shooting, biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, freestyle skiing, snowboarding) with vitamins A, E, C, B2, and beta-carotene has been investigated in April-September 2013. All athletes (102 juniors, mean age--18.5 +/- 0.3 years, and 67 adult high-performance athletes, mean age--26.8 +/- 0.7 years) were sufficiently supplied with vitamin A (70.7 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl). Mean blood serum retinol level was 15% higher the upper limit of the norm (80 mcg/dl) in biathletes while median reached 90.9 mcg/dl. Blood serum level of tocopherols (1.22 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), ascorbic acid (1.06 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), riboflavin (7.1 +/- 0.4 ng/ml), and beta-carotene (25.1 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl) was in within normal range, but the incidence of insufficiency of vitamins E, C, B2, and carotenoid among athletes varied in the range of 0-25, 0-17, 15-67 and 42-75%, respectively. 95% of adults and 80% of younger athletes were sufficiently provided with vitamin E. Vitamin E level in blood serum of juniors involved in skeleton and biathlon was lower by 51 and 72% (p < 0.05), than this parameter in adult athletes. Vitamin A, C and B2, and beta-carotene blood serum level did not significantly differ in junior and adult athletes. Women were better supplied with vitamins C, B2, and beta-carotene: a reduced blood serum level of these micronutrients in women was detected 2-3 fold rare (p < 0.10) than among men. Blood serum concentration of vitamin C (1.20 +/- 0.05 mg/dl) and beta-carotene (32.0 +/- 3.9 mcg/dl) in women was greater by 15 and 54% (p < 0.05) than in men. In general, the biathletes were better provided with vitamins compared with other athletes. The vast majority (80%) were optimally provided by all three antioxidants (beta-carotene and vitamins E and C). In other sports, the relative quantity of athletes sufficiently supplied with these essential nutrients did not exceed 56%. The quota of supplied with all antioxidants among bullet shooters (31.1%) and bobsledders (23.5%) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than among biathletes. Reduced serum level of one antioxidant (mainly beta-carotene) was most often recorded among persons engaged in bullet shooting (67%). The simultaneous lack of all three antioxidants was found only in freestylers and bobsledders (about 5%). Decreased level of antioxidants in blood serum in 40% of athletes was combined with vitamin B2 deficiency. The data obtained suggest the necessity to optimize diet vitamin content of all athletes, taking into account the age and gender differences. Contrary to prevailing stereotypes the optimization must involve not only an increase in the consumption of vitamins (vitamins E, B group) and carotenoids, but sometimes, conversely, their decline (vitamin A) to a level corresponding to the physiological needs. The revealed vitamin B2 deficiency may very likely indicate a lack of other B group vitamins. In this connection it is necessary to draw attention to the need to eliminate the existing vitamin deficiency, and not to focus exclusively on antioxidant vitamins. The most reasonable and at the same time a safe way to restore the lack of vitamins in the diet of most athletes is consistently including in the diet of athletes vitamin and mineral supplements and/or fortified foods, containing a complete set of all or at least most of vitamins, and in doses that are not excessive and are adequate to maintain optimum vitamin status.


The authors present a variety of surface-drive film actuators and discuss their characteristics. An actuator consisting of a stator with three-phase 420 mu m-pitched electrodes and a slightly conductive slider was developed previously. A finer 100 mu m-pitched stator was fabricated and operated. A two-phase stator, whose fabrication is easier, was developed, and a two-phase 50 mu m-pitched stator was fabricated and tested. The need for conductivity on the slider narrows the application field of the actuator. An ion-charged motor which can drive most thin insulating films and uses an air ionizer to give charges on the slider was developed. The produced motive force is numerically and experimentally analyzed. The optimal gap between the electrodes and the slider surface is found to be around 20% of electrode pitch. The 100 mu m-pitched stator drives a slider at +or-250 V, 1000 Hz, producing 20 N/m/sup 2/ at maximum. Comparison between developed actuators demonstrates the advantages of fabricating fine electrodes.<<ETX>>


Nitride coatings were deposited by vacuum arc plasma, in an atmosphere of argon and nitrogen using different deposition conditions of part location and configuration, angle between plasma flow and processing surface. The coating thickness, part dimensions and surface roughness were measured before and after coating deposition. The type of part poor shape precision after coating deposition by vacuum arc plasma was defined. An impact of coating deposition by vacuum arc discharge on the part dimensional and form accuracy was revealed. The effect of parts location on dimensional and radial surfaces form accuracy was induced. The effect of coating surface polythickness on part dimensional and form accuracy for parts with different stiffness was defined. The impact of part location area and parts quantity on coating thickness, surface roughness, dimensional and form accuracy of part was revealed. The coating thickness distribution law, parts quality class and accuracy degree after vacuum ion plasma coating deposition were assigned.


The pro-poor leasehold forestry program has put forth the ultra-poor's livelihood agenda in the natural resource management regime and tried to liberate the poor from complex poverty trap through manipulating and institutionalizing the local resources. This paper is based on review of published and unpublished documents, direct field observation of leasehold forest user groups and discussion with concerned stakeholders and line agencies working in pro-poor leasehold forestry program. The paper has explicitly tried to dig out the institutional, field level and legal issues, and put forwarded some ways out. The unclear land tenure right and use rights of conserved forest trees have created misunderstanding to the beneficiaries that ultimately pushed the pro-poor leasehold forestry program towards uncertainty. Both technocratic approach and supply-driven implementation of the program have created misunderstanding while deliberating the program, and resulted low participation, weak institution and little internalization at community level. The explicit learning-oriented approach both in policy making and program designing is central to achieve the dual objectives of program: environmental amelioration and poverty reduction. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/init.v5i0.10258 The Initiation 2013 Vol.5; 84-95


Introduction Response to biological drugs in ulcerative colitis (UC) is variable with induction response rates of 64.5% (vs 29.3% for placebo), 50.4% (vs 34.6% for placebo), 51.0% (vs 30.3% for placebo), 47.1% (vs 25.5% for placebo) for infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab and vedolizumab, respectively. Apart from prior exposure to anti-tumour necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents and concurrent immunomodulatory therapy, predictors of clinical response and remission to biological drugs have not been identified. We sought to investigate the utility of baseline faecal calprotectin (FC) and early change in FC in predicting clinical response and remission to biological therapy in UC. Method Patients who were commenced on any biological therapy for UC and had a baseline FC at the time of commencement were included in this retrospective study. Disease activity was monitored serially by calculation of Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index (SCCAI) or by Physician global assessment (PGA) or by treatment persistence. Clinical response was defined as decrease in SCCAI≥3 or a decrease in PGA score from baseline to follow up. The ability of FC and fold change in FC to predict response and remission at 6 months was estimated using Mann-Whitney test. Results A total of 94 patients were commenced on biological therapy of who 70 commenced anti-TNF therapy and 24 commenced vedolizumab with a mean age of 41.8 (SD:+18.2). Fifty-one (72%) and 39 (55%) patients commencing anti-TNF therapy were on concurrent immunomodulators (IM) and steroids respectively compared to 9 (38%) and 16 (67%) patients respectively for vedolizumab. Sixteen (67%) patients treated with vedolizumab had prior exposure to anti-TNF agents compared to 4 (6%) in the anti-TNF treated group. The 6 month response among patients treated with vedolizumab and anti-TNF agents was 77.2% and 73.5% respectively. The calprotectin values were similar for responders (428.5 (72, 2100) [n=16]) and non-responders (600 (107, 2100) [n=5]) to vedolizumab (p=0.56). Similarly, responders (909 (13, 2100) [n=28]) and non-responders (850 (240, 2100) [n=13]) to anti-TNF agents had comparable calprotectin values at baseline, p=0.93 Conclusion In a single centre series of biologic treated UC patients, baseline FC did not predict clinical response at 6 months. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


This research work is concerned with the life cycle assessment (LCA) of an expressway, as well as its infrastructure, in Thailand. The life cycle of an expressway encompasses the raw material acquisition phase, the construction phase, the use or service phase, the rehabilitation phase, and finally the demolition and disposal phase. The LCA in this research was carried out using CML baseline 2000 and in accordance with the ISO 14040 standard. A functional unit refers to transportation of one person over one kilometer of a 3-lane expressway with a 50-year lifetime. This research has revealed that the construction phase produced the largest proportion of the environmental impact (81.46%), followed by the service, rehabilitation, demolition and disposal phases and transportation at 11.97%, 3.72% 0.33% and 2.52%, respectively. For the expressway under study, the total carbon footprint over its lifetime is equivalent to 245,639 tons CO2-eq per 1 kilometer functional unit, with the phases of construction, service, rehabilitation, demolition and disposal and transportation contributing 153,690; 73,773; 3693, 755 and 13,728 tons CO2-eq, respectively. The findings could be adopted as a benchmark against which the environmental impacts of future similar projects can be measured. Keywords—Environmental impact assessment, Life cycle assessment, LCA, Expressway passenger transport service, Carbon footprint, Eco-friendly expressway.


Author Posting. © Sears Foundation for Marine Research, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Sears Foundation for Marine Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Marine Research 63 (2005): 1-7, doi:10.1357/0022240053693824.


: Mucoceles are retention cysts of the paranasal sinuses, specially developed on the anterior ethmoid and frontal sinuses and seldom seen on the maxillary cavity, as was the reported case. The authors underline the bone deformities sometimes seen and the difficulties when interpreting the meaning of x-ray records, both circumstances leading, from time to time, to the suspicion of a malignant tumor.


Indoor positioning has attracted much attention in recent years due to the trend of Internet of Things (IoT), which is capable of providing numerous applications such as personal tracking, vehicle locator, and Location-Based Service (LBS). Since Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is no longer useful in the indoor environment because of the sheltered satellite signals, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a good alternative for realizing indoor positioning. BLE, the latest version of Bluetooth in 2010, has the advantages of low cost, low power consumption, and pervasive availability in smartphones. However, BLE still faces some challenges in terms of the fluctuating Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) caused by the environment such as reflection, fading and multipath effect. Those variable RSSI values make it difficult to derive positioning result accurately. To reduce the environmental effect, the concepts of Differential Global Navigation Satellite System (DGNSS) and Network Real Time Kinematic (NRTK) motivate a novel method named Differential Distance Correction proposed in this study. This method utilizes the differential information from the reference station at the known coordinate to correct the distance measurement of the rover station and further enhance the positioning accuracy of it. In this study, power regression model is used to convert RSSI to distance; then Differential Distance Correction is applied to obtain better distance measurements of the rover. In addition, trilateration is selected as the primary positioning technique, which exploits estimated distances to determine the target's position. This technique can be solved by two main approaches: linear and nonlinear least squares. With corrected distance measurements, it can gain more accurate result through trilateration compared with simply using the original distances. The experimental results presented in this study illustrate that the overall positioning error using the proposed method can be reduced to less than 2.5 m in 90% positioning error, and 2 m in RMSE with both improvement ratios over 30%.


This paper presents a low power, high resolution 2.4 GHz CMOS frequency synthesizer for low power wireless LAN applications. The PLL frequency synthesizer consists of a fully programmable frequency divider with a resolution of 1 MHz in the range of 2.4 GHz-2.484 GHz.The measured results showed that the programmable divider consumes 946 uA and Quadrature VCO consumes 1.57 mA and produces output swing of 650-700 mVpp. The complete synthesizer is designed using the Chartered RF 0.18 um process and synthesizer consumes 2.7 mA.


Increasingly, information systems rely on computational, storage, and network resources deployed in third-party facilities such as cloud centers and edge nodes. Such an approach further exacerbates cybersecurity concerns constantly raised by numerous incidents of security and privacy attacks resulting in data leakage and identity theft, among others. These have, in turn, forced the creation of stricter security and privacy-related regulations and have eroded the trust in cyberspace. In particular, security-related services and infrastructures, such as Certificate Authorities (CAs) that provide digital certificate services and Third-Party Authorities (TPAs) that provide cryptographic key services, are critical components for establishing trust in crypto-based privacy-preserving applications and services. To address such trust issues, various transparency frameworks and approaches have been recently proposed in the literature. This article proposes TAB framework that provides transparency and trustworthiness of third-party authority and third-party facilities using blockchain techniques for emerging crypto-based privacy-preserving applications. TAB employs the Ethereum blockchain as the underlying public ledger and also includes a novel smart contract to automate accountability with an incentive mechanism that motivates users to participate in auditing, and punishes unintentional or malicious behaviors. We implement TAB and show through experimental evaluation in the Ethereum official test network, Rinkeby, that the framework is efficient. We also formally show the security guarantee provided by TAB, and analyze the privacy guarantee and trustworthiness it provides.


The global financial and economic crisis has placed a significant strain on public finances in many economies. Since sound public finances are crucial for price and financial stability and for economic growth, concerns about rising debt commitments have led to a renewed interest in the analysis of debt sustainability in the last decade. This paper discusses the concept of fiscal sustainability and investigates the factors driving the public debt dynamics in the Republic of Macedonia over the period 20042021. Although the level of indebtedness is still moderate (below 50% of GDP), the public debt dynamics from 2008 is worrying (public debt has doubled in only 7 years). The starting point for assessing debt sustainability is the government budget constraint equation. This equation explains the evolution and accumulation of government debt by three main factors: the primary balance, the "snowball" effect, and the deficit-debt adjustment. The conventional debt sustainability analysis showed that the general government debt ratio over the period 2004-2017 increased moderately as a result of a significant increase in the primary deficit (by 16 p.p.), that was almost completely offset by the positive "snowball" effect. In addition, we found that in the pre-crisis period (2004-2008), the general government debt ratio declined significantly, mainly as a result of a positive "snowball" effect but also because of the primary surplus. Contrary to pre-crisis developments, the general government debt ratio increased significantly (by 19 p.p.) in the post-crisis period (2009-2017), due to the significant primary deficit increase, while the positive "snowball" effect was moderate.


Many fisheries are managed by total allowable catches (TACs) and a substantial part by individual quotas. Such output management has not been successful in mixed fisheries when fishers continue to fish while discarding marketable fish. We analyse the effects of individual quotas on spatial and temporal effort allocation and over-quota discarding in a multispecies fishery. Using a spatially explicit dynamic-state variable model, the optimal fishing strategy of fishers constrained by annual individual quotas, facing uncertainty in catch rates, is studied. Individual fishers will move away from areas with high catches of the restricted quota species and, depending on the cost of fishing, will stop fishing in certain periods of the year. Individual vessels will discard marketable fish, but only after their individual quota for the species under consideration has been reached. These results are in line with observations on effort allocation and discarding of marketable fish, both over-quota discarding and highgrading, by the Dutch beam-trawl fleet. The models we present can be used to predict the outcomes of management and are therefore a useful tool for fisheries scientists and managers.


Understanding the molecular basis of drug action has been an important objective for pharmaceutical scientists. With the increasing speed of computers and the implementation of quantum chemistry methodologies, pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic problems have become more computationally tractable. Historically the former has been the focus of drug design, but within the last two decades efforts to understand the latter have increased. It takes about fifteen years and over $1 billion dollars for a drug to go from laboratory hit, through lead optimization, to final approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. While the costs have increased substantially, the overall clinical success rate for a compound to emerge from clinical trials is approximately 10%. Most of the attrition rate can be traced to ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity) problems, which is a powerful impetus to study these issues at an earlier stage in drug discovery. Quantum mechanics offers pharmaceutical scientists the opportunity to investigate pharmacokinetic problems at the molecular level prior to laboratory preparation and testing. This review will provide a perspective on the use of quantum mechanics or a combination of quantum mechanics coupled with other classical methods in the pharmacokinetic phase of drug discovery. A brief overview of the essential features of theory will be discussed, and a few carefully selected examples will be given to highlight the computational methods.


Acoustic rotation modes in complex plasmas are investigated in a cylindrical system with an axial symmetry. The linear mode solution is derived. The mode in an infinite area is reduced to a classical dust acoustic wave in the region away from the centre. When the dusty plasma is confined in a finite region, the breathing and rotating-void behaviour are observed. Vivid structures of different mode number solutions are illustrated.


This study draws on information from 11 in‐depth interviews, two focus groups and 72 written questionnaires to evaluate an extra‐curricular environmental education programme on forestry designed for preparatory school students from a small rural community in Mexico. Specifically, the study assessed the impact of the programme on the ecological knowledge of 72 students. Qualitative feedback suggests that students learnt about forestry, acquired greater awareness of the importance of conservation for the local environment and enjoyed the participatory teaching methods used in the programme. Quantitative results show a positive and significant association between the number of times a student participated in the programme and the student's ecological knowledge. Students who participated in the programme once had a 16.3% higher knowledge on ecological concepts and knew, on average, 1.5 more local forest plants than students who never attended it (p<.001). Findings suggest that the inclusion of participatory environmental education programmes in preparatory schools would improve the acquisition of ecological knowledge. Further research could consider the consistency of the findings by replicating participatory methods presented here and by using an experimental research design.


"Trauma" comes from the Greek word meaning "wound" as in a physical injury to the body. Only in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries did trauma take on the psychological connotations we attach to the word today. From experiences of trauma resulting from a single event to complex trauma resulting from extended, repeated traumatic events, the effects of trauma can be long-lasting and negatively affect both mental and physical health.

Families experiencing homelessness constitute 33% of the total homeless population. Homelessness itself presents numerous challenges, but many families also struggle to cope with problems that preceded homelessness and/or that may compound it. This literature synthesis explores trauma in the lives of homeless families. The findings suggest that the trauma histories of homeless families are quite extensive and include abuse and neglect as children as well as intimate partner violence in adulthood. Children in homeless families often witness abuse suffered by their caregivers. In terms of the impact of trauma, depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other psychiatric disorders are not uncommon among homeless mothers. Children are similarly negatively affected. They may experience internalizing and/or externalizing problems. Internalizing problems include depression, anxiety, and PTSD whereas externalizing problems include aggression and other behavioral problems.

There are many interventions designed to help members of families who have experienced traumatic events. However, homeless families may not be able to take advantage of such offerings because of housing instability. While it is certainly important for homeless families to eventually receive trauma-related interventions, what can be done at the point of homelessness? One option is for providers of services to the homeless to follow trauma-informed practices, which are outlined as part of this literature synthesis.

Homelessness in and of itself is a significant public health problem. For example, homelessness is associated with physical and mental health problems and barriers to accessing care. With respect to trauma and homelessness, the severity of trauma symptoms is predictive of long-term housing instability for families. Thus, it is important to address trauma among homeless families to help keep them out of shelters and other unstable living situations.


Seventeen patients with advanced or recurrent salivary gland cancer were treated with cisplatin, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil combination chemotherapy (PAF). Two patients achieved a complete response and four patients achieved a partial response, for an overall response rate of 35%. Six of the nine patients who received PAF in the neoadjuvant setting did not respond and proceeded to surgery and/or radiation therapy. No difference in response rate was found between those patients treated for recurrent disease v those treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. All three patients with adenocarcinoma responded. The response duration in patients with metastatic or recurrent disease ranged from 6 to 15 months. The PAF regimen was delivered primarily in the outpatient setting and was associated with acceptable toxicity. PAF demonstrates activity in salivary gland malignancies, and further evaluation of this combination seems warranted.


Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Abbott

 Automatic adjustment of atrioventricular delay (AVD) with SyncAV has been shown to improve electrical synchronization. However, the effect of pacing configuration and right ventricular (RV) lead location on SyncAV programming is unknown.

   Evaluate the effect of pacing configuration and lead location on SyncAV optimization during biventricular (BiV) and LV-only pacing, with and without MultiPoint Pacing (MPP).

   Patients with LBBB and QRS duration (QRSd) ≥ 150 ms scheduled for CRT-P/D device implantation with quadripolar LV lead were enrolled in this prospective study. RV lead location was classified at implant by the operator via  fluoroscopy. QRSd was measured post-implant from 12-lead surface ECG by blinded experts during the following pacing modes: intrinsic conduction, BiV (BiV = RV + LV1), MPP (MPP = RV + LV1 + LV2), LV-only single-site (LVSS = LV1 only), and LV-only MPP (LVMPP = LV1 + LV2). For each mode, SyncAV was enabled (e.g. BiV + SyncAV) with the patient-tailored SyncAV offset that minimized QRSd. For BiV and LVSS, LV1 was the latest activating LV cathode; for MPP and LVMPP, LV1 + LV2 were the two LV cathodes with the widest possible separation (≥30mm). All modes used minimal RV-LV and LV1-LV2 delays.

   Fifty-three patients (68% male, 36% ischemic, 26% ejection fraction, 169 ms intrinsic QRSd) completed device implant and QRSd assessment. RV leads were implanted in either the septum (48%) or apex (52%), according to implanting physician preference. Relative to intrinsic conduction, BiV + SyncAV and MPP + SyncAV reduced QRSd by 23% and 27%, respectively (p < 0.01). LVSS + SyncAV reduced QRSd by 22% (p < 0.01 vs BiV + SyncAV), and LVMPP + SyncAV reduced QRSd by 25% (p < 0.05 vs MPP + SyncAV). RV apex or septum lead location did not have a significant impact on QRS reduction for each pacing configuration. As a percent of PR interval, optimal SyncAV offsets were similar for BiV + SyncAV and MPP + SyncAV (16% vs 13%, p = 0.05), and for LVSS + SyncAV and LVMPP + SyncAV (18% vs 21%, p = 0.46), but were significantly higher for LV-only settings vs. corresponding BiV/MPP settings (p < 0.05 for both pairs). For BiV + SyncAV, apical vs septal RV leads required greater SyncAV offsets (22% vs 11%, p < 0.05). SyncAV offsets also tended to be higher in apical vs septal RV leads for MPP (21% vs 11%), LVSS (20% vs 15%), and LVMPP (25% vs 16%), but without statistical significance.

 SyncAV improves acute electrical synchronization in CRT patients with LBBB, particularly with patient-specific SyncAV programming. Pacing configuration (RV + LV or LV only, with or without MPP) and RV lead location (apex or septum) could potentially influence optimal SyncAV programming. Abstract Figure.


Individual variability of the number and size of silver-staining nucleolar organiser regions (NOR) was studied in 76 pigs of Semirechenskaya, Big White and Duroc breeds. The variability of the NOR number is exclusively caused by the presence of the 8NOR- allele (the chromosomes of the 8th homologous pair lacking the silver-staining NOR). Concentration of the 8NOR- allele is about 0.7 in the average for all three breeds. All 7 offsprings from the homozygous parents male 8NOR- /8NOR- and female 8NOR+/8NOR+ were heterozygotes 8NOR- /8NOR+. These data, together with good agreement between found and expected (according to the Hardy-Weinberg law) frequencies of homo- and heterozygotes suggest the codominant character of the NOR number inheritance. This allows using the NOR analysis to control the parentage announced. The study of inheritance of the size of NOR did not prove unequivocally its codominant character.


There is strong evidence that commissural interneurons, neurons with axons that extend to the contralateral side of the spinal cord, play an important role in the coordination of left/right alternation during locomotion. In this study we investigated the projections of commissural interneurons to motor neurons and other commissural interneurons on the other side of the spinal cord in neonatal rats. To establish whether there are direct contacts between axons of commissural interneurons and motor neurons, we carried out two series of experiments. In the first experiment we injected biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the lateral motor column to retrogradely label commissural interneurons that may have direct projections to motor neurons. Stained neurons were recovered in the ventromedial areas of the contralateral gray matter in substantial numbers. In the second experiment BDA was injected into the ventromedial gray matter on one side of the lumbar spinal cord, whereas motor neurons were simultaneously labeled on the opposite side by applying biocytin onto the ventral roots. BDA injections into the ventromedial gray matter labeled a strong axon bundle that arose from the site of injection, crossed the midline in the ventral commissure, and extensively arborized in the contralateral ventral gray matter. Many of these axons made close appositions with dendrites and somata of motor neurons and also with commissural interneurons retrogradely labeled with BDA. The results suggest that commissural interneurons may establish monosynaptic contacts with motor neurons on the opposite side of the spinal cord. Our findings also indicate that direct reciprocal connections between commissural interneurons on the two sides of the spinal cord may also exist. J. Comp. Neurol. 461:429–440, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Background— Aortic valvular stenosis (AS) is the most common cause of cardiac valvular replacement surgery. During the last century, the pathogenesis of AS has undergone transitions in developed countries, from rheumatic heart disease to a degenerative calcific pathogenesis. Although a familial component has been described for a subset of cases with a bicuspid valve, data are limited on the overall familial aggregation of this disease. Methods and Results— Contemporary information on 6 117 263 Swedish siblings, of which 13 442 had a clinical diagnosis of AS, was collected from the nationwide Swedish Multi-Generation Register and the National Patient Register. A total of 4.8% of AS cases had a sibling history of AS. Having at least 1 sibling with AS was associated with a hazard ratio of 3.41 (95% confidence interval, 2.23–5.21) to be diagnosed with AS in an adjusted model. Individuals with >1 sibling with AS had an exceptionally high risk (hazard ratio, 32.84) but were uncommon (34 siblings from 11 sibships). In contrast, spouses of subjects with AS were only slightly more likely to be diagnosed with AS compared with subjects without spousal AS (hazard ratio 1.16 for husbands and 1.18 for wives). Conclusions— A sibling history of clinically diagnosed AS was associated with increased risk of AS. Spouses of patients with AS only had a modest risk increase, suggesting that shared adult environmental factors contribute less to the development of AS than genetic factors.


The inflammatory demyelinating neuropathies (GBS and CIDP) are autoimmune disorders; their pathogenesis and the precise immunological target(s) remain unknown. Valuable insights into the immune mechanisms have been gained from the animal models: Lewis rat EAN and chronic EAN of rabbits. Lewis rats immunized with myelin or myelin proteins P2 and P0 in Freund's adjuvant develop transient paralysis. The pathological findings of nerve edema, perivenular lymphocyte infiltrates and macrophage-mediated demyelination are identical to those of GBS. Severity of clinical EAN and of the pathology correlate with the antigen dose used for immunization. In Lewis rat EAN there is firm evidence of a cell-mediated process. The strongest support for T-cell autoimmunity has come from the adoptive transfer of EAN to syngeneic animals with antigen-specific (P2 and P0) autoreactive T-cells. Humoral factors play a role in the demyelination. Both mechanisms may function synergistically, in that activated neuritogenic T-cells breach the blood-nerve-barrier and thus provide circulating anti-myelin antibodies access to the target tissues. Rabbits immunized with a single large multiportal dose of myelin predictably develop EAN with a chronic progressive or relapsing course. The clinical, electrophysiological and pathological features are identical to human CIDP. IgM and IgG anti-Gal C antibody titres parallel the disease course and have demyelinating activity. T-cell responses have not yet been characterized in this model. Both forms of EAN lend themselves to the study of very specific immunotherapies.


Cholesterol efflux capacity associates strongly and negatively with the incidence and prevalence of human CVD. We investigated the relationships of HDL's size and protein cargo with its cholesterol efflux capacity using APOB-depleted serum and HDLs isolated from five inbred mouse strains with different susceptibilities to atherosclerosis. Like humans, mouse HDL carried >70 proteins linked to lipid metabolism, the acute-phase response, proteinase inhibition, and the immune system. HDL's content of specific proteins strongly correlated with its size and cholesterol efflux capacity, suggesting that its protein cargo regulates its function. Cholesterol efflux capacity with macrophages strongly and positively correlated with retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4) and PLTP, but not APOA1. In contrast, ABCA1-specific cholesterol efflux correlated strongly with HDL's content of APOA1, APOC3, and APOD, but not RBP4 and PLTP. Unexpectedly, APOE had a strong negative correlation with ABCA1-specific cholesterol efflux capacity. Moreover, the ABCA1-specific cholesterol efflux capacity of HDL isolated from APOE-deficient mice was significantly greater than that of HDL from wild-type mice. Our observations demonstrate that the HDL-associated APOE regulates HDL's ABCA1-specific cholesterol efflux capacity. These findings may be clinically relevant because HDL's APOE content associates with CVD risk and ABCA1 deficiency promotes unregulated cholesterol accumulation in human macrophages.


In the traditional classification of the soil stratums, geological engineers mostly classify the soil stratums according to their experience. However, it is very probable that these classification results are subjective, random and uncertain. There is a significant regional difference, so different people may have different results for the same soil stratums classification. Therefore, the concept of fuzzy cluster is introduced in this paper, which makes the physics-mechanical indexes of the soil as the basic parameters, and the soil stratums are classified through mathematical analysis. In order to ensure that classification results are reasonable and effective, the cluster validity index is applied to test results. Through engineering examples analysis, the present classification method is practicable in geotechnical stratums division.


The intranasal route has become one of the most explored areas in the field of pharmaceutical research for the delivery of small polar molecules, vaccines, hormones, peptides and proteins. This route has been targeted for the systemic delivery of drugs due to its high membrane permeability, high vasculature, low enzymatic environment and avoidance of hepatic first pass metabolism. The large surface area of the nasal mucosa facilitates rapid onset of therapeutic effect, potential for direct delivery of drug to the central nervous system (CNS), and non-invasiveness. Intranasal route is essentially painless and is easily administered by the patient or physicians all of which may maximize patient convenience, comfort and compliance. This article aims to give an insight into the nasal cavity, its advantages and limitations, consideration of factors affecting nasal absorption, strategies to improve drug absorption, pharmaceutical dosage forms and delivery systems and some of its applications.


For hundreds of years, scholars have debated the meaning of Jesus' central theological term, the 'kingdom of God'. Most of the argument has focused on its assumed eschatological connotations and Jesus' adherence or deviation from these ideas. Within the North American context, the debate is dominated by the work of Norman Perrin, whose classification of the kingdom of God as a myth-evoking symbol remains one of the fundamental assumptions of scholarship. According to Perrin, Jesus' understanding of the kingdom of God is founded upon the myth of God acting as king on behalf of Israel as described in the Hebrew Bible. Moving Beyond Symbol and Myth challenges Perrin's classification, and advocates the reclassification of the kingdom of God as metaphor. Drawing upon insights from the cognitive theory of metaphor, this study examines all the occurrences of the 'God is king' metaphor within the literary context of the Hebrew Bible. Based on this review, it is proposed that the 'God is king' metaphor functions as a true metaphor with a range of expressions and meanings. It is employed within a variety of texts and conveys images of God as the covenantal sovereign of Israel; God as the eternal suzerain of the world, and God as the king of the disadvantaged. The interaction of the semantic fields of divinity and human kingship evoke a range of metaphoric expressions that are utilized throughout the history of the Hebrew Bible in response to differing socio-historical contexts and within a range of rhetorical strategies. It is this diversity inherent in the 'God is king' metaphor that is the foundation for the diversified expressions of the kingdom of God associated with the historical Jesus and early Christianity.


The plywood material is widely used in civil engineering and furniture industry as cheap, strong, and lightweight material. The progressive failure of the plywood is difficult to be modeled and predicted because of the complexity of its structure and the interaction between different modes of orthogonal damages and interlayer failure. The microstructure of the wood determines the failure of the plies. A micromechanical material model of wooden veneers is developed, which is based on a representative volume cell (RVC) taken from the tubular microstructure of the wood and represented as a truss structure with longitudinal, transverse, and diagonal bar finite elements. The damage variables prescribed for each type of the bars determine the progressive degradation of the material stiffness. The 2-D damage material model of wooden veneers is utilized as user-defined material in continuum shell elements of ABAQUS™ finite element code. The parameters of the model are determined to simulate the behavior of single veneers in tension tests in different directions of loading. Together with cohesive elements representing the interface between the plies, the suggested model can be used to simulate and analyze the progressive failure and damage interaction in the plywood. The simulations could give us better understanding of the complex failure of the plywood, the succession of the damage development and reveal the weakest link in the material. The analysis can be used for optimization of the plywood layup.


In order to meet the requirements of product design and find suitable combination of within a short time, the concept of Knowledge-body based on BOM (KBOM) was put forward, which consisted of basic entities that could support all activities throughout product lifecycle with less redundancy, and all the product data throughout product lifecycle was associated with the core of KBOM directly or indirectly. A reusable and sharable configuration model of product was established to represent domain-specific knowledge based on KBOM. Genetic algorithm was used to solve the issue concerned with BOM configuration in a short time with value coefficient, quality level and reliability as evaluation parameters. Finally, as a case study, the display module of a notebook was analyzed. The results indicate that the evaluation can be effectively applied in a large-scale BOM configuration.


WHO has mentioned spiritual care for decades as well as the United States. Spiritual care in hospitals is heightened concern for not only terminal illnesses people but also patients that attached medical devices. Because of the overloaded workload, nurses did not provide adequate spiritual care. Video, as the latest tools that believe in enhancing patients' knowledge been assumed to lack evidence, especially to achieve their spiritual needs. The purpose of this study was described how brief video information: "Hospitalized patients could comply their spiritual needs" can improve patients' knowledge? The study using a quasi-experimental design: pre-posttest without control. Sixty-five respondents were included after written and verbally informed consent. It was using a questionnaire and video as an instrument designed by researchers. There are statistically significant (α= 0.001), which means respondents gained new knowledge after watching a brief video about praying in exceptional condition. It suggests that clear and precise intervention in education at the time of admission to the hospital might lead to a higher acceptance of the spiritual treatment of video education. Even there is statistically significant, but nurses need to facilitate patients' spiritual needs with visits and remind them each praying time begins frequently.


The research on learning communities has focused primarily on students at four-year colleges and universities. There is a dearth of studies that examine learning communities in community colleges. The purpose of this comparative study was to conduct an analysis of learning community and nonlearning community students in a community college located in the upper Midwest. An online survey instrument was developed to collect data on a number of dimensions including background characteristics, perception of the community college environment, academic experience and level of engagement, academic involvement, overall knowledge, and satisfaction. This article reports quantitative findings that are the first phase of a multiphase study. The descriptive comparative study highlights results of learning community and nonlearning community students. The findings suggest differences between the two groups on a number of dimensions. The authors conclude the article by addressing implications for practice, policy, and future research.


only have direct land transport link with Zhuhai, but will find its land distance with Zhongshan and Jiangmen in the vicinity of Zhuhai greatly shortened. The HZMB will contribute to Hong Kong's economic and people-to-people links with western PRD. In order to assist Hong Kong companies in making early plans for development, HKTDC Research conducted preliminary studies in Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Jiangmen as well as Yangjiang which lies further west but is still within the HZMB's three-hour economic circle to explore business opportunities worthy of attention in western PRD thanks to easier accessibility.


Introduction: Insulin resistance has been proposed to accelerate progression to type 1 diabetes (T1D) in antibody positive relatives of affected individuals. We hypothesised that overweight individuals with confirmed T1D would be less likely to present with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), signifying an earlier onset of T1D, due to concomitant insulin resistance. Methods: The ADDRESS-2 study recruits incident clinician-assigned T1D cases within 6-months of diagnosis and systematically assesses pancreatic autoimmunity by GAD-65, IA-2 and ZnT8 antibodies. People with at least two positive antibodies were selected to confirm diagnosis of T1D and categorised for adiposity according to BMI (adults) or Z-scores (children). Odds ratios (OR) for presentation with DKA were compared, adjusted for potential confounders and sub-analysed by whether adult or child at recruitment. Results: 31% (969/ 3132) were positive for two or more pancreatic antibodies. Of these 44% (424/969) presented with DKA. The proportions with DKA varied significantly by adiposity: 59% underweight (16/27), 47% normal (280/601), 39% overweight (103/263), 30% obese (19/63) and 40% severely obese (6/15) (p=0.02). When adjusted for age, being overweight or obese was associated with lower risk of DKA in adults (OR 0.58, p=0.006; 0.44, p=0.03, respectively) not children (OR 0.9, p=0.81; 0.51, p=0.12, respectively). Higher adiposity category was associated with higher daily insulin-requirements independent of age, with obesity associated with a 4 unit/day increase (p=0.03) and severe obesity, 11 units/day increase (p=0.008). Conclusion: Adults with T1D are less likely to present with DKA if overweight or obese. Despite smaller proportions of DKA, insulin requirements are higher. These data suggest that, in adults, T1D presentation is unmasked by the insulin resistance of obesity prior to absolute insulin deficiency and ketoacidosis. Disclosure S. Misra: None. A. Kaur: None. I.F. Godsland: None. H.C. Walkey: None. D.G. Johnston: None. N. Oliver: Advisory Panel; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions, Medtronic. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Roche Diabetes Care Health and Digital Solutions. Other Relationship; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S, Takeda Development Centre Europe Ltd..


This study evaluated the potential of coastal trees to reduce flooding areas caused by waves with abnormal heights, such as storm surges, using a numerical model applied to idealized beaches. The study considered 5 factors that affect sensitivity of coastal areas to flooding: slope of the beach, bottom friction coefficient, length of tree lines, width of tree lines, and shape of tree areas. The results indicate that slope of the beaches can reduce flooding areas, as steep slopes can transform wave energy into potential energy. With regard to the friction coefficient, beaches with higher bottom friction factors will have fewer flooding areas. Relative to beaches with no trees at all, increasing the length and width of tree lines can reduce flooding areas by as much as 30%. However, the shapes of tree areas have no significant effect on flooding areas.


Summary
Several developing countries have recently introduced policies supporting universal basic free education (UFBE). Experience suggests such policies often fail to increase access and quality of education, and illegal fees are widely prevalent. The literature identifies several reasons including the lack of replacement funding in place of fees and the loss of quality due to overcrowding and subsequent high drop-out rates. This paper, using evidence from Indonesia's experience, argues that the underlying problem is political. We suggest that fee-free education is an attainable goal, but only if pro-UFBE coalitions are empowered to influence policy, demand accountability and seek redress against illegal fees.


Among the medicinal purposes for which plants have been used is the treatment of "nerves". The objective of this study was to search for species of plants used in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (South Brazil) for the relief of symptoms related to central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Twenty-seven ethnobotanical studies were compiled, in which a total of 94 species were cited. The five most cited species were Cymbopogon citratus (81.5 %), Melissa officinalis (77.7 %), Aloysia citriodora (66.6 %), Matricaria chamomilla (62.9 %) and Passiflora edulis (51.8 %). Scientific studies have corroborated the popular use of these plants as sedatives, but most studies are preclinical and very few have been clinical ( M. chamomilla and M. officinalis ), and these were mainly exploratory or were performed against placebo. In addition to efficacy data, there are also indications of toxicity for M. chamomilla and P. edulis . In conclusion, there is a great diversity of plant species used in the treatment of symptoms related to CNS disorders, and they are most frequently used as a sedative. Data indicate that M. officinalis possesses clinical efficacy in the treatment of symptoms associated with anxiety without signs of toxicity.


Inspired by the metal active sites of formate dehydrogenase and CO-dehydrogenase, a nickel complex containing a NiS4 motif with two dithiolene ligands mimicking molybdopterin has been prepared and structurally characterized. During electroreduction, it converts to a good catalyst for the reduction of CO2 into formate as the major product, together with minor amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, with reasonable overpotential requirement, good faradaic yield, and notable stability. Catalysis operates on a mercury electrode and dramatically less on a carbon electrode, as observed in the case of [Ni(cyclam)]2+ complexes. Density functional theory (DFT) computations indicate the key role of a Ni(III)-hydride intermediate and provide insights into the different reaction pathways leading to HCOOH, CO, and H2. This study opens the route toward a new, yet unexplored, class of mononuclear sulfur-coordinated Ni catalysts for CO2 reduction.


Background: This study aims to explore the relations of psychological characteristics of golfing and psychological protective factors proven in previous studies to golf stresses of amateur golfers. Methods: The participants were 204 amateur golfers. Data were analyzed by Pearson product-moment correlation and stepwise regression analysis using SPSS 23.0. Results: The results indicated that academic and intuitive approaches styles, golf-efficacy, and physical or social expectancy for golfing were positively correlated with golf stresses. Resilience and self-regulation were negatively correlated with golf stresses. Stepwise regression analysis showed that norm regulation accounted 35.5% variance of golf stresses, and confidence in golf, self-confidence, composure regulation, and cognitive approach to golf were also predictors. Conclusions: Since this study has been conducted on an exploratory basis, some results of this study must be reverified, and a number of studies are expected to conduct based on the results.


The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of image and voice of pedagogical agents on student perception and learning. Pedagogical agents were developed with differing image (expert-like vs. mentor-like) and voice (strong vs. calm vs. computer-generated), but with identical gesture, affect, comments, and gender. 109 undergraduates in a computer literacy course were randomly assigned to one of the six conditions. The results revealed a significant main effect for agent image on role perception: mentor-like image was perceived as more motivating, as hypothesized. Also, there was a significant main effect for voice: the strong voice was overall most motivating, while both human voices (strong or calm) were perceived as more affable, affective, credible, and facilitating learning than the computer-generated voice. There was no significant effect of agent image and voice on


There is a need to better understand how scientific knowledge is used in decision-making. This is especially true in the Global South where policy processes often occur under high political uncertainty and where a shift toward multilevel governance and decision-making brings new opportunities and challenges. This study applies knowledge-policy models to analyse a forestry research project that succeeded in influencing national policy-making. We investigate how decisions were made, what factors affected and shaped the policy process, and how scientific knowledge was used. The results highlight the complexity of policy processes and the related challenges in crossing the science-policy interface. Perceptions of scientific knowledge differed greatly among stakeholders, and those perceptions strongly influenced how scientific knowledge was valued and used. The findings suggest a need for researchers to better understand the problem context to help design and implement research that will more effectively inform decision-making.


Juvenile in vitro embryo transfer (JIVET) reduces the generation interval and increases the rate of genetic gain. The developmental competence of in vitro-produced embryos is strictly related to oocyte quality. Oxidative stress in the oocyte is an emerging problem in reproductive in vitro technologies, due to the gas atmosphere used to incubate oocytes and the lack of physiological defense mechanisms available in the female reproductive tract. The major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is represented by mitochondria where ROS are produced during oxidative phosphorylation. The aim of the present study was to analyze mitochondria and ROS in ovine prepubertal oocytes before and after IVM in order to clarify their suitability in JIVET programs. Cumulus-oocyte complexes from the ovaries of 38 slaughtered prepubertal (less than 8 months of age) lambs of the Comisana breed were analyzed at retrieval (group A) or after IVM (group B; Ambruosi et al. 2009 Theriogenology 71, 1093-1104). After cumulus cell removal, all oocytes underwent nuclear chromatin, mitochondria and ROS evaluation by confocal analysis of fluorescence distribution and intensity. Hoechst 33258 and Mitotracker Orange CMTM Ros (Molecular Probes Inc., Eugene, OR) were used to label nuclear chromatin and mitochondria (Ambruosi et al. 2009) and 2′,7′-dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate was used for ROS labelling (Hashimoto et al. 2000 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 57, 353-360). Out of 65 oocytes from group A, 38 oocytes with regular size (>130 μm in diameter), morphology and nuclear chromatin at the GV stage were selected for analysis. One-hundred-thirty-eight oocytes underwent IVM (group B). Nuclear maturation rate (metaphase II with 1st polar body extruded) was 54%, 75/138. All MII oocytes were used for analysis. Significantly higher rate of oocytes from group B showed heterogeneous (large aggregates, clusters, pericortical, perinuclear) mitochondrial (mt) distribution pattern than oocytes from group A (55%, 41/75 v. 29%, 11/38, respectively; P < 0.05) which showed uniform distribution of small mt aggregates. Fluorescent intensity of mt labeling did not differ between groups (43.05 ± 16.15 v. 45.89 ± 10.36, for group A and B respectively; NS). In most of the oocytes from both groups, intracellular ROS were distributed in small or large aggregates (35/38, 92% and 62/75, 83%). No statistical difference was observed for intracellular ROS levels between oocytes from group A (66.36 ± 13.2) and group B (72.84 ± 20.63; NS). The culture conditions used in this study provided normal mt distribution and intracellular ROS levels. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of mitochondria and intracellular ROS could be useful to improve in vitro culture methods in ovine prepubertal oocytes.


MicroRNAs play important roles in carcinogenesis and tumor progress. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. In this study, the function of miR-181a-5p was investigated in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Results showed that miR-181a-5p was significantly decreased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation and migration of A549 cells transfected with miR-181a-5p mimic was significantly inhibited. Luciferase activity assay results demonstrated that two binding sites of Kras could be directly targeted by miR-181a-5p. Furthermore, Kras was down-regulated by miR-181a-5p at both transcriptional and translational levels. SiRNA-mediated Kras down-regulation could mimic the effects of miR-181a-5p mimic in A549 cells. Our findings suggest that miR-181a-5p plays a potential role in tumor suppression by partially targeting Kras and has the potential therapeutic application in NSCLC patients.


Abstract. The genus Lamprohaminoea includes species of colourful haminoeid snails associated with coral reefs and rocky shores in the tropical Indo-West Pacific. In this work, we revise the diversity and systematics of Lamprohaminoea species based on a phylogenetic hypothesis and on a detailed morphological analysis of specimens. Shells, external features of the animals and anatomical characters from the jaws, radula, gizzard plates, and male reproductive system were studied by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, a molecular species delimitation analysis based on the Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery method using DNA sequences of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I was implemented. Five species were recognised, three of them new to science, namely L. cymbalum, L. ovalis, L. vamiziensis sp. nov., L. evelinae sp. nov., and L. mikkelsenae sp. nov. Morphologically, these species can be separated by subtle differences of their external colouration and by features of the male reproductive system. Lamprohaminoea vamiziensis sp. nov. is known only from the western Indian Ocean and L. evelinae sp. nov., from the west Pacific, whereas the other three occur across the Indo-West Pacific realm.


Abstract Hydrogels are frequently considered for medical applications due to the ease of preparation in different forms and high water content that makes them comparable to natural tissues. However, these general properties are not sufficient to make any hydrogel suitable for cell attachment and growth which are necessary for their use in tissue regeneration. Besides, the high water content makes the hydrogels mechanically weak. The formation of semi-interpenetrating networks (semi-IPNs) can be used in attempts to enhance physical, mechanical and thermal properties. In this study, semi-IPNs of agarose were prepared with chitosan and alginate, two polyelectrolytes that are positively and negatively charged under physiological conditions, respectively. Zeta potential was used to confirm the formation of charged hydrogels. All hydrogels had ultimate compression strengths in the range of 91–210 Pa where the value for pure agarose was about 103 Pa. Chitosan increased the compressive strength about two folds whereas the alginate had opposite effects. The amount of strongly bound water present in the hydrogels were estimated from TGA and DSC analysis and the highest value was found for alginate-agarose hydrogels as about 15%. The attachment and the migration of L929 fibroblasts were monitored in vitro using the MTS assay and confocal microscopy. The highest cell proliferation and penetration were observed for positively charged chitosan-agarose semi-IPN hydrogels.


Second-harmonic generation signals from a CuttbPc LB film deposited on metal (Al or Au)-glass substrates were investigated. It was observed that there were two second-harmonic peaks at the wavelength of 1060 and 1250nm in the CuttbPc/Al film, but only one peak at 1050nm in the CuttbPc/Au film. Meanwhile the surface electric potentials (SEP) at the interfaces of LB film/metals were also measured using a Kelvin probe. The SEP in the CuttbPc/Al decreases and eventually approaches a saturated value of -1.0V as the film thickness increases, while the SEP in the CuttbPc/Au is nearly zero. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, it was considered that the space-charge-induced electric field makes a main contribution to the second-harmonic generation at 1250nm in the CuttbPc/Al film.


The purpose of this article is to draw on Le Grand's (2007) model of service provision of ends and means (trust, targets, voice and choice) to critique the accepted frameworks for conceptualising the chronology of equal opportunities and diversity (EO&D) in the UK. We do this by reviewing the attempts to provide a chronological analysis before outlining and applying Le Grand's (2007) model. We find that the 'eras' of the chronologies give way to a much more complex and fluid picture. Moreover, focusing on ends and means highlights some major issues in the development of EO&D policy that needs to be addressed.


A two-type version of the frog model on $\mathbb{Z}^d$ is formulated, where active type $i$ particles move according to lazy random walks with probability $p_i$ of jumping in each time step ($i=1,2$). Each site is independently assigned a random number of particles. At time 0, the particles at the origin are activated and assigned type 1 and the particles at one other site are activated and assigned type 2, while all other particles are sleeping. When an active type $i$ particle moves to a new site, any sleeping particles there are activated and assigned type $i$, with an arbitrary tie-breaker deciding the type if the site is hit by particles of both types in the same time step. We show that the event $G_i$ that type $i$ activates infinitely many particles has positive probability for all $p_1,p_2\in(0,1]$ ($i=1,2$). Furthermore, if $p_1=p_2$, then the types can coexist in the sense that $\mathbb{P}(G_1\cap G_2)>0$. We also formulate several open problems. For instance, we conjecture that, when the initial number of particles per site has a heavy tail, the types can coexist also when $p_1\neq p_2$.


The development of biotechnological processes is challenging due to the diversity of process parameters. For efficient upstream development, parallel cultivation systems have proven to reduce costs and associated timelines successfully while offering excellent process control. However, the degree of automation of such small-scale systems is comparatively low, and necessary sample analysis requires manual steps. Although the subsequent analysis can be performed in a high-throughput manner, the integration of analytical devices remains challenging, especially when cultivation and analysis laboratories are spatially separated. Mobile robots offer a potential solution, but their implementation in research laboratories is not widely adopted. Our approach demonstrates the integration of a small-scale cultivation system into a liquid handling station for an automated cultivation and sample procedure. The samples are transported via a mobile robotic lab assistant and subsequently analyzed by a high-throughput analyzer. The process data are stored in a centralized database. The mobile robotic workflow guarantees a flexible solution for device integration and facilitates automation. Restrictions regarding spatial separation of devices are circumvented, enabling a modular platform throughout different laboratories. The presented cultivation platform is evaluated on the basis of industrially relevant E. coli BW25113 high cell density fed-batch cultivation. The necessary magnesium addition for reaching high cell densities in mineral salt medium is automated via a feedback operation loop between the analysis station located in the adjacent room and the cultivation system. The modular design demonstrates new opportunities for advanced control options and the suitability of the platform for accelerating bioprocess development. This study lays the foundation for a fully integrated facility, where the physical connection of laboratory equipment is achieved through the successful use of a mobile robotic lab assistant, and different cultivation scales can be coupled through the common data infrastructure.


Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by a progressive status of chronic, low-grade inflammation (LGI) that accompanies the whole trajectory of the disease, from its inception to complication development. Accumulating evidence is disclosing a long list of possible "triggers" of inflammatory responses, many of which are promoted by unhealthy lifestyle choices and advanced age. Diabetic patients show an altered number and function of immune cells, of both innate and acquired immunity. Reactive autoantibodies against islet antigens can be detected in a subpopulation of patients, while emerging data are also suggesting an altered function of specific T lymphocyte populations, including T regulatory (Treg) cells. These observations led to the hypothesis that part of the inflammatory response mounting in T2D is attributable to an autoimmune phenomenon. Here, we review recent data supporting this framework, with a specific focus on both tissue resident and circulating Treg populations. We also propose that selective interception (or expansion) of T cell subsets could be an alternative avenue to dampen inappropriate inflammatory responses without compromising immune responses.


In this paper, we propose a detection scheme of orthogonal space-time block codes over time-selective fading channels. Channel estimation errors are inevitable over time-selective fading channels and even small channel estimation errors dramatically degrade the performance of space-time block coding schemes. Therefore, it is desired to investigate the effect of channel estimation errors on the performance of the proposed detection scheme compared with the existing detection scheme. The proposed detection scheme minimizes noise enhancement and impact of channel estimation errors which occur in an existing detection scheme. It is shown by simulations that the proposed detection scheme performs better than the existing detection scheme over time-selective fading channels


When individual rights, especially constitutional rights, compete with other rights or with a public good, judges and politicians involved in the legislative process or jurisdictional process are expected to balance their decision in such a way that the gain from achieving the goal mitigates the costs of the resulting loss for the parties. Jurists speak of the doctrine of proportionality in connection with this process of balancing.
In the proportionality calculus, judges have to evaluate whether the impact on individual rights outweighs the public purpose pursued through a state's legal activity. I will argue that the procedure of proportionality is similar to the procedure of reaching a compromise. More precisely, I will defend that compromise is a special case of the principle of proportionality, for it applies when claims cannot be balanced or in the absence of an overarching principle on which all the parties agree. With this, I aim to show the connection between the principle of proportionality and compromises without conflating these two concepts, and to offer new perspectives on the discussion of proportionality as it is used in the legal context.


The 21st century has seen a reluctant acceptance of the de-centering of the state, and consequentially of the rise of multiple centers of governance with multiple forms of law. That acceptance has also produced a certain knowledge of the likelihood of space between these emerging centers of law/norms/governance. This space without a space, this in-between space of law (and governance), has itself assumed a spatial dimension. Yet the conventional focus on the inter-spatial carries with it the risk of never ending boundaries—of the permanent and quite dynamic cacophony of borders. The problem of the never-ending spaces between spaces, where every law system itself defines its own inter-spaces, might itself be undergoing an extra-spatial transformation. That extra-spatial form of governance—in which space loses its centrality and law changes it forms and function, is the object of the exploration attempted in this essay. The essay considers the emergence of data driven analytics, and machine driven (artificial intelligence (AI) based) algorithmic techniques as defining not just new modalities of governance but reshaping the conception of spatiality within which governance happens. Its thesis is simple: that AI and big data management suggests the fundamental reshaping of law and law systems, one in which it may be possible to cobble together traditional spatial and inter-spatial of law toward a comprehensive management of behavior neither dependent on the forms and techniques of law nor on the bureaucratic apparatus of state. This reshaping will have particular effect on the way on which the emerging polycentric systems of governance that have been the singular feature of globalized law frameworks may be enmeshed; that is how the regulatory algorithm may come to rule them all. This essay, then, explores some of the potential ramifications of big data management and machine learning on the organization of the multiplicity of emerging law and governance systems and how these are or will change legal practice. To that end the paper will consider the emergence of data driven governance regimes. The first is the Chinese "social credit" initiative, which emerged in its current form in 2014. Social Credit is the name given to the initiative undertaken by the Chinese government during the present administration that is meant to produce an all-around approach to ensuring compliance with law and social responsibility under the guidance of the state. The second is U.S. and Western private initiatives around emerging markets for data. These are framed around principles of governance, risk management and compliance principles. It explores their potential systemic qualities and their relationship to contemporary and traditional law and governance systems. It considers the way that social credit in its public forms (China) and in its private forms (U.S. and the West) point to the emergence of a potential data driven unifying structure for legal multiplicity even as it changes the practices of law. Lastly, the paper explores the nature of that unifying structure within domestic legal orders and within global trade regimes.


The present study reviews salivary antimicrobial peptides and their single nucleotide polymorphisms in periodontitis. Periodontitis is an important inflammatory condition of the oral cavity where there is destruction of periodontal ligament and adjacent supporting alveolar bone resulting in tooth loss. MEDLINE, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for relevant literature using the combination of following search terms: "Periodontitis", "Single Nucleotide Polymorphism", "Salivary Antimicrobial Peptides", "Defensin", "Lactoferrin", "Cathelicidin". Periodontal disease is initiated by bacterial invasion and colonization and this is not sufficient for the predisposition and progression of the disease. Besides this, several genetic factors influence disease susceptibility and severity. Many studies have reported the role of genetic polymorphisms for the difference in the host inflammatory responses against periodontal pathogens. Our review focuses on the salivary antimicrobial peptides which are important constituents of the innate immune system secreted mainly by epithelial cells and neutrophils and form the first line of defense against the pathogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity. Investigation of genetic polymorphisms in salivary antimicrobial peptides will aid in identifying an individual's genetic susceptibility and might be valuable for developing prognostic markers in periodontitis.


Introduction: Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, public policy debate has been increasingly focusing on developing and implementing new disease prevention measures based on tracking of geographical location, in particular during the quarantine period. Limited studies have so far investigated possible public acceptance of such measures.
Methods: We analyzed a sample data of 1,000 respondents from the 2021 Korean Social Science Data Center using descriptive statistics and logistic regression modelling. The outcome variable was the binary variable measuring the public acceptance of COVID-19 related tracking devices for people subjected to quarantine, explanatory variable included socio-economic characteristics and subjective perception measures.
Results: The results suggest that subjective factors, such as perceived likelihood of virus contraction (OR=1.78) and severity of the disease (OR=2.21), rather than socio-economic factors, are key determinants of public acceptance of COVID-19 related location tracking technology. Elderly participants in the middle socio-economic class have shown the highest acceptance rate for tracking device implementation
Conclusion: Although the use of location tracking devices has been increasing exponentially, there is still limited understanding in terms of public acceptance of such devices. The results of this study contribute to identifying such determinants, this contributing to policy design related to COVID-19.


The future deployment of distributed and mobile sensing technologies in industrial environments provides interesting opportunities to further improve the workers' health and safety in the Factories of the Future. Such technologies will allow detecting in advance dangerous situations and conditions, and taking the necessary preventive actions. Wireless technologies would represent an essential component of the Factories of the Future in order to facilitate the real-time and ubiquitous connectivity of mobile sensors. In this context, this paper presents initial results of a measurement campaign that analyses the connectivity capabilities of the IEEE 802.15.4/ZigBee technologies for mobile sensing applications, and their use in collision avoidance applications.


Over the past 30 years, the Beaufort Sea has been the site of many regional studies and planning efforts. Currently, three major initiatives are underway: the Integrated Regional Impact Study, which focuses on science; the Integrated Ocean Management Plan; and the Beaufort Regional Environmental Assessment. Despite the mounting pressures for offshore energy development in the region, little attention has been given to whether these initiatives facilitate a more coordinated and informed approach to planning, assessment, and decision making for such development. We examined stakeholder perceptions of the existing initiatives to ascertain whether and how they enable horizontal and vertical integration and how effectively they facilitate marine resource planning and decision making. The results show that three essentials of a more coordinated regional approach to planning for marine resources and offshore development are horizontal integration between management bodies, vertical integration from the strategic level and regional scale to the operational level and project scale, and an overarching vision for regional planning and development in the Beaufort Sea.


Abstract : The current tools used by squadron supervisors to monitor the bombing performance of aircrews flying F-111E aircraft are monthly reports that have little predictive capability. No real-time methodology exists for monitoring and predicting aircrew bombing performance and preventing bombing problems that might cause an individual to become unqualified. It has been suggested that Statistical process Control (SPC) can be applied to the bombing process to develop tools for managing the process, correcting problems, and improve the bombing performance of a squadron. This study investigates the application of SPC to the bombing process. It examines data taken from an F-111E Fighter Wing during a sixth-month training period. The goal is to develop a control charting scheme that is both useful to squadron supervisors as well as simple to apply by squadron weapons officers. The results indicate that SPC methodologies can have a significant impact on the bombing process. Control carts generated from the data can give insights to the bombing performance and capabilities of individual aircrews. These insights can lead to improvements in the bombing performance of individuals, as well as in the bombing performance of their squadron as a whole. (AN)


STUDY OBJECTIVES
Recent evidence has suggested that low socioeconomic status (SES), race, prematurity, and maternal smoking during pregnancy are associated with childhood sleep disordered breathing (SDB). We investigated (1) the association of SDB with a wide range of risk factors, including prenatal and perinatal complications; (2) the association of these complications with SES and race; and (3) the association of SDB with developmental milestones.

METHODS
Six hundred thirteen school-aged children (105 clinically referred and 508 community control subjects) underwent overnight polysomnography and had a complete history and physical examination. A comprehensive child development questionnaire was completed by a parent. We compared clinically referred children with SDB to population-based control children without SDB from The Penn State Children's Cohort.

RESULTS
Maternal smoking during pregnancy; maternal age and weight gain during pregnancy; prenatal complications, such as maternal high blood pressure and gestational diabetes; perinatal complications related to prematurity; delayed motor milestones; race and SES were significantly associated with the presence of childhood SDB. Most of the risk factors became nonsignificant when analyses controlled for race and SES. Delayed motor milestones remained significantly associated with SDB after controlling for race and SES.

CONCLUSION
These data suggest that there is a significant association between children who experience prenatal or perinatal distress and the development of moderate to severe childhood SDB. SES and race may be mediating the impact on SDB through increased prenatal and perinatal risks. The significant delay in motor milestones suggests that prenatal and perinatal distress may result in neurologic insult, which could influence the development of SDB in later childhood.