We present three-dimensional, self-consistent radiative transfer solutions with a new Monte Carlo radiative equilibrium code. The code RADISHE can be applied to calculate the emergent spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and broadband images from optical to millimeter wavelengths of arbitrary density geometries with distributed sources of radiation. One of the primary uses of this code has been to interface with hydrodynamical codes to calculate emergent SEDs along a simulation time sequence. We focus the applications of this code in this paper on infrared bright dusty galaxies, but RADISHE is also ideal for calculating emission from star clusters or protostellar environments. The primary methodological focus of this paper is on the radiative equilibrium temperature calculation. We find that an iterative calculation of the temperature, which takes the sum of photon flight paths as the Monte Carlo estimator for the mean free intensity, is significantly faster than relaxation temperature calculation methods, particularly when large numbers of grid cells are required (i.e., in modeling three-dimensional geometries such as the dust envelopes of turbulent massive protostellar cores or infrared-bright galaxies). An accurate long-wavelength SED and corresponding temperature calculation will be essential for analyzing upcoming Herschel Space Observatory observations. We present simulated color–color plots for infrared-bright galaxies at a range of redshifts, and unfold these plots as color versus the fractional active galactic nucleus (AGN) luminosity, to demonstrate that Herschel will be able to effectively discriminate between submillimeter galaxies, where the energy source is dominated by AGN, and those where star formation dominates. We demarcate in particular the "Class II" or energetically active AGN evolutionary phase in Herschel color–color plots.


Sample size calculations in clinical trials depend on good estimates of the standard devotion. Due to the uncertainty in the planning phase, adaptive sample size designs have been used to re-estimate the standard deviation based on interim data and adjust the sample size as necessary. Our research concentrates on carrying out the sample size re-estimation without obtaining the treatment identities.Gould and Shih treated the data at the interim as coming from a mixture of two normal distributions with common standard deviation. In order to adjust the sample size, they used EM algorithm to obtain the MLE of the standard deviation while keeping treatment identities blinded. However, the approach has been criticized in the literature and our simulation studies show that Gould and Shih's EM algorithm sometimes obtains incorrect boundary modes as estimates of the standard deviation. In our research, we establish a new procedure to re-estimate sample size without breaking the blind but using additional information concerning randomization structure at the interim. We enhance Gould and Shih's EM procedure by utilizing the conditional Bernoulli model to incorporate the available information that equal numbers of subjects are observed at the interim stage. Properties of the proposed enhanced EM estimator are investigated in detail.Furthermore, we use the full information of the blocked randomization schedule in the enhanced EM algorithm that the numbers of subjects are equal across treatment groups within each randomization block. With increased information that occurs with increasing block sizes, the accuracy of the estimation of the standard deviation improves. More specifically, the estimator has quite a small bias when the block size is small which is fairly common the case in clinical trials. Moreover, for the case of two treatment groups, the preservation of the actual type I error rate when using the standard t-test at the end of the trial is verified through a simulation study in many parameter scenarios. We also analytically computed and simulated the actual power and the expected sample size. Finally, we develop the details of sample size re-estimation for multi-center clinical trials, where we have the randomization schedule blocked within center.


The use of technology to teach English as a Foreign Language (EFL) has been greatly expanded in recent decades, and has also been construed by educators as a fresh alternative to traditional pedagogy. Digital Storytelling can offer this alternative as, without neglecting the target of improving teaching quality, it has been proved to be a successful instructional tool to teach EFL (Gregori-Signes,2008a; 2012), since it can combine the advantages and success of traditional storytelling with the innovations of new technologies to teach a foreign language. The aim of this case-study is to foster students' writing and speaking skills (Reinders, 2011) by engaging them in a project in which traditional and digital narrative are combined, with the primary goal of reinforcing foreign language acquisition and development for students of EFL. First, I shall examine some of the distinctive features of the DST. Secondly, I shall describe the process students had followed in order to complete the task; and, finally, I shall discuss the results.


The feasibility of hot stamping and press quenching of ultrahigh strength steel sheet using resistance heating was investigated by demonstrating experiments. In the experiments, a rectangular blank of high strength steel sheet, SPFC980Y, 1.2mm thick, 20mm wide and 130mm long was used and it was resistance-heated with a pair of parallel electrodes placed 120mm away from each other, using an AC power supply with a function of input energy control. The relationship between input energy and heating temperature was examined and then hot stamping and press quenching performances were examined. The press quenching was also experimented in hot hat-shaped bending, and the influences of the heating temperature on spring-back and hardness property were investigated. The results of the experiments revealed that hot stamping and press quenching using resistance heating are highly feasible.


ABOUT THE PROGRAMME
The Change4Life Primary School Sports Club programme is funded by the Department of Health and managed by the Youth Sport Trust. The clubs were introduced into primary schools in 2011/12 and aim to increase the physical activity, health and wellbeing of less active 7-9 year olds through the provision of fun multi-sport themes and healthy lifestyle activities. SPEAR's evaluations of the primary programme have consistently demonstrated that Change4Life Clubs can be effective mechanisms for increasing physical activity levels among less active primary children. Through provision of a safe space to learn and play, the opportunity to contribute to club delivery and encouragement of small steps toward increasing activity levels, the clubs have helped less active children build the competencies, confidence and resilience they need to be healthy and active throughout the lifecourse. The success of the Change4Life Primary School Sports Clubs has resulted in additional funding to expand the programme as a central part of a broader healthy lifestyle offer in schools. This is supported by the development of a hub of expertise focused in the areas of greatest health inequalities (priority areas) to support and share effective practice among schools and local authority Health and Wellbeing boards.

ABOUT THE EVALUATION
SPEAR was commissioned from October 2013 to March 2015 to conduct a third, successive evaluation of the Change4Life Primary School Sports Club programme. In October 2014, SPEAR produced an Interim Report including impact and delivery insights and progress and planning for the primary evaluation. SPEAR also recommended inclusion of a lifetime impact assessment to provide additional value to the Final Report findings and the project end date was subsequently extended to May 2015. This Final Report both supplements and supersedes the Interim Report. SPEAR's current evaluation of the Change4Life Clubs reflects both the changing context and priorities of the primary programme and, through a systematic, controlled experimental evaluation, provides the robust evidence base necessary to support and further the programme as it develops into the future. The 2015 Final Report presents a lifetime evaluation of the programme to date. Drawing together extant data from SPEAR's 2011/12 and 2012/13 (2011-20133 ) evaluations with new data collated across 2013/14 and early 2014/154 (2013-20155 ), this report focuses on the lifetime impact of the clubs in key areas, namely physical activity, health behaviours and wellbeing. The report shows how delivery has evolved to address programme aims, discusses challenges faced embedding clubs as a sustainable part of schools' healthy lifestyle offer and considers preliminary evidence of the impact of the new support framework in priority areas. Data informing this report is drawn from the survey returns of over 7,500 children participating in more than 500 Change4Life Clubs and from just under 500 children in 15 control schools. Survey completions from over 2,000 club deliverers and SGOs, telephone interviews with 39 stakeholders and data from 20 site visits complements and triangulates the experimental data allowing the experiences and perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders to be presented. Key messages are summarised at the start of each section (and in the Headlines section on pages 2-5). The report is divided into three substantive sections: Who participated? What worked? and What did the clubs look like? The Influence of the Change4Life Brand is addressed and Recommendations for the programme are presented.


The objective of the study described in this paper is to identify the residual stress distribution and relaxation in standard welded specimens as well as in a large-scale welded panel imitating the critical, from the fatigue point of view, zones of ship structure. The residual stresses were measured after welding and in the process of fatigue loading of welded elements by the UltraMARS system that is based on using ultrasound. The measurements had shown that the maximum residual stresses near the welds (4-5 mm away from the weld) reach levels 290-320 MPa that are close to the yield strength of considered material both in welded specimens and in the large scale panel. Analysis of residual stress relaxation in the welded panel under the action of cyclic loading confirmed the fact that within the interval of applied stress ranges corresponding to the multi-cycle region of loading of the welded joints, the relaxation of residual stresses occurs mainly during the first cycle.


A series of bimetallic M/Ag (where M represents Pd, Ru, Ni and Co metallic species) nanorod (NR)-based plasmonic photocatalysts with 0.5 wt% loading of M on Ag (1.0 wt%) are prepared within the mesoporous channels of SBA-15. The chemical structure, morphology and optical properties of M/Ag/SBA-15 are well characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM, FT-EXAFS, XPS and N2 adsorption–desorption measurement studies. Subsequently, the photocatalytic activity is assessed by hydrogen production from ammonia borane (AB) and chemical reduction of 4-nitrophenol (NP) to 4-aminophenol (AP) under visible light irradiation. The enhanced catalytic activities under light irradiation in comparison with dark conditions are explained by a plausible photocatalytic and charge separation mechanism to envisage the tentative reaction pathway. Finally, the reusability of the catalyst is evaluated via four consecutive catalytic runs.


Psoriasis is a multifactorial disease that can be related to genetic, environmental and immunological causes. Therefore, not only a single factor but different aspects contribute to the onset of the disease, varying from individual to individual. It would be characterized by an abnormal proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes, mediated by a dysregulation in the auto-immune T cell response in which several cytokines participate, including Interleukin (IL)-17, IL-17A, IL-12, IL-22, IL-23. These cells and cytokines are responsible for the aggression on skin cells, inflammation and accelerated reproduction of the cells of the epidermis. Due to the chronic inflammation, psoriasis is frequently associated with other concomitant non-dermatological morbid conditions such as arthropathy which can be complicated by a disabling evolution. Psoriasis is also frequently associated with comorbidities such as Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), hyperlipidemia, diabetes and obesity.
 The knowledge of common inflammatory pathways and of the potential links between psoriasis and other diseases should encourage dermatologists to a multidisciplinary approach to psoriasis and to an optimal management also in the light of new therapeutic possibilities.


1. A genome-wide scan of 467 F2 progeny of a broiler x layer cross was conducted to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) affecting the rate of growth of the tail, wing and back feathers, and the width of the breast feather tract, at three weeks of age. 2. Correlations between the traits ranged from 0 36 to 0 61. Males had longer tail and wing feathers and shorter back feathers than females. Breast feather tract width was greater in females than males. 3. QTL effects were generally additive and accounted for 11 to 45% of sex average feather lengths of the breeds, and 100% of the breast feather tract width. Positive and negative alleles were inherited from both lines, whereas the layer allele was larger than the broiler allele after adjusting for body weight. 4. A total of 4 genome-significant and 4 suggestive QTL were detected. At three or 6 weeks of age, 5 of the QTL were located in similar regions as QTL for body weight. 5. Analysis of a model with body weight at three weeks as a covariate identified 5 genome significant and 6 suggestive QTL, of which only two were coincident with body weight QTL. One QTL for feather length at 148cM on GGA1 was identified at a similar location in the unadjusted analysis. 6. The results suggest that the rate of feather growth is largely controlled by body weight QTL, and that QTL specific for feather growth also exist.


The purified mucilages from three Taiwanese yam cultivars, including Dioscorea alata L. cv. Tainong 1 (TN1), D. alata L. cv. Tainong 2 (TN2), and D. alata L. var. purpurea (Roxb.) cv. Ming-Jen (MJ), and the commercial lentinan (Len) were used to evaluate the immunostimulatory effects on the murine innate and adaptive immunity. BALB/c mice were grouped and administrated orally with 0.5 ml of TN1, TN2, MJ daily for 5 weeks. The positive and negative controls were fed with lentinan and distilled water, respectively. Blood samples were drawn from the retroorbital sinus on day 7 and 21, and the lymphocyte subpopulation, phagocytosis of granulocyte and monocyte were analyzed by flow cytometry. The mice were sacrificed on day 36, and the splenocytes were harvested for determinations of natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity activity. The stimulation index on the phagocytosis of peritoneal macrophages and the RAW264.7 cell line by yam mucilage were also determined in vitro. The results showed that all three mucilages, especially MJ yam, could elevate the number of T helper cells in the peripheral blood and enhance the phagocytic activity of granulocyte, monocytes and macrophages both ex vivo and in vitro tests. Increased splenic cytotoxic activity following the administration of mucilages from MJ yam was observed. Furthermore, the production of specific antiovalbumin (OVA) antibody and OVA-stimulated splenic cell proliferation were also enhanced by all mucilage groups. It is suggested that the tuber mucilage may function as an immunomodulatory substance.


This paper presents workspace sensitivity analysis of spatial cable robots. These robots have six cables and six degrees of freedom. After modeling the robot, different types of workspaces are specified and then the ways of increasing workspace volumes are introduced. Among different workspaces, statically reachable combined workspace and wrench (force/moment) feasible workspace are analyzed. The methods of sensitivity analysis are described and these methods are applied to the spatial cable robots. Parameters effect on workspace such as the size of moving platform, the size of fixed platform, geometric shapes of the two platforms, magnitude of applied forces and moments to moving platform of these robots are compared and ranked by using sensitivity analysis. Obtained results could be useful in designing these robots under different conditions of applied wrench to increase the workspace volume.


Forest and forest products have a vital role in mitigation of the global climate change. The main objective of this study was to assess the carbon emissions in the manufacturing of wood products taking an example of the production of an arm chair using life cycle assessment approach (LCA) which provides a methodological framework for evaluating environmental performance over the life cycle of a product, process, or an activity. The product Carbon Footprint was assessed for a typical wooden arm chair manufactured in an average sawmill. Assessment boundary was cradle to grave. The system boundary encompasses each product manufacturing process including material (logs, wood, resin, fuels) transport to each production facility. Transportation distances were reported in surveys and used to calculate product transported per kilogram–kilometers (kg-km). The embedded C flux in harvested timber, GHG emissions and the flow of embedded CO2 stock during the processing were analysed. The cumulative system boundary includes all upstream flows of energy, fuel, and raw material for production. Energy consumed during transportation between the harvesting life-cycle stage and manufacturing accounts for actual distances reported from each production region. The functional unit for the product was referenced to 1 m3 of the product. All input and output data within the cumulative system boundary were allocated to the functional unit of product and co-products in accordance with International Organisation for Standardisation. The data represent average regional data from sample studies. Umberto for Carbon Software was used for the analysis. The total life cycle consists of 08 stages, raw material and timber harvesting, timber depot operations, log conversions, wood preservation, timber seasoning, manufacturing, use phase, end of use/ final disposal. Based on the calculations, percentages of GHG emissions in each stage of life cycle were 54% for raw material and timber harvesting, 4% for timber depot operations, 11% for log conversions, 5% wood preservation, 1% for timber seasoning, 12% for manufacturing and 13% for use phase and end of use/final disposal. From the above results it is apparent that as carbon emissions are greatest at the timber harvesting stage, measures should be taken to introduce more efficient and effective machinery and methodologies to reduce the emissions. Keywords: Product carbon footprint, Wood products, Life cycle analysis, Climate change


The primary goal of palatoplasty is to allow normal speech through the correction of velopharyngeal incompetence. Failure to accomplish a tension-free, watertight closure predisposes the palatoplasty patient to postoperative fistula formation. Fistulas may in turn contribute to velopharyngeal incompetence. Reported fistula rates vary widely, ranging from 0% to greater than 70%; recurrence rates after attempted repair approach 65% in some series. These lesions therefore represent a significant clinical burden. Acellular dermal matrix materials have been introduced into various phases of palatoplasty as a strategy to augment repairs and minimize postoperative fistula formation, as well as repair fistulas when they do occur. In this article, the authors review the existing literature regarding acellular dermal matrix in palatoplasty and describe their own algorithm and results for primary and secondary palatoplasty in which acellular dermal matrix plays a central role.


Body composition measurements were determined by a multiple isotope dilution technique to assess nutritional status of patients and to determine the efficacy of nutritional support. The body composition of 75 patients with severe malnutrition was characterized by a contracted body cell mass with a relatively expanded extracellular mass. An elective operation of moderate severity resulted in a 14% decrease in the body cell mass while the extracellular mass increased by 10%. The 4% postoperative decrease in body weight did not accurately reflect the change in the body cell mass. The efficacy of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) with lipid as the major caloric source was compared with TPN with hypertonic dextrose. With lipid a daily infusion of 44.2 Cal/kg (185 kJ/kg) was required to maintain the body cell mass while with the solution containing hypertonic dextrose 34.7 Cal/kg (155 kJ/kg) was required--a 27% difference. Total parenteral nutrition with hypertonic dextrose is therefore more efficacious than TPN with lipid as the major caloric source.


Objective: We reviewed the existing literature on Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) and enquired about symptoms, diagnosis and treatments proposed in order to assess how concepts, diagnostic criteria and treatment have evolved over the last 10 years.
Method: We conducted a systematic review of the literature.
Results: PPPD is a frequent entity that has been only recently well described. Diagnosis relies on anamnesis; posturography is helpful. High scores of depression, neuroticism and introversion may be a risk factor for PPPD. 25% of cases may be triggered by neurotologic events such as Vestibular migraine, which is more prevalent than Meniere's disease. There are alterations in activity and connectivity in the key central vestibular, visual and anxiety systems. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and especially Sertraline could be the medication of choice. Other SSRI or Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRI) may be chosen in case of comorbid psychiatric disorders or insufficient response to the first choice medication. Cognitive behavioural therapy, vestibular and balance rehabilitation therapy seem to be effective.
Conclusion: PPPD seems to stem from a multi-sensory maladjustment. Symptoms of Vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease and PPPD are often overlapping, stressing the need for more precise diagnostic tools. Cognitive behavioural therapy and vestibular rehabilitation therapy have been recently proved to be effective therapeutic options for PPPD. However, there is little progress done concerning drug-treatments: SSRI and SNRI may help, but there is a need for larger controlled double-blind trials to confirm the effectiveness.


JavaProtein Dossier ((J)PD) is a new concept, database and visualization tool providing one of the largest collections of the physicochemical parameters describing proteins' structure, stability, function and interaction with other macromolecules. By collecting as many descriptors/parameters as possible within a single database, we can achieve a better use of the available data and information. Furthermore, data grouping allows us to generate different parameters with the potential to provide new insights into the sequence-structure-function relationship. In (J)PD, residue selection can be performed according to multiple criteria. (J)PD can simultaneously display and analyze all the physicochemical parameters of any pair of structures, using precalculated structural alignments, allowing direct parameter comparison at corresponding amino acid positions among homologous structures. In order to focus on the physicochemical (and consequently pharmacological) profile of proteins, visualization tools (showing the structure and structural parameters) also had to be optimized. Our response to this challenge was the use of Java technology with its exceptional level of interactivity. (J)PD is freely accessible (within the Gold Sting Suite) at http://sms.cbi.cnptia.embrapa.br, http://mirrors.rcsb.org/SMS, http://trantor.bioc.columbia.edu/SMS and http://www.es.embnet.org/SMS/ (Option: (Java)Protein Dossier).


Given an image, we wish to produce an image of larger size with significantly more pixels and higher image quality. This is generally known as the single image super-resolution problem. The idea is that with sufficient training data (corresponding pairs of low and high resolution images) we can learn set of filters (i.e., a mapping) that when applied to given image that is not in the training set, will produce a higher resolution version of it, where the learning is preferably low complexity. In our proposed approach, the run-time is more than one to two orders of magnitude faster than the best competing methods currently available, while producing results comparable or better than state-of-the-art. A closely related topic is image sharpening and contrast enhancement, i.e., improving the visual quality of a blurry image by amplifying the underlying details (a wide range of frequencies). Our approach additionally includes an extremely efficient way to produce an image that is significantly sharper than the input blurry one, without introducing artifacts, such as halos and noise amplification. We illustrate how this effective sharpening algorithm, in addition to being of independent interest, can be used as a preprocessing step to induce the learning of more effective upscaling filters with built-in sharpening and contrast enhancement effect.


Author(s): Garbez, Roxanne Oertel | Advisor(s): Carrieri-Kohlman, Virginia | Abstract: Clinical decision making in the emergency department (ED) can have a significant impact on patient safety and health care outcomes. One type of clinical decision making is the process of emergency department triage. Within the context of the 5-level Emergency Severity Index triage system, it is not known what factors influence patient assignment by the triage nurse to ESI acuity levels 2 and 3. To increase the validity of patient assignment to levels 2 and 3, more explicit criteria are needed.Purposes: 1) Describe factors that influence triage nurse assignment of patients to level 2 and level 3; 2) Examine the relationship between group membership (level 2 and Level 3) and specific patient factors; and 3) Describe the emergency department trajectory for patients assigned at triage to level 2 or level 3. Methods: This prospective study used a convenience sample of 18 nurses from two large emergency departments. During the triage process, if the patient was assigned to level 2 or level 3, the nurse completed a Triage Questionnaire. The PI then continued data collection on these patients as they progressed through the emergency department experience to final diagnosis and disposition. Results: A total of 334 Triage Questionnaires and patient charts were used for data analysis. Nurses rated patient age, vital signs, and the need for a timely intervention as significant factors influencing patient assignment to level 2, and number of expected resources as a significant factor influencing patient assignment to level 3. Influencing factors that did not reach statistical significance, but were nonetheless clinically important, included patient chief complaint, past medical history, additional symptoms other than patient chief complaint, and patient presentation. Resource use was significantly different for patients assigned to level 2 compared to level 3.Conclusions: This study was able to identify specific, objective factors that are important in clinical decision making when determining patient severity of illness and time to treatment. Those factors could be used by less experienced nurses to assist in differentiating which patients could potentially be in a high risk situation, and should therefore be assigned to level 2 rather than level 3.


Adopting a Gramscian view of the current era as one of organic crisis and intellectual and ideological disorientation among the ruling classes, this thesis explores the changing forms and ideological dimensions of technocratic economic governance following the Great Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2007–2009 and into the Covid-19 era. I focus on the major central banks of the capitalist core and pursue two main lines of investigation: (1) theorizing the evolving role and expanding power of central banks within the post-GFC context of organic crisis; and (2) providing case studies of intellectual and ideological disorientation and attempted reorientation in central banking. The thesis introduction lays out my research problematic and my theoretical and conceptual framework. Chapter 1 critically examines the institutional character and strategic orientations of today's formally independent central banks, building a nuanced reading of these organizations as public–private governors that operate as power centres of finance capital. Chapter 2 considers the political-economic terrain in which these power centres of finance capital have intervened since 2007, providing a comparative review of the literature on the proximate and structural causes of the GFC, the related Eurozone Crisis of 2009–2015, and the Covid-19-induced financial panic of March/April 2020. Focusing on the Federal Reserve System (Fed) and the European Central Bank (ECB) as illustrative case studies, chapter 3 traces out the development and implementation of novel forms of emergency liquidity support over this crisis period. Here, I delineate the rise of the 'derisking' (Gabor 2020) central bank and argue that it is a core component of 'authoritarian neoliberalism' as a form of governance. Chapters 4 and 5 turn to examine how central bankers have responded to the repoliticization of 'the economy' and its management in the decade following the GFC. I develop an original conception of central bankers as organic intellectuals of finance capital—technical specialists and political operatives who produce authoritative interpretations of how monetary and financial systems work and how they should be managed. Chapter 4 examines a large body of speeches from high-ranking officials at the Fed and the ECB from 2009–2020. Focusing on how they frame and seek to make sense of the repoliticization of the economy and their place in it, I delineate and critically interrogate three core ideological narratives: (1) a climate of fear, (2) authoritarian neoliberalism, and (3) stakeholder capitalism. Chapter 5 extends this analysis by critically examining the intellectual reorientation of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) following the GFC. I trace out the unique economic imaginary of what I call Global Balance-Sheet Capitalism that has developed at the BIS over this period and critically examine how the bank has sought to deploy this imaginary in defence of financial globalization as a political project. A short concluding chapter considers some of the implications of this research for contemporary socialist politics.


In the present work, natural coral from Brazilian reefs were studied according to their crystallography by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM/EDX). FTIR spectroscopy was also used to evaluate the chemical functionalities and major components present in the material. The SEM morphology results have shown a tri-dimensional coral structure with porous ranging from 50 to 200 µm. Aragonite was identified as the major crystalline phase through XRD analysis and FTIR spectroscopy. Strontium calcium carbonate, (Sr,Ca)CO3, was also identified by XRD analysis. After sintering at 900º/1h, the conversion from aragonite to CaO and calcite was observed. These results have endorsed the high potential application of natural coral materials as 3D scaffolds for biomedical application, because of calcium carbonate compounds can be converted to HA by hydrothermal and biomimetic coating processes.


Background Therapeutic patient education is essential in the cancer control strategy, which in our country is the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. This study established an inventory preparative phase to the development of an educational approach, the first of its kind in our institution. Purpose To evaluate the knowledge of patients treated with anticancer agents and their information needs in our institution. Material and methods This was a prospective observational study, conducted in the pharmacy unit of our hospital from 1 February to 23 March 2016, involving a population of 132 cancer patients receiving anticancer agents, using a questionnaire of 45 questions organised around 9 items. Data were analysed with SPSS statistics software V.13.0. Results The interview, lasting an average of 25 min per patient, was conducted among 132 patients with a participation rate of 96.9%. Mean age was 55±11.32 years. The sex ratio was 0.61 (men/women). 62 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer (48.4%). The study population was characterised by a low level of education, and particularly precarious socioeconomic conditions as 53% of patients were unemployed. 92 patients (71.8%) did not know their treatment, 100% of this sample were unaware of potential interactions with other drugs, 42.9% (55 patients) did not know their associated treatments, 20.3% using herbal medicines, including Euphorbia officinalis, and 83.6% self-medicating. 128 patients (100%) wanted to receive an information sheet about their treatment and 96.9% would particularly like additional explanations of the side effects of their treatments. Conclusion Following this study, a therapeutic education unit was set up to compensate for the increasing need for information expressed by patients. Currently, the goal is to re-evaluate those needs after the establishment of this unit. References and/or acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Pr Ahmed Bennana and Pharmacy Department, Mohammed V Military Teaching Hospital, Rabat, Morocco for support. No conflict of interest


The facilitation of word processing by sentence context reflects the interaction between the build-up of message-level semantics and lexical processing. Yet, little is known about how this effect varies through adulthood as a function of reading skill. In this study, Participants 18–64 years old with a range of literacy competence read simple sentences as their eye movements were monitored. We manipulated the predictability of a sentence-final target word, operationalized as cloze probability. First fixation durations showed an interaction between age and literacy skill, decreasing with age among more skilled readers but increasing among less skilled readers. This pattern suggests that age-related slowing may impact reading when not buffered by skill, but with continued practice, automatization of reading can continue to develop in adulthood. In absolute terms, readers were sensitive to predictability, regardless of age or literacy, in both early and later measures. Older readers showed differential contextual sensitivity in regression patterns, effects not moderated by literacy skill. Finally, comprehension performance increased with age and literacy skill, but performance among less skilled readers was especially reduced when predictability was low, suggesting that low-literacy adults (regardless of age) struggle when creating mental representations under weaker semantic constraints. Collectively, these findings suggest that aging readers (regardless of reading skill) are more sensitive to context for meaning-integration processes; that less skilled adult readers (regardless of age) depend more on a constrained semantic representation for comprehension; and that the capacity for literacy engagement enables continued development of efficient lexical processing in adult reading development.


Hot dip tin coating was obtained on AZ91D magnesium alloy surface, and interfacial reactions between Sn coating and electroless Ni-P plating was studied. The results show: after 220±5°C, 2h diffusion, the intermetallic compounds possessed corresponding thickness, and Ni3P layer along the interface acted as a good diffusion barrier between Sn and Ni. When Ni3Sn4 spread to the surface, microcracks were observed on the surface. Corrosion resistance of Ni(P)-Sn coating before and after diffusion was investigated with polarization curves. The results show: Ni(P)-Sn coating significantly enhance the corrosion potential of base material, but after the Ni3Sn4 growth to the surface, it caused electrochemical corrosion and decreased the corrosion resistance.


Abstract Introduction: Coronary artery calcification increases with age and associated with significant major adverse cardiovascular events. The presence of calcification makes the percutaneous coronary interventions difficult and associated with peri-procedural complications. The main objective of our study is to evaluate the outcome of patients with calcific coronary lesions compared with non-calcific lesions. Methods: Patients admitted in the cardiology department with either chronic stable angina or acute coronary syndrome who underwent percutaneous coronary interventions were included and divided into two groups, those who had calcific coronary lesions and non-calcific coronary lesions. Calcified lesions were made out by fluoroscopy during conventional angiogram as radiopacity at the site of the target lesion. We prospectively collected and compared the demographic, clinical data ( including risk factors), details of PCI procedure and in hospital outcomes(enzymatic infarcts - EI, vascular access complications –bleed or pseudo-aneurysm, contrast induced nephropathy - CIN, target vessel acute occlusion with or without heart failure – HF and mortality) between calcified and non-calcified lesions. Results: A total of 439 patients were enrolled in the study of which 283 patients were in a calcific group and 156 patients were in non-calcific group. There was no significant difference among risk factors like DM and HTN (p=0.92, p=0.59) in between the both groups. Calcific coronary lesions had long lesions (mean lesion length -20.01 ±3.8mm in calcific, 18.3±3.9mm in non-calcific: p= 0.00) requiring longer stents (mean stent size and length- 3.08 ± 2.1 mm, 22.12 ± 7.95mm in calcific and 2.92± 0.38 mm, 20.5 ± 7.3mm in non-calcific group) compared to non-calcific lesions, which was statistically significant (p=0.02). In hospital complications like EI, HF and pseudo-aneurysm were more in the non-calcific group (n=19, p=0.02), whereas vascular site bleeding was higher in the calcific group. There was no significant difference between mortality between these groups. Conclusion: There was no increased risk of in-hospital and peri-procedural complications in patients with calcific coronary artery lesions compared to non-calcific lesions, which also depends on other conditions like acuteness of presentation and left ventricular function.


Winter cover crops may affect the short- and long-term N availability in soil depending on the quantity, quality, and degradation rate of biomass returned to the soil. We examined the effects of several cover crops on soil inorganic and organic N levels in a winter cover crop-silage corn (Zea mays L.) double-cropping system that was initiated in 1987. High biomass N concentrations (BMN) in the above- and belowground biomass of the leguminous cover crops corresponded to high levels of inorganic N and water-soluble N, but low levels of water-soluble C and carbohydrate compared with the nonleguminous cover crops. The BMN above which there was net N mineralization 4 wk after residue incorporation was 17.9 g N kg⁻¹. The organic N from the aboveground biomass degraded rapidly. The first-order rate constants for the degradation of organic N and C in the cover crops were significantly correlated. This, coupled with a significant correlation between the soil organic N (SON) levels and cumulative biomass C added, indicated the importance of biomass C inputs in organic N retention in the soil. The cover crops had variable short- and long-term effects on soil N availability. Whereas rye (Secale cereale L. cv. Tetra Petkus) and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. cv. Billion) were ineffective in increasing soil inorganic N levels, they were more effective than hairy vetch (Vicia villosa Roth subsp. villosa), Austrian winter pea (Lathryrus hirsutus L.), and canola (Brassica napus L. cv. Santana) in increasing SON accumulation because of a higher biomass potential and a larger input of biomass C. Scientific Paper no. 9604-09, Dep. of Agronomy and Soils, College of Agric. and Home Economics Research Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA 99164.


Carnitine palmitoyltransferase-Ibeta (CPT-Ibeta) catalyses the transfer of long-chain fatty acids to the enzymes of beta-oxidation of muscle and heart. Transcriptional control of this regulatory protein is relevant to disorders of fatty acid oxidation and the switch to glucose metabolism that occurs in cardiac pathology. The presence of a transcriptional enhancer sequence in the first untranslated exon and first intron of the CPT-Ibeta gene was identified using deletional and mutational analysis, and by ligation of an oleate responsive element (fatty acid response element) to a minimal promoter. The enhancer sequences are contained in the first 40 bases downstream of the transcription start site and increase CPT-Ibeta reporter gene expression independent of any 5' cis-acting elements. Deletion of the first 40 bases of the 3'-untranslated region does not affect the up-regulation of transcription by 10 microM phenylephrine. However, mutation and/or deletion of bases between +11 and +30 dramatically decreases reporter gene expression. Electrophoretic mobility-shift assays reveal two DNA (+11 to +36)-protein complexes that appear cardiac specific. The exon/intron element enhances activation of the heterologous thymidine kinase promoter in a position- and orientation-dependent manner. Therefore we have identified a novel region in the first exon/intron of the CPT-Ibeta gene that acts as a non-classical transcriptional enhancer downstream of regulatory elements characterized previously in the 5'-flanking region of the minimal promoter.


Atmospheric microwave-induced argon plasmas with and without analyte injection have been exposed to power interruption experiments in order to study transport processes and to reveal dominant excitation balances. From the time-dependent behaviour of line intensities due to electron cooling and quenching during the power interruption, it is found that electron loss channels, such as diffusion, convection and the dissociative recombination of molecular ions, are much larger than for inductively coupled plasmas. It is found that in the ionizing part of the plasma electron dominated mechanisms are responsible for the population of radiative levels. Significant changes in the responses to power interruption are observed when small amounts of molecular compounds are injected (>0.5%), probably due to a decrease of the electron density. Furthermore, it is found that in the recombination zone downstream in the plasma an electron-independent excitation mechanism, probably thermal excitation, is responsible for the population of radiative levels of analytes with relatively low excitation energies. From the downstream propagation of a disturbance created in the ionizing part of the plasma the local axial gas velocity has been determined. In the analyte excitation zone of the plasma typical velocities are around 25 m s-1, whereas in the recombining zone velocities of 12-18 m s-1 are obtained.


Patient health incentives are an increasingly common policy tool and have been used widely in areas including smoking cessation and weight loss. In such cases, achieving the incentivized targets produces health and financial benefits without any risks. But other incentivized health behaviors differ. Breast cancer screening is a case in point: incentives for completion of mammograms are an ethically disconcerting distraction in a complex decision-making process. However, incentives for making an evidence-based active choice about breast screening can be ethical — even if this policy may avert fewer breast cancer deaths overall.


We consider the relationship between the location choices of potentially polluting firms and local income. Unlike previous research in the area of economic justice, we distinguish between pollution potential and actual releases of toxic substances in the locality. We explore the relationship between profit maximizing behavior of potentially polluting firms in their choice of both location and expenditures to influence the likelihood of toxic releases and their expected financial costs. We proxy the expenditures on prudential behavior by observing the co-localization of waste remediation activities. Evidence supports the conclusion that firms behave rationally in managing risk of toxic release. JEL Classification: Q2, L6, R1.


Human sperm viability is essential for successful fertilization. Eosin Y is the usually accepted method for sperm viability assessment, though the hypoosmotic swelling test has been proposed for the selection of viable spermatozoa in procedures such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The present study was designed to determine the value of hypoosmotic swelling test in the prediction of sperm viability. For this purpose, hypoosmotic swelling and eosin Y were performed in parallel and in combination, on both fresh and freeze-thawed semen. Rates for eosin Y were significantly higher than for the hypoosmotic swelling test in fresh semen, with a weak, though significant correlation between the two tests (r=0.47, p<0.05). When both tests were performed in succession (hypoosmotic swelling test followed by eosin Y), 14.6% of swollen sperm incorporated the dye. Following exposure to hypoosmotic conditions, sperm viability decreased by 35%. When sperm were killed by freezing, hypoosmotic swelling test rates were higher than eosin Y. Results indicate that these two tests cannot be used interchangeably, since 15% of the swollen sperm apparently died, suggesting that plasma membrane integrity is lost before the capacity to maintain osmotic equilibrium.


A mathematical model of the reaction between mold flux and molten steel has been newly developed to estimate the change in composition of the mold flux during the continuous casting of steels and to design an optimum flux composition. The model takes into account mass transfer in the molten steel and molten flux and equilibrium reaction at the interface. On the reaction, the activities of the practical mold flux components like CaO. SiO., Al.O., CaF,, Na.O are estimated by a statistical thermodynamic model of slag. called cell model. Comparison of calculated composition change with data obtained in the practical casting experiment of high titanium steel showed that the mathematical model is useful for the estimation of the reaction between the mold flux and the molten steel and for the design of the mold flux composition to minimize change in composition due to that reaction.


In many accounts of Native American history, treaties are synonymous with tragedy. From the beginnings of settlement, Europeans made and broke treaties, often exploiting Native American lack of alphabetic literacy to manipulate political negotiation. But while colonial dealings had devastating results for Native people, treaty making and breaking involved struggles more complex than any simple contest between invaders and victims. The early colonists were often compelled to negotiate on Indian terms, and treaties took a bewildering array of shapes ranging from rituals to gestures to pictographs. At the same time, Jeffrey Glover demonstrates, treaties were international events, scrutinized by faraway European audiences and framed against a background of English, Spanish, French, and Dutch imperial rivalries. To establish the meaning of their agreements, colonists and Natives adapted and invented many new kinds of political representation, combining rituals from tribal, national, and religious traditions. Drawing on an archive that includes written documents, printed books, orations, landscape markings, wampum beads, tally sticks, and other technologies of political accounting, Glover examines the powerful influence of treaty making along the vibrant and multicultural Atlantic coast of the seventeenth century.


Wireless mobile ad hoc networks (MANETS) are self configuring, dynamic networks in which nodes are free to move. In mobile ad hoc networks, the major performance constraint comes from path loss and channel fading. This project implements a channel adaptive routing protocol which extends the Ad hoc On-Demand multipath Distance vector (AOMDV) Routing protocol to accommodate channel fading. This channel aware routing protocol uses the channel average non fading duration as a routing metric to select stable links for path discovery and senses the channel to avoid channel fading by applying a preemptive handoff strategy before a fade occurs. This channel aware routing protocol maintains reliable connections by exploiting channel state information. Using the same information about the channel, paths can be reused when they are available rather than discarding them completely. This Channel aware routing protocol will be implemented in heterogeneous network.


Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are used in many applications to gather sensitive information which is then forwarded to an analysis center. Resource limitations have to be taken into account when designing a WSN infrastructure. Unbalanced energy consumption is an inherent problem in WSNs, characterized by multihop routing and a many-to-one traffic pattern. This uneven energy dissipation can significantly reduce network lifetime. This paper proposes a new routing method for WSNs to extend network lifetime using a combination of a fuzzy approach and an A-star algorithm. The proposal is to determine an optimal routing path from the source to the destination by favoring the highest remaining battery power, minimum number of hops, and minimum traffic loads. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in terms of balancing energy consumption and maximization of network lifetime, we compare our approach with the A-star search algorithm and fuzzy approach using the same routing criteria in two different topographical areas. Simulation results demonstrate that the network lifetime achieved by the proposed method could be increased by nearly 25% more than that obtained by the A-star algorithm and by nearly 20% more than that obtained by the fuzzy approach.


In this study the effect of vitamin A status and retinoid treatment on the activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (TPA) and its inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor-type 1 (PAI-1), in plasma and in several tissues was investigated in BN/BiRij rats. Hypervitaminosis A and retinoic acid treatment increased plasma TPA activity by approximately 50%, but PAI-1 activity was not affected. The effect of retinyl palmitate treatment on plasma TPA activity was already significant after 5 days and continued for at least up to 8 wk. Isotretinoin treatment affected neither plasma TPA nor PAI-1 activity. In plasma of vitamin A-deficient rats, TPA activity was decreased by a factor of three, whereas PAI-1 activity was increased twofold. Modulation of plasma TPA activity by vitamin A status and retinoic acid treatment was associated with similar changes in tissue TPA activity. This suggests that the changes in plasma TPA activities might be the result of changes in tissue TPA synthesis.


Interventions to Lower Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Risk To the Editor Dr Silverman and colleagues1 examined the relationship between lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and cardiovascular risk reduction among different statin and nonstatin therapies. We think that further discussion about the statin therapeutic group is needed. In the study,1 the entire statin class was investigated without distinguishing the different types and doses of statin therapy administered. This approach might be overly simplistic. The number of different statins is large, with variation in the active compounds, associated effects, and therapeutic doses. Several reports indicate that there is a gradient in the cardiovascular risk reduction as well as the safety profile across different types and doses of statins, with lower efficacy associated with moderate doses as opposed to more intensive dose therapy.2,3 The inclusion of lower doses might blunt a more robust effect of high-dose statin therapy on cardiovascular outcome reduction. Moreover, this type of meta-analysis does not fully take into account the differences in the length of the individual trials with respect to cardiovascular benefits. Some of the nonstatin lipid-lowering trials4,5 reported benefits only after 7.4 years and 9.7 years, whereas most of the statin trials showed benefits at much earlier time points. These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of statins occur more rapidly and may not be entirely dependent on cholesterol reduction but on pleiotropic effects, which are different across the various types (lipophilic vs hydrophilic) of statins administered.


There is scarcely a publication on decompression theory that does not refer to "The Prevention of Compressed Air Illness," the seminal paper of Haldane et al1 that appeared in the Journal of Hygiene. Although the monograph of the Frenchman Paul Bert 2 from 1878 is regarded as fundamental in respect to the discovery of the principal mechanisms involved in decompression, it is Haldane who is always associated with the first set of decompression tables. In general, 4 major topics are usually attributed to him: 1) the concept of "stage decompression," 2) the "2:1"-supersaturation ratio, 3) the calculation of the on- and off-gassing of body tissues with inert gas, and 4) the calculation of the first decompression tables


Introduction Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth (SBBO) has recently been proposed to be prevalent in patients with diarrhoea predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS-D). However prevalence figures in studies have varied widely dependant on the diagnostic test used, with low prevalence rates of 4% using jejunal aspirate and culture, to between 38–84% using hydrogen breath tests. This study used the Glucose Hydrogen and Methane Breath Test (GHBT) to determine if there was a relationship between patients with IBS-D symptoms and SBBO. Concurrently any clinical features or baseline laboratory investigations indicative of a high likelihood of SBBO was investigated. Methods A retrospective analysis of patient hospital records for patients referred to a tertiary GI Physiology Department at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH) between January 1988–2013 for a routine GHBT was conducted. Data was split into two groups. Group 1 included all patients demographics referred for a GHBT (1998–2010) to investigate characteristics predictive of SBBO. Group 2 included patients who fulfilled ROME III criteria for IBS-D who underwent a GHBT (2010–2012). A positive result for SBBO was defined as a rise in hydrogen or methane levels of ≥10 ppm over baseline levels. Results In group 1 786 patients were identified (276 male, mean age 54). Overall 175/786 (22.3%) tests were positive. Laboratory investigations and patient characteristics predictive of a positive result were low vitamin B12 (p < 0.001), low albumin <30g/dL (p < 0.001), concurrent use of a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) (p = 0.002), previous Bilroth II gastroenterostomy (p < 0.001), previous vagotomy (p < 0.001), right hemi-colectomy (p = 0.003), coeliac disease (p < 0.001), and small bowel Crohn's disease (p = 0.04) and age over 65 years (p < 0.001). Symptoms predictive of a positive GHBT included diarrhoea (p = 0.03) and weight loss (p < 0.01). In group 2 135/834 patients fulfilled ROME III criteria for IBS-D (42 male, mean age 43 years). Overall 26/135 (19.3%) tests were positive. A significant correlation was found between patients with IBS-D symptoms and SBBO (p = 0.01). Characteristics predictive of SBBO in IBS-D patients were previous small bowel surgery (p = 0.04) and blind loop syndrome (p = 0.04). Conclusion This study has further highlighted the proposed relationship of IBS-D symptoms and an increased prevalence of SBBO. In IBS-D patients factors predictive of SBBO were previous small bowel surgery and blind loop syndrome. For the sub-cohort of patients attending for a GHBT factors predictive of SBBO were patient age (≥65 years), diarrhoea, weight loss, use of a PPI, previous Bilroth II gastroenterostomy, previous vagotomy, right hemi-colectomy, coeliac disease, small bowel Crohn's disease, low Vitamin B12 and low albumin. Disclosure of Interest None Declared.


Two parallel lines of investigation elucidating novel mechanisms by which iron (scanning electron microscopy-based) and carbon monoxide (viscoelastic-based) enhance coagulation and diminish fibrinolysis have emerged over the past few years. However, a multimodal approach to ascertain the effects of iron and carbon monoxide remained to be performed. Such investigation could be important, as iron and carbon monoxide are two of the products of heme catabolism via heme oxygenase-1, an enzyme upregulated in a variety of disease states associated with thrombophilia. Human plasma was exposed to ferric chloride, carbon monoxide derived from carbon monoxide-releasing molecule-2, or their combination. Viscoelastic studies demonstrated ferric chloride and carbon monoxide mediated enhancement of velocity of growth, and final clot strength, with the combination of the two molecules noted to have all the prothrombotic kinetic effects of either separately. Parallel ultrastructural studies demonstrated separate types of fibrin polymer cross-linking and matting in plasma exposed to ferric chloride and carbon monoxide, with the combination sharing features of each molecule. In conclusion, we present the first evidence that iron and carbon monoxide interact with key coagulation and fibrinolytic processes, resulting in thrombi that begin to form more quickly, grow faster, become stronger, and are more resistant to lysis.


[1-Penicillamine,2-leucine]oxytocin was synthesized by the solid-phase method of peptide synthesis and purified by partition chromatography on Sephadex G-25, followed by gel filtration. The peptide was found to be a very potent competitive inhibitor of oxytocin in the oxytocic assay with a pA2 of 7.14 and an inhibitor of oxytocin in the milk-ejecting assay. The compound showed no agonist activity in either of these assays, and its inhibitory activity at the uterus was of prolonged duration. The 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectral properties and the 13C T1 (spin-lattice) relaxation times of [Pen1,Leu2]oxytocin were determined, and the results were compared with previous studies of [Pen1]oxytocin, a related competitive inhibitor, and oxytocin, the native hormone agonist. These studies indicated that the hormone inhibitors [Pen1,Leu2]oxytocin and [Pen1]oxytocin have similar conformational and dynamic properties which are different than those of the agonist, oxytocin.


Cloud-based outsourced storage relieves the client's burden for storage management and maintenance by providing a comparably low-cost, scalable, locationindependent platform. However, the fact that clients no longer have physical possession of data indicates that they are facing a potentially formidable risk for missing or corrupted data. To avoid the security risks, audit services are critical to ensure the integrity and availability of outsourced data and to achieve digital forensics and credibility on cloud computing. Provable data possession (PDP), which is a cryptographic technique for verifying the integrity of data without retrieving it at an untrusted server, can be used to realize audit services. In this paper, profiting from the interactive zero-knowledge proof system, we address the construction of an interactive PDP protocol to prevent the fraudulence of prover (soundness property) and the leakage of verified data (zeroknowledge property). We prove that our construction holds these properties based on the computation Diffie– Hellman assumption and the rewindable black-box knowledge extractor. We also propose an efficient mechanism with respect to probabilistic queries and periodic verification to reduce the audit costs per verification and implement abnormal detection timely. In addition, we present an efficient method for selecting an optimal parameter value to minimize computational overheads of cloud audit services. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.


The decoding scheme of a stimulus can be different from the stochastic encoding scheme in the neural population coding. The stochastic fluctuations are not independent in general, but an independent version could be used for the ease of decoding. How much information is lost by using this unfaithful model for decoding? There are discussions concerning loss of information (Nirenberg & Latham, 2003; Schneidman, Bialek, & Berry, 2003). We elucidate the Nirenberg-Latham loss from the point of view of information geometry.


This paper investigates a signal acquisition protocol based on level-crossings that permits the demodulation of AM analog/RF signals using only standard digital ATE. The fundamental concept is to capture the signal through the 1-bit comparator available in digital tester channels and to process the resulting bit stream to retrieve the analog/RF signal characteristics. The proposed solution is evaluated through both simulation and hardware experiments.


Structural, thermobarometric, and geochronological data place limits on the age and tectonic displacement along the Zanskar shear zone, a major north-dipping synorogenic extensional structure separating the high-grade metamorphic sequence of the High Himalayan Crystalline Sequence from the overlying low-grade sedimentary rocks of the Tethyan Himalaya. A complete Barrovian metamorphic succession, from kyanite to biotite zone mineral assemblages, occurs within the 1-km-thick Zanskar shear zone. Thermobarometric data indicate a difference in equilibration depths of 12 ± 3 km between the lower kyanite zone and the garnet zone, which is interpreted as a minimum estimate for the finite vertical displacement accommodated by the Zanskar shear zone. For the present-day dip of the structure (20°), a simple geometrical model shows that a net slip of 35 ± 9 km is required to regroup these samples to the same structural level. Because the kyanite to garnet zone rocks represent only part of the Zanskar shear zone, and because its original dip may have been less than the present-day dip, these estimates for the finite displacement represent minimum values. Field relations and petrographic data suggest that migmatization and associated leucogranite intrusion in the footwall of the Zanskar shear zone occurred as a continuous process starting at the Barrovian metamorphic peak and lasting throughout the subsequent extension-induced exhumation. Geochronological dating of various leucogranitic plutons and dikes in the Zanskar shear zone footwall indicates that the main ductile shearing along the structure ended by 19.8 Ma and that extension most likely initiated shortly before 22.2 Ma.


The present work proposes a novel structural configuration for floating wind farms after an investigation into the structural configurations of current floating wind farms. The uniqueness of the structural configuration lies in the ability to adjust its heading to wind inflow directions, i.e., the self-adaptive property. To verify the existence of the self-adaptive property, a structural design is performed, and a quasi-static framework to analyze the responses is established. To simplify the loads on wind turbines under yawed inflow conditions, empirical expressions for wind loads are proposed, based on which the quasi-static analysis is performed under the yawed inflow direction of 90 deg from the structural heading. The analytical result indicates that under yawed inflow conditions, the structural heading will eventually turn to align with the wind inflow direction on account of the structural configuration and the wind turbine control. Then, the effects of inflow wind velocity, initial offset, number of wind turbines, complex environmental conditions, and hydroelastic properties on the responses of the structure are investigated.


"W. S. Penn borrows from the American Indian oral tradition to create a tough and sometimes lyrical investigation of mixed-race identity. All My Sins Are Relatives juxtaposes memoir, history, literary analysis, opinion and storytelling in a way that Penn sees as particularly Indian." - "New York Times". "[Penn] masterfully melds the history and traditions of the Nez Perce with that of his family, not only when they coincide in obvious ways--as in the story of Penn's ancestor Chief Joseph-but also in explaining his father's inability to stay at his job until retirement, his sister's dreamy obliviousness to pain, his own digressive writing style, and the perennial cynicism that has allowed him to survive in a hostile world. Insightful and elegantly written." - "Kirkus". "Well-crafted literary essays." - "Publishers Weekly". In "All My Sins Are Relatives" Penn finds in his own family three generations trying to come to terms with their differences and their Indianness. Within its pages, Penn describes learning the depths of his love for his grandfather, to whom he dedicated this book. "As arrogant as youth can be, I was often too busy silently grading his grammar to pay real attention and see what he was giving me." Among the gifts was an awareness of what a story could tell, what it could conceal, and what it could never tell. W. S. Penn, an urban mixblood, is an associate professor of English at Michigan State University and the author of "The Absence of Angels".


EPUB and EPDF available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence. What is feminist peace? How can we advocate for peace from patriarchy? What do women, globally, advocate for when they use the term 'peace'? This edited collection brings together conversations across borders and boundaries to explore plural, intersectional and interdisciplinary concepts of feminist peace. The book includes contributions from a geographically diverse range of scholars, judges, practitioners and activists, and the chapters cut across themes of movement building and resistance and explore the limits of institutionalized peacebuilding. The chapters deal with a range of issues, such as environmental degradation, militarization, online violence and arms spending. Offering a resource to advance theoretical development and to advocate for policy change, this book transcends traditional approaches to the study of peace and security and embraces diverse voices and perspectives which are absent in both academic and policy spaces.


Callus cultures established from various sugar beet varieties on complex and chemically defined media were infected with the sugar beet downy mildew fungus Peronospora farinosa under sterile conditions. The host callus and the parasite grew in complete balance in culture, and new infected cultures could be established by transferring explants of infected callus to fresh medium. Peronospora farinosa in callus culture produced normal intercellular hyphae with digitate haustoria and conidiophores with conidia, and remained pathogenic to sugar beet plants for nearly 2 years. The fungus grew for short distances away from infected calluses on the surface of an agar culture medium, but did not grow axenically when connections with these calluses were severed. Resistance to P. farinosa was not expressed normally in sugar beet calluses.


In this article we treat the problem of nonpoint source pollution as a problem of moral hazard in group. To solve this kind of problem we consider a group performance based tax coupled to tradable permits market. The tax is activated if the group fails to meet the ambient standard. So the role of the tax is to provide an incitation to ensure that the agents provide the abatement level necessary to achieve the standard. The role of the tradable permits market is to distribute effectively this abatement level through the price of the permits which rises with the exchange of the permits.


The use of power converters is very important in maximizing the power transfer from renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, or even a hydrogen-based fuel cell to the utility grid. An LCL filter is often used to interconnect an inverter to the utility grid in order to filter the harmonics produced by the inverter. Although there is an extensive amount of literature available describing LCL filters, there has been a gap in providing a systematic design methodology. Furthermore, there has been a lack of a statespace mathematical modeling approach that considers practical cases of deltaand wye-connected capacitors howing their effects on possible grounding alternatives. This paper describes a design methodology of an LCL filter for grid-interconnected inverters along with a comprehensive study of how to mitigate harmonics. The procedures and techniques described in this paper may be used in smallscale renewable energy conversion systems and may be also retrofitted for medium and large-scale grid-connected systems.


In 1990, we are much less certain that we understand ARDS than we were in 1982, and we have yet to identify specific therapy. It is tempting to conclude that we have made no progress, but this conclusion would be unwarranted. In those 8 years, important advances have been made. The complement hypothesis has survived, with significant modifications. Recognition of the importance of infection in clinical outcome and of endotoxin in augmentation of neutrophil-mediated injury has evolved in concert and meshes well. A new class of peptide mediators, cytokines, has assumed a central role. Lipid mediators now appear as modulators of cytokine-induced effects by priming, amplification, and regulation of gene expression rather than as unifactorial "causes" of the physiologic manifestations of ARDS. These interdigitating mechanisms have been recognized as pansystemic, resulting in overt multiple organ dysfunction and ultimately in death if amplification mechanisms go unchecked. Technologies in molecular genetics, generally unknown to the pulmonary community in 1982, have had a significant impact. Recombinant cDNA technology has permitted identification of the existence, structure, and functions of novel cytokines; made them available in sufficient quantity for detailed study; and prompted interest in the regulation of gene expression in the evolution and resolution of inflammation. Proteins modified by genetic engineering, as well as monoclonal antibodies and receptor antagonists for specific cytokines, are promising future approaches to therapy. At present, the complexity of the redundant networks by which inflammation is regulated seems bewildering in relation to ARDS. Bewildering or not, the age of the "mediator" of ARDS, and of the corresponding therapeutic "magic bullet," is over. The complexity of the system of regulatory checks and balances must be addressed at the molecular level.


This research was intended to analyze the politeness strategy employed by the characters in expressing apology based on Brown and Levinson's politeness strategies in the movie The Princess Diaries (2001). Designed as a descriptive-qualitative research, the data was analyzed by using the descriptive method where politeness strategies proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987) was applied to see the types of politeness strategies. The data was taken from an American Comedy, Family and Romance movie entitled The Princess Diaries (2001). The result of the analysis showed that there were 15 utterances that can be classified as apologizing expression which were analyzed by using Brown and Levinson (1987) Politeness Strategies. Those 15 utterances were divided into 11 utterances using positive politeness and 4 utterances using negative politeness. Based on Brown and Levinson's politeness strategies, positive politeness happened in a group of friend and a group of family that have close relationship with the Speaker while negative politeness used to avoid offence of the Hearer by showing respect. Thus, it is concluded that positive politeness was the most politeness strategies applied by all the characters in the movie to express apology, and all the characters who applied positive politeness strategy are female.

Keywords: Politeness Strategies, Apologizing Expression, Discourse Analysis.


This study aimed to identify the strategies used by Community Health Agents on their relationships network and interactions to improve health care and its impact on a health center. The Grounded Theory was used as a methodological reference. Seventeen participants were interviewed between February and April 2009, among professionals and users of a health center in a city from southern Brazil. Freedom of communication, being the bond and promoting a connection between the community and the professionals were identified as strategies to strengthen the network of relationships and interactions of the Community Health Agents, creating as consequences good relationships between the staff and users and facilitating access to the health unit. One concludes that the Community Agent is a tool in the bond formation with significant potential to facilitate access to the services offered in Primary Health Care, starting from a complex web of relationships and interactions.


The capacities of BSA and DNP—protein conjugates to evoke reagin formation in rabbits were compared. Reagins to DNP generally appeared earlier and disappeared more rapidly from the circulation than did anti-BSA reagins. Initial formation of reagins proceeded with a logarithmic phase indicating a doubling time of 7–8 hours. Booster antigen injections resulted in some cases in a reagin response after a shorter latent phase than that observed after primary immunization. A secondary reagin response was more readily evoked in rabbits with low titres of agglutinating antibodies than in those with high titres. Anti-DNP reagins were demonstrable in a higher percentage of the injected rabbits than were anti-BSA reagins. The two types of reagins were equally sensitive to heat and 2-mercaptoethanol. A positive correlation between serum levels of anti-DNP but not anti-BSA reagins and agglutinating antibodies was demonstrated. Some evidence that a low antigen dose was more efficient than a high dose in evoking reagin formation was obtained. Treatment of rabbits with 6-mercaptopurine during the 1st week following antigen injection resulted in an increased latent phase and an enhancement of the production of anti-BSA reagins and some suppression of the formation of anti-DNP reagins.


Quantitative confocal microscopic analyses of living, polarized MDCK cells demonstrate different pH profiles for apical and basolateral endocytic pathways, despite a rapid and extensive intersection between the two. Three‐dimensional characterizations of ligand trafficking demonstrate that the apical and basolateral endocytic pathways share early, acidic compartments distributed throughout the medial regions of the cell. Polar sorting for both pathways occurs in these common endosomes as IgA is sorted from transferrin to alkaline transcytotic vesicles. While transferrin is directly recycled from the common endosomes, IgA is transported to a downstream apical compartment that is nearly neutral in pH. By several criteria this compartment appears to be equivalent to the previously described apical recycling endosome. The functional significance of the abrupt increase in lumenal pH that accompanies IgA sorting is not clear, as disrupting endosome acidification has no effect on polar sorting. These studies provide the first detailed characterizations of endosome acidification in intact polarized cells and clarify the relationship between the apical and basolateral endocytic itineraries of polarized MDCK cells. The extensive mixing of apical and basolateral pathways underscores the importance of endocytic sorting in maintaining the polarity of the plasma membrane of MDCK cells.


Abstract Loneliness is a subjective and unpleasant experience associated to a variety of physical and mental health problems. Older people face an elevated risk of loneliness. It is measured through self‐reported questionnaires, among which the most widely used one is the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale. The latest version of this scale is called UCLA‐3, and it has not been validated in Spanish elderly population. This article aims to present a validation study of the Spanish version of the UCLA‐3 for its use with older people, by establishing its reliability and validity. Data were obtained from the second wave of a longitudinal research conducted with older adults attending Lifelong Learning programs. The sample consisted of 335 people aged 55-years old or older. Sociodemographic data were collected, and loneliness was measured with the UCLA‐3 and the de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Results have partially replicated a three factor structure already found in the literature in other populations. The present work provides relevant and innovative evidence, as this is the first time that the UCLA‐3 was analysed using ESEM statistical approach in a Spanish elderly sample.


Whole-mount preparations of the uterus and mesentery from nonpregnant rats were examined after staining with glyoxylic acid or acetylcholinesterase to demonstrate the innervation. Some uterine tissues were also evaluated by electron microscopy. Glyoxylic acid fluorescent nerves were present in the mesentery, mesometrium, and uterine wall exclusively around blood vessels. Acetylcholinesterase positive nerve fibers from Frankenhäuser's plexus (cervical ganglia) were associated with blood vessels and muscle in the uterine wall but not in the mesentery. Electron microscopy revealed nerve varicosities with granular vesicles associated with blood vessels and varicosities with agranular vesicles located near blood vessels and muscle cells. Treatment of animals for 3 days with 5- and 6-hydroxydopamine, respectively, increased granular size and damaged the varicosities with granular vesicles but did not change nerves with agranular vesicles or induce the presence of gap junctions. The results of this study suggest that blood vessels in the uterus are highly innervated by both adrenergic and other types of nerves that probably control blood flow. Nonadrenergic but not adrenergic nerves may also directly control myometrial contractility.


A 47 year old non-parous woman who had never had abdominal surgery was admitted with a four year history of an intermittently palpable nodule in the umbilical region. Initially, she noticed an increase in lesional size and pressure pain, which resolved within a few days. Six months before admission, blue-black discoloration appeared in the umbilical area; this vanished within a week but reappeared cyclically, along with an increase in size of the nodule and localised discomfort.

Macroscopic inspection during menstruation showed a sharply confined blue-black macule within the umbilical area. Lesional palpation identified a circumscribed, firm, well relocatable pea sized nodule just below the umbilical skin. Dermoscopy of the area showed features corresponding to a cutaneous haematoma.

### 1 What is the likely diagnosis?

#### Short answer

Umbilical endometriosis.

#### Long answer

Figure 1⇓ shows the umbilical area with a discrete central blue-black macule. The occurrence of this visible and …


Abstract We analyzed the probing (stylet penetration) behaviors of the sharpshooter leafhopper Graphocephala atropunctata (Signoret) on grape with an alternating current (AC) electrical penetration graph (EPG) monitor. We characterized waveforms likely to represent stylet penetration pathway phase and xylem ingestion. The total probing duration of the cohort represented 68% of all 20-h monitoring periods for all insects, yet only a small proportion of that probing time was spent in high amplitude/pathway activities. Few changes in behavior occurred once a probe had started. This was shown by the low number of waveform events (i.e., uninterrupted occurrences of a behavior) per probe for each waveform type, which varied from a mean of 1–2.43. Conditional probability analysis supported that hypothesis, because insects usually terminated a probe and began a new one after ingestion-related events, rather than repeating in the same probe the previously performed waveforms. The size of grape leaves used for the assays directly influenced the amount of time insects ingested from xylem or performed other low-amplitude waveforms. Information from this work establishes benchmarks for future research addressing the mechanisms of Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al. transmission and sharpshooter ecology.


After more than four decades of working on the frontlines in the war against malaria, author Irwin W. Sherman is uniquely qualified to present this chronicle of the search for medicines to conquer malaria. The book not only reviews the history of antimalarial medicines, it also explains the hurdles that lie ahead in the discovery and development of effective treatments and control strategies. Moreover, it provides new perspectives on the creative process of drug discovery as well as the challenges of overcoming drug resistance.
Magic Bullets To Conquer Malaria provides a historical overview of the medicines that have been used to treat malaria. It recounts how these drugs were discovered, how they have been used, and why they have failed to eradicate this disease. In addition, readers will learn about the use of larvicides, bednets, and DDT as well as recombinant DNA and monoclonal antibodies to block malaria transmission from mosquitoes to humans.
Each year, there are some 350 million to 500 million cases of malaria, killing between one million and three million people, the majority of whom are children in sub-Saharan Africa. This book will help microbiologists, parasitologists, pharmacologists, medicinal chemists, biochemists, physicians, and drug researchers better understand what has been done and what still needs to be done in the battle against malaria. Even readers with a limited background in chemistry and biology will find that the book's clear, conversational style enables them to make sense of 300 years of malarial drug research, from quinine to today's drugs and beyond.
Paperback, 298 pages, illustrations, index.


Video transmitted over an error-prone network may be received at the decoder with degradations due to packet losses. No-reference quality monitoring algorithms are the most practical way to measure the quality of the received video, since they do not impose any change with respect to the network architecture. Conventionally, these methods assume the availability of the corrupted bitstream. In some situations this is not possible, e.g., because the bitstream is encrypted or processed by third-party decoders, and only the decoded pixel values can be used. The major issue in this scenario is the lack of knowledge about which regions of the video have been actually lost, which is a fundamental ingredient for estimating channel-induced distortion. In this paper, we propose a maximum a posteriori estimation of the pattern of lost macroblocks, which assumes the knowledge of the decoded pixels only. This information can be used as input to a no-reference quality monitoring system, which produces an accurate estimate of the mean-square-error (MSE) distortion introduced by channel errors. The results of the proposed method are well correlated with the MSE distortion computed in full-reference mode, with a linear correlation coefficient equal to 0.9 at frame level and 0.98 at sequence level.


The Common Core State Standards were created with college and career readiness in mind to help prepare students to succeed upon graduation from high school. In this article, I examine college readiness as it has been described by both university mathematicians and educational researchers to precisely discern what will foster success in collegiate mathematics. This idea of college readiness is compared to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) to assess the degree to which they align with various mathematical aspects of college readiness. There is a strong alignment between what university mathematicians and educational researchers expect of college students and what the CCSSM expects of students. Faithful CCSSM-guided instruction has the potential to foster college readiness (and ultimately college success) in K–12 students.


The concept of prevention of cancer using naturally occurring substances that could be included in the diet consumed by the human population is gaining increasing attention. Tea, next to water, is the most popularly consumed beverage in the world and it is grown in about 30 countries. Abundant data, amassed from several laboratories around the world in the last ten years, provided convincing evidence that polyphenolic antioxidants present in tea afford protection against cancer risk in many animal-tumor bioassay systems. The epidemiological studies, though inconclusive, have also suggested that the consumption of tea is associated with a lowered risk of cancer. Much of this work has been done on green tea; less is known about black tea. Green tea contains many polyphenolic antioxidants, and (‐)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the key polyphenolic antioxidant believed to be responsible for most of the cancer chemopreventive properties of green tea. This review will discuss these effects and the molecular mechanisms associated with the biological response to green-tea polyphenols.


AIM
To analyze prevalence of ischemic heart disease (IHD), main IHD risk factors and mortality in the population of males aged 70-79 and over 80 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study included 209 males aged 70-79 years and 96 males over 80. All the males were examined for IHD and 3 main risk factors: blood hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking.

RESULTS
Incidence of IHD was about similar in both age groups. For 3.5 years of follow-up in the group of 80-year-olds mortality was 2 times that of the group of 70-79-year-olds. The presence of IHD in the groups was directly related to the presence of 2 or 3 risk factors, especially in the group aged 70-79 years. In the group of 80-year-olds and older combination of IHD with affection of cerebral vessels was a poor prognosis sign.

CONCLUSION
Factors deteriorating prognosis in males over 70 were: macrofocal myocardial infarction in anamnesis, atherosclerosis of the coronary and cerebral arteries.


The Internet of Things makes human activity data – what people do, how they move, how they socialise – an abundant resource. However, this rich and intimate perspective on people, which uniquely shape and characterise their behaviours, can have tremendous ethical implication if data is handled irresponsibly. Being personal, contextual and accessible, mobile devices are key facilitators of (ir)responsible collection and use of data. In this workshop, we will use the Future Workshop approach to develop a research agenda towards ethical data-centric design of intelligent behaviours. As part of this approach, we will (1) criticise the current mechanisms and infrastructure to frame ethical challenges, (2) fantasise on futures which support user and designer values, and (3) implement a research agenda for the MobileHCI community to emphasise the barriers to tackle. The outcomes of this workshop will foster ethical research and inspire the MobileHCI community.


Complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) associated with tetralogy of Fallot is a rare condition that still has problems in the postoperative period. The authors report their surgical experiences over the past 10 years. Nine children underwent total correction. The defect was repaired by the 2-patch technique and the atrioventricular valve was reconstructed by suturing the cleft and annuloplasty. A transannular right ventricular outflow patch was used in 5 patients. All patients had Down syndrome and a free-floating superior bridging leaflet. One patient died from cardiac failure. Although there was no reoperation or death in the late postoperative periods, mild mitral regurgitation occurred in 4 patients and there was moderate or severe pulmonary regurgitation in 2 patients. All survivors currently have no critical symptoms in their daily lives. With the standard of patient selection used, the optimal body weight was around 8kg and PA index was 200 or more. Right ventriculotomy provided a better view for complete closure of the ventricular septal defect (VSD). In order to avoid re-regurgita-tion of the atrioventricular valve, the 2-patch technique is the most suitable procedure for total repair. ( Jpn Circ J 1999; 63: 889–892)


The current paper discuss about strategic development and validation activity performed for quantification of Elvitegravir (EL), Cobicistat (CO), Emtricitabine (EM) and Tenofovir Disoproxil fumarate (TDF) in a combination drug product using Office of Generic drugs (OGD) recommended Dissolution medium. Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatographic (UPLC) technique method was chosen and developed a method with a run time of four minutes. Mobile phase A consists of 0.1% perchloric acid and Mobile phase B consists of Acetonitrile. Gradient elution technique was opted with an optimized flow rate of 0.3 ml per minutes. Acquity UPLC BEHC18 (100 mm × 2.1 mm ID), 1.7iA' particle size column is finalized for testing purpose with a detection wavelength of 260 nm. Typical retention times observed for EM, TDF, CO and EL are 0.89, 1.42, 2.01 and 2.77 min respectively. Method is found to be linear over the specified concentration of 3.71- 44.56 μg/ml of EL, 1.77-21.23 μg/ml for CO, 4.90-58.74 μg/ml for EM and 7.37-88.40 μg/ml for TDF with correlation coefficient more than 0.99. Accuracy of the drugs is found to be more than 90% in proposed OGD medium. Developed method could be useful to quantify the drugs in pharmaceutical quality control and contract research laboratories for dissolution profiles at very fast rate.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Medical training programs may bring emotional distress. The main objective of this study was describes a mentoring program during the residence training period of physicians in Anesthesiology.

METHODS
The program was instituted at the Central Hospital of the Irmandade da Santa Casa de Misericórdia, São Paulo. In this program were included 27 residents in Anesthesiology and 4 health professionals that made up the mentoring team. The study was made through a evaluation of a questionnaire applied on first and second-year residents' opinion about education in Anesthesiology. It was developed, with twelve questions and three answers for each question, which has been applied before and after the program. Residents were divided in four groups: first year residents; second year residents; first and second-year residents (2 groups). Mentoring meetings were monthly held on Thursdays, 7 a.m. and lasted for one hour.

RESULTS
Residents routine was considered adequate. There has been decreased frustration and an improved self-confidence. A high number has reported higher enthusiasm for Anesthesiology and higher expectations as to post-Residency opportunities. Mentors have reported the importance of mandatory meetings, the increase of discussion about humanization and the possibility of mentors' un-preparedness as a limiting factor.

CONCLUSIONS
Mentoring programs may be tools for adapting residents to the training program in Anesthesiology.


This paper describes a new Multiscale Fuzzy Reasoning (MFR) technique that is applied to automatic object extraction. The MFR utilizes skewed versions of an input frame. Each skewed frame is processed independently using fuzzy reasoning. The MFR achieves optimal edge detection using the wavelet decomposition of the signal followed by a novel fuzzy based decision technique that is applied across the scales. The resulting information is de skewed and combined using a fuzzy union operation. Results indicate a significant improvement in object extraction in undefined noisy environments using the MFR compared to object extraction using Mallat's multi scale technique


Abstract Objective: To determine the association between excess body fat, assessed by skinfold thickness, and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension (HT). Design: Data from the ongoing PERU MIGRANT Study were analysed. The outcomes were T2DM and HT, and the exposure was skinfold thickness measured in bicipital, tricipital, subscapular and suprailiac areas. The Durnin–Womersley formula and SIRI equation were used for body fat percentage estimation. Risk ratios and population attributable fractions (PAF) were calculated using Poisson regression. Setting: Rural (Ayacucho) and urban shantytown district (San Juan de Miraflores, Lima) in Peru. Participants: Adults (n 988) aged ≥30 years (rural, rural-to-urban migrants, urban) completed the baseline study. A total of 785 and 690 were included in T2DM and HT incidence analysis, respectively. Results: At baseline, age mean was 48·0 (sd 12·0) years and 47 % were males. For T2DM, in 7·6 (sd 1·3) years, sixty-one new cases were identified, overall incidence of 1·0 (95 % CI 0·8, 1·3) per 100 person-years. Bicipital and subscapular skinfolds were associated with 2·8-fold and 6·4-fold risk of developing T2DM. On the other hand, in 6·5 (sd 2·5) years, overall incidence of HT was 2·6 (95 % CI 2·2, 3·1) per 100 person-years. Subscapular and overall fat obesity were associated with 2·4- and 2·9-fold risk for developing HT. The PAF for subscapular skinfold was 73·6 and 39·2 % for T2DM and HT, respectively. Conclusions: We found a strong association between subscapular skinfold thickness and developing T2DM and HT. Skinfold assessment can be a laboratory-free strategy to identify high-risk HT and T2DM cases.


A Nd∶YAG laser working at its fundamental wavelength with a pulse duration of 7 ns and energy of 820 mJ was focused onto a steel sample placed in vacuum (∼10−6 mbar) to produce a plasma. The excitation temperature and electron number density of the plasma were determined using a time-integrated, spatially resolved spectroscopic system. Light elements (S and C) in low concentrations (0.38% and 1.32%) in the steel samples have been used as the diagnostic elements. The strongest spectral lines of these elements are emitted from their ions in the deep vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectral region. Using the spectral lines emitted from the ions during the early phase of the plasma, excitation temperature and electron density were measured for different heights above the steel target surface. The electron excitation temperature was determined using the Boltzmann plot technique for S IV and S V, while the electron density was measured by the Stark broadening of two S V and one C II emission lines. Different values of the excitation temperatures of S IV and S V lines were obtained. The excitation temperature determined with S V was higher than that with S IV for all positions above the sample surface.


Brain Computer Interface refers to the establishment of direct communication and control
channels between human brain and computer. The essential part of the BCI system is the
feature extraction and classification. In this paper, we proposed an improveed architecture based
on power spectrum and CNN. Furthermore, two methods of power spectrum feature extraction
are discussed. The research result shows that this system can effectively identify the left-right
brain signals and have higher classification accuracy with it reaching 82%


Toxoplasma gondii is the etiological agent of toxoplasmosis. Mother-to-child transmission of this parasite can occur during pregnancy. Newborns with congenital toxoplasmosis may develop central nervous system impairment, with severity ranging from subclinical manifestations to death. A proinflammatory/regulated specific immune profile is crucial in the defense against the parasite; nevertheless, its role in the infected pregnant women and the congenitally infected offspring has been poorly explored, and there is still no consensus about its relation to parasite vertical transmission or to severity and dissemination in the congenitally infected newborns. This work aimed to characterize these relations by means of principal component and principal factor analyses. For this purpose, we determined the specific production of the four immunoglobulin G antibody subclasses, cytokines, and lymphocyte proliferation in the T. gondii–infected pregnant women−10 who transmitted the infection to their offspring and seven who did not—as well as in 11 newborns congenitally infected and grouped according to disease severity (five mild and six moderate/severe) and dissemination (four local and seven disseminated). We found that the immune response of nontransmitter women differed from that of the transmitters, the latter having a stronger proinflammatory response, supporting a previous report. We also found that newborns who developed moderate/severe disease presented higher levels of lymphocyte proliferation, particularly of CD8+ and CD19+ cells, a high proportion of tumor necrosis factor α producers, and reduced expression of the immune modulator transforming growth factor β, as opposed to children who developed mild clinical complications. Our results suggest that a distinctive, not regulated, proinflammatory immune response might favor T. gondii vertical transmission and the development of severe clinical manifestations in congenitally infected newborns.


Newcomer youth's migration and integration experience is a topic with depths that are yet to be discovered. However, to enhance the integration experience, it is crucial that we look into the existing pathways and barriers to successful integration. Through a combination of primary research with 2 staff who work with newcomer youth in conflict with the law and 2 additional studies discussing integration barriers for newcomer youth, this study analyzes the systemic and individual barriers that may further marginalize newcomer youth and potentially result in their involvement in illegal/delinquent behaviours. Utilizing multiple theoretical frameworks, the research concludes that through gaps in the system (especially the education system), newcomer youth are vulnerable to illegal and delinquent behaviours as they settle and integrate in their new home country.

Keywords: Newcomer youth, barriers, settlement, integration, criminal justice system, delinquency, illegal activities.