Thoracic vascular trauma is associated with high mortality and is the second most common cause of death in patients with trauma following head injuries. Less than 25% of patients with a thoracic vascular injury arrive alive to the hospital and more than 50% of these die within the first 24 hours. Thoracic trauma with the involvement of the great vessels is a surgical challenge due to the complex and restricted anatomy of these structures and its association with adjacent organ damage. The aim of this article is to delineate the experience obtained in the surgical management of thoracic vascular injuries via the creation of a practical algorithm that includes basic principles of damage control surgery. We have been able to show that the early application of a resuscitative median sternotomy together with Zone I resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in hemodynamically unstable patients with thoracic outlet vascular injuries improves survival by providing rapid stabilization of central aortic pressure and serving as a bridge to hemorrhage control. Damage control surgery principles should also be implemented when indicated followed by definitive repair once the correction of the lethal diamond has been achieved. To this end, we have developed a six-step management algorithm that illustrates the surgical care of patients with thoracic outlet vascular injuries according to the American Association of the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) classification.


PURPOSE
To investigate the mechanism of protein and lipid adherence to hydrophilic contact lenses in vivo.

METHODS
Two types of new, never-worn hydrophilic contact lenses (tefilcon and vifilcon) were simultaneously worn by eight experienced, asymptomatic contact lens wearers on 12 separate occasions. Deposited lipids were removed with a methanol based extraction procedure, separated using high performance thin layer chromatography, and quantitatively analyzed densitometrically. Deposited proteins were extracted with 4M urea, separated using gel electrophoresis and quantitatively analyzed densitometrically.

RESULTS
Four lipids and one protein were deposited in quantifiable amounts onto each worn lens. Lysozyme demonstrated material-dependent deposition whereas total lipid did not. Subject-dependent differences in the deposition of both lysozyme and total lipid were observed primarily on group IV lenses. The deposition of triolein, the largest lipid extracted, was found to be material- but not subject-dependent. The deposition of smaller lipids was found to be subject-but not material-dependent.

CONCLUSIONS
Significant amounts of both protein and lipid were extracted from both types of lenses after 1 day of wear. Lysozyme deposition was material-dependent because of its affinity for negative charges on group IV lenses. The abundance of binding sites on a group IV lens allows protein and lipid deposition to be subject-dependent after short periods of wear. Lipid deposition appears to be influenced by size. Collectively, the results suggest that subject-dependent variations in deposition are modulated by both material and contaminant characteristics.


The decisions we make when designing computational things cannot all be reduced to questions about functionality, usability testing, user requirements, etc. In HCI-related research and design, other fundamental aspects of design, such as the basic aesthetical choices involved, have a tendency to be hidden and seemingly forgotten. To support awareness and understanding of such basic aesthetical choices, we propose two methodological exercises that take the expressions of computational things in use as their starting points: i) to discover functionality in given expressions; and ii) to rediscover "expressionals" in given appliances. The aim with i) is to encourage reflection on the way in which functionality explains the expressions of things. With ii), the aim is to expose the more or less hidden aesthetical choices by means of re-interpreting them in given appliances. We present examples of the exercises and discuss more general issues, such as the central role of temporal gestalts and the art of using computational things.


A method for mapping, to first order, the spectrograms that result from echelle spectrographic systems is discussed. An in-depth description of the principles behind the method are given so that software may be generated. Such software is an invaluable echelle spectrograph design aid. Results from two applications are discussed.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of HOXD-AS1 in preeclampsia and its underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
A total of 50 preeclampsia primiparas and 34 normal pregnancies admitted in our hospital from July 2015 to July 2017 were selected as the study group and control group, respectively. Age, body weight, blood pressure, 24-h urinary protein and neonatal weight were compared between the two groups. HOXD-AS1 expression in the placenta tissues was detected by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Preeclampsia patients were further assigned into high and low expression group according to their HOXD-AS1 expressions. The relationship between HOXD-AS1 expression and blood pressure, 24-h urinary protein and neonatal weight in preeclampsia patients were analyzed. For in vitro experiments, transfection efficacy of pcDNA-HOXD-AS1 and si-HOXD-AS1 were detected by qRT-PCR. Proliferative and colony formation abilities in BeWo and Wish cells were detected by CCK-8 and colony formation assay, respectively. Moreover, protein expressions of p-p38, p-JNK, and p-ERK were detected by Western blot.

RESULTS
The systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and urinary protein in preeclampsia patients were higher than those of normal pregnancies. However, neonatal weight in preeclampsia patients was lower than that of normal pregnancies. HOXD-AS1 expressions were gradually increased in normal pregnancies, patients with late onset preeclampsia and patients with early onset preeclampsia sequentially. Additionally, higher levels of systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and 24-h urinary protein, as well as lower neonatal weight, were observed in preeclampsia patients with high expression of HOXD-AS1 than those with low expression. In vitro results demonstrated that proliferative and colony formation abilities in trophoblasts were elevated after HOXD-AS1 knockdown. Western blot data illustrated that protein expressions of p-p38 and p-JNK were decreased, while p-ERK expression was increased after overexpression of HOXD-AS1 in trophoblasts.

CONCLUSIONS
HOXD-AS1 participates in the development and progression of preeclampsia by regulating trophoblast proliferation via the MAPK pathway.


This thesis consists of three independent chapters. Each of them represents an area of my research interests. The first chapter of thesis contributes to the Game Theory. We propose a complexity measure and an associated re nement based on the observation that best responses with more variations call for more precise anticipation. The variations around strategy pro les are measured by considering the cardinalities of players' pure strategy best responses when others' behavior is perturbed. After showing that the resulting selection method displays desirable properties, it is employed to deliver a re nement: the tenacious selection of Nash equilibrium. We prove that it exists; does not have containment relations with perfection, properness, persistence and other re nements; and possesses some desirable features. The second chapter of this thesis contributes to the random assignment problem literature. We introduce aggregate e ciency (AE) for random assignments (RA) by requiring higher expected numbers of agents be assigned to their more preferred choices. It is shown that the realizations of any aggregate e cient random assignment (AERA) must be an AE permutation matrix. While AE implies ordinally efficiency, the reverse does not hold. And there is no mechanism treating equals equally while satisfying weak strategyproofness and AE. But, a new mechanism, the reservation-1 (R1), is identi ed and shown to provide an improvement on grounds of AE over the probabilistic serial mechanism of Bogomolnia et al. (2001). We prove that R1 is weakly strategyproof, ordinally e cient, and weak envy{free. Moreover, the characterization of R1 displays that it is the probabilistic serial mechanism updated by a principle decreed by the Turkish parliament concerning the random assignment of new doctors. In the third chapter, we consider a NIRMP matching marketplace consisting of ordered set of doctors and hospitals, and two-stage Interviewing and Preference Reporting Game where hospitals acquire information through interviews and submit contingent rankings to a center enforcing university-optimal matching. In this setting, we provide a `simple' example in which there exist no pure strategy Nash equilibrium. Then, we characterize a domain (of doctors' preferences) where each hospital's interview set forms a `ladder'.


Metabolome analysis involves the study of small molecules that are involved in the metabolic responses that occur through patho-physiological changes caused by genetic stimuli or chemical agents. Qualitative and quantitative metabolome analyses are used for the diagnosis of various diseases or chemical exposure. This article presents an overview of the different analytical methods available for performing the determination of the metabolome, including sampling, sample preparation and processing and interpretation of data. Critical comments are aimed at emphasizing the extraction methods as well as the biological samples used for metabolome analysis and data processing.


The significance of the "doughnut" sign at present is relegated to characterizing the morphology of a lesion. The use of the "doughnut" sign in differential diagnosis should not be attempted except in specific clinical contexts, and never excluding other evidence. The "doughnut" sign in scanning together with other studies such as angiography and computerized axial tomography gives additional characterizing data in the neuroradiologic evaluation of a patient.


The effects of HCO3- concentration on CO2 corrosion for Q235 steel were investigated by weight loss tests and potentiodynamic polarization curve and EIS (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy) techniques. The results showed that the corrosion rate of Q235 steel decreased wih on increase of HCO3- concentration when [HCO3-] was lower than 600mg/L. An evident active-passive behavior exhibited in anodic process at 1000mg/L·HCO3- .The cathodic reactions were promoted by increasing [HCO3-] when it reached 1000mg/L, H2CO3 and HCO3- become the most important cathodic reaction. Anodic behavior was an active process at higher [HCO3-] concentration and the anodic current density increased with the increase of [HCO3-] concentration.


Solving Satisfiability is at the core of a wide range of applications from Knowledge Representation to Logic Programming to Software and Hardware Verification. One of the models of Satisfiability, the Random Satisfiability problem, has received much attention in the literature both, as a useful benchmark for SAT solvers, and as an exciting mathematical object. In this paper we tackle a somewhat nonstandard type of Random Satisfiability, the one where instances are not chosen uniformly from a certain class of instances, but rather from a certain nontrivial distribution. More precisely, we use so-called Configuration Model, in which we start with a distribution of degrees (the number of occurrences) of a variable, sample the degree of each variable and then generate a random instance with the prescribed degrees. It has been proposed previously that by properly selecting the starting distribution (to be, say, power law or lognorm) one can approximate at least some aspect of `industrial' instances of SAT.
Here we suggest an algorithm that solves such problems for a wide range of degree distributions and obtain a necessary and a sufficient condition for the satisfiability of such formulas.


The Kimberley region of north-western Australia is characterised by huge tides (>10 m), a wide continental shelf and complex coastal topography. Fish diversity is high (>800 neritic species) although little is known about their larvae in the region. We examined spatio-temporal variations in ichthyoplankton assemblages and key environmental drivers, particularly tidal forcing, by surveying four cross-shelf (coastal-oceanic) transects at different temporal scales (hours, days, weeks). We sampled ~7,000 larvae representing 94 neritic and 21 meso-pelagic teleost families. Distinct ichthyoplankton assemblages characterised coastal (Engraulidae, Gobiidae, Leiognathidae), outer shelf / slope (Scombridae, Lutjanidae) and oceanic (Myctophidae, Gonostomatidae, Phosichthyidae) waters, reflecting changes in biophysical properties (fluorescence, temperature, turbidity). Coastal waters were further delineated by distinct assemblages that reflected the complex coastal topography and modified physical regimes of waters around the Lacepede Islands and within King Sound. Extreme tidal forcing was hypothesised to be the principal physical driver of pelagic variability however the spring-neap tidal cycle had no significant influence on larval fish assemblages. There was no significant difference between assemblages on subsequent tides (same station sampled 12 h apart). However, sampling over 24 h at a shelf-edge station showed shallowing of the mixed layer in the water column during high tides and a concomitant significant increase in larval fish concentrations but with no significant diel effect. This suggests the use of vertical migration to minimize offshore dispersal of neritic larvae. If so, it represents an important behavioural adaptation in the extreme physical conditions of the Kimberley continental shelf ecosystem.


There has never been a form-critical study of 2 Clement. Because of this, conclusions concerning its Gattung have varied considerably. Harnack and Goodspeed, for example, have argued that 2 Clement is in the form of a letter, and beyond that, that it was sent by Bishop Soter of Rome (c. 166–74) to Corinth. Contrary to this position, Lightfoot, Knopf, and Windisch, among others, have argued that it is either a sermon or a homily. Although in recent years this latter position has been readily accepted, it always appears as an assertion without support, form-critical or otherwise.


Meteorites are rocks from outer space that reach the Earth; more than 60,000 have been collected. They are derived mainly from asteroids; a few hundred each are from the Moon and Mars; some micrometeorites derive from comets. By mid 2020, about 470 minerals had been identified in meteorites. In addition to having characteristic petrologic and geochemical properties, each meteorite group has a distinctive set of pre-terrestrial minerals that reflect the myriad processes that the meteorites and their components experienced. These processes include condensation in gaseous envelopes around evolved stars, crystallization in chondrule melts, crystallization in metallic cores, parent-body aqueous alteration, and shock metamorphism. Chondrites are the most abundant meteorites; the major components within them include chondrules, refractory inclusions, opaque assemblages, and fine-grained silicate-rich matrix material. The least-metamorphosed chondrites preserve minerals inherited from the solar nebula such as olivine, enstatite, metallic Fe-Ni, and refractory phases. Other minerals in chondrites formed on their parent asteroids during thermal metamorphism (such as chromite, plagioclase and phosphate), aqueous alteration (such as magnetite and phyllosilicates) and shock metamorphism (such as ringwoodite and majorite). Differentiated meteorites contain minerals formed by crystallization from magmas; these phases include olivine, orthopyroxene, Ca-plagioclase, Ca-pyroxene, metallic Fe-Ni and sulfide. Meteorites also contain minerals formed during passage through the Earth's atmosphere and via terrestrial weathering after reaching the surface. Whereas some minerals form only by a single process (e.g., by high-pressure shock metamorphism or terrestrial weathering of a primary phase), other meteoritic minerals can form by several different processes, including condensation, crystallization from melts, thermal metamorphism, and aqueous alteration.


The study investigated the similarities and dissimilarities of using pedagogical techniques in classroom interactions, taken place whilst teaching a known language and an unknown language in a CELTA training classroom context. For this purpose, the classroom interactions in unknown and known languages were analysed according to the qualitative research method. First, the interactions were recorded; and then transcribed them by following Jefferson's transcription conventions. The interactants were one instructor (Female), and twelve trainees: seven females and five males. Usually, the CELTA has a maximum class size of tweleve. The instructor was a native-speaker of English, but the trainees were the mixture of native and non-native speakers. One was from Thailand, one from Indonesia, one from Bangladesh; two from Europe, and the rest were from the UK. Most of the trainees had teaching experience. The results of the study indicated that there exist distinctions, rather than similarities, between pedagogical strategies ued while teaching known and unknown languages. The study also suggested that all the pedagogical techniques do not fit equally with teaching both the languages; some can be used in a wider degree—some can be employed in a lesser degree.


Exerting self-control in a first task weakens self-control performance in a subsequent unrelated task (ego depletion). In self-control research new strategies are required to investigate the ego-depletion effect, which has recently been shown to be more fragile than previously assumed. Moreover, the relation between ego depletion and trait self-control is still unclear, as various studies have reported heterogeneous findings concerning the interplay of both variables. We addressed these lacunas by drawing on a sample of N = 120 students, who participated in two test sessions. In the first test session, we assessed trait self-control and several control variables. The second test session followed an experimental design and tested the effects of ego depletion on invested effort and cognitive performance trajectories in an ecologically valid computer-based assessment setting (i.e., a 30-minute mathematical problem-solving and reasoning test). Trait self-control was then used as a moderator of the ego-depletion effect. Combining an established ego-depletion paradigm (i.e., the sequential-task paradigm) with multilevel modeling of time-on-task and performance changes, our results indicate (1) that trait self-control predicted the motivation to solve cognitive tasks, (2) that ego depletion led to a progressive performance decrease, and (3) that the negative effect of ego depletion on performance was stronger for students with high trait self-control. Additional analyses revealed that our results could not be alternatively explained by fatigue effects. All effects were robust even after controlling for the students' cognitive abilities, which are known to be closely related to mathematical performance. Our results provide evidence that the self-control invested in order to keep performance at a consistently high level wanes over time. By modeling progressive ego-depletion effects while considering trait self-control, we provide an alternative approach that may help future researchers to investigate the underlying mechanisms of self-control.


The multiresolution time domain (MRTD) is used to analyze wide-band plane-wave scattering from general dielectric targets embedded in a lossy half-space, with free-space scattering as a special case. A Haar wavelet expansion is used for simplicity, this constituting a generalization of the widely used finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. In addition to developing the mathematical formulation, example results are presented for several targets, with the MRTD results validated through comparison with an independent frequency-domain method-of-moments solution and an FDTD model.


Little effort has been made to characterize the developmental anatomic phenotype of autism; although there is evidence of an increased head circumference and brain size, few other physical characteristics have been studied. The head circumference, body length/height, and weight measurements of infants, who were later diagnosed with high-functioning autism (HFA, n = 16) and Asperger disorder (AsD, n = 12), were extracted from health records over the first 3 years of life and compared to the measurements of a matched normal control group (n = 19). Using linear mixed-effects models, no differences were found in the average growth rate for head circumference, stature, or weight between the children with HFA and AsD. However, a significantly higher growth rate in body length/height and weight was found for the combined group of children with HFA and AsD compared to the normal control group. A trend toward higher growth rate in head circumference was also found among the former group. The results indicate that growth dysregulation in autism is not specific to the brain but also involves growth in stature.We acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Chenyang Wang and Ms. Chelsea Cornell in data collection and collation for this study. We also thank the parents for giving us permission to obtain participants Maternal and Child Health (MCH) records, from which the data were derived, and the MCH nurses for assisting us in accessing these records.


We have employed a strategy for the isolation and identification of cellular control (expression) sequences dependent on their ability to confer expression on a selectable gene devoid of its own expression sequences. The polyoma virus (Py) Hae II- BamHI DNA fragment, which comprises 84% of the intact viral DNA and contains the Py transforming region but lacks Py 5' expression, sequences, was decreased markedly in its transfor- mation of rat cells. Hae II-cleaved mouse cellular DNA was li- gated to the Py Hae II-BamHI fragment. A transformed colony (HI) isolated after transfection of the ligated DNA onto rat cells was found to contain multiple inserts of'Py DNA, most of which were biologically inactive. A transformed colony (H2) isolated after transfection of rat cells with total HI'DNA was found to.contain a single insert of Py DNA. The H2 cells are highly tumorigenic and synthesize the three Py tumor antigens. Initiation of tran- scription of the Py early mRNAs in H2 cells occurs at the same Py nucleotides as.in complete Py DNA. The viral and adjacent cel- lular DNA sequences were cloned from H2 cellular DNA. The transforming efficiency of the cloned Py transforming region and adjacent H2 cellular DNA was 20-40% of that of the viral DNA containing Py expression sequences. By BAL-31 deletion mapping it was observed that the first 58 base pairs of H2 cellular DNA were sufficient for the expression of the Py-transforming region. The sequence of the first 149 base pairs of the H2 cellular DNA was determined and does not show any striking similarities to up- stream 5' sequences of a number of viral and host structural genes. Features of the H2 cellular sequence are discussed.


The success of any groundwater management plan depends on user compliance. There is an intimate relationship between regulatory regimes and pumper perceptions. As well as its enforcement powers, an agency's behavior sends information to users. While enforcement power need not always be used to be effective, it must be seen as credible as well as legitimate. Perceived legitimacy has different sources – or may be lacking – depending on the origins, and implementation, of the regulatory apparatus. This paper examines a number of California groundwater basins, employing variables from Ostrom's analytical frameworks. In comparison with a West Australian regulated basin - where compliance is low, monitoring weak, and enforcement ineffective - we examine the effect on compliance of the adjudicated basin approach. We focus on the role of enforcement provisions, and their origins and implementation, in shaping appropriator attitudes towards compliance. Key attributes of effective systems include perceived legitimacy among users, mutual visibility of actions, and the credible threat of enforcement or sanction. We examine the extent to which 'administrative adjudications' may more cost-effectively provide the benefits of court adjudications. The paper illustrates that monitoring and enforcement are more effective and less costly when institutions encourage cooperation than when they promote competition. While norms, social capital, and trust must bear upon and inform the types of rules chosen at the collective-choice level, they also arise from the operation of those rules – i.e., from users' iterative reactions to the arrangements chosen. Groundwater management plans should incorporate design elements encouraging collaborative attitudes among users.


The influenza A/H5N1 virus is an RNA virus belonging to the family of Orthomyxoviridae. The highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 virus exhibit the ability to cause high mortality in poultry and infect humans. Technology for vaccine seed strain production of influenza A virus using reverse genetics requires the creation of recombinant vectors carrying viral genomic segments. To create recombinant pHW2000 vectors containing the neuraminidase (NA) gene segment encoding an important surface antigen of influenza A virus, two N1 NA gene structures were designed based on the NA gene sequences of two subtypes of highly pathogenic influenza A/H5N1 clade (clade 1.1 and clade 220.127.116.11c) and then inserted into pHW2000 vector. These two clades of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses that are still circulating in Vietnam, with antigen homology and genetic relationships to many strains of influenza A viruses, have been suggested to be used for producing vaccines against emerging avian influenza A/H5N1 virus. Each NA gene construct consists of 1453 nucleotides in which two ends of the gene are two non-coding regions (46 nucleotides and 57 nucleotides) containing primer binding site and cleavage site of BsaI. In the middle of each NA gene is one region of 1350 nucleotides encoding 449 amino acids, ensuring catalytic function and antigenicity of NA protein. Two NA segments corresponding to the two clades of influenza A viruses were successfully cloned into pHW2000 vectors for the generation of two recombinant vectors pHW2000-NA clade 1.1 and pHW2000-NA clade 126.96.36.199c. These recombinant vectors will be used for production of candidate avian influenza vaccine strains using reverse genetics technique.


Joint models for longitudinal and time‐to‐event data have gained a lot of attention in the last few years as they are a helpful technique clinical studies where longitudinal outcomes are recorded alongside event times. Those two processes are often linked and the two outcomes should thus be modeled jointly in order to prevent the potential bias introduced by independent modeling. Commonly, joint models are estimated in likelihood‐based expectation maximization or Bayesian approaches using frameworks where variable selection is problematic and that do not immediately work for high‐dimensional data. In this paper, we propose a boosting algorithm tackling these challenges by being able to simultaneously estimate predictors for joint models and automatically select the most influential variables even in high‐dimensional data situations. We analyze the performance of the new algorithm in a simulation study and apply it to the Danish cystic fibrosis registry that collects longitudinal lung function data on patients with cystic fibrosis together with data regarding the onset of pulmonary infections. This is the first approach to combine state‐of‐the art algorithms from the field of machine‐learning with the model class of joint models, providing a fully data‐driven mechanism to select variables and predictor effects in a unified framework of boosting joint models.


The dimensionality and reliability of the Motor Section of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS III) was studied with non-parametric Mokken scale analysis. UPDRS measures were obtained on 147 patients with PD (96 men, 51 women, mean age 61, range 35-80 yrs). Mokken scale analysis revealed a four-dimensional structure of the UPDRS III. Left-sided bradykinesia and rigidity appeared to co-occur with axial signs, gait disturbance, and speech/hypomimia, whereas right-sided bradykinesia and rigidity formed a second scale. Two further small scales were found consisting of right- and left-sided tremor. Results from the scale analysis reveal that all four subscales are strong. The reliability of the two tremor scales is low because they only contain three and four items, respectively.


his article provides examples and teaching tools for presenting the new capital gains provisions for individuals under the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 and the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998. For students to gain an understanding of these new complexities, they must work with examples and planning techniques that incorporate the new law in a meaningful way. This article provides two summary tables, three diagrams and nine computations or tax‐planning mini‐cases to assist tax professors in accomplishing this objective.


High mortality and labor costs are associated with first-feeding sturgeon culture, particularly during the period of dietary transition from live to formulated feed. Therefore we investigated the effects of various feeding treatments on the survival and growth of the Persian sturgeon ( Acipenser persicus ) larvae during a 20-day culture period. Three replicate groups (250 fish/replicate) of first-feeding larvae were fed according to four main feeding regimes: (1) live food (live nauplii of brine shrimp Artemia urmiana ); (2) indirect transition (5 days live food followed by gradual transition to formulated diet); (3) direct transition (using different combinations of live and formulated diet from the start feeding onwards); (4) formulated feed (FD) from the start feeding. Results indicated that growth and survival were higher in the indirect transition feeding regime than in other regimes. Based on our study, co-feeding of A. persicus should start five days after prior feeding with live food.


European forests are experiencing extensive invasion from the Ash pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, an ecological niche competitor to the non-pathogenic native congener H. albidus. We report the genome-wide diversity and population structure in Asia (native) and Europe (the introduced range). We show H. fraxineus underwent a dramatic bottleneck upon introduction to Europe around 30-40 generations ago, leaving a genomic signature, characterized by long segments of fixation, interspersed with "diversity islands" that are identical throughout Europe. This means no effective secondary contact with other populations has occurred. Genome-wide variation is consistently high within sampled locations in Japan and the Russian Far East, and lack of differentiation amongst Russian locations suggests extensive gene flow, similar to Europe. A local ancestry analysis supports Russia as a more likely source population than Japan. Negligible latency, rapid host-range expansion and viability of small founding populations specify strong biosecurity forewarnings against new introductions from outside Europe.


Sleeping and resting respiratory rates are commonly measured variables in patients with cardiac disease. However, little information is available on these variables in healthy client-owned cats or cats with subclinical heart disease (SHD). Therefore, we examined and characterized the sleeping respiratory rate (SRR) and resting respiratory rate (RRR) in 59 echocardiographically normal (EN) and 28 apparently healthy (AH) cats, and 54 SHD cats acquired by the cat owners in the home environment on eight to 10 separate occasions. The within-cat mean sleeping respiratory rate (SRRmean) in EN cats, AH cats and SHD cats with mild or moderate left atrial (LA) enlargement (as defined by quantiles of the ratio of the LA to the aorta [LA:AO]) was consistently <30 breaths/min; median SRRmean approximated 21 breaths/min. The SRRmean of SHD cats with severe LA enlargement sometimes exceeded 30 breaths/min, and was higher than SRRmean of other SHD cats (P <0.05). The within-cat mean resting respiratory rate was consistently higher than SRRmean (P <0.05). Age and geographic location, but not bodyweight, affected SRRmean in EN and AH cats. Within-cat SRR and within-cat RRR did not vary markedly from day-to-day, as evidenced by a low within-cat coefficient of variation. Data acquisition was considered easy or non-problematic by most participants. Our data provide useful guidelines for SRR and RRR, obtained in the home environment, in healthy cats and cats with SHD, and might prove useful in managing cats with clinical heart disease. Cats with SRRmean >30 breaths/min and cats with multiple SRR measurements >30 breaths/min likely warrant additional evaluation.


In this paper, I will present the empirical version of the slippery slope argument (SSA) in the field of genome editing. According to the SSA, if we adopt germline manipulation of embryos we will eventually end up performing or allowing something morally reprehensible, such as a new coercive eugenics. I will investigate the actual possibility of sliding towards eugenics: thus, I will examine enhancement and eugenics both in the classical and liberal versions, through the lens of SSA. In the first part, I will discuss the classical eugenics from a historical perspective and conclude that classical eugenics is morally deplorable; but by currently accepting genome editing I argue that it is not possible to 'slip' into classical eugenics. Then, I will analyze liberal eugenics: I will consider Habermas' and Sandel's objections to liberal eugenics and genetic human enhancement. Subsequently, I will reply to these arguments affirming that, although it is not possible to refuse any form of genetic enhancement, liberal eugenics would not consider the principles of justice, nonmaleficence, and non-instrumentalization; hence, it should be considered not morally acceptable. In addition, I will support the thesis according to which the possibility of relapsing into liberal eugenics is more likely than relapsing into classical eugenics. Then, I will present a strategy that, while avoiding falling into the undesirable scenarios related to SSA, still accepts some application of germline genome editing of embryos and gametes. In such a way, I will show that even if we accept the plausibility of a certain slip into an undesirable scenario, SSA does not offer conclusive reasons to forbid any use of germline genome editing technique in both therapeutic and enhancement fields.


This paper describes the design of a new capacitive sensor interface. The interface is based on the use of a novel type of oscillator whose frequency is insensitive to low- and high- frequency interfering signals by the application of a third order high-pass filter and special dither techniques. The fully integrated 0.7 pm CMOS circuit shows an inaccuracy of less than 100 aF with respect to a 2 pF reference capacitor over a -30" to +70° C temperature range. The applied measurement concept guarantees high stability, high accuracy and a negligible influence of parasitic capacitances without the need for calibration.


Cyclic degradation in fully saturated sands is a liquefaction phenomenon characterized by the progressive variation of the soil strength and stiffness that occurs when the soil is subjected to cyclic loading in undrained conditions. An evaluation of the relationships between the degradation of the soil properties and the number of loading cycles is essential for deriving advanced cyclic constitutive soil models. Generally, the calibration of cyclic damage models can be performed through controlled laboratory tests, such as cyclic triaxial testing. However, the undrained response of soils is dependent on several factors, such as the fabric, sample preparation, initial density, initial stress state, and stress path during loading; hence, a large number of tests would be required. On the other hand, the Discrete Element Method offers an interesting approach to simulating the complex behavior of an assembly of particles, which can be used to perform simulations of geotechnical laboratory testing. In this paper, numerical triaxial analyses of sands with different consistencies, loose and medium-dense states, were performed. First, static triaxial testing was performed to characterize the sand properties and validate the results with the literature data. Then, cyclic undrained triaxial testing was performed to investigate the impact of the number of cycles on the cyclic degradation of the soil stiffness and strength. Laws that can be used in damage soil models were derived.


Background: Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is a glycated form of hemoglobin and is associated with increased susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB), severity, and resistance to therapy. We aimed to determine the impact of HbA1c levels on sputum conversion time among Indonesian patients with pulmonary TB under the intensive phase of TB treatment. Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted in patients with new cases of pulmonary TB patients aged ≥15-year-old and had never been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The exclusion criteria of this study are pulmonary TB accompanied by T2DM, pregnancy, or coinfected with human deficiency virus. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test to find the relative risk of all variables. We also performed power analysis to check the sample sufficiency. Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients of new cases of pulmonary TB were included in this study; of which 63 females and 60 males. There were 12 patients who had HbA1c levels ≥47.5 mmol/mol. More than half (56.1%) of patients had smear-positive acid-fast bacilli and duration of sputum smear conversion time for more than 2 months was recorded in 11 patients (8.9%). There was a significant relationship between HbA1c levels >47.5 mmol/mol and sputum conversion time >2 months with a relative risk of 6.3 (1.9–39.6), value of P = 0.01. Conclusion: HbA1c levels played an important role toward sputum smear conversion time in patients with new cases of pulmonary TB, and therefore, HbA1c should be considered as an important factor for the outcome in patients receiving anti-TB drugs.


The investigations here described can be sub-divided into four main sections, viz. (A) The Physical Properties of Coal Measures Rock, (B) Photo-elastic Investigations, (C) Underground Observations and (D) The Testing of Plaster Models. The contents of each section are outlined below. SECTION A: The various methods employed for the determination of the physical properties of rock are discussed. The use of electrical resistance strain gauges for the measurement of Young's Modulus and Poisson's Ratio of several rock types from the Scottish Coalfields is described. The factors which affect the ultimate strength of stratified rocks are discussed and an attempt is made to predict the total strain which will develop in rock under a given stress after a known time. The results obtained indicate the influence of "time-strain" in computing the stress distribution around an underground excavation. Micro-graphs of the specimens tested are included in an appendix. SECTION B: Details of the apparatus used and the models con-structed for the two-dimensional photo-elastic investigations of any roof bolting systems are given. The functions of roof bolts as a "suspension support" and in the formation of a "compound beam" are analysed. The use of bolting to form a "keystone" in arched shaped roadways is also investigated. The results show the value of bolts in minimising shear stresses at the interfaces of the beds. The Importance of pre-tensioning the bolts by equal amounts is also emphasised by the isochromatic diagrams. SECTION C: The behaviour of roof bolts installed in an advancing longwall roadway is described. The performance of three types of steel bolts - slot and wedge, expansion shell, wedge and sleeve - and several "wooden bolts" is discussed. Details of the apparatus used for the measurement of bolt tension and strata movements are given. An attempt to measure 'in situ' rock strain by electrical resistance strain gauges is described. The results show a relaxation of bolt tension a few days after installation. The several factors which Influence the behaviour of bolts installed in moving strata are discussed. Several illustrations shewing the improvements in roadway maintenance where roof bolting is used in conjunction with arched girders are given. SECTION D: To study the behaviour of bolts after the strata around the excavation have been loaded beyond the "elastic limit", plaster models of the underground roadways were made and tested to destruction in the laboratory. The models were loaded in a vertical compression testing machine. A photographic record of the tests and a detailed analysis of the results are given.


The acoustical properties of wood for instruments have mostly been studied on a few archetypal woods in Western musical instruments. The objective of this paper is to extend knowledge on the diversity in wood properties and uses in instruments from different geo-cultural areas. A wide set of data has been collected on vibrational properties of 452 species, through experiments and literature survey. Property distributions within broad categories confirm the known characteristics of softwoods, but also evidence specificities of tropical hardwoods compared to temperate-zone species. A relational database has been created to link wood properties and uses in musical instruments of the world. Two case studies on acoustically important functions in different geo-cultural areas show contrasted trends: (i) species used for xylophone bars and slit-drums in different continents all share a very low internal friction, (ii) on the contrary, the only characteristic common to soundboards' woods is a lower than average density, whereas their acoustical properties differ widely between them and with the "Western" standard in wood choice. All these materials being nevertheless adapted to their context, cultural specificities in the structure, playing mode and "sonority" preferences should also be taken into account.


Pears (Pyrus) are one of the most economically important fruits worldwide. The Pyrus genus is characterized by a high degree of genetic variability between species and interspecific hybrids, and several studies have been performed to assess this variability for both cultivated and wild accessions. These studies have mostly been limited by the resolving power of traditional molecular markers, although in the recent past the availability of reference genome sequences or SNP arrays for pear have enhanced the capability of high-resolution genomics studies. These tools can also be applied to better understand the intra-varietal (or clonal) variability in pear. Here we report the first high resolution genomics analysis of a pear clonal population using whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results showed unique signatures for the accumulation of mutations and transposable element insertions in each clone, which are likely related to their history of propagation and cultivation. The nucleotide diversity remained low in the clonal collection with the exception of few genomic windows, suggesting that balancing selection may be occurring. These windows included mainly genes related to plant fertility. Regions with higher mutational load were partially associated with transcription factors, probably reflecting the distinctive phenotypes in the collection. The annotation of variants also revealed the theoretical disruption of relevant genes in pear. Taken together, the results from this study show that pear clones accumulate mutations differently, and that those mutations can play a role on pear phenotypes, meaning that the study of pear clonal populations can be relevant in genetic studies, mainly when comparing with traditional association studies.


Limiting factors of subterranean environments, high relative air humidity and, especially, permanent darkness, represent ecological filters for organisms and biodiversity patterns of surface and subterranean communities display wide disparities. Subterranean diversity and singularity are, thus, better expressed when the common presence of rare and endemic species are considered. Our study aimed to describe the diversity of the cave fauna from 14 caves from Peruaçu Caves National Park (PCNP), eastern Brazil. We analyzed the regional diversity using the index that includes the average taxonomic distinction (TD Δ +, AvTD). We recorded 1,674 individuals belonging to 10 Classes and 237 morphotypes, 11 troglobitic and two troglomorphic and possible troglobites. Greatest species abundance (N=330) and richness (s=76) were recorded at Lapa do Cipó cave, followed by Gruta Olhos d'Água (N=330, s=71), which shows the highest TD value (Δ + = 90.18) in relation to the others, including the richest Lapa do Cipó (Δ + = 85.24), consequence of the several taxonomic units with large number of species. The below-expected values of TD (Δ + = 87.70) may indicate anthropic impacts on these communities. Our results demonstrate that Gruta Olhos d' Água and Lapa do Cipó caves are the most important sites for the occurrence of endemic and troglobitic species and may be part of a complex system that should be considered for a more efficient conservation planning.


Holocelluloses from the wood of pine and oak species growing naturally in Turkey were extracted with 5% KOH solution under specified conditions, and soluble polyoses and lignin were examined. The extractions of both pine and oak wood holocelluloses followed the mechanism of second order reaction. While the glucomannan of pine was poorly dissolvable during the extraction, xylan, the main polyose of hardwoods, was removed very efficiently upto almost 90 %. The solubility of xylane also obeyed the some kinehes. By the equation [ A ] 1- n - [ A 0 ] 1-n = ( n-1) kt, where n=2, for the second order mechanism, kinetic parameters [A O ] and k were calculated to be 29.55%, 0.04417 for pine and 44.675%, 0,03018 for oak. Using these kinetic parameters, the predicted yields were in very close agreement with their counterparts from the experiments. Moreover, the holocelluloses and certain residues obtained after alkali were analyzed with regard to their anhydromonosaccharides. GalactOĞLUcomannan, the main polyose of pine wood, was resistant to alkali, and about half of the more easily soluble arabinoxylane was removable. In contrast to mannane, nearly 90% of the hard wood xylane was dissolved by alkali, and its extraction also followed the second order mechanism. Thereafter, the kinetic parameters related to this extraction were calculated.


Introduction Prompt treatment is necessary to assure patient survival during crisis. Obstetric cardiac arrest (OCA) and malignant hyperthermia (MH) are rarely occurring crises. Cognitive aids (CAs) consolidate management and assist treatment decisions. We investigated a novel method to encourage resident physician CA use during simulated crises. Methods Resident physicians were examined during 31 simulated crises of OCA and MH. CAs reviewed in a prior lecture were placed on resuscitation carts. The confederate emergency management team consisted of two anesthesiologists, two critical care nurses, and a medical student who was assigned to act as the CA "Reader." If the subject failed to manage the crisis, the Reader would prompt the subject to use the CA. If the subject still failed to manage the crisis, the Reader would read the aid aloud to the subject. Steps were scored if completed; physiologic variables were recorded. Subject performance was examined before and after Reader introduction. Results OCA: No subjects performed all critical steps before introduction of the Reader. Twenty-two percent of Anesthesiology (AN) and 31% of Obstetrics (OB) trainees used the CA. MH: All subjects (AN) correctly diagnosed MH and administered the first dantrolene dose at 7.3 ± 2.5 minutes (PETCO2 72 ± 8 mm Hg, temperature 41.5°C ± 1.3°C) but skipped critical treatment steps. Thirty-three percent of subjects used the CA. After Reader introduction, all critical actions for both OCA and MH were completed. Conclusions Reader introduction resulted in execution of all critical actions. During the debriefing of the simulated scenarios, subjects acknowledged the benefit of the Reader.


Climate change poses an unprecedented challenge to agriculture. While growers have always struggled with year‐to‐year variation in climate – early rains or unusually hot summers – climate change provides a major directional shift in mean climate. Across the globe, growing regions are warming and plants are shifting in both time and space. Current and future shifts pose a major challenge to researchers and growers alike, yet they also highlight a major avenue to adapt crops to climate change – by understanding and exploiting phenological diversity. Using winegrapes (Vitis vinifera subsp. vinifera) as a case study, we review the phenological diversity present within one crop and its underlying environmental and genetic drivers. In winegrapes, harvest dates are strongly tied to temperature, but this sensitivity varies greatly, with different cultivars (or 'varieties') of grapes ripening much more or less for the same amount of warming. Synthesis. This phenological diversity provides a mechanism to help growers adapt winegrapes to shifting climates – by planting different varieties that will grow well under current and future climate regimes. More generally, understanding phenological diversity – including its environmental vs. genetic components – offers a major avenue to use ecological knowledge to advance adaptation for winegrapes, and many other crops, to climate change.


Introduction: Overweight and obesity are independent risk factors for colorectal cancer among men and women. Associations of body mass index (BMI) with colorectal cancer risk are stronger among men than women. Evidence on the association of anthropometric factors with colorectal adenoma is more equivocal, especially among women. It has been suggested that the association of BMI with adenomas is weaker among postmenopausal women as compared to premenopausal women but data on this finding is limited. A recent study among participants in the PLCO trial failed to show an association of BMI with either colorectal adenoma or colorectal cancer risk among men and women. However, it is possible that BMI might not be the most relevant marker of obesity-associated colorectal neoplasia risk among women. A large cohort study of European Caucasian women showed a higher risk of colorectal cancer with waist circumference but not BMI. There are relatively few studies that have investigated multiple measures of obesity as risk factors for colorectal adenoma and cancer among women and none have been adequately powered for these analyses among African American women. We investigated the association of BMI and waist circumference as risk factors for colorectal adenoma among postmenopausal African American women in the Black Women9s Health Study. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study among participants in the Black Women9s Health Study - a cohort study of 59,000 women followed biennially since 1995. Cases were defined as women diagnosed with incident colorectal adenoma between 1997 and 2011. Only those adenoma cases verified by medical record review were included. Controls were participants who also underwent lower gastrointestinal endoscopy and in whom no adenoma or other polyp was found. 3 controls were matched to each case based on age and follow-up period. Weight, height, and abdominal circumference were self-reported by participants at baseline. Weight and waist circumference were updated based on self-report every two years. BMI was categorized into 3 categories: 18-24.9 kg/m2 (normal BMI), 25-29.9 kg/ m2 (overweight), and ≥30 kg/ m2 (obese). Waist circumference was categorized in quintiles based on the distribution among controls. Using logistic regression models, we obtained odds ratios (OR) for colorectal adenoma in relation to BMI and waist circumference, adjusting for age, education, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, family history of colorectal cancer, smoking, alcohol intake, energy intake, aspirin use, menopausal status, and post-menopausal hormone therapy. Results: There were 915 adenoma cases and 2,745 controls. After adjusting for multiple covariates, neither overweight (OR: 1.10, 95% CI: 0.88-1.38) nor obese (OR: 1.09, 95% CI: 0.85-1.41) African-American women were at increased risk of colorectal adenomas than women with normal BMI. Although women in the fifth quintile of waist circumference were at higher risk of colorectal adenomas than those in the first quintile in age-adjusted models, the OR was no longer significant after multivariate adjustment (OR: 1.25, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.67) . Conclusions: We did not find an association of either BMI or waist circumference with colorectal adenomas among African-American women. Our results support the findings from other studies in primarily White women that showed no association of BMI with colorectal adenoma in women. Although the association of waist circumference with adenoma risk was stronger compared to BMI among African-American women in our study, it was not statistically significant. Further research is needed to confirm these findings, and explore the association of BMI and waist circumference with colorectal adenoma in African-American men. Citation Format: Chiranjeev Dash, Julie R. Palmer, Lynn Rosenberg, Jeffrey Yu, Lucile L. Adams-Campbell. Body mass index, waist circumference, and the risk of colorectal adenomas: Black Women9s Health Study. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr A46.


In previous work on the MsSAM (Methods to Support Shared Analysis for Mobile Investigators) project, we presented an initial prototype device to be used to support evidence recovery on a crime scene. Using some of the findings from this and combining it with other work for minimal interaction, and shared awareness for strategic field operations, we proposed a system that would support efficient recovery of forensic data from the field with a simple easy-to-use interface which has the same 'look and feel' on a variety of hardware platforms. We then tested this with a group of final year Crime Scene Science students with encouraging results. We then present how this could be used to support real-time, online, multiple investigator collaboration.


Ligand-Protein Interactions in Cytochromes Jaclyn Catalano Cytochromes are found in all living beings and play an essential role in life processes. The two proteins studied in this thesis, cytochrome P450 carries out enzymatic reactions, metabolizes drugs, and synthesizes steroids while cytochrome c553 is a protein involved in electron transfer and photosynthesis. Despite the diverse functions cytochromes have, they all have the same core, a heme porphyrin that makes this class of proteins very interesting and worth studying. The cryogenic crystal structure of cytochrome P450 BM-3, a bacterial model enzyme for mammalian P450s, shows the substrate N-palmitoylglycine (NPG) too far away from the heme to be the catalytically relevant binding mode. Previous evidence suggests that the substrate moves as a function of temperature and molecular dynamics simulations have shown that at room temperature the ligand is positioned correctly for chemistry. However, how the substrate moves and the correct position of the substrate is not known. In order to gain more insight on the position of the substrate, we conducted solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (SSNMR) experiments, enzymatic assays, and solved a new crystal structure. Enzymatic assays determined there is a kinetic preference for room temperature and a large difference in Km and Kd, indicates multiple conformations of the ligand, some of which are unproductive. SSNMR experiments also provided evidence for multiple conformations since changes in the chemical shift of NPG showed the terminal region of the ligand is moving as a function of temperature and the solvent exposed region of the ligand has dynamics between multiple conformations. In addition, our new crystal structure shows the first structural evidence of the solvent exposed end of NPG interacting with Arg47, which is involved in substrate binding shown by our R47E mutation. However, in our cryogenic crystal structure the ligand is still in a conformation not amenable for catalysis. Therefore, we also laid the foundation to obtain structural information on the enzyme at room temperature by assigning the ligand, identifying important alanine marker peaks, and determining the best method is selectively labeled samples with TEDOR experiments. In addition, cytochrome c553 was used as a model to evaluate the role of the thioether linkages in c-type cytochromes. Since c-type and b-type cytochromes are the most abundant and c-type cytochromes are biosynthesized from apo-protein and b-type heme, the fundamental question arises as to why Nature has made the covalent attachment in c-type cytochromes. We performed thermodynamic analyses and structural studies of a c-to-b conversion in a mutated cytochrome c, in which the thioether bonds cannot form, to determine the covalent attachment is necessary for structure and function of c-type cytochromes.


The paper proposes an on-line monitoring framework for continuous real-time safety/security in learning-based control systems (specifically application to a unmanned ground vehicle). We monitor validity of mappings from sensor inputs to actuator commands, controller-focused anomaly detection (CFAM), and from actuator commands to sensor inputs, system-focused anomaly detection (SFAM). CFAM is an image conditioned energy based generative adversarial network (EBGAN) in which the energy based discriminator distinguishes between proper and anomalous actuator commands. SFAM is based on an action condition video prediction framework to detect anomalies between predicted and observed temporal evolution of sensor data. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach on our autonomous ground vehicle for indoor environments and on Udacity dataset for outdoor environments.


Aim: The triglyceride / HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-c) ratio is increased in a variety of diseases including, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, its role in non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis is not well understood. In present study, we aimed to compare the TG/HDL-c levels of the patients with non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis to those of the healthy subjects.
Methods: Medical data of the patients with non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis whom presented to the outpatient internal medicine clinics of our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Healthy subjects whom admissions to our clinics were due to check up were enrolled to the study as control group. TG/HDL-c of the groups compared.
Results: TG/HDL-c level of the liver steatosis group (5 (2-22) %) was higher than the control group (2.7 (1-8) %), (p<0.001). TG/HDL-c was significantly and positively correlated with fasting blood glucose (r=0.31, p<0.001), C - reactive protein (r=0.25, p<0.001) and LDL-cholesterol (r=0.3, p<0.001) levels. A TG/HDL-c value greater than 3.1% has 91% sensitivity and 77% specificity in detecting hepatosteatosis.
Conclusions: We suggest that TG/HDL-c ratio could be a useful marker of non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis due to its inexpensive and easy to assess nature.


&NA; On a daily basis it appears that as many as one in five adults in the United States may consume an analgesic compound either on a prescription basis or by over-the-counter (OTC) purchase. This high profile of intermittent or repetitive analgesic use appears to be relatively similar throughout the developed world. Although analgesics generally have a good renal safety profile, the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) analgesics may produce mild renal side effects, such as the generation of peripheral edema in up to 5% of the general population. Other more serious renal and related cardiovascular side effects tend to be more apparent in lesser numbers of clinically "at risk" NSAID analgesic users. In contrast, non-NSAID analgesics, such as paracetamol or tramadol, have essentially no renal or related cardiovascular side effects when used at recommended dosing schedules. This review characterizes the renal syndromes associated with the use of NSAID analgesics, identifies the risks inherent in the use of these compounds in treated patients with hypertension and congestive heart failure, summarizes the early comparable data available for the new COX-2-specific inhibitors, and profiles the scant acute and long-term clinical concerns attendant with the use of non-NSAID nonnarcotic analgesics. It is important that healthcare providers and practitioners are aware of the relative renal risks of different analgesics and that they use this knowledge to counsel the analgesic-consuming population appropriately.


Photovoltaic energy is a wide kind of green energy. A high performance on these systems is needed to make the most of energy produced by solar cells. Also, there must be a constant adaptation due to the continuous variation of power production. Control techniques for Power Converters like the MPPT algorithm (Maximum Power Point Tracking) present very good results on photovoltaic chains. Nevertheless, losses on power elements reduce global performance and the voltage/current adaptation is not always possible.  This paper presents a single-phase 11-level (5 H-bridges) cascade multilevel DC-AC grid-tied inverter. Each inverter bridge is connected to a 200 W solar panel. OPAL-RT lab was used as the hardware in the loop (HIL) real-time control system platform where a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm was implemented based on the inverter output power to assure optimal operation of the inverter when connected to the power grid as well as a Phase Locked Loop (PLL) for phase and frequency match. A novel SPWM scheme is proposed in this paper to be used with the solar panels that can account for voltage profile fluctuations among the panels during the day. Simulation and experimental results are shown for voltage and current during synchronization mode and power transferring mode to validate the methodology for grid connection of renewable resources. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijpeds.v5i1.6156 Full Text: PDF


We present CEST, a generic method for detection and rich summarization of events occurring in a city. CEST exploits Twitter metadata, does not need prior information on events, and is event category and structure agnostic. We developed CEST to process unstructured documents and take advantage of shorthand notations, hashtags, keywords, geographical and temporal data, as well as sentiment within tweets to both detect and summarize arbitrary events without prior knowledge. We also introduce a novel strategy that analyzes sentiment and tweeting behavior over time to create a qualitative score that captures events' overall appeal to attendees.


Gasification is considered one of the most promising technologies in biomass applications. The higher efficiency compared to boiler power systems, the perspectives in fuel synthesis and its environmental friendly features are some examples of its potential. Biomass gasification has evolved since its first applications, but it has not been possible to reach a solid commercial stage, except during periods of crises and only for some specific applications. Meanwhile, other gasification technologies, fed by fossil fuels, are currently widely used on industrial scales.
This thesis aims to analyze the knowledge development and diffusion patterns of the biomass gasification technology since 1970's in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden. Additionally, it seeks to identify the factors that strengthen and weaken the learning process. Finally, the concept of learning curve will be used to numerically assess the rate of learning in small scale biomass gasification for electricity generation. The feasibility of various future scenarios will be evaluated in order to know what is the likelihood for the technology to become competitive in the short term.
To do so, the historical evolution of biomass gasification in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden has been analyzed. These countries have been selected due to the increasing number of ongoing projects and initiatives since 1970. Subsequently, the development of this technology has been encouraged by two historical facts. Initially, the price of fossil fuels grew in 1973 and 1979 enhancing the interest for biomass gasification as a future alternative. Afterwards, the willigness, shown by the mentioned countries, to reduce greenhouse gases emissions following the Kyoto protocol has revived the interest in biomass gasification. However, none of these two events has driven this technology sufficiently to achieve a sustainable commercial status. In addition, small and large scale projects have followed different development processes. In the case of large scale, interest has shifted from electricity generation to biofuel production, primarily due to the failed demonstration projects of the technology coupled with combined cycle for electricity generation. On the other hand, in small scale projects, cogeneration applications have gained interest over heat production. However, there are fewer actors involved in small scale experimentation than in large scale.
Once the specific situation of each country has been analyzed, and the main characteristics of the development process have been identified, one of the causes which have hindered the technology to reach the expected commercial stage has been the lack of resources to demonstrate its competitiveness. So far, a significant number of experimentation activities, based on demonstration projects and pilot plants, have proved the future potential of the technology. Nonetheless, the uncertainty, shown by the great majority of actors, about integrating the biomass gasification in their industrial process has hindered the demonstration of its operational feasibility. Following this, further efforts should focus on the creation of incentives for the construction of new plants which integrate this technology in an industrial process already consolidated in the market. An approximation of the number of new plants needed, could be a good indicator of the economical resources required in order to acquire enough experience to make biomass gasification a competitive technology in the short-term.
After simulating various future evolutions for small scale cogeneration applications, the learning rate obtained through the learning curves model predict that, building roughly forty plants in six years, the technology can be consolidated firmly in the market. Considering the decrease in the number of new plants built since 2002, the expectancies are not really optimistic. Nevertheless, it is not an unachievable objective if incentives are created by all administrative levels.


OBJECTIVES
To dissociate injury-related factors from psychological contributions to impaired awareness of deficits following traumatic brain injury (TBI); impaired awareness is theorized to partly reflect psychological factors (e.g., denial), but empirical evidence for this theory is scarce.

DESIGN
We examined how different factors predict awareness in patients undergoing rehabilitation (N = 43). Factors included (1) neurological (injury severity), (2) neuropsychological loss, (3) psychological (denial, projection, identification), and (4) personality (narcissism).

METHODS/MAIN MEASURES
The Patient Competency Rating Scale, comparing patient with clinician reports on different functional domains; the Thematic Apperception Test, an injury-independent measure of the propensity to mobilize specific defence mechanisms; and the Narcissism Personality Inventory.

RESULTS
Impaired awareness was not predicted by injury-related and neuropsychological scores but was significantly predicted by use of primitive defence mechanisms (denial and projection). Patients who underestimate their abilities also demonstrated high denial levels, but contrary to underestimators, this was positively related to depression and negatively to awareness.

CONCLUSIONS
Primitive defence mechanism use significantly contributes to impaired awareness independent of injury-related factors, particularly in domains associated with self-identity. Well-validated tests of defence mechanism mobilization are needed to support clinical interpretation of and intervention with impaired awareness. More research is needed to understand the psychology of hypersensitivity to deficits.

PRACTITIONER POINTS
This study provides an empirical demonstration of dissociable contributions of neurological and psychological factors to awareness of deficits in TBI. Trait proclivity to mobilize defence mechanisms in response to anxiety-provoking situations can be measured, and strongly predicts impaired awareness. Importantly, measures of psychological reactions were independent of responses to the neurological deficits themselves, discriminating between psychological and neurological contributions to impaired awareness. The importance of identifying psychological reactions to impaired awareness and hindering rehabilitation success is highlighted, and vital for clinicians to consider during the rehabilitation process. Psychological reactions to TBI can be identified using well-validated, quantitative measures of the use of psychological defences (e.g., Cramer's Thematic Apperception Test scoring system), and the authors suggest this is a critical step to properly characterize and manage awareness in patients during treatment. Although only TBI patients were examined, the results may inform impaired awareness that occur as a result of other disorders and illnesses. The patients in this study were in the chronic stages of the injury, and therefore, the results may not generalize to patients in more acute stages.


This thesis follows the development of a particular set of large technical systems in South Africa from the late apartheid era into the age of democracy. During apartheid technological prowess, upheld by the network of state corporations or parastatals, bolstered the authoritarian rule of the white minority government in South Africa. The economic and political liberalisation of the late 1980s challenged the power of the parastatals and altered the underlying rationale of infrastructure development. In particular I describe the transformation of Iscor and Eskom, two of the country's major parastatals, and their activities in the Waterberg coalfields, an isolated region on the country's north-western border. While Eskom's activities in the region began in the 1980s they gained public notoriety with the construction of the Medupi power station two decades later. The obstacles that Eskom faced at Medupi represent the main challenge of developing large technological infrastructures in the democratic, post-colonial order, where the fruits of infrastructure development demand to be spread beyond the bounds of an elite minority. But the eventual completion of some power generating units in 2015 at Medupi demonstrates that failure is not inevitable. I argue that this success is due to the fact that the autonomous parastatal network negotiated the political and economic liberalisation of the early 1990 by incorporating the changing socio-political conditions into its operations. The parastatal network retained a momentum, in the sense first described by the historian of technology Thomas Hughes, which was also a product of the "locked-in" nature of investment in the infrastructure project. Because of the large capital investment required for the infrastructure development, proceeding tenaciously against the odds to see the project to completion was cheaper than retreat for those involved.


Members of the p160 family of steroid receptor coactivator proteins mediate the stimulatory effects on gene transcription brought about by nuclear receptors, which comprise all steroid receptors. Using in situ hybridization we have examined the neuroanatomical distribution of the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) for two functionally distinct splice variants of Steroid Receptor Coactivator 1 (SRC-1/NCoA-1) and of Steroid Receptor Coactivator 2 (SRC-2/NCoA-2/GRIP-1/TIF-2). Transcripts encoding these coactivators show highly differential expression patterns. SRC-2 mRNA is expressed at very low levels in brain, but shows expression in the anterior pituitary. SRC-la and le mRNA are expressed in many brain areas, including hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and isocortex. Striking differences between SRC-1a and le expression were observed in several brain nuclei. Relative levels of SRC-1a mRNA were much higher in anterior pituitary, and the arcuate, paraventricular and ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus, the locus coeruleus and the trigeminal motor nucleus, all important targets of steroid hormones in the brain. SRC-le mRNA showed modest elevation of relative expression in the caudal nucleus accumbens (shell), basolateral amygdala, and some thalamic nuclei. The differential and uneven neuroanatomical distribution of these coactivators may underlie diversity and cell-specificity of steroid receptor mediated signals in the brain.


Right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is a common cause of heart failure in patients with congenital heart defects and often leads to impaired functional capacity and premature death. A novel surgical/modeling procedure is proposed to test the hypotheses that a) patient-specific image-based computational modeling can provide accurate information for assessment of RV function and that b) more aggressive scar removal using computer-aided surgery design with optimized post-operative RV morphology and patch design will lead to improved recovery of RV functions. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Imaging studies were performed in a dedicated MRI suite located in the Department of Cardiology at Children's Hospital Boston to acquire patient-specific ventricle geometry, heart motion, flow velocity, and flow rate for patients needing RV remodeling and pulmonary valve replacement operations before and after scheduled surgeries and healthy volunteers. MRI-based RV/LV combination models with fluid-structure interaction (FSI), RV-LV interaction, and RV-patch interaction were introduced to perform mechanical analysis and assess RV cardiac functions. The patient-specific FSI model (validated by pre-operation data) was used to predict possible outcome of virtual surgeries (i.e., with modified RV morphologies) and good agreement between computational predictions and pre-post operation RV stroke volume and ejection ratio as measured by CMR was found.


Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machines (PMSMs) have been preferred for high-performance applications due to their high torque density, high power density, high control accuracy, and high efficiency over a wide operating range. During operation, monitoring the PMSM's health condition is crucial for detecting any anomalies so that performance degradation, maintenance/downtime costs, and safety hazards can be avoided. In particular, demagnetization of PMSMs can lead to not only degraded performance but also high maintenance cost as they are the most expensive components in a PMSM. In this paper, an equivalent two-phase model for surface-mount permanent magnet (SMPM) machines under permanent magnet demagnetization is formulated and a parameter estimator is proposed for condition monitoring purposes. The performance of the proposed estimator is investigated through analysis and simulation under different conditions, and compared with a parameter estimator based on the standard SMPM machine model. In terms of information that can be extracted for fault diagnosis and condition monitoring, the proposed estimator exhibits advantages over the standard-model-based estimator as it can differentiate between uniform demagnetization over all poles and asymmetric demagnetization between north and south poles.


Parameter identification of quantum systems is a fundamental task in developing practical quantum technology. In this article, we study the identification of time-varying decoherence rates for open quantum systems. Given the measurement data of local observables, this can be formulated as an optimization problem. We expand the unknown decoherence rates into Fourier series and take the expansion coefficients as optimization variables. We then convert it into a minimax problem and apply a sequential linear programming technique to solve it. Numerical study on a two-qubit quantum system with a time-varying decoherence rate demonstrates the effectiveness of our algorithm.


We try to improve the accuracy of eccentric photorefraction by taking more information into account than just the size and tilt of the crescent. Based on Gaussian optics and the assumption of an isotropic scattering retina, a theoretical analysis of the light-intensity distribution in the pupils of astigmatic eyes is presented. The method is applied to different photorefractor setups (point light source, long linear light source, knife-edge aperture, and circular aperture). In the case of a knife-edge aperture the crescent structure can be formulated analytically. In the case of a circular aperture an analytic description is possible only for spherical refractive errors, but astigmatic refractive errors can be determined from crescent parameters with neural networks.


Decision support systems (DSS) are used to aid at solid waste management, a tedious problem with many technical, economic and social constraints. The main DSS available are briefly presented and the development of a novel system, ReFlows, is described. The novelty of the developed DSS consists of the detailed analysis of the collection subsystem and in particular the source separation and collection programs for recyclables materials. ReFlows utilises mathematical equations for material and financial flows, organised in several subroutines, to simulate the various sub-systems of an integrated solid waste management system and may be applied to any geographical scale, from the local to the national. The model, currently developed in MATLAB, is applied on recycling scenarios based on the degree of expansion of the different source collection schemes currently operating in Greece. Results are presented at a national (Greece) and a local level (Municipality of Athens). The main outcome of the study is that full expansion of the existing schemes may not fulfil the recovery goals for packaging waste in Greece. Improved collection schemes are required, based on more pilot programs in order to investigate the optimum recycling strategy.


Purposes Self-reported duration and frequency of text messaging has been associated with musculoskeletal disorders (1, 2). The only published study examining self-reported texting validity is among young adolescents (3). Overestimation in lower volume and underestimation in higher volume texters occurred as compared with service provider information. The corresponding validity in college students is unknown. The current objective was to determine the validity of self-reported categorical number of daily texts sent. Much as office workers have been found to overestimate their computer keyboard usage (4-6), it was hypothesized that texters would overestimate daily texts sent. Since phone characteristics (e.g., keyboard type and phone orientation), and texting styles (number of hands holding phone, fingers used to text) may affect the risk of musculoskeletal disorders, we also assessed their self-reported validity. Methods College students (n = 108) filled out a questionnaire noting daily texts sent, phone characteristics, and texting styles. Their phone bill was used for verification of daily texts sent, and they were observed texting a short message to verify phone characteristics and texting styles. A linear weighted kappa statistic was used to gauge the agreement between categorical self-reported and phone-bill derived daily text messages sent. Percentages of agreement were presented to ascertain concordance between self-reported and observed cell phone characteristics and texting styles. Gender was examined as a potential confounder. ResultsSubjects overestimated their daily texts sent in all phone-bill verified texting volumes. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.07-0.30) with 43.8% agreement. There was little difference in recall by gender. High agreement (> 92%) was achieved between self-reported and observed input device, phone manufacturer, and phone orientation when texting (figure). However, there was low agreement between self-reported and observed texting styles. There was little difference in validity by gender. ConclusionsCollege students consistently overestimated the number of daily texts sent. This occurred in all frequencies of text messaging, suggesting that risk underestimation will occur in epidemiology studies where self-reported texting is an exposure variable. Hence, any such studies should rely on a more valid measure, i.e., a phone bill. Validity of self-reported texting style was low. However, texting style as observed during a short trial executed under experimental conditions may not be reflective of the more diverse texting style(s) that would be observed during extended periods and in real-world settings for the students. Further research is needed to confirm the study findings in other age groups.


Bilinear models based feature space Maximum Likelihood Linear Regression (FMLLR) speaker adaptation have showed good performance for GMM-HMMs especially when the amount of adaptation data is limited. In this paper, we propose using bilinear models feature as inputs to deep neural networks (DNNs) for rapid speaker adaptation of acoustic modeling to facilitate utterance-level normalization. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated with experiments on the Mandarin short message dictation and voice query dataset.


Low back pain causes more disability worldwide than any other health condition.1 Although many people self-manage their condition without needing to seek care,2 low back pain is the second most frequent symptom to prompt attendance in general practice after the common cold.3 Most low back pain is 'non-specific' meaning there is no identifiable spinal pathology. While the available evidence suggests a limited role for medicines in the management of an acute episode of non-specific low back pain, medicine prescription remains almost routine.4 Many patients with persisting symptoms also continue to take medicines long-term despite the low likelihood of ongoing benefits. We suggest a different approach that emphasises selective prescribing, and discontinuing medicines that are no longer of benefit, for patients with non-specific low back pain.

Recent guidelines indicate a reduced role for medicines in the management of non-specific low back pain. The 2017 Danish Guideline does not recommend any medicine.5 The 2016 UK guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence only recommends non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and 'weak' opioids.6 The 2017 US guideline from the American College of Physicians (ACP) makes a similar recommendation and includes the addition of skeletal muscle relaxants for acute non-specific low back pain (ie, pain for <12 weeks), but explicitly states that the initial treatment of non-specific low back pain should be non-pharmacological.7 These guidelines reflect new evidence suggesting that in patients with non-specific low back pain, many pain medicines have little or no benefit over placebo, and potential for harm. For a detailed description of the evidence on benefits and harms of medicines for low back pain, we refer readers to the evidence document accompanying the ACP guideline.7 Below we focus on evidence (see box 1 for our search strategy) for medicines that …


Introduction HIV monitoring guidelines recommend 3-to-12 monthly monitoring of LFTs in HIV-infected patients. Liver-related deaths account for 10–15% of mortality in patients with HIV-infection. Draft NICE guidance, covering the identification of chronic liver disease, is under consultation. Methods 200 HIV-infected patients were randomly selected from a cohort of 1000 patients. Those patients who were not engaged in care (i.e. less than 2 out-patient appointments in the past 12 months) or not on ARVs were excluded. Demographics, lifestyle factors and laboratory parameters were recorded. Patients at greatest risk of liver cirrhosis were screened using transient elastography. Results Of the 161 HIV-infected patients on ARVs, 49 (30%) had a raised AST or ALT within the preceding year. Only 105 (65%) had a documented alcohol history. Of patients with elevated transaminases, the cause was already established in 21/49 (43%). Factors included alcohol, IM testosterone, viral hepatitis, cryptosporidium infection and hepatotoxic medication. 12 patients were found to have an AST-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) of greater than 0.7. Of these the causes identified included: 4 hepatitis C co-infected, 1 hepatitis B co-infected, 2 alcohol related, 1 Budd Chiari awaiting liver transplant, 2 medication related and 2 not established. Patients with raised transaminases were offered metabolic risk factors screening and transient elastography. Discussion There is a small but significant burden of liver disease in patients on ARVs. Lifestyle counselling, to reduce harmful alcohol consumption and viral hepatitis infection could be improved. Implementation of NICE guidelines may improve the diagnosis of cirrhosis.


The function of metamaterials relies on their resonant response to electromagnetic waves in characteristic spectral bands. To make metamaterials homogeneous, the size of the basic resonant element should be less than 10% of the wavelength. For the THz range up to the visible, structure details of 50 nm to 30 μm are required as are high aspect ratios, tall heights, and large areas. For such specifications, lithography, in particular, synchrotron radiation deep X-ray lithography, is the method of choice. X-ray masks are made via primary pattern generation by means of electron or laser writing. Several different X-ray masks and accurate mask-substrate alignment are necessary for architectures requiring multi-level lithography. Lithography is commonly followed by electroplating of metallic replica. The process can also yield mould inserts for cost-effective manufacture by plastic moulding. We made metamaterials based on rod-split-rings, split-cylinders, S-string bi-layer chips, and S-string meta-foils. Left-handed resonance bands range from 2.4 to 216 THz. Latest is the all-metal self-supported flexible meta-foil with pass-bands of 45% up to 70% transmission at 3.4 to 4.5 THz depending on geometrical parameters.


In this letter, current sweeping programming mode is proposed as an efficient method to improve the uniformity of the switching properties of resistive memory devices. Based on the measurement results of the reset process of filament-based Cu/HfO2/Pt devices, current sweeping mode (CSM) can significantly reduce the distributions of Roff values, as compared with the standard voltage sweeping mode. The improvement is attributed to the elimination of the intermediate resistive states due to the positive feedback of joule heat generation by the use of current sweeping. Furthermore, the uniform distribution of the Vset values of the set process is also obtained by current sweeping, which stems from the localization of conductive filaments formation and rupture. CSM provides an effective way to achieve uniform resistance state of memory cell.


Children with Down syndrome typically have weaknesses in oral language, but it has been suggested that this domain may benefit from learning to read. Amongst oral language skills, vocabulary is a relative strength, although there is some evidence of difficulties in learning the phonological form of spoken words. This study investigated the effect of orthographic support on spoken word learning with seventeen children with Down syndrome aged seven to sixteen years and twenty-seven typically developing children aged five to seven years matched for reading ability. Ten spoken nonwords were paired with novel pictures; for half the nonwords the written form was also present. The spoken word learning of both groups did not differ and benefited to the same extent from the presence of the written word. This suggests that compared to reading-matched typically developing children, children with Down syndrome are not specifically impaired in phonological learning and benefit equally from orthographic support.


Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a clinical syndrome which complicates liver disease but remains poorly defined. To date there is no consensus on the definition of hypoxemia or the best diagnostic test that provides evidence of intrapulmonary shunting. Furthermore, it is reasonable to question whether the role of intrapulmonary shunting has been overplayed in the etiology of HPS and if echocardiographic intrapulmonary shunts could simply be nonspecific markers of the hyperdynamic circulation of liver disease. These inquiries lend support to theories that HPS is primarily a manifestation of profound pulmonary vascular autoregulatory failure that occurs in predisposed patients. Because there is little experience with clinical interventions for HPS other than liver transplantation, there are few accepted, efficacious therapeutic options for these patients. Because liver transplantation remains the only treatment known to effectively ''treat'' HPS, many medical communities have increased the priority of HPS patients over others who are waiting for life saving organs. Until there is further evidence that effectively identifies patients with HPS and that predicts outcomes, the preferential allocation of organs to patients with suspected HPS may unjustly cause the death of others waiting for transplantation.


In this paper, we review the damping mechanisms in oxide materials, such as the short-range jump of oxygen vacancies and cation vacancies, movement of domain walls, and grain boundary sliding. Some examples in doped ZrO2, La2CuO4+δ, La2Mo2O9 and other oxide materials are briefly discussed, in which the damping capacity can reach as high as 30%. These oxides could be possibly applied as high damping materials either in the form of bulk components, or as additives in composites, or as hard damping coatings. In the last two potential applications, the high hardness and strength as well as high damping capacity of the oxides are simultaneously exploited, which cannot be realized by the usual high-damping metals and alloys.


Background: To study Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organizer Regions (AgNOR) count in FNAC lymph node in case of lymphadenopathy & to differentiate between malignant &non-malignant lesions Aim: To prove the diagnostic & Prognostic role of AgNOR in tumour pathology & application of AgNOR techniques to non-neoplastic& neoplastic growth & evaluation of AgNOR in cytology of various lesions of lymph nodes. Materials and Methods: Lymph node FNAC specimens were taken from 150 patients attending pathology department of Shri M.P.Shah Govt. Medical College & GGG hospital, Jamnagar, Gujarat, India during the period of January 2004 to February 2006. FNA of enlarged lymphnode was taken & smears were prepared & fixed in cytofix (50% ethly alcohol) also all smears were stained by H & E(were confirmed) as well as silver nitrate stain. 100 nuclei were assessed for each smear by 100x oil immersion lenses. Result: In this study a total number of 150 cases were included (80 benign & 70 malignant) in various lesions of lymphnode. Conclusion: AgNOR count is directly proportional to the severity of neoplastic lesions which increases with ascending grades of malignancy. Also it is a good technique in cytology.


Context. Aims. The long-term evolution of a circumstellar disk starting from its formation and ending in the T Tauri phase was simulated numerically with the purpose of studying the evolution of dust in the disk with distinct values of the viscous α-parameter and dust fragmentation velocity vfrag.
Methods. We solved numerical hydrodynamics equations in the thin-disk limit, which were modified to include a dust component consisting of two parts: sub-micron-sized dust, and grown dust with a maximum radius ar. The former is strictly coupled to the gas, while the latter interacts with the gas through friction. Dust growth, dust self-gravity, and the conversion of small to grown dust were also considered.
Results. We found that the process of dust growth that is known for the older protoplanetary phase also holds for the embedded phase of the disk evolution. The dust growth efficiency depends on the radial distance from the star – ar is largest in the inner disk and gradually declines with radial distance. In the inner disk, ar is limited by the dust fragmentation barrier. The process of small-to-grown dust conversion is very fast once the disk is formed. The total mass of the grown dust in the disk (beyond 1 AU) reaches tens or even hundreds of Earth masses as soon as in the embedded phase of star formation, and an even greater amount of grown dust drifts in the inner, unresolved 1 AU of the disk. Dust does not usually grow to radii greater than a few cm. A notable exception are models with α ≤ 10−3, in which case a zone with reduced mass transport develops in the inner disk and dust can grow to meter-sized boulders in the inner 10 AU. Grown dust drifts inward and accumulates in the inner disk regions. This effect is most pronounced in the α ≤ 10−3 models, where several hundreds of Earth masses can be accumulated in a narrow region of several AU from the star by the end of embedded phase. The efficiency of grown dust accumulation in spiral arms is stronger near corotation where the azimuthal velocity of dust grains is closest to the local velocity of the spiral pattern. In the framework of the adopted dust growth model, the efficiency of small-to-grown dust conversion was found to increase for lower values of α and vfrag.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the frequency and type of upper bonded retainer failure and to identify possible predisposing factors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The records of 466 consecutive patients with upper bonded retainers were analyzed retrospectively with respect to retainer failures and failure type as well as timing of failure, differences among operators, and the number of defects of the multibracket appliances (MB) prior to the retention period.

RESULTS
A total of 58.2% of all patients experienced retainer failures. The average failure odds were 1.26 failures per retainer. The odds were highest for 3-3 retainers (1.37) and lowest for the 1-1 retainer (0.54). The detachment and total loss rates were significantly influenced by operator experience-both rates were lower for experienced practitioners. Total retainer losses occurred more frequently in case of previous MB defects, while retainer fractures were seen more frequently when the retainer included the canines.

CONCLUSIONS
Upper bonded retainer failures are a frequent problem during the retention period (58.2% of patients). Less operator experience correlated with higher failure rates. An increased number of total retainer losses must also be expected with a decreasing number of bonding sites and in cases involving previous MB defects.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Previous studies have shown that individuals with low birth weight (LBW) or small for gestational age (SGA) have higher risk of kidney failure. This study investigates birth-related exposures and risk of CKD and other kidney diagnoses.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANT, & MEASUREMENTS
The Medical Birth Registry of Norway has registered extensive medical data on all births in Norway since 1967. The Norwegian Patient Registry has registered diagnostic codes for all admissions and outpatient visits to Norwegian hospitals since 2008. Data from these registries were linked, and risk of CKD and other groups of kidney disease were analyzed using logistic regression statistics. LBW (below the tenth percentile), SGA (birth weight below the tenth percentile for gestational age), and preterm birth (<37 weeks) were analyzed as exposures.

RESULTS
A total of 2,663,010 individuals were included. After a mean follow-up of 26 years (maximum 50 years), 4495 had been diagnosed with CKD and 12,818 had been diagnosed with other groups of kidney disease. LBW was associated with an odds ratio (OR) for CKD of 1.72 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.60 to 1.90), SGA with an OR of 1.79 (95% CI, 1.65 to 1.94), and preterm birth with an OR of 1.48 (95% CI, 1.33 to 1.66). Analyses using diagnosis of CKD at stages 3-5 as end point showed similar results. Results were similar for men and women. We analyzed adjusted ORs for other groups of kidney disease and found that LBW was associated with an adjusted OR of 1.44 (95% CI, 1.33 to 1.56) for acute kidney disease, 1.24 (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.36) for GN, 1.35 (95% CI, 1.17 to 1.56) for cystic kidney disease, and 1.15 (95% CI, 1.06 to 1.25) for kidney disease resulting from kidney or urinary tract malformations.

CONCLUSIONS
LBW, SGA, and preterm birth are associated with higher risk of CKD in the first 50 years of life. Risk of other groups of kidney disease was less pronounced.