Semantic interoperability is essential to facilitate efficient collaboration in heterogeneous multi-site healthcare environments. The deployment of a semantic interoperability solution has the potential to enable a wide range of informatics supported applications in clinical care and research both within as ingle healthcare organization and in a network of organizations. At the same time, building and deploying a semantic interoperability solution may require significant effort to carryout data transformation and to harmonize the semantics of the information in the different systems. Our approach to semantic interoperability leverages existing healthcare standards and ontologies, focusing first on specific clinical domains and key applications, and gradually expanding the solution when needed. An important objective of this work is to create a semantic link between clinical research and care environments to enable applications such as streamlining the execution of multi-centric clinical trials, including the identification of eligible patients for the trials. This paper presents an analysis of the suitability of several widely-used medical ontologies in the clinical domain: SNOMED-CT, LOINC, MedDRA, to capture the semantics of the clinical trial eligibility criteria, of the clinical trial data (e.g., Clinical Report Forms), and of the corresponding patient record data that would enable the automatic identification of eligible patients. Next to the coverage provided by the ontologies we evaluate and compare the sizes of the sets of relevant concepts and their relative frequency to estimate the cost of data transformation, of building the necessary semantic mappings, and of extending the solution to new domains. This analysis shows that our approach is both feasible and scalable.


In several works on design methodologies, design patterns, and programming language design, the need for program entities that capture the patterns of collaboration between several classes has been recognized. The idea is that in general the unit of reuse is not a single class, but a slice of behavior affecting a set of collaborating classes. The absence of large-scale components for expressing these collaborations makes object-oriented programs more difficult to maintain and reuse, because functionality is spread over several methods and it becomes difficult to get the "big picture". In this paper, we propose Adaptive Plug and Play Components to serve this need. These components are designed such that they not only facilitate the construction of complex software by making the collaborations explicit, but they do so in a manner that supports the evolutionary nature of both structure and behavior.


One of the key areas being emphasized in ISO 9001 Quality Management System (QMS) is performance measurement towards achieving continual improvement. Currently most of the quality performance indicators devised by ISO 9001 certified contractors are the physical parameters such as list of defects, number and category of nonconformances (NCR), number of customer complaints and scoring from customer feedback forms. However, these parameters are unable to be linked with the project cost performance. In view of the problem this research is carried out with the aim to develop a measurement tool that can be used to measure the project quality performance by ISO 9001 certified contractors with respect to cost. The objectives of the research are to evaluate the current knowledge and practice on quality cost, to identify construction activities affecting quality, and to develop the quality cost matrix that can serve as an effective tool to analyze quality cost in construction projects. The research was carried out in four distinct stages and employed two main instruments of data collection i.e. questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview with the experts. The results from the exploratory survey revealed that lack of knowledge on quality cost prevails among the project management team. This leads to low practice of quality cost in our construction industry. However, majority of the respondents agreed that quality cost can be a good quality performance indicator. The proposed quality cost matrix utilized the Preventive Appraisal Failure (PAF) model. Based on the results from the survey and semi-structured interviews a quality cost matrix that tailored to the local working environment was developed. The breakdown of the main components in the matrix is in accordance to QLASSIC basic assessment structure i.e. structural, architectural, M & E, and external work. In addition this matrix also includes other failure cost which comprises of wastage of material, Liquidated and Ascertain Damages (LAD), regulatory penalty, and miscellaneous expenditure. In terms of causes of failure the research has grouped failures into four Ms i.e. material, method, machine and man. The developed matrix was validated through special focus group workshop which consisted of experts from the quality consultancy companies. One of the significant contributions from this research is that the quality cost matrix can be used to measure the effectiveness of the established quality plan for a given project. Furthermore the output of the research would enable to improve on data analysis by ISO 9001 certified contractors


There are an increasing number of microlithography applications such as advanced packaging, nanotechnology and thin film head production that require the use of thick photoresist materials. The exposure dose requirements for these applications dramatically increase as the photoresist thickness increases. For example, some positive acting novolak photoresists require exposures in excess of 5000 mJoules/cm2 for 100 μm thick films. When a single reticle is used to pattern many wafers, a significant amount of light and heat energy is transferred from the lithography tool illumination source to the pellicle protecting the reticle image. In high volume production environments, a pellicle can be subjected to accumulated dosages exceeding 500 kJoules/cm2 within a matter of weeks. Because thick photoresist applications benefit from using 1X broadband steppers with high wafer plane irradiance, life-testing results were reviewed for broadband pellicles designed for maximum transmission at g, h and i-line wavelengths of Hg. Historically, pellicle lifetime testing was typically carried out only to approximately 500 kJoules/cm2 . While this test limit may have been sufficient for thin photoresist applications used in semiconductor applications, longer lifetime studies are required to determine pellicle durability for thick photoresist applications. In this study, life testing was performed on multiple pellicle films designed for broadband illumination, including nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose ester and fluoropolymer films. Spectroscopic transmission at g, h and i-line was first measured on unexposed pellicles. The pellicles were attached to test reticles and exposed to high-energy doses on an Ultratech broadband stepper, accumulating up to 3000 kJoules/cm2 . Transmission was periodically re-measured and the pellicle films were visually inspected for color change and any apparent physical damage. Results were compared to the expected optical properties for each film type, and recommendations are provided for the most appropriate fil type for high-energy applications. Of the six pellicles tested, the two fluoropolymer films showed substantially better transmission stability than the cellulose based films. Discoloration occurred on the cellulose films over the chrome to glass transition area of the test reticle field suggesting that heat in the chrome surface affects the chemical structure of the pellicle films, thereby changing their transmission properties.


tenaculum. This enables continuous monitoring during cervical dilatation and uterine curettage for surgical treatment of miscarriage. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility of evacuation of retained products of conception using this new device to monitor the procedure. Methods: Women diagnosed with miscarriage or retained products of conception on TVS were invited to join the study. The procedure was timed from application until removal of the tenaculum. Views obtained were rated as satisfactory or poor. Success of the procedure was gauged by absence of products of conception, assessed by TVS and transabdominal ultrasound scan (TAS) at the end of the procedure. Operative complications were recorded. Women were followed-up by telephone questionnaire. Results: 43 women were recruited to the study. The procedure was successful in 42/43 (98%) cases. The mean operating time was 7 minutes (range 2 to 23 minutes). There were two minor operative complications. In one case the condom broke, which may have increased the risk of infection, and in a further case the tenaculum caused trauma to the cervix, necessitating hemostatic suture. On follow-up questionnaire the mean duration of bleeding was 4 days (range 1–7 days). There were no cases of post-operative complications necessitating readmission or repeat procedure. Conclusion: This study indicates that TVS-guided ERPC is a successful method for surgical evacuation of the uterus following miscarriage, with a low risk of complications.


Abstract – It is a challenging issue to generate avatar's natural facial expressions from user's facial images. One of the most difficult problems is to analyze user's facial images, and estimate his emotions. We have already proposed a method that estimated user's emotions combining both analysis on user's facial images taken from a video camera and measuring heart rate information, pNN50. Here, pNN50 is a percent of difference between adjacent heartbeat intervals greater than 50 ms calculated from heart rate information. Each user's emotion was estimated as either of 'Joy', 'Disgust', 'Sadness', or 'Anger'. Our previous method estimated user's emotions and generated appropriately avatar's face images. However, further improvement of measurement of each emotion is needed for the natural facial expressions of the avatars. In this paper, we propose a new method which measures the skin conductance level (SCL) by using a biometric sensor. We focus on "Russell's circumplex model of affect", in which each emotion is described as a 2D vector of the 'valence' and 'arousal'. Our method calculates the 'valence' by measuring pNN50, and the 'arousal' from the SCL. The four quadrants of "Russell's circumplex model of affect" correspond to 'Joy', 'Disgust', 'Sadness', and 'Anger', respectively. Based on results of multiple biological information, i.e., pNN50 and SCL, the proposed method estimates the accuracy of emotions and generates the avatar's natural facial expressions by adding comic symbols (called "Manpu") successfully and appropriately. "Manpu" can emphasize emotions. By using "Manpu", human emotions can be more easily communicated.


Two series of oligorotaxanes R and R' that contain -CH(2)NH(2)(+)CH(2)- recognition sites in their dumbbell components have been synthesized employing template-directed protocols. [24]Crown-8 rings self-assemble by a clipping strategy around each and every recognition site using equimolar amounts of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxaldehyde and tetraethyleneglycol bis(2-aminophenyl) ether to efficiently provide up to a [20]rotaxane. In the R series, the -NH(2)(+)- recognition sites are separated by trismethylene bridges, whereas in the R' series the spacers are p-phenylene linkers. The underpinning idea here is that in the former series, the recognition sites are strategically positioned 3.5 Å apart from one another so as to facilitate efficient [π···π] stacking between the aromatic residues in contiguous rings in the rotaxanes and consequently, a discrete rigid and rod-like conformation is realized; these noncovalent interactions are absent in the latter series rendering them conformationally flexible/nondiscrete. Although in the R' series, the [3]-, [4]-, [8]-, and [12]rotaxanes were isolated after reaction times of <5-30 min in yields of 72-85%, in the R series, the [3]-, [4]-, [5]-, [8]-, [12]-, [16]-, and [20]rotaxanes were isolated in <5 min to 14 h in 88-98% yields. It follows that while in the R' series the higher order oligorotaxanes are formed in lower yields more rapidly, in the R series, the higher order oligorotaxanes are formed in higher yields more slowly. In the R series, the high percentage yields are sustained throughout, despite the fact that up to 39 components are participating in the template-directed self-assembly process. Simple arithmetic reveals that the conversion efficiency for each imine bond formation peaks at 99.9% in the R series and 99.3% in the R' series. This maintenance of reaction efficiency in the R series can be ascribed to positive cooperativity, that is, when one ring is formed it aids and abets the formation of subsequent rings presumably because of stabilizing extended [π···π] stacking interactions between the arene units. Experiments have been performed wherein the dumbbell is starved of the macrocyclic components, and up to five times more of the fully saturated rotaxane is formed than is predicted based on a purely statistical outcome, providing a clear indication that positive cooperativity is operative. Moreover, it would appear that as the R series is traversed from the [3]- to the [4]- to the [5]rotaxane, the cooperativity becomes increasingly positive. This kind of cooperative behavior is not observed for the analogous oligorotaxanes in the R' series. The conventional bevy of analytical techniques (e.g., HR-MS (ESI) and both (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy) help establish the fact that all the oligorotaxanes are pure and monodisperse. Evidence of efficient [π···π] stacking between contiguous arene units in the rings in the R series is revealed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Ion-mobility mass spectrometry performed on the R and R' series yielded the collisional cross sections (CCSs), confirming the rigidity of the R oligorotaxanes and the flexibility of the R' ones. The extended [π···π] stacking interactions are found to be present in the solid-state structures of the [3]- and [4]rotaxanes in the R series and also on the basis of molecular mechanics calculations performed on the entire series of oligomers. The collective data presented herein supports our original design in that the extended [π···π] stacking between contiguous arene units in the rings of the R series of oligorotaxanes facilitate an essentially rigid rod-like conformation with evidence that positive cooperativity improves the efficiency of their formation. This situation stands in sharp contrast to the conformationally flexible R' series where the oligorotaxanes form with no cooperativity.


This study examines the influence of Television programmes on youth dressing pattern in Taraba State University, Jalingo. The researcher employed Taro Yame's formula to select 100 students which formed the sample frame. The study made use of focus group and quantitative survey for its methodology. 8 participants formed the focus group while 100 selected students were distributed questionnaires. All the questionnaires distributed were duly filled and retrieved by the researcher. Data gathered for the quantitative survey were coded in SPSS version 22 and presented in tables with frequency counts and simple percentages while the focus group was textually analyzed. The study revealed among other things that entertainment/musical programmes are the most preferred and watched programmes by youths. The study also revealed that youths imitate the hip hop/hippies and makeup/hairstyles shown on television programmes than any other form of dressing and imitating such dressing makes them appear indecent. The study recommends that Universities and other tertiary institutions should take the issue of dress code serious, punishing students who are found wanting. Local Television presenters should dress decently at all times and no matter their kind of programmes they should know that they are role models and whatever they do is easily copied by the young ones.


Indigenous people face procedural barriers in bringing actions in the Australian legal system, such as the need to frame their claims within Western cultural constructs of individual actions and economic loss, and to transform their stories into the written evidence privileged by courts. But an even greater barrier is the hidden Whiteness of Australian courts, which places Indigenous people as the 'Other' who must either change their claims to conform with 'our' requirements, or be rejected. The case study explored in this article shows how this Whiteness exhibits itself in procedural requirements; in its racialising of Indigenous people, their claims and evidence; and in its assumptions of essentialist views of Indigenous culture as something fixed in the past. Judges and lawyers need to step outside their personae as Whites faced with Others, to adopt one where 'us' embraces Indigenous people and culture too.


This paper proposes EmojiCloud, an open-source Python-based emoji cloud visualization tool, to generate a quick and straightforward understanding of emojis from the perspective of frequency and importance. EmojiCloud is flexible enough to support diverse drawing shapes, such as rectangles, ellipses, and image masked canvases. We also follow inclusive and personalized design principles to cover the unique emoji designs from seven emoji vendors (e.g., Twitter, Apple, and Windows) and allow users to customize plotted emojis and background colors. We hope EmojiCloud can benefit the whole emoji community due to its flexibility, inclusiveness, and customizability.


BACKGROUND
It is the aim of this study to describe both the relationship between age and prevalence as well as age and 5-year incidence of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) for a homogeneous population cohort. The result of the regression model for the prevalence are compared with the models of Tuck-Crick and Quigley-Vitale. In addition, estimations for the number of 5-year incidence cases of POAG are provided for individuals at the age of 40-80 years in Austria for the years in 2001-2006, 2010-2015, 2020-2025 and 2030-2035.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The "Salzburg Moorfields Collaborative Glaucoma Study" (SMCGS) is embedded in a government-supported glaucoma blindness prevention programme in Salzburg county, Austria, which is designed for a screening and follow-up period of at least 10 years. Each subject receives a complete ophthalmological examination. In total, the findings of 853 subjects are analysed and evaluated applying the guidelines of the European glaucoma society.

RESULTS
The results of the regression analysis for the prevalences are in good agreement with the models of Tuck-Crick and Quigley-Vitale. The best correlation was found for individuals between 40 and 80 years of age. The 5-year incidences increase is statistically significant (p < 0.001) with increasing age: the 5-year incidences of individuals at the age of 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years are 0.07 % (95 % confidence interval: 0.005 - 0.9 %), 0.2 % (0.04 - 1.2 %), 0.7 % (0.3 - 1.9 %), 2.3 % (1 - 5.2 %) and 6.9 % (1.7 - 24.0 %), respectively.

CONCLUSION
The age-dependent prevalences in this glaucoma screening program are in good agreement with the regression models of Tuck-Crick and Quigley-Vitale, especially in the age range of 40 - 80 years. The model for the 5-year incidences describes the tight relationship between age and 5-year risk for POAG. We estimate the number of new POAG cases in Austria in 2001-2006, 2010-2015, 2020-2025 and 2030-2035 at the age between 40 and 80 years to reach 49 100, 52 100, 62 000 and 69 600 patients, respectively.


Modulus of elasticity of loosely cross-linked poly(isobutylene) gels are measured under large compressive deformations. Gels of perfect spherical shape are prepared by the suspension cross-linking technique of dilute toluene solutions of butyl rubber using sulfur monochloride as a cross-linking agent. Compressive deformation is applied by a calibrated stainless steel cantilever to spherical poly(isobutylene) beads of sizes ca. 1.0±4.0 mm in diameter swollen in toluene. The relationship between force and deformation is obtained by using the constitutive relations from molecular theory of elasticity. Moduli are measured immediately after applying compression, and after full relaxation which obtains after solvent exudes the gels under compression. The instantaneous moduli are an order of magnitude larger than equilibrium moduli. Results of mechanical measurements, which are presently of a preliminary type, are compared with those from independent thermodynamic estimates of shear moduli. q 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


Large-scale re-engineering of synonymous sites is a promising strategy to generate attenuated viruses for vaccines. Attenuation typically relies on de-optimisation of codon pairs and maximization of CpG dinculeotide frequencies. So as to formulate evolutionarily-informed attenuation strategies, that aim to force nucleotide usage against the estimated direction favoured by selection, here we examine available whole-genome sequences of SARS-CoV2 to infer patterns of mutation and selection on synonymous sites. Analysis of mutational profiles indicates a strong mutation bias towards T with concomitant selection against T. Accounting for dinucleotide effects reinforces this conclusion, observed TT content being a quarter of that expected under neutrality. A significantly different mutational profile at CDS sites that are not 4-fold degenerate is consistent with contemporaneous selection against T mutations more widely. Although selection against CpG dinucleotides is expected to drive synonymous site G+C content below mutational equilibrium, observed G+C content is slightly above equilibrium, possibly because of selection for higher expression. Consistent with gene-specific selection against CpG dinucleotides, we observe systematic differences of CpG content between SARS-CoV2 genes. We propose an evolutionarily informed gene-bespoke approach to attenuation that, unusually, seeks to increase usage of the already most common synonymous codons. Comparable analysis of H1N1 and Ebola finds that GC3 deviated from neutral equilibrium is not a universal feature, cautioning against generalization of results.


The environmental effects of both increased urbanization and eutrophication are of growing global concern. Coastal areas, like those found on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, often experience severe impacts associated with the biogeochemical effects accompanying increased nitrogen pollution. Cape Cod is home to roughly 1,000 ponds and lakes which play an important role in local ecosystems, but the cycling of nitrogen in these waters is not well understood. The goal of this research is to identify the major biogeochemical cycling processes responsible for the fate of nitrogen in a nitrogen-rich, coastal, stratified pond. The investigation was carried out through regular high-resolution measurement and monitoring of environmental conditions, nitrogen speciation, and isotopic composition over the course of a summer. Elevated nitrogen concentrations coupled with strong redox gradients make Siders Pond an ideal place for studying dynamics of nitrogen transformations, giving insight into nitrogen retention or removal, which influence water quality. These data demonstrate significant dissolved nitrogen loss from the pond over the course of the summer as well as internal nitrogen cycling that promotes dissolved nitrogen accumulation to extreme levels in the deepest depths. The physical dynamics of mixing promote a coupling of nitrification and denitrification across this redox gradient, driving N loss while also supplying the sunlit waters with nutrient-rich deep water. A simple time-resolved box model suggests that approximately 50% of the upwardly delivered N is removed, while the other portion supports recycling through photosynthetic uptake. While dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) is widely considered refractory material and is rarely measured or reported in environmental studies, here there is evidence for a large and dynamic pool of DON within Siders Pond suggesting important dynamics between organic and inorganic pools in regulating N loss. While nitrate is a commonly used measurement for assessing N contamination, this work highlights the parallel importance of monitoring additional species (including ammonium and DON) for determining eutrophication/contamination. A deeper understanding of Siders Pond can be used to elucidate nitrogen cycling dynamics in analogous redox-stratified systems, including other lakes and ponds, or modern ocean regions such as the Santa Barbara and Cariaco Basins and the Baltic and Black Seas.


Examining the relationship between the archbishops of Ravenna and the exarchal title can help to evaluate the nature and use of the Byzantine legacy in the region after the end of Byzantine rule in the middle of the eighth century as well as the position of the archbishops vis-à-vis the Holy Roman and Byzantine empires, the papacy and local powers. This paper discusses the evidence concerning the eighth century, suggesting that it did not refer only to the legacy of the Byzantine governors of Italy but also to issues concerning the status of the archbishops in the ecclesiastical hierarchy and the wider western empire. It also compares it with that concerning the short-lived resurrection of the title in the twelfth century, re-assessing its links with Emperor Frederick Barbarossa's revival of imperial hegemony against the papacy and even against Byzantium itself, which at this time was engaged in a last attempt to revive its power in the Adriatic, and suggesting a connection with the theory of translatio imperii.


AIM
Analyze the concept "tipping point" in the older adult family caregiving context to further knowledge about caregiving families, enhancing transdisciplinary theory, research, and practice.

BACKGROUND
While used commonly in some disciplines, how "tipping point" has been used in health care, generally, and in relation to caregiving families, specifically, is less clear. This project was conducted to offer conceptual clarity to tipping point.

DESIGN
Walker and Avant's framework.

DATA SOURCE
Searches of scholarly literature in PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed using the search term "tipping point" in either title or abstract.

REVIEW METHODS
Definitions used were extracted; instances when the concept was implied but the actual term "tipping point" was not used and contexts where the term was used or implied were identified.

RESULTS
The composite definition of a caregiving tipping point is a seemingly abrupt, severe, and absolute change event involving either the older adult or caregiver(s), or both that indicates a breakdown in the status quo of the caregiving system.

CONCLUSIONS
Transdisciplinary research, care, and policy should treat caregiving families as complex systems, use longitudinal assessments, and include colloquial communication. Early detection of impending tipping points will provide family-centered decisional support and enhance families' quality of life and safety.


Following the publication of this paper, the authors requested that Daqing Zhao also be included as a joint author for correspondence. The Editor has granted this request, and therefore, the revised information for the corresponding authors is presented as follows (changes highlighted in bold): MANYING WANG1,2*, RUI JIANG1*, JIANZENG LIU2, XIAOHAO XU1, GUANG SUN1, DAQING ZHAO2,3 and LIWEI SUWN1,3. 1Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130021; 2Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine; 3Key Laboratory of Active Substances and Biological Mechanisms of Ginseng Efficacy, Ministry of Education, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China. Correspondence to: Professor Liwei Sun, Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, 1478 Gongnong Street, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China. E‑mail: email@example.com. Professor Daqing Zhao, Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, 1035 Boshuo Road, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China. E‑mail: firstname.lastname@example.com. All the authors agree to this Corrigendum, and they are grateful to the Editor for allowing this Corrigendum to be published. [the original article was published in Molecular Medicine Reports 23: Article no. 306, 2021; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.11945].


The notion of musical motion is scrutinised by means of novel animation software, called Pitch-Dynamics Motion Microscope (PDMM), which is rooted in the so-called pYIN algorithm. Musicians' exemplary vocalisations of musical intentions are identified as fruitful targets for the analysis of expressive continuity that emerges from discrete tonal sequences. In this study two of legendary conductor Carlos Kleiber's vocalised passages, taken from the overtures to Der Freischutz, and Die Fledermaus, are analysed. While music visualisation software that enables pitch correspondence is usually bound to MIDI data, PDMM animations visualise actual frequency fluctuations of voices (or continuous pitch instruments). Thus, they open the door to a whole new view on intended musical motion, allowing for direct interplay between software modelling and genuine aesthetic questions about melodic shaping and its meaning. The study's findings suggest that one cannot derive musical motion from temporal musical characteristics alone. Further, it denies the possibility of any straightforward algorithmic motion modelling based on discrete data in relation to isolated musical parameters, which implies that continuous motion streams and discrete melodic characteristics are separate phenomena. The human voice or continuous pitch instruments, however, can acoustically blur this boundary, something which particularly takes place in aesthetic instruction. Ultimately, from this brief case study, one can conclude that, while PDMM is able to establish an isomorphism between visual animation and musical movement, musical motion itself should not be considered a subsidiary notion that essentially is rooted in the concept of Euclidean space.


Amelogenin is an enamel matrix protein also expressed in periodontal tissues. Recent studies suggest that lysosome-associated membrane proteins (LAMPs) can bind cell surface amelogenin and act as signaling receptors for amelogenin in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells and cementoblasts in vitro. However, whether amelogenin and LAMPs are involved in the development of periodontal tissues is unclear. To address this issue, we used immunohistochemistry to profile LAMPs and amelogenin expression during periodontal tissue development. Paraffin sections from mice at embryonic day 15 (E15) and 1, 2, and 4 weeks were made, and serial sections at each age were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, followed by immunostaining with anti- amelogenin, LAMP-1, and LAMP-3. At E15, dental follicle cells, which are the source of periodontal tissues, were amelogenin-positive and weakly positive for LAMP-1 and LAMP-3. At 1 week, dental follicle cells were immunopositive for amelogenin and LAMP-1 but weakly positive for LAMP-3. At 2 weeks, PDL cells were positive for amelogenin and LAMP-1 but negative for LAMP-3. At 4 weeks, PDL cells were immunopositive for both amelogenin and LAMP-1. These results suggest that LAMP-1 is expressed in both the dental follicle and PDL, and that LAMP-1 and LAMP-3 have temporally distinct roles as signaling receptors for amelogenin.


Purpose
Tropical storms Urduja and Vinta battered the Philippines in December 2017. Despite advances in disaster risk reduction efforts of the country, the twin December storms caused numerous deaths in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Analysis of these events shows that alerts raised during the Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) for both storms were largely ineffective because they were too broad and general calling for forced evacuations in too many provinces. Repeated multiple and general warnings that usually do not end up in floods or landslides, desensitize people and result in the cry-wolf effect where communities do not respond with urgency when needed. It was unlike the previous execution of PDRA from 2014 to early 2017 by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), which averted mass loss of lives in many severely impacted areas because of hazard-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. PDRA must reinstate specific calls, where mayors of communities are informed by phone hours in advance of imminent danger to prompt and ensure immediate action. Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction information using probabilistic (multi-scenario) hazard maps is also necessary for an effective early warning system to elicit appropriate response from the community. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
Methods of early warning through the PDRA of the National Disaster Mitigation and Management Council (NDRRMC) of the Philippines during tropical storm Urduja and Typhoon Vinta were assessed in this study and compared to the previous PDRA system from 2014 to early 2017.

Findings
It was found out that the numerous casualties were due to inadequate warning issued during the approach of the tropical cyclones. During an impending hazard, warnings must be accurate, reliable, understandable and timely. Despite the availability of maps that identified safe zones for different communities, warnings raised during the PDRA for both tropical cyclones were deemed too general calling for evacuations of whole provinces. As such, not all communities were evacuated in a timely manner because of failure in the key elements of an effective early warning system.

Originality/value
To avoid future disasters from happening, it is recommended that the PDRA reinstate its hazards-specific, area-focused and time-bound warnings. Similarly, to increase the resilience of communities, more work on mainstreaming of Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk and Vulnerability Reduction systems for communities must be done as well. Learning from the lessons of these previous disasters will enable communities, their leaders and every stakeholder, not to repeat the same mistakes in the future.


Language and society may influence each other. Study regarding the relationship between these two has always been interesting to conduct. This current research aims to see the use of language in its relation to social context used in a movie entitled "Freedom Writers" and the factors behind it. This study used a descriptive qualitative method. The data were obtained from Freedom Writers' movie script which was taken from www.imsdb.com Freedom Writers Script – Transcript from the Screenplay and/or the Hillary Swank Movie . First, the utterances by the characters were classified based on some linguistic features; phonology, morphology, syntax, as well as vocabulary. Then, they were analyzed to see how the characters, the white and the colored-people, used different versions of English to mark the identity of their social status in the society. The results show that there are some differences of linguistic features used by different groups of people based on their status in the society. These differences are caused by some factors. Apart from race, education level and social background are the factors that influence the forming of language styles used by a person. Keywords: Sociolinguistic, Syntax, Morphology, Phonology, Freedom Writers Movie.


High incidence, severity and wide distribution of adhesive processes affecting the abdominal organs and the content of the hernial sacs in 250 patients with big and great postoperative ventral hernias were closely associated with the features, clinical manifestations of the disease and character of treatment. The author's experience shows that prolonged postoperative purgation, maximum possible disjoining of adhesions, early activization of the patients and of the evacuo-motor function of the gastrointestinal tract in the early postoperative period are necessary components of the complex surgical treatment of patients with such pathology.


Ataxin-1 is a neurodegenerative disorder protein whose mutant form causes spinocerebellar ataxia type-1 (SCA1). Evidence suggests that ataxin-1 may function as a transcription repressor. However, neither the importance of this putative transcriptional repression activity in neural cytotoxicity nor the transcriptional targets of ataxin-1 are known. Here we identify the MEF2-HDAC4 transcriptional complex involved in neuron survival as a target of ataxin-1. We show that ataxin-1 binds specifically to histone deacetylase-4 (HDAC4) and MEF2 and colocalizes with them in nuclear inclusion bodies. Significantly, these interactions are greatly reduced by the S776A mutation, which largely abrogates the cytotoxicity of ataxin-1. Supporting the importance of these interactions, we show that wild type ataxin-1 represses MEF2-dependent transcription, whereas the S776A mutant is less potent. Furthermore, overexpression of MEF2 can partially reverse cytotoxicity caused by ataxin-1. Our results identify the MEF2-HDAC4 complex as a target for ataxin-1 transcriptional repression activity and suggest a novel pathogenic mechanism whereby ataxin-1 sequesters and inhibits the neuronal survival factor MEF2.


In this paper, we report a method by which the ion quantity is estimated rapidly with an accuracy of 4%. This finding is based on the low-temperature ion density theory and combined with the ion crystal size obtained from experiment with the precision of a micrometer. The method is objective, straightforward, and independent of the molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The result can be used as the reference for the MD simulation, and the method can improve the reliability and precision of MD simulation. This method is very helpful for intensively studying ion crystal, such as phase transition, spatial configuration, temporal evolution, dynamic character, cooling efficiency, and the temperature limit of the ions.


In modern obstetrics, considerable attention is paid to the problem of perinatal losses, both in psychological and medical circles. Despite the progressive development of perinatal psychology, the availability of psychologists in the staff of the maternity hospital, the issue of care for women with antenatal fetal death (AED) need further interdisciplinary development. According to state statistics, the main share in the structure of perinatal mortality is antenatal fetal death - 78%, which has a negative impact on both women and medical staff. At the same time, physicians have general feelings that can negatively affect their psychological state. The so-called emotional burnout syndrome appears.
Peculiarities of a woman's psychological state during pregnancy, the dynamics of its changes are prognostic to identify the type of mother-child relationship after childbirth, so even during pregnancy we can confidently conclude that it is possible to provide adequate education for future generations.
Loss of pregnancy is accompanied by a sharp change in the psyche of women, which is manifested by depression, emotional stress, fear of subsequent attempts to have a child. It is also exacerbated by the fact that abortion is accompanied by pain, bleeding or hemorrhage, surgery, and sometimes extended surgery. The combination of stress with burdened sociocultural and psychological factors as a result forms a complex picture of traumatic experience, the so-called "interacting trauma" according to Emerson.
The incidence of depression during pregnancy in the world ranges from 15% to 65%. According to the world literature, the reasons for the high prevalence of depression are insufficient social and partner support during pregnancy, difficult living conditions, personal hidden fears and mental disorders. Given that pregnancy itself is a psychological burden on a woman's nervous system, and pregnant women with a history of RAM have "interacting trauma", the issue of psychological support of pregnant women is highly relevant.


For over thirty years, numerous studies have discussed the contradiction between the growing importance of information literacy instruction to the Library's core mission and lack of pedagogical training for new librarians. This article reviews the more recent contributions on the topic, presents a survey of New York State MLS curricula and describes initiatives of pedagogy training offered in that region outside of MLS programs. The authors focus on the Library Instruction Leadership Academy (LILAC), an innovative, semester-long training program created in Western New York State to offer instruction in the pedagogical foundation and practical experience essential for teaching information literacy skills effectively. They provide details of the program's content, organization, funding, assessment methods, and learning outcomes. While regional initiatives like LILAC prove to be very valuable to their participants, the authors aim to apply pressure on MLS programs to establish curricular requirements better suited to the demands of today's librarianship.


We have reported previously that, in a human melanoma xenograft line, plating efficiency and drug sensitivity in vitro were enhanced under hypoxic conditions. In the present study, we show that the in vitro chemosensitivity data using clonogenic assays at 5% oxygen also correlate better with the drug-induced in vivo growth delay. Tumors implanted in bilaterally symmetrical locations grew at different rates, and response to chemotherapy was also variable. Cell cycle changes in the xenograft, as monitored by flow cytometry, suggest that major changes in cell cycle traverse occur when a drug is active in vitro and also causes in vivo growth delay. These studies indicate the usefulness of the nude mouse human xenografts to study correlations between soft agar clonogenic assays, in vivo growth delay, and cell cycle traverse in response to chemotherapeutic manipulation.


Neural network analyses based on the self-organizing map (SOM) and the growing hierarchical selforganizing map (GHSOM) are used to examine patterns of the sea surface temperature (SST) variability on the West Florida Shelf from time series of daily SST maps from 1998 to 2002. Four characteristic SST patterns are extracted in the first-layer GHSOM array: winter and summer season patterns, and two transitional patterns. Three of them are further expanded in the second layer, yielding more detailed structures in these seasons. The winter pattern is one of low SST, with isotherms aligned approximately along isobaths. The summer pattern is one of high SST distributed in a horizontally uniform manner. The spring transition includes a midshelf cold tongue. Similar analyses performed on SST anomaly data provide further details of these seasonally varying patterns. It is demonstrated that the GHSOM analysis is more effective in extracting the inherent SST patterns than the widely used EOF method. The underlying patterns in a dataset can be visualized in the SOM array in the same form as the original data, while they can only be expressed in anomaly form in the EOF analysis. Some important features, such as asymmetric SST anomaly patterns of winter/summer and cold/warm tongues, can be revealed by the SOM array but cannot be identified in the lowest mode EOF patterns. Also, unlike the EOF or SOM techniques, the hierarchical structure in the input data can be extracted by the GHSOM analysis.


This paper aims to explain the practice of pawning in Sariek Laweh, the law on the use of land pawning objects in Minangkabau from the perspective of Islamic scholars, and the solutions of pawning. This research is a field study using a normative approach, which is analyzed using a comparative descriptive method. The results of the study are: that in general, pawning in Minangkabau is carried out with the ability to use the object of land pawning and to take all the proceeds by the pawn holder. This applies until the mortgagee is able to pay off the debt. Scholars have different opinions regarding the use of pawn objects by pawn holders, the majority ( jumhur ulama ) forbid it. The second opinion ( minority ) says that it is permissible to take advantage of the pawn object, but there are still provisions in this matter. Based on the findings of this study, the practice of pawning in Sariek Laweh is not in accordance with the provisions of the Islamic Sharia which are seen from various schools of thought, apart from the element of exploitation of the pawn holder, the mortgagee does not receive any compensation from the goods used, other than fixed loan funds which must be paid according to the amount of the initial loan, without any reduction, also because there are conditions for taking benefits included in the contract, all schools of thought agree that this practice is not permissible. Regarding the pawning solution, it is in the form of musyarakah between the pawn holder and the owner of the pawn object. The pawn holder processes and takes the proceeds with a sharing system with the land owner.


Cognitive radio (CR) is a promising technology to address the challenge of spectrum scarcity due to the massive number of objects in the Internet of Things (IoT). Equipping IoT objects with CR capability can also alleviate interference situations and achieve seamless connectivity in IoT. This paper deals with CR spectrum sensing and proposes a new eigenvalue-based detector by exploiting the summation of multiple large eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of received signals. By analyzing the distribution of the sum of the dependent large eigenvalues, we derive an approximate but explicit expression for the theoretical performance of the proposed detector. The theoretical analysis of the proposed detector is validated and its superior performance is demonstrated with real world signals. It is shown that the proposed detector outperforms the existing eigenvalue-based detectors and is more robust against noise uncertainty.


Studies in visual category learning show that participants use different category generalization strategies. Some studies report a preference for a rule-based strategy, while others report a preference for a similarity-based strategy. We conducted category learning experiments in which we varied three variables — family resemblance of a category, saliency of the defining rule and presentation of transfer stimulus after a delay. Our results show that these factors influence the choice of category generalization strategy. Our study offers a possible explanation for the divergent results in the literature.


After the Cancun summit, experts have tried to find reasons for the failure in the conduct of trade negotiations. This new round is apparently complex, due to multiple reasons. Some are institutional, for example the WTO consensus approach. Others are clearly the results of a political economic process: in rich countries, protection and subsidies are today concentrated in the agricultural sector, of which the liberalization constitutes a major stake for developing countries. Finally, multilateral trade negotiations could lead to an erosion of preferential margins of some developing countries in their market access to large and rich countries. All these elements may explain the formation of coalitions, but whether they are really homogenous is questionable (G90, G22, Cairns group…).

This paper aims to examine why WTO members, with specific national interests due to economic reasons, agree to take part in coalitions in order to influence the conduct of trade negotiations. The approach is not traditional, as we test the economic impact of a large set of scenarios on each country or trading zone. The object is to identify for which countries a coalition is beneficial, and why. Then an estimation of the margins of negotiation for the Doha Development Round is conducted.
Using the MIRAGE model (CEPII), 128 trade liberalisation scenarios are assessed. These scenarios results from the combining of various liberalisation formulas, the application, or not, of Special and Differentiated Treatment, of a sector-based or a global approach and are based on the Macmaps HS6-database (CEPII & ITC). Moreover, a hierarchy of solutions is drawn for each country and each trading zone. It allows for an estimation of the room for manoeuvre in the conduct of multilateral negotiations.

Two methodological issues are fundamental :
- the multinational model is applied on a consistent geographical and sector breakdown, with respect to the object of the study. Group of countries are constituted on the basis of identical preferential access, trade specialization and geographical and product structure of their exports. Some key sectors are also identified: cereals, meat, dairy products, sugar, textile, apparel…
- A precise definition of national interests is also an important issue. Traditional criteria (GDP, sector output, factors remunerations, exports…) are examined. The study stresses the importance of an indicator which combines political and economic motivations of negotiators. The economic motivation is tackled by the evolution of national exports, while the political aspect is formalized by minimizing the sum of the squared job losses (in relative terms and by sector).

Finally, the simulations make it possible to characterize the key elements of the negotiations and stress the best way to reach a global compromise.


Model-based face analysis is a general paradigm with applications that include face recognition, expression recognition, lipreading, head pose estimation, and gaze estimation. A face model is first constructed from a collection of training data, either 2D images or 3D range scans. The face model is then fit to the input image(s) and the model parameters used in whatever the application is. Most existing face models can be classified as either 2D (e.g. Active Appearance Models) or 3D (e.g. Morphable Models.) In this paper we compare 2D and 3D face models along four axes: (1) representational power, (2) construction, (3) real-time fitting, and (4) self occlusion reasoning. For each axis in turn, we outline the differences that result from using a 2D or a 3D face model.


The square-cylindrical cup of AZ31 Mg alloy with a depth of 50mm and a width of 50 mm was successfully deep drawn from a rolled sheet with a thickness of 0.5 mm using a hydraulic press machine with a capacity of 60 tons. The blank was heated between the die and the blank holder kept in a temperature of 300 oC .The forming time was about 3 seconds. The fine-grained microstructure was observed at the corner with a sever strain. The grain refinement caused by the dynamic recrystallization contributed to generate high strain-rate superplasticity.


Background Strengthening social integration could prevent suicidal behavior. However, minimal research has examined social integration through relationship network structure. To address this important gap, we tested whether structural characteristics of school networks predict school rates of ideation and attempts. Methods In 38 US high schools, 10,291 students nominated close friends and trusted adults to construct social networks. We used mixed‐effects logistic regression models to test individual student networks and likelihood of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA); and linear regression models to estimate associations between school network characteristics and school rates of SI, SA, and SA among all with ideation. Results Lower peer network integration and cohesion increased likelihood of SI and SA across individual and school‐level models. Two factors increased SA: student isolation from adults and suicidal students' popularity and clustering. A multivariable model identified higher SA in schools where youth–adult relationships were concentrated in fewer students (B = 4.95 [1.46, 8.44]) and suicidal students had higher relative popularity versus nonsuicidal peers (B = 0.93 [0.10, 1.77]). Schools had lower SA rates when more students named the same trusted adults named by friends and many students named the same trusted adults. When adjusting for depression, violence victimization and bullying, estimates for adult network characteristics were substantially unchanged whereas some peer effects decreased. Conclusions Schoolwide peer and youth–adult relationship patterns influence SA rates beyond individual student connections. Network characteristics associated with suicide attempts map onto three theory‐informed domains: social integration versus thwarted relational needs, group cohesion, and suicidal students' social influence. Network interventions addressing these processes, such as maximizing youth–adult connections schoolwide and heightening influence of youth with healthy coping, could create more protective schools. Longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to determine how schools differentiate in network structure and clarify reciprocal dynamics between network characteristics and suicidal behavior.


The significance of the rate transfer argument used in a class of two-stage source and channel coding problems is discussed. A very simple necessary and sufficient condition is derived as to when the argument helps expand the achievability region. Special attention is paid to several example scenarios such as successive refinement with or without side information, and degraded broadcast channels. Finally, for reliable separate source-channel coding, whether a test based on comparing marginal source and channel rate regions is more restrictive than comparing cumulative rate regions, obtained after using the rate transfer argument, is discussed. It turns out that if rate transfer does not matter in either the source or the channel coding problem, the two tests are equivalent.


Two patients with ichthyosiform erythroderma of the same unusual but characteristic distribution are described. Both patients were born with perceptive deafness and developed severe vascularizing keratitis in early childhood. There is no family history of the disorder in either case. This syndrome is discussed in relation to previous reports of atypical ichthyosiform erythroderma associated with deafness.


In the analysis of thermoacoustic systems, a flame is usually characterised by the way its heat release responds to acoustic forcing. This response depends on the hydrodynamic stability of the flame. Some flames, such as a premixed bunsen flame, are hydrodynamically globally stable. They respond only at the forcing frequency. Other flames, such as a jet diffusion flame, are hydrodynamically globally unstable. They oscillate at their own natural frequencies and are often assumed to be insensitive to low-amplitude forcing at other frequencies. If a hydrodynamically globally unstable flame really is insensitive to forcing at other frequencies, then it should be possible to weaken thermoacoustic oscillations by detuning the frequency of the natural hydrodynamic mode from that of the natural acoustic modes. This would be very beneficial for industrial combustors. In this thesis, that assumption of insensitivity to forcing is tested experimentally. This is done by acoustically forcing two different selfexcited flows: a non-reacting jet and a reacting jet. Both jets have regions of absolute instability at their base and this causes them to exhibit varicose oscillations at discrete natural frequencies. The forcing is applied around these frequencies, at varying amplitudes, and the response examined over a range of frequencies (not just at the forcing frequency). The overall system is then modelled as a forced van der Pol oscillator. The results show that, contrary to some expectations, a hydrodynamically self-excited jet oscillating at one frequency is sensitive to forcing at other frequencies. When forced at low amplitudes, the jet responds at both frequencies as well as at several nearby frequencies, and there is beating, indicating quasiperiodicity. When forced at high amplitudes, however, it locks into the forcing. The critical forcing amplitude required for lock-in increases with the deviation of the forcing frequency from the natural frequency. This increase is linear, indicating a Hopf bifurcation to a global mode. The lock-in curve has a characteristic ∨ shape, but with two subtle asymmetries about the natural frequency. The first asymmetry concerns the forcing amplitude required for lock-in. In the non-reacting jet, higher amplitudes are required when the forcing frequency is above the natural frequency. In the reacting jet, lower amplitudes are required when the forcing frequency is above the natural frequency. The second asymmetry concerns the broadband response at lock-in. In the non-reacting jet, this response is always weaker than the unforced response, regardless of whether the forcing frequency is above or below the natural frequency. In the reacting jet, that response is weaker than the unforced response when the forcing frequency is above the natural frequency, but is stronger than it when the forcing frequency is below the natural frequency. In the reacting jet, weakening the global instability – by adding coflow or by diluting the fuel mixture – causes the flame to lock in at lower forcing amplitudes. This finding, however, cannot be detected in the flame describing function. That is because the flame describing function captures the response at only the forcing frequency and ignores all other frequencies, most notably those arising from the natural mode and from its interactions with the forcing. Nevertheless, the flame describing function does show a rise in gain below the natural frequency and a drop above it, consistent with the broadband response. Many of these features can be predicted by the forced van der Pol oscillator. They include (i) the coexistence of the natural and forcing frequencies before lock-in; (ii) the presence of multiple spectral peaks around these competing frequencies, indicating quasiperiodicity; (iii) the occurrence of lock-in above a critical forcing amplitude; (iv) the ∨-shaped lock-in curve; and (v) the reduced broadband response at lock-in. There are, however, some features that cannot be predicted. They include (i) the asymmetry of the forcing amplitude required for lock-in, found in both jets; (ii) the asymmetry of the response at lock-in, found in the reacting jet; and (iii) the interactions between the fundamental and harmonics of both the natural and forcing frequencies, found in both jets.


She was thought to have Parkinson's disease but when she became rapidly unconscious (3 days after the above examination) CT scan (fig) revealed a large left hemisphere intrinsic tumour with contra-lateral hydrocephalus. The patient continued her rapid deterioration and died. Unfortunately a post-mortem examination was not obtained. Our patient's Parkinsonian features were more prominent in her arms, suggesting that hydrocephalus was not the mechanism responsible for the Parkinsonism and that direct infiltration of tumour into the contra-lateral basal ganglia may have contributed. This case illustrates that unlike Navarro et al's patient, tell-tale symptoms or signs of cerebral tumour are not always present in a patient with Parkinsonism secondary to intrinsic brain tumour.


OBJECTIVE
CTLA-4 is a negative regulator of the immune response expressed by regulatory T (Treg) cells and activated T cells. Polymorphisms in the CTLA4 gene have been associated with autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus. Disease-associated polymorphisms have been shown to affect the production of the different CTLA-4 variants through an effect on alternative splicing. This study was undertaken to evaluate the role of the 1/4 CTLA-4 isoform in lupus-prone mice.

METHODS
We generated an MRL/lpr mouse strain that transgenically overexpresses a short isoform of CTLA-4 (1/4 CTLA-4) by backcrossing C57BL/6.1/4CTLA-4-transgenic mice to the MRL/lpr strain for 9 generations. A new antibody was generated to detect the expression of the 1/4 CTLA-4 isoform. Routine methods were used to evaluate kidney damage, humoral immunity, and cellular immunity.

RESULTS
Expression of the 1/4 CTLA-4 isoform accelerated autoimmune disease. Transgenic mice died earlier, had more severe renal disease, and had higher titers of anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies than wild-type MRL/lpr mice. The acceleration of autoimmunity and disease pathology associated with the presence of the short (1/4) isoform of CTLA-4 was linked to increased numbers of activated T cells and B cells and heightened interferon-γ production, but not to altered expression of the full-length CTLA-4 molecule or Treg cell numbers.

CONCLUSION
Our results indicate that the presence of the alternatively spliced 1/4 CTLA-4 isoform can further promote autoimmunity and autoimmune pathology in lupus-prone mice and suggest that altered splicing of CTLA4 contributes to the expression of autoimmune disease.


Using whole cells as antigens, specific egg yolk antibodies (IgY) were generated respectively against Shewanella putrefaciens and Pseudomonas fluorescens, two important spoilage bacteria in aquatic products. The obtained IgY exhibited a high and specific affinity to corresponding antigen bacteria. A concentration-dependent antimicrobial activity of the specific IgY was observed in liquid medium. Compared to control groups, the cell number of S. putrefaciens and P. fluorescens was reduced approximately 84.7% and 88.1%, respectively, in the presence of specific IgY (contain salts) at a concentration of 200 mg/mL after 8 h of incubation. Similar growth inhibitory effects were also observed in solid medium, in which the inhibition ratio was calculated as 52.8% and 62.5% for S. putrefaciens and P. fluorescens, respectively, in the presence of specific IgY at a concentration of 100 mg/mL. These results indicated a great potential of specific IgY as a safe and natural antimicrobial agent for aquatic food preservations.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of mask use on viral respiratory infection risk.

DATA SOURCES
MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library.

STUDY SELECTION
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) included in at least 1 published systematic review comparing the use of masks with a control group, either in community or health care settings, on the risk of viral respiratory infections.

SYNTHESIS
In total, 11 systematic reviews were included and 18 RCTs of 26 444 participants were found, 12 in the community and 6 in health care workers. Included studies had limitations and were deemed at high risk of bias. Overall, the use of masks in the community did not reduce the risk of influenza, confirmed viral respiratory infection, influenzalike illness, or any clinical respiratory infection. However, in the 2 trials that most closely aligned with mask use in real-life community settings, there was a significant risk reduction in influenzalike illness (risk ratio [RR] = 0.83; 95% CI 0.69 to 0.99). The use of masks in households with a sick contact was not associated with a significant infection risk reduction in any analysis, no matter if masks were used by the sick individual, the healthy family members, or both. In health care workers, surgical masks were superior to cloth masks for preventing influenzalike illness (RR = 0.12; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.98), and N95 masks were likely superior to surgical masks for preventing influenzalike illness (RR = 0.78; 95% CI 0.61 to 1.00) and any clinical respiratory infections (RR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.90 to 1.00).

CONCLUSION
This systematic review found limited evidence that the use of masks might reduce the risk of viral respiratory infections. In the community setting, a possible reduced risk of influenzalike illness was found among mask users. In health care workers, the results show no difference between N95 masks and surgical masks on the risk of confirmed influenza or other confirmed viral respiratory infections, although possible benefits from N95 masks were found for preventing influenzalike illness or other clinical respiratory infections. Surgical masks might be superior to cloth masks but data are limited to 1 trial.


The acceptance of gay males in sport is growing in various western countries. However, research also suggests that young males, including athletes, tend to engage in homonegative speech acts, often called microaggressions, that make it difficult for them to navigate practices of masculinity. We used solicited diaries or diary logs written by (non-)heterosexual young male team sport athletes (aged 16–25) to investigate how they experienced and heard expressions of homonegative and heteronormative microaggressive speech acts. We drew on Foucault's notion of discourse, Butler's conceptualization of performativity of heteronormativity and Sue's work on microaggressions to examine how microaggressive speech acts by young male athletes reflect current sexual and gender cultural norms. The results revealed how homonegative speech acts were embedded in a gay aesthetic and abject femininity and used to endorse a desirable heteronormative masculinity. We concluded that homonegative microaggressive speech acts contribute to the preservation of discursive heteronormativity in sport despite growing acceptance of non-heterosexual male athletes.


The concept of spiking hydrocarbon fuels such as kerosenes with liquid silicon hydrides in order to render the fuel combination hypergolic and to improve the combustion efficiency is presented and preliminarily analyzed. In view of scarcity of available data, various approaches are used, among them quantum-mechanical ab initio calculations for the thermodynamics and shock-tube measurements for the kinetics of higher, liquid silanes. Based on these results and other data, performance predictions indicate that miscible hydrocarbon/silicon hydride fuels (HC/SH) have the potential to be stored in a single tank, to be hypergolic with many oxidizers, and to yield similar, partly better specific impulses (and volume-specific impulses) than hydrocarbon fuels without silane additives. A variety of hybrid HC/SH fuel combinations seems to be accessible, which might offer the possibility to design a fuel combination with characteristics adjustable in a wide range. The current and future availability of larger amounts of liquid silanes is discussed.


Supercapacitor (SC) with organic electrolyte or ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte can generally store/release higher energy than that with an aqueous electrolyte, due to a larger operating voltage window of a non-aqueous electrolytes. A carbon is synthesized by a facile impregnate-activation method from renewable woody biomass, which has twice of the specific surface area and pore volume than the sample synthesized by conventional KOH activation. Biomass-derived carbons with high ion accessible surface area and highly integrated micropores and mesopores provide superior capacitance, excellent rate capability and good stability in both organic electrolyte and IL electrolytes. Significant enhancement in the capacitance and rate capability were obtained by the generation of micropores similar to the ion size and better pore network through removal of impurities in the biomass. High specific capacitances of 146 F g−1 in the organic electrolyte and 224 F g−1 in the IL electrolyte at current density of 0.1 A g−1 are achieved. Highly integrated micro- and mesoporous structure leads to a good rate capability of 100% capacitance retention at current density up to 10 A g−1 in the organic electrolyte and 67% capacitance retention at current density up to 7 A g−1 in the IL. With the large voltage offered by the non-aqueous electrolyte, the material can store/release high maximum energy of 26 W h kg−1 and 92 W h kg−1 in the organic electrolyte and IL electrolyte, respectively. It reveals that the biomass derived carbon is a promising and cost effective candidate for electrodes in high performance SCs.


This research note highlights eclectic approaches to analyze recreational cruise sustainability. Whilst recreational cruising have become increasingly popular, studies to date are largely fragmented, often adopting an economically-centric perspective based on a particular cruise market or specific destinations. This research note advances cross-disciplinary perspectives to analyze recreational cruise sustainability via novel data-collection methods such as geographical information systems (GIS), remote sensing data, along with underwater and surface audio recording of cruise-related and marine biology (dolphins, humpback whales) activities. These methods may prove extremely effective to inform contemporary and future theory and management practices related to sustainable real-time impacts on visitor mobility to manage parks and recreational zones. Subscribe to JPRA


This paper presents an innovative conditioning and read-out interface for resistive MEMS sensor. The proposed structure is implemented along with offset compensation for robustness to process and temperature variations. Simulation results demonstrate a significant increase of the resolution to power consumption ratio. Temperature and Monte-Carlo simulations finally demonstrate the need for offset compensation and an efficient technique is presented.


A new method of state recognition of milling tool wear was presented based on time series analysis and fuzzy cluster analysis. After calculating, verifying liberation signal of tool state, and analyzing cutoff property, trailing property, periodicity of the sample autocorrelation function and partial autocorrelation function as well as estimating parameter of model. It can be decided that dynamic data serial is suit AR(p) (autoregression) model. Taking p equal to 12 as a feature vector extraction, based on the fuzzy cluster analysis the similarity relation between the feature vector of the tool working state and the sample feature vector was obtained. Working state of tool wear was determined according to the similarity relation of feature vector. This method was used to recognize initial wear state, normal wear state and acute wear state of milling tool. The result indicates that this method of tool wear recognition based on time series analysis and fuzzy cluster is effective.


This paper empirically evaluates the predictive performance of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) exchange rate assessments with respect to future exchange rate movements. The assessments of real trade-weighted exchange rates were conducted from 2006 to 2011, and were based on three state-of-the-art exchange rate models with a medium-term focus which were developed by the IMF. The empirical analysis using 26 advanced and emerging market economy currencies reveals that the 'diagnosis' of undervalued or overvalued currencies based on these models has significant predictive power with respect to future exchange rate movements, with one model outperforming the other two. The models are better at predicting future exchange rate movements in advanced and open economies. Controlling for the exchange rate regime does not increase the predictive power of the assessments. Furthermore, the directional accuracy of the IMF assessments is found to be higher than market expectations.


The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an epithelial Cl - channel inhibited with high affinity and selectivity by the thiazolidinone compound CFTR inh -172. Here, we present evidence that CFTR inh -172 acts directly on CFTR. We introduced mutations in amino acid residues of the sixth transmembrane helix of the CFTR protein, a domain that has an important role in the formation of the channel pore. Basic and hydrophilic amino acids at positions 334 – 352 were replaced with alanine and the sensitivity to CFTR inh -172 was assessed using functional assays. We found that arginine to alanine change at position 347 reduced by 20 – 30 fold the inhibitory potency of CFTR inh -172. Mutagenesis of arginine 347 to other amino acids also decreased inhibitory potency, with aspartate producing near total loss of CFTR inh -172 activity. Our results provide evidence that CFTR inh -172 interacts directly with CFTR, and that arginine 347 is important for the interaction.


Crime levels have risen significantly in Argentina during recent years. In this study, we analyze the relationship between crime victimization and income distribution. Our main question is whether the rich or the poor have been the main victims of this crime rise. For home robberies, we found that the poor have suffered the main crime increases. For street robberies, both groups show similar augments in victimization. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that the rich are better able to protect their houses through private security devices than the poor. Additional evidence supports this interpretation.


: Recent experiments suggest that cytoplasmic free NAD inhibits renal phosphate reabsorption and that gluconeogenesis, by increasing NAD concentration, inhibits phosphate reabsorption. To examine these relationships further we measured phosphate reabsorption by isolated kidneys perfused with either lactate or pyruvate. Lactate perfusion increased the ratio of the cytoplasmic redox couple (glycerol-3-phosphate/dihydroxyacetone phosphate) in snap-frozen kidneys 3-fold relative to the ratio with pyruvate perfusion (p less than 0.001). Inulin clearance and fractional phosphate reabsorption were lower with lactate than with pyruvate perfusion. Phosphate reabsorption decreased throughout the lactate perfusion but was constant for 1 h of pyruvate perfusion. Basal and norepinephrine (NE)-stimulated gluconeogenesis were lower with lactate than with pyruvate perfusion. With lactate and pyruvate perfusions, NE induced equal increases in fractional sodium reabsorption, although only with pyruvate perfusion was there increased phosphate reabsorption. In these experiments, oxidative phosphorylation, not cytoplasmic free NAD concentrations, influenced phosphate reabsorption, and NE-stimulated gluconeogenesis was associated with increased phosphate reabsorption.


In an attempt to determine composite strength at high strain rates, unidirectional glass/polyester and glass/epoxy composites have been tested using the Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus at room temperature. The tested materials of the polyester-based matrix are in the range of fiber volume fraction from 0.49 to 0.67, while the epoxy composites have the fiber volume fraction of 0.61. The influence of relevant parameters, namely strain rate varying from 1/10 000 s−1 to 1000 s−1, and fiber volume fraction on the composite failure strength are investigated. The influence of specimen size and ratio of length-to-diameter on the composite strength of some polyester composite specimens with different fiber volume fraction is also examined. For compressive load acting along the fiber direction, the failure mechanism is mainly a transverse tensile failure.


ABSTRACT In a synopsis sent to her publisher outlining her plans for a 'sensational' book, Germaine Greer wrote: If Eldridge Cleaver can write a book about the frozen soul of the negro, as part of the progress towards a correct statement of the coloured man's problem, a woman must eventually take steps towards delineating the female condition as she finds it scored upon her sensibility. I know myself to be an anomaly, a lucky survival, but men, so is Cleaver: if he is a genius, a criminal, a delinquent only such a person who escapes from the glass mountain can describe it and pass the message on … . The recent opening of the Greer archive at the University of Melbourne offers researchers new understanding of the transAtlantic orientation of The Female Eunuch and the inspirations and models provided by a range of contemporary radical male American writers, notably Eldridge Cleaver, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin and Norman Mailer. Greer's papers contain pitches to the publisher, numerous drafts and revisions of her book proposal, summaries of the book's contents, clues to its anticipated readers and towards the end of the process, a 'dedication'. Drafts are partly handwritten, partly typed and combinations of these, amended and revised, all evolving, illuminating Greer's chosen genre, discursive frames of reference and the motif of castration. The papers provide insight into The Female Eunuch's defining analogy between the condition of woman and that of the 'American Negro' and illuminate media strategies that ensured the book became an iconic feminist text.


The crystal chemistry and the electrochemical properties upon Na+ extraction/insertion of NASICON-type Na3AlyV2−y(PO4)3 compositions (y = 0.1, 0.25 and 0.5) were investigated. It was found that this family of V/Al substituted NASICON materials undergoes multiple reversible phase transitions between −50 °C and 250 °C upon heating, from monoclinic to rhombohedral symmetry, related to progressive disordering of Na+ ions within the framework. Na+ insertion/extraction mechanisms were monitored by operando X-ray diffraction. It is shown for the first time that substitution of aluminum for vanadium in Na3Al0.5V1.5(PO4)3 increases significantly the theoretical energy density of these promising positive electrodes (425 W h kg−1) due to its lighter molecular weight and the possibility of reversible operation on the V4+/V5+ redox couple at 3.95 V vs. Na+/Na.


On 19 May 2015, the European Commission published a very comprehensive, ambitious and innovative Better Regulation package, which contains new guidelines on various phases of the policy cycle and various documents setting out the rules and functioning of entirely new consultation platforms and a new body in charge of regulatory scrutiny. This Special Report presents some initial impressions on the content of this remarkable set of new documents, which will shape the way in which EU policies will be prepared, shaped, monitored and evaluated in the years to come.


Our research project investigated the effect of background and stimuli factors on the relative salience of chord-type and chord-voicing changes. Earlier studies have shown that surface features tend to be easier to perceive than deeper features and that musical training attenuates this general tendency. For further studying how deeper-level and surface-level musical features are perceived, we used a two-oddball paradigm. Each item consisted of a succession of five same-root chords: one chord-type oddball (deeper feature), one voicing oddball (surface feature), and three standards. Participants chose the chord that sounded most different to them. All chord-type pairings formed of major, minor, dominant seventh, major seventh, and minor seventh chords were tested. Chord-type oddball and voicing oddball were chosen equally often, together forming the majority of the responses. Musical training and conceptual knowledge of chords affected the chord-type oddball responses, but not the voicing-oddball responses. However, chord-type oddballs were chosen regardless of the musical training. Chord-type responses were easiest for pairs consisting of a major-based and a minor-based chord and for pairs involving two pitch-class changes. Our results suggest that musical training and conceptual knowledge about chords is not the only factor influencing the relative salience of chord-type changes over voicing changes.


The present paper aims to discuss parental and professionals' views toward the Father Christmas story--who also known as Santa Claus (in America and many other countries), Saint Nicholas (in the Netherlands), Saint Basil the Great (in Greece)--and to explore the potential of the story for young children's spiritual growth. Stories are often told because of their entertaining nature, however, their value goes beyond entertainment. Stories allow individuals to express an emotion in a satisfying way, to harmonise their lives with reality and to come to terms with the world. Stories are often told to offer some explanation for existing phenomena or customs. The discussion in this paper is based on the findings of a study undertaken among parents of young children (phase one) and Early Years professionals (phase two) to investigate their attitudes and practices toward the Father Christmas story. The research findings have shown that parents tend to agree that the Father Christmas story conveys values with some kind of universal acceptance such as generosity, kindness and caring. Additionally parents themselves use the story to transmit social and personal values and to facilitate their children's ability to make sense of the self and the world. These elements and children's experience of excitement and the sense of magic, wonder and awe which the Father Christmas story generates were seen by parents as being extremely important. Early Years professionals acknowledge similar issues, but not so strongly as parents. Early Years professionals tend to place the Father Christmas story below curricular demands and in consequence show ambivalence about the place of the Father Christmas story in educational settings. The values of generosity, kindness and caring were more likely to be associated with the religious celebration of Christmas by Early Years professionals than with the Father Christmas story. These findings will be discussed in relation to their implications for practice in Early Years education settings.


Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) play an important role in fermented food preservation thank to their antifungal ability as well as bacteriocin activity. Fermented meat products including Nem chua are usually placed under negative effects due to typical manual production process, uncontrolled ambient preservation condition, and consuming without cooking. In this study, the antifungal ability of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Nem chua was examined. Five Nem chua samples were collected at the local markets in Mekong Delta, Vietnam. They had good sensory evaluation (typical odor of lactic acid fermentation product like sour, meat and leaf odor) with the total score over 7/10. Average pH for 5 samples was found at 4.7 and average lactic acid content was 1.6 g/100 g of sample. The results of enumeration of total plate count and mould were found to be acceptable (3.0 x 10 7 CFU/g and 3.3 x 10 3 CFU/g, respectively) and average LAB count was 2.2 x 10 7 CFU/g. From 5 samples of Nem chua , 19 isolates of LAB and 9 isolates of mould were collected. Antifungal activity was found in most LAB isolates with various degrees. Only 9 LAB isolates, 47% (P32B, P41A, V13A, P21B, P31B, R11B, R14B, R22B and K34B) exhibited strong activity against 7/9 mould isolates (over 10+ degree of activity). Isolates P32B, P41A and V13A were chosen to be sequenced due to their strong inhibitory activity and were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum (P32B and V13A) and Pediococcus pentosaceus (P41A).


An experimental approach is chosen to investigate the performance of a fine-grained dataflow architecture for numerically intensive digital signal processing (DSP) applications. The focus is on the behavior of pipelined data-parallel algorithms. However, the granularity of the high-level language programming blocks is not explicitly optimized to balance computation and communication; a natural and logical fine-grained decomposition of problems is used instead. The authors interpret their empirical data by means of parameters such as a number of instructions per generic unit of computation, a density of precedence relations, and a serial fraction. The performance and limitations of fine-grained general-purpose dataflow computing are discussed. >


Suka Meriah Village is one of the villages that experienced heavy damage because it is located 3 km from the peak of Mount Sinabung and is also located within Disaster Prone Area (KRB) III. One of the best solutions to minimize the negative impact of the disaster is to relocate the Suka Meriah Village to a safer location capable of accommodating the entire population including its needs for facilities and infrastructure. The purpose of the research is to identify community perception on the settlement relocation plan, to analyze the local condition of the relocation area and to assess problems in the settlement relocation plan. The research uses qualitative research methods, where primary data is obtained through observation and semi-structured interviews and secondary data is obtained from literature and agencies data. The research shows that in general, the Suka Meriah Village community agrees with the relocation plan. The relocation settlement is located in the Siosar Area. In general, until the end of the research period in August 2015, the construction of the new settlement in the Siosar Area has not been completed because it was still in the construction process. The problem that occurred was that the relocation process was slow. As a result, the economic activities of the community were restricted.Besides this, the government aid was insufficient to fulfill their daily needs.


Companies highly value the processes and the results of performance appraisal. Based on the appraisal scores or ranks, how to make a wise and costomized decision to guide staff effectively enhancing their performances is critical to the organizational development as well as to individule capacity. This paper first elaborates the principles and algorithm of "Grey relating-Fuzzy Appraisal Module", a combination of multi-level fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model and grey-relating degree analysis method. Furthermore, this paper discusses the advantage of using Grey relating-Fuzzy Appraisal Module to identify the specific performance-enhancement direction in staff management. Last, the suggested method is testified by the case study of Tianjin Pipe Group Corporation and the conclusion achieved is of high referential value to other Chinese corporate management.


Conventional mutation theories do not explain (1) why the karyotypes of metastases are related to those of parental cancers but not to those of metastases of other cancers and (2) why cancers metastasize at rates that often far exceed those of conventional mutations. To answer these questions, we advance here the theory that metastases are autonomous subspecies of cancers, rather than mutations. Since cancers are species with intrinsically flexible karyotypes, they can generate new subspecies by spontaneous karyotypic rearrangements. This phylogenetic theory predicts that metastases are karyotypically related to parental cancers but not to others. Testing these predictions on metastases from two pancreatic cancers, we found: (1) Metastases had individual karyotypes and phenotypes. The karyotypes of metastases were related to, but different from, those of parental cancers in 11 out of 37 and 26 out of 49 parental chromosomal units. Chromosomal units are defined as intact chromosomes with cancer-specific copy numbers and marker chromosomes that are > 50% clonal. (2) Metastases from the two different cancers did not share chromosomal units. Testing the view that multi-chromosomal rearrangements occur simultaneously in cancers, as opposed to sequentially, we found spontaneous non-clonal rearrangements with as many new chromosomal units as in authentic metastases. We conclude that metastases are individual autonomous species differing from each other and parental cancers in species-specific karyotypes and phenotypes. They are generated from parental cancers by multiple simultaneous karyotypic rearrangements, much like new species. The species-specific individualities of metastases explain why so many searches for commonalities have been unsuccessful.


Abstract : This overview of theater strategy and theater security cooperation is a primer on one of the most important tools the U.S. military uses to engage other countries, deter unwanted actions, and defend U.S. and friendly nation interests. To be effective, theater strategy and theater security cooperation must be derived from and consistently linked to national and multinational strategic guidance and policy, and formulated to meet the requirements found in each region. To attain the combatant commander's strategic security goals, proper support for joint operation plans through organizational structure, force projection, sustainment, readiness training, and force development input is essential. Theater security cooperation directly supports national goals at the regional level, and enhances military operations by obviating the need for military action, or by preparing the environment better for U.S. military intervention, should it be necessary. Theater strategy is an important part of realizing national strategy around the world, and theater security cooperation is not only one of the most powerful tools in attaining the goals of theater strategy, but, through its ability to obviate the need for combat, a cost effective tool as well.


Reliability growth is examined with the use of a variant of the Duane model. This variant is based on stepwise growth and avoids some of the mathematical and philosophic dificulties associated with the Duane model. Monte Carlo simulation, while confirming the noisy behavior of reliability growth data, indicates that central tendencies are sufficiently strong to justify the use of Gaussian approximations for analysis of some aspects of growth. Some exact methods and some approximations for parameter estimation are presented.


Analysts synthesize complex, qualitative data to uncover themes and concepts, but the process is time-consuming, cognitively taxing, and automated techniques show mixed success. Crowdsourcing could help this process through on-demand harnessing of flexible and powerful human cognition, but incurs other challenges including limited attention and expertise. Further, text data can be complex, high-dimensional, and ill-structured. We address two major challenges unsolved in prior crowd clustering work: scaffolding expertise for novice crowd workers, and creating consistent and accurate categories when each worker only sees a small portion of the data. To address these challenges we present an empirical study of a two-stage approach to enable crowds to create an accurate and useful overview of a dataset: A) we draw on cognitive theory to assess how re-representing data can shorten and focus the data on salient dimensions; and B) introduce an iterative clustering approach that provides workers a global overview of data. We demonstrate a classification-plus-context approach elicits the most accurate categories at the most useful level of abstraction.


A stereo obstacle detection method based on images symmetrical move and cell partition is presented in this paper. This algorithm gets each cell's optimum offset by calculating the minimum non-similarity of cell, and merges Cell of Interests (COIs) to calculate obstacles in the most probably obstacle regions, and gives information of these obstacles. The paper introduces the perspective projection model at first, and then gives two conclusions which are the basic of the algorithm, the part of cell partition and cell optimum offset calculation are presented. Finally, algorithm performance tested by experiment on the test vehicle JJUV-I is shown in the paper.


Following natural and man-made disasters, comprehensive and reliable information on the nature, extent, and actual consequences of an event is required. Obtaining such information is particularly challenging following unheralded disasters, such as earthquakes or industrial accidents. In those situations, currently operational space-based sensors may not be able to provide timely data. In addition, even high spatial resolution satellites (< 1m) are limited in their capacity to reveal true 3D structural damage at a level of detail necessary for appropriate disaster response. In this study we investigated the use of oblique aerial video imagery for systematic quantitative damage assessment. Specifically, the following issues were addressed: (i) extraction of individual frames from aerial TV video data, and subsequent enhancement of frame information content using a synthetic aperture approach, and by stacking adjacent frames; (ii) spatial registration of individual frames based on automatically extracted positional information, and (iii) damage analysis based on HIS values and edge elements. We created a working environment that facilitates the video-based damage assessment process and integration with auxiliary data. The limited success of the automatic damage assessment was caused by poor image quality and empirically determined damage threshold values. We provide recommendations for improved image acquisition, and plan further work focusing on generic texture parameters and object geometry. As an illustration, we used aerial video data acquired in May 2000 over Enschede, the Netherlands, following the explosion of a fireworks factory that severely damaged or destroyed nearly 500 buildings and caused 22 fatalities.


Computation and data center has a huge value to modern enterprise. This has resulted in the installation of millions of data centers in business around the globe. Historically, the cost to power and cool these facilities was small relative to the investment in servers, storage units and other equipments. Today, however, the annual power and cooling costs of typical data centers are almost equal to the cost of hardware. In the past decade, India has witnessed an exponential increase in the demand for digital storage, from 1 petabyte in 2001 to more than 34 petabytes by 2007. They also continue to grow at a compounded rate of 25-30%. Datacenter growth is basically driven by increasing requirements from the sectors such as financial institutions, telecom operators, manufacturing and services. While large financial institutions and telecom companies are likely to build captive Datacenters for hosting their growing data storage needs. Datacenter service providers are expected to invest significantly to multiply their capacities, so as to fulfill the demand arising from small and midsize users. Datacenter is highly energy intensive. With the increasing energy cost, the increase in operational cost is inevitable. Therefore it becomes necessary to reduce the energy consumption to offset the increasing operational cost and to maintain competitiveness. Existing Datacenters need to adopt the best practices in design, operation and maintenance to achieve operational excellence. The increasing IT business process outsource from foreign countries has resulted in phenomenal growth of Datacenters in India. The total datacenter capacity in India is growing at a rapid pace and is expected to exceed 5.1 million square feet by 2012. The primary scope of this paper is to provide a framework in which data centers, large and small, could analyze and reduce their power consumption. This paper provides a quantitative approach to understanding energy efficiency within a server and within a data center. A panorama for power minimization and energy efficiency beginning with the basics of dual in line memory modules (DIMM) selection, configuring processors with reduced power states, options for constantly spinning disks, power management features in operating systems and other internal equipments.


Zircon tailings is a waste from zircons and mining process, it has a potency for further utilized by extracting the precious metals, such as iron, titanium, nikel and rare earth metals (REMs). Research purposes are to determine the effect of leaching conditionson recovery of rare earth metals and precious metals from zircons and after alkaline fusion treatment. Alkaline fusion process was used as a method to separate phosphate in monazite minerals and to reduce liquid waste compared to hydrometallurgical processes. Alkaline fusion process was performed about 3 hours at 450C, with ratio of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to zircon tailings and about 1:1. Alkaline fusion product was leached by water then followed by hydrochloricacid leaching to separater are earth metals and other precious metals. Recovery of rare earth metals reach 70% at optimum conditions. While Fe, Ti and Ni reach 58%, 80% and 68% respectively.


BACKGROUND
Soy foods contain several components (isoflavones and amino acids) that potentially affect bone. Few long-term, large clinical trials of soy as a means of improving bone mineral density (BMD) in late postmenopausal women have been conducted.

OBJECTIVE
Our goal was to evaluate the long-term effect of dietary soy protein and/or soy isoflavone consumption on skeletal health in late postmenopausal women.

DESIGN
We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in 131 healthy ambulatory women aged >60 y. Ninety-seven women completed the trial. After a 1-mo baseline period, subjects were randomly assigned into 1 of 4 intervention groups: soy protein (18 g) + isoflavone tablets (105 mg isoflavone aglycone equivalents), soy protein + placebo tablets, control protein + isoflavone tablets, and control protein + placebo tablets.

RESULTS
Consumption of protein powder and isoflavone pills did not differ between groups, and compliance with the study powder and pills was 80-90%. No significant differences in BMD were observed between groups from baseline to 1 y after the intervention or in BMD change between equol and non-equol producers. However, there were significant negative correlations between total dietary protein (per kg) and markers of bone turnover (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Because soy protein and isoflavones (either alone or together) did not affect BMD, they should not be considered as effective interventions for preserving skeletal health in older women. The negative correlation between dietary protein and bone turnover suggests that increasing protein intakes may suppress skeletal turnover. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT00668447.