Ivy and her grandma live in Broomsweep, a cozy little village filled with people who dislike the wild plants, unkempt appearance, and general free-spirited joyfulness that surround Ivy's grandmother's cottage. A contest wherein the new queen will select the best town spurs complaints against Ivy and her grandma, who make themselves more unpopular by taking in the magical creatures that have been banished from other towns hoping to win the prize. All's well that ends well, of course, and the new queen, a kiddo who exudes wide-eyed wonder, finds that Broomsweep is the best town around because of Ivy and her grandmother and not in spite of them. There's very little dramatic tension, as it's obvious that a happy ending is guaranteed, but that's okay—Ivy and her kind, thoughtful granny certainly deserve all the good that awaits them, and the fact that they change some hearts in the meantime is a bonus. Fans of dragons, griffins, or pixies will appreciate the fact that these characters not only play key roles but also have amusing, well-developed personalities within this trim illustrated novel. Fans of Pearce and Stiefvater's similarly effervescent animal fantasy Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures (BCCB 5/15) will likely feel right at home here. Final illustrations not seen. AS


BACKGROUND
As in other domains of medicine, high-throughput sequencing methods have led to the identification of an ever-increasing number of gene variants in the fields of both male and female infertility. The increasing number of recently identified genes allows an accurate diagnosis for previously idiopathic cases of female infertility and more appropriate patient care. However, robust evidence of the gene-disease relationships (GDR) allowing the proper translation to clinical application is still missing in many cases.

OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
An evidence-based curation of currently identified genes involved in female infertility and differences in sex development (DSD) would significantly improve both diagnostic performance and genetic research. We therefore performed a systematic review to summarize current knowledge and assess the available GDR.

SEARCH METHODS
PRISMA guidelines were applied to curate all available information from PubMed and Web of Science on genetics of human female infertility and DSD leading to infertility, from 1 January 1988 to 1 November 2021. The reviewed pathologies include non-syndromic as well as syndromic female infertility, and endocrine and reproductive system disorders. The evidence that an identified phenotype is caused by pathogenic variants in a specific gene was assessed according to a standardized scoring system. A final score (no evidence, limited, moderate, strong, or definitive) was assigned to every GDR.

OUTCOMES
A total of 45 271 publications were identified and screened for inclusion of which 1078 were selected for gene and variant extraction. We have identified 395 genes and validated 466 GDRs covering all reported monogenic causes of female infertility and DSD. Furthermore, we present a genetic diagnostic flowchart including 105 genes with at least moderate evidence for female infertility and suggest recommendations for future research. The study did not take into account associated genetic risk factor(s) or oligogenic/polygenic causes of female infertility.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS
We have comprehensively reviewed the existing research on the genetics of female infertility and DSD, which will enable the development of diagnostic panels using validated genes. Whole genome analysis is shifting from predominantly research to clinical application, increasing its diagnostic potential. These new diagnostic possibilities will not only decrease the number of idiopathic cases but will also render genetic counselling more effective for infertile patients and their families.


GLM|LIC Working Paper No. 47 | May 2019 Child Labor Measurement in Agricultural Households: Seasonality, Proxy Respondent and Gender Information Gaps in Ethiopia* Measurement of child labor is critical for our understanding of its determinants and conditions, and for the design of social protection programs and policy. In this study, we report the findings of three survey design experiments implemented across Fairtrade coffee households in rural Ethiopia in three different agricultural seasons. Substantial variation in child labor participation ranging from 45 to 76 percent emerges depending on the timing of the survey. Random allocation of the survey to either the child or a head of household proxy respondent shows the work of girls in agricultural settings is systematically underreported by proxy respondents relative to the child's reports. Underreporting is explained by the child/proxy gender mismatch as differences in child labor reports ranges from 5 to 10 percentage points for girls when the proxy respondent is male. No reporting differences are found for boys across all seasons when the proxy respondent is male. Underreporting by the proxy respondent, relative to the child's own report, is not observed in households with homogenous child gender distribution. On the other hand, knowledge of Fairtrade standards and the degree and scope of effective commercial links between farmers and Fairtrade cooperatives do not have a systematic differential effect on the proxy reporting of child labor. JEL Classification: C8, J22, 012, Q12


Sonic booms received on the ground tend to be restricted to a region of finite lateral extent below the flight track. This occurs because of refraction and because the effective speed of sound, even with winds taken into account, decreases with altitude in the lower atmosphere. Not all rays proceeding initially downwards from the flight track within an allowable range of initial directions will reach the ground. The restricted region which can be reached by rays impacting the ground is known as the primary carpet. However, weak rumbles are heard in the nominal shadow zone beyond the edge of this carpet. A full wave theory is necessary for explaining waveforms in that region, and the present paper gives a matched asymptotic expansion technique for a suitable approximate full wave theory that involves a relatively small number of parameters. The outer solution is derived from the structure of the system of rays that impact near the corridor edge; the inner solution involves a solution of the parabolic equation and results in the special functions encountered in the diffraction of sound over the tops of hills.


In this paper, the theoretical developments of an exact finite strip for the buckling and initial post-buckling analyses of symmetrically cross-ply laminates are presented. The so-called exact finite strip is developed based on the concept that it is effectively a plate. In the development process, the Von-Karman's equilibrium equation is solved exactly to obtain the buckling loads and the corresponding form of out-of-plane buckling deflection modes. The investigation of thin flat plate buckling behavior is then extended to an initial post-buckling study with the assumption that the deflected form immediately after the buckling is the same as that obtained for the buckling. The post-buckling study is effectively a single-term analysis, which is attempted by utilizing the so-called semi-energy method. In this method, the Von-Karman's compatibility equation governing the behavior of symmetrically laminated composite plates is used together with a consideration of the total strain energy of the plate. Through the solution of the compatibility equation, the in-plane displacement functions are developed in terms of the unknown coefficient in the assumed out-of-plane deflection function. These in-plane and out-of-plane deflected functions are then substituted in the total strain energy expressions and the theorem of minimum total potential energy is applied to solve for the unknown coefficient. The developed method is subsequently applied to investigate the relative post-buckling stiffness variations of some representative thin symmetric cross-ply laminates for which the results are also obtained through the application of a semi-analytical finite strip method.


Pain is a leading cause of distress and disability and is central to clinical practice, but may not be central to the education of physical therapists. The purpose of this study was to determine the current status of pain topics taught in PT curricula. A questionnaire was mailed to 169 accredited PT programs in North America. Information was obtained on PT faculty's perception of the adequacy with which pain and pain related topics were taught within PT curricula, and the competency of their graduates to assess and manage pain. A response rate of 63.3 percent was obtained. Key results were as follows. The modal amount of time spent on pain was four hours. The majority of faculty thought that pain was adequately covered in their curriculum although their perceptions of graduates' competency to assess and treat individuals with pain were higher for acute than chronic pain. Unidimensional pain assessment scales were perceived as adequately covered in more programs (81.7%) than multidimensional scales (61.5%). Pain management techniques were thought to be adequately covered in over 80 percent of the programs. However, pain in the elderly and in children were not thought to be adequately covered in 57.3 percent and 76.2 percent of the programs, respectively. Only 33 percent of the respondents thought that cognitive-behavioural approaches to pain management were adequately covered. Although a large proportion of faculty perceived that the time spent on pain topics, in general, was inadequate, most perceived that an adequate time was spent when asked about specific pain topics in the curriculum. It is difficult to reconcile the discrepancy between the scant number of hours spent on the topic of pain with faculty's perceptions that, for most topics, adequate time is devoted to the area.


Blueberries production has increased in the last few years boosted somehow by the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for a healthier nutrition and their recognized potential to treat several diseases. The production increase lead to high amounts of discarded leaves that could be very valuable. In this context, the antioxidant activity of Vaccinium spp. leaves, by means of the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid (TFC) content and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was determined. Adult leaves of twenty-seven Vaccinium cultivars collected in three geographic regions and three seasons of the year were included. The antioxidant activity was additionally estimated with near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and data transferability across the regions and seasons was evaluated. The TPC, TFC and TAC ranged from 39.6–272.8 mg gallic acid, 41.2–269.1 mg catechin and 22.6–124.8 mM Trolox per g of dry leaf, respectively. Globally through the seasons, the higher values of the three parameters were obtained in December. Regarding the geographic region, region A provided the cultivars with the higher antioxidant content. Titan was the cultivar with higher TPC and TAC and Misty the one with the higher TFC. NIR spectroscopy combined with the partial least squares analysis was able to successfully predict the antioxidant activity with coefficients of determination and range error ratios ranging from 0.84–0.99 and 11.2–26.8. Despite some identified limitations on data transferability, NIR spectroscopy proved to be a reliable, low cost and quick method to predict the antioxidant activity of the considered cultivar leaves.


Abstract State preferences play an important role in international politics. Unfortunately, actually observing and measuring these preferences are impossible. In general, scholars have tried to infer preferences using either UN voting or alliance behavior. The two most notable measures of state preferences that have flowed from this research area are ideal points (Bailey et al., 2017) and S-scores (Signorino & Ritter, 1999). The basis of both these models is a spatial weighting scheme that has proven useful but discounts higher-order effects that might be present in relational data structures such as UN voting and alliances. We begin by arguing that both alliances and UN voting are simply examples of the multiple layers upon which states interact with one another. To estimate a measure of state preferences, we utilize a tensor decomposition model that provides a reduced-rank approximation of the main patterns across the layers. Our new measure of preferences plausibly describes important state relations and yields important insights on the relationship between preferences, democracy, and international conflict. Additionally, we show that a model of conflict using this measure of state preferences decisively outperforms models using extant measures when it comes to predicting conflict in an out-of-sample context.


Abstract. Tsunami attenuation by coastal vegetation was examined under laboratory conditions for mature mangroves Rhizophora sp. The developed novel tree parameterization concept, accounting for both bio-mechanical and structural tree properties, allowed to substitute the complex tree structure by a simplified tree model of identical hydraulic resistance. The most representative parameterized mangrove model was selected among the tested models with different frontal area and root density, based on hydraulic test results. The selected parameterized tree models were arranged in a forest model of different width and further tested systematically under varying incident tsunami conditions (solitary waves and tsunami bores). The damping performance of the forest models under these two flow regimes was compared in terms of wave height and force envelopes, wave transmission coefficient as well as drag and inertia coefficients. Unlike the previous studies, the results indicate a significant contribution of the foreshore topography to solitary wave energy reduction through wave breaking in comparison to that attributed to the forest itself. A similar rate of tsunami transmission (ca. 20%) was achieved for both flow conditions (solitary waves and tsunami bores) and the widest forest (75 m in prototype) investigated. Drag coefficient CD attributed to the solitary waves tends to be constant (CD = 1.5) over the investigated range of the Reynolds number.


In any organism, gene expression regulation is provided by multiple factors to maintain a harmonious development of individuals. Discovered in the late 1990s, RNA interference (RNAi) completely remodelled the way in which gene expression regulations were initially apprehended. RNAi provides fine regulation at the cellular level and allows organisms to control their development, maintain their genomic integrity and fight against different stresses like viral infection. Exogenous or endogenous double-stranded RNAs initiate RNAi and are recognized and cleaved by Dicer protein in about 20 nucleotide duplexes small RNAs (sRNAs). One strand of the duplex is loaded into a ribonucleoproteic complex, named RISC (RNA-induced silencing complex), composed of at least one ARGONAUTE protein and a sRNA. Therefore, the expression of any RNA possessing the complementary siRNA sequence of the small RNA will be specifically silenced either at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level. RNAi plays a prominent role in the defence against viral infection and the last two decades of research have refined our knowledge of proteins involved in this pathway. Many viruses counteract the antiviral action of RNAi through the expression of factors (viral suppressor of RNA silencing [VSR]) that were first identified on virally infected plants. However, in mammals, the antiviral role of RNAi remains controversial. Indeed, viral infections are controlled by the interferon response and the antiviral action of RNAi has not been clearly demonstrated in vivo. In this review, the main modes of defence suppression used by VSR and endogenous RNAi suppressors will be presented. Finally, the role of viral non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) acting as suppressors of RNAi will be discussed.


his study aims to reveal the type of school leadership, creative efforts in developing creative educational institutions and Superior, with a sub-focus include : (1) What type of leadership that principals applied in the development of Islamic education institutions Creative Muhtadin elementary school (2) any efforts made in the development of the principal institutions of Islamic Education Creative Muhtadin elementary school and (3) the desired output targets Creative Muhtadin elementary school. This study uses qualitative research in the form of case studies . The data was collected by interview, observation, and documentation. While the techniques of data analysis, researchers use interactive model containing four interrelated components, namely: collection of data, simplification of data, exposure data, and drawing conclusions and filing. The results showed that : (1) the type of principal who applied leadership creative elementary school Muhtadin, the democratic leadership (aspirational accommodating, assertif and open), where the principal during the leadership is able to make changes and have a vision for the future of Islamic education institutions to develop Creative Muhtadin elementary school towards creative and superior schools; (2) any efforts made in the development of the principal institutions of Islamic Education Creative Muhtadin elementary school build a school system; (3) how the desired output targets elementary school creative Muhtadin, namely : initial output (Preliminary Results) and general output targets include.


Background. Preexisting spontaneous portosystemic shunts increase the risk of posttransplantation portal vein thrombosis. Portosystemic shunts may also be placed surgically to manage posttransplant portal vein stenosis/thrombosis. Both types may be complicated by hepatic encephalopathy. Methods. The database of a major tertiary medical center from 1999 to 2006 was searched for liver transplant recipients with hepatic encephalopathy and stable liver function. The medical and imaging files were reviewed for risk factors, management, and outcome. Results. Of the 244 patients who underwent liver transplantation during the study period, four (1.6%) met the inclusion criteria. Median age at transplantation was 49 years (range 39–54); median time to the first episode of hepatic encephalopathy after transplantation was 23 months (range 2–40). In two patients, a distal splenorenal shunt placed at 1 and 7 months after transplantation to treat portal vein thrombosis led to hepatic encephalopathy at 1 and 33 months later. Both responded to medical therapy. The other two patients had spontaneous splenorenal shunts, and hepatic encephalopathy appeared 33 months and 12 months after transplantation. Treatment consisted of transhepatic percutaneous portal vein dilatation with stent insertion in the first patient and interposition of a venous graft between the superior mesenteric and left intrahepatic portal veins to reroute splanchnic flow in the second patient. Conclusions. Portosystemic shunts in liver transplant recipients with stable graft function may be associated with hepatic encephalopathy. Pretransplant assessment to detect unknown spontaneous shunts is important. Restoration of portal flow is the preferred procedure in this setting.


Caveolin-1 present in immune cells may be involved in regulation of the inflammatory response. Here, using caveolin-1-null (Cav-1(-/-)) mice, we addressed the role of caveolin-1 in polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in regulating PMN activation-mediated lung injury. In lungs of wild-type (Cav-1(+/+)) mice perfused at constant flow with Krebs-Henseleit solution, addition of Cav-1(+/+) PMNs (4 x 10(6) cells) into the perfusate followed by their activation with formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLP, 1.0 muM) plus platelet-activating factor (1.0 nM) increased pulmonary microvessel filtration coefficient by 150% and wet-to-dry lung weight ratio by 50% as well as PMN accumulation in lungs. These responses were markedly reduced in lungs perfused with Cav-1(-/-) PMNs followed by addition of the same activating agents. fMLP-stimulated adhesion of Cav-1(-/-) PMNs to pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells and migration of Cav-1(-/-) PMNs across endothelial monolayers were also impaired compared with Cav-1(+/+) PMNs. Cav-1(-/-) PMNs showed 50-80% reduction in PMA- or fMLP-stimulated superoxide production compared with Cav-1(+/+) PMNs. In addition, Cav-1(-/-) PMNs had decreased migratory activity (50%) and adhesion to fibrinogen (40%) in response to fMLP. Rac1 and Rac2 were activated in Cav-1(+/+) PMNs after stimulation of fMLP but not in Cav-1(-/-) PMNs. Exogenous expression of caveolin-1 in COS-phox cells augmented the fMLP-induced Rac1 activation and superoxide production, indicating a direct role of caveolin-1 in the mechanism of superoxide production. Thus caveolin-1 expression in PMNs plays a key role in mediating PMN activation, adhesion, and transendothelial migration and in PMN activation-induced lung inflammation and vascular injury.


The oxidative folding pathway(s) of single-domain proteins can be characterized by the existence, stability, and structural nature of the intermediates that populate the regeneration pathway. Structured intermediates can be disulfide-secure in that they are able to protect their existing (native) disulfide bonds from SH/SS reshuffling and reduction reactions, and thereby form the native protein directly, i.e., by oxidation of their exposed (or locally exposable) thiols. Alternatively, they can be disulfide-insecure, usually requiring global unfolding to expose their free thiols. However, such an unfolding event also exposes the existing native disulfide bonds. Thus, the subsequent oxidation reaction to form the native protein in a disulfide-insecure intermediate competes with the intramolecular attack by the thiols of the macromolecule on its own native disulfide bonds, resulting in a large population of intermediates that are reshuffled instead of being oxidized. Under stabilizing conditions, disulfide-insecure species become long-lived kinetically trapped intermediates that slowly and only indirectly convert to the native protein through reshuffling reactions. In this study, trans-[Pt(en)(2)Cl(2)](2+), a strong oxidizing agent which has not traditionally been used in oxidative folding, was applied to shift the competition between reshuffling and oxidation reactions in des [58-110] and des [26-84], two long-lived disulfide-insecure intermediates of RNase A, and oxidize them directly under stable conditions to form the native protein. Such a successful direct conversion of kinetically trapped intermediates to the native molecule by trans-[Pt(en)(2)Cl(2)](2+) may be helpful in facilitating the oxidative folding processes of multi-disulfide-containing proteins in general.


: This work reports the effects of three herbal decoctions on Plasmodium berghei berghei in mice. The schizontocidal activity of each decoction was determined on an established infection using chloroquine as a standard and distilled water as control. Also a repository study of the decoction was carried out in another group of mice. The three decoctions neither reduced parasitaemia nor prolonged the life of infected mice that received them.


Since the 1980's psychiatric care in Spain changed considerably (Reforma psiquiátrica española). In the course of this reform, many positive results were achieved. An extensive community network of mental health centres was build up which resulted in the majority of psychiatric patients being integrated in the Spanish general health care system and making a better organized mental health care structure possible. New legislation also improved the care and civil rights of patients. An analysis of the experiences of the Spanish psychiatric reform shows that the tendency to retain the old mental hospitals, alongside the other institutions still exists. The process of deinstitutionalization and the original aims of the psychiatric reform cannot only be satisfied by the closure of large psychiatric hospitals as during the reform new aspects and problems as well the great complexity of the task have become apparent. This article together with the details of the Spanish sources gives the German public a good overview of the developments in Spanish psychiatry.


Under Philip the Good, grandson of the founder of the duchy's power, Burgundy reached its apogee. Professor Vaughan portrays not only Philip the Good himself, perhaps the most attractive personality among the four great dukes, but the workings of the court and of one of the most efficent - if not necessarily the most popular - administrations in fifteenth-century Europe. The complex diplomatic history of Philip the Good's long ducal reign (1419-1467) occupies much of the book, in particular Burgundy's relations with England and France. The central theme is Philip the Good's policy of territorial and personal aggrandisement, which culminated in his negotiations with the Holy Roman Emperor for a crown. And due attention is given to the great flowering of artistic life in Burgundy which made Philip's court at Dijon an important cultural centre in the period immediately preceding the Renaissance. All this is based on the close study of the considerable surviving archives of Philip's civil service, and on the chronicles and letters of the period. Philip the Good provides a definitive study of the life and times of the ruler whose position and achievements made him the greatest magnate in Europe during what has been called "the Burgundian century".


The objective of this study was to investigate the longterm effects of anti-retroviral protease inhibitors (PIs) on 2-deoxy--glucose (2-DG) transport in L6 cells in vitro. Exposure of L6 cells to saquinavir, ritonavir, indinavir and amprenavir resulted in significant increases in 2-DG transport using PI concentrations of 1–10 μM with continual exposure to PI. After removal of the PI for up to 48 h, 2-DG transport increases did not change and remained at pre-reversal levels. These changes in 2-DG transport were not related to stress-induced sugar transport or to apoptosis. The examination of glucose transporter (GLUT) 1, 3 or 4 translocation with subcellular fractionation indicated that insulin (i.e. 67 nM) could induce the translocation of all the GLUTs to the plasma membrane. Also, ritonavir (10 μM), which leads to a 2-fold increase in 2-DG transport, demonstrated increased GLUT (i.e. 1, 3 or 4) presence in the plasma membrane fraction, in the presence or absence of insulin. This increased 2-DG transport involved transporter presence in plasma membrane preparations and did not affect the ability of insulin to stimulate 2-DG transport with continual PI exposure. The mechanism(s) involved indicates ready reversibility of PI effects on transporters. The mechanism(s) why reversibility of PI-induced 2-DG transport was similar plus or minus PI was not apparent. Journal of Endocrinology (2003) 178, 449–456


Objective: To establish for content determination of total saponins in Opuntia. Methods: Total saponins was determined by UV-VIS spectrophotometry after extracts of the sample had been coloured. Results: The methods was linear in the range of 0.05~0.30mg (r=0.9987), and the average recovery was 98.47%, RSD was 3.29% (n=5). Conclusion: The methods is sensitive, reliable, simple and reproducible for the determination of the contents of saponins in Opuntia.


Abstract Most evidence on the neural and perceptual correlates of sensory processing derives from studies that have focused on only a single sensory modality and averaged the data from groups of participants. Although valuable, such studies ignore the substantial interindividual and intraindividual differences that are undoubtedly at play. Such variability plays an integral role in both the behavioral/perceptual realms and in the neural correlates of these processes, but substantially less is known when compared with group-averaged data. Recently, it has been shown that the presentation of stimuli from two or more sensory modalities (i.e., multisensory stimulation) not only results in the well-established performance gains but also gives rise to reductions in behavioral and neural response variability. To better understand the relationship between neural and behavioral response variability under multisensory conditions, this study investigated both behavior and brain activity in a task requiring participants to discriminate moving versus static stimuli presented in either a unisensory or multisensory context. EEG data were analyzed with respect to intraindividual and interindividual differences in RTs. The results showed that trial-by-trial variability of RTs was significantly reduced under audiovisual presentation conditions as compared with visual-only presentations across all participants. Intraindividual variability of RTs was linked to changes in correlated activity between clusters within an occipital to frontal network. In addition, interindividual variability of RTs was linked to differential recruitment of medial frontal cortices. The present findings highlight differences in the brain networks that support behavioral benefits during unisensory versus multisensory motion detection and provide an important view into the functional dynamics within neuronal networks underpinning intraindividual performance differences.


Introduction. The internal market for services is one of the objectives set by the founding fathers of the EC
back in 1957. It is only in the last ten-fifteen years, however, that this aspect of the internal
market has seriously attracted the attention of the EC legislature and judiciary.1 With the
exception of some sector-specific directives dating back in the late '80s, it is only with the
deregulation of network industries, the development of electronic communications and the
spread of financial services, in the '90s that substantial bits of legislation got adopted in the
field of services. Similarly, the European Court of Justice (ECJ, the Court) left the principles
established in Van Binsbergen back in 1973, hibernate for a long time before fully applying
them in Sager and constantly thereafter.2 Ever since, the Court's case law in this field has
grown so important that it has become the compulsory starting point for any study concerning
the (horizontal) regulation of the internal market in services. The limits inherent to negative
integration and to the casuistic approach pursued by judiciary decisions have prompted the
need for a general legislative text to be adopted for services in the internal market. This text,
however, hotly debated both at the political and at the legal level, has ended up in little more
than a complex restatement of the Court's case law. It may be, however, that this 'little more'
is not that little.
In view of the ever expanding application of the Treaty rules on services, promoted by the
ECJ (para. 1),3 the Directive certainly appears to be a limited regulatory attempt (para. 2).
This, however, does not mean that the Directive is a toothless, or useless regulatory
instrument (conclusion: para. 3).


Apprenticeship or vocational training is a subject of lively debate. Economic historians tend to see apprenticeship as a purely economic phenomenon, as an 'incomplete contract' in need of legal and institutional enforcement mechanisms. The contributors to this volume have adopted a broader perspective. They regard learning on the shop floor as a complex social and cultural process, to be situated in an ever-changing historical context. The results are surprising. The authors convincingly show that research on apprenticeship and learning on the shop floor is intimately associated with migration patterns, family economy and household strategies, gender perspectives, urban identities and general educational and pedagogical contexts.


When writing this introduction I saw the following press release on the Internet: "Nielsen//Netratings reports a record half billion people worldwide now have home internet access". The number of home users grew worldwide with 5 % over the last quarter of 2001. The growth was nearly doubled compared to Q3 2001. The growth in Europe was 4.9%, almost equal to the world growth. One in three households in Europe/Middle East and Africa have Internet access, compared with over half in the US. The Netherlands has 52 % of the households connected to the Internet and 82 % of the computers is connected to the Internet. Another press release also fromNielsen//Netratings was titled as "Broadband Usage Outpaces Narrowband for the first time." 1.19 billion of the total 2.3 billion hours was spent by broadband surfers online in January 2002 in the US. The broadband time spent in January 2002 was 64 % higher than in January 2001. Nearly 21.9 million surfers (in the US) at-home accessed the Internet via broadband connection in January 2002 compared to 13.1 million in January 2001, a boost of 67% in one year time. So there is an unstoppable march towards broadband. (See www.nielsen-netratings.com) This demand can be fulfilled with the tremendous bandwidth of the optical fiber of 30 THz (1420-1670 nm). It is not possible to directly address this complete band, since the current maximum speed of the electronics and modulators is 40-100 GHZ. Wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) is used to divide the band in multiple sub bands. The spacing between the sub band channels is defined by the ITU grid. Common spacings between channels are 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 GHz. The device that combines these channels onto one fiber is called a Multiplexer (Mux) and the device that does the opposite, spatial separation of frequency channels onto different fibers, is called a demultiplexer (Demux). When Mux and Demux are combined it is possible to select only one (or more) channel to be dropped or added and leaving the remaining channels undisturbed. Such a device is called an Add-drop multiplexer(ADM). Optical transmission systems 3.28 Tbit/s over a few hundred of kilometers[Nielsen 2000] or 2 Tbit/s over almost ten thousand kilometers [Yamada 2002] have already be reported.


The rapid advances in immunobiology, pharmacology and molecular biology have made successful renal transplantation the optimal therapeutic modality for adults and children, reaching a near--90% of patient-graft survival among the first years of transplant. But this knowledge also presents clinicians and scientists with difficult challenges, one of the most important remaining is the chronic rejection of the graft. A critical review of the immunobiology, clinical evolution and histopathology of chronic rejection is presented. Immunosuppressive agents with emphasis in their mechanism of action is also detailed.


[f-UA minus m-UTA]/m-UTA. In a healthy state m-UTA vascular impedance is normally lower than f-UA. Normal control singleton pregnancies (n = 264) were compared to fetuses with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) (n = 142) and with structurally normal hearts but with maternal diabetes (MD) (n = 69). Results: A normal range was derived for PVID, it did not vary with gestational age. In HLHS, m-UTA PI was normal but f-UA PI and PVID were significantly lower than normal. In MD, neither f-UA PI nor m-UTA PI alone differed from normal, however PVID was significantly lower than normal. Conclusions: PVID is a new Doppler derived index, which may be of value in assessing placental circulatory health in a variety of conditions affecting either mother or fetus. Overall placental circulatory health is best assessed within the context of both maternal and fetal contributions to perfusion.


Bauxite mining is considered to be one of the most significant reasons behind deforestation in Jamaica. During the last decades, large areas of forest have been cleared on the island due to open pit mining for bauxite. Because private landowners own the bauxite land, the operating mining companies are in many cases forced to bargain with the private landowners to obtain access to the desired land. Several economic theories present solutions to the problem of sustainable resource use. The purpose of this paper is to examine if the Coase theorem can be applied to analyze if the deforestation caused by bauxite mining in Jamaica can be amended towards optimal resource management. The paper concludes that there exist no practical obstacles for bargaining to take place. However, since the market for bauxite mining is not characterized by perfect competition, an efficient allocation of the Jamaican forests according to the Coase theorem is not achieved. Yet we find that the antiquated Coase theorem can help us g...


The distribution of a pelagic species, the North Sea herring Clupea harengus L. , derived from acoustic surveys during the summer and prior to spawning is shown to have a strong relationship to seabed substrate and water depth. Substrate information was derived from a remote acoustic classification technique (RoxAnn). Herring were shown to aggregate in areas characterised by a seabed of sand and gravel. This type of substrate is sim~lar to that on which they spawn, yet the surveys were carried out 2 to 3 mo prior to spawning. The herring also showed a preference for zooplankton-rich waters with depths between approximately 100 and 150 m. These relationships were examined during 3 years (1992, 1994, 1995) using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) and were found to be stable between the years examined. Results lndlcate a robust relationship between spatial distribution patterns and these environmental factors, despite substantial changes in the stock level and age structure of the population. A multiyear GAM analysis confirmed the stability of this relationship and the stock's reduction. Herring preferences for specific substrate types, water depth zones and zooplankton conditions are hypothesized to modulate the prespawning spatial aggregation of the species to potentially suitable spawning grounds.


An evaluation and comparison of the accuracy of six published methods for estimating creatinine clearance from serum creatinine concentration in children are presented. The medical records of 59 patients were reviewed. The patients ranged from 1 to 18 years in age and had one or more 24-hour urine creatinine determinations completed. A total of 142 creatinine-clearance determinations were compared with the estimated creatinine clearances using each of six methods. All methods correlated well with calculated creatinine clearance. The average absolute and standard errors were greatest with the modified method of Counahan et al. and least with the method of Traub and Johnson. The error made by the method of Traub and Johnson was significantly smaller (p less than 0.05) than the error made by the methods of Schwartz et al., Counahan et al., and the modified method of Counahan et al. The method of Traub and Johnson also showed an equal tendency to overestimate and underestimate creatinine clearance. This method performed well regardless of the patients' weight, sex, or age; the method was not as accurate in children less than 107 cm in height. It is concluded that the method of Traub and Johnson for estimating creatinine clearance from serum creatinine concentration is the most accurate and nonbiased of the evaluation methods.


Trees on farm play a vital role in providing diverse goods and services to those farmers practicing agroforestry in Kenya. Other than the environmental advantages of agroforestry such as carbon sequestration and species conservation, trees provide soil and microclimate enhancement, deliver fruits, medicines, fodder, timber and fuelwood. However, tree species richness and diversity are influenced by numerous socio-economic and biophysical factors as necessary knowledge for promotion of on-farm tree planting activities. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of different socio-economic and biophysical factors on tree richness and diversity in smallholder farms in the study area. The study covered three broad agro-ecological zones i.e. Lower highlands, Upper midlands and Lower midlands along an elevation gradient in Machakos County, Eastern Kenya. Importance Value Index (IVI) was calculated to get the level of importance of different tree species. Correlations and stepwise multiple regression analysis were used to estimate the influence of the assessed socio-economic and biophysical variables on tree species richness, abundance and diversity. Tree diversity indices were calculated using MVSP to obtain Shannon index and Evenness. Cluster analysis based on the Minimum Variance method was used to partition samples into homogenous classes. A total of 102 tree species were recorded, including 42 exotic and 60 indigenous species. Exotic abundance was at 67% of all counted individuals while mean number of tree species was 12.7 ranging from 3-26 tree species per farm. Farm sizes ranged from 0.1 to 7.1 ha, with a mean size of 1.6 ha. Tree diversity was relatively high with a mean Shannon diversity index of 1.73 (range 0.46-2.53) and a mean Shannon evenness 0.70 (range 0.28-0.97). Based on the IVI, Grevillea robusta and Eucalyptus spp were among the top exotic timber and fuelwood species while Acacia seyal and Terminalia brownii topped the indigenous tree species for fuelwood. Mangifera indica and Persea americana presented fruit tree species with a high IVI and were all exotics. Tree species richness was positively influenced by farm size and market distance, but negatively by elevation, number of plots and gender. Tree abundance was positively influenced by farm size and number of plots. Farm size, however, had a strong negative effect on Shannon evenness. Cluster analysis resulted in six clusters and twelve (12) tree species were responsible for cluster formation. Results of this study can contribute to modify agroforestry programmes for implementing future tree planting activities for different target populations in various economic and environmental circumstances.


We have successfully created a graphene microroll aptasensor (GMA) through the selffolding of bilayer thin films. The inner surface of the GMA consists of a functionalized graphene surface, which works as a fluorescence aptamer-based biosensor. This is achieved by combining previously reported two-dimensional (2D) graphene aptasensor technology, a novel self-folding process for flexible, multilayered polymeric films. The aptasensing portion is composed of a graphene surface, which is functionalized with a pyrene–aptamer–dye probe. The three components of the probe work as linkers to the graphene surface, a protein recognition part, and a fluorescence detection tag, respectively. In this paper, we discuss the specialized fabrication process required to produce the GMA. By confirming the diffusion of target molecules through the hollow space of the GMA, we also show the ability of this device to detect concentration changes in real time.


High blood pressure (BP) is a major public health problem worldwide. It is an important risk factor for acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, chronic renal failure, and congestive heart failure. Lifestyle modifications play an important role in prehypertensive individuals and also act as an adjunct to antihypertensive therapy. Yoga practices have been shown to be effective in reducing BP in hypertensive population. The probable mechanism by which yoga reduces BP is by reduction in sympathetic activity, facilitating autonomic balance, which reduces chemoreceptor responses, and enhancing baroreflex sensitivity. Yoga is also effective as an adjunct therapy in reducing antihypertensive medication use. There is a need for recognition of yoga by our health system as a complementary therapy for treating hypertension (HPT).


Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for a number of agronomically important traits of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were identified by means of a reference molecular marker-based genetic map. Replicated phenotypic data was obtained for a number of field-assessed morphological and developmental traits as well as the winter hardiness-associated characters of winter survival and electrical conductivity. Marker-trait association analysis was performed by a number of methods, and a high degree of congruence was observed between the respective results. QTLs were detected for morphological traits such as plant height, tiller size, leaf length, leaf width, fresh weight at harvest, plant type, spikelet number per spike and spike length, as well as the developmental traits of heading date and degree of aftermath heading. A number of traits were significantly correlated, and coincident QTL locations were identified. No significant QTLs for winter survival in the field were identified. However, a QTL for electrical conductivity corresponding to frost tolerance was located close to a heading date QTL in a region that may show conserved synteny with chromosomal regions associated with both winter hardiness and flowering time variation in cereals. The QTL analysis of multiple phenotypic traits provides the basis for marker assisted selection (MAS) of important agronomic characters, allowing genetic improvement of yield, quality and adaptation in perennial ryegrass breeding.


A relatively rare genetic anomaly, lingual thyroid has a reported incidence of 1:100,000. Histologically, it may consist of normal or fetal-type tissue, and may show lymphoid infiltration. Differential diagnosis should include consideration of various benign and malignant diseases. We review diagnostic procedures as well as medical and surgical management, and present an illustrative case of lingual thyroid with associated epiglottitis.


Blue Swallows Hirundo atrocaerulea are Critically Endangered within South Africa. They nest in natural underground holes in mist-belt grasslands. Temperature dataloggers were used to record ground cavity nest (Tn) and ambient temperature (Ta) for one artificial and 11 natural Blue Swallow nests. Mean ground cavity Tn was significantly different to mean Ta. Tn ranged from 17.0 ± 0.1 °C to 28.5 ± 0.3 °C and varied less than Ta (14.0 ± 0.2 to 47.7 ± 0.4 °C). Mean ground cavity Tn averaged 3.3 ± 0.9 °C warmer than mean Ta for 58% of nests, and mean Ta averaged 2.6 ± 0.5 °C warmer than mean ground cavity Tn for 42% of nests. There was no significant difference in mean ground cavity Tn for the aardvark-excavated holes (22.7 ± 1.6 °C) and sinkholes (21.5 ± 1.2 °C). Blue Swallows also nest in man-made holes, potentially a way to increase nesting sites. Mean aardvark-excavated Tn (19.2 ± 0.1 °C) was significantly warmer than mean artificial cavity Tn (18.5 ± 0.2 °C). Further investigation of breeding success of Blue Swallows in relation to Tn, incubation strategies and predation risk needs to be addressed in future studies for a better understanding of their reproductive ecology.


Multimedia applications have become extremely popular among daily life. Despite the availability of the untold multimedia application, the desire for novel multimedia applications, such as digital learning applications, digital TV and multimedia home entertainment, is desperately increasing as a result of the need to obtain a more convenient and advanced life. It is, however, a challenging problem to design a facile system that enables general users to develop multimedia applications for the specific purpose. To address this problem, we design a multimedia system for rapid development.

In this paper, we propose a framework called RAMAD (RApid Multimedia Application Development) for efficiently developing diverse multimedia applications. A set of abstractions and a visual development platform have been provided to facilitate the development of multimedia applications. In Addition, in order to enrich the multimedia content, MPEG-4 has been encapsulated as a core component into the RAMAD system. RAMAD not only preserves the diversity of multimedia but also serves the facility. Through the RAMAD system, a novice is enabled rapidly to develop multimedia applications for the personal purpose.


The present article attempts to study financing patterns of elementary education in Uttar Pradesh. A review of educational development in the state reveals that the goal of universalizing elementary education in a resource-poor state seems to be elusive in the near future. Neither the financing pattern of education per se nor elementary education in particular is conducive to achieving the target of universal elementary education. The magnitude of out-of-school children (leaving or dropped-out children) vis-a-vis the resources allocated toward elementary education provides a gloomy picture in the state. Financing the additional resources required to universalize elementary education in the state would require significant reallocations in overall expenditure with federal assistance, since the fiscal situation in Uttar Pradesh is highly imbalanced. The state and central government should bear the entire responsibility of funding and ensure the twin principles of equity and efficiency in the public education system in the state. This requires an indomitable political commitment in terms of reorientation of spending priorities and improving the efficiency of resource use in the state. This study reaffirms that the goal of universal elementary education could become a reality only if there is a joint commitment between the federal and state polities.


Written in 1974 while the authors were with the Open University, this paper first appeared in the 1976 Penrose Annual.The original abstract, written by the Penrose editor, read: Break down the barriers in the interests of the reader. Take responsibility for the success or failure of the communication. Do not accept a label or a slot on a production line. Be a complete human being with moral and intellectual integrity and thoroughgoing technical competence. This is the message of this article by two highly professional communicators at the Institute of Educational Technology of the Open University, Milton Keynes. It examines the range of complex problems involved in putting the expert's message in a form the ordinary person can best understand and use.It is reprinted here with minor changes that mostly reflect the current un acceptability of the pronoun 'he' used generi-cally. The authors have also added a 2000 Postscript.


Although the aortic dissection is not common, its outcome is frequently fatal, and many patients with aortic dissection die before referral to the hospital or any diagnostic testing. The symptoms of aortic dissection can be similar to myocardial ischemia. A 66-year-old male was referred to our hospital with suspicion of aortic dissection after echocardiography done for evaluating his high blood pressure. He had symptoms of acute coronary syndrome two years before and had done coronary angiography. On presentation to our hospital he had a high blood pressure. On reviewing his past medical history and examining, in the film of coronary angiography, the dissection flap in ascending aorta was identified. Although type A aortic dissection is a catastrophic condition with high mortality and requires prompt surgical treatment but in some cases it may be misdiagnosed as acute coronary syndrome. Sometimes against its high mortality when left untreated, patients survive and are diagnosed later in life incidentally. So it is of great importance to have great clinical suspicion for aortic dissection in patients referring to the hospital with chest pain and the predisposing factors.


In this essay, I discuss whole reality, information and the role of Samapati. Samapatti shows that the dispassionate observer is a state of consciousness which is not related to the seer's mind or brain. Mind is really memory, and our thoughts and memories are what the Ego becomes as 'I AM'. Every thought and memory of 'I' as an individual is in our self-awareness and that conscious awareness is what we call mind.


The present study was the first (to our knowledge) to experimentally manipulate pro-environmental behaviour in order to assess its causal effects on affect and meaning in life. Participants (N = 343) were randomly assigned to either 1) a group who chose and engaged in a pro-environmental behaviour from a provided list of options; or 2) a control group who found and photographed public art from a provided list of options. The analyses found that there were no significant differences between the pro-environmental group and the control group, and all pre-registered hypotheses were unsupported. Exploratory analyses revealed a within-participants effect, whereby both conditions produced a significant effect on positive and negative affect, as well as meaning in life when compared to participants' average over the last four weeks. However, given that all findings were exploratory, the results should be considered speculative and can serve as direction for future research.


An Integrated Circuit (IC) for processing the signals from CdTe/CdZnTe X-ray detectors in the 5-100 keV energy range is presented. The IC, named CCA, is designed to operate in a capsule for colon 3D-imaging as a diagnostic tool for cancer prevention. The CCA is composed of a low-power consumption analog and a digital sections for counting photons within two energy windows to a maximum of 130 × 10 3 photons per second. The analog section consists of a preamplifier optimized for detectors with 8 pF capacitance, a pulse shaper with 4 shaping times selectable between 0.5 μs and 2 μs, a peak stretcher and an analog buffer able to drive up to 15 pF load. The digital section is composed of a two energy windows discriminator fully configurable in the 8.5-120 keV range with 7 bits energy thresholds resolution, two 12 bits counters, two memory registers and an SPI interface for IC configuration and data transfer. The CCA guarantees stable spectroscopic-grade performance allowing for supply voltage variations between 3.1 V to 2.5 V, as is the case of the battery powered capsule during its operation; this feature has been achieved with no voltage regulator for power saving.


Design as a creative way of framing and solving problems is considered an essential business capability in an innovation era. Organizations with design capability can improve the lives of their customers, stakeholders and employees by creating valuable products, services and experiences. Design-led innovation is a framework that assists organizations to develop design capability for creating a better future as well as profitability. However, implementing design-led innovation requires support. This article presents insights from an action research extended to design innovation catalyst. The catalyst's aim was to facilitate implementation of design-led innovation in an Australian Airport Corporation to develop design capability. To date, this extended role of action researcher as design innovation catalyst has received limited attention. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present insights from the experience of the action researcher as a design innovation catalyst. This paper contributes conceptual and practical insight into the research design, action research cycles and critical reflection of an action researcher operating as design innovation catalyst.


This paper, with the concern in view, has presented here a multiobjective optimiza- tion model. By generalizing parameters from the construction process of a team at di_erent stages and from di_erent angles, and by comparing them to the set optimization goal, this model aims to evaluate the outcome of the construction of a team in an accurate and fair way. And by steering clear to the greatest extent of the inuence of the individual or subjective factors, the model also strives to derive a better result from the equal input in the construction of an excellent teaching team.


Tablet digitizers are common devices for getting graphical data into a computer. For many applications, they are the only practical device. Because tablet digitizers have been in existence for many years, they are often regarded as "old hat" technology¿nothing new can be said about them and no significant technical developments other than price decreases can be expected. This is a misconception. We have found several misunderstood performance characteristic, characteristics that can have a major effect on the user's ability to use a tablet digitizer in many interactive applications. The risk to an application designer is that the or she may base the interface design on incorrect assumptions. As a consequence, the interface may be awkward to use. The article shows what some of these characteristics are how to evaluate their effect in different classes of applications. Specific examples are taken from a hand-printing application for character recognition.


The corporate sector has turned from a net borrowing position to a net lending position in many advanced countries over the past decades. This phenomenon is rather unusual as the corporate sector had historically borrowed funds from other sectors in the economy. In this paper, we analyze how changes in the distribution of income between wages and profits have affected corporate net lending in a sample of 40 countries for the period 1990-2016. A consistent finding is that an increase (decrease) in the corporate profit share leads to an increase (decrease) in corporate net lending, controlling for other corporate net lending determinants. We disentangle the effects of the profit share on corporate saving and investment and explore a number of alternative explanations of our results, including changes in the cost of capital, shifts in the composition of industrial sectors, the growing importance of intangible capital, and a temporary crisis phenomenon. We conclude that factor shares are an important driver of macroeconomic trends and that the rise in corporate profits has contributed considerably to the improvement in the corporate net lending positions across countries.


Maryland, a fairly small mid-Atlantic state with about 5 million people in 1999, has 12 home and community services programs for older persons and adults with physical disabilities. Maryland?s Medicaid program provided home and community services to approximately 5,100 beneficiaries through the optional personal care benefit and 4,600 beneficiaries through its optional medical day care program in fiscal year 1999. The state has one currently operating Medicaid waiver for older adults with 135 slots, which will be expanded to 1,135 slots in 2001. The state will implement another waiver in 2001 with 150 slots in the first year for non-elderly adults with physical disabilities. The state also has eight small, state-funded home and community services programs designed to serve adults who are not eligible for Medicaid. The state has a complex administrative structure for its home and community services programs, with several state and local agencies involved.


The concept of augmented reality (AR) assistants has captured the human imagination for decades, becoming a staple of modern science fiction. To pursue this goal, it is necessary to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods that simultaneously perceive the 3D environment, reason about physical tasks, and model the performer, all in real-time. Within this framework, a wide variety of sensors are needed to generate data across different modalities, such as audio, video, depth, speech, and time-of-flight. The required sensors are typically part of the AR headset, providing performer sensing and interaction through visual, audio, and haptic feedback. AI assistants not only record the performer as they perform activities, but also require machine learning (ML) models to understand and assist the performer as they interact with the physical world. Therefore, developing such assistants is a challenging task. We propose ARGUS, a visual analytics system to support the development of intelligent AR assistants. Our system was designed as part of a multi-year-long collaboration between visualization researchers and ML and AR experts. This co-design process has led to advances in the visualization of ML in AR. Our system allows for online visualization of object, action, and step detection as well as offline analysis of previously recorded AR sessions. It visualizes not only the multimodal sensor data streams but also the output of the ML models. This allows developers to gain insights into the performer activities as well as the ML models, helping them troubleshoot, improve, and fine-tune the components of the AR assistant.


Parent company liability, as most commonly understood and discussed nowadays, concerns primarily one company's liability to pay a fine caused by another company for the infringement of the competition rules of the European Union to which the former company has some kind of bond. As such, and in view of seemingly ever-increasing fines, the question is of obvious practical interest. Viewed from the traditional angle of European Union competition law, namely under which conditions two or more different legal entities are to be considered as one and the same undertaking or economic entity, the question would seem to be of even greater importance than just a matter of the calculation of the fine.Imputing liability to someone other than the perpetrator gives rise to several different questions, and the objective of this article is to discuss some of these; primarily, with a view to investigating potential limits to such imputation following from the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (Court of Justice) or the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). The first and almost evident question would seem to be: why is there a need to impute liability to someone other than the perpetrator? Having answered that question, the next logical question would seem to be whether this answer has any consequences for the circumstances under which such a liability might be imputed? Given the answers to these two first questions, the way in which liability is imputed will then be assessed from different angles.


Feast your eyes on these fascinating fabrics! Cherished by America's farmers for years, cloth feed sacks are part of America's rural history and are now entering the marketplace as hot collectibles. Over 500 color photographs illustrate fabulous patterns on beautiful feed, sugar, flour, potato, corn meal, salt, rice, and even bank and lead-shot bags. Also presented are examples of the aprons, tea towels, and bonnets commonly created from these pretty printed textiles. This colorful, entertaining, and useful book shares heartfelt reflections of life in the country and will appeal to quilters, crafters, and those with fond memories of farm life. Includes price guide and helpful hints on starting one's own feed sack collection.


To perform computational experiments at greater scale and in less time, enterprises are increasingly looking to dynamically expand their computing capabilities through the temporary addition of cloud resources (aka "cloudbursting"). Computational infrastructure can be dismantled in minutes with no long-term capital investments. However, research is needed to identify which properties of an application best determine the potential benefits of cloudbursting. For example, there are certainly situations where the cost to transfer the necessary input data from the enterprise to the cloud (to execute the application in the cloud) outweighs the value of simply waiting until resources become available in-house. To better understand and quantify these general issues, we perform a concrete analysis of the value of cloudbursting for a large-scale application we have previously created to process and derive environmental results from satellite imagery. More specifically, we compare three versions of the application (an all-cloud design, a version that runs in-house on our cluster, and a hybrid cloudbursting version) on dimensions of debug ability, fault tolerance, correctness, economics, usability, and run-time speed. We find that for our application, cloudbursting is effective primarily because we were able to design the application so that its I/O behavior does not preclude remote (cloud) execution, we were able to minimize developmental cost by constructing a cloud run-time environment that is very similar to our in-house environment, and we achieve good run-time performance in our cloud-based executions (for example, we describe how a representative computation that takes 2 ½ hours in-house is completed in 35 minutes via cloudbursting). By generalizing this analysis, we believe that we contribute guidance to the broader community on the value of cloudbursting for escience applications.


Portfolio managers, whether running a passive or an active strategy, typically select target weights on the various asset classes and securities they hold. The prime example is choosing the mix between stocks and bonds. But as market prices evolve, actual weights drift away from the targets. This leads to tracking error and transaction costs in order to rebalance positions to the desired levels. Rebalancing entails selling assets that have gone up in value and increasing exposure to those whose prices have dropped. As Israelov and Tummala point out, this is how a short position in a call option behaves, and they show how to design a hedging strategy based on writing calls that offsets much of the basis risk in trying to run a portfolio with fixed asset weights. An empirical illustration shows that their proposed overlay strategy would have performed well historically in reducing unintended timing risk in a 60/40 stock/bond portfolio. An additional benefit of the plan is that by selling options, it harvests the volatility risk premium embedded in their prices, which enhances returns at the same time risk is being reduced.


"The Real Photo Postcard Guide" is an informative, comprehensive, and practical treatment of this wildly popular American phenomenon that dominated the United States photographic market during the first third of the twentieth century. Robert Bogdan and Todd Weseloh draw on extensive research and observation to address all aspects of the postcard from its history, origin, and cultural significance to practical matters like dating, purchasing, condition, and preservation. Illustrated with over 350 exceptional photo postcards taken from archives and private collections across the country, the scope of the "Real Photo Postcard Guide" spans technical considerations of production, characteristics of superior images, collecting categories, and methods of research for dating postcards and investigating their photographers. In a broader sense, the authors show how "real photo postcards" document the social history of America. From family outings and workplace awards to lynchings and natural disasters, every image captures a moment of American cultural history from the society that generated them. Bogdan and Weseloh's book provides an admirable integration of informative text and compelling photographic illustrations. Collectors, archivists, photographers, photo historians, social scientists, and anyone interested in the visual documentation of America will find the "Real Photo Postcard Guide" indispensable.


In biomedical microdevices and medical applications there is a need to analyze fluid transport of solid structures with sizes comparable to channel dimensions. Examples include manipulation of biological cells in microfluidic devices or transport of thrombin particles in blood vessels. Computational modeling of such macroparticles is very difficult when the particle size is bigger than the size of the computational control volume (mesh element). In performing such simulations, conventional Lagrangian model of micro particles is not suitable since this approach doesn't account particle's volume blockage of the supporting Eulerian computational mesh. Other approaches such as deforming mesh or volume of fluid are either impractical of computationally very intensive or limited to structured meshes. We have developed a 'macroparticle' methodology where the large particle is represented as a large cluster of smaller particles (marker particles) that is "embedded" on a background computational grid. The macroparticle is then represented by blocking the cells in the background mesh that are overlapped by individual micro-particles. The discrete surface of the macroparticle is represented by partially or fully blocked cells of the background computational mesh. The translation /rotation/deformation motion of the macroparticle is calculated using a 6-DOF model with fluid pressure and shear forces acting on the particle surface used as forces and moments in calculating macroparticle position, velocity, acceleration and rotation. The size of the background grid determines the accuracy of the particle shape definition and the flow solution. The relevant physics and chemical conservation laws for each macroparticle are solved in a coupled, iterative method with the equation systems governing the background fluid domain.This methodology has been successfully used for simulations of macroparticle-laden fluids in micro channels in biochips. As an application of this novel method, we have applied this technology to simulate a moving clot in blood flow and process of clot mechanical dissolution (thrombolysis).Copyright © 2012 by ASME


The traditional Min-Min algorithm is analyzed carefully based on the research of the existing mission scheduling algorithms of grid computation, and it is pointed out that the flaw of load unbalance exists in the Min-Min algorithm. An improved segmental Method-based Algorithm is introduced on the ground of Min-Min algorithm, on the contrary, whose flaw is solved efficiently by the improved Algorithm inversely. The SF-Min Algorithm is introduced at the same time. At last, the introduced algorithm is simulated using Mathlab toolbox. The result proves the reasonableness of the improved algorithm and the algorithm is more efficacious and precise than current algorithms.


The research is concerned with the proposal and the development of a general
method for computing rapidly oscillatory integrals with sine and cosine weight
integrands of the form f(x) exp(iωq(x)). In this method the interval (finite
or infinite) of integration is transformed to an equivalent contour in the complex
plane and consequently the problem of evaluating the original oscillatory
integral reduces to the evaluation of one or more contour integrals. Special
contours, called the optimal contours, are devised and used so that the resulting
real integrals are non-oscillatory and have rapidly decreasing integrands
towards one end of the integration range. The resulting real integrals are then
easily computed using any general-purpose quadrature rule. [Continues.]


Patient: Male, 49-year-old Final Diagnosis: Rhinosinusitis Symptoms: Cough • fatigue • headache • seizure Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Diseases Objective: Rare coexistence of disease or pathology Background: We present a case of invasive sinusitis with rhinocerebral infection in a patient who had mild symptoms of COVID-19 infection and did not receive any immunosuppressive therapies. Case Report: A 49-year-old man with a history of uncontrolled diabetes presented to the hospital with multiple generalized tonic clonic seizures. He had recently been diagnosed with mild COVID-19 and was treated at home with supportive care only. He was found to have cerebritis in the right frontal lobe along with right fronto-ethmoid sinusitis. He underwent extensive testing with nasal endoscopy with gram stain and culture, cryptococcal studies, 1–3-Beta-D glucan, blood cultures, fungal CSF studies, Lyme disease, HIV, Fungitell assay, and galactomannan studies, which were all negative. He was started on i.v. antibacterial therapy with cefepime, vancomycin, and metronidazole along with amphotericin B. After 2 weeks, his repeat imaging revealed progression of cerebritis along with new early abscess. Given these findings, his antibiotics were changed to meropenem and the amphotericin B dose was increased. He was recommended debridement and sinus surgery but refused. During the course of treatment, he developed acute kidney injury and was switched to Posaconazole. Unfortunately, the patient decided to leave against medical advice 6 weeks into admission. He was advised to continue Posaconazole and levofloxacin but he could only afford levofloxacin. He was then recommended long-term levofloxacin. He has since recovered, with resolution of cerebritis noted in follow-up imaging 1 year later. Conclusions: Our patient had mild COVID-19 infection and presented with secondary infective complications, which are usually associated with an immunocompromised state, despite receiving no immunosuppressives. It is imperative that all clinicians treating COVID-19 be watchful for fungal or bacterial co-infections in patients with active SARS-CoV-2 infection, even if the presenting symptoms are mild, particularly if other risk factors are present.


OF DISSERTATION LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF DIETARY COPPER SOURCE AND LEVEL ON PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH OF SOWS AND PIGLETS The objectives of this study were to investigate the long-term effects of feeding increasing supplemental levels (20, 120, or 220 mg/kg) of dietary copper (Cu) as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) or copper sulfate (CuSO4) on performance, antioxidant status, nutrient digestibility, and trace mineral deposition of sows and piglets; as well as to assess nursery dietary Cu levels on growth performance and response to immunological challenge in nursery pigs from sows fed either high or low Cu diets. In the long-term sow experiment, sows fed TBCC diets had greater adjusted weaning weight for litter and piglet (P < 0.10), as well as adjusted litter and piglet weight gain (P < 0.10) when compared to sows that received CuSO4 diets. Increasing dietary Cu level linearly increased live born piglet weight (P = 0.06). Sows fed TBCC diets had lower apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of ether extract (P = 0.01) during late gestation, but greater ATTD of dry matter, nitrogen, and phosphorous during lactation (P < 0.05). Increasing Cu levels linearly increased dry matter digestibility in lactating sows (P = 0.02). Milk from sows fed TBCC diets had a greater concentration of protein (P = 0.02) than that from sows fed CuSO4 diets. Increasing Cu levels increased levels of milk fat and Cu (linear, P < 0.05); but linearly decreased lactose and Zn levels (P < 0.05). Lactating sows fed TBCC diets had a greater activity of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ceruloplasmin in serum than those fed CuSO4 diets (P < 0.05). Increasing dietary Cu levels increased total and Cu/Zn SOD activity for lactating sows (linear, P < 0.05). Sows fed TBCC diets had lower concentrations of Cu (P = 0.04), but higher concentrations of iron and manganese (P < 0.05) in the liver, when compared to those fed with CuSO4 diets. In addition, liver Cu concentrations increased with increasing dietary Cu levels (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05). Increasing dietary Cu levels resulted in the elevation of concentrations and contents of Cu in the liver of weanling piglets (linear, P < 0.0001). In the nursery pig experiment, pigs from sows fed 120 mg/kg Cu diets had greater ADG from d 0 to 14 (P < 0.05), and tended to have greater ADG in the overall period (P < 0.08), when compared to pigs from sows fed 20 mg/kg Cu diets. During the lipopolysaccharide challenge period, the challenged pigs from sows fed 120 mg/kg Cu had a greater overall rectal temperature than those from sows fed 20 mg/kg Cu (P = 0.01). Also, the challenged pigs fed with 220 mg/kg Cu diets had greater serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentration over time as compared to those fed 20 mg/kg Cu diets (P = 0.03). In summary, the TBCC may be a superior Cu source compared to CuSO4 regarding reproductive performance, and higher dietary Cu levels result in greater birth weight of piglets; furthermore, high Cu levels in sow and nursery diets promote growth performance of nursery pigs and affects their responses to immunological challenge.


Recent research shows the potential of utilizing data collected through Web 2.0 applications to capture domain evolution. Relying on external data sources, however, often introduces delays due to the time spent retrieving data from these sources. The method introduced in this paper streamlines the data acquisition process by applying optimal stopping theory. An extensive evaluation demonstrates how such an optimization improves the processing speed of an ontology refinement component which uses Delicious to refine ontologies constructed from unstructured textual data while having no significant impact on the quality of the refinement process. Domain experts compare the results retrieved from optimal stopping with data obtained from standardized techniques to assess the effect of optimal stopping on data quality and the created domain ontology.


The characteristics, such as electron temperature and the electron density, of CF4/Ar discharge in 2.45GHz microwave has been investigated by using a Langmuir probe with the microwave power and position. The results showed that the electron temperature and the electron density decrease with increasing distance from the plasma source. Increasing power enhances the dissociation and ionization of gas, and increases the electron densities. The electron temperature was decreased by reducing the mean free path of electrons with increasing microwave power. The electron temperature is 7.63 ~ 2.49 eV, and the electron density is 0.85×1011 ~ 4.3×1011 cm-3. From obtained electron energy distribution function, we known that high energy electron decreased with increasing microwave power and distance from the plasma source. The generated plasma by developed our system has good quality as results of Debye length λD = 35.8 ~ 67.3 μm, and Ln(ND) = 33.4 ~ 35.2.


Rhotacism in Latin is a well-known phonological generalisation which, in its paradigm cases, can be stated as a regular sound change of [s] to [r] between vowels. This change/rule is posited on the basis both of comparative evidence, e.g. * swesor Latin soror 'sister', and of paradigms in which final s alternates with medial intervocalic r , e.g. flos , floris 'flower'. It is possible, however, to cite a number of exceptions to the basic rule which, if one attempts to account for all of them in a synchronic grammar, amount to outright paradoxes. This paper presents a diachronic model of the progress of rhotacism through the expected life cycle of a phonological process, within the formalism of Stratal Optimality Theory, and demonstrates that this model can account for the exceptions to rhotacism as epiphenomena of the expected progress of the constraint ranking giving rise to it from phrase to word level, and from word to stem level. Finally, I argue that rhotacism became a systematic property of the lexicon, at which point it was subject to analogical extension, giving the paradigm levelling observed in e.g. honor, honoris 'honour' (formerly honos, honoris ).


The role of environmental variation in the population dynamics of the tropical understory shrub Ardisia escallonioides was explored using single-environment matrix analysis and dynamic-environment megamatrix analysis. We investigated how variation in forest-canopy openness caused by hurricanes affected population dynamics. A 7 × 7 patch-transition matrix was created to model forest dynamics based on the historical frequency and strength of hurricanes in south Florida. Seven 8 × 8 stage-classified matrices for plant population dynamics were derived from four field populations and two posthurricane years. These populations spanned a strong gradient of forest-canopy openness resulting from hurricane disturbance caused by Hurricane Andrew (24 August 1992). The patch-transition matrix was analyzed for its stable patch distribution. The seven single-environment matrices were each analyzed for population growth rates and elasticity of stage classes. The 56 × 56 megamatrix was analyzed for population growth rate, reproductive value, stable patch-stage distribution, and elasticity of both patches and stages.

Population growth rate of the single-environment matrix models (8 × 8) was lowest for the shadiest environment (λ = 1.0), intermediate but variable for intermediate environments, and highest for the most open environment (λ = 1.96). The population growth rate (λ) of the megamatrix model was 1.71. The stable patch-stage distribution was characterized by a high proportion of seeds in open patches. Reproductive value was highest for very large adults in open patches. Megamatrix elasticity analysis revealed several components of the demography that were not apparent from examination of the single-environment matrices. Although closed-canopy patches were the most common type of environment, elasticity analysis of the megamatrix showed that the highest patch elasticity was for the most open environment. We found contrasting predictions for the relative importance of life history stages to population growth rate from single-environment analysis vs. the megamatrix analysis. In the most common single-environment patch, very large adults had the highest elasticity. In the megamatrix, small juveniles contributed the most elasticity and all stages contributed some elasticity. For plant species inhabiting temporally varying environments, megamatrix analysis offers new insight into the importance of both patches and stage classes.


Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) can cause major morbidity despite standard of care (SOC; rifaximin/lactulose). Fecal microbial transplant (FMT) enemas postantibiotics are safe, but the effect of FMT without antibiotics using the capsular route requires investigation. The aim of this work was to determine the safety, tolerability, and impact on mucosal/stool microbiota and brain function in HE after capsular FMT in a randomized, single‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial in Virginia. Patients with cirrhosis with recurrent HE with MELD (Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease) <17 on SOC were randomized 1:1 into receiving 15 FMT capsules versus placebo from a single donor enriched in Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae. Endoscopies with duodenal and sigmoid biopsies, stool analysis, cognition, serum lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP), and duodenal antimicrobial peptide (AMP) expression at baseline were used. Clinical follow‐up with SOC maintenance was performed until 5 months. FMT‐assigned patients underwent repeat endoscopies 4 weeks postenrollment. Twenty subjects on lactulose/rifaximin were randomized 1:1. MELD score was similar at baseline (9.6 vs. 10.2) and study end (10.2 vs. 10.5). Six patients in the placebo group required hospitalizations compared to 1 in FMT, which was deemed unrelated to FMT. Infection/HE episodes were similar between groups. Baseline microbial diversity was similar in all tissues between groups. Post‐FMT, duodenal mucosal diversity (P = 0.01) increased with higher Ruminococcaceae and Bifidobacteriaceae and lower Streptococcaceae and Veillonellaceae. Reduction in Veillonellaceae were noted post‐FMT in sigmoid (P = 0.04) and stool (P = 0.05). Duodenal E‐cadherin (P = 0.03) and defensin alpha 5 (P = 0.03) increased whereas interleukin‐6 (P = 0.02) and serum LBP (P = 0.009) reduced post‐FMT. EncephalApp performance improved post‐FMT only (P = 0.02). Conclusion: In this phase 1 study, oral FMT capsules are safe and well tolerated in patients with cirrhosis and recurrent HE. FMT was associated with improved duodenal mucosal diversity, dysbiosis, and AMP expression, reduced LBP, and improved EncephalApp performance. Further studies are needed to prove efficacy.


The number of annual stenting procedures has been increasing at a rapid pace since coronary stents were first used in clinical practice just over a decade ago. Subacute stent thrombosis, which usually has serious clinical consequences, plagued the stent early experience despite intense anticoagulation therapy. The reduction of stent thrombosis was among the factors that contributed to stent growth and widespread acceptance in recent years. This was the result of improved implantation techniques, advances in adjunctive pharmacotherapy and evolution in stent designs, delivery systems and non-thrombogenic coatings. However, novel designs and materials customized for particular lesion types and newer anti-restenotic treatments could influence stent thrombogenicity. Intravascular brachytherapy and drug-eluting stents have been shown to reduce the incidence of in-stent restenosis preventing cellular proliferation. However, by interfering with the re-endothelization process they may also increase the risk of stent thrombosis. To prevent a recrudescence of this feared complication, future research direction must focus on the hemocompatibility aspects of new technologies, along with further refinement of stent-deployment techniques and antithrombotic strategies.


We present a technique for computing piecewise linear approximations of geodesics on point set surfaces by minimizing an energy function defined for piecewise linear path. The function considers path length, closeness to the surface for the nodes of the piecewise linear path and for the intermediate line segments. Our method is robust with respect to noise and outliers. In order to avoid local minima, a good initial piecewise linear approximation of a geodesic is provided by Dijkstra's algorithm that is applied to a proximity graph constructed over the point set. As the proximity graph we use a sphere-of-influence weighted graph extended for surfel sets. The convergence of our method has been studied and compared to results of other methods by running experiments on surfaces whose geodesics can be computed analytically. Our method is presented and optimized for surfel-based representations but it has been implemented also for MLS surfaces. Moreover, it can also be applied to other surface representations, e.g., triangle meshes, radial-basis functions, etc.


Powder metallurgy (PM) is the fabrication process of compacting metal powders to shape and sintering these compacts to yield the final material's properties. The PM compaction process allows for complex geometries to be formed that would normally lead to long and expensive machining processes from wrought steels. Special alloy selection can allow for hardening of the microstructure during the sintering procedure. The sinter hardened (SH) alloys exhibit good mechanical properties along with good hardenability and dimensional stability and may be a suitable replacement for wrought steels where low distortion from heat treatment or microstructural control is required. In this study, it was found for a complex geometry coupler application, a SH alloy could successfully replace an austenitizing heat treatment process with a low carbon steel. The low carbon steel was found to have micro heterogeneities from heat treatment that lead to premature failure in the application. Dimensional distortion and production variance were also of concern with the low carbon steel. The SH material demonstrated acceptable physical properties, hardness and microstructural uniformity to solve the concerns associated with processing of the low carbon steel coupler. Post processing optimization also added to the life performance of the coupler by tailoring the final microstructure to mating components.


A tunable stripline resonator has been fabricated from YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/ (YBCO) films deposited on single-crystal Y/sub 3/Fe/sub 5/O/sub 12/ (YIG) substrates. The films were deposited by laser ablation and employ buffer layers for epitaxial growth. The surface resistance of the YBCO on YIG has been measured independently and is 5/spl times/10/sup -4/ /spl Omega/ at 10 GHz and 77 K. The resonator is tuned with an external field that changes the permeability of the YIG. At 77 K we have observed tunablity of the fundamental (approximately 1.7 GHz in zero applied field) and the overtone resonances of the stripline. A mode of resonance frequency of 12 GHz has demonstrated tuning of 500 MHz for 500 Oe external field without appreciable degradation of the Q which is about 1200. For 2 kOe the tuning range is approximately 1 GHz. For higher applied fields the Q of the resonance degrades significantly presumably because of degradation of the surface resistance of the YBCO due to the applied field. The measured Q in zero applied field is about a factor of two to four lower than expected from the surface resistance of the film indicating that losses in the YIG may be affecting the performance.


This study aims to examine the content validity of measurement instruments of the Adversity Quotient or IKBAR for polytechnic students. The analysis used the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) based on the Lawshe Validity Model (1975). This study was conducted through the evaluation of written and online questionnaires on 28 field experts selected via purposive sampling. The experts specializing in particular fields who worked in polytechnics area as directors, lecturers, psychologists and student affairs officers. The validity involved 220 items with four main constructs such as Control, Ownership, Reach and Endurance. The CVR's critical value that must be adhered to is 0.370 (N = 28) for the purpose of refining items. The results of the study shows that the instrument has good content validity of the candidates in the research (N = 28, CVRcritical = 0.370, CVRall = 21 items refined). The results have proved the IKBAR instrument has great potential to be promoted as a measuring instrument for psychometric adversity quotient for polytechnic students. It is recommended that further research be carried out using more sophisticated statistical analysis, for elaborating on quality items. Keyword: Content validity, field experts, adversity quotient, CVR, polytechnics


In this thesis various mathematical methods of studying the transient and dynamic stabiIity of practical power systems are presented. Certain long established methods are reviewed and refinements of some proposed. New methods are presented which remove some of the difficulties encountered in applying the powerful stability theories based on the concepts of Liapunov. Chapter 1 is concerned with numerical solution of the transient stability problem. Following a review and comparison of synchronous machine models the superiority of a particular model from the point of view of combined computing time and accuracy is demonstrated. A digital computer program incorporating all the synchronous machine models discussed, and an induction machine model, is described and results of a practical multi-machine transient stability study are presented. Chapter 2 reviews certain concepts and theorems due to Liapunov. In Chapter 3 transient stability regions of single, two and multi~machine systems are investigated through the use of energy type Liapunov functions. The treatment removes several mathematical difficulties encountered in earlier applications of the method. In Chapter 4 a simple criterion for the steady state stability of a multi-machine system is developed and compared with established criteria and a state space approach. In Chapters 5, 6 and 7 dynamic stability and small signal dynamic response are studied through a state space representation of the system. In Chapter 5 the state space equations are derived for single machine systems. An example is provided in which the dynamic stability limit curves are plotted for various synchronous machine representations. In Chapter 6 the state space approach is extended to multi~machine systems. To draw conclusions concerning dynamic stability or dynamic response the system eigenvalues must be properly interpreted, and a discussion concerning correct interpretation is included. Chapter 7 presents a discussion of the optimisation of power system small sjgnal performance through the use of Liapunov functions.


This paper develops a new analysis of homework by building on feminist scholarship which documents the invisible labour done by women in support of their children's education. While numerous studies have examined the relationship between homework and achievement, little attention has been paid to the largely gendered and potentially stressful nature of 'parental involvement'. The analytic focus in this paper is on the complex emotional and pedagogical dimensions of homework and the ways it is shaped by socio-cultural contexts. Videotaped homework interactions between one working-class and two middle-class mothers and their children are examined using Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and capital. The analysis distinguishes between productive pedagogical relationships and those that promote extensive anxiety and are counterproductive to learning. The paper argues that the reserves of cultural and emotional capital required for homework completion are significant and that class position does not necessarily guarantee the ways in which these capitals are mobilised.


Hallmarks of the hepadnavirus replication cycle are the formation of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and the reverse transcription of a pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) in core particles leading to synthesis of the relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) genome. cccDNA, the template for viral RNA transcription, is the basis for the persistence of these viruses in infected hepatocytes. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge on the mechanisms of hepadnavirus reverse transcription and the biochemical and structural properties of the viral reverse transcriptase (RT). We highlight important gaps in knowledge regarding cccDNA biosynthesis and stability. In addition, we discuss the impact of current antiviral therapies on viral persistence, particularly on cccDNA.


Primary Systemic Amyloidosis (AL) is the most frequent form of systemic amyloidosis and its morbilility is associated with immunoglobulin light chains deposition in vital organs. The mucocutaneous manifestations occur in about 30-40% of the cases and are important in diagnostic suspicion, once they appear in early stages of disease. We report a 71-years-old female patient, with disseminated purpura and cutaneous fragility with 6 months of evolution, accompanied by recent complaints of dysphagy. The first laboratory evaluation didn't show any alterations. The histological and immunohistochemical study of subcutaneous abdominal fat and skin biopsy showed lambda type amyloid protein. In the systemic work-up, we highlight a proteinúria > 1g/24h with Bence Jones proteins and the presence of monoclonal immunoglobulin light chain (lambda type) in serum immunoelectrophoresis. With the diagnosis of primary systemic amyloidosis, treatment with prednisolone and melphalan was started.


Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between adipokines and perilipin (PLIN) polymorphisms with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: Obese Turkish adolescents were assessed in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: obese (NAFLD and non-NAFLD) and non-obese. Serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin levels and PLIN gene analysis (PLIN 1, 4, and 6) were studied in all patients and healthy control group. Data obtained were compared with those of healthy control group. Results: Overall, 83 obese adolescents with NAFLD, 123 obese adolescents with normal liver, and 102 healthy non-obese adolescents as the control group were evaluated. No significant difference was observed in terms of serum adipokine (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin) levels in patients with NAFLD and non-NAFLD obese adolescents. The incidence of major alleles of PLIN 6 genotype in obese adolescents without NAFLD was slightly higher than that in the control group (p=0.06). PLIN 6 minor allele incidence was significantly lower (p=0.01), and PLIN 4 major allele frequency in patients with NAFLD was slightly lower than those in the control group (p=0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggested that no adipokine role was determined in the development of fatty liver in obese adolescents. The low rate in PLIN 6 minor allele can be a risk factor for NAFLD in adolescents.


We have developed a plating-free bumping technology by using Cu nanopaste and Injection Molded Solder (IMS) method. In this bumping process, Cu pillars are formed by filling Cu nanopaste into photoresist openings and sintering. IMS method is then applied for solder bumping. Cu nanoparticles in the paste coalesce and form necking structure by heating. The characteristics of sintered Cu nanoparticles change depending on the sintering conditions. We have already reported that the grain size of sintered Cu nanoparticles becomes larger, as the sintering temperature increases. In this study, we focus on the mechanical characteristics of sintered Cu nanoparticles, especially on the Young's modulus and the yield stress. The values of Young's modulus of Cu nanoparticles sintered at 150°C, 200°C, and 250°C were 56.0 GPa, 67.6 GPa, and 65.3 GPa, and the values of yield stress were 1.00 GPa, 1.09 GPa, and 1.11 GPa, respectively. The results suggest that the mechanical characteristics of the sintered Cu nanoparticles are correlated to the morphology such as grain size and necking structure between Cu nanoparticles.