Somatic stem cells can be isolated from a variety of sources. Although some studies have suggested that somatic stem cells may represent a cell population that is very similar to embryonic stem (ES) cells, it remains unclear whether somatic stem cells retain the potential to differentiate into any cell type derived from the three germ layers. In this study, we investigated the transdifferentiation potential of somatic stem cells using adipose tissue-derived stem/progenitor cells (ASCs; mesodermal stem cells) and pancreatic stem cells (endodermal stem cells). Previous reports from other groups describe the protocol that has been used to differentiate ASCs or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in bone marrow into insulin-producing cells. Induction 1: ASCs were cultured for 3 days in ultra-low attachment plates under serum-free conditions. Induction 2: ASCs were cultured for 24 h with L-DMEM, and reinduced with serum-free H-DMEM for another 10 h. Unlike previous reports, we did not get ASCs to express any pancreas-specific genes, including insulin-1 or insulin-2. Pancreatic stem cells were induced to differentiate into adipo/osteogenic by the following protocols. Induction protocol 1: ACSs were cultured for 7 days with medium containing indometacin, dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, and insulin for adipogenic differentiation. Induction protocol 2: The cells were cultured for 7 days with medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbate-2-phosphate, and β-glycerophosphate for osteogenic differentiation. Although these approaches have been widely used for adipo/osteogenic differentiation from MSCs, adipo/osteogenic differentiation from pancreatic stem cells was not observed. These data suggest that it is not easy for somatic stem cells to transdifferentiate into other germ cell types, at least, under these conditions.


Modal analysis, which is applied to verify the vibration characteristic of structures, is the basis of various dynamic analyses. In this paper, firstly, a cable-stayed space truss, consisting of stay cables, columns and space truss, is built in ANSYS. Secondly, modal analysis is performed to confirm the natural frequencies of the structure and 10 modes are extracted. Thirdly, a modal neutral file including all necessary information of flexible bodies is generated by ANSYS and then imported into ADAMS for further modal analysis. Finally, comparison of results between ANSYS and ADAMS are summarized and qualitative analysis is carried out aiming at the difference of natural frequencies between ANSYS and ADAMS. The simulation results indicate that the interface between the two tools has strong compatibility regardless of minor errors in it.


Objective
Leukemia is the most prevalent cancer among children and adolescents. This study investigated the potential association between exposure to magnetic fields and the risk of pediatric leukemia.

Methods
We conducted a comprehensive search of electronic databases, including Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Medline, up to December 15, 2022, to identify relevant studies examining the link between childhood leukemia and magnetic field exposure.

Results
The first meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant inverse association between pediatric leukemia and magnetic field strengths ranging from 0.4 μT to 0.2 μT, suggesting a reduced risk associated with this range. The second meta-analysis focused on wiring configuration codes and observed a potential link between residential magnetic field exposure and childhood leukemia. Pooled relative risk estimates were 1.52 (95% CI = 1.05-2.04, P = .021) and 1.58 (95% CI = 1.15-2.23, P = .006) for exposure to 24-hour magnetic field measurements, suggesting a possible causal relationship. In the third meta-analysis, the odds ratios for the exposure groups of 0.1 to 0.2 μT, 0.2 to 0.3 μT, 0.3 to 0.4 μT, and 0.4 μT above 0.2 μT were 1.09 (95% confidence interval = 0.82 to 1.43 μT), 1.14 (95% confidence interval = 0.68 to 1.92 μT), and 1.45 (95% confidence interval = 0.87 to 2.37 μT), respectively. In contrast to the findings of the three meta-analyses, there was no evidence of a statistically significant connection between exposure to 0.2 μT and the risk of juvenile leukemia. A further result showed no discernible difference between the two groups of children who lived less than 100 meters from the source of magnetic fields and those who lived closer (OR = 1.33; 95% CI = 0.98-1.73 μT).

Conclusions
The collective results of three meta-analyses, encompassing magnetic field strengths ranging from 0.1 μT to 2.38 μT, underscore a statistically significant association between the intensity of magnetic fields and the occurrence of childhood leukemia. However, one specific analysis concluded that no apparent relationship exists between exposure to 0.1 μT and an elevated risk of leukemia development in children.


The management of hazardous materials and industrial wastes is complex, requiring a high degree of knowledge over very broad technical and legal subject areas. Hazardous wastes and materials are diverse, with compositions and properties that not only vary significantly between industries, but within industries, and indeed within the complexity of single facilities. Proper management not only requires an understanding of the numerous and complex regulations governing hazardous materials and waste streams, but an understanding and knowledge of the treatment, post-treatment, and waste minimization technologies. In fact, today's environmental manager must face working within twelve environmental management arenas, all of which may be applicable regardless of the size of the operation or business. This volume has been written as a desk reference for the Professional Hazards Manager (PHM). The PHM is a qualified environmental manager that has the responsibility of ensuring that his or her facility or division within the corporation is in compliance with environmental statutes and regulations, as well as participating in the selection of technologies and approaches to remediation, pollution control, and in implementing waste minimization practices. These decisions require knowledge and understanding of the federal, state, and local environmental regulations, a working knowledge of the best available technologies and their associated cost. This volume provides an overview of both the technology and compliance requirements that will assist environmental managers in addressing facility management of hazardous wastes, pollution control, and waste minimization. The book has been designed in part as a study guide to help prepare qualified individuals for the national certification and registration program of Professional Hazards Managers conducted by the National Association of Safety & Health Professionals and other organizations including the Hazard Materials Control Resources Institute (HMCRI) and Fairleigh Dickinson University.


We consider compact composite linear operators in Hilbert space, where the composition is given by some compact operator followed by some non-compact one pos-sessing a non-closed range. Focus is on the impact of the non-compact factor on the overall behavior of the decay rates of the singular values of the composition. Specif-ically, the composition of the compact integration operator with the non-compact Hausdorff moment operator is considered. We show that the singular values of the composite operator decay faster than those of the integration operator, providing a first example of this kind. However, there is a gap between available lower bounds for the decay rate and the obtained result. Therefore we conclude with a discussion


Using model-based advanced process control (APC) in the gate etching process, gate linewidth variations that are caused by variations in the photo resist linewidth are reduced by feedforward control of the photo resist linewidth that is obtained by a critical dimension (CD) measurement tool. Both long-term process drift in the etching process and long-term instability of the CD measurement tool lead to variations in the process model for APC. These process model variations result in gate linewidth variations and are attenuated by feedback control using the etch CD bias from the previously processed lot. We used a lot-to-lot model-based APC system and a critical dimension scanning electron microscope (CD-SEM) in a deep sub-100 nm gate fabrication line to investigate long-term variations in the process model over a period of six months, and to study how much the variations are reduced by feedback control based on persistence prediction methods using the etch CD bias for the pilot wafer from the currently processed lot. The process model uses the linear relationship between the etch CD bias and the gas mixture ratio at the gate linewidth plasma trimming step, and the gradient is almost constant over the term. The spread in the long-term variation in the process model was 8.12 nm. The variation mainly included process drift in the plasma etcher, and the persistence of the etch CD bias in the lot after processing was significantly lost beyond approximately one week. When using feedback control based on the persistence prediction method using the etch CD bias for the pilot wafer from the currently processed lot, the standard deviation of the feedback error was 0.50 nm of 1σ. On the other hand, when calculating feedback control with the lot-mean etch CD bias from the lot processed immediately before the currently processed lot, the standard deviation of the feedback error was estimated to be 0.82 nm of 1σ. When performing feedback with the etching shift value of the pilot wafers, the percentage of lots whose post etch CD value fell within the range of ±1 nm from the target value was higher by 20% than the simulated value of the percentage of lots in which feedback was calculated with the etch CD bias of the previously processed lots.


This chapter examines how parity sanctions targeted at the major political parties since 2002 have impacted gendered processes of nomination. It also investigates how gender plays a role in individual decisions to seek nomination and run for office with a focus on whether the most recent increase in parity sanctions in the 2017 elections matter for promoting gender equality. While financial sanctions played a role in increasing the number of female candidates, especially for left-wing and small political parties, we argue that the massive increase in women's presence in the 2017 election cycle is mostly due to other factors, like the radical changes in the political party system in 2017. The chapter first highlights the context for parity reform debates and the implementation set by general campaign financing regulation and electoral reforms. Next, it assesses the relative effects of the financial sanctions as compared to other electoral reforms and other important changes in the political landscape. In the last section, we apply a more micro-sociological analysis to the three constituencies to examine campaign financing and recruitment processes in the 2017 elections. The conclusion discusses the implications of this study for gender equality in political life in France.


Background: Ocimum sanctum is a plant which is of great medicinal value and has various properties for curing and preventing disease.Hence a study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of Ocimum sanctumon bacterial plaque and its comparison with Chlorhexidine gluconate which is considered as the gold standard.
Materials and Methods:30 chronic periodontitis patients were randomized into two groups. Group A received scaling and root planing plus intra-pocket irrigation of Ocimum sanctum (n= 15) and Group B received scaling and root planing plus intra-pocket irrigation with Chlorhexidine gluconate (n = 15).Clinical parameters including the plaque index, gingival index, pocket probing depth and clinical attachment level were assessed at baseline and 30 days. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS version 17. Statistical significance of P ≤ 0.001 was considered.
Results:Our data showed that Ocimum sanctum was equally effective in reducing periodontal indices as chlorhexidine. Significant reduction in all clinical parameters were observed over a period of four weeks in both the test and the control groups.
Conclusion:The results of the present study revealed that subgingival irrigation with 4% Ocimum sanctum may prove to be effective owing to its ability in reducing plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation and bleeding andhas no side effects as compared to chlorhexidine.

Keywords: Chlorhexidine, Ocimum sanctum, Irrigation, Periodontitis


Nowadays rapid increase of technological environment allows residents to be more mobile, choose working place, different from one's place of residence, start a new business or transfer company to rural areas, thus promoting polycentric development of a territory and increasing capacity of rural territories. It means that government should think of smart governance and service provision, providing different government services at one place. From June 2015 until December 2015, under the concept of improvement of public service system, the government of the Republic of Latvia established 75 unified state and local government customer service centres. Service centres operate on a local basis and in accordance with the uniform principles, provide customer with one place to access multiple public services. The objective of the present article is to evaluate the necessity and current activity of unified customer service centres and their contribution to smart governance of the country. The necessity for unified client service centres in the rural areas were therefore assessed with the analysis of attributable data, theory on establishment of such centres, and residents' survey, which showed that a big part of customers of the present centres are residents of neighbouring towns and cities where the regional governmental and local institutions are located, but they are attracted by the possibility to receive all the necessary services at one time.


Forest soils, rather than woody biomass, are the dominant long‐term sink for N in forest fertilization studies and, by inference, for N from atmospheric deposition. Recent evidence of significant abiotic immobilization of inorganic‐N in forest humus layers challenges a previously widely held view that microbial processes are the dominant pathways for N immobilization in soil. Understanding the plant, microbial, and abiotic mechanisms of N immobilization in forest soils has important implications for understanding current and future carbon budgets. Abiotic immobilization of nitrate is particularly perplexing because the thermodynamics of nitrate reduction in soils are not generally favorable under oxic conditions. Here we present preliminary evidence for a testable hypothesis that explains abiotic immobilization of nitrate in forest soils. Because iron (and perhaps manganese) plays a key role as a catalyst, with Fe(II) reducing nitrate and reduced forms of carbon then regenerating Fe(II), we call this 'the ferrous wheel hypothesis'. After nitrate is reduced to nitrite, we hypothesize that nitrite reacts with dissolved organic matter through nitration and nitrosation of aromatic ring structures, thus producing dissolved organic nitrogen (DON). In addition to ignorance about mechanisms of DON production, little is known about DON dynamics in soil and its fate within ecosystems. Evidence from leaching and watershed studies suggests that DON production and consumption may be largely uncoupled from seasonal biological processes, although biological processes ultimately produce the DOC and reducing power that affect DON formation and the entire N cycle. The ferrous wheel hypothesis includes both biological and abiological processes, but the reducing power of plant‐derived organic matter may build up over seasons and years while the abiotic reduction of nitrate and reaction of organic matter with nitrite may occur in a matter of seconds after nitrate enters the soil solution.


Over the past few years, commodity prices have experienced the biggest boom in half a century. In this paper we investigate whether it is possible by active asset management to take advantage of the unique risk-return characteristics of commodities, while avoiding their excessive volatility. We show that observing (and learning from) the actions of different groups of market participants enables an active asset manager to successfully 'time' the commodities market. We focus on the information contained in the Commitment of Traders report, published by the CFTC. This report summarizes the size and direction of the positions taken by different types of traders in different markets. Our findings indicate that there is indeed significant informational content in this report, which can be exploited by an active portfolio manager. Our dynamically managed strategies exhibit superior out-of-sample performance, achieving Sharpe ratios in excess of 1.0 and annualized alphas relative to the S&P 500 of around 15%.


Climate change is an important threat to human society. Agriculture is a source of greenhouse gases (GHG), but it also provides alternatives to confront climate change. The expansion of intensive agriculture around the world during recent decades has generated significant environmental damages from pollution emissions. The spatial distribution of emissions is important for the design of local abatement measures. This study makes an assessment of GHG emissions in an intensive agricultural area of Aragon (Spain), and then an economic optimization model is developed to analyze several GHG mitigation measures. The results indicate that adequate management of manure, emissions limits, and animal production restrictions are appropriate measures to abate pollution. Economic instruments such as input and emission taxes could be only ancillary measures to address nonpoint pollution problems. Suitable pollution abatement policies should be based on institutional instruments adapted to local conditions, and involve the cooperation of stakeholders.


Introduction An increased red cell distribution width (RDW), a routinely available index of the variability of erythrocyte size, has been associated with an adverse prognosis in cardiac and respiratory disease, including COPD.1 We have assessed its value in AECOPD and whether adding RDW improves the predictive power of the DECAF score.2 Methods We studied 2 groups of patients with AECOPD, the "derivation cohort" (n = 920) in whom DECAF was derived2 and the "internal validation cohort" (n = 880) in whom its prognostic value was confirmed.3 In the validation cohort RDW was collected prospectively and relationships to mortality assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RDW values were dichotomised by visual inspection of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve which showed the optimal prognostic threshold for hospital mortality to be 15.5%, consistent with other studies.1 "RDW score" (15.5% or less=0, greater than 15.5%=1) was added to the DECAF score and the areas under the ROC (AUROC) curves for the DECAF and DECAF-RDW scores were compared by the method of DeLong. In the derivation cohort RDW was collected from laboratory records and the prognostic utility assessed separately by logistic regression. Results In the validation cohort RDW >15.5% was a strong predictor of inpatient mortality in both univariate (OR 2.70, 95% CI 1.68–4.32, p < 0.001) and multivariate analysis (OR 2.16, 95% CI 1.28–3.6 4, p = 0.004). However, there was no difference between the AUROC curves for the DECAF and DECAF-RDW scores (Figure 1; p = 0.63). In the derivation cohort RDW >15.5% showed a non-significant trend towards higher inpatient mortality on univariate analysis (OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.96–2.50, p = 0.07), but there was no association on multivariate analysis (OR 1.05, 95% CI 0.60–1.84, p = 0.86). Discussion The significant association of RDW with inpatient mortality in AECOPD in one cohort but not the other suggests limited value in this population. When forced into the DECAF model, RDW did not improve its predictive power and is a weaker prognostic index than the component parts of DECAF. References Seyhan COPD 2013 Steer Thorax 2012 Echevarria Thorax 2013(68:A138) Abstract S30 Figure 1


"Table –mate to soul mate" is a special category of marriages exclusively created by God and discovered by medicos. Isn't it? It is almost unknown in other professional courses. In medical field people are often heard talking about someone referring to their table-status. In fact in the curriculum vitae of any doctor his or her table-mate history is often talked about by the colleagues though it is not written anywhere. Identity of doctors among doctors is mostly with their college, year of admission and his or her table. Keywords: Soulmates, Medical field, Table mate


Burnout is a leading issue in the United States healthcare system today, afflicting approximately 50% of physicians. It is characterized by emotional depletion and loss of energy, a sense of depersonalization, and a reduced sense of individual accomplishment, resulting in withdrawal from occupation. While often regarded as a personal issue, it is clear that burnout arises from organizational factors and therefore, warrants organizational solutions. However, just as wellbeing is more than just the absence of ill-being, physician flourishing requires more than just treatment of burnout. The HEAL (Hope, Engagement, Action, Lead) model, the subject matter of this paper, is a framework for instituting positive psychology practices to transform medical culture to address burnout and promote well-being for individuals and the healthcare system. This paper introduces the four pillars of HEALing, including specific interventions that may improve organizational cultures and aid in healing the system and the individual clinicians operating within it. Now more than ever in the era of COVID-19, solutions are needed to address this growing problem. Operating through the lens of positive psychology practices, informed by the unique culture of medical practice, healing our healers may be possible.


This thesis presents the design and development of the SAMBUCA (Semi Autonomous Mobile Base and Utile Control Architecture) mobile robot base for the purpose of advancement of research in group robotics. The base is intended to be used as part of a multi-robot system whereby a number of robotic vehicles, including ones derived from this design, will be deployed and coordinated to perform tasks semi-autonomously in order to reach a goal. -- Research in group robotics is being conducted at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in the Intelligent Systems laboratory of C-CORE, and the outcomes of these endeavors will be applied to industrial problems in harsh environments. The initial application of this research will be toward the mining industry, and specifically toward the automation of underground ore mines in Canada. Future applications include, but are not limited to, space exploration, toxic waste management, and automated farming. -- The work done to date in the Intelligent Systems laboratory has included the initial development of a vehicle route planner and a discrete-event based traffic controller that has been successfully interfaced with groups of robotic vehicles to carry out specified tasks in relatively structured, static environments. Currently, these systems break down goals into tasks that are coordinated and dispatched to toy robots that operate in a model mine. While the use of toys is sufficient for proof- of-concept demonstrations of the discrete-event control and planning systems, toys must be adapted and coerced to work under conditions that they were not intended to experience. These adaptation efforts are not central to the research goals, and not only demand unnecessary efforts from the research group, but indeed limit the progress that can be made in developing an automated system. -- While it is too early to incorporate the current research results into full-sized industrial robotic vehicles, specially designed small-scale robotic vehicles can be used in mock system trials instead of toy-based robots, thereby providing more accurate representations of the challenges encountered by full-sized robotic automation systems. -- This thesis presents the development of an indoor/outdoor mobile platform that will be used to advance the group's research in automated mining by providing a more realistic experience of tele-operation, remote sensing, and semi-autonomous robot behavior than what currently exists in the Intelligent System laboratory. -- The work completed to date acts as a starting point from which improvements and extensions can be easily made and incorporated. In this regard, suggestions for future work are also presented.


A new route to a well-defined block copolymer with alternating PEO-solubilising groups and fluorinated distyrylbenzene units was established. The Horner Wittig reaction was used as the polycondensation reaction. The non-fluorinated analogue of this block copolymer was prepared via the Wittig reaction. Both polymers were soluble in chloroform and free-standing films could be cast from solution. The position of the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of these two materials were determined by a combination of cyclic voltammetry, UV photoelectron spectroscopy and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy. The presence of fluorine substituents on the distyrylbenzene unit had no influence on the HOMO-LUMO band-gap (3.0 eV). However, the position of these two energy levels relative to the vacuum level was shifted to higher energies (0.85 eV shift) in the case of the fluorinated block copolymer. The photoluminescence quantum efficiency of the fluorinated block copolymer was 17%, that of the non-fluorinated block copolymer was 34%. The former was used as the electron conducting layer in a light emitting diode with poly(p-phenylene vinylene) as the emissive layer. The latter was used as the emissive layer in light emitting diodes. Luminances over 2000 cd/m(^2) were observed for devices based on the non-fluorinated block copolymer using indium tin oxide as the anode and aluminium as the cathode. The luminescence efficiency of such devices was as high as 0.5 cd/A, corresponding to an internal quantum efficiency of 1.1%.Furthermore, an oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) was synthesised that contained two terminal fluorinated benzene rings and two central non-fluorinated benzene rings, all connected by vinylene bridges. This material aggregated in a 'brickwall' motif, where each molecule overlaps with two halves of molecules in the row above and below. The structure of this J aggregate is due to aryl-fluoroaryl-interactions and was demonstrated by X-ray crystal structure analysis.


ABSTRACT Vaccine development for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) has mainly focused on the spike (S) protein. However, the variation of the S gene between viruses may affect the efficacy of a vaccine, particularly for cross-protection against SARS-like CoV (SL-CoV). Recently, a more conserved group-specific open reading frame (ORF), the 3a gene, was found in both SARS-CoV and SL-CoV. Here, we studied the immunogenicity of human SARS-CoV 3a and bat SL-CoV 3a DNA vaccines in mice through electroporation immunization followed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent, enzyme-linked immunospot, and flow cytometry assays. Our results showed that high levels of specific humoral responses were induced by SARS-CoV 3a and SL-CoV 3a DNA vaccines. Furthermore, a strong Th1-based cellular immune response was stimulated by both DNA vaccines. The vaccines stimulated gamma interferon production mainly by CD8+ T cells and interleukin-2 (IL-2) mainly by CD4+ T cells. Of interest, the frequency of IL-2-positive cells elicited by the SARS-CoV 3a DNA vaccine was significantly higher than that elicited by the SL-CoV 3a DNA vaccine. In summary, our study provides a reference for designing cross-protective DNA vaccines based on the group-specific ORFs of CoVs.


This project deals with the topic of immigrant children integration into elementary schools from the teachers point of view in three countries: The Czech Republic, Austria and Norway. The main aim of the project is to characterize, analyse and compare current state of integration in mentioned countries in the terms of legislation, history and demography. To compare teachers attitude to supporting immigrant children is another goal of the project. This project will consist of both theoretical and empirical part. Theoretical part shows that legislations in each country is different not just in the terms of quality but also quantity of regulations and laws which each country offers. Examined educational contexts work with different integration measures. Teachers are than the factors dependent on these legislative frameworks and on national supervisory authorities. Empirical part is planed to be realized in spring 2016 and will show how teachers are satisfied with the current state in this field and what is teachers attitude to current state of integration, education and support of immigrant children in those three countries. We will compare three case studies of elementary schools: one case-study in each examined country. The key for the school choice is the school with good practice with immigrant children. It means we will choose schools which are focused on immigrant children education.


The purpose of this study is to explore factors of the educational effect of the supply chain management (SCM) game. This study focuses on a beneficent influential point in SCM from prior research and the effects these points have on supply chain (SC) experts as SCM game players. For the statistical analysis, this study uses the game results of a new online SCM game named the "elephant game." The results show that knowledge sharing between SC nodes not only reduces the bullwhip effect and total inventory cost but also changes the opinions of SC experts. Miscalculations of lead time and the existence of strategy also change their minds. Thus, this research finds important learning factors for SC experts in the SCM game. The results indicate the potential for the elephant game to be an education tool for SC experts and future SCM research.


This practical and accessibly written textbook provides a thoughtfully ordered introduction to a wide range of phonological phenomena. It contains many exercises combining classic datasets with newly compiled problems. These help the student learn to discover sound patterns nested in complex linguistic data, beginning with concrete introductory examples and stepping through a series of progressively more complex phonological phenomena. It covers alternation, vowel harmony, phonemic analysis, natural classes and distinctive features, abstractness and opacity, syllable structure, tone, stress, prosodic morphology, feature geometry, and optimality theory. It is essential reading for students of linguistics around the world.


By use of NMR residual dipolar coupling measurements in a dilute liquid-crystalline solvent, the solution structure has been determined of the complex between the oligosaccharide moiety of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3-OS) and the B-subunit homopentamer of verotoxin 1 (VTB). The dipolar coupling data indicate that Gb3-OS binds in a single binding site per monomer, which is identical to one of three sites inferred from the X-ray structure of the same complex. We find no evidence within experimental error for occupancy at either of the two additional binding sites observed per monomer in the crystal structure.


Structural investigations on mixed-metal borohydrides have been the subject of powder diffraction since the discovery that hydrogen-release temperatures can be tailored by using more electronegative metals. The lack of producing suitable samples for single crystal X-ray diffraction has defined powder diffraction as the method of choice which, however, is less sensitive to the structural details of the compounds in question. Here we show how to overcome this limitation by developing a flux-assisted single crystal growth procedure to lower the melting point of mixed-metal compounds that are thermally unstable and usually decompose before melting, or are unstable in the melt. We prove the validity of this principle on a member of the recently reported perovskite-type class of borohydrides and show that the defined approach is easily generalized. Interesting structural details are revealed that stand in contrast to the results obtained from samples produced by mechano-chemistry. The differences in lattice instabilities are discussed and put into context with the discovered epitaxial relationships between rocksalt-type ABH4 and perovskite-type ACa(BH4)3 (A = alkaline metal). In this context, the preliminary results provide a valuable scheme that can be made use of when physical deposition of metal borohydrides reaches its working stage.


Gene therapy could result in the permanent correction or amelioration of the clinical manifestations of many genetic diseases. However, immune responses to the therapeutic protein pose a significant hurdle for successful gene therapy. Problematic immune responses can include the development of a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response that results in the destruction of genetically-modified cells and/or the formation of antibodies directed against the therapeutic protein. One approach to avoid an immune response is to perform gene therapy in newborns, which takes advantage of the fact that the immune system is relatively immature at birth. This approach has been highly effective in mice, and has resulted in stable expression without antibody formation for proteins that are highly immunogenic after transfer to adults. High levels of expression after neonatal gene therapy were more effective at inducing tolerance than low levels of expression in mice, which suggests that high antigen levels are more efficient at inducing tolerance. A criticism of this approach is that the murine immune system is less mature at birth than the immune systems of larger animals. Indeed, neonatal gene therapy to cats with mucopolysaccharidosis I resulted in a CTL response that destroyed expressing cells. Nevertheless, the immune system was still relatively immature, as transient administration of a single immunosuppressive agent at the time of neonatal gene therapy resulted in stable expression. Neonatal administration can reduce, but not eliminate, immune responses after gene therapy.


Eastern hemlock [Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière] is a valuable component of Allegheny Plateau forests in northwestern Pennsylvania and western New York. Since the 1950s, hemlock forests throughout the Central Appalachians have been under threat from a nonnative forest insect pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand). In 2012, to address this threat at the most meaningful scale, the United States Forest Service and The Nature Conservancy organized a diverse partnership to develop a strategy for landscape-level conservation of hemlock on the High Allegheny Unglaciated Plateau. The main goal of the partnership was to locate hemlock across the landscape regardless of land ownership and prioritize the hemlock for monitoring and protection from the adelgid. The priority Hemlock Conservation Areas that were identified by this partnership provide a guide for focusing limited financial and personnel resources, with the goal of protecting at least a portion of these areas from the impacts of the adelgid until more long-term management techniques are identified. To protect the important hemlock forests identified in this prioritization, a partnership of private and public land managers are forming a Cooperative Pest Management Area to continue this important collaboration, allocate scarce resources across the area, and allow private partners access to public funding for protection of priority hemlock on their lands.


University students perennially use college campuses for social and political protest. For this reason it is important to understand how campus design conditions student activism as well as the ways architects have worked to build spaces to practice democracy and citizenship. This article turns to the administrative policies and campus planning activities leading up to the Free Speech Movement in 1964, which took place adjacent to the postwar student union building at the University of California, Berkeley. It argues that the student center and plaza, designed by the architects Vernon DeMars and Donald Hardison and landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, gave the postwar university citizenry a monumental space to practice democracy as it paved the way for civic-oriented student centers elsewhere.


Body size is intrinsic to contemporary Western femininity. Disciplines of health and beauty not only shape the female body but define the limits of the form. Body size and eating is a topic that touches on the lives of most women in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. In this thesis I explore the parameters of the fat body, problematise popular notions of fatness, and look at the way in which body size is fundamental to the social construction of femininity in the post colonial, contemporary societies of Canada, New Zealand and Australia. This thesis is not about obesity or about medically-defined excess, it is about cultural ideas of fatness, and the way in which fatness is inscribed upon forms in excess of the "docile body". I am interested in the way in which fatness intersects with docility, the institutionally-desired disciplined body of idealised (and reduced) femininity, and the ramifications for both fat and docile bodies. The body addressed in this thesis is a textual one. Literature is a means by which to illuminate the discursive practices of society, and by contextualising literature within historical and cultural debates, it becomes possible to see the way in which the body at the centre of a text is constructed and positioned with regard to a number of competing discourses. It is also possible to identify the ways in which the feminine body is marked by, and negotiates, the processes of cultural inscription. The visual image, also, is a powerful medium through which socio-cultural images are reflected and challenged, and so I include a discussion of film within the thesis. In the following seven chapters selected films and novels from Australia, Canada and New Zealand are positioned within cultural, political and national contexts that impact upon the meanings of fatness.


Because of the spine, a book cannot be set flat on a flat bed scanner. As a result, the image suffers from shape distortion, variable brightness, and blurred characters. This paper describes a method based on book shape analysis to address these problems. The algorithm utilizes the relation between the distance from a line segment on the book to the flat bed and its projected length. The correction process uses edge extraction, iterative boundary point computations, linear image transformation, and histogram modification. Experimental results show that the shape distortion and brightness variance problems are perfectly resolved by the method.


The effectiveness of relevant dispersants for use under Arctic conditions has been tested with the IFP dilution test. Arctic conditions in this context are defined as low temperature (0 C) and water salinities varying between 0.5% and 3.5%. The study was performed in three steps with a screening activity first, where 14 dispersants were tested on water-in-oil (w/o) emulsions from two weathered oil types. In the next step five dispersants were tested on both weathered water free oils and w/o emulsions from four different oil types. As a third step, dispersant effectiveness as a function of salinity (0.5 to 3.5%) was tested with the most effective dispersants at high and low salinity. The results from this study shows that many of the most used dispersants which previously have shown an excellent effectiveness at high sea water salinity (3.5%) may give a very low effectiveness at low salinity (0.5%). Recently developed products especially designed for low salinity use (e.g. Inipol IPF) are very effective at low salinities, but suffer from a rather poor effectiveness at higher salinities. This is of significant operational importance in Arctic oil spill combat operations since the salinity of the surface water may vary due to icemore » melting. This study of dispersant`s effectiveness under Arctic conditions shows the need for development of dispersants with high effectiveness both at low temperature (0 C) and over a wide range of salinities (3.5% to 0.5%). Dispersant development has been a limited but important activity at IKU for the last five years and one of the objectives for an ongoing Arctic program at IKU is to develop such new dispersants for use under Arctic conditions.« less


Modern density functional theory and powerful contemporary computers have made it possible to explore complex reactions of value in organic synthesis. We describe recent explorations of mechanisms and origins of stereoselectivities with density functional theory calculations. The specific functionals and basis sets that are routinely used in computational studies of stereoselectivities of organic and organometallic reactions in our group are described, followed by our recent studies that uncovered the origins of stereocontrol in reactions catalyzed by (1) vicinal diamines, including cinchona alkaloid-derived primary amines, (2) vicinal amidophosphines, and (3) organo-transition-metal complexes. Two common cyclic models account for the stereoselectivity of aldol reactions of metal enolates (Zimmerman-Traxler) or those catalyzed by the organocatalyst proline (Houk-List). Three other models were derived from computational studies described in this Account. Cinchona alkaloid-derived primary amines and other vicinal diamines are venerable asymmetric organocatalysts. For α-fluorinations and a variety of aldol reactions, vicinal diamines form enamines at one terminal amine and activate electrophilically with NH(+) or NF(+) at the other. We found that the stereocontrolling transition states are cyclic and that their conformational preferences are responsible for the observed stereoselectivity. In fluorinations, the chair seven-membered cyclic transition states is highly favored, just as the Zimmerman-Traxler chair six-membered aldol transition state controls stereoselectivity. In aldol reactions with vicinal diamine catalysts, the crown transition states are favored, both in the prototype and in an experimental example, shown in the graphic. We found that low-energy conformations of cyclic transition states occur and control stereoselectivities in these reactions. Another class of bifunctional organocatalysts, the vicinal amidophosphines, catalyzes the (3 + 2) annulation reaction of allenes with activated olefins. Stereocontrol here is due to an intermolecular hydrogen bond that activates the electrophilic partner in this reaction. We have also studied complex organometallic catalysts. Krische's ruthenium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrohydroxyalkylation of butadiene involves two chiral ligands at Ru, a chiral diphosphine and a chiral phosphate. The size of this combination strains the limits of modern computations with over 160 atoms, multiple significant steps, and a variety of ligand coordinations and conformations possible. We found that carbon-carbon bond formation occurs via a chair Zimmerman-Traxler-type transition structure and that a formyl CH···O hydrogen bond from aldehyde CH to phosphate oxygen, as well as steric interactions of the two chiral ligands, control the stereoselectivity.


In the past 30-year period of investigations, the crucial role of Helicobacter pylori in chronic gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer development, and subsequently in gastric cancer and MALT lymphoma pathogenesis, has been recognized. During the first meeting of European Helicobacter Study Group in 1996 in Maastricht, the first recommendations for diagnostics and treatments of Helicobacter pylori infection were published, later reviewed in 2000, 2007 and 2010. The first meeting of Croatian doctors focusing on the same topics, but suitable to specific national circumstances, was held as early as 1998. The need for updating the old guidelines has emerged during the last years. The working expert group of gastroenterologists was formed and gathered on Consesus Conference in December 2012 in Zagreb, to arrive to current guidelines for the clinical management of Helicobacter pylori infection in Croatia. The following topics relating to Helicobacter pylori infection were examined: 1. indications and contraindications for diagnostics and treatments; 2. diagnostic methods and 3. treatments applicable in our country.


Energy saving in general and less polluting vehicles in specific, become more and more urgent topics. One reason is that, in a world where the demand for fast transportation is increasing, the risk of global warming is a fact. Hybrid Vehicles (HV:s) are proposed as a more environmentally friendly candidate than conventional vehicles. Nowadays, there are numerous different types of HV:s and the components can, in theory, be sized in infinite ways. There is no simple answer to how to choose driveline configuration and size components in a HV. This paper describes one method, Driveline Synthesis (DS), that systematically presents a suitable driveline, on the basis of demands and conditions. Examples of demands are driving cycle and emission free zones. Some conditions are fuel price, tax on pollution and discount rate. The most suitable driveline is defined as the most cost effective. Total cost is defined as the sum of: cost of components, fuel cost, cost of external energy and cost of pollution. Genetic algorithms are used as an optimization method. Two major types of drivelines are compared in a case study, a conventional bus with a diesel engine and automatic transmission versus a series hybrid bus with different types of primary power units (diesel engine or fuel cell) and storage devices (super capacitor or NiMH battery). DS gives reasonable answers but needs further validation and development. One conclusion from the work is that the most suitable driveline configuration depends very much on demands, conditions and present technology, i.e. HV:s are only preferable to conventional vehicles under special circumstances.


Over the past two decades, the concept of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been imported from embryology and oncology to fibrosis, particularly in the kidney. This interest in EMT in the context of renal fibrosis stems from observations of epithelial cells undergoing phenotypic changes reminiscent of fibroblasts. Whether EMT is actually a source of interstitial fibroblasts has been the subject of heated debate, and this controversy has caused physicians to neglect the value of EMT as a biomarker in renal fibrosis. In this review, we describe the evolution of the techniques used to detect EMT during fibrosing renal diseases, and what information they provide in the diagnosis of various renal diseases. Highlighting the great heterogeneity of these techniques and the need to standardize them, we warn against some misleading uses of EMT markers. We suggest using the association of vimentin and β-catenin for the diagnosis of EMT in renal pathology because it is both sensitive and prognostic, thus satisfying the properties required for a screening test. Finally, we discuss the potential interests to diagnose EMT for the comprehension of renal fibrosis and for clinical practice.


Purpose: To determine the effects of bevacizumab, ranibizumab, and aflibercept on the permeability and the effects of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on highly polarized retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPECs) in vitro. Methods: Highly polarized RPECs were cultured in the upper chamber of a Transwell system. Anti-VEGF antibodies were added to the upper chamber, and the concentrations of the drugs in the lower chambers were measured. The permeability rates of the three anti-VEGF drugs through the RPEC layer and the concentration of VEGF in each chamber were determined. Results: The permeability of aflibercept was significantly lower by about 40% than that of bevacizumab through the RPEC layer (P < 0.05). Ranibizumab was significantly more permeable through the RPECs than bevacizumab (180% of bevacizumab, P < 0.05). Although VEGF was almost absent in the upper chamber after exposure to the 3 antibodies, it was decreased more significantly with aflibercept than with bevacizumab in the lower chamber (2.8% vs. 65.8% of control; P < 0.01). Ranibizumab also decreased the VEGF level compared with bevacizumab (31.7% vs. 65.8% of control; P < 0.01). Conclusion: The greater reduction of the amount of VEGF in the lower chamber by aflibercept and ranibizumab than bevacizumab may explain why aflibercept and ranibizumab are more effective than bevacizumab against type 1 choroidal neovascularization.


In strong gravitational lens systems, the light bending is usually dominated by one main galaxy, but may be affected by other mass along the line of sight (LOS). Shear and convergence can be used to approximate the contributions from less significant perturbers (e.g. those that are projected far from the lens or have a small mass), but higher order effects need to be included for objects that are closer or more massive. We develop a framework for multiplane lensing that can handle an arbitrary combination of tidal planes treated with shear and convergence and planes treated exactly (i.e., including higher order terms). This framework addresses all of the traditional lensing observables including image positions, fluxes, and time delays to facilitate lens modelling that includes the non-linear effects due to mass along the LOS. It balances accuracy (accounting for higher-order terms when necessary) with efficiency (compressing all other LOS effects into a set of matrices that can be calculated up front and cached for lens modelling). We identify a generalized multiplane mass sheet degeneracy, in which the effective shear and convergence are sums over the lensing planes with specific, redshift-dependent weighting factors.


Introduction. Antibodies are an important class of proteins produced when a foreign entity elicits an immune response in the body. There are 5 major classes of antibodies, IgM, IgG, IgA, IgD, and IgE. The structure and immune function of immunoglobulins differ. An antibody contains two light and two heavy chains, which are linked by multiple disulphide bonds. Variable regions are found on light and heavy chains, known as the fragment antigen-binding (Fab) region, and a constant region, which is also known as the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region. Antibodies are, as a class, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents with activity against all classes of pathogens. However, individual antibodies are usually pathogen-specific. Monoclonal antibodies, which specifically recognize one epitope of the cognate antigen, can be generated by using antibody engineering techniques such as hybridoma, phage display, and transgenic technologies. Removal of the entire constant region or part of the whole Fc portion generates antibody fragments such as Fab, scFv, and diabodies. Better tissue or tumor penetration characteristic of antibody fragments make them suited for the therapy overusing the whole antibody, hence most suited for therapy. Aim. Nowadays, it is possible to use antibodies for different therapeutic applications by modifying either their structural or functional properties. Review Article PII: S225199392000008-10 Rec. 01 July 2020 Rev. 20 September 2020 Pub. 25 September 2020


The standard model of cosmic ray electron acceleration requires electrons to be pre-accelerated to mildly relativistic energies. It has been suggested that energy transfer from waves, generated by gyrotropic ions reflected from quasi-perpendicular shocks, could provide the necessary pre-acceleration. The distribution of shock-reflected ions at any upstream point is more likely to consist of two beams rather than a gyrotropic ring. Wave excitation in the presence of both types of ion distribution is studied. It is shown that gyrotropic or beam ions, reflected from shocks associated with supernova remnants, can excite waves capable of accelerating electrons to beyond the required injection energies. The wave group velocity along the shock normal can be approximately equal to the shock velocity: such waves are not rapidly convected away from the shock, and can thus grow to a high level. Moreover, waves satisfying this condition which also have phase velocities parallel to the magnetic field ranging from the electron thermal speed to relativistic speeds are excited in high Mach number shocks with a low ratio of electron plasma frequency to cyclotron frequency. Bulk electrons can then be accelerated to the required energies within the region in which shock-reflected ions are present. This is consistent with a suggestion, based on a comparison between Wolf-Rayet stars and radio supernovae, that there exists a threshold perpendicular shock speed (between 1 and 3 per cent of the speed of light) above which the efficiency of electron injection increases by several orders of magnitude.


The perspective projection of a spheroid of known dimensions onto an image plane is derived. This paper first considers the projection of a 2-D ellipse projected onto an image line and then applies the results to the 3-D scenario. An elegant set of algebraic expressions for the ellipse parameters are derived in terms of the spheroid parameters, followed by a demonstration and discussion on their interpretation. In this paper we present a generalization of homogeneous coordinates that enables us to express the perspective projection of a spheroid onto an image plane in a more readily accessible way.


Abstract. Realistically representing spatial heterogeneity and lateral land surface processes within and between modeling units in Earth system models is important because of their implications to surface energy and water exchanges. The traditional approach of using regular grids as computational units in land surface models may lead to inadequate representation of subgrid heterogeneity and lateral movements of water, energy and carbon fluxes. Here a subbasin-based framework is introduced in the Community Land Model (CLM), which is the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). Local processes are represented in each subbasin on a pseudo-grid matrix with no significant modifications to the existing CLM modeling structure. Lateral routing of water within and between subbasins is simulated with the subbasin version of a recently developed physically based routing model, Model for Scale Adaptive River Transport (MOSART). The framework is implemented in two topographically and climatically contrasting regions of the US: the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. The relative merits of this modeling framework, with greater emphasis on scalability (i.e., ability to perform consistently across spatial resolutions) in streamflow simulation compared to the grid-based modeling framework are investigated by performing simulations at 0.125°, 0.25°, 0.5°, and 1° spatial resolutions. Comparison of the two frameworks at the finest spatial resolution showed that a small difference between the averaged forcing could lead to a larger difference in the simulated runoff and streamflow because of nonlinear processes. More systematic comparisons conducted using statistical metrics calculated between each coarse resolution and the corresponding 0.125°-resolution simulations showed superior scalability in simulating both peak and mean streamflow for the subbasin based over the grid-based modeling framework. Scalability advantages are driven by a combination of improved consistency in runoff generation and the routing processes across spatial resolutions.


Abstract This article argues for the continuing relevance of Fred Hirsch's The Social Limits to Growth (1976), valued as a critical analysis of the consequences of markets on the moral fabric of society. Two concepts that are fundamental to Hirsch—the commercialization bias and the depleting moral legacy—will be scrutinised. We further claim that this book, by emphasizing the tendency to market expansion and the corresponding commodification of increasing spheres of social life, while simultaneously acknowledging its adverse consequences on the motivational appeal of social and moral norms, offers insights that justify revisiting it.


Bayesian inference is intractable for most practical problems and requires approximation schemes with several trade-offs. Variational inference provides one of such approximations which, while powerful, has thus far seen limited use in high-dimensional applications due to its complexity and computational cost. This paper introduces a scalable, theoreticallygrounded, and simple-to-implement algorithm for approximate inference with a variational Gaussian distribution. Specifically, we establish a practical particle-based algorithm to perform variational Gaussian inference that scales linearly in the problem dimensionality. We show that our approach performs on par with the state of the art on a set of challenging high-dimensional problems.


A series of biodegradable segmented liquid crystalline poly(ester-urethane)s were prepared by solution polymerization of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), mesogenic diol prepolymer poly(butylene terephthaloyldioxy dibenzoates) (MD), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). The MD content was varied from 0 to 40 mol% so that the effects of the mesogen content on the thermal and physical properties, hydrolytic degradation and morphological textures were examined respectively. It was found that introducing mesogens units could increase the thermal stability and the elastic properties, while reduced the phase transition temperatures and the hydrolytic degradation rate. The mesogenic monomer and mesogenic diol could exhibit a schlieren texture characteristic of nematics, and some of the poly(ester-urethane)s could display a grainy texture.


Sir .—Having participated in the recently completed MEDITEL study alluded to by Swender et al in the June issue of theJournal(127:859, 1974), I would like to emphasize the worth of the system as an educational tool, solely on the basis of its ability to remind one of diagnoses not initially considered. It is true that the diagnostic possibilities listed by the system are often ludicrous (as high as 75 in one chart I reviewed), but most of those that are nonapplicable can be easily excluded. The system is sufficiently complex so that if a secretary is to compile the data base, she must be extremely well-versed in medical terminology. It is difficult to suggest, at this time, that patients or a third-party system should pay for the MEDITEL system, based on its worth in administering health care; however, it should be feasible for grants or scholarships to cover


Context: Hemophilia children must be considered as special category of patients. The bleeding tendency and fear of bleed may have a negative effect on preventive dental care of patients with hemophilia both at home and at dental office. A review of literature regarding the care of hemophilic patients showed the paucity of material on this important subject, and the lack of information on the dental health of this group of patients. Aim: To evaluate the oral hygiene status, prevalence of dental caries and treatment needs of children with haemophilia Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross -sectional study was conducted on 328 subjects with age ranging from 5-15 years attending and registering their names, residential address, parental occupation and other criteria in hemophilic society at Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh state. The oral hygiene status was recorded by using OHI-S. Teeth affected by dental caries and teeth restored/extracted as sequale of dental caries were assessed using decayed, missed, filled tooth (DEFT), DMFT for primary and permanent dentition respectively. Statistical analysis: student t test. Results: The mean oral hygiene index simplified scores were 3.21 in 5-10 years and 3.22 in 11-15 years respectively. The mean deft of 5-10 years was 3.23 and for 11-15 years was 2.27 and DMFT for 5-10 years was 2.81 and highest mean DMFT 5.92 was recorded in 11-15 years age group. Conclusion: The present study showed oral hygiene status was poor, and the prevalence of dental caries was 83.63% and the treatment needs was 93.90%.


The normative theory of multilateral democratic integration starts within the context of liberal peoples engaged in the common realization of rights, freedoms, and life chances for their citizens while seeking to preserve self-government and popular sovereignty. The point argued in the paper is that the fair terms of multilateral democratic integration must be determined by an integrated original position of citizen and people representatives choosing basic principles of liberal multilateralism. The proposal to merge the two Rawlsian original positions offers a political solution to the contrast between rival conceptions of grand universalism and national particularism. After a general discussion of the wider problematic and the original position (1), I explain the concept and the reality of multilateral democratic integration (2). In part three, I justify why citizen and people representatives ought to be seen as participants of the original position of multilateral democratic integration. I then assess the rational motives of both types of representatives (4) and determine the veil of ignorance of the integrated original position (5). In section (6), the original position is applied to the test of several normative hypotheses prima facie considered as candidates for basic principles of multilateral democratic integration. These principles are not necessarily new, but they are principles which presumably apply to multilateral democratic integration as a specific political order and system of cooperation.


We investigate the ionizing properties of the pair of bright Ly$\alpha$ emitting galaxies BDF521 and BDF2195 at z=7.012 in order to constrain their contribution to the formation of the BDF"reionized bubble". We obtain constraints on UV emission lines (CIV$\lambda 1548$ doublet, HeII$\lambda 1640$, OIII]$\lambda 1660$ doublet, and CIII]$\lambda 1909$ doublet) from deep VLT-XSHOOTER observations and compare them to those available for other high-redshift objects, and to models with mixed stellar and AGN emission. We use this spectroscopic information together with the photometry available in the field to constrain the physical properties of the two objects using the spectro-photometric fitting code BEAGLE. We do not detect any significant emission at the expected position of UV lines, with 3$\sigma$ upper limits of EW$\lesssim$2-7 AA rest-frame. We find that the two objects have lower CIII] emission than expected on the basis of the correlation between the Ly$\alpha$ and CIII] EWs. The EW limits on CIV and HeII emission exclude pure AGN templates at $\sim2-3\sigma$ significance, and only models with a $\lesssim$40% AGN contribution are compatible with the observations. The two objects are found to be relatively young ($\sim$20-30 Myrs) and metal-poor ($\lesssim 0.3 Z_{\odot}$) with stellar masses of a few $10^9M_{\odot}$. Their production rate of hydrogen ionizing photons per intrinsic UV luminosity is log($\xi_{ion}^*$/Hz erg$^{-1}$)=25.02-25.26, consistent with values typically found in high-redshift galaxies, but more than twice lower than values measured in $z>$7 galaxies with strong CIII] and/or optical line emission ($\simeq$25.6-25.7). The two BDF emitters have no evidence of higher than average ionizing capabilities and are not capable of reionizing their surroundings by their own means under realistic assumptions on the escape fraction of ionizing photons. (abridged)


EVALD 3.0 for Foreigners is a software for automatic evaluation of surface coherence (cohesion) in Czech texts written by non-native speakers of Czech.


In this study, a new framework for improving resource management in the health care delivery system is proposed. The underlying principle of the new approach is based on the participation and involvement of all stakeholders at the early stages of model development. Additionally, the modeling process is an iterative one that is governed by the views and inputs of the stakeholders rather than by pre-specified requirements and objectives. Another important aspect of the proposed approach is that it provides a mechanism for evaluating system performance and identifying activities that have considerable impact on performance as well as activities that have minimum added value within the service delivery system. The new proposed approach was used to develop a generic model for the emergency department at Zayed Hospital, Abu Dhabi. The approach was found to be effective in improving the utilization efficiency of human and material resources and in decreasing patient length-of-stay


Five acute and chronic dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal joint were observed. All were associated with ruptures of the central slip of the extensor mechanism as shown by surgical exploration or the appearance of a boutonniere deformity after treatment. A study of the pathomechanics of this lesion in thirty fresh cadaver fingers indicated that the lesion is produced by a combination of a varus or valgus force and an anteriorly directed force on the base of the middle phalanx. Avulsion of collateral ligament, a tear of the volar plate, and rupture of the central slip are associated with the dislocation. Based on these findings and our experience with two surgically treated dislocations, procedures for the treatment of acute and chronic dislocations are proposed. The acute lesion should be treated by open reduction, fixation of the proximal interphalangeal joint in full extension with a transfixing Kirschner wire, and repair of the torn central slip, collateral ligament, and volar plate. The chronic lesion should also be reduced and fixed with a transfixing wire. However the volar plate must be excised before reduction is possible. The central slip and collateral ligaments must then be reconsitituted.


Terrorism is a phenomenon forming a threat on all sides of life. Every now and then, we hear about organizing a conference a session, or an international to discuss this phenomenon, and be a ware of the concept of terrorism linguistically and idiomatically. It also covers all directions and interests. The study attempts to show the meaning of terrorism from the linguistic and idiomatic side, due to variety of opinions. It also discusses the emergence of primitive communities and their evolutions according to human development and progress, especially the political, economic and social aspects represented in the intellectual and military terrorism. The study presents the motives that lead to terrorism emergence, represented in religious, economic, intellectual, social and psychological motives. The study mentions the nature of the practioners whether they are individuals, organizations (groups), or states (countries). At the end, the study shows impacts of terrorism and the type of the victims represented in the effective political characters, such as presidents of states and prime minister of government. Then comes to talk about the holy religions and how do they deal with terrorism and the proper way of treating it. Finally in the conclusion, the researcher explores that terrorism is not confined to special class or religion. It means that terrorism has no religion and it is not limited to the armed forces. It calls for holding an international conference to discuss the meaning of terrorism, in order not to mix it with the legitimate resistance that seeks to liberate homelands from the enemy. In addition, identifying the concept assists in struggling against terrorism, identifying its places, fighting, and eliminating it. Consequently achieving international peace and security.


The chemical stability of tramadol hydrochloride injection was studied by using a stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatographic assay method that was developed in our laboratory. The concentrations of the drug were related directly to peak heights, and the percent relative standard deviation based on five injections was 0.9. The products of decomposition and excipients present in the dosage form did not interfere with the developed assay method. The injection was stable for at least 42 days when stored in clear glass vials at room temperature. The pH value of the injection remained constant at 6.7 after 42 days of storage, and the physical appearance of the injection did not change during the study period.


Species of the planktonic dinoflagellates Azadinium and Amphidoma are small, inconspicuous and difficult, if not impossible to be identified and differentiated by light microscopy. Within this group, there are some species that produce the marine biotoxin azaspiracid (AZA) while others are non-toxigenic, therefore a requirement exists for precise species identification. A quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay for molecular detection and quantification of one of the toxigenic species, Amphidoma languida, was designed and extensively tested. The assay was highly specific and sensitive to detect and quantify down to 10 target gene copies (corresponding to ca. 0.05 cells) per reaction. DNA cell quota and copy number cell were constant for four different Am. languida strains, and for one strain they were shown to be stable at various time points throughout the growth cycle. Recovery of known cell numbers of Am. languida spiked into natural samples was 95–103%, and the assay was successfully tested on field samples collected from Irish coastal waters. This new qPCR assay is a valuable tool for routine monitoring for the prevention of AZA-shellfish-poisoning caused by the consumption of contaminated shellfish and is a supportive tool for studies on the biogeography of this AZA-producing species.


Background --Biochemical analysis of pericardial effusion is a good diagnostic tool in the management of the probable etiologies of the effusion. Although few validated tests are available, investigators have successfully made correct diagnoses based on pericardial fluid analysis. The application of Light's criteria to classify transudates from exudates of pericardial effusion has been proven to be applicable. This study aimed to evaluate the applicability of Light's criteria in pericardial effusion for cost-effective clinical approach to management of cases in the local setting. Methods --This is a validity test utilizing all the pericardial fluids submitted for biochemical study in the laboratory of Philippine Heart Center from January 2002 to June 2008. Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis was used to assess the degree of diagnostic accuracy of the tests using similar parameters used for pleural fluid. Results --Most of the pericardial fluid samples were hemorrhagic and a total RBC count cut-off of 100 000 x 10^6/L was used, gathering a sample population of 44 out of 143. All pericardial fluids were misclassified as exudates using the classic Light's criteria. Other biochemical, infectious work-up, cytology and surgical reports, together with the final diagnosis, utilized for the final classification of the fluids revealed 11 transudates and 33 exudates. ROC showed that a pericardial fluid has a higher cut-off value as compared to pleural fluid. The value for fluid LDH was >1000 U/L at 72.7% sensitivity and 78.8% specificity, pericardial fluid/serum LDH was >3.0 at 81.8% sensitivity and 54.5% specificity, and pericardial fluid/serum protein ratio was >0.8 at 45.5% sensitivity and 57.6% specificity but not discriminatory. Conclusion --The Light's criteria may be utilized in the initial evaluation of pericardial fluids although higher cut-off values can be employed because of the behavior and characteristic of pericardial fluids as compared to pleural fluids. LDH value of >1000U/L has the best discriminatory power compared to LDH ratio. In this study, the TPAG ratio had the least utility. More study samples including a bigger normal control group are recommended for further confirmation of our current findings.. Phil Heart Center J 2012;16:50-54.


In this study we aimed to investigate the role of tomato seed oil (TSO) in the alleviation of hyperlipidemia and the regulation of gut microbiota in C57BL/6J mice. Mice were divided into the following four diet-based groups: low-fat diet (LF, n = 8), high-fat diet (HF, n = 6), HF diet with TSO replacing one-third of lard (TL, n = 8), and HF diet with TSO replacing two-thirds of lard (TH, n = 8). The results showed that TH significantly reduced weight gain, relative adipose tissue weights, plasma cholesterol, triacylglycerol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), ratio of LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), hepatic cholesterol, and total fatty acids, and markedly increased plasma HDL-C. TSO supplementation also dose-dependently increased fecal cholesterol excretion and reduced fecal total fatty acids. This was accompanied by upregulation of the gene expression of hepatic PPARα, ACADL, CYP7A1, LXRα, ABCA1, and SR-B1. Metagenomic analyses demonstrated that TSO tended to reduce the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, significantly increased the relative abundance of the genus Lactobacillus, and reduced the relative abundance of the genera Rikenella, Enterorhabdus, unclassified_o_Clostridiales and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-009. These results proved that TSO was effective in attenuating hyperlipidemia in C57BL/6J mice by enhancing fatty acid β-oxidation, reducing cholesterol absorption, promoting cholesterol efflux, and favorably modulating the gut microbiota.


Measurements of the variation of acoustic bottom backscatter with incident angle have been made at 100 and 200 kHz at sites in Sydney Harbour, Australia, with bottom types varying from sand waves to mud. The measurements were made with transducers mounted on a rotating arm with a radius of approximately 2.4 m. Angular resolution of approximately 0.2° was achieved over a range of nearly 90°. Twin cameras attached to the rotating arm allow the recording of stereo images of the bottom in favorable cases, giving a model of the scattering surface allowing a comparison of measured backscatter with that numerically estimated from surface scattering alone.


INTRODUCTION
Spina bifida is the most common non-lethal congenital birth defect of the central nervous system that causes chronic disability due to the combined effects of local nerve damage and the sequelae of non-communicating hydrocephalus. This abnormality can be identified early in gestation and the damage can be progressive over the course of pregnancy. Advances in fetal treatment have made minimally invasive prenatal surgery a realistic consideration for spina bifida in order to improve the outcome for children affected this condition.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
Prenatal surgery for spina bifida via open fetal surgery with hysterotomy decreases the rate of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement and improves motor function compared to standard postnatal surgery. Maternal risks of open fetal surgery are primarily related to complications of the hysterotomy including thinning or rupture that begins in the index pregnancy but persists for every future pregnancy. Minimizing maternal risks is the largest impetus to explore and optimize a minimally invasive fetoscopic alternative. Techniques vary from using a complete percutaneous approach to open fetoscopy, which requires laparotomy but is minimally invasive to the uterus. This allows vaginal delivery at term and no scar complications are reported thus far. Fetal short-term neurosurgical outcomes compare favorably with improvement in hindbrain herniation >70% and decreased need for treatment for hydrocephalus between 40-45% after prenatal surgery performed either fetoscopically or through open fetal surgery.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS
Maternal obstetric outcomes are superior for fetoscopic spina bifida repair compared to open fetal surgery and avoids the ongoing risk in future pregnancy. Neonatal and infant benefits appear equivalent. The open fetoscopic approach minimizes the risk of ruptured membranes and subsequent preterm delivery as opposed to a completely percutaneous procedure. International collaboration is ongoing to share experience and assess long term treatment effects.

CONCLUSIONS
Continued refinement of a minimally invasive strategy for prenatal treatment of spina bifida is necessary to maximize benefits to the child and further minimize maternal risks and preterm birth.


Introduction: Facilitating processes for coordinated action in the field of health promotion is a challenge. Poorthuis and Bijl's (2006) Participatory Network Mapping Tool (PNMT) uses visualization and discussion to map the positions and roles of network actors, stimulate learning processes, and elicit actionable knowledge. This article describes the results from the application of the PNMT in networks of two Dutch health promotion programmes (Health Race and BeweegKuur) with the aim of determining the value of the PNMT to partners in health promotions networks. Methods: A qualitative secondary analysis (QSA) was conducted to clarify positions and roles, learning processes, and actionable knowledge of network actors in existing data sets including five group interviews of the Health Race programme and 16 individual interviews and 15 group interviews of the BeweegKuur programme. Results: The PNMT maps both positions and roles of (missing) actors and makes successes (e.g. knowing each other) and challenges (e.g. implementing new activities) visible. Thus, the PNMT provides a starting point for discussion and reflection and eliciting actionable knowledge such as involving new actors and target populations in the programme. Conclusion: The PNMT contributes to the facilitation of coordinated action in health promotion networks by making positions and roles of network partners visible. In combination with dialogue and reflection the PNMT helps to elucidate factors influencing coordinated action and outcomes. The PNMT is valuable in grasping intangible aspects between actors by stimulating collective learning. These insights can be used by researchers and network actors to achieve more successful coordinated action for health promotion.


The business world's current markets are characterized by higher levels of competition, forcing organizations to adopt IT solutions that can provide them with a competitive advantage. Thus, they continuously search for approaches that can facilitate the development and maintenance of their Information Systems. To accomplish that, modern organizations increasingly focus on their business processes, as these are considered a main factor for their success. Organizations use a set of approaches to ensure greater control, flexibility and ability to manage their business, while aligning their processes with the organizational strategy. Among these, the hybrid process modeling approach, which combines the Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN), Case Management Model and Notation (CMMN) and Decision Model and Notation (DMN) to model business processes, is gaining momentum. This approach helps to define organizational processes in a more efficient, structured and realistic way, while making them much simpler. In this paper, we begin to explore the combination of the recent CMMN and DMN proposals with the widely used BPMN language, trying to understand the benefits that the integration of these three notations bring to the modeling of business processes.


Human-aware robot navigation promises a range of applications in which mobile robots bring versatile assistance to people in common human environments. While prior research has mostly focused on modeling pedestrians as independent, intentional individuals, people move in groups; consequently, it is imperative for mobile robots to respect human groups when navigating around people. This paper explores learning group-aware navigation policies based on dynamic group formation using deep reinforcement learning. Through simulation experiments, we show that group-aware policies, compared to baseline policies that neglect human groups, achieve greater robot navigation performance (e.g., fewer collisions), minimize violation of social norms and discomfort, and reduce the robot's movement impact on pedestrians. Our results contribute to the development of social navigation and the integration of mobile robots into human environments.


Investigative reporting identifies social problems and names people in power who should be held accountable. Solutions journalism is an evidence-based reporting approach that covers credible responses to social problems. To consider these reporting approaches in tandem, this research uses a quantitative content analysis to examine both investigative and solutions reporting in an effort to determine to what extent a combined reporting approach of these two genres may already exist in journalistic practice.


SUMMARY With the spread of high-performance sensors and social network services (SNS) and the remarkable advances in machine learning technologies, fake media such as fake videos, spoofed voices, and fake reviews that are generated using high-quality learning data and are very close to the real thing are causing serious social problems. We launched a research project, the Media Clone (MC) project, to protect receivers of replicas of real media called media clones (MCs) skillfully fabricated by means of media processing technologies. Our aim is to achieve a communication system that can defend against MC attacks and help ensure safe and reliable communication. This paper describes the results of research in two of the five themes in the MC project: 1) verification of the capability of generating various types of media clones such as audio, visual, and text derived from fake information and 2) realization of a protection shield for media clones' attacks by recognizing them.


We assessed the gut microbial ecology of 11 severely obese patients before and after bilio-intestinal bypass (BIB). Fecal samples were evaluated for microbial communities using 16S rDNA Illumina sequencing, real-time PCR targeting functional genes, and gas chromatography of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). At 6 months after surgery, subjects exhibited significant improvements in metabolic markers (body weight, glucose, and lipid metabolism) compared with baseline. The fecal microbiota of post-surgery individuals was characterized by an overall decrease of bacterial diversity, with a significant reduction in Lachnospiraceae, Clostridiaceae, Ruminococcaceae, Eubacteriaceae, and Coriobacteriaceae. On the contrary, there were significant increases of genera Lactobacillus, Megasphaera, and Acidaminococcus and the family Enterobacteriaceae. The pH was decreased in fecal samples from patients after BIB and SCFA profiles were altered, with lower percentages of acetate and propionate and higher levels of valerate and hexanoate. Some changes in the bacterial populations were associated with variations in the patients' metabolic health parameters, namely Gemmiger and glucose, Lactobacillus and glucose, and Faecalibacterium and triglycerides. The results from this study of BIB patients furthers our understanding of the composition of gut microbiota and the functional changes that may be involved in improving obesity-related conditions following weight-loss surgery.


Metaverse, as an evolving paradigm of the next-generation Internet, aims to build a fully immersive, hyper spatiotemporal, and self-sustaining virtual shared space for humans to play, work, and socialize. Driven by recent advances in emerging technologies such as extended reality, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, metaverse is stepping from science fiction to an upcoming reality. However, severe privacy invasions and security breaches (inherited from underlying technologies or emerged in the new digital ecology) of metaverse can impede its wide deployment. At the same time, a series of fundamental challenges (e.g., scalability and interoperability) can arise in metaverse security provisioning owing to the intrinsic characteristics of metaverse, such as immersive realism, hyper spatiotemporality, sustainability, and heterogeneity. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of the fundamentals, security, and privacy of metaverse. Specifically, we first investigate a novel distributed metaverse architecture and its key characteristics with ternary-world interactions. Then, we discuss the security and privacy threats, present the critical challenges of metaverse systems, and review the state-of-the-art countermeasures. Finally, we draw open research directions for building future metaverse systems.


A successful class of models link decision-making to brain signals by assuming that evidence accumulates to a decision threshold. These evidence accumulation models have identified neuronal activity that appears to reflect sensory evidence and decision variables that drive behavior. More recently, an additional evidence-independent and time-variant signal, called urgency, has been hypothesized to accelerate decisions in the face of insufficient evidence. However, most decision-making paradigms tested with fMRI or EEG in humans have not been designed to disentangle evidence accumulation from urgency. Here we use a face-morphing decision-making task in combination with EEG and a hierarchical Bayesian model to identify neural signals related to sensory and decision variables, and to test the urgency-gating model. Forty females and 34 males took part (mean age, 23.4 years). We find that an evoked potential time locked to the decision, the centroparietal positivity, reflects the decision variable from the computational model. We further show that the unfolding of this signal throughout the decision process best reflects the product of sensory evidence and an evidence-independent urgency signal. Urgency varied across subjects, suggesting that it may represent an individual trait. Our results show that it is possible to use EEG to distinguish neural signals related to sensory evidence accumulation, decision variables, and urgency. These mechanisms expose principles of cognitive function in general and may have applications to the study of pathologic decision-making such as in impulse control and addictive disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Perceptual decisions are often described by a class of models that assumes that sensory evidence accumulates gradually over time until a decision threshold is reached. In the present study, we demonstrate that an additional urgency signal impacts how decisions are formed. This endogenous signal encourages one to respond as time elapses. We found that neural decision signals measured by EEG reflect the product of sensory evidence and an evidence-independent urgency signal. A nuanced understanding of human decisions, and the neural mechanisms that support it, can improve decision-making in many situations and potentially ameliorate dysfunction when it has gone awry.


Abstract The mutation patterns at Cas9 targeted sites contain unique information regarding the nuclease activity and repair mechanisms in mammalian cells. However, analytical framework for extracting such information are lacking. Here, we present a novel computational platform called Rational InDel Meta-Analysis (RIMA) that enables an in-depth comprehensive analysis of Cas9-induced genetic alterations, especially InDels mutations. RIMA can be used to quantitate the contribution of classical microhomology-mediated end joining (c-MMEJ) pathway in the formation of mutations at Cas9 target sites. We used RIMA to compare mutational signatures at 15 independent Cas9 target sites in human A549 wildtype and A549-POLQ knockout cells to elucidate the role of DNA polymerase θ in c-MMEJ. Moreover, the single nucleotide insertions at the Cas9 target sites represent duplications of preceding nucleotides, suggesting that the flexibility of the Cas9 nuclease domains results in both blunt- and staggered-end cuts. Thymine at the fourth nucleotide before protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) results in a two-fold higher occurrence of single nucleotide InDels compared to guanine at the same position. This study provides a novel approach for the characterization of the Cas9 nucleases with improved accuracy in predicting genome editing outcomes and a potential strategy for homology-independent targeted genomic integration.


The objective of the EU-funded research project Noterefiga was to develop novel temperature regulating fibers and innovative textile products for thermal management and improved comfort. The temperature regulating effect was achieved by novel methods of incorporating large amounts of phase changing materials (PCM) in textile fibers. The PCM melted and absorbed the heat from the body in the form of latent heat when the body temperature increased. The PCM crystallized and the stored heat was released again when the temperature dropped. It was assumed that clothes with built-in thermo-regulating properties would provide maintained thermal comfort in difficult thermal environments and physical activity situations. The thermophysiological effect of the developed PCM garments were evaluated on 24 human subjects in controlled environmental conditions under the Noterefiga project.


To improve the temperature stability of PMN(Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)-based ceramics, PMN-based composite ceramics were prepared by co-sintering two kinds of ceramics with different curie temperature. One unit is MHT(0.82PMN (Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3) -0.18PT (PbTiO3) (the curie temperature Tm=74°C)), and the other unit is MLT (0.88PMN (Pb (Mg1/3Nb2/3) O3)-0.12BT (BaTiO3) (the curie temperature Tm=-50°C)). The effects of the sintering temperature and the ratio of high and low Tm units on dielectric temperature stability were studied. The results show that the temperature stability can be improved greatly by co-sintering and coating method. The results show that PMN(Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3)-based composite ceramics are promising candidate for practical applications.


The structure of a hydrogel consisting of diamond nanoparticles formed by the explosion method has been studied. Small angle neutron scattering has been used as a method for characterization of the gel. Joint approaches for data analysis in reciprocal and direct space have been developed to restore a multilevel structure. The pristine hydrogel of positively charged diamond particles (~5 nm in size, concentration ~5 wt %), even by four-fold dilution below its formation critical point, (C* ~ 4 wt %) retains practically the original structure where single particles are joined into small groups integrated into chain fractal-type aggregates creating a network. This indicates a local stability of the gel and means a transformation of continuous gel into a system of micro-domains suspended in water. A perfection of the diamond crystals' facets was revealed that is of principal importance for the configuration of potentials, inducing the diamonds' electrostatic attraction due to different electric charges of facets. It is distinguished from the results for the suspensions of diamonds in graphene shells that showed a deviation of scattering from Porod's law.


The spread of misinformation online is a global problem that requires global solutions. To that end, we conducted an experiment in 16 countries across 6 continents (N = 33,480) to investigate predictors of susceptibility to misinformation and interventions to combat misinformation. In every country, participants with a more analytic cognitive style and stronger accuracy-related motivations were better at discerning truth from falsehood; valuing democracy was also associated with greater truth discernment whereas political conservatism was negatively associated with truth discernment in most countries. Subtly prompting people to think about accuracy was broadly effective at improving the veracity of news that people were willing to share, as were minimal digital literacy tips. Finally, crowdsourced accuracy evaluation was able to differentiate true from false headlines with high accuracy in all countries. The consistent patterns we observe suggest that the psychological factors underlying the misinformation challenge are similar across the globe, and that similar solutions may be broadly effective.


This paper considers the performance of digital communication systems transmitting messages over finite-state erasure channels with memory. Information bits are protected from channel erasures using error-correcting codes; successful receptions of codewords are acknowledged at the source through instantaneous feedback. The primary focus of this research is on delay-sensitive applications, codes with finite block lengths, and, necessarily, nonvanishing probabilities of decoding failure. The contribution of this paper is twofold. A methodology to compute the distribution of the time required to empty a buffer is introduced. Based on this distribution, the mean hitting time to an empty queue and delay-violation probabilities for specific thresholds can be computed explicitly. The proposed techniques apply to situations where the transmit buffer contains a predetermined number of information bits at the onset of the data transfer. Furthermore, as additional performance criteria, large deviation principles are obtained for the empirical mean service time and the average packet-transmission time associated with the communication process. This rigorous framework yields a pragmatic methodology to select code rate and block length for the communication unit as functions of the service requirements. Examples motivated by practical systems are provided to further illustrate the applicability of these techniques.


Lead-free (1-x)(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–x(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (x<0.1) ceramics have been prepared by the conventional mixed oxide process. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that, during sintering, all of the (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 diffuse into the lattice of (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 to form a solid solution and the hexagonal phase with a perovskite structure. The samples with a low content of (Na0.5K0.5) NbO3 exhibit relatively good physical and electrical properties. For 0.96(Bi0.5Na0.5) TiO3–0.04 (Na0.5K0.5) NbO3 ceramics, the electromechanical coupling coefficients of the planar mode kp and the thickness mode kt reach 0.25 and 0.52, respectively, after sintering at 1100 °C for 5 h. The ratio of the thickness coupling coefficient to the planar coupling coefficient is 2.08. With suitable (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 concentration and sintering conditions, a dense microstructure and good electrical properties are obtained. Our results show that 0.96(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–0.04(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 solid solution ceramics are promising lead-free ceramics for high-frequency electromechanical transducer applications.


One of the components required to successfully produce high strength pipeline steel is to optimize precipitation strengthening. Some high strength pipeline grades rely on increased levels of Nb; in these grades, it is important to ensure that all the Nb is effectively employed. It is generally accepted that choice of coiling temperature is critical in maximizing the Nb precipitation in ferrite. Additional control of this precipitation may be attained by deformation at these coiling temperatures, an approach termed 'cool deformation'. In this work, steel specimens were heated to temperature of 1200°C and held at temperature for 20 minutes to ensure significant dissolution of Nb precipitates. Some specimens were aged at 400°C for times ranging from 10 minutes to 10 hours followed by air-cooling. Others were subjected to deformation at 400°C ('cool deformation') prior to aging. It was found that the cool deformation improves the mechanical properties by microstructure; both yield and tensile strengths are significantly higher than that of the aged only specimens. By using low voltage imaging on a field emission gun scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), precipitates were observed and identified. The effects of the thermal and cool deformation schedules on the precipitate characteristics are described in this paper.


Extraintestinal manifestations of Salmonella infection occur more frequently in immunocompromised patients than in healthy persons. About 25 % present as septic arthritis. Particularly patients with SLE are predisposed. We report a case of a 16-year old girl with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed septic arthritis of the left knee. Delayed diagnosis because of similar symptoms of arthritis due to lupus and purulent arthritis led to a destruction of the joint despite systemic antibiotic treatment. Seven months later an endoprosthesis was implanted with good outcome. Early diagnosis, adequate antibiotic therapy and, if necessary, surgical intervention are essential for successful treatment. In patients with SLE suffering from fever or arthritis it is necessary to think of infections particularly due to salmonella.


Indices of immunogram (levels of T-, B-lymphocytes, amount of O-cells, indices of T-helpers and T-suppressors, adhesive and phagocytic activity of neutrophils, leukogram) were repeatedly studied in patients with phlegmon of maxillofacial area. A short-term recovery of the levels of T- and B-lymphocytes makes it possible to control the completeness of the surgical procedure. Shifts in the immunogram allow to reliably and objectively follow the development of the inflammatory process in patients with phlegmons of maxillofacial area.


We investigate a nonparametric panel model with heterogeneous regression functions. In a variety of applications, it is natural to impose a group structure on the regression curves. Specifically, we may suppose that the observed individuals can be grouped into a number of classes whose members all share the same regression function. We develop a statistical procedure to estimate the unknown group structure from the observed data. Moreover, we derive the asymptotic properties of the procedure and investigate its finite sample performance by means of a simulation study and a real-data example.