INTRODUCTION
Thrombocytopenia is a condition characterized by abnormally low levels of thrombocytes, also known as platelets, in the blood. Several medicinal plants possess curative and protective effect against thrombocytopenia associated with diseases or drugs.

AIM
In the present study, we have investigated the platelet augmentation activity of polyherbal formulation (VITA PLAT Capsule) in cyclophosphamide-induced thrombocytopenic rat model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty-four albino Wistar rats were divided into four groups. Thrombocytopenia was induced in the rats by administering cyclophosphamide (25 mg/kg, i.p.) for three days to all the groups except normal controls. The test groups were given orally a polyherbal formulation suspended in normal saline for 14 days. Blood was withdrawn from the retro-orbital plexus of the rats on days 1, 7, and 14 of study to determine platelet counts in all groups. Clotting time and bleeding time were determined on the last day of study. Data were collected and analyzed using GraphPad Prism 8.

RESULTS
The results showed that the polyherbal formulation treatment could significantly ameliorate platelet count in thrombocyto-penic rats in the initial as well as in the later phase. The total WBC count was also improved during later phase in test groups. However, there is no significant difference between clotting time and bleeding time in all groups.

CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests a potential role of this formulation in the augmentation of platelet counts in various thrombocyto-penic disorders including a role in ameliorating the haemorrhagic complications of dengue fever.


Moxibustion (艾灸) is a traditional Chinese medicine therapy performed using Artemisia argyii. Zusanli (足三里, ST36) is an acupoint in the stomach meridian, long associated in ancient Chinese medical practices with the extension of life span when moxibustion is applied to it. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels after application of moxibustion to ST36. Four healthy men and women participated in this 28-day trial and were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A received moxibustion treatment from days 1 to 14, while group B received moxibustion treatment from days 15 to 28. Blood samples were taken 5 times during this study to measure serum IGF-1 (s-IGF-1) levels. The s-IGF-1 levels increased in both groups after 7 and 14 d of moxibustion therapy (group A: 11.02% [7 d] and 29.65% [14 d]; group B: 169.12% [7 d] and 274.85% [14 d]). After moxibustion therapy had been completed (day 14), s-IGF-1 levels continued to increase in group A (increases on day 21 and day 28 were 53.19% and 61.45%, respectively). There were no adverse events in either group. The s-IGF-1 levels were significantly raised in both groups after 7 and 14 d of moxibustion therapy. Moreover, once therapy had been completed, s-IGF-1 levels continued to increase in group A up to 14 d after the treatment.


The German Bight contains waters of mixed origin: freshwater input from the rivers Elbe, Ems and Weser, Wadden Sea water that is rich in organic compounds, and highly saline water (>33 SU) from the central North Sea. In order to investigate the very complex biological and biogeochemical situation caused by the various types of fronts and different water bodies, a spring drift experiment was carried out in this area following a survey of 45 stations covering the German Bight. A typical springtime situation was found diatom blooms (blomasses >500 pg C I-' in the mouth of the river Elbe) had decreased the silicate to around 0.3 pM; phosphate concentrations ( ~ 0 . 0 3 FM) were limiting primary production in the northeastern part of the investigated area, but, due to remineralization processes and riverine entrainment, they showed higher values in the south and in the river Elbe mouth (s0.3 FM). Nitrate ranged from 10 to 40 ~.IM and was clearly dominated by the river Elbe input. From the southwest a beginning bloom of Phaeocystis globosa spread into the dnft area and, later on, into the whole German Bight. Zooplankton biomass was highest along the North Frisian coast (>50 pg C I-'), and was dominated by copepods at the northwestern border of the German Bight and in the drift area. During the drift experiment, 2 phases and a transition state could be distinguished: In the first phase, the total phytoplankton biomass was low and nutrient concentrations remained relatively constant. In the transition state, strong wmd forces moved the dnfter southwards into another water body. A significant drop in nitrate, nitrite and phosphate concentrations was observed, whereas silicate concentrations almost doubled Dunng the second phase of the experiment, a strong increase of total phytoplankton biomass (cell slze >5 pm) was recorded, dominated by P. ylobosa (>95%) and accompanied by rising concentrations of particulate con~pounds. Simultaneously, the nutrient concentrations declined, and the zooplankton biomass reached minimum values. At a depth of 10 m, ammonium and phosphate concentrations showed strong diurnal variations, indicating enhanced planktonic activity during the third phase. Summing up the results, the overall evaluation of the drift experiment as a method for studying in situ biological and biogeochemical processes within the same water body was positive.


Background Professional snowboarders are exposed to repetitive high-impact loading on a daily basis throughout their competitive and training careers. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ankle derangements on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in asymptomatic professional snowboarding athletes. We hypothesized that elite snowboarders with asymptomatic ankles would exhibit osteochondral and soft-tissue changes on 3T MRI. Design Between February and March 2013, professional snowboarders specializing in various disciplines were recruited to participate in the study. 3T MRIs of each ankle were obtained prospectively. Setting World Cup snowboarding competition. Participants Each participant underwent a physical examination of each ankle and completed a short survey including demographic, pain, and functional questions prior to MRI evaluation to ensure that each of the included ankles were truly asymptomatic. Sixteen professional snowboarders (29 asymptomatic ankles) were included in the study. Risk factor assessment A 3T MRI scan of each asymptomatic ankle was performed. Main outcome measurements The MRI findings were recorded by an experienced musuloskeletal radiologist. Results There were 9 males (16 ankles) and 7 females (13 ankles) with a mean age of 23.4 years (range, 18–31 years) who had been professional snowboarders for a median of 6.5 years (range, 2–15 years). It was found that all 29 ankles (100%) had notable derangements on 3T MRI scans including various ligamentous pathologies, tendinous pathologies, syndesmosis injuries, effusions, osteochondral injuries and bony edema. Increasing age and years of competitive snowboarding were significantly associated with chondral damage of the ankle (P=.017 and P=.026, respectively). Conclusion All 29 asymptomatic ankles in this study had notable derangements on MRI scans, signifying a potentially high prevalence of asymptomatic ankle pathology in elite snowboarding athletes. Recognition of these injuries is important to create future strategies for the prevention of long-term sequelae in this high-risk group.


Apoptotic dendritic cells (DCs) are ineffective at inducing immunity. Thus, parameters that regulate DC viability during a primary infection will help to determine the outcome of the subsequent immune response. In this regard, pathogens have developed strategies to promote DC apoptosis to counterbalance the nascent primary immune response. We demonstrate, using cultured bone marrow-derived DCs, that Streptococcus pneumoniae can induce DC apoptosis through two distinct mechanisms: 1) a rapid, caspase-independent mechanism of apoptosis induction, critically dependent on bacterial expression of pneumolysin, and 2) a delayed-onset, caspase-dependent mechanism of apoptosis induction associated with terminal DC maturation. Delayed-onset apoptosis does not require bacterial internalization, but rather is triggered by the interaction of bacterial subcapsular components and bone marrow-derived DC (likely Toll-like) receptors acting in a myeloid differentiation factor 88-dependent manner. In this regard, heavy polysaccharide encapsulation interferes with both DC maturation and apoptosis induction. In contrast, neither CD95/CD95 ligand interactions nor TNF- (cid:1) appear to play a role in the delayed onset of apoptosis. These data are the first to define two mechanistically distinct pathways of DC apoptosis induction in response to an extracellular bacterium that likely have important consequences for the establishment of antibacterial immunity. The Journal of Immunology, 2003, 171: 2354–2365.


This research investigated the contribution that women are making to communities through their involvement in small Voluntary and community sector organisations (VCSOs) operating in the South West Region of England. The research explored the roles the women play and what type of involvement they have in the development and delivery of services through small VCSOs. It also considered what motivates the women to become involved and to stay involved in these small groups and how visible and valued that involvement is.
The research utilised a feminist approach with mixed methods to provide a space for the voices of the women involved to be heard and over 200 women from small 'Below the Radar' (BTR) VCSOs took part including over 180 by completing scoping questionnaires, thirty-two in two focus groups and twelve who took part in semi-structured interviews.
The study found the context and circumstances in which small VCSOs operate contained factors, which have either encouraged or discouraged the involvement of women in their communities, including issues related to women's current position in society. The commitment, passion and desire to carry out work, which would benefit the whole community, were among the key reasons the women undertook the work, rather than financial reward or status. The work of the women involved in the research was also found to contribute to stocks of social capital in those communities.
The research analysed the degree to which recent governments have sought to utilise the VCS to assist with the delivery of their own agendas. The research suggests that women's involvement within the smaller BTR VCSOs could be conceptualised in a framework called the 'Women Alchemists' and that the use of the term 'Women Led Organisations' could more fully build on the contribution of women and to nurture it in a way which enables it to grow and be sustained without altering its nature.


"Indigenous collage invites us to work with the fragmented realities of Indigenous identities, families, communities, cultures, and lands that have been created (sometimes violently, always intentionally) by historical and contemporary colonialism. It offers a space for Indigenous historical realities, present realities, and desired futures to intersect in innovative and unexpected ways. Collage accounts for and accommodates the chaotic, contained and often contradictory life-worlds that have been left in the wake of continued settler colonialism by creating a space for Indigenous Peoples to navigate them in creative and empowered ways." To learn more about Lianne Charlie, her scholarship and her art work, you can follow her on: Instagram: @littlesalmonwoman ( https://www.instagram.com/littlesalmonwoman/ ) Twitter: @_littlesalmon_ ( https://twitter.com/_littlesalmon_ )


This thesis examines how team, task and workforce dynamics affect performance on
healthcare and professional service operations. I use operations management and
organizational domains to develop theories and employ econometric models to better
understand knowledge intensive environments. In the first chapter I use data from
Coronary Artery Bypass Graft operations in order to examine the way exposure to
related variety can affect individual learning. Specifically, I introduce timing as a new
dimension on the effect of related variety on individual productivity on a focal task and
show that exposure to variety can have differentiated effects on individual productivity
based on different mechanisms. My findings suggest that concurrent exposure with the
focal task has a positive effect whereas non-concurrent one has a negative effect on
individual focal productivity. I also introduce recent concurrent and non-concurrent
exposures as moderating factors on the effect of long-term concurrent and nonconcurrent
exposures respectively on individual learning.
In the second chapter I focus on cardiac surgery teams and examine the effect of team
allocation on their productivity. Specifically, I introduce new familiarity related concepts
and ways on how past common experiences among team members can affect team
productivity. Next, I divide average team familiarity into two components: One gained
from complex and one gained from simpler tasks and show their differentiated effects
on team productivity. I also investigate the way average team familiarity interacts with
task complexity.
In the final chapter, I use a dataset from England's National Health Service (NHS)'s 111
non-emergency helpline in order to investigate the effect of non-clinical labor mix on
efficiency and quality of patient service. My results indicate that while non-clinical
workforce increases the efficiency of patient service, it may lead to new inefficiencies
through misuse of critical resources and may reduce the quality outcome of the patient
service.


OBJECTIVE
Studies have found that health workers are at elevated risk of being abused while at work. Little is known, however, about workplace abuse among correctional health professionals. We implemented a cross-sectional study to investigate the prevalence, sources and consequences of workplace abuse among correctional health professionals in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS All employees of Justice Health (a statutory health corporation) were invited to complete a self-administered survey, which was delivered via the internet. Among nurses, medical doctors and allied health professionals, 299 usable surveys were returned; a response rate of 42%.

RESULTS
In the preceding 3 months, 76% of participants had personally experienced some form of abuse in their workplace, all but one of whom recalled verbal abuse. Only 16% reported physical abuse. Seventy per cent reported feeling safe in their workplace. Patients were identified as the main perpetrators of abuse, followed by fellow health staff. Participants felt that incidents of workplace abuse increased their potential to make errors while providing care to patients and reduced their productivity while at work.

CONCLUSIONS
Compared with health workers who practise in a community setting, the risk of physical abuse among correctional health professionals appears to be low.


This paper presents a simple model of preindustrial population dynamics, one that brings together the theoretical insights of Thomas Robert Malthus and Ester Boserup. Central to the model is the concept of well‐being, which refers to those aspects of physical condition that influence an individual's capacity to survive and reproduce. Changes in the mean and variance in well‐being are modeled, first, under a fixed system of food production and, second, in the face of subsistence change. Among other things, the model suggests that the long‐term effects of economic change on the distribution of well‐being are negligible, although both the mean and variance are likely to increase temporarily in the short run. The model is used to explore several issues of enduring importance to demographic anthropology, including the nature of population regulation, the relationship between population pressure and economic change, and the demographic consequences of the transition from hunting and gathering to settled agriculture.


This paper presents a multi-module parallel single-phase battery energy storage system (BESS). The single module BESS to be paralleled consists of only a full-bridge power converter. When the utility is in normal condition, the BESS serves as a power conditioner as well as an active power filter. It can be arranged to charge the battery bank or to share daily peak load. In any case, the current supplied by the electric utility can be maintained sinusoidal and almost in phase with voltage. When a utility power failure occurs, the BESS functions as an inverter to supply uninterruptible power to the load. With the good current sharing feature possessed by this BESS, a central power distribution control scheme with smooth current transfer characteristic is proposed to control the parallel operation of the multi-module BESS. The current sharing of each BESS module can be programmed according to its rating and the load condition. Designs of the power circuit and the central power distribution control scheme are described detailedly in this paper. The effectiveness and performance of the proposed parallel BESS are demonstrated by some experimental results.


Epidermoid inclusion cysts (EIC) is a disease caused by the nidation of the epidermal tissues and sebaceous materials into the dermal and subcutaneous layers. This entity is usually observed after trauma and surgical procedures. A 5-year-old boy with a ventral penile mass was admitted to our department. The history of the patient revealed that he was operated at the age of 1 year for hypospadias in a different medical center. The patient's history also revealed that during the initial operation, a skin graft was used for covering urethroplasty. One year later the operation, a ventral penile mass was observed by his mother during wash. The mass continued to increase in size reaching of 1 cm in diameter. The mass was excised and the histopathological study revealed that the mass was compatible with an EIC. With 2 years of follow up the patient is disease free. EICs after penile surgical interventions may be a factor of anxiety for both the children and their parents. In order to avoid this unwanted complication, implantation of the superficial tissue layers into the deep the dermal and subcutaneous tissues should be avoided.


A male born in 1961, aged 46, was referred to our department
for evaluation of splenomegaly and generalized lymphadenopathy
aff ecting the cervical, axillary, mediastinal, retroperitoneal
and inguinal regions. Laboratory data revealed an increased
erythrocyte sedimentation rate (16 mm/h and 30 mm/2 h) and
C-reactive protein level (35.4 mg/L). Total protein and full
blood counts as well as renal and hepatic profi les were within
normal ranges, and microbiological screening revealed no
infectious etiology. Other fi ndings, including radiological
examinations and bone marrow biopsy, showed no further
pathologies. Th e patient ' s other medical history was signifi
cant for arterial hypertension, chronic infl ammatory
demyelinating polyneuropathy and mild right hemi-paresis with
expressive language disorder. Based on lymph node biopsies from
retroperitoneal and both inguinal regions, the patient was
diagnosed with the plasma-cell variant of CD. Th e presence of
a large pelvic mass compressing adjacent structures indicated
the patient for therapy initiation. During fi rst-line
treatment (R-CHOP: rituximab 375 mg/m 2 , cyclophosphamide 750
mg/m 2 , doxorubicin 50 mg/m 2 and vincristine 2 mg
intravenously on day 1; prednisone 100 mg perorally on days 1 –
5 in a 21-day cycle, three cycles in total, 12/2008 – 2/2009),
clinical progression of the disease was evident
(gastrointestinal symptoms, swollen hands and feet with signs
of vasculitis), and there was no radiological response on a
restaging computed tomography (CT) examination after 3 months.


The First Person and Other Stories is the fourth collection of short stories by Ali Smith. The First Person and Other Stories effortlessly appeals to our hearts, heads and funny bones. Always intellectually playful, but also very moving and funny, Smith explores the ways and whys of storytelling. In one, a middle-aged woman conducts a poignant conversation with her gauche fourteen-year-old self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting and beautiful child. Challenging the boundaries between fiction and reality, a third presents its narrator, 'Ali', as she drinks tea, phones a friend and muses on the relationship between the short story and - a nymph. Innovative, sophisticated and intelligent, the stories in The First Person and Other Stories are packed full of ideas, jokes, nuance and compassion. Ali Smith and the short story are made for each other. "Smith's is a profoundly optimistic vision. These stories are frightening yet funny, and the sheer exuberance and playfulness of her language endows dark matters with a lightness of touch". (New Statesman). "She's a genius, genuinely modern in the heroic, glorious sense". (Alain de Botton). "Terrific ...hurrah for Ali Smith ...The best short-story writers make it look as easy as making a cup of tea. Ali Smith is one of these ...A bold and brilliant collection of stories by a writer unafraid to give it to us as it is". (Times). "A glorious collection that celebrates and subverts the short story form". (Independent).


Induced fatigue has led to a large number of deviations of service failures in a wide range of applications, where the deterioration of properties occurs due to the slipping between surfaces at a small displacement. In this article, a numerical simulation of a semi-elliptical crack in the dovetail joint of the compressor was performed to understand the destruction of the blade due to the stress contour in the contact area. A three-dimensional crack is modelled using the ANSYS Finite Element Analysis program, and the blade profile is modelled by CATIA V5R20 software. The study considers a model of an open semi-elliptical crack, and the parameters of the movement of the crack tip are estimated using three-dimensional singular elements of the crack tip in ANSYS. Initially, a three-dimensional finite element model of a compressor blade with a dovetail contact area was simulated in CATIA V5 and analysed in the ANSYS working environment to determine the maximum principal stresses in the crack-free region. After the crack front has been precisely identified and confirmed, fracture modelling is used to determine the impact of crack size with one side, as well as rotation speed, on fracture parameters (stress intensity factors).


Efficient deep learning computing requires algorithm and hardware co-design to enable specialization: we usually need to change the algorithm to reduce memory footprint and improve energy efficiency. However, the extra degree of freedom from the algorithm makes the design space much larger: it's not only about designing the hardware but also about how to tweak the algorithm to best fit the hardware. Human engineers can hardly exhaust the design space by heuristics. It's labor consuming and sub-optimal. We propose design automation techniques for efficient neural networks. We investigate automatically designing specialized fast models, auto channel pruning, and auto mixed-precision quantization. We demonstrate such learning-based, automated design achieves superior performance and efficiency than rule-based human design. Moreover, we shorten the design cycle by 200x than previous work, so that we can afford to design specialized neural network models for different hardware platforms.


The Sonic Sifter and the Ro-Tap are compared as sediment particle sieve size analysis instruments. Various operational advantages and disadvantages inherent to each technique are considered. The Sonic Sifter is more portable, quieter and more versatile, whereas the Ro-Tap is more durable, more economical and precise. These observations supplemented by comparative statistical treatments indicate that the Ro-Tap is the more reliable and reproducible method for sediment sieve size analysis.


Two groups of children with developmental dyslexia were treated over a period of four months. Fourteen children received visual hemisphere-specific stimulation (VHSS) and 11 children were treated with a customary, reading-focused training programme (RT). Reading performance was investigated before and after treatment, as were spelling abilities, phonemic awareness and verbal memory. Improvement in reading accuracy was significantly greater in the VHSS group than in the RT group. Significant improvements were also observed for memory and phonemic skills. The results were compared to existing data on spontaneous reading development. The better results after single-hemisphere stimulation (VHSS) are discussed in terms of the specific characteristics of the treatment, and of the possible contributions of visual-spatial attention, memory functions and phonemic awareness.


Fe-doped TiO2 nanocrystalline powders were prepared by mechanical alloying (MA) by varying Fe contents up to 8.0 wt.%. The TEM analyses were carried out to clarify morphologies and position of Fe within the mechanically alloyed powders. The Fe-doped powder consisted of spherical particles, and the average grain size was less than 10 nm. For the Fe-doped TiO2, the color of the powders changed from white to bright yellow with increasing concentration of Fe. The UVvis absorption showed that the UV absorption for the Fe-doped powder shifted to a longer wavelength (red shift) and the photo-efficiency was enhanced. The absorption threshold depends on the concentration of nano-sized Fe dopant. Mössbauer spectrum for 4 wt.% Fe showed the ferromagnetic phase (sextet) and paramagnetic phase (doublet). However, the only paramagnetic phase (doublet) was seen for 8 wt.% Fe. As the Fe concentration increased up to 4 wt.%, the UV-vis absorption and the magnetization were increased. The beneficial effect of Fe doping for photocatalysis and ferromagnetism was observed at the critical dopant concentration of 4 wt.%. Based on the UV absorption and magnetization, the dopant level was localized to the valence band of TiO2.


Many of today's software systems are parallel or concurrent. With the rise of Node.js and more generally event-loop architectures, many systems need to handle concurrency. However, its non-deterministic behavior makes it hard to reproduce bugs. Today's interactive debuggers unfortunately do not support developers in debugging non-deterministic issues. They only allow us to explore a single execution path. Therefore, some bugs may never be reproduced in the debugging session, because the right conditions are not triggered.
As a solution, we propose multiverse debugging, a new approach for debugging non-deterministic programs that allows developers to observe all possible execution paths of a parallel program and debug it interactively. We introduce the concepts of multiverse breakpoints and stepping, which can halt a program in different execution paths, i.e. universes. We apply multiverse debugging to AmbientTalk, an actor-based language, resulting in Voyager, a multiverse debugger implemented on top of the AmbientTalk operational semantics. We provide a proof of non-interference, i.e., we prove that observing the behavior of a program by the debugger does not affect the behavior of that program and vice versa. Multiverse debugging establishes the foundation for debugging non-deterministic programs interactively, which we believe can aid the development of parallel and concurrent systems.


It is well recognised that low statistical power increases the probability of type II error, that is it reduces the probability of detecting a difference between groups, where a difference exists. Paradoxically, low statistical power also increases the likelihood that a statistically significant finding is actually falsely positive (for a given p-value). Hence, ethical concerns regarding studies with low statistical power should include the increased risk of type I error in such studies reporting statistically significant effects. This paper illustrates the effect of low statistical power by comparing hypothesis testing with diagnostic test evaluation using concepts familiar to clinicians, such as positive and negative predicative values. We also note that, where there is a high probability that the null hypothesis is true, statistically significant findings are even more likely to be falsely positive.


ABSTRACT Despite enduring "some of the worst political and economic chaos anywhere in the world" (Mwesige, P. G. 2004. "Disseminators, Advocates and Watchdogs: A Profile of Ugandan Journalists in the New Millennium." Journalism: Theory, Practice & Criticism 5 (1): 69–96. doi:10.1177/1464884904039556), for the last quarter century Uganda has seen significant progress under President Yoweri Museveni, who is credited with liberalizing the media and instituting a constitutional guarantee of free press (Kalyango, Y., and P. Eckler. 2010. "Media Performance, Agenda Building, and Democratization in East Africa." Communication Yearbook 34: 355–389). Now, Uganda has "one of the more vibrant media scenes in east and central Africa" (Freedom House. 2017. Freedom of the Press 2017. Uganda. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2017/uganda, para. 5–6). Still, journalist continue to face challenges. This study utilized in-depth interviews to examine the challenges Ugandan reporters face and what could be done to alleviate them. Through the lens of Shoemaker and Reese's (2013. Mediating the Message in the 21st Century: A Media Sociology Perspective. Routledge) Hierarchy of Influences Model, findings reveal that journalists' challenges come from almost every level. At the individual level, journalists lack professionalism and engage in unethical behavior. Some of these challenges can be blamed on news organizations due to low pay and failed efforts to create a united professional organization to train reporters to act ethically. Extramedia forces, namely, government restrictions, also pose significant challenge. And some restrictions, such as limited access to information, are influenced by ideological factors. As Tabaire (2007. "The Press and Political Repression in Uganda: Back to the Future?" Journal of Eastern African Studies 1 (2): 193–211. doi:10.1080/17531050701452408) suggests, "Only a much more democratic Uganda will ensure a freer press" (208).


This study examines the determinants of broad money demand and its stability in Nigeria over the quarterly period 1991:Q1 to 2014:Q4. With ordinary least squares and other statistical methods the results indicate that a long-run relationship exists between the real broad money aggregate and real income, domestic interest rate, inflation rate, exchange rate and foreign interest rate. Real income and exchange rate are directly related to the real broad money balances while domestic interest rate, inflation rate and foreign interest rate are inversely related to the demand for broad money.


In connection with the situation that it is difficult to measure high-pressure flow in hydraulic system. A new type liquid flowmeter was designed in this paper, shown in Fig.1. The gear flowmeter is the positive displacement flowmeter with good features that the measurement precision is very accurate, and it is not restricted by environmental condition. But the gear flowmeter can't be widely used, just because its flow pulsation is large. After deeply studying the gear flowmeter, the author designed a new planet gear flowmeter. The flowmeter has the characteristics that the displacement is large, and the flow pulsation is small, even less than 1%. It can also be used to measure the flow in high pressure hydraulic system.


Th is study evaluated how museums help their employees return to workplace normalcy after a natural disaster affects their institution and professional lives, and to address what policies they used to facilitate this transition. The study focused on three key policies: disaster/emergency plans, business continuity plans, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). Recently, the museum field has pushed for their organizations to develop and implement a disaster preparedness plan as a core institutional policy. While museum disaster preparedness plans are effective in encompassing mitigation, response, and recovery actions for artifacts, they rarely include guidelines for how museum employees are regarded during the recovery phase of the disaster plan. Natural disasters create high levels of stress which can affect worker productivity, and can lead to high employee absenteeism and turnover. Business continuity plans and EAPs can offer a means to address this thesis, as employees are considered a mission-critical resource. A questionnaire was sent to 80 midsize, California museums in the Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco Bay areas. The majority of museums (79%) indicated that they had a disaster preparedness plan in place, but not a business continuity plan (14%) or an employee assistance program (30%). Results concluded that museums are not utilizing these policies to help employees return to workplace normalcy.


Orchestration is crucial to address the growing complexity of IT, cloud and telecom services. Orchestrators enable service deployment, but continuous operation is given second-class status. Most orchestrators use static workflows, which may fail, misbehave or be insufficient, leaving services in an undesirable state. We present Reorchestration, a prototype showing orchestration without workflows, combining functional-inspired state management with an infrastructure-as-code approach. The prototype demonstrates the viability of our ideas in some scenarios, and we expect it will contribute to discussions on software architectures for closed-loop automation.


This research is motivated by concerns about the problems of teenagers who are
heavily involved in free sex, drugs, alcohol, brawl and pornography. This condition is
certainly not stand alone many factors that mempengeruhinya, family, community
and school. This study attempts to describe the level of adolescent religiosity in
Surabaya, Mataram and Kendari, what factors predominate and how strategies
improve and increase adolescent religiosity.
From the results of the research conducted from May to October 2013, it was found
that the level of adolescent religiosity in the three study cities was at a very high
level. There is no significant difference between adolescent religiosity in Surabaya,
Mataram and Kendari. In the aspect of youth religious knowledge in Surabaya is
relatively better than adolescents in Mataram and Kendari, the religious attitudes
aspect of adolescents in Mataram is relatively better than adolescents in Surabaya
and Kendari, and the moral aspect of religious (akhlakul karimah) adolescents in
Mataram is relatively better than adolescents in Kendari and Surabaya.
Religious conditions in the families in these three study cities are at good level
(conducive), there is no significant difference between one city and another.
Indicators of religious adherence of parents and habituation cultivate religious
values in the family in Mataram lebik both daripda in Surabaya and Kendari. The
socio-religious level of society is at a fairly good level (conducive), there are
significant differences in the three cities. In the city of Mataram it is better the social
level of the religious community than in Surabaya and Kendari. The condition of
religious education in schools is at a fairly good level, and there is no significant
difference between the codes in the three study cities. In the aspect of availability of
religious facilities and intensity of religious execution activities in Mataram city is
relatively better than in Surabaya and Kendari.
The dominant factors influencing the religiosity of adolescents in Surabaya, Mataram
and Kendari are religious education factors in school and religion in the family.
Socio-socio-cultural factors become the determinants of youth religiosity in Mataram
and supporting factors for adolescents in Surabaya and Kendari. It means to produce
religious teenagers need attention from family, school and community. However,
families and schools have not been able to portray themselves as character bulding
places.
The fact that families and schools have not played a significant role in the formation
of adolescent religiosity is evidence of failure or dysfunctional families and schools
as character bulding actors. To that end, the need to improve the ability of families
and schools in various aspects and areas as proposed in the quality improvement
strategy of family, school and community.


Recent advances in developmental psychology, social services, and social policy have converged to highlight 3 issues: (a) the importance of early development; (b) the importance of the contexts, or "ecology," of early development, especially with respect to the ill effects of early childhood poverty; and (c) the promise of intervention programs for low-income children, families, and communities, including comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs). CCIs, however, generally have not focused on young children. In this article, we synthesize developmental science and current understanding of CCIs to suggest a number of ways for CCIs to increase their emphasis on early development. We begin with a review of developmental research that illustrates the effects of community characteristics on children's development. We then review the goals, strategies, and principles of CCIs. These reviews illustrate that despite overlapping emphases, developmental science and CCIs could be linked more generatively. We propose ...


This paper is a brief commentary on the paper "How stable is pitch labeling accuracy in absolute pitch possessors" by W. Gruhn, R. Ristmägi, P. Schneider, A. d'Souza, and K. Kiilu. The original paper presents evidence for the influence of timbre on the pitch labeling accuracy of absolute pitch (AP) possessors. The presented data result from a solid methodology and show a clear pitch labeling accuracy drop from instrumental timbres to sinusoidal tones, with manipulated sounds being in the middle. The commentary underlines the view that the presented results are compatible with a memory perspective on AP and can be interpreted as evidence for the influence of training on the development of AP.


Open worship of the Roman Emperor with sacrifice, priests, altar and temple was in theory contrary to official policy in Rome. The cult of the living emperor by less direct means, however, might be achieved in various ways: the offering of cult to his companion genius or the divine numen immanent within him; the elevation of the Imperial house to a level at which it became godlike; the formal placing of the emperor on a par with the gods by making dedications to him ut deo; the conversion of divinities of every kind into Augustan gods that served as the Emperor's helper and protector; the creation of Augustan Blessings and Virtues that personified the qualities and benefactions of the emperor. Volume II, 2 completes the preliminary set of studies with a select bibliography, indexes and corrigenda to Vols. I, 1-2 and II, 1.


OBJECTIVE Worldwide attention over iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in pregnancy has shifted recently from providing supplements during pregnancy to attempting to ensure that women, especially adolescents, have adequate iron stores prior to conception. We sought to determine whether adolescent and/or adult women still need supplements during pregnancy to avoid IDA, even if iron stores are adequate, and whether the IDA translates into maternal and/or infant morbidity and mortality. DESIGN Randomized, double-blind clinical trial with placebo control. SETTING Multicenter clinic setting in central Wisconsin. PARTICIPANTS Adolescent women 18 years or less in their first pregnancy, and adult women 19 years or older, who were found to be healthy and iron sufficient at their first prenatal visit. METHODS Participants were randomized to receive iron supplementation (60 mg/day elemental iron) or placebo. Serum ferritin of 12 ng/mL or less with simultaneous hemoglobin of 11 g/dL or less defined IDA. When IDA occurred at the second trimester, a therapeutic supplement of 180 mg of elemental iron per day was initiated. RESULTS Forty-seven percent of all placebo-supplemented and 16% of all iron-supplemented patients exhibited IDA (p<0.001); 59% of adolescent placebo-supplemented and 20% of adolescent iron-supplemented patients exhibited IDA (p=0.021). Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation were not significantly different in the iron supplemented group compared to the placebo group, and no significant differences were seen in maternal or neonatal health, but the number of women studied was limiting for analysis of these adverse events. CONCLUSION IDA is common in healthy, iron-sufficient adolescent pregnant women during the second trimester, and body stores of iron decline in both adolescent and adult pregnancies. The incidence of IDA during adolescent and adult pregnancies is substantially reduced with 60 mg of elemental iron per day. However, there remains no clear evidence that maternal or neonatal health will benefit from correcting these deficits.


The electron moiré method uses a high frequency grating to measure microscopic deformation. Finer and finer gratings are being pursued to meet higher and higher resolution requirements in microscopic stress analysis. In this study, the techniques of fabricating electron grid by means of a scanning electron microscope are improved. The use of a low accelerating voltage shows a better effect than the high accelerating voltage in fabricating a superfine grid. A new group of parameters is suggested based on this consideration. A cross-line grid with a frequency of 10,000 lines/mm and a parallel grating with a frequency of 13,000 lines /mm have been successfully fabricated.


The potential role of glucagon in the pathogenesis of diabetic ketogenesis was examined by intravenous glucagon administration (1.0 μg/kg. body weight) in five insulin-deficient diabetic subjects. The metabolic response was defined by examining the changes in the plasma concentration of insulin, glucose, free fatty acids (FFA), triglycerides, betahydroxybutyrate, and acetoacetate in comparison to those changes occurring in five nondiabetic control subjects tested under identical experimental conditions. Our results demonstrate that in the absence of endogenous insulin secretion, exogenous glucagon administration results in an enhanced ketonemia independent of the rise of FFA substrate. This augmented ketogenic response to glucagon in diabetic subjects was not reflected in the dynamics of glucose regulation, with similar changes in blood glucose concentration occurring in both diabetic and nondiabetic populations. These data demonstrate that glucagon may potentiate ketonemia in insulin-deficient diabetics, although the mechanism mediating this augmentation is not defined. Since the rise in FFA substrate was indistinguishable in the diabetic as compared to the control group, increased hepatic conversion of FFA substrate into ketone bodies is suggested.


In this paper, we investigate the pessimistic bilevel linear optimization problem (PBLOP). Based on the lower level optimal value function and duality, the PBLOP can be transformed to a single-level while nonconvex and nonsmooth optimization problem. By use of linear optimization duality, we obtain a tractable and equivalent transformation and propose algorithms for computing global or local optimal solutions. One small example is presented to illustrate the feasibility of the method.


We propose a fast, efficient, general, simple, valid, and robust method of estimating and making inference about the delay of the fMRI response modeled as a temporal shift of the hemodynamic response function (HRF). We estimate the shift unbiasedly using two optimally chosen basis functions for a spectrum of time shifted HRFs. This is done at every voxel, to create an image of estimated delays and their standard deviations. This can be used to compare delays for the same stimulus at different voxels, or for different stimuli at the same voxel. Our method is compared to other alternatives and validated on an fMRI data set from an experiment in pain perception.


STUDY OBJECTIVES
To calculate cost-effectiveness of scenarios concerning lung transplantation in The Netherlands.

DESIGN
Microsimulation model predicting survival, quality of life, and costs with and without transplantation program, based on data of the Dutch lung transplantation program of 1990 to 1995.

SETTING
Netherlands, University Hospital Groningen.

PATIENTS
Included were 425 patients referred for lung transplantation, of whom 57 underwent transplantation.

INTERVENTION
Lung transplantation.

RESULTS
For the baseline scenario, the costs per life-year gained are G 194,000 (G=Netherlands guilders) and the costs per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained are G 167,000. Restricting patient inflow ("policy scenario") lowers the costs per life-year gained: G 172,000 (costs per QALY gained: G 144,000). The supply of more donor lungs could reduce the costs per life-year gained to G 159,000 (G 135,000 per QALY gained; G1 =US $0.6, based on exchange rate at the time of the study).

CONCLUSIONS
Lung transplantation is an expensive but effective intervention: survival and quality of life improve substantially after transplantation. The costs per life-year gained are relatively high, compared with other interventions and other types of transplantation. Restricting the patient inflow and/or raising donor supply improves cost-effectiveness to some degree. Limiting the extent of inpatient screening or lower future costs of immunosuppressives may slightly improve the cost-effectiveness of the program.


Throughout the first decade of the twenty-first century, the changing statuses of the writer and the text have not only been reflective of the ways in which collaborative theatre-making processes involving writing have changed, but are also emblematic of how theatre-makers have positioned themselves within the rapidly shifting cultural and economic climate in the UK. This thesis seeks to discover what shifts have occurred as well as future implications for the role of the commissioned writer. Its prime focus is an investigation of the working methods of three different generations of collaborating companies in the UK and the commissioned writers with whom they work: Shared Experience, Frantic Assembly and Filter Theatre.

This investigation is structured on a company-by-company basis, examining two productions from each company (each written by different writers or writer/directors) as examples of writer-company collaborative practice, comparing one to the other in order to understand each company and writer's approach to working collaboratively. It addresses such issues as, what is the role of the writer in new collaborative theatre-making culture in the UK and how it has been influenced by historical debates and practices regarding the role of the writer and the text: how texts can be produced in different processes that involve a writer; how authorship is negotiated by practice between writers and other creative collaborators; and the extent to which the models or processes of working analyzed here have originated from or been influenced by historical collaborative practice. This investigation utilizes interviews with practitioners involved in the development of these productions as well as company archival material and analyzes relevant contemporary texts and performances as well as the work of historical practitioners that has informed the legacy of these the three contemporary companies. In addition to performance theory, this thesis will draw on management and branding theory, in order to interrogate the relationship between hierarchy and the creative process, within the context of the changing cultural, economic and political climate of the early twenty-first century.

This thesis will propose that historical practices of writing and collaboration and the distinct strands of working that evolved from it have a significant relationship to, and can illuminate contemporary practice as well as serve as historical models of working; some of the approaches to collaborative writing used by Shared Experience, Frantic Assembly and Filter Theatre can be considered either conscious copying or modification of an extant practice or accidental imitations which arose from similar cultural circumstances but embodied the same basic idea of an extant practice. This thesis will also propose that Shared Experience, Frantic Assembly and Filter Theatre and the commissioned writers and writer/directors with whom they have collaborated have developed a flexible process of working in order to allow for negotiation and serve their particular production and artistic goals. The role of an individual writer can change from company to company and production to production and therefore the author or authors of the piece might include not only the writer, but also the director, performers, designer and/or dramaturg. Ultimately, this thesis will look to the future by providing a framework with which performance scholars and emerging practitioners can better understand and also continue to develop writer-company collaborative practice.


1. The sources of inhibitory synaptic inputs to neurones in submucous ganglia of the guinea‐pig small intestine were examined by making lesions to cause selective degeneration of nerve terminals of sympathetic or intrinsic origin. Intracellular recordings were used to evaluate the effects of lesions on the inhibitory inputs. Immunohistochemical techniques were used to identify the neurochemical classes of the impaled neurones and to confirm the efficacy of the lesions. 2. The neurones from which recordings were taken were filled with the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow. The preparations were then fixed and processed for immunohistochemistry. 3. Thirty‐one neurones reactive for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were examined in control submucous ganglia and all exhibited inhibitory synaptic potentials. In preparations extrinsically denervated by severing the mesenteric nerves, twenty‐seven of twenty‐eight VIP‐reactive neurones had inhibitory synaptic potentials. This indicates that these neurones receive inhibitory synaptic inputs from intrinsic neurones. However, significantly more stimuli were required to evoke a detectable inhibitory synaptic potential in extrinsically denervated preparations than in normal intestine. 4. Extrinsic denervations were combined with removal of the myenteric plexus so that nerve terminals arising from both cell bodies in extrinsic ganglia and in the myenteric plexus degenerated. Under these conditions no inhibitory synaptic potentials could be recorded in any of the nine VIP‐reactive neurones studied. 5. The conductance change underlying the intrinsic inhibitory synaptic potentials appeared to be similar to that underlying the responses in normal intestine. 6. The time courses of the intrinsic inhibitory synaptic potentials differed from those of the control responses. The responses to short trains of stimuli were significantly briefer and the responses to long trains significantly more prolonged in the extrinsically denervated preparations than in normal preparations. 7. The intrinsic inhibitory synaptic potentials were not significantly affected by phentolamine (0.2 microM), guanethidine (1 microM) or naloxone (1 microM), although the first two drugs markedly depressed control inhibitory synaptic potentials.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


In the majority of the papers dealing more or less extensively with Cetorhinus maximus the gill rakers (fanunculi) are correctly described and regarded as specifically characteristic, whilst in a number of other papers, e.g., de Blainville (1812), Vrolik (1826), and Tchang Si (1934) the gill rakers are not mentioned. This does not necessarily indicate that the specimens examined by the cited authors did not possess gill rakers, probably no definite search was made concerning the presence or absence of these parts.
From 1821 till 1952 there stranded in the Netherlands or were brought ashore by fishermen 21 specimens of Cetorhinus maximus; of nine of these it was stated that they had gill rakers, four of these specimens proved to be without gill rakers, whilst of the other specimens no notes are given concerning these parts; the last named specimens will not be further dealt with in the present paper.
During the years 1950 till 1952 special attention was paid to the condition of the gill rakers in the specimens of Cetorhinus maximus that became available. The following data could be obtained.
At Oostkapelle, island of Walcheren, province Zeeland, on April 11, 1950, Mr. P. J. van der Feen (Amsterdam) saw a male specimen with gill rakers; length 5.50 m. At Domburg, island of Walcheren, on October 23, 1950, he found a male specimen without gill rakers; length 3.37 m. Material of these two specimens has been preserved in the collections of the Zoological Museum at Amsterdam.
At the beach of the island of Texel, province North Holland, on September 5, 1951, Mr. I. Kristensen (Den Helder) found a female specimen with gill rakers; length 3.64 m.


: Two doses of butyphos (1/10 and 1/50 LD50) were administered into rats within 6 months. Content of DNA was distinctly decreased in liver and kidney tissues within the first 2 weeks of the pesticide administration. Then DNA synthesis was increased 2-fold in liver tissue and remained high during all the 6 months of intoxication. Protein synthesis was increased in liver tissue within 3 months of the administration and remained elevated up to the end of experiment. High rate of protein synthesis, found in kidney and spleen tissues at the initial steps, was markedly decreased within 6 months. Content of DNA and RNA was decreased in the tissues studied within 1 month of the intoxication and restored within 3 months, while it remained at considerably lower level in liver and spleen tissues as compared with control values. Cholinesterase activity was lowered by 90% in blood within 11 weeks with the subsequent increase; but in the experimental group intoxicated with butyphos at 1/10 LD50 the enzymatic activity constituted only 60% of control values within 6 months. Histological study showed development of necrodystrophy in liver tissue and of fibroplastic glomerulonephritis in kidney. The deteriorating effect of butyphos on cellular genome functions appears to relate not only to its cytotoxicity but also to the cancerogenic and mutagenic properties of the pesticide.


ABSTRACT Analysis of tissue composition in fish often requires dry samples. Time needed to dry fish decreases as temperature is increased, but additional volatile material may be lost. Effects of 10°C temperature increases on percentage dry mass (%DM) were tested against 60°C controls for groups of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, rainbow smelt Osmerus mordax, slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus, and alewife Alosa pseudoharengus. Lake trout %DMs were lower at greater temperatures, but not significantly different from 60°C controls. Rainbow smelt and slimy sculpin %DMs were lower at greater temperatures and differences were significant when test temperatures reached 90°C. Significant differences were not found in tests using alewives because variability in %DM was high between fish. To avoid inter-fish variability, 30 alewives were each dried successively at 60, 70, 80, and then 90°C and for all fish %DM declined at each higher temperature. In general, %DMs were lower at greater temperatures and after reaching a stable dry weight, fish did not lose additional mass if temperature remained constant. Results indicate that caution should be used when comparing dry mass related indices from fish dried at different temperatures because %DM was negatively related to temperature. The differences in %DM observed with rising temperature could account for substantial portions of the variability in reported energy values for the species tested. Differences in %DM means for the 60 vs. 80°C and 60 vs. 90°C tests for rainbow smelt and alewife could represent of from 8 to 38% of observed annual energy cycles for Lakes Ontario and Michigan.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the accuracy of a questionnaire modified for the identification of intraoral pain with neuropathic characteristics in a clinical orofacial pain sample population.

METHOD AND MATERIALS
136 participants with at least one of four orofacial pain diagnoses (temporomandibular disorders [TMD, n = 41], acute dental pain [ADP, n = 41], trigeminal neuralgia [TN, n = 19], persistent dentoalveolar pain disorder [PDAP, n = 14]) and a group of pain-free controls (n = 21) completed the modified S-LANSS, a previously adapted version of the original questionnaire devised to detected patients suffering from intraoral pain with neuropathic characteristics. Psychometric properties (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value [PPV], negative predictive value [NPV]) were calculated in two analyses with two different thresholds: (1) Detection of pain with neuropathic characteristics: PDAP + TN were considered positive, and TMD + ADP + controls were considered negative per gold standard (expert opinion). (2) Detection of PDAP: PDAP was considered positive and TMD + ADP were considered negative per gold standard. For both analyses, target values for adequate sensitivity and specificity were defined as ≥ 80%.

RESULTS
For detection of orofacial pain with neuropathic characteristics (PDAP + TN), the modified S-LANSS presented with the most optimistic threshold sensitivity of 52% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34-69), specificity of 70% (95% CI, 60-79), PPV of 35% (95% CI, 22-51), and NPV of 82% (95% CI, 72-89). For detection of PDAP only, with the most optimistic threshold sensitivity was 64% (95% CI, 35-87), specificity 63% (95% CI, 52-74), PPV 23% (95% CI, 11-39) and NPV 91% (95% CI, 81-97).

CONCLUSION
Based on a priori defined criteria, the modified S-LANSS did not show adequate accuracy to detect intraoral pain with neuropathic characteristics in a clinical orofacial pain sample.


Setting: Prenatal diagnosis unit of the Suleymaniye Maternity Hospital and Dr. Fehmi Yazicioglu's FMF center Materials and Methods: All women screened with a protocol including nuchal translucency + nasal bone + tricuspid regurgitation + biochemistry during the first trimester and having known outcome data were reevaluted retrospectively by dropping out the TR data and recalculation of the risks using the FMF software. With a risk level of 1/300 as the threshold for invasive testing, the diagnostic efficiency of both models for the diagnosis of aneuploidy was compared in terms of sensitivity, specifity and positive and negative predictive values. Findings: A total of 429 patients with a mean age 28,6 ± 5,1 had complete outcome data after FTS. 8 fetuses had aneuploidy consisting of trisomy 21, 18, 13 and 5pin 4, 2, 1and 1fetuses respectively. 28 in TR and 23 in non TR protocol were screen positive. Both models could identify 7 of 8 aneuploidies. False positive rate was 4.8% with and 3.7% without TR. The sensitivity, specifity, positive and negative predictive values of the FTS with and without TR were 0.87, 0.95, 0.25, 0.99 and 087, 0.96, 0.30, 0.99 respectively. Conclusions: Adding TR to FTS in a low risk population resulted in increased false positivity without affecting the overall sensitivity for aneuploidy


We argue that the main equilibrium exchange rate approaches (ppp, beer, and feer) correspond to different time horizons of a single theoretical framework. We propose an illustration for the euro/dollar exchange rate. Our results suggest that the various approaches should not be opposed but rather combined to provide useful benchmarks for exchange-rate policies. Classification JEL : F31, C23.


The main advantage of claw-pole machines lies in their ability to yield higher torque density values than is obtainable from a conventional machine. However, the high torque density has its price; leakage flux is often high resulting in low power factor and efficiency. This thesis is mainly concerned with the design of a claw-pole motor that meets application requirements of reasonably high torque density and a power factor comparable to conventional topologies.

After critically reviewing previously proposed designs of Transverse-flux and Claw-pole machines, the thesis focuses on a special type of claw pole motor having claws in both the stator and the rotor. The claws are made of Soft Magnetic Composites (SMC); consisting of iron powder particles that are individually insulated and can be readily pressed into complex geometries. Detailed explanation of the operation of such a design is then provided.

Internal design of the claw-pole motor is investigated with the aid of three-dimensional finite-element field computation. In particular, the effect of the following parameters on the motor's performance has been investigated: number of poles, main dimensions, magnet material and dimensions, pole-face profile and claw angle. This theoretical work was verified, to some extent, against measurements obtained from an experimental machine especially constructed for this purpose. Details of this experimental motor are also presented.

The investigation of the internal design of the claw-pole motors presented in this thesis provides a physical insight into their operation and, therefore, can be utilised for their general design. Indeed, this work enabled realisation of a claw-pole servomotor that is capable of achieving a torque density of about 1.5 Nm/Kg at a power factor of 0.9. The decisions made in arriving at the servomotor design are presented and clearly related to the conclusions of the internal design investigation.


Utilizing SolidWorks VBA programming and SolidWorks modeling to develop familiar gears CAD system, utilizing parametric principle in system designing and modeling, the design result is 3-d entity model of standard binder screws parts, and it can automatically relating to creat 2-d drawing.


BAYES discriminant analysis (BDA) method was used in the study of headstreams of prediction of minewater inrush and two BDA models for recognizing two-headstreams and multi-headstreams were constructed. Baesd on the principle of BDA theory and the classical headstream samples of different mines, the discriminant process and cross-validation method were introduced. 10 samples from a mine of HUA BEI Mine and 39 samples of JIAO ZUO Mine were used as data sources. Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl-, HCO3-, SO42-, NO32-, F- and pH were selected as discriminant genes for two-headstreams BDA model and Na++K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- were regarded as discriminant genes for multi-headstreams BDA model. Compared with the results of SQT method, ANN method and SVM method, the results show that the frame of BDA model was steady and high prediction accuracy can be obtained. BDA method and can be used in practical mine engineering.


ABSTRACT STAM1, a member of the STAM (signal transducing adapter molecule) family, has a unique structure containing a Src homology 3 domain and ITAM (immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motif). STAM1 was previously shown to be associated with the Jak2 and Jak3 tyrosine kinases and to be involved in the regulation of intracellular signal transduction mediated by interleukin-2 (IL-2) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in vitro. Here we generated mice lacking STAM1 by using homologous recombination with embryonic stem cells. STAM1−/− mice were morphologically indistinguishable from their littermates at birth. However, growth retardation in the third week after birth was observed for the STAM1−/− mice. Unexpectedly, despite the absence of STAM1, hematopoietic cells, including T- and B-lymphocyte and other hematopoietic cell populations, developed normally and responded well to several cytokines, including IL-2 and GM-CSF. However, histological analyses revealed the disappearance of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons in STAM1−/− mice. Furthermore, we observed that primary hippocampal neurons derived from STAM1−/− mice are vulnerable to cell death induced by excitotoxic amino acids or an NO donor. These data suggest that STAM1 is dispensable for cytokine-mediated signaling in lymphocytes but may be involved in the survival of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons.


The Early Cretaceous volcanic-arc granitic rocks from Kyushu, SW Japan are contemporaneous with the granitic rocks of the Yanshan Orogeny (SE China) along the eastern Eurasian continental margin. The secular geochemical variations of the whole-rock major elemental and Sr–Nd isotope data of the Early Cretaceous granitic rocks from Kyushu, SW Japan, as well as the zircon and apatite saturation temperatures, shows distinct changes during the Albian (∼115 to ∼100 Ma) as: (1) the mASI value of the rocks (i.e., Shiraishino granodiorites) decreases below 1, (2) the Sr–Nd isotopic data are relatively constant [87Sr/86Sri = 0.70471 to 0.70573; εNd(t) = + 0.2 to + 1.9] within different rock types including granites, granodiorites, tonalites, and adakitic rocks (i.e., the Shiraishino granodiorites), following the increase of 87Sr/86Sri and decrease of εNd(t) from Berriasian, and (3) higher maximum temperatures at ∼105 Ma. The secular changes indicate that important geodynamic changes occurred in the arc system of SW Japan as it changed from subduction-accretion during the Jurassic to continental arc during the Early Cretaceous. Thermodynamic partial melting modeling demonstrates that the Albian granitic rocks can be derived from mélange rocks, such as chlorite-actinolite schists, at moderate depth and variable redox conditions. It is concluded that the genesis of the Early Cretaceous granitic rocks from Kyushu, SW Japan, may be related to upwelling of the asthenosphere and hot corner flow into the mantle wedge caused by slab rollback, which followed a shallowing of the subduction angle and subsequent flat-slab subduction during the Late Jurassic. The resultant heat induced the partial melting of the mélange rocks that formed on and were transported from the subducted plate interface.


Ionic liquid based on imidazolium cation; 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (EMITFSI) has been incorporated with epoxidized natural rubber-50 (ENR-50) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) to obtain electrolyte material. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed evidence of complexation between ENR-50, EMITFSI and LiTFSI. Glass transition temperature, Tg displayed an increasing trend with increase in salt concentration. The incorporation of EMITFSI resulted in an increase in ionic conductivity. The increase in ionic conductivity was attributed to the role of ionic liquid which reduced Tg, thus, facilitated ion conduction in the system. The highest ionic conductivity at room temperature was 5.72 ´ 10-4 S cm-1 for sample containing 20 wt% of EMITFSI and 50 wt% of LiTFSI.


IntroductionHigh prevalence of otitis media (OM) and hearing impairment (HI) in Aboriginal children in Australia's Northern Territory (NT) is well documented. HI may be associated with poorer outcomes in early childhood development, school attendance and academic achievement. However, these associations have not been investigated in this population.
Objectives and ApproachRetrospective cohort studies were conducted to investigate the association between HI and three education-related outcomes in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. The explanatory variable for all studies was audiometrically determined hearing levels. The outcome measures were Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) results, representing developmental outcomes at around age 5 years; Year 1 school attendance rates; and, National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) results for Year 3 for academic achievement. Relevant confounding variables from available linked datasets were controlled for in the statistical analyses.
ResultsCompared with normal hearing children, after adjustment for selected confounding factors, children with HI had higher risk for being developmentally vulnerable in two or more of the five AEDC domains (adjusted odds ratio 1.69); lower AEDC domain score sum (-1.60~-2.40); scoring lower in Numeracy (by 15.2 points), Writing (by 13.4-15.6 points) and Spelling (by 5.0 points) domains of NAPLAN; and having lower attendance rates (attending 4.0-5.6 fewer days in Year 1). Severer HI categories generally yielded greater effect sizes. Notably, across the studies, some confounding variables included in the analysis yielded substantially greater effect sizes.
Conclusion / ImplicationsOM-related HI has a negative impact on early childhood development, Year 1 school attendance and academic achievement in Year 3 in Aboriginal children living in remote NT communities. To improve the developmental and educational outcomes it is important to detect HI at an early age and provide effective educational support, in addition to clinical and audiometric management.


Climate change may cause more frequent seasonal water shortages. Water-scarce countries already use reclaimed household wastewater for subsequent uses that do not require potable water. Views on the degree of acceptability of reusing wastewater and a distrust of one's water provider may deter countries like Canada and the United Kingdom from adopting these technologies. This paper reports on results from a 2009 Canadian Internet-based contingent valuation study. Two water management programs were presented: a program to reduce summer water use through water restrictions and a program to allow citizens to avoid summer water restrictions through the use of reclaimed household wastewater. The paper estimates the willingness-to-pay (WTP) for the second program and finds trust in the water utility, belief in future drought conditions, and age to be important factors, as is the belief that members of one's community will not voluntarily reduce water use by the required amount. The latter introduces a potential endogeneity bias in responses to discrete choice WTP questions. Joint estimation of the underlying WTP function with a model to explain a respondent's belief in community free riding is undertaken. The paper contributes to the literature on valuing the avoidance of water restrictions, elicitation of free riding beliefs, and the use of endogenous regressors in discrete choice models


RESEARCH ON THE STABLITY OF THE RECOMBINANT PRODUCTION OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS IN INDUSTRIAL STRAINS USING THE GENE CLUSTER ISOLATED FROM Shewanella baltica MAC1 Yi Fan University of Guelph, 2015 Advisor: Professor M. W. Griffiths In past decades, there has been increasing awareness of the effects of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA on human health. Realizing that these fatty acids are deeply involved in regulating human diseases as well as helping the proper development of the immune and nervous systems as well as visual acuity, more people began consuming omega-3 fatty acids in the form of nutritional supplements. So far, fish and fish oil are the main dietary sources of EPA and DHA. However, fish stocks have been depleted, therefore alternative sources of these fatty acids need to be explored. In this study, long-term stability of the plasmid carrying the 20 kb EPA/DHA biosynthesis gene cluster in the transformed E. coli EPI300T1 without antibiotic pressure as well as its recombinant production of EPA and DHA were studied. Moreover, molecular methods were used to transform Streptococcus thermophilus ST21 with plasmid pEDSB (modified plasmid vector pIL252 carrying the 20 kb insert), followed by a series of GC and GC/MS analyses to test recombinant production of EPA and DHA by S. thermophilus ST21. Our results showed recombinant production of EPA by S. thermophilus. However, production of EPA synthesized by transformed S. thermophilus was lower than that by recombinant E. coli. In addition, recombinant E. coli was able to stably maintain the 20 kb EPA/DHA gene cluster as compared to S. thermophilus. Our data confirmed transformation of the EPA/DHA gene cluster to gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as its stability in E. coli.


This handbook covers the scientific, clinical and service background for practitioners involved in the care of older people with psychiatric disorders. Expanding older populations and increasing attention on mental disorder in old age have focused attention on the need for responsive, humane, efficient and effective services. The greatest interest has been in the identification and treatment of dementia; it has also become clear how very common the other psychiatric disorders including depression, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and substance abuse are in older age. While specialist services proliferate, more general services, for example in general hospital medical teams, or adult community psychiatric services, continue to manage many older people with psychiatric illness. This handbook provides a clear grounding in the scientific and moral basis of the speciality and up-to-date evidence on how to proceed in the most commonly encountered clinical situations in a manageable and easy-to-use format . It will be of value to specialists, to those setting up services, to non-specialists treating older patients and to students learning about these disorders.All three authors are busy clinicians in old age psychiatry as well as active teachers and researchers in this area. Through international professional and research links, they marry a UK to an international perspective.


Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008

A61

Background Patients with Barrett's esophagus (BE) and dysplasia are ideal candidates for chemopreventive strategies to reduce cancer risk. Difluoromethylornithine (DMFO) is a promising chemopreventive agent that inhibits polyamine synthesis involved in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. We conducted a pilot study to examine the effects of DFMO on esophageal histopathology, mucosal polyamine content, and gene expression.

Materials and Methods Patients (n=10) with histologically confirmed BE and low grade dysplasia were enrolled in a single-arm study of DFMO (0.5 g/m2/d) given continuously for 6 months. Esophagoscopy with biopsies (4 quadrants every 1 cm) was performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months, and at 12 months (where available). Grading of dysplasia was performed by a GI pathologist blinded to clinical/biomarker data. Audiology was also performed. Mucosal polyamine content was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography, and analyzed using paired t-tests. Gene expression profiling was performed using a cDNA two-color chip, and was compared between baseline and 6 months. Expression data was normalized using the two-channel fastlo routine and differential expression was computed using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Results After 6 months of DFMO treatment, histopathological response data demonstrate regression of dysplasia (n= 1), stable disease (n= 8), and progression of dysplasia (n= 1). Within the stable category, 2 patients with extensive low grade dysplasia showed only focal dysplasia based upon 4 or more biopsies at 6 months. Histolopathological improvements seen at 6 months were maintained at 12 months. Overall, DFMO was well tolerated. One patient had subclinical, unilateral ototoxicity. Modulation of polyamines (spermine, spermidine, putrescine, histamine) was shown only for putrescine which decreased with treatment (6 mo., p=0.07) and showed recovery to baseline at 12 months (p= 0.01). Gene expression profiling revealed modulated genes of potential biological importance ( KLF5, KAL1, RFC5, TIMM8a, TC10 ) and of these, Kruppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) was downregulated whereas the others were upregulated.

Conclusion >Further study of the chemopreventive effect of DFMO upon BE with dysplasia is suggested. DFMO treatment suppressed mucosal putrescine levels and downregulated KLF5 , an important mediator of cell proliferation.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A61.


Population projections for Hong Kong suggest that the city will accommodate 8.22 million people in 2043. One in every three people are expected to be older than 65 in 2066. The long-held Chinese traditions for burial of deceased with reverence and honour, coupled with the chronic land shortage have presented an excessive demand for cemetery space. Niches are seldom recycled, and the inadequate supply of new columbarium niche requires the family of the deceased to consider an alternative way for keeping cremated ashes. To ease the demand, "green burial" has been launched and promoted by the HKSAR government through different print and social media. Currently, scattering of cremains in Gardens of Remembrance or at sea are the two common ways to perform green burial. The public acceptance of green burial is still questionable and is under-researched. This study is going to deploy innovative technology, virtual reality (VR) to increase physical and psychological fidelity in highly resembled scenarios for the people. On one hand, VR gives immeasurable value to people when they are enabled to navigate different circumstances (physical fidelity) before considering the use of green burial. On the other hand, VR enables the people to engage in different mental processes (psychological fidelity) replicated from an array of cognitive reaction and sentiments with the choice of green burial. In order to optimize the configuration of the VR settings, we will conduct a face-toface, semi-structured and in-depth interview with different practitioners. In the study, we explore: (1) To what extent the enhancement of physical fidelity of innovative technologies debunk public's misconception of green burial? (2) To what extent the enhancement of psychological fidelity of innovative technologies debunk public's misconception of green burial? (3) To what extent the simulated experience derived from innovation technologies change the public acceptance of green burial?


Achieving fair bandwidth distribution among uplink and downlink flows in the infrastructure based wireless local area networks (WLAN) which the distributed coordination function (DCF) mode is difficult. In this paper we present a new control theoretic approach to achieve a fair bandwidth distribution among the flows regardless of the transport protocol used by the flows. In addition, we explore methods to improve the channel bandwidth utilization and reduce the delay while improving the fair distribution. Our approach combines an AQM scheme for IFQ queue and the MAC layer design to achieve this goal. The effectiveness of our approach is demonstrated through extensive simulations over a wide range of network scenarios


Purpose: China Academic Library & Information System (CALIS) planned to launch an institutional repository (IR) project to promote IR development and open access at colleges and universities in China. In order to get to know the current state of IRs in academic institutions, with the help of Peking University Library, CALIS Administrative Center conducted this survey. Design/methodology/approach: We conducted an online survey of CALIS member libraries. Findings: Firstly, the development of IRs at China's colleges and universities is still in its infancy. Secondly, the Chinese colleges and universities have reached a consensus on the objective for having an IR. Thirdly, they are having high expectations of IR functions. Fourthly, they prefer to establish a centralized IR system at a minimum cost. Finally, there are both similarities and differences between the Chinese academic institutions and their counterparts in other countries in the state of IR development. Research limitations: The questionnaire needs to be improved because there is a lack of enough questions for those who do not plan to build an IR. Comparatively lower rate of valid questionnaire return can affect the accuracy of the results. It is hard to go into an in-depth discussion only based on the data collected from this questionnaire survey, and consequently, the findings from the survey can hardly present an accurate and comprehensive picture of the current state of IR development in the academic sector in China. Practical implications: The survey results provide essential foundation for CALIS IR project, and meanwhile the research can serve as a reference source for the future studies of the development of IRs at China's colleges and universities. Originality/value: It is the first national survey focused on the development of IRs in academic institutions in China.


Sulthan, Faqih. 2018. "Sufism Values in Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah Book KH Sholeh Darat (Text Editing along with Content Analysis)". Undergraduate Program Thesis in Indonesian Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Diponegoro University, Semarang. Thesis Advisor Dr. Muh. Abdullah, M.A and Drs. M. Muzakka, M.Hum.

The Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah manuscript contains a collection of words or advice from Shaykh Ibn Atha'illah which was then directed by KH Sholeh Darat. including not relying on charity, making efforts as loyalty to God and not to expect results, and other values of Sufism. This manuscript is a collection of takmir of Sholeh Darat mosque, Dadapsari, Semarang. This manuscript was written in Genuk, Semarang in 1291 H/1870 M. This means that the manuscript has been written 148 years ago.
This study aims to present descriptions and editing results of the text of Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah and reveal the values of Sufism contained in the text based on content analysis studies. The writer uses two kinds of theories, philology theory and content analysis theory. Philological analysis of the text of Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah was carried out to produce a manuscript description, an outline of the contents of the manuscript, and text edits (transliteration and translation). Content analysis on the text of Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah was carried out to reveal the values of Sufism contained in the text.
The results of the analysis on the text of Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah reveals the life lessons obtained by Sheikh Ibn Atha'illah. KH. Sholeh Darat manages to package concisely and easily a spiritual lesson guide for every Salik. It is not only to convey philosophical Sufism that puts forward a difficult theology but also to be balanced with the elements of Sufism of Amali in the form of the practice of worship and salik, which means that the path between the Shari'ah, Tareeqat and Haqeeqat can be easily taken in a way that may be replicated and methodical. This philosophy becomes even more intense when KH. Sholeh Darat gives explanations and related comments to convey Al-Hikam's explanation straightforwardly.

Keywords: Mukhtaṣar Al-Ḥikam Ibnu 'Aṭā'illah, KH. Sholeh Darat, Sufism, philology, content analysis


Background The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a dose increased weekly Bortezomib (Bor) based combination therapy in multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Results The overall response rate (ORR) in the modified Bor group was 76.6%, composed of 40% complete response (CR), 3.3% very good partial response (VGPR) and 33.3% partial response (PR). The ORR was 82.3%, with 26.5% CR, 5.9% VGPR and 50% PR in control. A subgroup analysis showed both groups had equal efficacy in newly diagnosed MM patients (P = 1.000). The median progression free survival was 16 (11.7–20.3) months for the modified Bor group and 12 (10.5–13.5) months for the control (P = 0.503), and the median overall survival was 36 (9.4–62.6) vs 28 (21.6–34.4) months (P = 0.759). The incidences of AEs were similar except grade 1–4 peripheral neuropathy (PN) rate was 10% in modified regime group and 32.4% in control (P = 0.038). Materials and Methods This was a monocentric, prospective, non-randomized, phase IV, non-inferiority trial. Thirty MM patients were treated with modified Bor-based combination therapy (Bor 1.6 mg/m2 on day 1, 8), with 34 MM patients on conventional Bor-based combination therapy (1.3 mg/m2 on day 1, 4, 8, 11) as control. The responses and adverse events (AEs) were compared. Conclusions The increased-dose weekly Bor-based combination therapies were not inferior to conventional ones in terms of response and survival benefit, but showed lower rate of peripheral neuropathy (PN).


For utilizing distributed resources in optical grid environment advanced reservations play a very crucial role. For applications like the co-allocation of distributed resources and deadline driven applications advance reservations are essential. Also for enhancing capabilities of resource brokers advance reservations play a major role. In this paper, failure recovery has been done depending on schemes such as periodic reconfiguration, and so on using Revised Slide Window First (RSWF) algorithm. Here, RSWF algorithm checks one path at a time for all of the scheduling window slots. If a link or node failure occures during the reservation then periodic rescheduling can be done in RSWF to perform failure recovery.


An assessment of whether to rehabilitate a tooth requiring endodontic treatment or to replace it with a dental implant can often involve a challenging and complex decision-making process. This paper reviews the literature pertaining to both treatment modalities and identifies key issues that need careful consideration in planning the most appropriate course of care in a given clinical situation. A need to appreciate advances across both disciplines is highlighted, allowing the development of effective interdisciplinary evidence-based treatment strategies to maximize treatment outcome.


This thesis describes a complete framework for organising digital photographs in an unsupervised manner, based on the appearance of people captured in the photographs. Organising a collection of photographs manually, especially providing the identities of people captured in photographs, is a time consuming task. Unsupervised grouping of images containing similar persons makes annotating names easier (as a group of images can be named at once) and enables quick search based on query by example.
The full process of unsupervised clustering is discussed in this thesis. Methods for locating facial components are discussed and a technique based on colour
image segmentation is proposed and tested. Additionally a method based on the Principal Component Analysis template is tested, too. These provide eye locations required for acquiring a normalised facial image. This image is then preprocessed by a histogram equalisation and feathering, and the features of MPEG-7 face recognition descriptor are extracted. A distance measure proposed in the MPEG-7 standard is used as a similarity measure.
Three approaches to grouping that use only face recognition features for clustering are analysed. These are modified k-means, single-link and a method based on a nearest neighbour classifier. The nearest neighbour-based technique is chosen for further experiments with fusing information from several sources. These sources are context-based such as events (party, trip, holidays), the ownership of photographs, and content-based such as information about the colour and texture of the bodies of humans appearing in photographs. Two techniques are proposed for fusing event and ownership (user) information with the face recognition features: a Transferable Belief Model (TBM) and three level clustering. The three level clustering is carried out at "event" level, "user" level and "collection" level. The latter technique proves to be most efficient.
For combining body information with the face recognition features, three probabilistic fusion methods are tested. These are the average sum, the generalised product and the maximum rule. Combinations are tested within events and within user collections. This work concludes with a brief discussion on extraction of key images for a representation of each cluster.


Recently, in the world, efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is expanding. Such as research and development of renewable energy is enabled as a policy for that. Currently, the towers are mostly used, many steel tower drawback to complement these parts, must develop a high-strength concrete tower is one of the options. Therefore, in this study, in order to analyze the behavior of the concrete tower, was studied with a commercial software (MIDAS Civil2009). The safety factor of the strength of the concrete tower by placing a reference to 2 is performed to determine whether to resonate through the natural frequency, By utilizing the thickness of the tower recalculation is concrete, we examined the buckling stability with axial load. As a result, run the research, by analyzing the behavioral characteristics associated with it, there is intended to be utilized in basic research. KeywordsHigh-Strength Concrete Tower, Strength Safety Factor, Natural Frequency, Buckling Safety


Globally, taxation is a vexed question, and taxing electronic commerce creates additional challenges. This notwithstanding, electronic commerce holds tremendous potentials as a formidable source of governmental revenue in the light of globalization and increasing automation of commercial transactions in Nigeria. National and states tax authorities are struggling to find mechanisms to collect the anticipated significant revenues derived from taxing e-commerce profits because the existing regime was set up to handle exchange of only physical goods and services. In some cases, they are even entirely oblivious of the prospect of revenue flow from such a source. Currently, e-commerce transactions in Nigeria largely escape taxation even though their live transaction counterparts are almost always subject to some form of state or federal tax. This has touched off a lively debate about how to extend tax liability to e-commerce in ways that are in parity with offline taxes; whether sales taxes should be restructured or replaced; and even whether e-commerce should be tax-free. Although the challenges are universal, the peculiar problems of deplorable infrastructural deficiency, obsolete legislations, lax implementation of existing laws, hydra-headed corruption as well as widespread ignorance make taxing electronic commerce all the more intriguing in Nigeria. Added to these is the sophistication and complexity of the technology involved in such transactions. The modest ambition of this research work is therefore to describe and evaluate the main issues involved; analyze the legal challenges posed by cyberspace transactions that defy traditional conceptions of trade. The tremendous benefits accruable to the nation will equally be identified. It will be demonstrated that whilst information and communications technology's efficiencies certainly allow some (perhaps many) activities to be coordinated online, all enterprises still need to have real, and not virtual, people, assets and business operations. The intended outcome is a comprehensive framework for the taxation of e-commerce profits that incorporates (with necessary modifications) traditional international tax principles since it is clear that any reform will require significant international cooperation. Flowing from all these will be a realization that taxing e-commerce is not necessarily harmful to Nigeria as a developing and technology importing country and that, it is indeed in our best interest to do so in order to boost government's revenue drive and to procure requisite manpower as well as technology in line with global trend. Accordingly, Chapter I will focus on preliminary considerations and foundational understanding of the concept. The second chapter probes deeper into the dynamics of e-commerce – its nature, taxation challenges and other allied issues. The thrust of Chapter III is the international dimension of the discourse on taxation of e-commerce. The last chapter shall be devoted to analyses of indices to be considered in the formulation of a legal framework for e-commerce taxation.


ABO blood groups, subgroups, M, N and Rh blood types were studied among Bhoksas of Dehra Dun district in Uttar Pradesh. Bhoksas are characterized by high A (33.33%), MN (58.16%), Rz (8.85%), R" (7.86%) and moderately low R1 (43.77%). The present sample does not show differences from the Bhoksas of Nainital but remains differentiated from Majumdar's sample so far as ABO blood groups are concerned. The present Bhoksas also remain undifferentiated from many Mongoloid and other populations of Eastern and Western Himalayas with respect to certain Rh chromosome frequencies. On the whole it is difficult to subscribe to, or reject, Bhoksas' claim of Rajput ancestry. Their differences with Indian Mongoloid populations namely, Bhotias and Tharus suggest that they might not belong to Mongoloid stock.


The currently existing mobile mapping systems equipped with active 3D sensors allow to acquire the environment with high sampling rates at high vehicle velocities. While providing an effective solution for environment sensing over large scale distances, such acquisi-tion provides only a discrete representation of the geometry. Thus, a continuous map of the underlying surface must be built. Mobile acquisition introduces several constraints for the state-of-the-art surface reconstruction algorithms. Smoothing becomes a difficult task for recovering sharp depth features while avoiding mesh shrinkage. In addition, interpolation-based techniques are not suitable for noisy datasets acquired by Mobile Laser Scanning (MLS) systems. Furthermore, scalability is a major concern for enabling real-time rendering over large scale distances while preserving geometric details. This paper presents a fully automatic ground surface recon-struction framework capable to deal with the aforementioned constraints. The proposed method exploits the quasi-flat geometry of the ground throughout a morphological segmentation algorithm. Then, a planar Delaunay triangulation is applied in order to reconstruct the ground surface. A smoothing procedure eliminates high frequency peaks, while preserving geometric details in order to provide a regular ground surface. Finally, a decimation step is applied in order to cope with scalability constraints over large scale distances. Experimental results on real data acquired in large urban environments are presented and a performance evaluation with respect to ground truth measurements demonstrate the effectiveness of our method.


The gas sensing properties of single-layer GeS have been studied by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, and the present results demonstrate that monolayer GeS exhibits high selectivity and sensitivity toward NO2 molecules and short recovery time, coupled with a strong anisotropic transport feature. Moreover, applying biaxial strains and electric fields could effectively modulate the capture and release of gaseous NO2. Further calculations indicate that oxygen atoms and water molecules decorated on GeS hardly affect the superb selectivity toward NO2 against the other gases. The presence of an S-vacancy on the GeS monolayer greatly promotes the adsorption of NO2, facilitating molecular dissociation. The underlying mechanism is also elaborated at the level of electronic structures. The present findings make GeS monolayers potential materials for NO2 gas sensors and capturers in future applications.


Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is a heterogeneous disease that is caused by a wide variety of vascular factors.1 Pathological studies have shown that both large- and small-vessel damage occurs in patients with VCI.2,3 Large-vessel disease leads to strokes with a stepwise course as a result of multiple infarctions that result in concomitant loss of intellect. Small-vessel disease has several forms: it may either produce lacunes mainly in the basal ganglia without white matter damage or extensive changes in the white matter with or without lacunes (Table I in the online-only Data Supplement). The term subcortical ischemic vascular disease is often used for both lacunar state and white matter disease, but there may be different pathophysiologies involved, particularly when there is cerebral hypoperfusion, which has a major effect on the vulnerable deep white matter.4

Binswanger disease (BD) was first described in 1894 in patients with arteriolosclerotic demyelination.5 Patients with BD have a symptom complex that includes vascular risk factors, cognitive impairment, small stroke-like events, hyperreflexia, and imbalance (Table II in the online-only Data Supplement).6,7 Neuropsychological testing shows executive dysfunction, whereas difficulties with memory and language occur more commonly in Alzheimer disease (AD); overlap occurs in neuropsychological testing in BD and AD, making patterns of cognitive dysfunction only suggestive of diagnoses. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which includes tests of executive function, when compared with minimental status examination is more often abnormal in patients with BD, making it a better screening test.8

Clinical features alone may be insufficient to diagnose BD, and a multimodal approach with biomarkers may be helpful. The biomarkers that have been suggested include neuropsychological testing, brain imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. Routine MRI shows white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery imaging, which are nonspecific and are …