The management of acute pancreatitis depends on the evaluation of its severity, mainly based on multiparameter scores such as Ranson score. Patients with mild or moderate acute pancreatitis are characterized by a spontaneous recovery and do not require enteral or parenteral nutrition. Patients with severe pancreatitis need a nutritional support. According to present data, enteral nutrition should be preferred to parenteral nutrition. Parenteral nutrition should be used in cases with prolonged ileus, when patient do not tolerate enteral nutrition and when enteral nutrition is not unable to satisfy nutritional requirements. Energy requirements vary between 25 and


System reliability optimization models considering uncertainty are described, and new algorithms are proposed to minimize the coefficient of variation of the system reliability estimate. This is a realistic, important formulation because the reliability of most components is not known with certainty, and decision-makers are often risk averse, preferring a system with a slightly lower estimated reliability if it is a more certain measure. The redundancy allocation problem can be defined as the selection of the system configuration and the type of the components to optimize some objective function(s) while satisfying some system related constraints. In this paper, we propose algorithms to minimize the coefficient of variation of the system reliability estimate with respect to a minimum system reliability constraint, and some other system related constraints. Two algorithms are presented. For problems where component mixing is not allowed, an optimal algorithm is presented based on linear integer programming. For problems where mixing is allowed, a heuristic approach is presented based on a combined neighborhood search, and a linear integer programming approach. The heuristic starts with the solution of those problems where mixing components is not allowed, and searches the neighborhood of this solution to find better prospective solutions for the problems where mixing components is allowed. Then, a linear integer programming problem is solved to identify the recommended solution to the problem.


Development of efficient materials for the separation of oils/organic solvents from water is of prime ecological importance as their negative impact on the aquatic environment is huge. In the present work, for the first time we report the utilization of biodegradable cellulose kitchen wipe sponge as a base material for the oil sorption and cellulose fabric as a filter for the filtration of oil, after functionalization with polythiophene. The water contact angles of the modified cellulose sponge and modified cellulose fabric being 126.6° and 151.6°, respectively substantiate the hydrophobic nature of the materials post modification. Oil absorption kinetic studies show a very rapid saturation period (90 min) for the modified cellulose sponge with a maximum absorption capacity of 7.5 g g−1. By a simple mechanical squeezing process, the absorbed oil/organic solvent is recycled. The sponge is reused for 5 cycles with 70% retention in the initial absorption efficiency. On the other hand, the modified cellulose fabric is used as a continuous filter for a quick separation of oil (and organic solvents) from water. The oil sorbents reported make use of readily available and economically viable base materials with a simple modification which may allow their use for the removal of oil on large scales.


Abstract This article reviews the literature on interest representation in the post-Communist democracies from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It maps out the existing contributions to our understanding of post-Communist interest intermediation in order to identify the main priorities in the research agenda and the challenges ahead. The contributions to the literature range from the most normative approaches to the applicability of a revived civil society, to the more empirically based studies of functional representation and the impact of external variables such as EU accession and international donor support. I argue that, while generally neglected by academic research, the study of post-Communist interest politics offers an excellent testing ground for comparative analysis on democratisation and transitology and the applicability of normative considerations regarding civil society, participation, social capital and associationalism. The post-Communist interest politics agenda while benefiting from the existing work can develop further by incorporating more systematic methodological approaches. There is a role for comparison beyond CEE that should not take place through the lens of the 'exception' but rather through a more inclusive approach. This can crucially enrich our understanding of the role of organised interests in contemporary democracies.


OBJECTIVE
LncRNAs play a key role in the development and progression of prostate cancer. In this study, the effects of the lncRNA BLACAT1 in prostate cancer were investigated.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of BLACAT1 and miR-361 in prostate cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues (n=25). The function of BLACAT1 was detected through proliferation assay and apoptosis assay. The interaction between BLACAT1 and miR-361 in prostate cancer was studied by luciferase assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis were performed to detect the BLACAT1 binding proteins. The xenograft mice experiment was performed to further confirm the functional significance of lncRNA BLACAT1 in vivo.

RESULTS
In patient samples and prostate cancer cell lines, BLACAT1 was down-regulated and inversely proportional to DNMT1, HDAC1, EZH2, MDM2 and miR-361 expression. Treatment with 5-azacytidine and chidamide enhanced BLACAT1 expression and decreased the levels of miR-361. The BALCAT1 promoter was methylated in prostate cancer tissue and found to interact with miR-361 via luciferase assays. BLACAT1 bound to EZH2, DNMT1 and HDAC1. ChIP-seq analysis revealed that HDAC1 interacts with STAT3, while EZH2 interacts with the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) promoter.

CONCLUSIONS
Two regulatory axes of BLACAT1-EZH2-MAPK and BLACAT1-HDAC1-STAT3 were identified to be associated with the progression of prostate cancer. Both chidamide and 5-azacytidine represent promising therapeutic options in prostate cancer treatment.


With the growing reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) for many different applications, the sharing of code, data, and models is important to ensure the replicability and democratization of scientific knowledge. Many high-profile academic publishing venues expect code and models to be submitted and released with papers. Furthermore, developers often want to release these assets to encourage development of technology that leverages their frameworks and services. A number of organizations have expressed concerns about the inappropriate or irresponsible use of AI and have proposed ethical guidelines around the application of such systems. While such guidelines can help set norms and shape policy, they are not easily enforceable. In this paper, we advocate the use of licensing to enable legally enforceable behavioral use conditions on software and code and provide several case studies that demonstrate the feasibility of behavioral use licensing. We envision how licensing may be implemented in accordance with existing responsible AI guidelines.


The emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in animals and their products has highlighted the considerable value of the potential transfer of resistance to the human population via the food chain. The objective of this work was to study the antibiotic resistance profile of staphylococci of human and animal origin and to compare the two profiles in order to define an effective therapeutic and preventive strategy. This work was carried out on a set of 97 strains of staphylococci isolated from animal and human biological liquids. The isolation and identification was done by conventional methods. The determination of the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) was studied by the reference method (dilution in agar medium) and VITEK 2® with respect to eight (8) antibiotic molecules. The results were interpreted according to the ACFSM criteria (2001). The results showed higher resistance of human bacteria to penicillin (72.22% vs. 30.23%) erythromycin (50% vs. 18.6%) and gentamicin (33.33% vs. 9.3%) compared to animal bacteria. On the other hand, the resistance to fosfomycin of staphylococci of animal origin was higher (60.46%) compared to human strains (38.89%). Indeed, it seems that vancomycin and rifampicin are the antibiotics of choice against these pathogenic strains in veterinary and human medicine.


The notion of the "contested past" has grown to be an important topic in anthropological research in recent decades, linking such themes as nationalism, identity, museology, tourism, and war. In North America, these discussions have largely centered on archaeology's shifting relationship with native peoples. As scholars give new attention to how research methodologies and representation of cultural histories affect indigenous peoples, it is critical to understand the unique ways in which Native Americans view their past. Contemporary Zuni and Hopi interpretations of ancestral landscapes in the San Pedro Valley of Arizona are used to explore how indigenous worldviews imbue ancient places with deep cultural and individual meanings. This research, based on a three-year collaborative ethnohistory project, argues for resolution to the "contested past" by incorporating a perspective of multivocality, which will enable the creation of alternative histories that do not eschew scientific principles while respecting native values of history.


Language-related event-related potential (ERP) components such as the N400 have traditionally been associated with linguistic or cognitive functional interpretations. By contrast, it has been considerably more difficult to relate these components to neurobiologically grounded accounts of language. Here, we propose a theoretical framework based on a predictive coding architecture, within which negative language-related ERP components such as the N400 can be accounted for in a neurobiologically plausible manner. Specifically, we posit that the amplitude of negative language-related ERP components reflects precision-weighted prediction error signals, i.e. prediction errors weighted by the relevance of the information source leading to the error. From this perspective, precision has a direct link to cue validity in a particular language and, thereby, to relevance of individual linguistic features for internal model updating. We view components such as the N400 and LAN as members of a family with similar functional characteristics and suggest that latency and topography differences between these components reflect the locus of prediction errors and model updating within a hierarchically organised cortical predictive coding architecture. This account has the potential to unify findings from the full range of the N400 literature, including word-level, sentence- and discourse-level results as well as cross-linguistic differences.


An enormous amount of information has been gathered in the last 25 years on maturational aspects of sleep and respiratory control. This book represents the first attempt to compile this vast, and sometimes overwhelming, information into a readable, integrative format likely to be attractive to both clinicians and investigators in the field. With this purpose in mind, the editors recruited an impressive group of clinical and laboratory scientists, and the product of their work is a well-organized presentation of the various facets of pediatric control of breathing that is comprehensive overall. The book is divided into four major parts and 27 chapters. The first part is devoted to basic neurophysiology, respiratory mechanics, control of breathing during the transition from fetal to newborn life, thermoregulation, and sleep architecture. The second part includes a description of the various available methods for assessment of respiratory control in the pediatric age group. An important


Field experiment was carried out in order to study the genotypic variation in nitrogen and phosphorus uptake and utilization by barley. The study included nine Bulgarian genotypes of two-rowed barley: three cultivars Krami, Krasen, Kristi and six perspectives breading lines. The genotypes were sown in a randomized, complete block design with four replications after maize as predecessor with the size of experimental plots of 7 m2. It was found that barley genotypes differed in the uptake efficiency of both elements - nitrogen and phosphorus. Genotypes were divided into two groups in regard to nitrogen. Cultivars Krami, Krasen, Kristi and lines 2390300, 24102400, 22506999 uptake 170-186 kg N*ha-1, and lines 704112296, 24201900, 689069970 demonstrated higher nitrogen uptake efficiency 213-241 kg N*ha-1. Most of the new lines had higher phosphorus uptake efficiency in a range 90-111 kg Р2О5 ha-1compared to the varieties. The ratio total N/total Р2О5 uptake was close to 2.0 for the most of genotypes. The obtained mean values of nitrogen utilization efficiency were 81.6 kg biomass and 34.0 kg grain per kg N, respectively. The mean values of phosphorus utilization efficiency were 171.3 kg biomass and 71.4 kg grain per kg P2O5, respectively. The barley genotypes utilized more efficient phosphorus then total uptake nitrogen for producing grain and straw. Line 24102400 demonstrated higher nitrogen utilization efficiency for biomass and grain from all studied genotypes, followed by variety Krami. These two genotypes could be recommended as perspective in future improves of nitrogen efficiency in barley. Uptake efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus positively correlated with the barley productivity and nutrients content in the grain and straw. In contrast, the relationship between total uptake of both elements at maturity and utilization efficiency of nitrogen or phosphorus for grain formation was negative.


Background and Purpose—This review focuses on the emerging principles of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) management, emphasizing the natural history and treatment of intraventricular hemorrhage. The translational and clinical findings from recent randomized clinical trials are defined and discussed. Summary of Review—Brain hemorrhage is the most severe of the major stroke subtypes. Extension of the hemorrhage into the ventricles (a 40% occurrence) can happen early or late in the sequence of events. Epidemiological data demonstrate the amount of blood in the ventricles relates directly to the degree of injury and likelihood of survival. Secondary tissue injury processes related to intraventricular bleeding can be reversed by removal of clot in animals. Specific benefits of removal include limitation of inflammation, edema, and cell death, as well as restoration of cerebral spinal fluid flow, intracranial pressure homeostasis, improved consciousness, and shortening of intensive care unit stay. Limited clinical knowledge exists about the benefits of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) removal in humans, because organized attempts to remove blood have not been undertaken in large clinical trials on a generalized scale. New tools to evaluate the volume and location of IVH and to test the benefits/risks of removal have been used in the clinical domain. Initial efforts are encouraging that increased survival and functional improvement can be achieved. Little controversy exists regarding the need to scientifically investigate treatment of this severity factor. Conclusions—Animal models demonstrate clot removal can improve the acute and long-term consequences of intraventricular extension from intracerebral hemorrhage by using minimally invasive techniques coupled to recombinant tissue plasminogen activator-mediated clot lysis. The most recent human clinical trials show that severity of initial injury and the long-term consequences of blood extending into the ventricles are clearly related to the amount of bleeding into the ventricular system. The failure of the last 2 pivotal brain hemorrhage randomized control trials may well relate to the consequences of intraventricular bleeding. Small proof of concept studies, meta-analyses, and preliminary pharmacokinetics studies support the idea of positive shifts in mortality and morbidity, if this 1 critical disease severity factor, IVH, is properly addressed. Understanding clinical methods for the removal of IVH is required if survival and long-term functional outcome of brain hemorrhage is to improve worldwide. (Stroke. 2009;40:1533-1538.)


Time-warped signal spaces have received attention in the literature. Among the topics of particular interest are sampling of time-warped signals and signal analysis using warped analysis functions, including wavelets. This correspondence introduces a reproducing kernel (RK) structure for time-warped signal spaces that unifies multiple perspectives on sampling in such spaces.


Inflammation is increasingly recognized as being of both physiological and pathological importance in the immature brain. The rationale of this review is to present an update on this topic with focus on long‐term consequences of inflammation during childhood and in adults. The immature brain can be exposed to inflammation in connection with viral or bacterial infection during pregnancy or as a result of sterile central nervous system (CNS) insults. Through efficient anti‐inflammatory and reparative processes, inflammation may resolve without any harmful effects on the brain. Alternatively, inflammation contributes to injury or enhances CNS vulnerability. Acute inflammation can also be shifted to a chronic inflammatory state and/or adversely affect brain development. Hypothetically, microglia are the main immunocompetent cells in the immature CNS, and depending on the stimulus, molecular context, and timing, these cells will acquire various phenotypes, which will be critical regarding the CNS consequences of inflammation. Inflammation has long‐term consequences and could speculatively modify the risk of a variety of neurological disorders, including cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, cognitive impairment, and Parkinson disease. So far, the picture is incomplete, and data mostly experimental. Further studies are required to strengthen the associations in humans and to determine whether novel therapeutic interventions during the perinatal period can influence the occurrence of neurological disease later in life. Ann Neurol 2012;


Robotic navigation and interaction frequently require that the shape and motion of external objects and events be observed. Many interesting events occur at mixed scales. Subtle localized shape and motion often occurs together with long-range movements. One of the chief challenges in recovering these events is to obtain high resolution imagery suitable for resolving small details, while simultaneously increasing the working volume in which recovery is possible. This paper proposes architecture for mixed scale motion recovery. The robust coverage of a large working volume is provided by a wide area of tracking system. This system localizes interesting motions, and guides a separate foveated system of pan tilt cameras to observe the detailed event at high resolution. We demonstrate two applications, foveated structured light scanning and the capture of muscle deformation while walking. Both applications allow subtle detailed recovery that would not be possible using existing single scale systems.


Sebaldella termitidis (Sebald 1962) Collins and Shah 1986, is the only species in the genus Sebaldella within the fusobacterial family 'Leptotrichiaceae'. The sole and type strain of the species was first isolated about 50 years ago from intestinal content of Mediterranean termites. The species is of interest for its very isolated phylogenetic position within the phylum Fusobacteria in the tree of life, with no other species sharing more than 90% 16S rRNA sequence similarity. The 4,486,650 bp long genome with its 4,210 protein-coding and 54 RNA genes is part of the GenomicEncyclopedia ofBacteria andArchaea project.


In condensed matter physics, the peculiar Dirac dynamics of electrons in graphene enables a plethora of novel applications, ranging from composite materials to photovoltaics and energy storage. This thesis demonstrates that also in integrated photonics the unique structural properties of graphene open up new possibilities. This is realized by the transfer of the honeycomb lattice structure to an array of evanescently coupled waveguides called photonic graphene - exhibiting the same extraordinary tight-binding band structure as atomic graphene. Within this work, femtosecond laser written photonic graphene allows the exploration of various novel phenomena. Especially, the relatively easy experimental access to the characteristic edge states of the honeycomb lattice is advantageous in the photonic system. Edge states of the system are shown to undergo a transition under linear deformation of the lattice. In a further experiment, measurement of light confinement at the edge is used to demonstrate the formation of Landau levels. This special band structure usually occurs under application of a magnetic field to an atomic lattice. Here, it arises from a pseudomagnetic field caused by a certain non-uniform strain implemented in photonic graphene. However, to derive breaking of the time-reversal symmetry as found under a real magnetic field, here another method is applied. By periodical modulation of the lattice along the propagation direction, the principle of Floquet topological insulators is implemented. The first realization of a photonic topological insulator demonstrates the unique robust one-way light transport along the edges of the system. Such extraordinary topological transport properties hold immense potential for the improvement of various photonic functionalities. Hence, the work transfers ideas originally based on solid state systems to optics allowing to evolve above and beyond these fundamental notions opening up new avenues in the field of photonics.


Two lines of the 6C3HED (Gardner lymphosarcoma), 6C3HED-LeP and 6C3HED-ADL, were studied. The former is exquisitely sensitive to 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A) and the latter is resistant. Cytological examinations and strain specificity tests indicated that they are both 6C3HED. DNA synthesis in the sensitive line was found to be more sensitive to ara-A in whole-cell incubations than it was in the resistant line. In cell-free extracts, the DNA synthesis of the sensitive line showed greater inhibition by 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine 5'-triphosphate. Lower ability to form 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine 5'-triphosphate or to allow access to the intracellular space was eliminated as an explanation for the resistance. Cells from an ara-A-resistant human leukemia were tested, and the DNA synthesis of the cells, in either whole cells or cell-free extract, was unaffected by ara-A or 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine 5'-triphosphate, respectively. This suggests that resistance has emerged by reason of change in the DNA polymerase(s) and that the finding may be important in the clinical use of ara-A.


Over the past decade, vertebrate populations globally have experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance. Understanding the reasons behind these population declines is the first step in implementing appropriate management responses to improve conservation outcomes. Uncovering drivers of extirpation events after the fact, however, requires a careful forensic approach to prevent similar declines elsewhere. The once abundant and species-rich sea snake fauna of Ashmore Reef Marine Park, in the Timor Sea, collapsed dramatically in the early 2000s. No such decline has occurred on surrounding reefs. We synthesise the evidence for this collapse and the subsequent slow recovery and evaluate the plausibility of potential drivers for the declines, as well as provide evidence against certain explanations that have been proposed in the past. Our systematic review shows that of seven possible hypotheses considered, at least three are credible and require additional information: (1) stochastic environmental events may have increased the snakes' susceptibility to pathogens, (2) a resurgence in the abundance of top predators may have induced a localised change in trophic structure, and (3) an acute increase in local boat traffic may have had negative physical impacts. One or more of these factors, possibly acting in combination with as yet other unidentified factors, is the most plausible explanation for the precipitous decline in sea snake populations observed. Based on this position, we identify future research directions with a focus on addressing critical gaps in knowledge to inform and prioritise future management actions.


After the Crimean War, civilian initiatives were largely responsible for introducing female nurses into military hospitals to supplement and supervise male orderlies. The early difficulties of the new nursing service were similar to those experienced by middle and upper-class women reformers of civilian hospitals. The first female corps was almost independent of military commandants and medical officers; 'lady superintendents' made unwelcome attempts to impose the social norms and work patterns of upper-class households. The medical officers achieved full authority over the female nurses only in 1885. Although reluctant to mobilise female nurses for colonial warfare, under pressure from civilian relief agencies army medical authorities did so after 1879. Army nurses were not prominent public figures; nevertheless, British and foreign war nursing attracted considerable civilian interest, and for some women became a symbol of their right to political participation and equal citizenship. The institution in 1883 of the first national decoration for women, the Royal Red Cross, further legitimated heroism in war as a female ambition. The Royal British Nurses' Association's attempt to form a military nursing reserve indicates that many trained nurses saw war service as conferring the public status necessary to their campaign for state registration. The manpower crisis of the Boer War 1899 - 1902 convinced officials that army hospitals required more female personnel; the success of subsequent drives to recruit trained nurses and voluntary first-alders as military reserve nurses and auxiliaries on the eve of World War I owed much to interests, enthusiasms and ambitions generated among women in the nineteenth century. The early history of British female army nursing demonstrates the influence of civilian expectations upon military institutions; developments at the turn of the century suggest that it was through military nursing that civilian women were militarised.


We introduce a comprehensive conceptual framework for selecting solvents for reactive extraction in biphasic organic-water systems and demonstrate it for the separation of HMF (5-hydroxylmethylfurfural), a platform chemical produced in the acid-catalyzed dehydration of hexoses. We first perform in silico screening of ∼2500 solvents, from the ADFCRS-2018 database using the ADF COSMO-RS implementation, and classification, based on the solvent partition coefficient. We then determine experimentally the partition coefficients for HMF, fructose, and products of HMF rehydration (levulinic acid (LA), and formic acid (FA)), the mutual water-organic solvent solubilities, and the separation factors in >50 select solvents spanning multiple homologous series at room temperature and a typical reaction temperature with in situ sampling. We find that COSMO-RS is excellent for screening purposes (typical error in most cases within a factor of ∼2). Increased temperatures lead to significant reduction in partitioning, and room temperature measurements are clearly inadequate for solvent selection. Upon down selecting classes of solvents based on separation performance, we perform experimental thermal stability and reaction compatibility studies of a small set of solvents at relevant reactive-extraction temperatures. We discover that many substituted phenols exhibit an order-of-magnitude increase in partitioning compared to conventional solvents due chiefly to hydrogen bond interactions and show the necessary stability but retain a significant fraction of water and LA, factors that need to be considered in technoeconomic analysis. In contrast, anilines, aldehydes, and acids are good to excellent regarding separation but incompatible with this specific reaction medium. This multifaceted framework can be extended to other biomass-derived products and processes.


1 We quantified baseline cholinergic tone in the trachealis of mechanically ventilated guinea‐pigs and determined the influence of vagal afferent nerve activity on this parasympathetic tone. 2 There was a substantial amount of baseline cholinergic tone in the guinea‐pig trachea, eliciting contractions of the trachealis that averaged 24.6 ± 3.5 % (mean ± s.e.m.) of the maximum attainable contraction. This tone was essentially abolished by vagotomy or ganglionic blockade, suggesting that it was dependent upon on‐going pre‐ganglionic input arising from the central nervous system. 3 Cholinergic tone in the trachealis could be markedly and rapidly altered (either increased or decreased) by changes in ventilation (e.g. cessation of ventilation; hyperpnoea; slow, deep breathing) and by lung distention (via positive end‐expiratory pressure). These effects were not accompanied by marked alterations in blood gases and were abolished by vagotomy or atropine. By contrast, tachykinin receptor antagonists, which abolished capsaicin‐induced bronchospasm, were without effect on baseline cholinergic tone. This and other evidence suggests that capsaicin‐sensitive nerves have little if any influence on baseline parasympathetic tone. Likewise, while activation of afferent nerves innervating the larynx can alter airway parasympathetic nerve activity, transection of the superior laryngeal nerves was without effect on baseline cholinergic tone. 4 Cutting the vagus nerves caudal to the recurrent laryngeal nerves, thus leaving the preganglionic parasympathetic innervation of the trachealis intact but disrupting all afferent nerves innervating the lungs and intrapulmonary airways, abolished baseline cholinergic tone in the trachea. Sham vagotomy or cutting the vagi caudal to the lungs did not reduce baseline cholinergic tone. 5 The results indicate that baseline airway cholinergic nerve activity is necessarily dependent upon afferent nerve activity arising from the intrapulmonary airways and lungs. More specifically, the data are consistent with the hypothesis that on‐going activity arising from the nerve terminals of intrapulmonary rapidly adapting receptors determines the level of baseline airway cholinergic tone.


A Model for Matrix Acidizing of Long Horizontal Well in Carbonate Reservoirs. (August 2007) Varun Mishra, B.Tech., Indian School of Mines Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Ding Zhu Horizontal wells are drilled to achieve improved reservoir coverage, high production rates, and to overcome water coning problems, etc. Many of these wells often produce at rates much below the expected production rates. Low productivity of horizontal wells is attributed to various factors such as drilling induced formation damage, high completion skins, and variable formation properties along the length of the wellbore as in the case of heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs. Matrix acidizing is used to overcome the formation damage by injecting the acid into the carbonate rock to improve well performance. Designing the matrix acidizing treatments for horizontal wells is a challenging task because of the complex process. The estimation of acid distribution along wellbore is required to analyze that the zones needing stimulation are receiving enough acid. It is even more important in cases where the reservoir properties are varying along the length of the wellbore. A model is developed in this study to simulate the placement of injected acid in a long horizontal well and to predict the subsequent effect of the acid in creating wormholes, overcoming damage effects, and stimulating productivity. The model tracks the interface between the acid and the completion fluid in the wellbore, models transient flow in the reservoir during acid injection, considers frictional effects in the tubulars, and predicts the depth of penetration of acid as a function of the acid volume and injection rate at all locations along the completion. A computer program is developed implementing the developed model. The program is used to simulate hypothetical examples of acid placement in a long horizontal section. A real field example of using the model to history match actual treatment data from a North Sea chalk well is demonstrated. The model will help to optimize acid stimulation in horizontal wells.


Next Office's first project was commissioned by a friend. Being considered a religious minority, the client desired a house with a perfect view while being concerned with his privacy being compromised as the price of opening up to the desired vistas. The phobia of being "gazed at", by the unwanted eyes on the one hand, and the desire for being the unobstructed gazer on the other hand, created a contentious situation for the project. Desiring a view without risking one's privacy; the client wanted an eye whose pupil could not be seen. Wanting to see without being seen is contradictory in nature. Although in the peculiar case of this very frst project, the client's being a member of a religious minority was exacerbating the situation, this desire reveals certain sensitivity towards the relationship between outside and inside, which is not uncommon amongst us Iranians.


Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a powerful technique to quantify gene expression. To standardize gene expression studies and obtain more accurate qRT-PCR analysis, normalization relative to consistently expressed housekeeping genes (HKGs) is required. In this study, ten candidate HKGs including elongation factor 1 α ( EF1A ), ribosomal protein L11 ( RPL11 ), ribosomal protein L14 ( RPL14 ), ribosomal protein S8 ( RPS8 ), ribosomal protein S23 ( RPS23 ), NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase ( NADH ), vacuolar-type H+-ATPase ( ATPase ), heat shock protein 70 ( HSP70 ), 18S ribosomal RNA ( 18S ), and 12S ribosomal RNA ( 12S ) from the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch were selected. Four algorithms, geNorm , Normfinder , BestKeeper , and the Δ C t method were employed to evaluate the expression profiles of these HKGs as endogenous controls across different developmental stages and temperature regimes. Based on RefFinder , which integrates all four analytical algorithms to compare and rank the candidate HKGs, RPS8 , RPL14 , and RPL11 were the three most stable HKGs across different developmental stages and temperature conditions. This study is the first step to establish a standardized qRT-PCR analysis in A . craccivora following the MIQE guideline. Results from this study lay a foundation for the


AIDS-related stigma has impacted the lives of many individuals, including Haitians. Little, however, is known about the long-term effects AIDS-stigmatization has had on Haitian women living in the United States. A pilot study was conducted to explore Haitian-American women's perceptions of the impact of the AIDS epidemic on their lives. The long-term effects of AIDS-stigmatization fell into five categories: rejection by the dominant society, self-doubt, effect on self-esteem, effect on intimate relationships, and rejection by Haitians within their community. More extensive research is needed to explore the long-term effects of the AIDS epidemic on Haitian women. Additionally, to counter the negative effects of the AIDS epidemic, intervention strategies need to be developed and tested.


By exploring the newly identified phenomenon of giving mobile phones personal nicknames, the present article contributes with knowledge about the socio-material relationships between mobile phones and the self. Building on previous research, the study examines typologies and social functions of mobile phone nicknames. The study shows how the respondents' use mobile phone nicknames for interpersonal communication and group identity practices, but also to symbolize private relationships with the device in which no other human than the name-giver is involved. By examining the respondents' use of the mobile phone, I argue that the role of the mobile phone in the lives of individuals is more complex than previously recognized, not only functioning as mediator or icon of the self, but also as companion to the self.


Abstract We used the theory of reasoned action to help understand attitudes and beliefs about lethal management of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP), Ohio. We used a mail-back survey to collect data from Ohio residents in the surrounding 9-county area. Two strata were defined: residents <10 km from CVNP (near n = 369) and residents = 10 km from CVNP (far n = 312). Respondents indicated that lethal control of deer was acceptable (near 71% ± 4.7%, far 62% ± 5.5%) and taking no action to reduce deer populations was unacceptable (near 75% ± 4.5%, far 72% ± 5.1%). Beliefs about outcomes of lethal control and evaluation of those outcomes proved to be strong predictors of the acceptability of lethal control of deer in CVNP. Lethal control was more acceptable if it was done to prevent severe consequences for humans (e.g., spread of disease, car collisions) or the natural environment (e.g., maintain a healthy deer herd) than to prevent negative aesthetic impacts or personal property damage. Results from the study can be used to assist managers at CVNP as they make decisions regarding alternatives for deer management in the park and to inform others managing abundant deer populations of socially relevant impacts of management actions.


The remarkably low solubility of air in water may be essential to the observation of stable single‐bubble sonoluminescence (SL) in this system. In other liquids, the mass exchange during a single cycle appears to be sufficient to quench single‐bubble SL. To gain insight into this issue, (1) a theory is developed that unifies mass diffusion and the Rayleigh–Plesset equation, and (2) laser scattering is used as a probe of the time change of bubble parameters due to mass diffusion. [Work supported by the U.S. DOE Division of Advanced Energy Projects and Division of Engineering and Geophysics (Theory); R. L. is an AT&T fellow.]


The aim of the article was the possibilities assessment of tourist development in communes with a large share of protected areas by the example of zachodniopomorskie province. The research was conducted on both the rural and urban–rural communes. The communes determinants levels was determined using the synthetic indicator. The highest level of determinants for tourist development characterized the communes located in the south-east part of the Zachodniopomorskie as well as in the coastal communes.


Throughout the last years, but especially with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, our workplaces and way of 'going to work' has changed a lot. One might even claim that the nature of work is 'in limbo', a transitional phase between the traditional on-site workplace and hybrid and remote work conditions. This overview of my doctoral research starts with a number of future oriented questions regarding collaboration and human interactions, embodied presence and socio-materiality in hybrid and remote work environments. The hypothesis is that a participatory futuring approach can engage stakeholders from different industries in a collective development of alternative futures and thereby inform the re-thinking process around remote and hybrid work conditions within and across industries. Hence, several empirical studies are proposed in order to (1) understand hybrid work settings and its challenges (2) create knowledge around possible futures of hybrid work and (3) investigate the strategic value of participatory futuring methods in industrial settings.


Since their initial discovery in the 1960's, gas hydrates have been considered to be an important potential source of unconventional natural gas. Significant progress has been made relative to our understanding of the geologic and engineering controls on the ultimate energy potential of gas hydrate; however, more work is required to realize the promise of gas hydrates as a future energy source. Gas hydrates have been encountered, recovered or inferred to exist in numerous sedimentary basins in Arctic permafrost settings, regions of alpine permafrost, marine sediments of outer continental margins and in deep lakes. Despite the great abundance of potential gas hydrate resources in the world, a large portion of these resources reside in clay-rich sediments and fracture dominated reservoir systems, and are not generally considered producible with existing technology, but may have future potential with the emergence of new technologies. For a large portion of the world, gas hydrate in sand reservoirs have become a viable production target and the focus of the first production testing efforts.
 Production tests in Arctic Canada (Mackenzie Delta) and Alaska have shown that gas can be produced from highly-concentrated gas hydrate accumulations in coarse-grained (i.e., sand rich) reservoir systems with conventional production technologies. Production can be achieved through the depressurization method and by more complex methods such as molecular substitution (e.g., CO2-CH4 exchange). In 2013, the gas hydrate production test was conducted in a marine setting in the offshore of Japan. An additional test was conducted in Japan in 2017 to further evaluate alternative well completion technologies. Also in 2018, China initiated a 60-day gas hydrate production test in the Shenhu region of the South China Sea.
 This report reviews the results of gas hydrate engineering and production testing studies associated with the Mallik, Mount Elbert, and Iġnik Sikumi projects in northern Canada and Alaska. The results of the marine gas hydrate producing testing efforts in the Nankai Trough (Japan) and in the South China Sea (China) are also summarized.


ABSTRACT Forming part of a wider research study, the current study investigated prospective middle school mathematics teachers' ways of covariational reasoning on tasks involving simultaneously changing quantities. As the introductory theme of a larger unit on derivative, a model development sequence on covariational reasoning was designed and experimented with 20 participants in a mathematical modeling course offered to prospective teachers. The participants' developing abilities of covariational reasoning were documented under three categories: (i) identifying the variables, (ii) ways of coordinating the variables, and (iii) ways of quantifying the rate of change. The results revealed significant improvement in the prospective teachers' ways of identifying and coordinating the variables, and in quantifying the rate of change. Moreover, the results indicated that preference for a particular way of thinking in identifying and coordinating the variables determined the prospective teachers' way of quantifying the rate of change and thereby their level of covariational reasoning.


The possibility of cultivating a continuous line of Aedes aegypti mosquito cells in Mitsuhashi and Maramorosh medium and medium C-45 was studied. The results of morphological, karyological, and electron microscopic studies of these cells as well as the results of the study of isoenzymes of A. aegypti mosquito cells are presented. Replication of Sindbis, Okhotsky, and Baku viruses in these cells was demonstrated.


Covert measures of the family system can tap concepts and discover patterns of which family members themselves are unaware and can avoid social desirability bias. Covert measures can be particularly useful in cross-cultural research and can avoid many pitfalls of language and translation. Three such measures which have been used cross-culturally are described. The first is a method of measuring triangulation of children by the parents based on patterns of agreement in a true-false questionnaire describing the family. The second is a projective measure in which family members as a group create a picture of their family distinguishing relationships between individuals and boundaries within and around the family. The third is a global coding scheme used to evaluate family processes from taped interaction.


Introduction This chapter explores the importance of issues concerning accessibility, diversity and inclusion in events discourses and praxis. These are broad terms encompassing a multitude of facets related to social, cultural, economic and political approaches and interactions. We recognise that individual events have distinct issues to explore; however, we intend to provide a general discussion about these three interlacing topics in order to provide a platform for further debates and improved applications in events landscapes.


For the past decade robotic systems have been successfully used to perform specific tasks with various degree of intelligence. Now-a-days, commercial robotics solutions are focusing more on personal services. Personal services robots are designed with necessary mobility and functional capabilities so that they can operate in a wide range of environments and can provide variety of services including health care, educational, domestic chore, entertainment, and rehabilitation. These personal robots perform various tasks and duties that are often unpredictable in nature. But, there are some technological challenges that need yet to be resolved. Integrating a robotic system with its components is usually a very complex task. Developing a modular robotic system that can perform well in various environments is also challenging. In addition robots should be provided with necessary skills so that they can perform various tasks. Keeping all these challenges in mind we presents a networked robotic system in this paper. The system is controlled by a smart phone. The path followed by the robot can be monitored via an LED panel. In order to control the operation an Android OS mobile application has been developed. Through this application a user can set a path for the robot to follow or can choose a path from a set of already defined paths. We tested our system in a controlled environments and the test results show that the robot can follow a path (either user defined or chosen) with a high accuracy.


The new concept named reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) is becoming an appealing enabler due to its uniqueness with having low hardware complexity and low power consumption advantages simultaneously. In this paper, an RIS-aided vehicular Adhoc network (VANET) is considered, where the beacon vehicle is enabled with a passive RIS, the communication links between the beacon vehicle and client vehicle caused due to the multipath fading effects, are modeled with Fox's H-function distribution. This paper first models the inter-vehicle links for the given system setup and then investigates the outage probability and effective rate as performance metrics. More specifically, the unsupervised expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is consequently used to characterize the distribution of the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the client vehicle, which is modeled as the mixture of Gaussian (MoG) distribution. The accuracy of our approach is further validated with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) goodness of fit test. The MoG-based approach successfully tackles the RIS-enabled inter-vehicle communication with an easy, accurate, and tractable solution compared to the widely used central limit theorem (CLT) method. It leads to the closed-form outage probability and effective rate expressions.


Introduction Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for older adults, but evidence regarding the impact of repeated vaccination has been inconclusive. Aim We investigated vaccine effectiveness (VE) against laboratory-confirmed influenza and the impact of repeated vaccination over 10 previous seasons on current season VE among older adults. Methods We conducted an observational test-negative study in community-dwelling adults aged > 65 years in Ontario, Canada for the 2010/11 to 2015/16 seasons by linking laboratory and health administrative data. We estimated VE using multivariable logistic regression. We assessed the impact of repeated vaccination by stratifying by previous vaccination history. Results We included 58,304 testing episodes for respiratory viruses, with 11,496 (20%) testing positive for influenza and 31,004 (53%) vaccinated. Adjusted VE against laboratory-confirmed influenza for the six seasons combined was 21% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18 to 24%). Patients who were vaccinated in the current season, but had received no vaccinations in the previous 10 seasons, had higher current season VE (34%; 95%CI: 9 to 52%) than patients who had received 1–3 (26%; 95%CI: 13 to 37%), 4–6 (24%; 95%CI: 15 to 33%), 7–8 (13%; 95%CI: 2 to 22%), or 9–10 (7%; 95%CI: −4 to 16%) vaccinations (trend test p = 0.001). All estimates were higher after correcting for misclassification of current season vaccination status. For patients who were not vaccinated in the current season, residual protection rose significantly with increasing numbers of vaccinations received previously. Conclusions Although VE appeared to decrease with increasing numbers of previous vaccinations, current season vaccination likely provides some protection against influenza regardless of the number of vaccinations received over the previous 10 influenza seasons.


: Rabbit heart membranes possessing the adenylate cyclase activity were isolated and purified by extraction with high ionic strength solutions and centrifugation in the sucrose density gradient. It was shown that the membranes are characterized by a high percentage of cholesterol (molar ratio cholesterol/phospholipids is 0.24) and an increased activity of Na, K-ATPase, which suggests the localization of adenylate cyclase in the sarcolemma. During centrifugation in the sucrose density gradient the activities of andenylate cyclase and Na,K-ATPase are not separated. Treatment of heart sarcolemma with a 0.3% solution of lubrol WX results in 10--20% solubilization of adenylate cyclase. Purification of the enzyme in the membrane fraction is accompanied by a decrease in the activity of phosphodiesterase; however, about 2% of the heart diesterase total activity cannot be removed from the sarcolemma even after its treatment with 0.3% lubrol WX. Epinephrine and NaF activate adenylate cyclase without changing the pH dependence of the enzyme. The alpha-adrenergic antagonist phentolamine has no effect on the adenylate cyclase activation by catecholamines, glucagon and histamine; the beta-adrenergic antagonist alprenolol competitively inhibits the effects of isoproterenol, epinephrine and norepinephrine, having no effect on the enzyme activation by glucagon and histamine. There is no competition between epinephrine, glucagon and histamine for the binding site of the hormone; however, there may occur a competition between the hormone receptors for the binding to the enzyme. A combined action of several hormones on the membranes results in the averaging of their individual activating effects. When the hormones were added one after another, the extent of adenylate cyclase activation corresponded to that induced by the first hormone; the activation was insensitive to the effect of the second hormone added. It is assumed that the outer membrane of myocardium cells contains a adenylate cyclase and three types of receptors, each being capable to interact with the same form of enzyme. The activity of adenylate cyclase is determined by the type of the receptor, to which it is bound and by the amount of the enzyme-receptor complex.


Wet granulation method was used instead of conventional pan coating  or fluidized –bed coating technique to prepare enteric-coated diclofenac sodium granules, using ethanolic solution of EudragitTM L100 as coating, binding and granulating agent .Addition of PEG400 or di-n-butyl phthalate as a plasticizer was found to improve the enteric property of the coat.
Part of the resulted granules was filled in hard gelatin capsules (size 0), while the other part was compressed into tablets with and without disintegrant.
The release profile of these two dosage forms in 0.1N HCl (pH 1.2)for 2 hours, and in phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) for 45 minutes as well as the release kinetic were compared with that of the enteric film coated Voltadin (R)  SDI tablets.
The results of this study show that, the prepared dosage forms have a good enteric property, with faster release of drug from encapsulated enteric-coated granules in comparison with compressed tablets.


We investigate the properties of two- and three-dimensional non-commutative fermion gases with fixed total z-component of angular momentum, Jz, and at high density for the simplest form of non-commutativity involving constant spatial commutators. Analytic expressions for the entropy and pressure are found. The entropy exhibits non-extensive behaviour, while the pressure reveals the presence of incompressibility in two, but not in three dimensions. Remarkably, for two-dimensional systems close to the incompressible density, the entropy is proportional to the square root of the system size, i.e. for such systems the number of microscopic degrees of freedom is determined by the circumference rather than the area (size) of the system. The absence of incompressibility in three dimensions, and subsequently also the absence of a scaling law for the entropy analogous to the one found in two dimensions, is attributed to the form of the non-commutativity used here, the breaking of the rotational symmetry it implies and the subsequent constraint on Jz rather than the angular momentum J. Restoring the rotational symmetry while constraining the total angular momentum J seems to be crucial for incompressibility in three dimensions. We briefly discuss ways in which this may be done and point out possible obstacles.


We report the effect of serum pH on the storage stability of the human creatine kinase isoenzymes and on the creatine kinase assay lag phase (Szasz et al., Clin. Chem. 22: 650, 1976). We also investigated the effect of including mercaptoethanol, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, monothioglycerol, ethylenediaminetetraacetate, or ethylene glycol bis(betaaminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate at 20, 4, and --20 degrees C. Storage stability of the isoenzymes is profoundly affected by pH. For patients' samples and semi-purified human creatine kinase isoenzymes added to heat-inactivated sera, increasing diluent pH above 7.0 decreases creatine kinase stability. The thiol agents or chelators generally give little or no protection above pH 7.5; at pH 8.5 they contribute significantly to isoenzyme instability. Storage at 4 degrees C provides greater stability than storage at 20 degrees C, particularly in the case of creatine kinase isoenzyme BB. The lag phase was minimum at a serum pH of 6.5, in the presence of 10 mmol of monothioglycerol per liter. Increasing serum pH to 8.5 prolongs the reaction lag phase by about 1 min over the minimum. We recommend that, before they are stored at 4 degrees C, the pH of patients' samples be adjusted to 6.5 and oxidation of SH-groups be minimized by adding monothioglycerol to the sample.


The disorders of the craniomandibular complex are often a combination of disorders of the temporomandibular joint itself as well as the orofacial and neck muscular. A definitive diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan can only be reached by gaining sufficient information to allow a decision as to which components of the craniomandibular complex, and to what extent, are contributing to the patients problem. A systematic approach to an examination procedure commencing with a simple screening evaluation is discussed, which, when followed, will allow a differential diagnosis.


The work done during the past decade in order to adapt molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) to the capillary format and subsequently use these highly selective matrices for capillary electrochromatography (CEC) are reviewed in this article. MIPs are prepared utilizing a templated polymer synthesis where the template addresses the selectivity of the resulting polymer. These polymers possess binding characteristics that are comparable to the biological antibodies. Due to the polyclonality of the binding sites in the MIP, the separation result in severe peak broadening and tailing when performed in the isocratic mode. This was seen early in the development of MIPs as selective stationary phases in liquid chromatography (LC). As a mean of decreasing these problems, much effort was put into adapting the MIP to fit in CEC systems, that offers an efficiency that is superior to that in LC. Aiming to increase the efficiency of the MIP‐CEC systems, different MIP formats have been developed that can be divided into three conceptually different categories, i.e.,the monolithic, the microparticle and the coating. The strive for MIP formats that can be used in small bore capillaries has led to the development of MIP formats applicable to miniaturized systems approaching the chip format. Although prepared in order to perform MIP‐CEC mediated separations, these formats can be used in a broad range of applications were the characteristics of the MIP, e.g. stability, selectivity and cost efficiency, could offer an interesting solution to cover the needs.


This short paper establishes a precise chronological record of a concept I have been displaying since 2003 in labyrinths and exhibits in one form or another, including in Bridges Conferences. The genesis of the idea is described, theoretical work by friends is acknowledged and briefly explained, and different artwork versions to date are listed and presented as a picture gallery to be consulted more comfortably and with extensions on the Conference CD-Rom. A recent 3-D copy is being proposed for the Mathematical Art Exhibit, and room for further developments, namely on lattices with 'Golden Pyramids', is suggested .


The angle of arrival estimation problem based on interferometer principle has great accuracy in the angle of arrival estimation. To increase the accuracy there are two main ways. In the first one we add more antennas to the configuration, hence we get more measurement data, but it means that the physical configuration has to be changed. In the second method we design numerical algorithms, which gives better estimations. The prize is the complexity and the increased computation time. A method from the second set is shown and analysed. The algorithm is based on the cross correlation technique.


This study investigates recolonization by benthic algae and macroinvertebrates following a drought and subsequent drying of an acid stream in southern England, normally characterised by permanent flows. Re-establishment of epilithic biofilm on the upper surfaces of mineral substrata was tracked in a shallow riffle between Sep. 1995 and Mar. 1996. Recolonization of these surfaces by macroinvertebrates was also followed, as was their benthic density. Post-drought abundance of biofilm and invertebrates was compared with that of the pre-drought year (Aug 1994-Mar 1995). We found that viable algal cells remained attached to the dry substratum despite 9 weeks of drying. On rewetting, these resistant benthic algal populations increased in biomass (evidenced by AFDM, chlorophyll density) and cell density, until a series of high flow events scoured the stones in winter 1995/1996. Spatial variation in the biofilm also existed: generally, algal biomass was higher on bedrock than on small or large stones. Recolonization of the previously dry stream bed by macroinvertebrates was rapid; after 3 days of flow, 665 larvae/m 2 , composed of a mean of 7.5 taxa, had been attained. The total numbers of invertebrates peaked 38 days after rewetting when a density of 2185 larvae/m 2 was found. This increase in abundance was mainly driven by the tanypod chironomid Zavrelimyia sp., which represented 56 % of total numbers on day 38. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) revealed that, as colonization time progressed, the macroinvertebrate community became progressively more dissimilar to the pre-drought community, until high flows occurred in winter 1996 and community composition finally converged to that characteristic of the pre-drought community. Recovery following drought was rapid despite the depauperate and unproductive nature of this acid stream.


This research was conducted to study the efficacy of different growth promoter's on the productive performance and carcass yield of broiler chickens. 840 male ROSS and 308 hybrid chickens were used according to completely randomize the design in six treatments and one control (Five growth promoters and control). Thus, there were six groups of chickens: group 1; control diet (without any promoter's), group 2; control diet + antibiotic, group 3; control diet + probiotic, group 4; control diet + prebiotic, group 5; control diet + phytobiotic and group 6; control diet + symbiotic. The productive indicators evaluated were: feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR). The carcass yield and the main portions (breast, thigh and abdominal fat) was also determined. In all current studies, there wasn't any significant difference between treatments in body weight gain (P > 0.05) but all of them had beneficial effect compared to control. Lowest feed conversion ratio was observed in probiotic group and caused more efficient feed intake. Treatments vs. control increased carcass yield significantly but the difference between treatments was not significant. Breast and thigh was not affected by treatments and there wasn't any significant difference between treatments and control group. Lowest abdominal fat were seen in antibiotic group. According to our results, probiotic and symbiotic appeared to be superior compared to other growth promoters.


Obesity is a metabolic disorder characterized by an increase in the fat in adipose tissue above certain limits, manifested by morphological alterations and excess weight. This condition is one of the most significant epidemics of this century due to over-eating and the ease of access to food. On the other hand, the direct relationship between obesity and the greater risk of suffering cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer means that consumers are demanding products, whether medicines or foodstuffs, that will allow them to overcome this situation and improve both their physical appearance and their health. The goal of this project was to identify the efficacy and safety of a dietary product, a meal replacement, within the setting of a balanced hypocaloric diet established for weight loss. To this end, a total of 47 volunteers of both sexes between the ages of 23 and 58, all employees of the Hero España, S.A. company, took part in a test in which eleven of them acted as the "control group" and ate only the low-calorie diet while the rest formed a "problem group" and replaced one meal (with a minimum of 500 calories) with a 200-calorie meal replacement. Participants were subjected to anthropometric measurements, blood pressure testing and a blood chemistry analysis before and after the test period, as well as to weekly weight checks. Those individuals with the highest Body Mass Index showed a greater weight loss than those with a lower index. The volunteers did not note any hunger pangs until three hours after consumption of the meal replacement and the health-status parameters analyzed did not show any anomalous values. Therefore, it is concluded that the replacement product studied allows controlled weight loss over 3 weeks when accompanied by a balanced low-calorie diet and it also produces a sensation of fullness in those consuming it.


We investigate the impact of competition between primary schools on the quality of education in the Netherlands. Do schools facing more competition in their neighbourhood perform better than schools facing less competition? As a measure of school quality, we look at the performance of pupils at the nationwide standard test (the so-called 'Cito test') in the final year of primary education. Since competition is likely to be endogenous to the quality of schools, we use the distance between the school and the city centre as an instrument for the level of competition faced by a school. Using a large range of data on pupil, school, and market characteristics, we find that school competition has a positive significant effect on pupil achievement, although the effect is very small. An increase in competition by one standard deviation (comparable to five additional schools in the market) increases pupil achievement as measured by the Cito test by 5% to 10% of the mean standard deviation, which is less than one point (on the Cito test scale from 500 to 550 points).


Nineteen adults who did not know how to read were asked to spell a list of words as well as possible. In general, their spellings consisted of letters whose names could be clearly heard in the pronunciation of the word (e.g., the spelling I and U for chinelo, in which the names of the letters i and u can be detected in the pronunciation of the word). These results suggest that illiterate adults use their knowledge of letter names to connect print to speech. Similar to what has been observed among preschool children, the use of this strategy resulted, sometimes, in so-called "syllabic" spellings, that is, spellings in which the number of letters correspond to the number of syllables in the pronunciation of the word.


When assessing patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, consider the state of viral replication, the immune response and whether viral mutations could be present, as well as evidence for liver disease or extrahepatic manifestations. In wild-type infections, loss of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), gain of anti-HBe and disappearance of HBV DNA from serum indicate immunosuppression of viral replication, or 'nonreplicative chronic HBV infection'. This 'healthy carrier' state must be distinguished from HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B (CHB) resulting from precore and core promoter mutations. HBeAg-negative CHB is common with genotypes D (Mediterranean region, south Asia) and C (north Asia) infections. Age, disease activity (alanine aminotransferase level) and severity (fibrosis stage, cirrhosis) influence treatment decisions. Following the marginal effectiveness of interferon and often temporary effectiveness of lamivudine due to drug resistance, treatment of CHB is entering a new era. Adefovir, entecavir, tenofovir, telbivudine and clevudine have equal or superior antiviral efficacy to lamivudine, whereas several agents are effective against lamivudine-resistant HBV. Pegylated-interferon (peginterferon) is superior to conventional interferon for obtaining sustained immunosuppression of HBV without drug resistance. Antiviral suppression of HBV replication for 2-5 years reverses hepatic fibrosis, prevents cirrhosis and, when cirrhosis is established, improves liver function, prevents hepatic decompensation and lowers the risk of liver cancer. Before embarking on immunosuppressive chemotherapy or organ transplantation in patients with chronic HBV infection, it is important to start antiviral therapy to prevent hepatitis flares. Antiviral therapy can be effective against membranous glomerulonephritis and polyarteritis nodosa caused by HBV. Further improvements in treatment of CHB are needed to prevent drug resistance and permanently suppress viral replication by eradicating viral templates or stimulating host immune responsiveness to HBV.


Learning to reconstruct depths from a single image by watching unlabeled videos via deep convolutional network (DCN) is attracting significant attention in recent years, e.g. (Zhou et al. 2017). In this paper, we propose to use surface normal representation for unsupervised depth estimation framework. Our estimated depths are constrained to be compatible with predicted normals, yielding more robust geometry results. Specifically, we formulate an edge-aware depth-normal consistency term, and solve it by constructing a depth-to-normal layer and a normal-to-depth layer inside of the DCN. The depth-to-normal layer takes estimated depths as input, and computes normal directions using cross production based on neighboring pixels. Then given the estimated normals, the normal-to-depth layer outputs a regularized depth map through local planar smoothness. Both layers are computed with awareness of edges inside the image to help address the issue of depth/normal discontinuity and preserve sharp edges. Finally, to train the network, we apply the photometric error and gradient smoothness to supervise both depth and normal predictions. We conducted experiments on both outdoor (KITTI) and indoor (NYUv2) datasets, and showed that our algorithm vastly outperforms state-of-the-art, which demonstrates the benefits of our approach.


The fungicidal effectiveness of electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water on peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch.) fruit was studied. Fruit were inoculated with a spore suspension of 5 × 10 5 conidia/mL of Monilinia fructicola ((G. Wint.) Honey) applied as a drop on wounded and nonwounded fruits, or by a uniform spray-mist on nonwounded fruits. Fruit were immersed in tap water at 26 °C for 5 or 10 minutes (control), or treated with EO water varying in oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), pH, and free available chlorine (FAC). Following treatment, fruit were held at 20 °C and 95% relative humidity for 10 days to simulate retail conditions. Disease incidence was determined as the percentage of fruits showing symptoms of the disease, while severity was expressed as lesion diameter. EO water did not control brown rot in wound-inoculated fruits, but reduced disease incidence and severity in nonwound-inoculated peach. Symptoms of brown rot were further delayed in fruit inoculated by a uniform-spray mist compared with the nonwounded-drop-inoculated peaches. Fruit treated with EO water held for 8 days at 2 °C, 50% RH, did not develop brown rot, until they were transferred to 20 °C, 95% RH. The lowest disease incidence and severity occurred in fruit immersed in EO water for up to 5 minutes. EO water having pH 4.0, ORP 1,100 mV, FAC 290 mg·L -1 delayed the onset of brown rot to 7 days, i.e., about the period peach stays in the market from a packing house to consumer. No chlorine-induced phytotoxicity was observed on the treated fruit. This study revealed that EO water is an effective surface sanitizer, but only delayed disease development.


In this paper we analyse productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment using firm level panel data UK manufacturing industries from 1992 to 1999. We investigate spillovers through horizontal, backward and forward linkages, distinguish spillovers from export oriented vs domestic market oriented FDI, and allow for differing effects depending on domestic firms' export activities. The results suggest that the mechanisms through which spillovers affect domestic firms are very complex and that there are substantial differences in spillover benefits for domestic exporters and non-exporters, and from different types of inward investment.


Post-editing has become a fairly common alternative to regular translation, especially when time is of the essence. More and more post-editing research is being conducted, yet this research often gives rise to new questions specific to the post-editing process and the consequences of this process (Dillinger, 2014). According to Dillinger (2014), the advancement of technological research tools such as keystroke loggers and eyetrackers revolutionized translation research in that we are now able to look at the translation and post-editing process in more detail, giving rise to more specific questions every day.

Whereas the benefit of using post-editing in a technical context has been established (Plitt & Masselot, 2010), the potential benefit of using post-editing for general text types is currently still underresearched, with a few exceptions (Elming, Balling, & Carl, 2014). The present study aims to fill this gap by comparing human translation with post-editing for general texts (newspaper articles), for the English-Dutch language pair. We try to answer the following questions: is post-editing faster than human translation, is there a difference in quality between the product of human translation and the product of post-edited machine translation output, is there a difference in translation units between human translation and post-editing, is post-editing cognitively more demanding than human translation, is the gaze behavior different for post-editing and human translation (Mesa-Lao, 2014), and are more (or other) external resources consulted in human translation than in post-editing? Additionally, we wish to gain a better understanding of the post-editing process itself, by linking our findings back to the quality of the original machine translation output. More specifically, we want to find out whether there is a relationship between the quality of the initial machine translation output and the frequency of consulting the source text, and whether there is a correlation between the quality of the original machine translation output, and the quality of the final product after post-editing.

We report on a study with ten master's students of translation who each translated four texts and post-edited four texts. The design was balanced so that we obtained five post-edited versions and five human translations for each text. Students had passed their general translation exam, and had no previous post-editing experience. Texts were newspaper articles with comparable Lexile scores, selected from Newsela. The final text selection was made by identifying common translation problems and looking at the quality of the machine translation output for each text. Before and after the experiment, participants filled out surveys providing us with metadata. By using CasMaCat, a state-of-the-art translator workbench with additional keystroke logging functions and eye-tracking integration, we were able to look into various aspects of the translation and post-editing process: number of fixations on source and target text, average gaze duration on source and target text, number of production units and the number of words within each production unit, time spent on parallel reading and writing activity, and the time needed to translate a segment (with or without pauses longer than 5 seconds). The additional logging with Inputlog, a keystroke logger capable of logging different programs and browser tabs, provides us with information on the external resources consulted during translation. Cognitive load is looke at through the analysis of gaze data and the time spent on parallel activity, with the addition of subjective feelings of cognitive load taken from the surveys. In order to assess and compare the quality of the final products, we applied our two-step translation quality assessment approach (Daems, Macken, & Vandepitte, 2013). This allows us to compare the quality for issues relating to adequacy, as well as issues relating to acceptability.


Integrating local perceptions and indigenous knowledge along with climate change policies has always been a neglected issue in developing countries. The approaches used are mostly originated from western concepts, developed in totally different socio-economic, cultural and political environments without recognizing local resources, individual opinions and knowledge. The present study tries to fill this gap and emphasizes the realization of the importance of need and transmission of modern scientific knowledge to local communities. So, the broader objective was to examine farmers' perceptions about climate change and other environmental issues through their indigenous knowledge. For this purpose, data was collected by interviewing 386 farmers from three different agro-ecological zones of Punjab Province, Pakistan. The methods used were problem cataloging index, weighted averages index and constraint index. Results indicated climate change as the biggest environmental problem, whereas scientists and the media were credited as the two most effective and reliable sources for climate information dissemination. In order to handle the issue of climate change, government, local councils and business and industry were assumed to be highly responsible, but farmers did not trust them. Although farmers' perceive climate change, due to many constraints very few of them were adapting accordingly. The major constraints were lack of money, high cost of farm inputs and lack of knowledge about appropriate adaptations. Findings suggest that inclusion of indigenous people in the decisionmaking process about local and national adaptation initiatives will help policy makers collaborate with local residents more effectively in order to better deal with the crisis of climate change.


AIM Perform pharmacoeconomic analysis of the effectiveness of implementation of vaccination program against rotavirus infection in the Russian Federation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cost-benefit analytical method was used for the evaluation of economic effectiveness of vaccination against rotavirus infection in the Russian Federation. The number of early vaccinated--1 800 000 individuals, the number of rotavirus enteritis cases in 0 - 5 age cohort--166 215, were determined. The effectiveness of vaccination against rotavirus gastroenteritis was adopted from ATP (according-to-protocol) clinical trial data and was 83.8% cases at a 95% vaccination level. The cost of a case of rotavirus infection according to calculations in the Russian Federation is 17 394 RUB (Russian rubles), and the cost of vaccination of 1 child--1000 RUB. RESULTS The cost of realization of program of vaccination against rotavirus infection would be 1.7 billion RUB per year. The number of prevented cases of rotavirus infection per year in the cohort of children aged up to 5 years would be 148 114. Net benefit of vaccination of newborn children in the Russian Federation would be 866 million RUB. CONCLUSION Implementation of program of vaccination against rotavirus infection in the Russian Federation would promote the decrease of morbidity and economical efficiency. The cost of vaccination program is 1.5 times less than the amount of expenses related to infection.


There is a rising concern about illnesses resulting from milk consumption due to contamination by pathogenic microorganisms including Escherichia coli. This study examined the occurrence and antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli isolated from cow milk and related samples. Furthermore, partial sequencing was done to ascertain the genetic relatedness and possible cross contamination among the samples. In all, 250 samples, that is, 50 each of raw milk, cow teat, milkers' hands, milking utensils, and fecal matter of cows, were cultured for the identification of E. coli. E. coli was detected in 101/250 samples (40.4%). Milk and fecal samples recorded the highest percentages of 68.0% and 66.0%, respectively. Forty-two (42) E. coli strains examined for antimicrobial resistance showed an overall 25.5% resistance, 15.0% intermediate resistance, and 59.5% susceptibility. The isolates had a high level of resistance to teicoplanin (100.0%), but were susceptible to chloramphenicol (95.2%) and azithromycin (92.9%). The Multiple Antibiotic Resistance (MAR) index pattern ranged from 0.1 to 0.5, and 40.5% exhibited multiple drug resistance. The E. coli strains formed 11 haplotypes, and a phylogenic tree analysis showed relatedness among the isolates in other African countries. This observation is an indication of cross contamination among the milk and its related samples.


The study was conducted to investigate the extent of participation in the teff market and to identify the major challenge and opportunity teff production and marketing in Ambo district West Shoa Zone of Oromia. Two main teff producer Kebeles, namely Amaro and Gossu Kora were selected by using simple random sampling technique from 11 high potential teff producing Kebeles in Ambo district. A total of 142 teff growing households were selected using random sampling and then interviewed. The result indicated that the study areas are among the surplus teff producing Kebeles in the district and it was found that 50% the market surplus obtained. Opportunities of teff production and market of the study areas are clearly identified which includes high demand of teff in the market, nearness to market, availability suitable climate and soil and high support and encouragements by the government. The main challenges observed in the study areas are lack of finance to invest; lack of improved farm tools; practicing very poor harvesting methods; shortage of land; high cost of production and low productively. It is recommended that farmers use modern technologies such as improved production methods, improved seeds, and farming tools; access to credit and labor reducing technologies to increase the supply of teff into the market. Moreover, reducing non-farm activities by making teff production more profitable and farmers must devote more time to farming activities. Further research needed on teff market chain analysis starting from producer to final consumers, and critical analysis on the value chain of teff.


We present an experimental study of contribution of charged domain walls into dielectric permittivity of lithium niobate. It has been shown that formation of dense structure with spike-like domains leads to order of magnitude increase of permittivity, which gradually decreases with time. The decrease rate accelerates under DC bias. Dielectric permittivity decreases linearly with a logarithm of frequency. The obtained results were explained considering vibration of the steps on the charged domain walls.


Complete carbohydrate composition analysis of glycoprotein hormones, their subunits, and oligosaccharides isolated from individual glycosylation sites can be accomplished using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography combined with pulsed amperometric detection. Neutral and amino sugars are analyzed from the same hydrolyzate by isocratic chromatography on a Dionex CarboPAC PA1 column in 16 mM NaOH. Sialic acid is quantified following mild hydrolysis conditions on the same column in 150 mM sodium acetate in 150 mM NaOH. Ion chromatography on a Dionex AS4A column in 1.8 mM Na(2)CO(3)/1.7 mM NaHCO(3); postcolumn, in-line anion micromembrane suppression; and conductivity detection can be used to quantify sulfate, a common component of pituitary glycoprotein hormone oligosaccharides. Mass spectrometric analysis before and after elimination of oligosaccharides from a single glycosylation site can provide an estimate of the average oligosaccharide mass, which facilitates interpretation of oligosaccharide composition data. Following release by peptide N-glycanase (PNGase) digestion and purification by ultrafiltration, oligosaccharides can be characterized by a high-resolution oligosaccharide mapping technique using the same equipment employed for composition analysis. Oligosaccharide mapping can be applied to the entire hormone, individual subunits, or individual glycosylation sites by varying PNGase digestion conditions or substrates. Oligosaccharide release by PNGase is readily monitored by SDS-PAGE. Site-specific deglycosylation can be confirmed by amino acid sequence analysis. For routine isolation of oligosaccharides, addition of 2-aminobenzamide at the reducing terminus facilitates detection; however, the oligosaccharide retention times are altered. Composition analysis is also affected as the 2-aminobenzamide-modified GlcNAc peak overlaps the fucose peak.


Leaf size-stem size allometric relationships are important features of biomass allocation in plants and are affected by biological functions linking the two organs. They have been studied at specific and supraspecific levels, but not at the infraspecific level. It was hypothesized that allometric relationships link leaf size and stem size at the cultivar level, and are cultivar-specific in relation to distinctive functional stem traits: hydraulic conductivity and mechanical strength. Allometric relationships between leaf size and stem size were established for 3 yr, using the standardized major axis method, on current-year branches, composed of one to 16 growth units, for four mango (Mangifera indica) cultivars characterized by contrasting growth habits. The hydraulic and mechanical stem properties of these cultivars were also measured. The slopes of the relationships were similar among cultivars, but not the y-intercepts. Different y-intercepts in the stem mass vs branch cross-sectional area relationship and in the leaf mass vs stem mass relationship were related to mechanical and to hydraulic stem properties, respectively. These results showed that leaf-stem allometry in mango cultivars was shaped by hydraulic and mechanical stem properties, supporting a functional interpretation of the relationship between leaf and stem dimensions.


When simulating a spiking neuron, numerical integration of synaptic input is often utilized to compute the neuron's depolarization. This report shows that the Numerical Integration Model(NIM) for spiking neuron simulations have a cumulative error that diverges unless the expectancy value for the local truncation error is zero. An alternative neuron simulation scheme, KM, was developed and is presented in this text. Experimental and theoretical results shows that the $kappa M$ error varies within a bounded domain. Experiments have been conducted on sample--and--hold implementations of the two models. A KM_{100} simulation, a KM simulation with 100 iterations per forcing function period, was compared with NIM simulations with finer temporal resolutions. It is shown that before 15 periods of a sinusoidal depolarizing input current has been simulated, the KM_{100} simulation produced a smaller error than a NIM_{10.000} simulation. Since the NIM simulation has a number of time steps that is two orders of magnitude larger than the KM simulation, this represents a significant efficiency improvement.


Abstract The purpose of this paper is to discuss two phenomena related to the semantics of definite descriptions: that of incomplete uses of descriptions, and that of the underdetermination of referential uses of descriptions. The Russellian theorist has a way of accounting for incomplete uses of descriptions by appealing to an account of quantifier domain restriction, such as the one proposed in Stanley and Szabó (2000a). But, I argue, the Russellian is not the only one in a position to appeal to such an account of incomplete uses of descriptions. Proponents of other theories, such as the Fregean, which does not treat descriptions as quantifiers, might benefit from this account of domain restriction. In the second part of the paper I discuss referential uses of incomplete definite descriptions. Relative to such uses, Wettstein (1981) and others have argued that the Russellian theory faces a problem of underdetermination of semantic content. Neale (2004) has replied to this objection showing why it does not pose a threat to the Russellian theory. Again, I argue that not only the Russellian, but also the Fregean can subscribe to Neale's (2004) suggestion.


Abstract:This article takes up German philosopher Peter Sloterdijk's attention to air and atmospheres to argue for the influential part "objective" thinking plays in disseminating viral pandemics. It follows Sloterdijk's broad approach to "air-conditioning" to interpret the way modern cultures increasingly work to explicate and construct objective figures of (and in) air. A fundamental, yet invisible, "anthropopoietic" element, air resists the forms and figures we use to describe it. This is acutely demonstrated by airborne viruses like COVID-19 and the pandemics they create, where the medial willingness to perceive or "figure" the air becomes a critical, everyday necessity. When Sloterdijk attributes the spread of "affective epidemics" to mass-media technologies, he draws attention to how airborne transmission is a symptom of breathing the same air, which, by affecting and altering air-conditions to reproduce identical figures all across the globe, increases its spread. This article argues that the willingness to make air objective — in both senses of identifying its material properties, and believing in a uniform or consensus figure — eradicates the possibility of vital difference. In doing so, inhabiting what Sloterdijk calls the "World Interior" of reproducible sameness that props up international exchange, modern, globalized culture becomes far more susceptible to the rapid spread of epidemics. Virality is increased by the sameness of objective air-conditioning, and by reintroducing difference into the atmosphere we can bring back its life-giving potential.


What time should the school day begin? School start times vary considerably, both across the nation and within individual communities, with some schools beginning earlier than 7:30 a.m. and others after 9:00 a.m. Districts often stagger the start times of different schools in order to reduce transportation costs by using fewer buses. But if beginning the school day early in the morning has a negative impact on academic performance, staggering start times may not be worth the cost savings. Proponents of later start times, who have received considerable media attention in recent years, argue that many students who have to wake up early for school do not get enough sleep and that beginning the school day at a later time would boost their achievement. A number of school districts have responded by delaying the start of their school day, and a 2005 congressional resolution introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) recommended that secondary schools nationwide start at 9:00 or later. Despite this attention, there is little rigorous evidence directly linking school start times and academic performance. In this study, I use data from Wake County, North Carolina, to examine how start times affect the performance of middle school students on standardized tests. I find that delaying school start times by one hour, from roughly 7:30 to 8:30, increases standardized test scores by at least 2 percentile points in math and 1 percentile point in reading. The effect is largest for students with below-average test scores, suggesting that later start times would narrow gaps in student achievement. The primary rationale given for start times affecting academic performance is biological. Numerous studies, including those published by Elizabeth Baroni and her colleagues in 2004 and by Fred Danner and Barbara Phillips in 2008, have found that earlier start times may result in fewer hours of sleep, as students may not fully compensate for earlier rising times with earlier bedtimes. Activities such as sports and work, along with family and social schedules, may make it difficult for students to adjust the time they go to bed. In addition, the onset of puberty brings two factors that can make this adjustment particularly difficult for adolescents: an increase in the amount of sleep needed and a change in the natural timing of the sleep cycle. Hormonal changes, in particular, the secretion of melatonin, shift the natural circadian rhythm of adolescents, making it increasingly difficult for them to fall asleep early in the evening. Lack of sleep, in turn, can interfere with learning. A 1996 survey of research studies found substantial evidence that less sleep is associated with a decrease in cognitive performance, both in laboratory settings and through self-reported sleep habits. Researchers have like-wise reported a negative correlation between self-reported hours of sleep and school grades among both middle-and high-school students. I find evidence consistent with this explanation: among middle school students, the impact of start times is greater for older students (who are more likely to have entered adolescence). However, I also find evidence of other potential mechanisms; later start times are associated with reduced television viewing, increased time spent on homework, and fewer absences. Regardless of the precise mechanism at work, my results from Wake County suggest that later start times have the potential to be a more cost-effective method of increasing student achievement than other common educational interventions such as reducing class size. Wake County The Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) is the 16th-largest district in the United States, with 146,687 students in all grades for the 2011-12 school year. It encompasses all public schools in Wake County, a mostly urban and suburban county that includes the cities of Raleigh and Wake Forest. Start times for schools in the district are proposed by the transportation department (which also determines bus schedules) and approved by the school board. …


We propose Symplectic Recurrent Neural Networks (SRNNs) as learning algorithms that capture the dynamics of physical systems from observed trajectories. SRNNs model the Hamiltonian function of the system by a neural networks, and leverage symplectic integration, multiple-step training and initial state optimization to address the challenging numerical issues associated with Hamiltonian systems. We show SRNNs succeed reliably on complex and noisy Hamiltonian systems. Finally, we show how to augment the SRNN integration scheme in order to handle stiff dynamical systems such as bouncing billiards.


Nature, landscape and architecture often find a meeting point in tourism. Globally, tourism has been found to be lucrative and to impact positively on the lives of residents, users and potential users of tourism destinations. Natural water bodies usually attract a lot of visitors as a result of man's affinity to water. If the water body is within the confines of an urban context, several factors may affect their attractiveness, effectiveness and consequently, their patronage. Such factors include the adjoining landscape, land use, the urban context, the architecture of the built environment, core facilities provided, accessibility to venues, sociocultural aspects of the people in the immediate vicinity. Lagos Lagoon waterfront is one such natural body of water which is strategically located in the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria – Lagos. This paper therefore explores its tourism development potentials with respect to its landscape characteristics within the context of its built environment and natural assets. A photo questionnaire which comprises 20 pictures were shown to 422 respondents at six water tourism destinations within the Lagos Lagoon and along the Lagos coast in order to ascertain their preference for the natural aspects versus the built urban context. This enhances a sustained investigation into the role of nature in the tourism development of the area. The results obtained indicates that most pictures selected by the respondents were those of the most developed areas of the lagoon, grassland, and the water body itself. The water was considered as its best asset yet the problems associated with it, like the water quality and other physical attributes were considered as deterrents to its use for tourism. In the same vein, the blights on the water were also identified by the respondents as a hindrance to its beauty


The ingesting of raw vegetables plays an important role in the transmission of several infectious diseases due to the high frequency of irrigation with wastewater. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sanitary conditions of all lettuce producing crops in Ribeirao Preto through microbiological and parasitological analysis of both irrigation water and lettuce together with the implantation of an effective crop monitoring. Laboratory analysis of 129 crops showed irregularities in 26 (20.1%) of these: high concentration of fecal coliforms in 17% of the lettuce, presence of Salmonella in 3.1% and several enteroparasites (Ascaris sp, Ancylostomidae, Strongyloides sp, Hymenolepis nana, and Giardia sp ) in 13.1%. Persistent irregularities determined the definitive closing down of one producer; all of the remaining 128 crops were eventually approved, thus demonstrating the efficacy of lettuce crop monitoring. Crops approved in the laboratory analysis were awarded a Sanitary Inspection Certificate - an unprecedented procedure in our Country - that resulted in a better acceptance of the monitoring.


Privacy protection of medical image data is challenging. Even if metadata is removed, brain scans are vulnerable to attacks that match renderings of the face to facial image databases. Solutions have been developed to de-identify diagnostic scans by obfuscating or removing parts of the face. However, these solutions either fail to reliably hide the patient's identity or are so aggressive that they impair further analyses. We propose a new class of de-identification techniques that, instead of removing facial features, remodels them. Our solution relies on a conditional multi-scale GAN architecture. It takes a patient's MRI scan as input and generates a 3D volume conditioned on the patient's brain, which is preserved exactly, but where the face has been de-identified through remodeling. We demonstrate that our approach preserves privacy far better than existing techniques, without compromising downstream medical analyses. Analyses were run on the OASIS-3 and ADNI corpora.