OBJECTIVE Surveillance is an important strategy to reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs). We investigated whether prior, multiple-, or repetitive surgeries are risk factors for SSI and whether they should be preserved in the protocol of the Dutch national SSI surveillance network. METHODS Dutch national SSI surveillance data 2012–2015 were selected, including 34 commonly performed procedures from 8 major surgical specialties. Definitions of SSIs followed international standardized criteria. We used multivariable multilevel logistic regression techniques to evaluate whether prior, multiple-, or repetitive procedure(s) are risk factors for SSIs. We considered surgeries clustered within partnerships of medical specialists and within hospitals (random effects) and different baseline risks between surgical specialties (fixed effects). Several patient and surgical characteristics were considered possible confounders and were included where necessary. We performed analyses for superficial and deep SSIs combined as well as separately. RESULTS In total, 115,943 surgeries were reported by 85 hospitals; among them, 2,960 (2.6%) resulted in SSIs (49.3% deep SSIs). The odds ratio (OR) for having prior surgery was 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74–1.20); the OR for repetitive surgery was 2.39 (95% CI, 2.06–2.77); and the OR for multiple surgeries was1.27 (95% CI, 1.07–1.51). The latter effect was mainly caused by prolonged duration of surgery. CONCLUSIONS Multiple- and repetitive surgeries significantly increased the risk of an SSI, whereas prior surgery did not. Therefore, prior surgery is not an essential data item to include in the national SSI surveillance network. The increased risk of SSIs for multiple surgeries was mainly caused by prolonged duration of surgery, therefore, it may be sufficient to report only duration of surgery to the surveillance network, instead of both (the variables duration of surgery and multiple surgeries). Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1298–1305


BACKGROUND
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a common cause of disability and absence from work. There is no consistent evidence in the literature regarding predictors for short- and long-term absences due to these disorders.

AIMS
To investigate work-related factors influencing short- and long-term absences due to MSD in German-speaking countries.

METHODS
The study is based on data from the Fourth European Working Conditions Survey. The study population included 2849 workers in German-speaking countries who participated in face-to-face interviews. Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between possible risk factors and the occurrence of short- or long-term absence due to MSD.

RESULTS
A tiring or painful working position was positively correlated with short- and long-term absenteeism due to MSD, whereas the freedom to decide when to take holidays was negatively associated with this phenomenon. Some psychosocial factors, such as the ability to apply one's own ideas at work, the ability to choose or change the speed or rate of work and the emotional demands of the job, had contradictory impacts on short- and long-term absenteeism due to MSD.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this investigation show that it is important to distinguish between predictors of short- and long-term absenteeism due to MSD.


Background The presence of high acute phase reactants may help the diagnosis and classification of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, specially in seronegative patients. Objectives Our objective was to establish if the presence of high basal reactants in early arthritis may help to establish the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis following criteria of ACR 1987 (which does not include positive reactants in diagnostic criteria). at 12 months of follow-up. Methods The presence of acute phase reactants at the baseline visit (elevated CRP and elevated ESR according to two different criteria) was studied in a population of 70 patients referred to the arthritis clinic with criteria for suspicion of early arthritis to meet at least one of the Following criteria: a) Swelling in 2 or more joints b) Pain in MCFs, MTFs and/or wrists c) Morning stiffness greater than 30 minutes (* SERAP study criteria), with <12 months of evolution of symptoms. None of the patients had previous diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis or other inflammatory joint disease nor had previous treatment with steroids or DMARDs. The presence of high VSG (mm/h) was considered according to two criteria: a) ESR 1: VSG>20 or b) ESR 2 (criterion according to age and sex) (1): Age ≥50 years ESR>20 in men and ESR>30 in women; Age <50 years of age, ESR>15 mm/h in men and>20 in women.Statistics: Chi-square or Fisher test (for any value <5), Odds ratio (OR) calculation. Results 70 patientes, 45 women (64,3%), x age 51,57±16,08 y (18–85) were included, x disease duration 3,47 meses ± 2,59 (0,53–11.73), 48/70 (68,5%) RF and ACPA negative. 49 patients meet ACR 1987 criteria, but 5 were finally classified in non-RA group because they meet criteria of other inflammatory chronic articular conditions (eg. psoriatic arthritis RA-like). 45/70 patients had high baseline CRP (64.3%), ESR 1 38/70 (54.3%) and ESR 2 35/70 (50%). Basal CRP>5 showed statistically significant differences for RA diagnosis (ACR 1987 criteria) p=0.003, OR =4,64 (1.62–13,24) but basal positive ESR 1 criteria did not (p=0.122). Basal positive ESR2 showed significant differences for diagnosis of RA, with p=0.036, OR =2,78 (0,99–7,47). In the subgroup of seronegative patients, basal CRP could predict ACR 1987 RA diagnosis at 12 months follow-up p=0,019, OR 4,2 (1,23–14,36), but ESR (both ESR1 and ESR2) not (p=1,000). If the 5 patients ACR 1987 meeting criteria RA-like but diagnosed ot other inflammatory conditions were included, the results are similar but ESR2 reached a better confidence interval p=0.036, OR 3,63 (1,20–10,94). Conclusions The presence of elevated basal CRP>5 may be used as a factor that helps to predict the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis according to ACR 1987 criteria for RA. The baseline elevated ESR according to the sex and age criterion could be useful as a predictor factor for the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, while the VSG criterion>20 in all patients does not demonstrate differences in the study between the two groups with final diagnosis AR and non-RA. In seronegative patientes, only CRP demostrated predictive value but ESR not. References Bottiger LE, Svedberg CA. Normal erythrocyte sedimentation rate and age. Br Med J 1967; 2:85–7. Disclosure of Interest None declared


In the field of Remote Sensing the main device, used to obtain the surface images, are the so-called Synthetic Aperture Radar. This systems are devices able to catch high-resolution images, which keep peculiar informations about the observed surface. Through the use of a Radar, mounted on board of a spaceborne or airborne vehicle, large overflow areas are electromagnetically radiating. The electromagnetic answer of the illuminated surface under discussion, is then analyzed in such a way to extract the wished informations. This kind of image acquisition presents an intrinsic trouble generated by the set of electromagnetic waves, which are interacting each other, on the path from the target to the receiver system. The trouble is well-known as Speckle and it will be the main topic of this thesis project.Over the last 30 years, several algorithms able to significantly reduce the trouble effect have been implemented. However, trouble reduction, is done to the detriment of the preserved information. On this basis, an equal important research is to evaluate in detail, as more as possible, the speckle filtering performance and moreover which informations are preserved and which are degraded. For this reason, a comparison between the filtered images and the untroubled images may be useful, but as it has been said above, signal and trouble are inseparable, therefore an untroubled version of the acquired image is not achievable.To work around the problem, has been generated a synthetic image where the speckle contribute is absent, using some representative sample extracted from a real SAR image, that in this case is the well-known SAR image over the San Francisco Bay (CA). Thus, based on it, speckle contribute has been added on the image. Furthermore, to make the simulation more realistic, it has been added texture, which may represent high density forest or urban area, as well as target point, which may represent naval ships at open sea, or more generally, small dimension object anywhere.Subsequently, two types of parameters have been implemented for the evaluation of the information preserved. First, polarimetric preservation parameters, which express a measurement about intensity of speckle contribute for each channel, entropy, anisotropy, mean angle alpha and the polarimetric signature. Second, spatial preservation parameters, which measure edge preservation, target point preservation and the Equivalent Number of Look of the filtered image. Next, a collection of test images has been stored withMonte Carlo Method and several filters through the platform PolSARpro have been applied. Each sample image has been evaluate in term of the parameters above presented. Finally, each filter has been applied to the real image in such a way to have the opportunity to highlight and to compares the conclusion obtained about the parameters and their respective filtered image.


Video Quality Assessment (VQA) is a very challenging task due to its highly subjective nature. Moreover, many factors influence VQA. Compression of video content, while necessary for minimising transmission and storage requirements, introduces distortions which can have detrimental effects on the perceived quality. Especially when dealing with modern video coding standards, it is extremely difficult to model the effects of compression due to the unpredictability of encoding on different content types. Moreover, transmission also introduces delays and other distortion types which affect the perceived quality. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial to accurately predict the perceived quality of video to be distributed over modern content distribution platforms, so that specific actions could be undertaken to maximise the Quality of Experience (QoE) of the users. Traditional VQA techniques based on feature extraction and modelling may not be sufficiently accurate. In this paper, a novel Deep Learning (DL) framework is introduced for effectively predicting VQA of video content delivery mechanisms based on end-to-end feature learning. The proposed framework is based on Convolutional Neural Networks, taking into account compression distortion as well as transmission delays. Training and evaluation of the proposed framework are performed on a user annotated VQA dataset specifically created to undertake this work. The experiments show that the proposed methods can lead to high accuracy of the quality estimation, showcasing the potential of using DL in complex VQA scenarios.


Organic products remain a niche market in most countries and there is relatively little international trade in organic aquaculture products (Smith et al., 2005). The newly emergent organic products tend to exclude small-holders due to reasons of high certification costs, smaller volumes they produce, and tighter control of product quality. The paper looks at some of the opportunities that exist for small-holders to enter organic schemes and compete in the niche markets. Importantly, the constraints and risks that are involved will be debated. The ability of small farmers to organize and obtain the certification is questioned and the mechanisms to facilitate this will be discussed. The value chain concept, quality management, the theory of institutions and transaction cost economics, will be applied to analyze how the coordinated efforts of various stakeholders can be developed to achieve a better product quality and


A study conducted by The Department of Environment Malaysia shows that there is an increase in
numbers of polluted rivers. One problem is said to be due to indiscriminate dumping of wastes into
the rivers. This phenomenon adversely affects the drainage capacities of rivers which then leads to
more frequent occurrences of floods as well as an increase in the intensity of the floods. The issues
are critical since 97% of the total water use originates from rivers.
In Malaysia, 40-60% of water use comes from the domestic domain. Domestic wastewater gives an
impact on the quality of water. Public involvement is very important in order to control the current
water situation as public contributions to water issues are very significant. In daily activities, the
public pollutes the drainage runoff unconsciously. Increasing urban population causes a massive
impact on human activities, especially in a developing country like Malaysia. In Malaysia,
urbanization has a lot of advantages for the economic sector. Therefore, development needs to be
carried out in order to provide a range of facilities for the population.
On the other hand, living in comfortable and convenient spaces has persuaded many people to
renovate their houses. This then results in an increase in the number of impervious areas because
housing developers only have to comply with providing 10% of open space. Developers usually
choose to maximise the built-up areas to take full advantage of land use and this situation has
resulted in an increase in surface run-off. This is in fact a major cause of flash floods.
Natural filtration devices have been incorporated in Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) as
a means of imitating natural hydrological processes. They are found to be more effective compared
to the conventional drainage system, and delay filtration and run-off of surface water. SUDS not
only improve the technical approaches of a drainage system, but also assists in `Best Management
Practices' (BMPs). This includes management and maintenance together with better daily water
usage. However, to assist the success of SUDS, public participation should be encouraged. The
wider public and all stakeholders should have a better understanding of SUDS in order to allow
them to get a clearer idea of their potential role. Improvement in the education system, frequent
updates on information and training for maintenance workers are some of the actions that might
influence the implementation of SUDS in Malaysia.


/homepage/sad/books/welltest/errata.html. Preface. Online Complement: /homepage/sad/books/welltest. 1. Principles of Transient Testing. 1.1 Introduction. 1.2 Typical flow regimes. 1.3 Well and reservoir characterization. 2. The Analysis Methods. 2.1 Log-log scale. 2.2 Pressure curves analysis. 2.3 Pressure derivative. 2.4 The analysis scales. 3. Wellbore Conditions. 3.1 Well with wellbore storage and skin. 3.2 Infinite conductivity or uniform flux vertical fracture. 3.3 Finite conductivity vertical fracture. 3.4 Well in partial penetration. 3.5 Slanted well. 3.6 Horizontal well. 3.7 Skin factors. 4. Effect of Reservoir Heterogeneities on Well Responses. 4.1 Fissured reservoirs. 4.2 Layered reservoirs with or without crossflow. 4.3 Composite reservoirs. 4.4 Combined reservoir heterogeneities. 5. Effect of Reservoir Boundaries on Well Responses. 5.1 Single sealing fault in a homogeneous reservoir. 5.2 Two parallel sealing faults in homogeneous reservoir. 5.3 Two intersecting sealing faults in homogeneous reservoir. 5.4 Closed homogeneous reservoir. 5.5 Constant pressure boundary. 5.6 Communicating fault. 5.7 Effect of boundaries in double porosity reservoirs. 5.8 Effect of boundaries in double permeability reservoirs. 5.9 Effect of boundaries in composite reservoirs. 5.10 Other boundary configurations. 5.11 Conclusion. 6. Multiple Well Testing. 6.1 Interference tests in reservoirs with homogeneous behavior. 6.2 Factors complicating interference tests in reservoirs with homogeneous behavior. 6.3 Interference tests in composite reservoirs. 6.4 Interference tests in double porosity reservoirs. 6.5 Interference tests in layered reservoirs. 6.6 Pulse testing. 6.7 Conclusion. 7. Application to Gas Reservoirs. 7.1 Description of gas wells pressure behavior. 7.2 Practical transient analysis of gas welltests. 7.3 Deliverability tests. 7.4 Field example. 8. Application to Multiphase Reservoirs. 8.1 Perrine's method. 8.2 Pseudo-pressure method. 8.3 Pressure squared method. 9. Special Tests. 9.1 DST. 9.2 Impulse test. 9.3 Constant pressure test, and rate decline analysis. 9.4 Vertical interference test. 10. Practical Aspects of Well Test Interpretation. 10.1 Factors complicating well test analysis. 10.2 Interpretation procedure. 10.3 Well and reservoir characterisation- interpretation results. Appendix 1. Summary of Usual Log-Log Responses. Appendix 2. Practical Metric System of Units. Nomenclature. References. Author Index. Subject Index.


Users' locations are important for many applications such as personalized search and localized content delivery. In this paper, we study the problem of profiling Twitter users' locations with their following network and tweets. We propose a multiple location profiling model (MLP), which has three key features: 1) it formally models how likely a user follows another user given their locations and how likely a user tweets a venue given his location, 2) it fundamentally captures that a user has multiple locations and his following relationships and tweeted venues can be related to any of his locations, and some of them are even noisy, and 3) it novelly utilizes the home locations of some users as partial supervision. As a result, MLP not only discovers users' locations accurately and completely, but also "explains" each following relationship by revealing users' true locations in the relationship. Experiments on a large-scale data set demonstrate those advantages. Particularly, 1) for predicting users' home locations, MLP successfully places 62% users and out-performs two state-of-the-art methods by 10% in accuracy, 2) for discovering users' multiple locations, MLP improves the baseline methods by 14% in recall, and 3) for explaining following relationships, MLP achieves 57% accuracy.


The early education field increasingly is recognizing the key role played by young children's executive function (EF) skills, generally defined as the cognitive abilities that consciously support goal-directed behaviors. To provide the field with an overview of research conducted on this topic over the past 15 years, we review research on the traits and skills that fall under the broader umbrella of preschool EF and the role it plays in young children's developmental and academic outcomes. Also addressed are the child, environmental, activity-related, and curricular factors potentially impacting the development of EF and some EF-related topics for which additional research is needed. Finally, we provide practical and psychometric information regarding six examples of measures that focus on assessing preschoolers' EF skills. This report can serve as a resource for early childhood researchers and practitioners who are interested in understanding EF development during the early years. By highlighting some topics for which additional research is needed and providing information regarding examples of valid and reliable measures to assess EF in children ages 3–5 years, we hope this report also will serve as a springboard for future studies related to preschool EF.


This paper presents a survey of Internet-ofThings (IoT) gateways based on several reputation publications. A group of recent papers were studied to come out with good idea about the architectures and challenges regarding the IoT gateways that are used in the IoT applications in modern day living. Future outlines of each paper are presented and some problems are mentioned as motivation to complete the research in order to find out acceptable solutions. The aim of this study is to integrate the good properties that improve the used algorithms in data aggregations from the sensors (from the gateways side) and enhance the actuators response from the user in terms of time, accuracy and reliability. Open challenges and future trends in the design and programming of the IoT gateways are concluded.


Introduction
 The association of NPM1mut and FLT3-ITD in de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with intermediate-risk cytogenetics has different prognostic impact depending on the FLT3 allelic burden. Previous studies published by our cooperative group showed that patients with de novo AML of intermediate-risk cytogenetics with NPM1mut and FLT3-ITD low ratio (<0.5, FLT3low) at diagnosis presented an overall survival and relapse rate similar to those with NPM1mut and FLT3wt. Therefore, in the CETLAM-2012 protocol, patients with FLT3low NPM1mut AML are not considered for allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) in first complete remission (CR1). Recent studies suggest that the co-occurrence of DNMT3A mutation in FLT3-ITD NPM1mut AML patients confers a worse prognosis regardless of FLT3-ITD ratio.
 We analysed our data to determine whether these findings were confirmed in our cohort, specifically in the low FLT3-ITD ratio patients, since this could have therapeutic implications.
 Methods and patients
 A total of 163 patients with de novo AML, intermediate-risk cytogenetics and NPM1mut were analysed (median age 53 years (18-72); male:female 72:91 (0.79)). Eighty patients (49%) harboured an FLT3-ITD, with a high allelic ratio in 42 of 76 patients with available ITD/wt ratio (55%). They were included in the AML-2003 (n=49) and AML-2012 (n=114) CETLAM protocols. Proportion of patients undergoing alloHSCT in CR1 is detailed in table 1.
 Bone marrow samples from diagnosis were studied for DNMT3A mutations as previously described. The definition of complete remission (CR), overall survival (OS), leukemia-free survival (LFS) and risk of relapse (RR) followed recommended ELN criteria. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the distribution of LFS and OS, for RR cumulative incidence was used.
 Results
 Out of the 163 patients with AML of intermediate risk cytogenetics and NPM1mut, 78 presented DNMT3A mutations (48%). Of these, 62 (79%) presented mutations in codon R882 or corresponded to DNA insertions/deletions while 16 (21%) harboured missense mutations. Presence of DNMT3A mutation did not associate with FLT3-ITD (ITD/85 DNMT3Awt vs ITD/78 DNMT3Amut, p=0.394). In the entire cohort, 5-year OS, LFS and RR were 58±4.5%, 59±4.6% and 27±13.9%. FLT3-ITD ratio confirmed its prognostic impact when analysing FLT3wt (n=83) vs FLT3low (n=34) vs FLT3high (n=42) patients (5-year OS of 68±6% vs 62±8.7% vs 37±8.6%; p=0.002; and 5-year RR of 18±9.4% vs 27±16.1% vs 41±23.2%; p=0.023). On the contrary, DNMT3Amut did not exert any effect on overall outcome (5-yr OS DNMT3Awt vs DNMT3Amut 61±6.2% vs 55±6.2%; p=0.234)
 When DNTM3A mutational status was considered, the impact of FLT3-ITD on outcome was mitigated in wild-type DNMT3A population. Thus, we found that DNMT3Awt patients presented no statistical differences in OS according to FLT3 mutational status or ratio: FLT3wt (n=46) vs FLT3-ITD (n=39) was 67±8.5% vs 57±8.2%; p=0.122, whereas FLT3wt (n=46) vs FLT3low (n=18) vs. FLT3high (n=19) was 67±8.5% vs. 66±11.5% vs 46±11.8%; p=0.088 (image 1A).This was also seen in relation to LFS and RR according to FLT3 ratio: 5-yr LFS of FLT3wt vs FLT3low vs FLT3high was 72±7.9% vs 61±12.6% vs 51±13.4%; p=0.244 and 5-year RR of the same groups: 19±8.8% vs 26±12.5% vs 27±21.9%; p=0.724 (image 2A).
 In the DNMT3Amut group, patients with FLT3-ITD (n=41) presented shorter OS than those with FLT3wt (n=37) with an OS of 37±10.7% vs 69±7.8%; p=0.028. When FLT3 ratio was considered, FLT3wt (n=37) vs FLT3low (n=16) vs FLT3high (n=23) showed an OS of 69±7.8% vs. 58±13.2% vs 27±13.1%; p=0.038 (image 1B).
 Similar results were seen in LFS according to FLT3 ratio (FLT3wt (n=29) vs FLT3low (n=16) vs FLT3high (n=20) 71±8.6% vs 53±12.9% vs 18±13.8%; p=0.012).
 Finally, we observed significant differences in the 5-year RR when considering DNMT3Amut patients in relation to FLT3 ratio (FLT3wt vs FLT3low vs FLT3high 18±10.6% vs 27±20% vs 54±28.8%; p=0.021)(image 2B).
 Conclusions
 In this study, patients with NPM1mut and FLT3-ITDlow presented a similar outcome to patients with NPM1mut and FLT3wt regardless of DNMT3A mutational status. These results support the modification of alloHCST policy in CR1 in CETLAM-2012, which do not consider alloHSCT for patients with FLT3low. On the other hand, concurrence of DNMT3A mutation may have an added negative effect in patients with NPM1mut and FLT3-ITDhigh, which should be further confirmed in larger studies.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


The speciation of L-histidine complexes of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) has been investigated pH-metrically in dioxan-water mixtures (0-60% v/v) at 303K and 0.16 mol L-1 ionic strength. The predominant species detected for Pb(II) and Cd(II) are ML2H4, ML2H3, ML2H2, ML2H and ML2 and those for Hg(II) are ML2H4, ML2H3, ML2 and ML. The appropriateness of experimental conditions is verified by introducing errors intentionally in the concentrations of ingredients. The models containing different numbers of species were refined by using the computer program MINIQUAD75. The best-fit chemical models were arrived at based on statistical parameters. The trend in variation of stability constants of the complexes with dielectric constant of the medium is attributed to the electrostatic and non-electrostatic forces. The species distribution and the plausible equilibria for the formation of the species are also presented.


This paper reports the results of an empirical analysis of the nature of the factors that explain changes in Australian bond market yields. Consistent with overseas studies it is found that three factors are sufficient to explain most of the historical yield curve variation in Australia. These factors can be interpreted as a "parallel" shift factor, a "slope" factor and a "curvature" factor. Although one factor interest rate models are often used to price and hedge interest rate dependent claims it is clear that, at least for hedging purposes, a two or three factor model will be essential.


With the estimation of the crane residual life, we could make an effective and identification to the disaster in the working process to make sure it's safety. This method is mainly used to study the uncertainty of the crane in the working process. The research object is bridge crane, use the cycles of different crane clusters of hoisting load when different rated hoisting crane is working with different load, through the estimation pattern of the residual life of crane with the neural network technology which based on two main theoretical foundation which are Miner fatigue cumulative damage theory and the theory of linear elastic fracture mechanic theory. Then finally estimate the residual life of the crane through the derivation which based on the two main theory and the formula. A series examples show the the laborer and resource input could be saved through the former two theories. The way of calculating crane's residual life is more practical,and the way of estimating is scientific and effective.


A conceptual schema relating a number of patient and dentist variables to patient anxiety reduction and satisfaction was presented. Evidence was examined that indicates that patient compliance with preventive and treatment regimens can be influenced in a major fashion through variables that reduce anxiety and increase satisfaction with the dentist. An accounting of several studies that investigated behavioral strategies for reducing patient stress during dental procedures indicated that recorded relaxation instructions and the active distraction provided by playing a video game can be effective anxiety-reducing treatments. Attempts to find other useful behavioral strategies were unsuccessful--only relaxation and distraction were consistently successful in reducing stress in moderately anxious patients. Observations of dentist-patient interaction in the context of the behavioral strategy studies indicated that the doctor-patient relationship was an important dimension associated with patient anxiety reduction and satisfaction. A series of investigations were conducted to elucidate the dentist behaviors that were associated with these variables. We found that the dentist behaviors most closely associated with patient satisfaction were those portraying empathy, friendliness, and a calm, competent image to the patient. The most important behavior associated with anxiety reduction was the dentist's explicit promise to prevent pain. Other dentist behaviors--friendliness, being calm, giving moral support--were seen as providing an appropriate behavioral context in support of the pledge to prevent pain. Finally, we considered the need for the dentist to be aware of patient anxiety in order to effectively deal with it. If nothing else, asking about anxiety gives the patient permission to express concerns that are present. If the patient is not anxious, asking about anxiety will not produce it. Two types of measuring instruments were considered in relation to assessing anxiety. The Dental Anxiety Scale, a brief four-item scale, was judged to be a reliable and valid method for assessing general dental anxiety. In addition, a new interval scale of anxiety response was discussed for those occasions on which it is important to assess the patient's response to treatment.


Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was conducted on the two grades of low carbon steel, with or without vanadium, in order to produce an ultarfine grained structure. As a result, the ferrite grains were re-fined from 30 µm to 0.2–0.3 µm. The strength of the ECAPed steels increased remarkably, over twice of the strength of the steels before ECAP. A series of static annealing experiments showed that the increment of ECAP strain and the dilute addition of microalloying element such as vanadium were very effective on enhancing thermal stability of the ultrafine gained low carbon steels produced by ECAP in terms of microstructure and tensile properties. This enhanced thermal stability resulted from; (a) presence of excessive carbon content in the ferrite matrix by carbon dissolution from pearlitic cementite during ECAP; (b) preservation of high dislocation density due to addition of vanadium, providing the effective diffusion path for dissolved carbon atoms; (c) precipitation of excessive carbon as the form of nano-sized cementite particles during subsequent annealing and its effect on suppressing grain growth.


Abstract A nationally representative survey of students' learning behaviors observed by classroom teachers of 1,500 school-aged American youth is presented. Participants comprised the standardization cohort of the Learning Behaviors Scale (McDermott, Green, Francis, & Stott, 1999) stratified according to the U.S. Census. Base rates of learning behaviors are analyzed for both rank-order precedence and overall prevalence across demographic categories of sex, ethnicity, age group, parent education, residence location, household configuration, and special education status. Correlations detected minimal variability in behavioral item rankings across demographic groups. In contrast, multiple ordinal logistic regression demonstrated considerably increased odds of maladaptive learning behaviors among males and students in special education. Moderate differences were found for age, ethnicity, and low parent educational level, whereas few differences were associated with location of residence or family constellation.


Bioluminescence detects the amount of adenosine triphosphate(ATP) present on a surface, which is directly related to biological dirt. This study sought to objectify the degree of hand contamination according to sex in our study population of 40 dentistry students (63% female - 37% male) with a rapid quantitative measurement technique.  Materials and methods: This included measuring the contamination before and after clinical hand washing(CHW) in the interdigital and hyponychium regions of both hands using a 3M™ Clean-Trace™ luminometer by reading relative light units(RLU) from a swab considering pass 251 RLU.  Results : More contamination was found among the women prior to CHW, there being greater contamination in the hyponychium and on the right hand, whereas this contamination was lower in the men and the left hand was more contaminated in both regions. After CHW, it was found that the men presented greater contamination, with the right hand being cleaner than the left in both regions, but better in the interdigital region; in the women the right hand was cleaner, with both hands being cleaner in the interdigital region.  Conclusion:  We infer that before the CHW the women has a higher level of contamination than the men (Cortizas & Rumbo 2015; Miranda et al, 2008). After CHW, clean skin was found, but with greater contamination in the men than the women. There were presented improvements in contamination ranges, identified and evaluated through bioluminescence, which is consistent with Boyce et al (2009) study.


Purpose: The aim of this study was to illuminate the connotation of "dilemma" regarding the use of physical restraint on elderly patients as represented by female nurses working in general wards at community hospitals who also live with elderly adults at home. Method: The study used the questionnaire method with an independently prepared questionnaire. Participants: The objective of the study was explained to the persons in charge of nursing in the selected 17 hospitals, and 1929. Finally, this study of participants were 524 female nurses working in general 54 wards (excluding the emergency wards of psychiatry, pediatrics, obstetrics, outpatients, operating rooms, and intensive care units) at community hospitals who also live with elderly adults at home. Results and conclusions: Cronbach's overall coefficient for the 20 items of dilemma was high (0.78) and the factor analysis extracted four dilemma factors as having a characteristic value of 1 (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure value = 0.81) with a cumulative contribution ratio of 64.5%. The high Cronbach's for these items (0.86, 0.88, 0.87 and 0.81) confirmed the internal consistencies. With respect to the dilemma where nurses working in general wards at community hospitals who also live with elderly adults at home are faced with the physical restraint of elderly persons, four factors in the clarification of the dilemma were extracted: accomplishment of medical-treatment and accident prevention, characteristic features in nursing for elderly patients with dementia, healthcare professional relationship in nursing for elderly patients with dementia, and priorities on the accident prevention for elderly patients with dementia. Therefore, the construction of four systems to cope with these dilemmas is suggested. These systems would enable practising nurses to: (i) institution of policies to encourage discussion between nurses and other medical staff to reach consensus on treatment; (ii) allocating elderly care specialists to wards to promote alternatives to restraints; (iii) establishment of safety standards to define nurses' responsibilities; and (iv) institution of continuous ethical education for nurses.


Potential of impression cytology in diagnosis and evaluation of efficacy of pharmacological correction of dry eye syndrome (DES) associated with contact lens wearing was studied. When wearing contact lenses for a long time DES with tear film instability and reduction of tear production occurs in more than 50% patients. Morphological changes of epithelium of tarsal and bulbar conjunctiva manifest consequently. Impression cytology reveals structural damage of epithelium with keratinization signs and decrease of goblet cells density down to total absence. After tear substitution therapy tear break-up time increased by 65,3% and total tear production by 11,4%. In control impression cytology of tarsal and bulbar conjunctiva during tear substitution therapy the following changes were revealed: recovery of goblet cells density and differentiation, recovery of epithelial structure and reduction of epithelium keratinization.


Self-healing is a promising way to solve the difficulty in wind turbine blades repair, yet the embedded healing agent may have a disadvantage because of being exposed to outdoor for a long time. Pressurized delivery of the healing agent in real-time when the blade is damaged may be the solution to avoid the disadvantage healing agent. In this paper, the healing agent was pumped to the damaged area by a peristaltic pump, and the healing effect was evaluated by the recovery rate of the residual flexural strength after impact and the image of ultrasonic C-scan. To evaluate the healing effect of different damage degrees, 10 J, 15 J, 20 J, and 25 J impact energies were applied. The fluid tracer test showed that the healing agent could penetrate in the damaged areas after the impact of 15 J, 20 J and 25 J, while the three-point bending test revealed that the healing efficiency was the highest with 20 J (85.2%). The ultrasonic C-scan and optical photos of the sample showed that the images of the healing area were almost consistent with those of the un-impacted area, indicating that the damaged area is healed well. Based on the success of plate samples, the self-healing of the wind turbine blade-scale prototype was then carried out. Twenty-joule impact was exerted on the blade prototype, and the healing agent was pumped to the damaged area using the peristaltic pump similar to the same procedure as that of the plate specimen. Ultrasonic C-scan and optical images of the damaged area showed that the prototype was healed well in comparison with those of the plate specimens, indicating that the application of pressurized delivery of the healing agent system in the self-healing of wind turbine blade prototype was successful.


For genetic association studies with related individuals, the linear mixed-effect model is the most commonly used method. In this report, we show that contrary to the popular belief, this standard method can be sensitive to departure from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (i.e., Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium) at the causal SNPs in two ways. First, when the trait heritability is treated as a nuisance parameter, although the association test has correct type I error control, the resulting heritability estimate can be biased, often upward, in the presence of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium. Second, if the true heritability is used in the linear mixed-effect model, then the corresponding association test can be biased in the presence of Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium. We provide some analytical insights along with supporting empirical results from simulation and application studies.


Excited state decay of 2-naphthol (2N) in halocarbon solvents has been observed to be significantly slower when compared to that of 1-naphthol (1N). In this study, we provide new physical insights behind this observation by exploring the regioselective electron transfer (ET) mechanism from photoexcited 1N and 2N to halocarbon solvents at a detailed molecular level. Using state-of-the-art electronic structure calculations, we explore several configurations of naphthol-chloroform complexes and find that the proximity of the electron-accepting chloroform molecule to the electron-rich -OH group of the naphthol is the dominant factor affecting electron transfer rates. The origin of significantly slower electron transfer rates for 2N is traced back to the notably smaller electronic coupling when the electron-accepting chloroform molecule is on top of the aromatic ring distal to the -OH group. Our findings suggest that regioselective photoinduced electron transfer could thus be exploited to control electron transfer in substituted acenes tailored for specific applications.


The present dissertation evaluated the P50 component of the event-related brain potential (ERP), an index of sensory gating measured during a paired-stimulus paradigm, as an intermediate phenotype between clinical symptoms and neuronal mechanisms that might also contribute to higher-order cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Despite considerable evidence that schizophrenia patients exhibit impaired suppression of the P50 to the second of two identical stimuli, the clinical significance and neural mechanisms associated with the P50 gating deficit remain poorly understood. A series of three related studies sought to more fully define the clinical and neurobiological correlates of P50 suppression deficits in schizophrenia. In Study 1, comparison of 52 schizophrenia patients and 41 healthy participants confirmed a P50 suppression deficit in patients, replicating prior research. Investigation of the clinical correlates of the P50 deficit in patients revealed associations between impaired suppression and clinician ratings of attentional difficulties as well as poor working memory performance. In examining the neural substrates of P50 gating with diffusion tensor imaging, Study 2 found associations between P50 deficits and compromised structural integrity of white matter tracts connecting brain regions previously implicated in the generation of P50 suppression in schizophrenia. Study 3 examined whether P50 impairments are amenable to cognitive training and predictive of treatment outcome. Compared to a control intervention without cognitive targets, patients who completed cognitive remediation demonstrated significant improvements in P50 suppression. Baseline P50 ratios were also predictive of improvement as evidenced by post-treatment clinician ratings and performance on an attention task, thereby indicating that patients with stronger P50 suppression are likely to receive the most benefit from cognitive remediation. All relationships observed in the present set of studies were specific to P50 and did not extend to the N100 component of the ERP. By characterizing the relationship of P50 to clinical symptoms and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, isolating biological mechanisms that might be involved in P50 suppression, and evaluating its amenability to cognitive training, the present dissertation provided support for P50 as a viable biomarker for guiding the development of interventions that target cognitive impairments in this chronic and debilitating mental illness.


Photovoltaic is a renewable energy source that can optimally be used on outer islands and areas that are difficult to reach by the main electrical system network. With good solar energy intensity on a daily, it adds to the advantages of using photovoltaics. In this regard, it is necessary to make a prototype for monitoring the photovoltaic output parameters to measure photovoltaic performance. The parameters that will be monitored on 50 Wp photovoltaic used in this research are voltage using a voltage sensor, current using an ACS712 sensor, and the real power generated. The monitoring results are stored in a database and monitored in realtime based on the website's setting. So that this prototype can be used in several outer islands in Bangka Belitung, which is geographically an archipelago


In the Mediterranean Sea, recreational fishing is a popular activity and anglers catch a significant amount of fish which could represent more than 10% of the total harvesting in a littoral area. The Portofino Marine Protected Area, established in 1999 in the Ligurian Sea (North-Western Mediterranean), traditionally hosts a well-developed recreational fishery. Aim of this study has been to characterize the activities of the local anglers, analysing their annual harvesting within and around the Portofino MPA and the species composition of the catches. This was possible studying data from the mandatory anglers' logbooks, and through interviews and surveys at sea. In 2015, the 340 checked anglers fished, in average, 1 kg/day, on average, mainly by trolling or handlining systems. Each fisherman, during 25 (± 21) trips, fished approximately 25 kg/year, for a total harvesting of about 8-9 t/year. Seriola dumerili, with 230 kg/year, was the species most caught in terms of biomass. It was followed by Coryphaena hippurus (130 kg/year). In addition, the analysis of catches occurring during local fishing competitions organized off the MPA limits suggested a harvesting capacity for each angler varying between 0.7 and 1.1 kg/angler per day, depending on the used gear (handlining, trolling, spear-guns). Finally, 36% of the anglers claimed to hook often the hard bottom seabed, often losing nylon lines. Consequently, the Management Body of the Portofino MPA has been advised to suspend recreational fishing activities in the most busy areas for a period of two years, calling for a complete removal of the lost fishing gears.


Abstract This is a study of institutional change and continuity, comparing the trajectories followed by Mozambique and its formal colonial power Portugal in HRM, based on two surveys of firm level practices. The colonial power sought to extend the institutions of the metropole in the closing years of its rule, and despite all the adjustments and shocks that have accompanied Mozambique's post-independence years, the country continues to retain institutional features and associated practices from the past. This suggests that there is a post-colonial impact on human resource management. The implications for HRM theory are that ambitious attempts at institutional substitution may have less dramatic effects than is commonly assumed. Indeed, we encountered remarkable similarities between the two countries in HRM practices, implying that features of supposedly fluid or less mature institutional frameworks (whether in Africa or the Mediterranean world) may be sustained for protracted periods of time, pressures to reform notwithstanding. This highlights the complexities of continuities which transcend formal rules; as post-colonial theories alert us, informal conventions and embedded discourse may result in the persistence of informal power and subordination, despite political and legal changes.


For businesses to maintain their position in the market place or gain competitive advantage they need to change constantly. Change helps improve and increase productivity which ultimately increases sales of an enterprise. The growing global competition and the rate of technological advancement foresee a continuing need for change. An organization will require the services of a change agent to assist in in its effort to change successfully. This study examines the role of Human Resource Development (HRD) as a change agent in several areas such as organizational change management, different roles played by the change management, skills and competencies for HRD change agents, the models of change used by the change agents to facilitate change and conclusion. The study ends with recommendations for further research


Although brown algal phlorotannins have been shown to deter certain herbivores and may accumulate in response to herbivory, recent evidence has suggested that concentrations of these polyphenolic compounds are inversely related to nitrogen availability. Previous studies examining the relationship between brown algal phlorotannins and nutrient availability have been conducted in the field and, as a result, other variables may have contributed to observed variations in polyphenolic content. In order to more rigorously test the carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis, clonal isolates of the tropical brown alga Lobophora variegata were cultured for 4 wk in seawater media of 3 nitrogen concentrations (0.2, 1.2, 5.2 mg N I ' ) . Total phenolic content was determined weekly by a micro-Folin-Denis assay which uses as little as 1 mg of tissue. Percent carbon and nitrogen (per dry weight algal tissue) were also determined weekly for each nutrient treatment. Significant differences (ANOVA, p < 0.001) in phenolic content were observed between nutrient treatments after 2 wk. Phenolic content was directly correlated with tissue C:N ratios and inversely correlated with percent tissue nitrogen. Our results support the hypothesis that nitrogen availability plays a role in determining phlorotannin concentratlons in brown algae.


The authors studied pharmacokinetics of trimecain and lidocain in 10 and 15 patients with myocardial infarction, respectively, after a single intravenous jet injection in the dose of 80 mg. The groups were comparable as to age, mass and surface of the body. In all patients the dependence of trimecain and lidocain concentrations on time was biexponential. Average individual values of distribution volumes in stationary condition and in the stage of elimination, clearance and half-life differed but insignificantly for trimecain and lidocain. The results obtained justify the conclusion that trimecain and lidocain are identical from the pharmacokinetic point of view.


High-throughput methods have been used for the synthesis and preliminary characterisation of optically functional ceramic oxide and oxide–nitride materials on an alumina substrate. Gel routes have been investigated for their viability when used with a Teflon masking system. Three different systems and deposition methodologies have been studied. The first system uses a polymer complex method based on citric acid and ethylene glycol in aqueous media to create arrays of the formula Ca1−xSrxZr1−yCryO3
 (0 ≤
 x
 ≤ 1, in 0.2 steps; 0 ≤
 y
 ≤ 0.24, in 0.03 steps) annealed at temperatures of 600, 800, 1000 and 1200 °C. A metal alkoxide sol–gel method using an acetic acid–acetic anhydride solvent has been employed to produce arrays of oxides and oxide–nitrides with the general formulae SrZr1−xTaxO3 and SrZr1−xTaxO2+xN1−x
 (0 ≤
 x
 ≤ 1, in 0.2 steps). Arrays of aluminium-doped zinc oxides, as potential transparent conducting oxides, have been produced through hydrolysis of a zinc acetate–ethylene glycol precursor using aluminium nitrate solutions while tin-doped indium oxides were obtained by direct evaporation and calcination of indium and tin solutions. Conversion of these oxide arrays to oxide–nitride arrays was carried out by reaction of the deposited SrZr1−xTaxO3 materials under high purity flowing ammonia. Initial characterisation of arrays has been undertaken using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy.


Introduction and Objectives: Chronic kidney disease is the pathophysiologic process with different etiologies, resulting in exorable attrition of nephrons and their function. The most frequent cause of CKD is diabetic nephropathy, caused by type 2 diabetes mellitus. Kidney disease worsens over time by transitioning through a defined sequence of stages. Thus it should be possible to detect CKD prior to kidney failure. Insulin levels, change with CKD as a result of reduced excretion, decreased degradation, or a defect in regulation. Insulin resistance is associated with CKD as an antecedent or as a consequence of CKD is not yet known. The prevalance of higher IR in CKD cases is due to the decrease in glomerular filtration rate and a disturbance in insulin metabolism. The presence of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia was observed in CKD patients both with and without diabetes. The aim is to evaluate their role in both diabetic and non diabetic CKD patients.
Materials and Methods: A case control study was done. Around 90 individuals were taken for the study and divided into 3 groups (healthy controls, CKD non diabetic patients and CKD diabetic patients).After taking informed consent blood samples were collected in individual's fasting condition. Fasting plasma glucose, serum insulin measured and insulin resistance calculated by HOMA-IR. Multiple comparisons between different groups were done using ANOVA test.
Results: The present study showed that the mean±S.D of IR in controls was 1.7±1.5, in CKD without DM cases was 4.2±4.8 and in CKD with DM cases 11.1±11.8. Fasting Plasma Glucose, Fasting Insulin, IR were significantly increased (P
Interpretation and Conclusion: Insulin resistance was found to be associated with CKD in both diabetic and non diabetic patients. Increased insulin resistance causes more worsening of renal function. Thus, by introducing measures that can reduce insulin resistance like glycemic therapy and early detection of metabolic syndr


In this paper we investigate physical human-robot interaction (PHRI) as an important extension of traditional HRI research. The aim of this research is to develop a humanoid robot that can work in the same spaces as humans. We first propose a new control system that takes advantage of inherent joint flexibility. The control system is applied on a new humanoid robot called CB2. In order to clarify the difference between successful and unsuccesful interaction, we conduct an experiment where a human subject has to help the CB2 robot in its rising-up behavior. We also develop a new measure that reveals the difference between smooth and nonsmooth physical interactions. An analysis of the experimentpsilas data, based on the introduced measure, shows significant differences between experts and beginners in human-robot interaction. Consequently, we assume that this measure can be used in the evaluation method required for a motor learning system that uses physical help from a human helper.


To remove the noises in ECG and to overcome the disadvantage of the denoising method only based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD), a combination of EMD and adaptive noise cancellation is introduced in this paper. The noisy ECG signals are firstly decomposed into intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) by EMD. Then the IMFs corresponding to noises are used to reconstruct signal. The reconstructed signal as the reference input of adaptive noise cancellation and the noisy ECG as the basic input, the de-noised ECG signal is obtained after adaptive filtering. The de-noised ECG has high signal-to-noise ratio, preferable correlation coefficient and lower mean square error. Through analyzing these performance parameters and testing the denoising method using MIT-BIH Database, the conclusion can be drawn that the combination of EMD and adaptive noise cancellation has considered the frequency distribution of ECG and noises, eliminate the noises effectively and need not to select a proper threshold.


CD44 is the major cell surface receptor for the extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan hyaluronan and is implicated in a variety of biological events that include embryonic morphogenesis, lymphocyte recirculation, inflammation, and tumor metastasis. CD44 delivers activation signals to T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, natural killer cells, polymorphonuclear leukocytes, and macrophages by stimulating protein tyrosine phosphorylation and calcium influx. The mechanism of signal transduction via CD44 remains undefined, although CD44 was shown to physically associate with intracellular protein tyrosine kinase Lck in T lymphocytes. In the present report, we show that a significant proportion of CD44 in human peripheral blood T lymphocytes and endothelial cells is associated with low-density plasma membrane fractions that represent specialized plasma membrane domains enriched in glycosphingolipids and glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins. CD44 and the GPI-anchored CD59 do not appear to directly interact in the low-density membrane fractions. In human peripheral blood T lymphocytes, 20% to 30% of the Src family protein tyrosine kinases, Lck and Fyn, are recovered from these fractions. CD44-associated protein kinase activity was selectively recovered from the low-density membrane fractions, corresponding to glycosphingolipid-rich plasma membrane microdomains. Reprecipitation of the in vitro phosphorylated proteins showed that CD44 associates not only with Lck but also with Fyn kinase in these membrane domains. Our results suggest that cellular stimulation via CD44 may proceed through the signaling machinery of glycosphingolipid-enriched plasma membrane microdomains and, hence, depend on the functional integrity of such domains.


The lower of job demand while the need of human is going higher becomes the reason why
human always try hard to fulfill their needs. This case is also undergone by the villagers who
live in Karangtengah, Subdistrict of Wonosari, Gunung Kidul regency. With limited crops,
many villagers there work as limestone miner in order to fulfill their daily needs. Researcher
interested to do study research in Karangtengah village due to some issues: how is activity of
limestone mining in that area, and how is the impact of the limestone mining toward the
environment damage in that area. The aim of this research study is to know how far the
implemetation of controlling the environment damage due to limestone mining after mining
activity is done in research area. The result of the research study shows that mining activity
which is done by villagers is still done in traditional way and so far the impact of mining
activity towards the avaibility of water in reaserch area is not abvious yet. Reclamation
process or controlling of environment damage after mining activity in research area is also
not implemented in maximal yet, so that if there is no one take care of this situation, it will
give bad impact towards the avaibility of the water in that area next day.


Previous studies show that Javanese shrinks in terms of its form, function and accuracy due to
Indonesian and the attitude of the Javanese speakers towards Indonesian and Javanese(Poedjosoedarmo,1991; Gunarwan, 2006). In regard to the causes of the shrinkage of Javanese, there isat least one more thing that leads to the shrinkage. This paper presents the results of an observation to
the Javanese vocabulary items used in the daily life of Javanese speakers. The study aims at describingsome Javanese words which are likely to fade away due to a technological advance, and explaining theimpact to the existence of the local virtues. The description is based on the observation toward the things
around the Javanese people in an area of Jawa Tengah to fulfill their daily needs and the words toexpress them at present, and then compared them with those noticed in 1970s and recalled by the writer.The results showed that though the vocabulary items of the Javanese language were enriched by thevocabulary items of other languages, at the same time some Javanese words commonly used in the daily
life are likely to disappear from the daily use. The disappearance of the Javanese words also means the
vanishing of the things associated with the words and the related local virtues.


We use three large normal fault arrays in the northeastern Basin and Range Province, western United States, to document catchment development and relief production during fault growth. Fault slip and slip rates increase systematically along strike from zero at the fault tips. Catchment relief and across-strike range width both increase as slip accumulates but reach maximum values at a distance of ∼15 km from the fault tips and remain uniform along strike over much of the footwalls. Catchment outlet spacing also increases away from the fault tips but does not reach a uniform value and may vary by a factor of 5–6 along strike. We infer that catchments first elongate in the across-strike direction as slip accumulates and the range half-width increases. Once the half-width reaches its maximum value, continued catchment growth is possible only by along-strike capture, which increases outlet spacing but not relief. The close correspondence between catchment relief and range half-width suggests that geomorphically limited hillslope and channel gradients are achieved within the 15 km tip zone. Thus, the limiting factor in footwall development is the width of the range, which is controlled by two external agents: the geometry and spacing of the major faults, and the elevations of base level on both flanks.


The National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA) for England and Wales was initially undertaken in 2002 with frequent updates since. NaFRA has become a key source of information on flood risk, informing policy and investment decisions as well as communicating risk to the public and insurers. To make well informed decisions based on these data, users rightfully demand to know the confidence they can place in them. The probability of inundation and associated damage however cannot be validated in the traditional sense, due the rare and random nature of damaging floods and the lack of a long (and widespread) stationary observational record (reflecting not only changes in climate but also the significant changes in land use and flood defence infrastructure that are likely to have occurred). To explore the validity of NaFRA this paper therefore provides a bottom-up qualitative exploration of the potential errors within the supporting methods and data. The paper concludes by underlining the need for further research to understand how to robustly validate probabilistic risk models.


KASZUHOWSKI, L., 1992. Middle and Late Holocene transgressions of the Baltic Sea on the central Polish coast. Journal of Coastal Research, R(2), :301--;H1. Fort Lauderdale (Florida)' ISSN 0749-0208. Poland's central coast faces the southern part of the Baltic. Over the past 8,000 years, this sea has been permanently connected with the world ocean, which explains why the extensive transgressions relate to factors outside the area. The geotectonically rather stable nature of Poland's central coast during this period favors a study of eustatic changes of sea level. It also provides for 8 calculation of the average rates of the sea-level rise in each particular phase of the transgression. The result of these studies is a curve of Baltic sea-level fluctuations during the Middle and Upper Holocene.


Automaticity research suggests that consistent mapping leads to better skill acquisition than varied mapping. Other research demonstrates that in some situations varied mapping leads to better transfer. The effect of stimulus-response mappings in complex visual inspection tasks, wherein transfer stimuli might differ from training stimuli, has seldom been studied. Therefore, the effects of consistency vs variability of practice on learning and transfer in a simulated luggage screening task were compared. Consistent mapping led to faster and more accurate initial skill acquisition. However, during transfer, varied mapping led to higher levels of sensitivities and confidence and fewer deviations from optimal response criteria. Consistent mapping assists initial skill acquisition; however, in tasks where the physical identity of transfer stimuli might differ from those used in training, varied mapping leads to more efficient transfer. The results provide an important starting point for training individuals to achieve optimal transfer of learning in complex tasks. This research demonstrates that a combination of variables influence transfer of learning in real-world visual inspection tasks wherein transfer conditions may not be identical to training conditions. Acquisition of skills during training is facilitated by consistent stimulus-response mappings; however, in order to ensure optimal transfer of skills to situations involving novel stimuli, training should incorporate varied mapping of stimulus-response elements.


We consider an online multi-item retailer with multiple fulfillment facilities and finite inventory, with the objective of minimizing the expected shipping cost of fulfilling customer orders over a finite horizon. We approximate the stochastic dynamic programming formulation of the problem with an equivalent deterministic linear program, which we use to develop a probabilistic fulfillment heuristic that is provably optimal in the asymptotic sense. This first heuristic, however, relies on solving an LP that is exponential in the size of the input. Therefore, we subsequently provide another heuristic which solves an LP that is polynomial in the size of the input, and prove an upper bound on its asymptotic competitive ratio. This heuristic works by modifying the LP solution with artificial dependencies, with the resulting fractional variables used to probabilistically fulfill orders. A hardness result shows that asymptotically optimal policies that are computationally efficient cannot exist. Finally, we conduct numerical experiments that show that our heuristic's performance is very close to optimal for a range of parameters.


Purpose: Increased level mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and activation of MAPK have been reported in human breast cancers, especially in breast cancers with HER2/neu overexpression. To understand the relationship between the MAPK protein expressions and other clinicopathological parameters, we examined the status of MAPKs in 20 breast cancers compared to those of paired normals. Methods: A total of 20 breast cancers and paired normal breast tissues were included in this study. Tissues were obtained at the operation room and stored at -80oC. Tissue proteins were extracted and the concentration was determined by Bio-Rad protein assay method. Western blot analysis were performed to determine the level of MAPKs expressions using 100 ug of tissue protein in 8%, 10%, or 12% sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). MAPK assays were carried out by a non-radioactive method developed by Cell Signaling Tech. as recommened by the manufacturer. Clinico-pathological information was provided from the Breast Cancer Registry of Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine. Results: The levels of MAPKs were higher in 95% of breast cancers compared to those of paired normals. The levels of ERK1/2 were significantly higher in cancer tissues compared to paired normals but the activated forms were not. The levels of JNK, p38, and MKP1 proteins were significantly increased in the cancer tissue compared to the paired normals. The levels of ERK1/2 and activated ERK1/2 proteins were not different between tumor stages. There were no significant differences of the levels of ERK1/2 and activated ERK1/2 proteins between HER2-negative and HER2-positive cancers. There were significantly higher levels of activated ERK1/2 proteins in ER-positive cancers than those in ER-negative cancers (P<0.05). Conclusion: The levels of MAPKs, but not the activated forms, seem to be increased in breast cancer tissues compared to those of paired normals. The levels of activated MAPKs seem to be associated with estrogen receptor expression in cancer tissues.


Freeze Frame: A Photographic History of the Winter Olympics, a companion to the highly-acclaimed Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics. The companion volume on the Winter Games follows in the stunning visual format of the first book and includes the many great stories of the Winter Olympics, from the Jamaican bobsled team to the Soviet-American hockey match at Lake Placid. It covers all fifteen major winter sports, from skiing to luging, and includes high-interest ice skating and recently introduced snowboarding, both considered especially popular sports with kids. It ranges from triumph to tragedy, both hallmarks of Olympics history, as it relates victories such as Eric Heiden's 1980 five gold medal win and horrors such as the 1961 plane crash that killed 18 members of the U.S. figureskating team. The Winter Olympics launched in 1924 in Chamonix and have captured the world's imagination in mountain locations all over the world since then. The book includes spectacular photo galleries in addition to wonderful images throughout, a map of Winter Olympic sites, a section on Winter Olympic extremes, and a complete back matter Winter Olympics Almanac, with quick reference information on each Olympiad. The next Winter Games are February 10-26, 2006, in Turin (Torino), Italy.


No-till (NT) management can reduce soil erosion and increase soil carbon (C) in agricultural systems, but there is less certainty regarding deeper soil and how long-term tillage and fertilization practices compare to other land-use systems. The objective of this study was to quantify tillage and fertilizer management effects after 44 years (20 years in continuous corn [Zea mays L.] and 24 years in corn–soybean [Glycine max L.] rotation) on bulk density and soil C concentrations and stocks to a 1 m (3.3 ft) depth in a somewhat poorly drained Bethalto silt loam near Belleville, Illinois, and compare to nearby forest and restored prairie soils. Four tillage (moldboard plow, chisel tillage [ChT], alternate tillage, and NT) and five fertilizer (no fertilization control, nitrogen [N]-only, N + N-phosphorus-potassium [NPK] starter, NPK + NPKstarter, and NPK broadcast) treatments showed bulk density was lower in NT than moldboard plow treatments in 0 to 15 (0 to 6 in) and 25 to 50 cm (10 to 20 in) depths. Complete NPK treatments generally resulted in higher C stocks than N-only and control treatments from 0 to 25 cm (0 to 10 in), but no differences were detected from 25 to 100 cm (10 to 39 in) or 0 to 100 cm (0 to 39 in) due to fertilizer. No-till management increased C stocks compared to tillage treatments for 0 to 15 cm (0 to 6 in) and was greater than the ChT treatment for 0 to 100 cm (0 to 39 in). No-till/NPK maintained greater cumulative soil C stocks to 1 m than either undisturbed forest soils or restored prairie soils. Additionally, NT/NPK had the maximum soil C increase over time of 0.36 Mg C ha−1 y−1 (0.16 tn C ac−1 yr−1) for the top 15 cm (6 in) over 44 years.


Abstract. 7A52 aluminum alloy plate was welded using twin-wire metal inert gas arc welding (TANDEM welding). Corrosion behavior of the welded joint was investigated by immersion in 3.5% NaCl solution. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical inspections, specifically, polarization curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), were conducted to understand corrosion behavior of the TANDEM welding joint of 7A52 aluminum alloy. It was found that the heat affected zone (HAZ) exhibited higher corrosion susceptibility than the weld beam (WB), fusion zone (FZ) and base metal (BM). The electrochemical results showed that the WB with higher corrosion potential and larger impedance had highest corrosion resistance. Variations in the composition and grain size might have led to the differences in corrosion resistance because the welding process influenced microstructures of the TANDEM welding joint of 7A52 aluminum.


This study assess the effects of road widening projects in the second congressional district in the province of Sorsogon Fiscal Year 2019. It specifically sought answer on the effects of road widening projects and the level of satisfaction of the respondents. Likewise, it also determined the problems encountered and the strategies employed by the DPWH to enhance the implementation of the road widening projects. The respondents are chosen purposively from the residents in the second congressional district of Sorsogon residing along Maharlika Highway who are directly affected by the road widening projects, and DPWH personnel. The study used descriptive survey method of research utilizing questionnaire checklist as the main instrument in gathering the data supplemented with structured interview to DPWH personnel. Based on the analysis of the data gathered, the following conclusion can be drawn: the effect to the respondents of the implementation of road widening projects along the identified variables vary from less affected to moderately affected. Also, the respondents are less satisfied about right of way acquisition and local employment, however they are moderately satisfied on road improvement. There are problems encountered by the respondents in the implementation of the road widening projects. Strategies were employed by DPWH to enhance the implementation of road widening projects. The proposed action plan to improve the implementation of road widening projects can be adopted. The study recommends DPWH must constantly conduct consultation to the affected stakeholders prior to commencement of project in the community and must identified and resolved the road right of way problem prior to project implementation. Also, the DPWH may provide solution to address the problems encountered during implementation of road widening. Likewise, the DPWH may have to evaluate the strategies employed to ensure the effectiveness and keep them aligned with the policies and guidelines. Furthermore, the future researcher may concentrate on the effects of road widening or any projects on the environment.


Introduction Endovascular treatment has become the first line therapy at many centers for patients with cerebral aneurysms. In this coil-first era of aneurysm treatment, surgical clipping is typically reserved for lesions with complex morphologies or those which have recurred following initial endovascular therapy. We report the surgical clipping outcomes in a modern cohort of aneurysm patients who were treated at an institution which has adopted a coil-first policy. Methods We performed a retrospective evaluation of a prospective, institutional review board approved database of patients treated for cerebral aneurysms at the University of Virginia over a three year span from 2010 to 2012. During this period, there was an institutional coil-first policy for cerebral aneurysms such that the only patients who underwent surgical clipping were those with aneurysms deemed unsuitable for endovascular treatment due to aneurysm morphology or incomplete aneurysm occlusion despite endovascular treatment. Patient demographics, aneurysm characteristics, and postoperative outcomes were reported. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to compare postoperative outcomes between unruptured and ruptured aneurysm patients. Results A total of 59 patients were included for analysis. The median age was 58 years (range 29 to 79 years) and 71% of patients were female. The proportions of unruptured and ruptured aneurysms were 49% and 51%, respectively. The median Hunt and Hess and Fisher grades of the patients who presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage were 3 and 4, respectively. The locations of the 67 aneurysms were anterior communicating artery (30%), middle cerebral artery (48%), posterior communicating artery (10%), internal carotid artery terminus (9%), and posterior inferior cerebellar artery (3%). The median aneurysm diameter was 6 mm (range 2 to 22 mm). Prior coil embolization was performed or attempted in 20% of patients including residual or recurrent aneurysm, failed coil embolization, and post-coiling aneurysm rupture in 10%, 7%, and 3% of patients, respectively. Complex aneurysm morphology was noted in 56% of patients. The median postoperative follow-up was 3.2 months (range 0.1 to 34.4 months). New neurological deficits were noted in 29% of patients including a mortality rate of 5%. Clinical vasospasm was observed in 24% of patients and seizures occurred in 7% of patients. Temporary or permanent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion was required in 25% of patients. Patients with ruptured aneurysms were more likely to have new neurological deficits (P = 0.012), clinical vasospasm (P = 0.003), and require CSF diversion (P = 0.0001). Conclusions Due to the increasing frequency with which complex aneurysms are presenting for surgical clipping, the difficulty associated with surgical aneurysm treatment has risen over time. Long-term follow-up is necessary for surgically treated patients under a coil-first policy to determine the longitudinal progression of postoperative neurological deficits and neurocognitive outcomes. Despite significant advances in endovascular technology, surgical clipping remains an important treatment option for cerebral aneurysm patients. Patients with ruptured aneurysms are predisposed to poorer outcomes than those with unruptured aneurysms. Disclosures D. Ding: None. C. Chen: None. R. Starke: None. K. Liu: None.


Nano carbons are emerging as a key material for application in wide range of domains. The uniqueness of the material is its ability to bond in different ways including sp3, sp2 and sp1 and also exist in mixed phase mode, thus leading to many interesting materials. Further, International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) envisages
that nanocarbon in its various forms could be one of the key emerging materials, for the future. Even more important is the fact that the electronic transport mechanism in these wide range of nanostructured carbon thin films including nanotube, graphene, nanodiamonds, fullerenes, nanocluster carbon, tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta–C) and
diamond–like carbon (DLC), are yet to be fully established. Better understanding of the nature of transport in these films is crucial for any possible development of nano, micro, large area (macro) and flexible electronics devices and systems. An interesting material in this family is the room temperature deposited nanocluster carbon (NC) thin films, grown using the cathodic arc process. These nanocluster carbon thin films have been shown to be
useful for possible application in the area of vacuum nanoelectronics or field assisted electron emission. However, many fundamental properties of nanocluster carbon (NC) thin films are yet to be fully studied and
understood. Hence, there is a need to study the semiconducting behavior and the transport phenomenon in this material before it can be considered for electronic applications. This thesis is an effort to understand the
semiconducting nature and the electronic transport behavior of these room temperature deposited nanocluster carbon thin films, grown under varying process conditions using a cathodic arc system. Initially, morphological and compositional properties have been studied. Next, basic study of electrical and electronic properties of the
nanocluster carbon thin films has been carried out. Then the influence of high energy irradiation on the materials has been studied. Finally a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) using the nanocluster carbon thin films as channel
material have been simulated to look at the feasibility of devices. Nanocluster carbon films grown under a broad set of process conditions using the cathodic arc process have been studied. These include varying deposition arc current, throw distance (distance between target and substrate), deposition ion energies, and the influence of deposition
ambience or environment namely the partial pressures of helium, nitrogen and hydrogen gas during deposition. The techniques used to characterize and analyze the material include SEM, AFM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, UV–Vis spectrometry, FTIR, ellipsometry, dark conductivity, SCLC, C–V and photoconductivity


: Although the majority of previous research has focused on the negative impacts of envy, there is still limited research attention devoted to the potential positive influences of envy. After clarifying the definition of envy, this article summarizes potential antecedents of malicious and benign envy related to individual, leader, team and organizational variables, and the role of deservingness and perceived control as moderators involved in the relationship between those antecedents and malicious and benign envy. Furthermore, it proposes different mechanisms between these two types of envy and performance as well as destructive behaviors. Future research should develop measures of malicious and benign envy, and also examine the relationships between envy and pro-social behavior, feeling envied, the impact of core self-evaluations, cultural specific variables such as Mianzi and Zhongyong , and social network on the way in which envy is experienced and in the process how envy influences outcomes.


This paper reports on findings from the ADM‐OER project undertaken by a consortium comprising two specialist art, design and media institutions: University of the Arts London, University for the Creative Arts and one university faculty: the Faculty for the Arts, Cumbria University, and led by ADM‐HEA Subject Centre.

In a rapidly accelerating online ecology higher education is required to keep in step with changing technologies, platforms and networks. The growth of web technologies has offered both challenges and opportunities for institutions and academics.

The ADM‐OER Project has sought to address this changing environment by assessing the higher education culture in which such transformations are taking place by engaging directly with teaching staff and undertaking the processes required to provide openly accessible and usable teaching resources.


The primary objective of this study was to investigate the effect of age, season and the interaction between age and season on the sperm morphological characteristics of a selected population of Friesland bulls kept at an artificial insemination (AI) centre. The study was done at the Taurus AI station, South Africa with 271 Friesland AI bulls aged 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 months and older over a period of five years. Semen was collected by means of an artificial vagina in all four seasons of the year. Semen samples were screened for the percentage of normal sperm, percentage and total major defects (e.g. knobbed acrosomes, pyriforms, abnormal lose heads, dag defects, nuclear vacuoles, degenerative heads, mid-piece reflexes), the percentage and total minor defects (e.g. normal lose heads, distal droplets, curled end-piece and lose acrosomes). The results indicated that the percentage of normal sperm and major sperm defects were affected significantly by age of the bulls. Bulls at 36 to 48 months of age exhibited a better sperm morphology than bulls older than 72 months and bulls younger than 36 months of age. Major sperm defects that were affected by age included pyriform, knobbed acrosomes, mid-piece reflexes and dag defects. Season of the year also affected the percentage of normal sperm significantly. Percentage of normal sperm and major sperm defects were recorded as 72.8±1.6%, 79.4±2.2%, 82.5±2.4% and 84.4±2.4% and 20.3±1.3%, 15.3±1.9%, 12.5±2.0% and 11.5±2.0% for summer, autumn, winter and spring, respectively. Major sperm defects such as proximal droplets and pyriform differed significantly with season. By contrast, knobbed acrosomes and mid-piece reflexes did not differ between seasons. Even though there was a wide variation in sperm morphology, better morphology was observed in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. Major sperm defects, particularly the prevalence of knobbed acrosomes and dag defects, were affected significantly by the interaction between age and season. Young bulls recorded a higher prevalence of major sperm defects during winter and old bulls a higher prevalence during the summer. It is concluded that age and season contribute significantly to the proportion of variation in the sperm morphological characteristics of Friesland AI bulls in South Africa. For successful AI programmes, semen collection in Friesland bulls should be done at 36 to 48 months of age and preferably during spring or winter.


Retrospective study made on 140 renal surgical biopsies (RSB) performed throughout the past 4 years in our Unit. The technique's effectiveness and morbidity are emphasized and the surgical technique and type of anaesthesia described. The sample obtained was enough to perform an essay in 100% cases, and a diagnosis was reached in 98.5%. Thirty-nine patients (27.8%) presented complications, 13 (9.2%) of which were directly related to the surgical technique. No case required blood transfusion and no deaths were reported. The type of anaesthesia used was: local plus sedation in 104 (74.2%) cases, rachianaesthesia in 10 (7.1%) and general in 26 (18.5%). The same approach was used in all patients: minimal subcostal lumbotomy, using Wilde's forceps to obtain the samples. It is believed that RSB is a highly effective, low mortality procedure, easy and quick to perform, and suitable for selected patients.


Human Recombinant Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor is a hematopoietic growth factor; most commonly known to be used for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia for the mobilization of peripheral blood stem cells. A case of 43 years old lady, post radical mastectomy for breast cancer and one cycle of chemotherapy was encountered with the development of massive psoriasis-like eruptions all over the body including the scalp with adherent silvery scales after 10 days of administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor with the failure of remission even after months of treatment. Specific psoriasis signs were seen positive but the Biopsy and Reflectance Confocal Microscopy was inconclusive for the diagnosis of Psoriasis, therefore managed as an allergic drug eruption with immediate cessation of G-CSF administration. The rash improved significantly with no new appearances. However during follow up, the island of patches persisted on certain areas, which made it a not so clear case of a drug eruption because of its incomplete remission even after cessation of the drug. So we would like to present a case of G-CSF induced drug eruption coinciding with Psoriasis features suggestive of early presentation of Psoriasis. The main objective of this report is to analyze whether the eruptions caused by G-CSF is a drug eruption or an initiation towards the overall progression of Psoriasis.


A rhyolite in the Hemlock Formation, a mostly bimodal submarine volcanic deposit that is laterally correlative with the Negaunee Iron-formation, yields a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb zircon age of 1874 ± 9 Ma, but also contains inherited Archean zircons as old as 3.8  Ga. This precise age determination for the classic Paleoproterozoic stratigraphic sequence of northern Michigan, the Marquette Range Supergroup (MRS), necessitates modification of previous depositional and tectonic models. Our new data indicate that the Menominee Group, previously ascribed to continental rifting during early, pre-collision phases of the Penokean orogenic cycle, is coeval with arc-related volcanic rocks now preserved as accreted terranes immediately to the south and is more aptly interpreted as a foredeep deposit. We interpret these to be second-order basins created by oblique subduction of the continental margin rather than basins formed on a rifting margin. Along with a recently reported age for the Gunflint Formation in Ontario of 1878 ± 2 Ma, our data suggest that an extensive foredeep in the western Lake Superior region was the locus of iron-formation deposition during arc accretion from the south. Further, we interpret the lower MRS (Chocolay Group), a glaciogenic and shallow-marine succession that lies atop Archean basement, to be equivalent to the upper part of the Huronian Supergroup of Ontario and to represent the original continental rifting and passive-margin phase of the Penokean cycle. The upper MRS (Baraga Group) represents deeper marine basins, dominated by turbidites and lesser volcanic rocks, resulting from increased subsidence and continued collision. A stitching pluton, which cuts correlatives of the Hemlock Formation in a thrust sheet, yielded a U–Pb zircon age of 1833 ± 6 Ma, consistent with other post-tectonic plutons in Wisconsin and northern Michigan, indicating that Penokean convergence lasted no longer than ∼40 million years.


Bias-correction methods are commonly applied to climate model data in hydrological climate impact studies. This is due to the often large deviations between simulated and observed climate variables. These biases may cause unrealistic simulation results when directly using the climate model data as input for hydrological models. Our analysis of the EURO-CORDEX (Coordinated Downscaling Experiment for Europe) data for the Northwestern part of Germany showed substantial biases for all climatological input variables needed by the hydrological model PANTA RHEI. The sensitivity for climatological input data demonstrated that changes in only one climate variable significantly affect the simulated average discharge and mean annual peak flow. The application of bias correction methods of different complexity on the climate model data improved the plausibility of hydrological modeling results for the historical period 1971–2000. The projections for the future period 2069–2099 for high flows indicate on average small changes for representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5 and an increase of approximately 10% for RCP8.5 when applying non-bias corrected climate model data. These values significantly differed when applying bias correction. The bias correction methods were evaluated in terms of their ability to (a) maintain the change signal for precipitation and (b) the goodness of fit for hydrological parameters for the historical period. Our results for this evaluation indicated that no bias correction method can explicitly be preferred over the others.


The Human Central Nervous System (CNS) is governed by electrochemical networks forming a delicate interplay between the different regions of the brain. The objective of the present experiment is to investigate the phylogenetic background of this electrochemical network by creating a comparable binary and ternary interplay of interactions between different neurotransmitters (noradrenaline, histamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, glutamate, and dopamine) in the unicellular eukaryote Tetrahymena pyriformis. Tetrahymena – as a protozoon – has no nervous system; however, it has been shown that it has not only the ability to store, synthesize and secrete biogenic amines but it also bears binding sites for the corresponding receptors of some of these molecules. The chemotactic responsiveness elicited by the neurotransmitters was examined in Tetrahymena cells, using a modified version of Leick's two-chamber capillary chemotaxis assay with 20-minute incubation times. The concentration course of each neurotransmitter was determined and the concentration eliciting the strongest effect was further used to examine the chemotactic response of the neurotransmitters when used in pairs and in groups of three. Adequate cellular responses (chemoattractant and chemorepellent) were detected in both cases when the neurotransmitters were used alone and in combinations. A pattern detected in these responses was related to the neurotransmitters' physicochemical characteristics (XlogP, TPSA). These provide evidence that the chief regulatory molecules of the CNS can be identified even in lower, eukaryotic unicellular levels of phylogeny and possibly alter the basic functions of these organisms. In summary, our results support the theory that any evolved nervous system-like interplay could stem from a common origin. Therefore, identifying the "ancient" function of a molecule or its receptor effect can open new windows in the advancement of therapeutic interventions.


Abstract Since the early phase of the intercontinental dispersal of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), fermentation baits have been used for monitoring. Self-made lures and commercial products are often based on wine and vinegar. From an ecological perspective, the formulation of these baits is expected to target especially vinegar flies associated with overripe fruit, such as Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Hanseniaspora uvarum (Niehaus) (Ascomycota: Saccharomyceta) is a yeast closely associated with D. suzukii and fruit, and furthermore attractive to the flies. Based on this relation, H. uvarum might represent a suitable substrate for the development of lures that are more specific than vinegar and wine. In the field, we therefore, compared H. uvarum to a commercial bait that was based on vinegar and wine with respect to the number of trapped D. suzukii relative to other drosophilids and arthropods. Trap captures were higher with the commercial bait but specificity for D. suzukii was greater with H. uvarum. Moreover, H. uvarum headspace extracts, as well as a synthetic blend of H. uvarum volatiles, were assayed for attraction of D suzukii in a wind tunnel and in the field. Headspace extracts and the synthetic blend induced strong upwind flight in the wind tunnel and confirmed attraction to H. uvarum volatiles. Furthermore, baited with H. uvarum headspace extract and a drowning solution of aqueous acetic acid and ethanol, 74% of field captured arthropods were D. suzukii. Our findings suggest that synthetic yeast headspace formulations might advance the development of more selective monitoring traps with reduced by-catch.


To study Asparagus officinalis polysaccharide on the function of erythrocyte in S180 mice on immunological reaction of lymphocyte. Suspensions of lymphocytes and autologous plasma were separated from whole blood of healthy mice. The erythrocytes were separated from whole blood of Asparagus officinalis polysaccharide mice. Using the autologous plasm as reactive medium, the role of erythrocytes in regulating the immunological reaction of lymphocytes was mesured. The expression of CD25 on lymphocytes was measured by flow cytometry. The immunological regulating ability of erythrocyte in control group is much lower than normal group, and in Asparagus officinalis polysaccharide group is much higher than control group. According to the effects of erythrocyte CD35 on the immune-response of lymphocyte and the different of the expression of CD25 on lymphocytes, we prove that Asparagus officinalis polysaccharide can improve the erythrocyte function of S180 mice.


An important issue for peer-to-peer application is to locate content within the network. There are many existing solutions to this problem, however, each of them addresses different aspects and each has its deficiencies. We focus on the unstructured peer-to-peer scenario and present a constrained flooding routing algorithm, Efa, which overcomes some of the deficiencies of those existing strategies. Efa performs application level broadcasting in a potentially very large peer-to-peer network overlaid on the Internet. Efa is completely decentralized and self-organized. It is a more scalable alternative to flooding, which is commonly used in unstructured peer-to-peer systems. Utilizing just a small amount of topology info, Efa is almost as simple as flooding, but it is much more efficient and scalable.


The study is aimed at determining the technical efficiency of rice farmers in Anambra State value chain development programme. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to elicit information from 372 rice farmers from the five participating Local Government Areas (Ayamelum, Awka North, Anambra West, Anambra East, and Orumba North) after which only 337 respondents were fit for the study. Cobb Douglas stochastic frontier model was used to ascertain the frontier line of the farmer's production potentials. The determinant of technical inefficiency was sex and farming experience. The findings revealed that the gamma value (0.0315) captures the variation in technical efficiency by farmers, therefore, about 3.15% variation is observed and frontier output is due to rice farmer's technical inefficiency effect. The study equally showed that the mean technical efficiency as predicted in the study was 84.76% implying that the farmers are operating 15.24% below their optimum production capacity. These, therefore, justify the need for policymakers to constantly organize training and sensitization workshops for the rice farmers in Anambra State and Nigeria at large paying particular attention to women farmers and the general farmer's farming experience which will help to tailor down training to specific needs.

 Key words: Stochastic frontier, technical efficiency and inefficiency, return to scale, influence, utilization, sensitization.


We report an efficient and specific gene targeting method for transforming the germ line of Drosophila melanogaster. The targeting occurs during the repair of a double-strand DNA break that is induced at the white locus by the excision of a P transposable element. The break is repaired when homologous sequence is copied from a plasmid injected into the Drosophila embryo. The procedure efficiently integrates DNA into the targeted locus of the Drosophila genome. Heterologous sequence of up to 13 kbp in length can be inserted, permitting the intergration of entire genes into a common genomic site for further study.


Achieving dimensional control for fused deposition modeling (FDM) of polymeric parts can be tedious and often involves inefficient trial-and-error experimentation through adjusting print parameters. These inefficiencies may be reduced through the use of process modeling. Understanding the fundamental effects of the print conditions will facilitate predicting part dimensions as well as strength, accounting for the degree of contact between roads, thermal history, and residual stresses. Modeling of additive processes is complex due to transient local boundary conditions and a continually increasing part volume throughout the printing process. Numerous previous studies in FDM have focused on varying experimental process variables such as print speed, extrusion, build temperatures, and print path to determine their effect on mechanical properties. Fewer efforts, however, investigate the complex thermo-mechanical history throughout the printing process or the driving mechanism in road-to-road bonding due to local re-melting of previously solidified material and diffusion. In this research, a 3D finite element model framework for predicting the thermal and residual stress history of an additively manufactured thermosetting polymer is presented. By incorporating material sub-models with the Abaqus FEA solver, the model is able to capture the cure kinetics during the printing process. The model takes a high-fidelity approach through the modeling and stepwise activation of individual roads to simulate the deposition process. Further, the geometry (i.e. cross-section) is varied to demonstrate a mechanism capable of including future research road-to-road bonding.