Background: Therapeutic options for relapse or refractory (r/r) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and hypomethylating agent (HMA) failure higher risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) pts are limited with median overall survival of < 6 months. Consequently, novel therapies are urgently needed. CD33 is highly expressed on most myeloid leukemia stem cells with lesser expression on normal hematopoietic stem cell populations and minimal non-hematopoietic expression making CD33 a leading target in chimeric antigen receptor therapy (CAR-T) development for myeloid malignancies. However, additional barriers of CAR-T development in myeloid malignancies include long manufacturing period, expansion of CAR-T cells and potential toxicity related to on-target, off-tumor toxicity.
 Scientific Rationale:
 Current CAR-T cells utilize viral vectors for gene transfer and subsequent lengthy ex vivo expansion at centralized manufacturing facilities, which is costly and leads to cell product that is exhausted and short lived in vivo. Time is of the essence for pts with rapidly progressing disease such as r/r AML and the prolonged interval between apheresis to product infusion with current CAR-T cell therapies can be a disadvantage. Although allogeneic "off-the-shelf" products allow for rapid administration, challenges remain with rapid rejection. Precigen has developed UltraCAR-T platform to overcome these limitations by utilizing an advanced non-viral gene delivery system and a rapid, decentralized manufacturing process. UltraCAR-T cells are manufactured overnight at medical center's cGMP facility using patient's autologous T cells and administered back to patient only one day after gene transfer with no need for ex vivo expansion. PRGN-3006 UltraCAR-T cells co-express CD33 CAR, membrane bound IL-15 (mbIL15) and a kill switch. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that the expression of the mbIL15 on UltraCAR-T cells leads to maintenance of preferred stem-like memory phenotype (TSCM). Superior efficacy of UltraCAR-T cells was demonstrated in an aggressive murine xenograft model of AML where a single administration of PRGN-3006, only one day after gene transfer, showed significantly higher expansion and persistence; effectively eliminated tumor burden; and significantly improved overall survival compared to traditional CD33 CAR-T cells lacking mbIL15 expression (Blood (2019) 134(S1): 2660).
 Study Design: The PRGN-3006 UltraCAR-T cells are currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b first-in-human dose escalation/dose expansion clinical trial (NCT03927261). The study population includes adult pts (≥ 18 years) with relapsed or refractory AML and HMA failure higher risk MDS or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) with ≥ 5% blasts. Pts who have relapsed post allogeneic stem cell transplant are allowed if > 3 months out from transplant without evidence of active graft versus host disease and off immunosuppression for 6 weeks. Key inclusion criteria include an absolute lymphocyte count ≥ 0.2k/µL, KPS > 60%, absence of other active malignancy within 1 year of study entry, daily corticosteroid dose < 10mg of prednisone daily, adequate organ function and a backup allogeneic donor should bone marrow aplasia occur. Hydroxyurea is allowed for cytoreduction with cessation 3 days prior to apheresis/infusion but can be reinitiated post-infusion.
 To test the hypothesis that expression of mbIL15 on PRGN-3006 cells is sufficient to promote CAR-T cell expansion and persistence, study subjects will receive PRGN-3006 infusion either without prior lymphodepletion (Cohort 1) or following lymphodepleting chemotherapy (Cohort 2 with fludarabine 30mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 500mg/m2 days -5 to -3). Up to 5 dose levels are planned in dose escalation. All subjects will be followed for adverse events, CAR-T-related toxicities, disease response and PRGN-3006 cell expansion and persistence in blood and bone marrow compartments. In addition, the mechanisms of safety and effectiveness of PRGN-3006 cells will be evaluated with correlative assays of specific immune response pathways. Currently, the study is in the dose escalation phase and has cleared the lower dose level while demonstrating successful manufacturing of UltraCAR-T cells. Additionally, multi-center expansion of the trial is in progress.

 Sallman: Celgene, Jazz Pharma: Research Funding; Agios, Bristol Myers Squibb, Celyad Oncology, Incyte, Intellia Therapeutics, Kite Pharma, Novartis, Syndax: Consultancy. Sweet:Agios: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Astellas: Honoraria; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Stemline: Honoraria; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Incyte: Research Funding. Talati:Astellas: Speakers Bureau; Jazz: Speakers Bureau; AbbVie: Honoraria; Pfizer: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria. Lankford:Precigen, Inc.: Current Employment. Chan:Precigen, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Shah:Precigen, Inc.: Current Employment; Intrexon Corporation: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Padron:BMS: Research Funding; Novartis: Honoraria; Kura: Research Funding; Incyte: Research Funding. Komrokji:Novartis: Honoraria; Agios: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Acceleron: Honoraria; AbbVie: Honoraria; JAZZ: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau; Incyte: Honoraria; Geron: Honoraria; BMS: Honoraria, Speakers Bureau. Lancet:Abbvie: Consultancy; Agios Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy, Honoraria; Astellas Pharma: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy, Research Funding; Daiichi Sankyo: Consultancy; ElevateBio Management: Consultancy; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Pfizer: Consultancy. Sabzevari:Precigen, Inc.: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Compass Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Bejanyan:Kiadis Pharma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.


The registration process was established to ensure that appropriate support was provided to those who needed it, but are the current visual acuity guidelines for registration fit for purpose?

The Blind Person's Act (1920) and the National Assistance Act (1948) developed a method of identifying people who had a sight impairment and providing local authority funded rehabilitation services for them. Later, low-vision rehabilitation services were established in the Hospital Eye Service,1 and now the hospital and local authority services should work together to provide holistic support for people losing their sight.2 A report funded and published by the Thomas Pocklington Trust3 on an analysis of people using an "open-access" rehabilitation service in Wales4 suggests that the registration guidance is no longer fit for purpose. This large data set (n=5817) provides a unique insight into registration because it includes a large number of people who are not registered but who have a sight impairment and are using rehabilitation services.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to assess the technical feasibility and clinical effectiveness of the placement of partially covered self-expandable dual stents in patients with afferent loop syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data from 13 consecutive patients who had undergone partially covered dual stent placement for afferent loop syndrome after various types of surgery were retrospectively analyzed. Nine patients underwent stent placement via the percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tract, and four patients underwent placement via the peroral route. A total of 16 stents were used in this study (i.e., 15 dual stents and one fully covered esophageal stent).

RESULTS
The route of stent insertion was determined on the basis of each patient's general condition, the site of obstruction, anatomic variations, and associated symptoms. Stent placement was technically successful in all patients. After stent placement, 12 of 13 patients experienced normalization of their abnormal biliary laboratory findings and decompression of the dilated bowel loop, whereas the remaining patient showed no change. This patient had to undergo the additional treatment of surgical jejunojejunostomy. No procedure-related complications occurred in any patients enrolled in this study.

CONCLUSION
Placement of partially covered dual stents appears to be a promising technique that may offer successful palliation for patients who develop afferent loop syndrome after various types of surgery.


This paper summarizes the current knowledge of business process modelling languages, which is increasingly important also in the agri-food industry. It describes the history of business process modelling, currently mostly used alternatives – UML, BPMN, EPC and recaps their strengths and features in which they outperform the others. As demonstrated all three notations can adequately model business processes. They do however differ in some specific features. In some aspects, each of the languages always outperforms the others. Important is that except of some general objective features where the languages differ, there is also a lot of subjective perception of how the single notations perform.


The stress in dorado fingerlings (Salminus brasiliensis) caused by transportation at densities of 5, 10, and 15g/l after 4, 8, and 12h was evaluated by the concentration of tissue cortisol measured by ELISA. The conditions of transportation were simulated on an orbital table shaker with horizontal movements, inside 15 litres plastic bags filled with 4 litres of water and pure oxygen. Cortisol concentrations increased in all densities after 4h of transportation converging to a common concentration at the end of the tested times. Electrical conductivity of water increased with density and transportation time. The transportation caused stress on fish, but the increase on density and in times of transportation did not cause mortality to fingerlings. The transportation of S. brasiliensis fingerlings can be done without mortality or apparent injuries to animals until the maximum analyzed density of 15g/l and up to 12h.


This paper established finite element models of adult head based on GB/T 24550-2009 and hood of a car. When the finite element model of the adult headform impactor was established, tests were carried out to prove that the impactor was valid. Then experiments were carried out at adult head test area of the hood. The results show that some areas of the hood are too hard where the hood hinges are installed. It is very bad for pedestrian head to hit those areas in accident. In order to protect pedestrian head efficiently, this paper proposed a new kind of hood hinge, called buffer-type hinge. Comparison tests were carried out. The buffer-type hinge is proved to be more effective to protect pedestrian head in traffic accident.


Abstract In-situ measurements of the amount of dissolution of carbonate minerals at high pressures (up to 3.6 GPa) and temperatures (up to 523 K) are reported. Using an externally heated diamond anvil cell (DAC) and synchrotron X-ray fluorescence (SXRF), the extent of dissolution of strontianite (SrCO3) has been followed as a function of time by monitoring the fluorescence of Sr cations in the fluid surrounding the crystal. This work demonstrates that Sr2+ concentrations as low as 1000 ppm can be detected and measured in-situ in a DAC, using a forward transmission geometry. The preliminary data presented here indicate that this technique has high potential for determining solution composition in high-pressure and high-temperature geochemical studies.


The controlled growth of ZnO nanorods on technologically relevant substrates is essential for their practical integration into next generation optoelectronic and piezoelectric devices. In this report, highly ordered and uniform vertical ZnO nanorod arrays were synthesized using a facile, low temperature selective area wet chemical growth process. The nanorods were grown through nucleation windows that were patterned in a PMMA mask using electron beam lithography. At first, the technique was demonstrated on `ideal' ZnO single crystal substrates, where the geometrical parameters of the highly uniform and crystallographically coherent nanorods were dictated by the nucleation pattern, the polarity of the substrate, and the growth conditions. The obtained geometry was then compared to 4 further arrays corresponding to different ZnO seed layers deposited on Si and sapphire substrates. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the crystal orientation and the alignment of the nanorods were determined by the underlying seed layer. The piezoresponse force microscopy revealed that the d33 piezoelectric tensor component of the wet chemically grown nanorods was comparable (6-12 pm/V) to that of the highest value measured on ZnO single crystal (12.4 pm/V). The presented nanorod arrays have several potential applications, from nanorod based light emitting devices to CMOS compatible piezoelectric nanoforce sensors.


Several techniques for the computation of gamut boundaries have been presented in the past. In this paper we take an in-depth look at some of the gamut boundary descriptors used when performing today's gamut mapping algorithms. We present a method for evaluating the mismatch introduced when using a descriptor to approximate the boundary of a device gamut. First, a visually verified reference gamut boundary is created by triangulating the gamut surface using a device profile or a device characterization model. The different gamut boundary descriptor techniques are then used to construct gamut boundaries based on several sets of simulated measurement data from the device. These boundaries are then compared against the reference gamut by utilizing a novel voxel based approach. Preliminary results from experiments using several gamut boundary descriptors are presented, and the performance of the different algorithms is discussed.


Abstract. The benefit of autonomous vehicles in hydrography is largely based on the ability of these platforms to carry out survey campaigns in a fully autonomous manner. One solution is to have real-time processing onboard the survey vessel. To meet this real-time processing goal, deep learning based-models are favored. Although Artificial Intelligence (AI) is booming, the main studies have been devoted to optical images and more recently, to LIDAR point clouds. However, little attention has been paid to the underwater environment. In this paper, we present an investigation into the adaptation of deep neural network to multi-beam echo-sounder (MBES) point cloud in order to classify sea-bottom morphology. More precisely, the paper investigates whether fully convolutional network can be trained while using the native 3D structure of the point cloud. A preprocessing approach is provided in order to overcome the lack of adequate training data. The results reported from the test data sets show the level of complexity related to natural, underwater terrain features where a classification accuracy no better than 65% can be reached when 2 micro topographic classes are used. Point density and resolution have a strong impact on the seabed morphology thereby affecting the classification scheme.


Much of the recent research on civil war treats explanations rooted in political and economic grievances with considerable suspicion and claims that there is little empirical evidence of any relationship between ethnicity or inequality and political violence. We argue that common indicators used in previous research, such as the ethno-linguistic fractionalization (ELF) and the Gini coefficient for income dispersion, fail to capture fundamental aspects of political exclusion and economic inequality that can motivate conflict. Drawing on insights from group-level research, we develop new country-level indices that directly reflect inequalities among ethnic groups, including political discrimination and wealth differentials along ethnic lines. Our analysis reveals that these theoretically informed country profiles are much better predictors of civil war onset than conventional inequality indicators, even when we control for a number of alternative factors potentially related to grievances or opportunities for conflict.


Whereas health care resources are limited, demands upon them are insatiable. Drug expenditure has received particular attention in attempts to regulate increasing costs. For hospitals, contract purchasing is designed to regulate drug expense. This thesis examines the contract mechanisms. Information was collected from pharmacists and supplies officers in all English health regions and pharmaceutical companies supplying the bulk of hospital drug requirements.
The main findings of the research are:-
1 There is a large, unexplainable difference in price charged to various health regions for an identical drug. Price charged is independent of all obvious correlates.
2 Despite the oligopgonistic power of the National Health Service there is no centralised interchange of price or purchasing information between health regions.
3 Pharmaceutical suppliers view hospital drug purchasing as fertile for opportunistic pricing within the context of total profit regulation.
4 There is an ill-defined working relationship between pharmacists and supplies officers in the implementation of drug contracts, often amicable locally but tense and competitive nationally.
The overall impression is of a purchasing mechanism which, due to its political sensitivity, has, by default, become increasingly outmoded and represents a triumph of public accountability over individual negotiating skill. The overall regulation of pricing is in substantive conflict with the hospital contract system. One encourages UK research, the other not, while the savings in hospital purchase are redundant in the context of both overall corporate and Governmental financing.
Cost savings are unknown. Other methods of acquisition such as prime vendor buying should be considered, as a means of improving purchase efficiency for both supplier and purchaser.


The YY Ori stars are T Tauri stars with prominent time-variable redshifted absorption components that flank certain emission lines. One of the brightest in this class is S CrA, a visual double star. We have obtained a series of high-resolution spectra of the two components during four nights with the UVES spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope. We followed the spectral changes occurring in S CrA to derive the physical structure of the accreting gas.
We found that both stars are very similar with regard to surface temperature, radius, and mass. Variable redshifted absorption components are particularly prominent in the SE component. During one night, this star developed a spectrum unique among the T Tauri stars: extremely strong and broad redshifted absorption components appeared in many lines of neutral and ionized metals, in addition to those of hydrogen and helium. The absorption depths of cooler, low ionization lines peak at low velocities - while more highly ionized lines have peak absorption depths at high velocities. The different line profiles indicate that the temperature and density of the accretion stream increase as material approaches the star. We derive the physical conditions of the flow at several points along the accretion funnel directly from the spectrum of the infalling gas. We estimated mass accretion rates of about 10^(-7) solar masses per year, which is similar to that derived from the relation based on the strength of H alpha emission line.
This is the first time the density and temperature distributions in accretion flows around a T Tauri star have been inferred from observations. Compared with predictions from standard models of accretion in T Tauri stars, which assume a dipole stellar magnetic field, we obtained higher densities and a steeper temperature rise toward the star.


One major problem in magnetic resonance image (MRI) equipment is the high-level noise borne by the vibration of the cylindrical shell to support the coils for gradient magnetic fields. The vibration of the shell is excited by the Lorentz force between the pulse current applied to the coils and the main magnetic field. In order to suppress the noise inside the cylindrical shell, it is aimed to control the vibration of the shell. In this paper, simulation is carried out on the vibration control of the shell by using distributed piezoelectric actuators. The actuators produce a bending moment or an in plane force when pulse voltages are applied synchronously with the pulse current of the coils. haupling of actuators and vibration modes, and parameter optimization are also discussed. The simulation results show that the vibration level is successfully reduced in the frequency range of 400-1200 Hz.


The classification and dynamics monitoring of wetlands using remotely sensed data is a complicated, time‐consuming process involving high costs, and the accuracy varies depending on the techniques used for image processing and analysis, and the time and costs required for training, etc. This paper presents an optimization‐based layered classification method for the classification and dynamics monitoring of wetlands based on a decision procedure of multiple objectives. Four driven factors including techniques to be used, classification accuracy, and the time and cost needed for the classification, were selected as the indicators of criteria in optimization of the layered classification. This method was applied to Thematic Mapper (TM) image classification of the wetlands in Minjiang River estuary and led to the overall correct percentage of 85.13% for seven categories of the wetlands.


This is a case study designed to test the thesis (drawn from political science literature) that the power of "subgovernments" in the United States has decreased and, in particular, claims a demise in the power of the atomic energy subgovernment as one proof for the thesis. The subgovernment approach to explaining policymaking in the United States "is based on the observation that relatively small groups of actors dominate certain sectors of the political system" [Duffy 1997, 4]. One function of such subgovernments is to redistribute income upward through the cost-plus reimbursement terms of government contracts. The subgovernmental institutions-also referred to as subsystems, iron triangles, or policy monopolies [McCool 19901-are described as "small, stable groups of actors, both public and private, that dominate policy in specific issue areas" [Duffy 1997, 3]. Robert Duffy characterizes a subgovernmental group as typically consisting of mid-level executive bureaucrats, a committee or commission, and a client group (or special interest group, in McCool [1990]). Each actor or unit associated with a subgovernment can potentially benefit from a program's success either politically or economically. Consequently, because of complementary goals, a policy monopoly emerges that protects the shared interests of the units. Policymaking within this monopoly is characterized by quiet negotiations and compromise. Moreover, policy shifts are usually restricted to incremental changes to avoid attracting the attention of those outside the subgovernment.


Since it launched five years ago, PLOS ONE has redefined the scientific journal. The broad publication criteria and lack of page limit allowed PLOS ONE to grow at a rate never seen before in the industry, to a level where it needed its own category: the Megajournal. Recently, other publishers have sought to emulate the success of PLOS ONE with releases of their own megajournals. These new journals all have similar properties: full Open Access, editorial criteria based on sound science and not on significance or impact, fast turnaround, broad scope. In this talk I shall discuss the features of megajournals, their benefits and weaknesses, and what their arrival means for the future of scientific publishing.


ABSTRACT In participatory budgeting (PB), residents instead of public officials decide how public money is spent. PB may reveal that residents prioritize different investments than public officials, which could lead to more socially just spending. However, little research has examined whether and how PB shifts spending priorities. This study leverages publicly available records on New York City council districts' capital project allocations over ten years (2009 through 2018), comparing spending within and across PB and non-PB districts. Multi-level regression models show that, on average, when council districts adopted PB, greater proportions of their discretionary capital budgets were allocated to schools, streets and traffic improvements, and public housing. PB was associated with decreases in spending on parks and recreation projects and housing preservation and development projects. The article shows that priorities shift when residents are directly involved in budgeting. Implications for equity and community well-being, and directions for future research are discussed.


In situ Raman spectroscopy revealed that transiting the concentrated NaI/H2O solutions to an ice VI phase and then into an ice VII phase at 298 K proceeds in a way different from that activated by the solute type. Unlike the solute type that raises both the critical pressures PC1 and PC2, for the liquid-VI, the VI-VII transition simultaneously occurs in the Hofmeister series order: I > Br > Cl > F ∼ 0; concentration increase raises the PC1 faster than the PC2 that remains almost constant at higher NaI/H2O molecular number ratios. Concentration increase moves the PC1 along the liquid-VI phase boundary and it finally merges with PC2 at the triple-phase junction featured at 350 K and 3.05 GPa. The highly-deformed H-O bond is less sensitive to the concentration because of the involvement of anion-anion repulsion that weakens the electric field in the hydration shells. Observations confirm that the salt solvation lengthens the O:H nonbond and softens its phonon but relaxes the H-O bond contrastingly. Compression, however, has the opposite effect from that of salt solvation. Therefore, compression recovers the polarization-deformed O:H-O bond first and then proceeds to the phase transitions. The anion-anion interaction discriminates the effect of NaI/H2O concentration from that of the solute type at an identical concentration on the phase transitions.


The Rockefeller Brothers Fund is currently accepting applications for its 2003 Charles E. Culpeper Scholarships in Medical Science Program designed to support the career development of academic physicians. Up to four awards of $100,000 per year for 3 years will be made to United States medical schools or equivalent United States educational institutions on behalf of candidates who are U.S. citizens or aliens who have been granted permanent U.S. residence (proof required); who have received their M.D. from a U.S. medical school or the equivalent of an M.D. from an educational institution equivalent to a United States Medical School in 1994 or later (except under extraordinary circumstances, as approved by the Fund before submittal); and who are judged worthy of support by virtue of the quality of their research proposals. All scientific research relevant to human health is eligible for consideration. No institution may nominate more than one candidate. In selecting awardees, emphasis will be on identifying young physicians with clear potential for making substantial contributions to science as academic physicians. Since January 1988, 49 physicians have been selected as Charles E. Culpeper Medical Scholars. Deadline for applications is August 15, 2002. Awards will be announced in January 2003, for activation on or about July 1, 2003. Application forms and instructions may be obtained on the Web at www.rbf.org or by contacting:


Delightful urban ambience is an important indicator of liveability; in turn liveability is a significant aspect of sustainability. But can this quality be quantified? To the extent that ambience reflects the (measurable) configuration of urban form; it is proposed that the comparative expression of certain ambient qualities can be evaluated between areas of differing morphology. Ambience may be conceptualised in terms of the properties of and relations among the distinct sets of elements, from building materials to city blocks, which comprise any given urban structural unit (USU), a construct prefaced on the morphological differentiability of urban form. This paper introduces the derivation of the USU and outlines the results of combining approaches derived from space syntax and fractal geometry to investigate three significant ambient properties – permeability, legibility and diversity – for three dissimilar USUs in Sydney, Australia. It concludes with a brief exposition of a method to test these results against user judgements, which are assumed to reflect the integration of perceptual cues from the environment.


Current proposals for adding gradual typing to JavaScript, such as Closure, TypeScript and Dart, forgo soundness to deal with issues of scale, code reuse, and popular programming patterns. We show how to address these issues in practice while retaining soundness. We design and implement a new gradual type system, prototyped for expediency as a 'Safe' compilation mode for TypeScript. Our compiler achieves soundness by enforcing stricter static checks and embedding residual runtime checks in compiled code. It emits plain JavaScript that runs on stock virtual machines. Our main theorem is a simulation that ensures that the checks introduced by Safe TypeScript (1) catch any dynamic type error, and (2) do not alter the semantics of type-safe TypeScript code. Safe TypeScript is carefully designed to minimize the performance overhead of runtime checks. At its core, we rely on two new ideas: differential subtyping, a new form of coercive subtyping that computes the minimum amount of runtime type information that must be added to each object; and an erasure modality, which we use to safely and selectively erase type information. This allows us to scale our design to full-fledged TypeScript, including arrays, maps, classes, inheritance, overloading, and generic types. We validate the usability and performance of Safe TypeScript empirically by type-checking and compiling around 120,000 lines of existing TypeScript source code. Although runtime checks can be expensive, the end-to-end overhead is small for code bases that already have type annotations. For instance, we bootstrap the Safe TypeScript compiler (90,000 lines including the base TypeScript compiler): we measure a 15% runtime overhead for type safety, and also uncover programming errors as type safety violations. We conclude that, at least during development and testing, subjecting JavaScript/TypeScript programs to safe gradual typing adds significant value to source type annotations at a modest cost.


Sediment anoxia and associated low redox potential (Eh) are important influences on
the distribution of saltmarsh plants. Nevertheless, the detailed variation of Eh in
space and time is poorly understood, especially on managed realignment (MR)
saltmarshes where anoxia may be a significant constraint on the establishment of
characteristic perennial halophytes. This thesis examines the distribution of Eh in
natural and MR saltmarshes of North Norfolk and Lincolnshire, UK and its
implications for Armeria maritima, Limonium vulgare, Plantago maritima and
Triglochin maritima, species important in general saltmarsh (GSM) communities.
Detailed measurements of Eh were made using arrays of fixed electrodes and a field
datalogger, at different sites/seasons/sediment depths, over tidal cycles, and in relation
to microtopography (including on an existing experiment with manipulated
microtopography). Laboratory apparatus was devised to examine responses of
halophytes to controlled Eh in water culture.
Relationships between vegetation and Eh proved complex. Prolonged low-Eh
episodes occurred both at MR and natural GSM sites, particularly in summer. Atriplex
portulacoides and Puccinellia maritima tended to dominate where low-Eh episodes
were more transient, generally near drainage channels or at higher elevations. Atriplex,
Armeria and Plantago previously planted in experimental plots survived poorly at low
Eh, while Limonium and Triglochin showed higher survival. In cultivation, Atriplex
tolerated anoxia for only two weeks, and low Eh did not impose any additional stress.
In contrast, Triglochin survived the ten-week duration of the experiment even at low
Eh.
Thus laboratory results suggested mechanistic bases to explain those in the field.
Although MR and GSM sediments can exhibit similar Eh measurements, they may
differ with respect to redox capacity; MR sediments sites with high reduction
capacities may exert additional stresses that could limit colonisation. Conversely,
consistently high Eh could also limit colonisation on MR sites by promoting vigorous
competitive growth of Atriplex and Puccinellia.


Coronary artery bypass surgery, performed with or without cardiopulmonary bypass, is frequently followed by postoperative cognitive decline. Near-infrared spectroscopy is commonly used to assess cerebral tissue oxygenation, especially during cardiac surgery. Recent studies have suggested an association between cerebral desaturation and postoperative cognitive dysfunction. We therefore studied cerebral oxygen desaturation, defined as area under the cerebral oxygenation curve <40% of >10 min.%, with respect to cognitive performance at 4 days (early) and 3 months (late) postoperatively, compared with baseline, using a computerised cognitive test battery. We included 60 patients, of mean (SD) age 62.8 (9.4) years, scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting, who were randomly allocated to surgery with or without cardiopulmonary bypass. Cerebral desaturation occurred in only three patients and there was no difference in cerebral oxygenation between the two groups at any time. Among patients who received cardiopulmonary bypass, 18 (62%) had early cognitive decline, compared with 16 (53%) in the group without cardiopulmonary bypass (p=0.50). Three months after surgery, 11 patients (39%) in the cardiopulmonary bypass group displayed cognitive dysfunction, compared with four (14%) in the non-cardiopulmonary bypass group (p=0.03). The use of cardiopulmonary bypass was identified as an independent risk factor for the development of late cognitive dysfunction (OR 6.4 (95% CI 1.2–33.0) p=0.027. In conclusion, although cerebral oxygen desaturation was rare in our population, postoperative cognitive decline was common in both groups, suggesting that factors other than hypoxic neuronal injury are responsible.


Concern for impaired bone health in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) has led to increased interest in bone densitometry in this population. Our study assessed bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) and whole-body bone mineral content (BMC)/height in pediatric patients with NF-1 with a high plexiform neurofibroma burden. Sixty-nine patients with NF-1 (age range 5.2-24.8; mean 13.7 ± 4.8 years) were studied. Hologic dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans (Hologic, Inc., Bedford, MA, USA) were performed on all patients. BMD was normalized to derive a reference volume by correcting for height through the use of the BMAD, as well as the BMC. BMAD of the lumbar spine (LS 2-4), femoral neck (FN), and total body BMC/height were measured and Z-scores were calculated. Impaired bone mineral density was defined as a Z-score ≤-2. Forty-seven percent of patients exhibited impaired bone mineral density at any bone site, with 36% at the LS, 18% at the FN, and 20% total BMC/height. BMAD Z-scores of the LS (-1.60 ± 1.26) were more impaired compared with both the FN (-0.54 ± 1.58; P=0.0003) and the whole-body BMC/height Z-scores (-1.16 ± 0.90; P=0.036). Plexiform neurofibroma burden was negatively correlated with LS BMAD (r(s)=-0.36, P=0.01). In pediatric and young adult patients with NF-1, LS BMAD was more severely affected than the FN BMAD or whole-body BMC/height.


The present paper compares the experimental results obtained from a research programme developed on a pilot-scale fluidized bed biofilm reactor and the outputs of a numeric simulation model; the mathematical model can determine the substrate concentration profile within the reactor.

The experimental campaign investigated heterotrophic biological denitrification in anoxic conditions. The model is based on multi-substrate Michaelis-Menten kinetics and considers mass transport resistancephenomena within and outside bioparticles.

A monodimensional model of the reactor taking into consideration, in steady-state condition, phenomena due to convective transport and turbulent diffusion has been used.

The fluidization model applied to describe the behaviour of the biofilm-covered rigid particle bed is based on the Wen and Yu correlation.


Video-language models (VLMs), large models pre-trained on numerous but noisy video-text pairs from the internet, have revolutionized activity recognition through their remarkable generalization and open-vocabulary capabilities. While complex human activities are often hierarchical and compositional, most existing tasks for evaluating VLMs focus only on high-level video understanding, making it difficult to accurately assess and interpret the ability of VLMs to understand complex and fine-grained human activities. Inspired by the recently proposed MOMA framework, we define activity graphs as a single universal representation of human activities that encompasses video understanding at the activity, subactivity, and atomic action level. We redefine activity parsing as the overarching task of activity graph generation, requiring understanding human activities across all three levels. To facilitate the evaluation of models on activity parsing, we introduce MOMA-LRG (Multi-Object Multi-Actor Language-Refined Graphs), a large dataset of complex human activities with activity graph annotations that can be readily transformed into natural language sentences. Lastly, we present a model-agnostic and lightweight approach to adapting and evaluating VLMs by incorporating structured knowledge from activity graphs into VLMs, addressing the individual limitations of language and graphical models. We demonstrate strong performance on activity parsing and few-shot video classification, and our framework is intended to foster future research in the joint modeling of videos, graphs, and language.


The handicraft sector in India, due to its rich history and promising growth has been attracting a large number of entrepreneurs in recent times. A significant portion of these are women who have quit their previous careers due to the allure of the handicrafts sector. This study makes a modest attempt to explore the reasons why women choose to switch their careers at various organizations in favor of becoming a handicraft entrepreneur. The methodology employed uses a structured questionnaire which was circulated among women entrepreneurs through mail survey. The data was collected from select 53 women entrepreneurs in India who managed small to medium sized enterprises and who met the criteria of having quit their previous jobs to pursue their current chosen career and it was analyzed through the statistical software S.P.S.S. The results reveal that most of the respondents were motivated to engage in an entrepreneurial career in handicrafts because it made sense, they regarded it as a personal achievement and for some of them it was because they wanted to challenge themselves.


An investigation on Cu/Cr/Si composite thin films demonstrated that a thin Cr layer affects the microstructures and mechanical behavior of Cu films significantly. The fracture modes changes from brittle fracture to ductile rupture, as indicated by the dimpled rupture of Cu films. Moreover, the Cr sticking layer can result in carrot-shaped rods and a fine grain size. Further analysis indicates their deformation and fracture processes are closely related to the coupling of dislocation-mediated plasticity as well as the formation and growth of voids which act as sites for nucleation of the dimples.


Abstract Six hundred and sixteen out of 770 (80%) aborigines examined were found to be infected with intestinal helminthes. A total of 7 species of parasites were detected with the formalin-ether concentration technique. The infection rate of Ascaris lumbricoides was 77.1%, Trichuris trichiura 28.8%, Taenia sp. 18.4%, Enterobius vermicularis 1.6%, and there was one case each of hookworm, Hymenolepis nana and H. diminuta infections. Infection rate was slightly higher among females (81.3%) than males (78.9%). It was also higher in Yu-Feng (86.9%) than Shiu-Luan villages (75.5%). The incidence of helminthic parasites was found in all ages. 11-20 age-group was the highest (84.4%), followed by 1-10 (81.5%), 51 and more (80.6%), 41-50 (77%), 31-40 (76%), and 21-30 (72%). In general, the rate seems to be higher among the young and old. But, the rate of Taenia sp. was increased with the increase in age. Taenia sp. was found to be of considerable high prevalence. However, only 7 out of the 252 (2.7%) junior high school students were found infected in contrast to the 18.4% found in the villages. After atabrine treatment, 108 adult worms, 83 with and 25 without scolices were obtained from 54 of 72 treated cases. The number of expelled worms varied from 1 to 8, with an average of 2 worms per infected person. 29 (53.7%) aborigines expelled only one worm, and 25 (46.3%) cases expelled more than one worms.


Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been suggested to be reinforcement fillers in a variety of composite materials due to their exceptional electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. In terms of thermal properties, incorporating CNTs into a polymer matrix should increase the effective thermal conductivity of the resulting composite. However, the presence of resistance to the transfer of heat at the CNT-polymer interface, known as the Kapitza resistance, results in underperformance of CNT nanocomposites, in terms of thermal properties. In this work, we use Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the effective thermal conductivity of CNT nanocomposites taking into account the Kapitza resistance, as well as the effective thermal conductivity for different inclusion geometries (sphere, cylinder and parallelepiped). The effect of the dispersion pattern of the nano-inclusions is also investigated. Finally, comparing the calculated thermal conductivity from the simulations to experiments, the methodology can be used to calculate the Kapitza resistance of such systems.


The objective of this study was to determine the effects of formic acid, molasses, and microbial inoculant (homofermentative lactic acid bacteria) as silage additives on silage quality and ruminal fermentation characteristics. Silages with or without formic acid (0.5%), molasses (5%), or microbial inoculant (10 g/t) were fed to ruminally cannulated, 1.5 year-old K›v›rc›k x Morkaraman sheep. Silage treated with molasses had significantly greater DM and CP concentrations compared with other groups (P 0.05). Lactic acid concentrations were significantly higher in silages treated with enzyme or molasses compared with others (P < 0.05). While acetic acid concentration was the highest in silage treated with acid, it was the lowest in silage treated with molasses (P < 0.05). Silage NH3-N concentration was the highest in silage treated with molasses, but the lowest in silage treated with acid (P < 0.05). Post-feeding ruminal total organic acid concentrations were significantly greater in sheep fed silages with additive than the control (P < 0.05). While percentages of acetic acid were greater, percentages of butyric acids were less in the rumen fluid of sheep fed silage without additive compared with the rumen fluid of sheep fed silage treated with silage additives. However, percentages of propionic acid did not differ among treatments.


Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) are found in numerous Enterobacteriaceae, mainly in Klebsiella pneumoniae. We investigated the pharmacodynamics of two new extended-spectrum cephalosporins, cefepime and cefpirome, alone and combined with either amikacin or gentamicin or ciprofloxacin by means of time-kill curves against ESBL-producing, aminoglycoside-resistant K. pneumoniae. When used alone, cefepime (8 and 16 mg/l) resulted in a 2 and 3 log decrease at 6 h, respectively, but at 24 h regrowth occurred. The combination of cefepime (8 mg/l) with amikacin (4 mg/l) resulted in a 4 log decrease at 6 h, but there were no surviving bacteria at 6 h when combined with amikacin (8 mg/l). The combination of cefepime (16 mg/l) with gentamicin (4 mg/l) resulted in a 4 log decrease in 24 h. The antimicrobial combination of cefepime (32 mg/l) with ciprofloxacin (2 mg/l) resulted in a 4 log decrease in 24 h. Cefpirome (8 mg/l) induced a 2 log decrease at 4 h; 32 mg/l cefpirome resulted in a 3 log decrease followed by regrowth at 24 h. The regrowth observed in the late phase with cefpirome alone disappeared when combined with aminoglycoside. When cefpirome (32 mg/l) was used in combination with ciprofloxacin (1 mg/l), it resulted in a 4 log decrease in 24 h.


Abstract The welfare state faces a number of challenges. Recent reforms in the UK appear broadly successful in attaining targets and improving cost-efficiency, but are nonetheless confronted by public disquiet and unease. This article argues that one difficulty with the new directions in policy is that they rest on a particular and limited understanding of agency. Reformers tend to operate within a theoretical framework that understands behaviour as driven by individual and predominantly rational incentives and pays little attention to the expressive and normative aspects of social action. The problems that arise in these areas when a competitive market logic is applied in social provision tend not to be recognised. Such a logic may contradict established values of social care and commitment to user interests. A qualitative survey of 48 members of the general public is used to examine perceptions of and responses to the NHS reforms, and to show how public discourse in this area is at variance with the instrumental and individual assumptions of policy-makers. The result is that the reform programme damages the legitimacy of the service and that those responsible for the new policies fail to recognise that the individual instrumental agenda is eroding public trust.


Conventional cores from Lower Cretaceous outer-shelf and upper-slope prodelta facies in the Alma and Glenelg fields of the Scotian Basin show a wide range of synsedimentary deformation. Storm-dominated prodelta sandstone and mudstone beds have common load casts and structureless sandstone beds overlain by deformed sediment and sandstone dykes that are caused by storm- or earthquake-induced local liquefaction. Blocks of sediment 5–15 m (15–50 ft) thick, principally on the outer shelf, have foliated mudstone at their base, common internal shear zones in mudstone, shear deformation of sandstone, and are capped by intraclast conglomerates that are interpreted as debris-flow deposits. These are all features observed in shallow slides on the modern Mississippi prodelta. At the paleoshelf edge and upper slope, larger slide blocks are recognized with zones of intense internal deformation and high-angle thrusts near their base. The lack of a basal foliated mudstone may be the result of more rapid slide motion than on the shelf, resulting in hydroplaning. In addition, there is early postdepositional interstratal deformation as a result of loading by sandy delta distributaries and by slide blocks on the upper slope. The scale of many deformation structures is below the limits of three-dimensional seismic vertical resolution, yet they are likely to substantially influence reservoir properties.


Many problems, particularly in medical research, concern the relationship between certain covariates and the time to occurrence of an event. The hazard or failure rate function provides a conceptually simple representation of time to occurrence data that readily adapts to include such generalizations as competing risks and covariates that vary with time. Two partially parametric models for the hazard function are considered. These are the proportional hazards model of Cox (1972) and the class of log-linear or accelerated failure time models. A synthesis of the literature on estimation from these models under prospective sampling indicates that, although important advances have occurred during the past decade, further effort is warranted on such topics as distribution theory, tests of fit, robustness, and the full utilization of a methodology that permits non-standard features. It is further argued that a good deal of fruitful research could be done on applying the same models under a variety of other sampling schemes. A discussion of estimation from case-control studies illustrates this point.


Topical anesthetics are commonly used in many health care settings and for many clinical conditions. However, there are a number of potential adverse effects associated with their use. Their widespread administration can convey a false sense of security and failure to appreciate possible complications. We present the case of an infant with extensive vascular malformations treated with EMLA cream who developed seizures and methemoglobinemia from lidocaine and prilocaine toxicity. We describe the pathophysiology of these morbidities, the use of pulse oximetry in this setting, and the clinical presentation and treatment of methemoglobinemia.


DOCTOR OF ARTS IN HUMANITIES DAVIS, LEON W. B.A. SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, 1972 M. A. NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY, 2002 THE SHRINE OF THE BLACK MADONNA AND THE AFROCENTRIC PERSONALITY Committee Chair: Dr. Josephine B. Bradley Dissertation dated July 2013 The purpose of this study was to investigate the fact that the Shrine of the Black Madonna creates an Afrocentric personality in its members. The essential questions of this study are the following: (1) How does the Shrine of the Black Madonna create Afrocentric personalities in its members? (2) How will members of the Shrine, using communal economics, self knowledge, and an African orientation, reflect the collective identity of the African saying, "I am because we are, because we are, therefore I Am." This study is significant because the study is based on the premise that Afrocentric organizations will produce Afrocentric personalities that are capable of eradicating most of the problems facing African people in America. The liberation of African people is recorded as the most sacred objective of the Shrine. The Shrine is concerned with building a Black Nation. The study investigates the practical aspect of Afrocentric institutions which makes this exploration significant. A mixed method methodology was used to analyze gathered data from the participant observer method, quantitative study, and qualitative study methods. This study is based on the premises that the Shrine of the Black Madonna produces Afrocentric personalities through the KUA (small) group method and the practice of the Nguzo Saba method. There are programs and institutions the Shrine uses to create Africans that believe they are building a nation. As a participant in the activities of the Shrine, the researcher observed that the Shrine is an Afrocentric institution. The following institutions were observed (1) History Class, (2) Museum, (3) Worship Service, and (4) Beulah Land Farm. The qualitative findings of the study found that the Shrine of Black Madonna has Afrocentric members using elite interviews. The quantitative study used the African selfconsciousness scale test in the measurement of the Shrine members; the researcher found that they have Afrocentric personalities. The Shrine of the Black Madonna definitely produces members with an Afrocentric personality. The transformation of members occurs during the KUA group sessions. The use of Afrocentric symbols and activities reinforces the members' new worldview. The researcher recommends that other scholars study other organizations that create an African centered program such as the Nation of Islam, US Organization, and the Hebrew Israelite group.


The paper addresses the optimization problem of goods distribution process in logistic networks. The controlled nodes in the considered class of networks form a mesh structure. The stock level at the nodes is replenished from external sources and other nodes in the controlled network. The external demand is imposed on any node without prior knowledge about the requested quantity. Inventory control is realized through the application of order-up-to policy implemented in a distributed way. The aim is to provide high customer satisfaction while minimizing the total holding costs. In order to determine the optimal reference stock level for the policy operation a continuous genetic algorithm is applied and adjusted for the analyzed class of application centered problems.


Recently, we introduced a parallel-beam two-pass analytical reconstruction that allows truncation to be accounted for in the image domain rather than the projection domain. In particular, we showed that backprojection of a vastly angularly undersampled sinogram of un-truncated data could be used to extrapolate the backprojection of a finely sampled, fully truncated sinogram of the same object to perform more accurate region-of-interest (ROI) imaging. The same extrapolation idea can be performed using differentiated backprojection (DBP). The goal of this study is to give a general DBP-based formula when reconstructing a finite set of projections in parallel geometry. We discuss the discretization of this formula, in particular when the image grid size is large with respect to the number of projections, and we show how it can be applied to our extrapolation problem.


ABSTRACT:  This article will measure the level of religious tolerance ini Indonesia. The measurement of this level of tolerance is based upon views of some students' organization in Jakarta. These samples are chosen because they are groups wich have most involvement in the issue of religious relationship. The samples wich are used to represent the population of students' organizations are five religious related organization, namely: Christian Student Movement of Indonesia (GMKI), Islam Students Community (HMI), Buddhist Students Community of Indonesia (HIKMAHBUDHI), Hindu Dharma Students Union of Indonesia (KMHDI), and Catholic Students Unity of the Republic of Indonesia (PMKRI). The views of these students' organizations are expected to be measurement tools for the level of religious tolerance in Indonesia society, wich are very important to preserve the integrity of Indonesia as a nation. Data collection in this research uses surveys in the form of Likert scale, as well as structured interview. Data analysis is done with triangulation method so that it is expected that data validity can be well preserved.  KEYWORDS :  tolerance, religion, violence


This article delineates differences between personal construct psychotherapy and rationalist cognitive therapy at a theoretical level and in the nature of the therapeutic relationship and presents an empirical investigation of these differences. Transcripts of sessions of the two forms of therapy were blindly differentiated by leading proponents of the therapies concerned. Significant differences between the therapies were demonstrated on the Vanderbilt Psychotherapy Process Scale, the Hill Counselor Verbal Response Category System, the Toukmanian System of Levels of Client Processing, and the Barrett-Lennard Relationship Inventory. Scores on these measures were also found to be differentially related to measures of tightness of construing and direction of interest in the two therapies. To exemplify differences in process between the two therapies, their approach to the resistant client is considered.


A senior exit exam is considered an excellent direct measure of student learning for ABET assessment, but the usefulness of the information gathered is related to the validity and reliability of the test itself. The Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has used a content exam for several years. This paper will discuss test development, administration, and the role it plays in the assessment process. In addition, the test is evaluated using the standard psychometric techniques of reliability and validity. The results of the evaluation are used to refine the test. The importance of the evaluation of these types of instruments cannot be overstated as they often are used to guide curricular or other program improvements efforts.


Informal caregivers are critical in the care of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and spend substantial time providing care, which may be associated with negative caregiver outcomes such as burden and mental health issues. Although research in the United States and Europe has generally supported these relations, there is very limited research on PD caregiving in Latin America. The current study examined the following connections in a sample of PD caregivers from the United States (N = 105) and Mexico (N = 148): (a) PD-related impairments (motor and nonmotor symptoms) and caregiver burden, (b) caregiver burden and caregiver mental health, and (c) PD-related impairments and mental health through caregiver burden. Study results uncovered significant relations among PD-related impairments, caregiver burden, and caregiver mental health. Further, caregiver burden fully mediated the relation between PD-related impairments and caregiver mental health at both study sites. Findings highlight a number of important intervention targets for caregivers and families, including caregiver burden and mental health.


In this interesting prospective longitudinal study of the natural history of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), Reijmer et al explore the progression of white matter pathology over time and its correlation with cognitive decline. The authors quantified the efficiency of global white matter connections network by analysis of diffusion tensor imaging; CAA was dichotomized as moderate or severe based on the number of cerebral microbleeds, and a detailed battery of neurocognitive testing was performed in all 33 patients included in their final analysis. The authors found an unequivocal decline of the global network efficiency during a mean follow-up time of 1.3 years, to an extent significantly higher than previous studies in healthy adults. This decline was driven by the subgroup with severe CAA. A similar pattern was noted in the posterior–frontal and frontal–frontal connections, whereas the posterior–posterior connections were affected across the whole study. The decline in network connectivity was correlated with a parallel decline in executive functioning; no relationship was found with processing speed and memory. White matter hyperintensity volume also increased over time, but it was not associated with concurrent decline in cognitive performance. Overall, despite its small sample size, this study offers unique insight into the biology of CAA: It reveals a structural, measurable decline in the quality of white matter connections, commensurate to the severity of the disease and at a faster rate than what naturally occurs as part of normal ageing. In addition, it reveals a unique posterior–anterior gradient, suggesting that although CAA predominantly affects posterior cerebral regions, in more severe forms and over time, it becomes more diffuse, affecting more anterior regions as well. Future studies examining the disease progression in larger patient samples and over longer periods of time are expected to deepen our understanding of this complex disease even more. See p 2470.


Studying technology of feature analysis, a new method of feature selection based on self -reacting feature weighted is presented, and it is applied into the intrusion feature selection with the technique of feature selection and the technique of SVM classification combined. The method can reduce the time complexity and space complexity with the situation of parameter trying improved. The experiment results show that the detection precision rises obviously, meanwhile, the training time and the test time are also improved variously. The model has the ability to respond quickly with the accuracy and real-time performance of the Intrusion Detection System improved effectively. So, the method can be extended significantly.


This article analyses the controversy over the advertising of a dance party to be held in the
former Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus and contextualises it with similar controversies
which occurred concurrently - Taoist robes worn at a fashion parade, and posters put up by
the Campus Crusade for Christ. The community and government reading of these events as
instances of insensitivity to religious faiths tell us about the power of state ideology, and the
conflation of religious and racial harmony; a salient reminder that, in Singapore, modernity
is not the same as Westernisation. The cancellation of the Chapel Party demonstrates the
privileging in Singapore of religious sensitivities so that religious harmony is understood as
racial harmony. It also demonstrates that in a city of constant change, repurposing of a
building does not always erase memories of its previous use.


Dynamic noise adaptation (DNA) [1, 2] is a model-based technique for improving automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance in noise. DNA has shown promise on artificially mixed data such as the Aurora II and DNA+Aurora II tasks [1]—significantly outperforming well-known techniques like the ETSI AFE and fMLLR [2]—but has never been tried on real data. In this paper, we present new results generated by commercial-grade ASR systems trained on large amounts of data. We show that DNA improves upon the performance of the spectral subtraction (SS) and stochastic fMLLR algorithms of our embedded recognizers, particularly in unseen noise conditions, and describe how DNA has been evolved to become suitable for deployment in low-latency ASR systems. DNA improves our best embedded system, which utilizes SS, fMLLR, and fMPE [3] by over 22% relative at SNRs below 6 dB, reducing the word error rate in these adverse conditions from 4.24% to 3.29%.


The study aims at exploring the links between peacekeeping operations and economic growth. The paper examines the countries in which past United Nations Peacekeeping Operations have been present and calculates the growth rates before, after and during each operation. Comparisons of the growth rates are made to show how the operation has affected the economic growth in the country. It is also discussed in what way a peacekeeping operation can affect economic growth. This includes creating a more stable environment and prospects of peace, which in turn makes the country more attractive for investments. Other factors generated by the mission that can be good for the economy includes more job opportunities for the community, and that the expenditures by mission personnel in the country creates more flow of money and can thereby enhance the production. The empirical result shows that the peacekeeping operations affect the growth rate in a positive way on an aggregate level, when the operation is in progress as well as after it is completed. The operations after the end of the Cold War have a more immediate effect on growth, compared to the ones that took place before the war, they proved to have more of a long-term effect.


Small amounts of whole blood from repeatedly bled donors increased the replacement rate of plasma protein in dogs, cats and rabbits subjected to hemorrhage. Results obtained within three hours were statistically significant. This strongly suggests that a chemical mediator, to hasten restoration of plasma protein levels, is released into the blood during hypoproteinemia.


Massive background knowledge detection shows a challenge with the information capacity growing at an unprecented speed. MapReduce has succeeded large computation. The latterly introduced MapReduce method has more consideration from industry for its wide ranging analysis. Rough set concept is a plow which is used to obtain information from completeness data. The proposed system using unrefined sets based knowledge discovery from big data, the parallel approximate set methods for information discovery. The propose fuzzy supported pattern generation. Compare with existing algorithm the proposed system give high accuracy of rule generation based fuzzy based rough set.


. As technologies change and the scale of human activity grows, so too does the law. The surge of oil and gas production in the United States, spurred by hydraulic fracturing in shale formations, has fomented a sea change in oil and gas law, substantially infusing this area with more complex environmental and property principles. Widespread demands for legal and policy-based solutions to the environmental and social impacts of oil production and fracking have trans-formed the field from one focused on maximizing fossil fuel production into one of environmental conservation. This is dramatically demonstrated by sweeping Colorado legislation in 2019 , changes to the common law of oil and gas by local governments and landowners, and the extension of procedural environmental protections and state constitutional environmental rights to the oil and gas realm. Collectively, though not uniformly, a spectrum of changes to state statutes and common law has rendered an expansive reshaping of oil and gas law that amounts to a legal revolution.


Background: Perforator flaps have become the choice of most reconstructive surgeons because they have decreased donor-site morbidity. Among these flaps, the free anteromedial thigh flap has not yet become a first-choice flap because of the inconstant anatomy of its pedicle. This study aimed to describe the anatomy from different perspectives to highlight common patterns and simplify the flap's application in clinical cases. Methods: The study started in 2004 and took 9 years to complete. It was performed on 12 clinical anteromedial thigh flap cases, 48 clinical cases of anterolateral thigh flap in which the vascular anatomy of the anteromedial thigh flap was studied, and 48 cadaver dissections. Results: In "type of perforators," the authors found an almost total consistency between clinical cases (group 1) and dissections in patients (group 2) (&khgr;2 = 0.164 and p = 0.92), whereas the cadaver dissections (group 3) were minimally homogeneous (&khgr;2 = 13.7 and p = 0.0082). Then, taking into account the parameter "origin of perforators," they noticed the same trend with a clear alignment between the first two groups (&khgr;2 = 1.84 and p = 0.87) and a strong inhomogeneity in relation to the third group (&khgr;2 = 19.8 and p = 0.03). Conclusions: Anatomical study of the anteromedial thigh flap pedicle showed a marked variability that makes preoperative planning difficult, and thus more stressful to realize. This evidence confirms that the flap can be used as a second choice or simultaneously with the anterolateral thigh flap. In addition, the authors strongly suggest a preoperative radiological study to minimize the possible anatomical variabilities during surgery.


Word sense disambiguation (WSD) is the task to determine the word sense according to its context. Many existing WSD studies have been using an external knowledge-based unsupervised approach because it has fewer word set constraints than supervised approaches requiring training data. In this paper, we propose a new WSD method to generate the context of an ambiguous word by using similarities between an ambiguous word and words in the input document. In addition, to leverage our WSD method, we further propose a new word similarity calculation method based on the semantic network structure of BabelNet. We evaluate the proposed methods on the SemEval-13 and SemEval-15 for English WSD dataset. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed WSD method significantly improves the baseline WSD method. Furthermore, our WSD system outperforms the state-of-the-art WSD systems in the Semeval-13 dataset. Finally, it has higher performance than the state-of-the-art unsupervised knowledge-based WSD system in the average performance of both datasets.


In this study, I am applying the feminist institutionalist model developed by Annesley et al. (2019) to analyze cabinet formation in three Slovak governments by focusing on the actors, formal and informal rules, and the process of ministerial selection. By interviewing political actors who participated in the cabinet formation, I am uncovering which type of criteria—experiential, affiliational, or representation-al—are decisive in selecting a ministrable. It is the affiliational criteria that were decisive in most of the cases of ministerial selection in Slovakia, as the need for experience is a prescriptive but very flexible criterion that can be disregarded when needed. On the other hand, representational criteria played no role in cabinet formation in Slovakia. Consequently, this study reveals how the interplay of formal and informal norms and rules maintains a gendered regime of ministerial selection that conserves the political disadvantage of women in Slovak cabinets. The characteristics of an institutional setting, such as that of the party system, play an important role in the gendered regime as well. A small number of portfolios and a high number of parties in coalitions create conditions where only a few party leaders are usually appointed to the cabinet. Weak party organizations, lack of women's organizations within parties, and the absence of conviction among the selectors highlighting the benefits of gender equality offer little hope for the future improvement of gender balance in Slovak cabinets.


The nanocrystalline orthorhombic LiMnO2 was successfully synthesized with the raw materials of MnO2, Mn (CH3COO)2 and LiOH by hydrothermal synthesis method, which has the properties of small size, less stacking faults and single phase. High resolution electron microscopy images show that along the b axis of the orthogonal LiMnO2, MnO6 and LiO6 octahedron arrange alternately and regularly. The orthorhombic LiMnO2 is proved to be p-type semiconductor by the Hall test. XPS tests indicate that the trivalent Mn in the o-LiMnO2 is in the high-spin state. And the magnetic study shows that there is reentrant spin glass behavior in o-LiMnO2. The contrast study of Raman spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility shows that the characteristic mode softening of structural phase transition corresponds to the magnetic phase transition temperature, indicating a possible interaction between phonons and spin.


The first two cantos of Lord Byron's Don Juan were published in 1819 and caused an extraordinary outcry in the press and in private. In Newcastle the Literary and Philosophical Society decided, after a lengthy series of debates, publications and counter-publications, that the poem was unfit for a place in its library. Drawing on papers held at the Lit & Phil and publications in the local press I reconstruct the debate. It is important both for what it tells us about cultural institutions like the Lit & Phil and for what it suggests about the unusually unsettling effect Byron's poem had. Literary and Philosophical Societies were an important part of the long eighteenth-century cultures of conversation explored recently by scholars. The debate about Byron's poem suggests the tensions in that culture were, by the Regency, coming to breaking point. But the peculiar character of the reaction, the oddly perplexed outrage Don Juan prompted, suggests the deeper ways in which the poem destabilized the nature of reading in the Romantic period.


The flow of plastic melt in macro and micro parts during the filling phase of injection molding is an interesting area to discover. The visualization technique is a common method used to understand the phenomena of polymer flow in mold cavity. Various shapes and sizes were fabricated on aluminum molds embedded with Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) as observation window. Electrical discharge machining (EDM) and micro mechanical machining method were employed to fabricate plastic parts shape on aluminum mold cavity. This paper focuses and discusses in detail on the Polypropylene (PP) melt flow injected using a custom made vertical injection molding machine. The PP melt flow can be clearly seen through the PMMA window and captured using high speed camera. The captured images are then compared with result from commercially available plastic injection molding software, Autodesk MoldFlow. It was found that there is good agreement for macro plastic parts but not for the micro parts. It can be concluded that, the analysis software has less capability in predicting the flow of melt plastic in micro parts.


This dissertation consists of three main parts. The first part describes the theoretical background and gives further details about the different approaches to the housing and construction markets that have been brought forward by various scholars. Five chapters examine three alternative strategies when it came to overcoming the problems of the free market. In this case, it is about the philanthropic and cooperative housing solutions and about the business owners' construction of company-owned housing for their employees. Two comparative chapters conclude this section. The first chapter examines the social structure in various company-owned housing complexes, and cooperatives in Stockholm. An answer of the question on how to proceed was Belizeved to lie in a thorough reform of the housing market. Whereas the earlier chapters deal with the question of reducing the problems through the creation of a different type of housing construction, a municipal construction project where the profit-motives are lessened, the focus now changes. There arose an explicit desire to create other market rules. At the same time, influential politicians sought to develop a large-scale cooperative housing initiative with popular support. The last chapter describes the initial phase of this era, during the 1930s. Key words: the counter-cyclic theory, rent-driven construction, cost-steered construction, freedom-of-choice paradox, boom economies, depression, joint-stock housing companies, directive measures, cooperative-housing-society movement, SKB, HSB, the limited patriarchal system, the modern insurance model, the board and lodgings system, old age insurance, birth control, democratic pride, educational program, directive or general measures, the modern housing question, "cheap-housing politics".


The spreadsheet file reported herein provides centroid data, descriptive of
 deuterium uptake, for the FabFragment of NISTmAb (PDB: 5K8A) reference material, as
 measured by the bottom-up hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS)
 method. The protein sample was incubated in deuterium-rich solutions under uniform
 pH and salt concentrations between 3.6 oC and 25.4 oC for seven intervals ranging
 over (0 to 14,400) s plus a ∞pseudo s control. The deuterium content of peptic
 peptide fragments were measured by mass spectrometry. These data were reported by
 fifteen laboratories, which conducted the measurements using orbitrap and Q-TOF mass
 spectrometers. The cohort reported ≈ 78,900 centroids for 430 proteolytic peptide
 sequences of the heavy and light chains of NISTmAb, providing nearly 100 % coverage.
 In addition, some groups reported ≈ 10,900 centroid measurements for 77 peptide
 sequences of the Fc fragment. The instrumentation and physical and chemical
 conditions under which these data were acquired are documented.


Real-world gesture controlled applications are not yet widely present mainly due to strong practical constraints. As a step toward realizing a practical, affordable, low-power, real time, low-latency gesture control, we present a smart camera system and an algorithm for upper body pose reconstruction implemented on the system. A single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) processor on a smart camera platform is used to detect person head and hands. The detected hand and head candidate positions are then transmitted to a central processor (a PC) where the data is combined and final decisions are made. Implementation of a computer vision algorithm on the SIMD camera processor is presented. We also describe the whole wireless smart camera system and analyze the performance and practical issues.


The purpose of this study was to estimate the acute toxicity of oil effluent on Cirrhinus mrigala and to evaluate the lethal levels. The 120 hrs median lethal concentration of oil effluent were found to be 20ppt for Cirrhinus mrigala. Further experiments were proceeded with sub lethal concentration of (1/10th conc. of LC50) oil effluent which were evaluated from the LC50 value. After treatment the fishes were reared in ideal condition, then sacrificed dissected at different predetermined interval during the accumulation period, (i.e.) 1st day to 20th day, during the depuration period from 1st day to 15th day for Cirrhinus mrigala in oil effluent treatment for assay studies. The enzyme activity studies carried out under sub lethal (1/10th conc. of LC50) in Blood Serum. The present study indicates that oil effluent induced alterations in the enzymatic activities of the freshwater food fish both at acute and sub-lethal concentrations. These alterations can be considered as a tool for biomonitoring of pharmaceutical drug substances in the aquatic environment. The present work also indicates that oil effluent causes considerable alterations in enzymes activities and is likely to induce tissue damage in Cirrhinus mrigala. Therefore, this effluent should be handling with care and prevent its entrance into aquatic environment.


In this poster we present an optimal control numerical method for tracking Neutrophil cell migration on a two-dimensional substrate. To-date, the fol- lowing research question is largely unanswered: Given the initial position of the Neutrophil on the substrate at time t = 0 and at time t = T, the nal position and shape of the Neutrophil, can we nd an optimal parame- ter(s) or function (s) (could be time-dependent) such that the cell migrates to the desired nal position according to a formulated mathematical model? This framework naturally leads to inverse problems for cell motility. By using optimal control and phase-eld theory, we formulate and discretize the control of the interface of the moving cell on a 2-dimensional substrate. Then we solve the system of state and adjoint equations by using evolv- ing surface nite element method. A number of numerical experiments are presented which illustrate the validation of our methodology applied to experimental observations on the motion of neutrophils from zebrash Danio rerio larvae, and this poster will illustrate some of these exciting re- sults. Cell migration is a fundamental process in cell biology and is tightly linked to many important physiological and pathological events such as the immune response, wound healing, tissue dierentiation, embryogenesis, in- ammation, tumor invasion and metastasis. Our results oers premises for developing 3D inverse problems for cell motility, a formidable mathematical and computational challenge.


Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for tissue regeneration and repair. However, efficient targeted delivery to specific tissues remains an open challenge. Here, we non-invasively monitored the migration of MSCs labeled with Fe3O4@polydopamine nanoparticles (Fe3O4@PDA NPs) toward laser burn injury sites in a living rat model and evaluated the effects of the labeled MSCs at the injury site. The Fe3O4@PDA NPs could be effectively incorporated into the MSCs without any negative effects on stem cell properties. Furthermore, they enhanced the migration ability of the MSCs by up-regulating the expression level of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4). They also increased the secretion of some cytokines and the expression of healing-related genes in comparison with unlabeled MSCs. Labeled MSCs were intravenously administered into injured rats, and live imaging was performed to monitor MSC migration. Fluorescent signals of the labeled MSCs appeared at burn injury lesions 1 day after injection and then gradually increased up to 7 days. After 7 days, the group injected with the labeled MSCs showed less inflammation compared with those injected with the unlabeled MSCs. Additionally, the labeled MSC group showed increased cytokines and reduced pro-inflammatory factors compared with the unlabeled MSC group. The Fe3O4@PDA NPs enhanced stromal cell-derived factor-1/CXCR4-mediated MSC migration in vivo. Thus, we demonstrated the safety, feasibility, and potential efficacy of using the Fe3O4@PDA NPs for optimizing MSC-based therapeutic strategies for burn wound healing.


Stem weevils are the first pests that invade oilseed rape crops after winter period of hibernation. Rape and cabbage stem weevils are considered as a pest complex although their biological and ecological characteristics are different. The most important moment in their control is to determine optimal time of insecticide application to prevent oviposition and larvae development inside the plants. The aim of this research was to determine which climatic factors have the greatest impact on appearance of adult forms. During four growing seasons flight of adults forms were monitored by yellow water traps. Abundance and climatic factor from each location were correlated and for each species a regression tree was created. The most important factors that determine the appearance of adult forms of stem weevils are growth stage of the crop, daily sunshine hours, mean daily air temperature and mean daily precipitation. These results represent a starting point for the new prediction model within moderate climatic zone.


This paper deals with a control proposal for serial multicellular choppers. The proposed scheme takes advantage of the continuous and discontinuous chopper operation, and introduces the use of two Petri nets (PNs) to carry out the control action. The first PN generates the needed voltage level to assure the output reference current tracking, while a second PN solves the problem of capacitor voltage balancing, using switching state redundancies. Also, a stability analysis based on a Lyapunov function is used to ensure the convergency of the states under the commutation rule. The main advantage of this approach is the integration of the continuous and discrete dynamics through PNs, which directly drives the converter power semiconductors. Furthermore, this proposal could lay the basis for future studies in the design of converter controllers using the formal analysis tools offered by PNs. Experimental results from four and five-level choppers are used to emphasize the performance and the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme.


This report reviews the existing scientific evidence regarding internet-use-related addiction problems at an individual level in Europe. In the last two decades, there has been an exponential growth in research in this field. Since 2013, internet gaming disorder has been included in the appendix of the American Psychiatric Association's fifth Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and gaming disorder has been included in the eleventh International Classification of Diseases published by the World Health Organization. The study includes a detailed critical literature review on generalised internet addiction, online gaming, and gambling addiction in Europe. Based on scientific databases, 19 empirical studies with both community and clinical samples have been selected from Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. The majority of individuals with internet-use-related addictions were found to be educated adolescents and young males. Comorbidities with other psychiatric conditions were present as a rule, and they were more severe in the case of gaming. Cognitive behavioural therapy was the usual treatment with positive prognosis. This report provides the conceptualisation of these three internet-use-related addiction problems, together with a set of policy options, preventive actions, and evidence to support future policies in the European Union context.


The effect of 6-chloro-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-1-H-3-benzazepine (SKF 86466), a selective nonimidazoline alpha-2 adrenoceptor antagonist, on hippocampal release of norepinephrine and dopamine in conscious rats was investigated by in vivo microdialysis and high-pressure liquid chromatography. Additionally, extracellular concentrations of hippocampal dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE), during infusion of selective monoamine uptake inhibitors, were determined in freely moving rats. The basal concentration of NE in the dialysate was 4.9 +/- 0.3 pg/20 microliters. Intravenous administration of 5 or 10 mg/kg of SKF 86466 was associated with a transient increase (30 min) of 2-fold (12 +/- 1 pg/20 microliters; P < .05) and 8-fold (39 +/- 3 pg/20 microliters; P < .05), respectively, in dialysate NE, whereas a 1-mg/kg dose had no effect. DA was not detected in basal dialysates, but after the administration of 5 or 10 mg/kg of SKF 86466, 3.9 +/- 0.4 and 6.4 +/- 0.6 pg/20 microliters, respectively, was present in the dialysates. The maximum increase in dialysate DA was reached 60 to 90 min after SKF 86466. The DA was not derived from plasma because plasma NE was elevated after the 5 mg/kg dose of SKF 86466 whereas no plasma DA was detected. In order to determine whether DA was present in noradrenergic nerve terminals, the dopamine beta-hydroxylase inhibitor SKF 102698 was administered (50 mg/kg i.p.). The inhibitor decreased dialysate NE but DA was still not detected in the dialysate.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This paper discusses two scheduling techniques for dual-arm cluster tools that address both process module and transport-module residency constraints and throughput requirements. The first technique is an extension of our previous work (2000) that only addressed process-module residency constraints. For cases with long process times, this technique can take a long time to find the solution and is not practical. Hence, we use this algorithm mainly as a benchmark for comparison. The second technique that uses a linear programming method with several heuristics can find the optimal solution very efficiently. An analytical and experimental analysis of this technique shows the correctness, completeness and efficiency of this technique.


Leader-based protocols have been proposed for wireless networks such as 802.11 as an alternative approach to MAC layer ARQ. If based on feedback cancellation, such protocols may achieve low latency and high throughput at predictable reliability and superior scalability with respect to the number of subscribers. Especially for delay-bounded multicast A/V transmission these properties are highly desirable. The authors have proposed such schemes to the IEEE task group TGaa, which is dedicated to introducing more reliable multicast to 802.11 wireless LANs. This paper provides results on wireless feedback cancellation probabilities derived from real measurements with consumer hardware as well as simulation data.


. In this paper we consider the problem of obtaining a state space realization of a zero mean gaussian vector process. A new algorithm is presented for the case in which the process is given in terms of its spectral density function. Contrary to the usual procedure followed, which requires a partial fraction expansion, the algorithm presented starts with a (deterministic) realization of the spectral density function itself.


Product Strategy and Management offers a holistic discussion and explanation of this subject area and shows why it is fundamental to a firm's competitiveness and its ultimate survival. It covers the entire product life cycle from new product development to elimination. This book is geared to students studying product management/product development at advanced undergraduate, MBA or postgraduate levels. It is also suitable for non-business school programmes - e.g., engineering, who offer elective courses on product strategy. It has also proved to be a useful tool for professionals in their day-to-day management and strategising of products. This is a book that attempts to set the act of product strategy and new product development in a wider framework of strategic thinking and management theories. It has an easy to access style which makes it a good choice for students meeting such concepts for the first time.


Abstract Multilingual students should have opportunities to learn and do engineering in learning environments that foreground and sustain their cultural and linguistic practices. However, little is known about how middle school engineering teachers enact these environments. To address this gap in research and practice, this comparative case study describes the different ways in which two middle school technology and engineering teachers enacted pedagogies rooted in funds of knowledge and translanguaging. The teachers and research team engaged in a professional learning community, which focused on funds of knowledge and language-based pedagogies, for over one year. The teachers enacted pedagogies that incorporated principles of funds of knowledge and translanguaging, reflected on their teaching, and sought to improve their pedagogy in subsequent iterations of teaching. In this context, the research team analyzed the following data sources: (a) transcripts from classroom observations during a minimum of four engineering design challenges per teacher; (b) teacher artifacts (e.g., lesson plans, curriculum materials); and (c) monthly reflection sessions and interviews with each teacher. Thematic analyses of these data were used to answer the following research question: How did the teachers enact funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies? Analyses indicated similarities and differences in how the teachers enacted funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies. Similarities included (a) providing students with bilingual materials; (b) grounding engineering design challenges in the context of students' communities; and (c) positioning parents as core intellectual resources. While the two teachers enacted pedagogies in similar ways, they also demonstrated differences. Alex, a bilingual teacher who had lived in Peru, enacted funds of knowledge pedagogies through sharing narratives and explaining how they mapped onto the engineering design challenges. He also frequently spoke to students in Spanish. Andrew, a white monolingual teacher who had lived and taught in his community for decades, enacted funds of knowledge pedagogies through experiential and place-based learning, and through incorporating popular culture. Despite his efforts to sustain bilingualism through providing bilingual curriculum materials, English remained the primary medium of instruction within his class, consistent with his school's de facto English-only policy. This study indicates that funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies may be fostered through community-oriented engineering design challenges and through school-level policies and practices that explicitly encourage multilingualism. Abstract Multilingual students should have opportunities to learn and do engineering in learning environments that foreground and sustain their cultural and linguistic practices. However, little is known about how middle school engineering teachers enact these environments. To address this gap in research and practice, this comparative case study describes the different ways in which two middle school technology and engineering teachers enacted pedagogies rooted in funds of knowledge and translanguaging. The teachers and research team engaged in a professional learning community, which focused on funds of knowledge and language-based pedagogies, for over one year. The teachers enacted pedagogies that incorporated principles of funds of knowledge and translanguaging, reflected on their teaching, and sought to improve their pedagogy in subsequent iterations of teaching. In this context, the research team analyzed the following data sources: (a) transcripts from classroom observations during a minimum of four engineering design challenges per teacher; (b) teacher artifacts (e.g., lesson plans, curriculum materials); and (c) monthly reflection sessions and interviews with each teacher. Thematic analyses of these data were used to answer the following research question: How did the teachers enact funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies? Analyses indicated similarities and differences in how the teachers enacted funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies. Similarities included (a) providing students with bilingual materials; (b) grounding engineering design challenges in the context of students' communities; and (c) positioning parents as core intellectual resources. While the two teachers enacted pedagogies in similar ways, they also demonstrated differences. Alex, a bilingual teacher who had lived in Peru, enacted funds of knowledge pedagogies through sharing narratives and explaining how they mapped onto the engineering design challenges. He also frequently spoke to students in Spanish. Andrew, a white monolingual teacher who had lived and taught in his community for decades, enacted funds of knowledge pedagogies through experiential and place-based learning, and through incorporating popular culture. Despite his efforts to sustain bilingualism through providing bilingual curriculum materials, English remained the primary medium of instruction within his class, consistent with his school's de facto English-only policy. This study indicates that funds of knowledge and translanguaging pedagogies may be fostered through community-oriented engineering design challenges and through school-level policies and practices that explicitly encourage multilingualism.


abstract:This article explores the co-shaping of global challenges and governance of science and technology through time. It aims to address the issue of governance of science and technology as governing through local (regional, national) and international negotiations and institutions. At the center of the analysis is the entanglement of technology, science, diplomacy, and diplomatic relations, which we explore through the concept of science diplomacy. We argue that the transnational perspective allows scholars to connect the local and global scales, and conclude with a reflection on how historical perspectives on the governance of science and technology in periods of social and economic crisis can provide valuable insights to policy-makers.


With the rapid increase in the number of users, there is a rise in issues related to hardware failure, web hosting, space and memory allocation of data, which is directly or indirectly leading to the loss of data. With the objective of providing services that are reliable, fast and low in cost, we turn to cloud-computing practices. With a tremendous development in this technology, there is ever increasing chance of its security being compromised by malicious users. A way to divert malicious traffic away from systems is by using Honeypot. It is a colossal strategy that has shown signs of improvement in security of systems. Keeping in mind the various legal issues one may face while deploying Honeypot on third-party cloud vendor servers, the concept of Honeypot is implemented in a file-sharing application which is deployed on cloud server. This paper discusses the detection attacks in a cloud-based environment as well as the use of Honeypot for its security, thereby proposing a new technique to do the same.


Thanks to modern diagnostics methods and high efficiency of chemoradiotherapy for cancer diseases, the survival rate of patients increased, and the cancer mortality dropped. However, complications of anti-tumor therapy often have a negative impact on the cardiovascular system. The direct effect of radiation therapy and chemoradiotherapy on the heart causes damage to cardiomyocytes, endocardium and valve structures. Furthermore, it can lead to the development of myocardial dysfunction and heart failure. This term is defined as cardiotoxicity. The preparation process for patients starting chemoradiotherapy should include a cardiovascular examination, pre-treatment identification of possible risk factors for the development of cardiotoxicity, as well as regular check-ups throughout the course of therapy thereafter. One of the most important aspects of the cancer treatment is the close interaction between the cardiologist and the oncologist. Finally, a long-term dynamic supervision and monitoring of patients receiving chemoradiotherapy is required. The purpose of this supervision is the timely diagnosis of cardiovascular complications and prescription of long-term prophylactic therapy for the period in the aftermath of the anti-tumor therapy.


INTRODUCTION
regenerative nodular hyperplasia (RNH) is a rare liver disease with an etiology that is not well understood. Among the etiological factors are purine-analogue drugs such asazathioprine.

CASE REPORT
we present a case of a 47-year-old patient diagnosed with Crohn´s disease in treatment with azathioprine due to corticosteroid dependency who developed RNH with clinical and laboratory signs of portal hypertension one year after starting treatment. After discontinuation of azathioprine, the patient started treatment and, given the poor disease progression, started treatment with adalimumab. This was continued with an excellent response and without deleterious effects on the liver.

DISCUSSION
the relevance of this case is twofold: First, this is a rare and early side effect of azathioprine treatment and this is an irreversible disease with potentially serious complications. Second, because treatment was carried out with biological drugs (adalimumab) despite the patient having advance liver disease with portal hypertension without any evidence of it worsening, nor signs of deleterious effects or complications, given that there is scarce or no experience with adalimumab treatment in this type of situation.