Digital survey and analysis of the lusignan wing of Kyrenia CastleThe paper illustrates the documentation and analysis methods of a wing of the Kyrenia castle in Cyprus. The laser-scanner and photogrammetry Structure from Motion (SfM) survey campaigns took place during the international workshop "Reading and designing the Kyrenia Castle" held in May 2018 in Girne, involving the Girne American University (Cyprus) and the University of Florence. The survey required a more in-depth analysis of the environments around the courtyard, in particular those located on the eastern front, which host numerous archaeological finds, including the Kyrenia shipwreck, dating back to the fourth century BC. The analysis was based on the drawings (plans, elevations and sections) served as support for diagnostic and material investigations aimed at highlighting the state of superficial conservation and structures and their historical stratigraphy.


To the Editor.— Binford et al (1982; 247:2283-2292) discussed the state of the art in leprosy. They noticed the failure of transfer factor as a therapeutic tool. Saha et al 1 confirmed the failure of transfer factor, but they also reported the successful treatment of patients with leprosy with repeated whole WBC transfusions and the clearing of pathological, clinical, and histological findings. Earlier in 1972, the same technique 2 was reported in the successful treatment of lepromatous and tuberculoid patients with weekly transfusions of WBCs from normal histocompatible donors. Just recently, Sanchez and colleagues (personal communication, 1982), at the University of Puerto Rico, have duplicated these findings. These results open new avenues for immunologic research in the therapy for leprosy. Is the patient's immune system being temporarily or permanently restored to normal function so that the patient can successfully clear his disease? This and many other questions can and should


Background Recommended cutoffs for PMNs per high-power field (hpf) to define NGU vary. CDC treatment guidelines specify ≥2 PMNs/hpf. Other guidelines recommend ≥5 PMNs/hpf. Methods From 08/2014-08/2018, we enrolled symptomatic and asymptomatic male STD clinic patients ≥16 years with exclusively female partners in the past year. Men with gonorrhea or antibiotic use in the past month were excluded. We collected a urethral swab for GSS and urine for Chlamydia trachomatis(CT) and Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) testing (Aptima, Hologic). We calculated Youden's Index (J=sensitivity+specificity-1), which maximizes sensitivity and specificity, and calculated the proportions of CT/MG cases missed and cases treated in the absence of CT/MG (test-negative) for three PMN/hpf cutoffs. CT/MG co-infections (N=3) were excluded. Results Among 369 participants, median age was 32 (range 17–71), 53% were white, and 25% were black. Among all men with 0-1, 2-4, 5-9, and ≥10 PMNs/hpf, CT prevalence was 1%, 5%, 11%, and 26%, respectively; MG prevalence was 5%, 3%, 15%, and 17%. J was maximized at ≥5 PMNs/hpf for CT, MG, and CT/MG. Thirteen percent, 17%, and 33% of CT/MG cases were missed at the ≥2, ≥5, and ≥10 PMNs/hpf cutoffs, respectively; 45%, 33%, and 21% of test-negative cases were treated. Among symptomatic men (N=166) with 0-1, 2-4, 5-9, and ≥10 PMNs/hpf, CT prevalence was 0%, 20%, 12%, and 31%, respectively; MG prevalence was 9%, 0%, 18%, and 19%. J was maximized at ≥5 PMNs/hpf for MG, and ≥10 PMNs/hpf for CT and CT/MG. Five percent, 8%, and 25% of CT/MG cases were missed at the ≥2, ≥5, and ≥10 PMNs/hpf cutoffs, respectively; 72%, 64%, and 43% of test-negative cases were treated. Conclusion The increase in missed CT/MG cases between the ≥2 PMNs/hpf cutoff and ≥5 PMNs/hpf cutoff was minimal; the ≥5 PMNs/hpf cutoff treats fewer cases without CT/MG. The ≥5 PMNs/hpf cutoff appears optimal in this population. Disclosure No significant relationships.


Molluscum contagiosum, a viral disease of the skin, manifests as a smooth-surfaced, firm, and spherical papule with umbilication of the vertex. It commonly presents as multiple lesions, which may be extensive in immunocompromised patients, and may mimic cutaneous tumors in HIV co-infected patients. Infection usually persists for 6 months to 5 years before resolving naturally. Among immune-impaired persons with HIV infection is generally more persistent. To date, single and combination therapies for such patients have been unsatisfactory. Recent observations from a dermatology practice in which 6 patients with HIV and molluscum contagiosum were treated with 5-aminolevulinic acid (Levulan Kerastick) in conjunction with photodynamic therapy suggest clinical benefits; i.e., substantial reduction in lesional count and severity. Additional research is mandated.


This editorial celebrates 40 years of the British Society for Cardiovascular Research (BSCR). The Society originated, as many things do, in a small informal gathering. David Hearse (working in London with Professor Sir Ernst Chain in the Department of Biochemistry at the Imperial College of Science and Technology) and Keith Gibson (working with Peter Harris at the Cardiothoracic Institute in Beaumont Street) were lamenting the lack of a forum in which to discuss current issues in basic cardiovascular research. To improve the situation, they assembled a committee with John Muir, Winifred Nayler, Mark Noble, Desmond Fitzgerald and Peter Harris, who was elected as the first Chair of the nascent Society (table 1), named at that time the Cardiac Muscle Research Group (CMRG). Encouragingly, attendance at their inaugural meeting on 12 December 1973 far exceeded expectations of 'perhaps as many as nineteen'. Indeed, over 60 delegates enjoyed two sessions; one dealing with 'Cardiac Action of Drugs—Adrenoceptor Agonists and Antagonists', and the second with 'Critical Evaluation of Biochemical Techniques as Applied to the Heart', followed by sherry. There was a limit of two slides per discussant, a prospect that most presenters today would find quite horrifying.

View this table:

Table 1
Past Cardiac Muscle Research Group and British Society for Cardiovascular Research chairpersons (1973–2013)

For a modest annual subscription of £2, members could attend two meetings every year in autumn (usually in London) and spring (usually elsewhere in the UK). The second meeting (2 April 1974) on 'The differences between skeletal and cardiac muscle' took place in Birmingham, and the third (18 November 1974), which was held at Imperial College in London, addressed the evolving topic of 'Acute myocardial ischaemia', a theme which was to become a regular feature in future meetings. Evidently the Society filled a need, as its …


We introduce a methodology for automating the maintenance of domain-specific ontologies based on natural language text understanding. A given taxonomy is incrementally updated as new concepts are acquired from real-world texts. The acquisition proc ess is centered around the linguistic and conceptual "quality" of various forms of evidence underlying the generation and refinement of concept hypotheses. On the basis of the quality of evidence, concept hypotheses are ranked according to credibility and the most credi ble ones are selected for assimilation into the domain knowledge base.


Capturing the value in real-world data requires more than fitting trivial models or visually exploring the data. Rather, we must efficiently isolate driving variables, confirm or reject potential outliers and build models which are both accurate and trustable. Fortunately, multi-objective genetic programming (aka, ParetoGP) allows us to achieve this objective. ParetoGP will be the foundation technology in this tutorial; however, we will address the entire modeling process including data balancing, outlier detection and model usage/exploitation -- as well as the model development. In addition to covering the basic theory of ParetoGP, we explore key points using real-world industrial data modeling case studies as well as review best practices of industrial data modeling. Current economic conditions demand maximum efficiency in developing and exploiting maximal quality models; ParetoGP has been used for applications ranging from energy trading to active design-of-experiments to plant trouble-shooting to patent litigation modeling to ...


Crystal structure and magnetostrictive properties of Tb0.2Pr0.8(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9Bx alloys have been investigated by means of x-ray diffraction and a standard strain technique. The matrix of Tb0.2Pr0.8(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9 alloy consists of (Tb,Pr)(Fe,Co)2 phase with a cubic MgCu2-type structure and some amount of (Tb,Pr)(Fe,Co)3 phase with a PuNi3-type structure. The introduction of boron effectively restrains the emergence of the iron-rich phase, which can occupy either the substitutional or interstitial site in this alloy system. The single Laves phase can be obtained for the high Pr-content Tb0.2Pr0.8(Fe0.4Co0.6)1.9Bx alloys with 0.05< x ≤0.15, which have improved magnetostrictive properties as compared to the boron free material.


The aim of this article is presented threats to food security in the context of the CAP after 2013. The main threats to food security are (1) world population growth, (2) the increase demand for food, (3) food price, (4) the disappearance of the variety of agricultural plant species (4) the increase in the area of scarcity water and the limitation of the availability of land and (5) the food losses and food waste. In the face of numerous threats to food security, the European Union needs a strong Common Agricultural Policy, which could succeed in feeding the constantly-growing population of a world. The reformed Common Agricultural Policy should provide food security, not only for the European Union, but on a global scale.


Coetzee's Life and Times of Michael K can be viewed as a novel of resistance. The title character Michael K, born with a physical deformity, refuses to submit to the situation he is subjected to. He withdraws himself from the world torn with an incomprehensible war. With a quest for a place free from bomb blasts, economic recession, colonized politics, and chaotic city life, Michael starts his journey for refuge. He finds it impossible because of intruding authority. Being tracked down and locked up with the rural guerrillas, he starts to live a life of invisible existence. Becoming a camp prisoner he refuses to take any kind of food. His refusal to eat reflects a kind of resistance. His resistance to the situation is not active, rather he resists in a very passive way. He does not offer any violent attempt and his resistance appears as non-violent and passive. Michael's passive resistance reminds one of Gandhi's famous doctrine of passive resistance - Satyagraha . Gandhi preaches the philosophy of non-violent passive resistance, the concept of Satyagraha, as a forceful means of achieving socio-political goals without using violence. Michael K, living amid all, creates his own world, listens to the voice inside, and becomes the symbol of suffering. This paper explores whether Michael in any way embodies the principle of non-violent passive resistance against the authority. Stamford Journal of English; Volume 6; Page 90-102 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/sje.v6i0.13905


Two comprehensive evaluation metrics, image perceptual quality based on target detectability (PQTD) and perceptual quality based on scene understanding (PQSU), are proposed to measure image quality for visible and infrared color fusion images of typical scenes. A psychophysical experiment is performed to explore the relationship between conventional quality attributes and the proposed evaluation metrics. The prediction models for PQTD and PQSU are derived by multiple linear regression statistical analyses. Results show that the variation of PQTD can be predicted by sharpness and perceptual contrast between the target and background, and that color harmony and sharpness can predict PQSU. The proposed evaluation metrics and their prediction models provide a foundation for further developing objective quality evaluation of color fusion images.


The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors for malaria lethality in the MbujiMayi paediatric environment, a follow-up study of hospitalised cases over 5 years was conducted between January 2016 and December 2020 in the four hospitals. The case rate was 6.9% for the total (139 cases of death for 2017 cases of severe malaria for 5 years,) and varied from year to year (10.7% in 2016 to 4.6% in 2020). Cox Proportional Risk Model results including significant covariates in multivariate analysis [HR (IC95%)]. In multivariate analysis, two models were considered. The case-fatality rate was independently associated with late arrival after 48 hours [3.1 (1.9–5.1); p < 0.001], types of pre-hospital recourse such as recourse to the church [1.4 (1.1–2.1),; p = 0.042) and tradipractor [3.2 (1.8–6.1); p < 0.001] for severe malaria, children under 12 months of age [1.8 (1.2–2.8); p < 0.001], those with circulatory collapse [2.6 (1.1–6.1); p < 0.001] and those in deep coma [1.9 (1.1–3.4); p = 0.016]. The second model with the number of associated syndromes, showed that the risk was 1.7 plus for children with a complex clinical picture, made up of the combination of several signs [1.7 (1.1–2.6); p < 0.001]. These results highlight the need for more information campaigns to encourage people to seek institutional care for malaria. Our results also suggest that prophylactic treatment may be advisable for children under 5 years of age.


Objectives This study aims to assess the stroke rehabilitation facilities provided by university hospitals (UHs) and training and research hospitals (TRHs) and to evaluate the geographical disparities in stroke rehabilitation. Patients and methods Between April 2013 and April 2014 a total of 1,529 stroke patients (817 males, 712 females; mean age: 61.7±14.0 years; range, 12 to 91 years) who were admitted to the physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics in 20 tertiary care centers were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic, regional and clinical characteristics, details of rehabilitation period, functional status, and complications were collected. Results The median duration of stroke was five (range, 1 to 360) months. The ratio of the patients treated in the TRH in the Marmara region was 77%, but only 25% of the patients were living in the Marmara region. Duration of hospitalization was longer in the TRHs with a median of 28 days compared to those of UHs (median: 22 days) (p<0.0001). More than half of the patients (55%) were rehabilitated in the Marmara region. Time after stroke was the highest in the Southeast region with a median of 12 (range, 1 to 230) months and the lowest in the Aegean region with a median of four (range, 1 to 84) months. Conclusion This study provides an insight into the situation of stroke rehabilitation settings and characteristics of stroke patients in Turkey. A standard method of patient evaluation and a registry system may provide data about the efficacy of stroke rehabilitation and may help to focus on the problems that hinder a better outcome.


textabstractAt the beginning of the 20th century, information was a scarce resource. The expansion of information and communication technologies, however, brought dramatic changes in terms of volume of information, driving society into the information age with new economic, social, and ethical rules. The problem of having too little information has been transformed into a problem of having too much information and has generated feelings of deficiency in the face of a constantly increasing information load. In this thesis, we develop an analytical approach to study the problem of information overload and human coping with it. Three generic groups of factors that contribute to the emergence and proliferation of information overload are specified. While often they have an independent effect, they also produce interactions reinforcing or eliminating each other. Hence, information overload is a complex phenomenon that results form the interactions among a large number of factors. Based on literature review and empirical data analysis, we made a distinction between three types of coping, i.e. human–enabled, technology-enabled, and organization –enabled. We further model human coping behavior using the analytical apparatus of the structuration theory, paying specific attention to the role of technology in assisting and facilitating human information processing. In so doing, we not only suggest a method for detecting the coping strategies but also provide an explanation of why certain strategies fail. Three qualitative case studies are presented in this thesis and are used to test and refine the conceptual model. The results suggest that to control the risks imposed by the complexity of the information environment, organizations must manage a number of critical areas. We propose detailed guidelines for "information overload diagnoses". These guidelines not only help to detect the level, the scope, and the factors behind information overload, but also provide methods for fulfilling diagnoses and a basis for developing countermeasures.


ABSTRACT The arena of 'English-Speaking International Schooling' continues to grow, reaching almost 12,000 schools in 2020. The growing teaching arena attracts 30,000 new entrants each year and continues to be dominated by British-trained teachers. Little is actually known about the motives or subsequent experiences of this body. However, the narrative about this 'brain-drain' tends to be negative and condescending, referring to teachers 'fleeing' Britain and 'escaping' neoliberal performativity and accountability, and finding 'refuge' overseas. The reality is that many may enter an equally difficult, insecure, and precarious environment. This paper explores the emergent terrain and shows how it has changed over time, revealing the reality of teaching in a new arena of profit-driven activity in mainland China, aimed mainly at local Chinese parents. A resultant new narrative is proposed, based upon positive notions of 'resistance' and 'self-care', which helps to explain why the exodus tends (at present) to be largely one-way.


Floodways, where a road embankment is permitted to be overtopped by flood water, are usually designed as broad-crested weirs. Determination of the water level above the floodway is crucial and related to road safety. Hydraulic performance of floodways can be assessed numerically using 1-D modelling or 3-D simulation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) packages. Turbulence modelling is one of the key elements in CFD simulations. A wide variety of turbulence models are utilized in CFD packages; in order to identify the most relevant turbulence model for the case in question, 96 3-D CFD simulations were conducted using Flow-3D package, for 24 broad-crested weir configurations selected based on experimental data from a previous study. Four turbulence models (one-equation, k-ε, RNG k-ε, and k-ω) ere examined for each configuration. The volume of fluid (VOF) algorithm was adopted for free water surface determination. In addition, 24 1-D simulations using HEC-RAS-1-D were conducted for comparison with CFD results and experimental data. Validation of the simulated water free surface profiles versus the experimental measurements was carried out by the evaluation of the mean absolute error, the mean relative error percentage, and the root mean square error. It was concluded that the minimum error in simulating the full upstream to downstream free surface profile is achieved by using one-equation turbulence model with mixing length equal to 7% of the smallest domain dimension. Nevertheless, for the broad-crested weir upstream section, no significant difference in accuracy was found between all turbulence models and the one-dimensional analysis results, due to the low turbulence intensity at this part. For engineering design purposes, in which the water level is the main concern at the location of the flood way, the one-dimensional analysis has sufficient accuracy to determine the water level.


Objective: To identify the velocity of disease progression as a predictor of severity in patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Materials and methods: Prospective observational study of patients with confirmed diagnosis of GBS between May and August 2019 in four hospitals in Peru. The disease progression velocity (DPV) was defined as the time since the onset of neurological symptoms and the maximum peak of neurological severity. Results: Of 94 cases with GBS, the average age was 42 years; 73 (77.8%) patients presented severe GBS, the average hospital stay was 19 days; 45 (47.8%) patients had diarrheal symptoms previously, in 63 (67.1%) patients the onset of motor weakness was located in the upper limbs and in 31 (32.9%) it was located in the lower limbs, 9 (10.0%) patients presented some type of dysautonomy; admission to mechanical ventilation was needed in 8 (8.5%) patients, and the deceased were 2 (2.0%). The DPV ≤ 1 day has a 79% probability of developing severe disease, the two and three day DPV have the probability of 61% and 38% respectively of progressing to severe forms. Conclusion: DPV is a predictor of poor prognosis when it is less than 2 days and with a possible requirement for mechanical ventilation. The speed of progression of neurological disease is a practical and accessible clinical evaluation method that should be evaluated in patients with GBS.


THE THERAPEUTIC range of plasma concentrations of the antiasthmatic drug theophylline is relatively narrow (approximately 10 to 20μg/ml). It is difficult to design safe and effective dosage regimens for this drug without monitoring plasma concentrations because of the pronounced interindividual differences in the body clearance of theophylline. These differences are magnified by the effects of disease, particularly congestive heart failure and impaired liver function, which have been found to be associated with a very low theophylline body clearance. Adverse effects of theophylline occur at high plasma concentrations of this drug. Zwillich and co-workers 1 described eight patients in whom grand mal seizures developed during intravenous theophylline therapy, and of whom four died. The average serum theophylline concentration in these patients was 53±4.8μg/ml. A group of patients with less severe adverse effects had an average serum theophylline concentrationof 35±1.8μg/ml, while patients without apparent adverse effects had an average serum concentration


This paper presents findings from a study on punching shear capacity of high‐performance concrete slabs reinforced with macrobasalt fibers. The punching shear failure is simulated through a simple method introduced by Hassan et al. The test specimens comprised 14 small‐scale slabs with circular notches. To investigate the effect of fiber content, 5 different fiber volume fractions of 43 mm macrobasalt fibers have been studied. The results show that the punching shear capacity and the ductility of the slabs were slightly improved with increasing the fiber content. Furthermore, the results also indicate that the outcome of the experimental method is valid when the rotation of the slabs is negligible.


Barley yellow mosaic virus (BaYMV) is one of the economically important viruses infecting cereals. Different pathotypes of BaYMV divided in four pathotypes (I to IV) according to reaction on cultivars carrying different rym resistance genes. From March to April 2014,141 leaf samples of barley collected from four main growing areas of cereals in Iran. Samples were tested by double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) using polyclonal antisera and also polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In order to determine BaYMV pathotype in Iran we investigated reaction of Iranian pathotypes of BaYMV on different barley cultivars. We also used specific primers in PCR reaction amplifying 690 bp of the VPg coding region, one of the important genes involved in viral pathogenicity. The amplified fragments from 5 isolates selected according to their geographical proprieties,were cloned and then sequenced. Biological properties and VPg sequence comparison of Iranian isolates with others retrieved from databases suggested that Iranian isolates are closely related to pathotype I of BaYMV. Nevertheless, some changes in the amino acid sequences of VPg of Iranian isolates might affect the biological behavior on cultivars carrying other rym resistant genes. According to our knowledge, this research is the first study of BaYMV pathotype in Iran.


In addition to learning good practices and reusing code from mining code examples, programmers can be supported in their learning and code improvement processes through negative, or poorly written, code examples. While it is challenging to identify negative code examples automatically from within source code, we leverage a key insight that the natural language in questions that include code examples posted on forums can provide adequate clues. In this paper, we describe an automatic sentiment analysis-based technique for mining negative code examples from developer question and answer forums along with a technique to automatically mine negative sentiment indicators commonly used by developers, which are used to drive the sentiment-based technique.


Separation of microparticles and cells serves a critical step in many applications such as in biological analyses, food production, chemical processing, and medical diagnostics. Sorting on the microscale exhibits certain advantages in comparison with that on the macroscale as it requires minuscule sample or reagents volume and thus reduced analysis cycle time, smaller size of devices, and lower fabrication costs. Progresses have been made over time to improve the efficiency of these microscale particle manipulation techniques. Many different techniques have been used to attain accurate particle sorting and separation in a continuous manner on the microscale level, which can be categorized as either passive or active methods. Passive techniques achieve accurate manipulation of particles through their interaction with surrounding flow by carefully designed channel structures, without using external fields. As an alternative, active techniques utilize external fields (e.g., acoustic, electronic, optical, and magnetic field, etc.) to realize desired pattern of motion for particles with specific properties. Among numerous active methods for microfluidic particle sorting, the magnetic field has been widely used in biomedical and chemical applications to achieve mixing, focusing, and separating of reagents and bioparticles. This paper aims to provide a thorough review on the classic and most up-to-date magnetic sorting and separation techniques to manipulate microparticles including the discussions on the basic concept, working principle, experimental details, and device performance.


Though many studies have been conducted on elderly women in Nigeria, these studies have neglected elderly women heads of household. The neglect is attributed to the general belief that the well-being of elderly women is the responsibilities of their extended families which has consequently contributed to poor policy response to their wellbeing. Motivated by the increasing deterioration of their living arrangements as well as their inability to meet their daily needs and those of their household members, the paper investigates the problems confronting elderly women heads of household and their survival strategies in purposively selected rural communities in Nigeria. Primary data were obtained using qualitative methods. Eighteen focus group discussions (FGDs) and 48 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted among women heads of households aged 60 years or older across the six geopolitical zones. Yawi in Bornu State (North East); Ungogo in Kano State (North West); Jarawa-kogi in Plateau State (North Central); Awo Mbieri in Imo State (South East); Urohi in Edo State (South-south) and Ikoyi in Osun State (South West) were purposively selected from these geo-political zones taking into consideration the number of households headed by elderly women. Data were analyzed using ethnographic technique. Providing care for orphaned children, lack of regular income, constant ill health, struggling to procure food, poor access to basic healthcare, loneliness, isolation, abandonment, poor nutrition and poverty were the major problems identified by the interviewees. Consequently, they engaged in all kinds of odds jobs such as trading, farming, alms-begging and reliance on family and community support as economic survival strategies. The policy implications of the paper are also discussed.


The long-term hygrothermal aging will induce the irreversible damages of epoxy-based anisotropic conductive film (ACF) joints. In this study, hygrothermal environment tests were used to accelerate the degradation of ACF joints in Chip-on-Glass (COG) assemblies. The effects of aging on adhesion strengths were measured by shear mode tests and changes of molecular conformation of ACF material were analyzed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Also, the fracture surfaces of ACF joints were investigated by Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM). The results show that the ACF adhesion strengths decrease with aging; some chemical modifications occur in the aged ACF joints; the fracture failure mechanisms change with the hygrothermal aging.


We have previously shown that cell surface galactosyltransferase (GalTase) mediates cell spreading and migration on basal lamina matrices by binding N-linked oligosaccharide substrates within laminin. In this study we have examined the distribution and expression of cell surface GalTase during mesenchymal cell migration on various extracellular matrices. Antisera raised against affinity-purified beta 1,4 GalTase, as well as anti-GalTase Fab fragments, inhibited cell migration on laminin-containing matrices, whereas under identical conditions, anti-GalTase IgG had no effect on the rate of cell migration on fibronectin substrates. Cells migrating on laminin had three times the level of surface GalTase, assayed by 125I-antibody binding and by direct enzyme assay, than similar cells migrating on fibronectin. On the other hand, total cellular GalTase, assayed either enzymatically or by Northern blot analysis, was similar when cells were grown on laminin or fibronectin. The laminin-dependent increase in surface GalTase was due to its expression onto the leading and trailing edges of migrating cells in association with actin-containing microfilaments assayed by double-label indirect immunofluorescence. On stationary cells, surface GalTase levels were low, but as cells began to migrate on laminin GalTase became polarized to the growing lamellipodia. GalTase was not detectable on lamellipodia or filopodia when cells migrated on fibronectin substrates. These results show that laminin-containing matrices induce the stable expression of GalTase onto cell lamellipodia and filopodia where it mediates subsequent cell spreading and migration. Since fibronectin was unable to induce GalTase expression onto lamellipodia, these studies also suggest that the extracellular matrix can selectively influence which intracellular components are maintained on the cell surface.


Analysis of electronic wavefunction generated by quantum chemistry codes has crucial role in exploring nature of electronic structure and providing valuable information of chemical interest. A file containing wavefunction information is inevitably needed as a communicator between wavefunction analysis codes and quantum chemistry programs. There have been many available formats designed for recording wavefunction, such as .fch, .molden, .wfn, .wfx and so on, however they all have different flaws and thus bringing evident inconvenience for development of new wavefunction analysis codes. To overcome this problem, in this article we define a new format "mwfn" (acronym of "Multiwfn wavefunction file") for electronic wavefunction storage and exchange purposes. This format is strict, concise, extensible, and able to provide all kinds of information for common wavefunction analyses. Since the "mwfn" format fully eliminates all shortcomings of existing formats, we expect it will become a standard for recording wavefunction in the field of wavefunction analysis and quantum chemistry.


Microbial growth on and utilization of environmental contaminants as substrates have been studied by many researchers. Most times, substrate utilization results in removal of chemical contaminant, increase in microbial biomass and subsequent biodegradation of the contaminant. These are all aimed at detoxification of the environmental pollutants. Several microbial growth and biodegradation kinetic models have been developed, proposed and used in bioremediation schemes. Some of these models include Monod's, Andrews, Bungay's weighted model, general substrate inhibition models (GSIM) and sum kinetic models. Most research on microbial potentials to degrade chemical pollutants has been performed on a laboratory scale. There is a need to extend such studies to pilot scale as well as to full-scale field applications.

 Key words: Microbial growth, substrate utilization, biodegradation, kinetics, detoxification, organic contaminants, models, environmental pollutants.


By only applying a after the event exam in the quality control of the batch production is not enough to meet the needs of modern large-scale production. To a certain extent, modern quality control is a dynamic process of the steady-state judge and adjustment. A simple and reliable steady-state judge rule and method is the premise to guarantee the normal operation. This paper provides a quantitative method to evaluate production process steady-state by analyzing influence factors based on mathematical statistics. The method is both suitable for simple production process and complex production process with sub-processes.


: Sixty-eight cases of meningococcal disease were ascertained at a district hospital in Wessex region over a four year period. Forty-seven of the 68 patients were reported to have a haemorrhagic rash on admission to hospital, three of whom died. Twelve of the 47 had received parenteral antibiotic treatment before admission, and none of these died. The overall case fatality was 4% (3/68). Sixty-three patients were referred by general practitioners. In 19 of the 63 a haemorrhagic rash was described at referral, and a haemorrhagic rash was described in 42 on hospital admission. Thirteen of the 63 received parenteral antibiotic treatment before admission. Such treatment was significantly more likely when the referral letter described a haemorrhagic rash and appeared to be less likely in child cases and when patients had received earlier oral antibiotics.


The Linear parameter Varying and sliding mode observers are studied in this paper. Both the rotor resistance and speed variation are considered. The design of the considered observers is described in detail. In order to conduct a comparative study, the measurements used for both observers are assumed available on an equal basis. Equally, the same controllers parameters are used in simulation of a field oriented control scheme. In terms of variations of motor parameters, the estimations of observers are compared on a basis of errors estimation either during transient and steady state operations.


Electromyography (EMG) signals are becoming increasingly important in many applications, including clinical/biomedical, prosthesis or rehabilitation devices, human machine interactions, and more. In this study, it is aimed to transmit the real-time wireless surface EMG signals taken from the muscles around the eyelids (orbicularis oculi) and to detect whether the activity is on the left or right eye at the receiver. The purpose of wireless transmission is to monitor the EMG activity with a portable unit. In addition, while the general application of surface EMG (sEMG) is to use one electrode group for each muscle tissue, but in this study, it is aimed to acquire signals separately from the muscles around the left and right eyelids by using a single electrode group. Left and right winking gestures are successfully detected from the single channel signal with the help of the implemented software and hardware.


Background: The greatest impact of malaria is felt in sub-Saharan Africa where up to 90% of the global deaths due to the disease occur. Malaria infection in pregnancy is a major cause of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. IPT-SP is one of the interventions recommended by WHO to reduce the burden of malaria in pregnancy. Objectives: To determine the proportion of women who receive IPT-SP and factors associated with IPT use among pregnant women by 36 or more weeks of gestation attending ANC in Mulago hospital. Methods: It was a cross sectional study which was conducted from Mulago hospital. The study sample consisted of antenatal mothers of 36 and more weeks of gestation at upper Mulago hospital. The sample size was 581 participants. Data management and analysis: Questionnaires were used to collect data. Data was then entered twice in Epi-info version 3.1 and later exported to Stata version 12 for analysis. Baseline characteristics of study participants were described in terms of frequency, proportions and percentages. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine factors that are associated with IPT use among women. Results: The proportion of pregnant women who received IPT SP by 36 or more weeks of gestation among women attending antenatal clinic in Mulago hospital was 44.3%. Factors associated with intermittent preventive treatment use among women attending ANC in Mulago hospital were late antenatal attendance and having to buy drugs for IPT.


The studied section is located in the core of the Gara Anticline, about 12 km southeast of Amedi Town. The Baluti Formation is generally composed of grey and green shale, calcareous, dolostone with intercalations of thinly bedded dolostones, dolomitic limestones, and silicified limestones which are occasionally brecciated. The petrographic study shows five main microfacies in the Baluti Formation namely; finely laminated dolomudstone, fossil-barren and lime mudstone, fenestral mudstone/packstone, peloids and ooids wackestone, and lithoclasts (intraclasts) grainstones. The mudstones facies with no fauna and radial-fibrous ooids can point to a protected and low energy environment. Moreover, fenestral structures are reliable criteria for identifying a tidal flat environment. The presence of the lithoclasts (intraclasts) with radial ooids and a few terrestrial fragments may represent a quiet environment, albeit one affected by infrequent storm deposits. As a supplementary to microfacies, the biomarker characterizations were used to deduce the depositional environment of the Baluti Formation. Biomarker parameters show that the Baluti Formation could be deposited in anoxic to suboxic environment, and organic matter input is more likely characterized by land plant organic matter. This study showed that the most likely paleoenvironments for the Baluti Formation were supratidal, intertidal, subtidal, and sand shoals setting. However, the lack and/or very low diversity of skeletal fauna, and the lack of subaerial exposure may indicate that some parts of the formation seem to be deposited in low energy and restricted environment (Lagoon).


In the 1830s, Rickman, who had supervised the taking of the first four censuses, secured additional returns of baptisms, burials, and marriages from all Anglican incumbents whose registers began early. He made use of the returns to produce new estimates of the population of each county from the sixteenth century onwards. His estimates were published in the 1841 census after his death and have been very widely quoted ever since. This article presents new county estimates, taking advantage of the fact that it is now possible to avoid some of the logical difficulties that Rickman encountered because independent estimates of national population totals are now available.


This article explores how two pairs of secondary content teachers drew on their knowledge of language and second-language acquisition to plan and implement a language-focused lesson sequence in their subject areas. The mathematics and social studies teachers were surprised at the extent to which this language-focused approach engaged their students and developed their cognitive academic language ability in the respective topics.


Background: Inflammatory/hyperplastic small-bowel polyps (SBPs) occur either sporadically or in patients with a polyposis syndrome; however, comparison between these two settings of the histological features of SBPs has not been reported and the etiology of sporadic inflammatory/hyperplastic SBPs remains unclear. Method: Twenty-eight cases of sporadic inflammatory/hyperplastic SBPs and nine cases of syndromic SBPs were retrieved from the Department of Anatomic Pathology at the Cleveland Clinic. Clinico-demographics and histological features were compared between the two groups. Results: Patients with syndromic inflammatory/hyperplastic SBPs were younger (48 vs. 63 years; P1⁄40.007) and had higher rates of hemorrhagic telangiectasia (55.6% vs. 0%; P1⁄40.000), gastric polyps (87.5% vs. 21.4%; P1⁄40.001), and family history of colon cancer (62.5% vs. 11.1%; P1⁄40.014). Sporadic cases were more frequently associated with gastro-esophageal reflux (35.7% vs. 0%; P1⁄40.079) and anti-reflux medication use (55.6% vs. 11.1%; P1⁄40.026). Histologically, the syndromic SBPs were more often of pure intestinal type (45.4% vs. 3.8%; P1⁄40.005) and had prominent vessels (81.8% vs. 42.3%; P1⁄40.036). Conclusions: Patients with syndromic SBPs are younger and have higher rates of hemorrhagic telangiectasia, gastric polyps, and family history of colon cancer. Histologically, syndromic inflammatory/hyperplastic SBPs are more likely to be of pure intestinal type and to have prominent vessels.


Ever since the introduction of antitetanus serum by Behring and Kitasato 1 in 1890 there has been more or less increasing disappointment because of the numerous failures after the therapeutic application of this agent. Indeed it was early recognized, even by those who claimed great merit for antitoxin, that in most cases of tetanus it was absolutely necessary to employ other means for the control of violent spasms and the conservation of the patient's strength. Even if, in the end, the serum could neutralize and render harmless the otherwise fatal toxin, it had no immediate effect upon the exhausting and dreaded muscular paroxysms. Consequently, for the relief of these conditions the attending physician was forced to utilize those sedative and anesthetic drugs, which, in one form or another, have been employed in tetanus ever since the disease has been known. In this, as in other diseases, there


The French project Romeo2 develops a robot (called Romeo) that assists elderly people in their home. In the Romeo2 project, Romeo and a human talk with each other. This spoken interaction by Romeo is facilitated with a spoken dialogue system, which is yet to be developed. Using the Romeo2 documentation we created the following list with requirements for a spoken dialogue system operating in this situation (see Section 1.3): Requirement 1: Romeo should understand natural language. Requirement 2: Mixed initiative: both the user and Romeo can switch to a new topic. Requirement 3: A close mapping between situations and the dialogue. Requirement 4: Maintainability. Requirement 5: Smalltalk. Requirement 6: Must fit the SpirOps framework. Existing dialogue architectures that meet some of the requirements are described (Chapter 2), and it is specified which requirements they satisfy in particular. As no existing architecture satisfies all requirements we created a new spoken dialogue system. Part of a dialogue system is the dialogue manager, which determines what Romeo says given the situation he is in. For this thesis we developed a novel dialogue manager, its novel aspects are: Integration in the framework used by the Romeo project partners. On this shared platform partners "publish" information of their components. Designers of the dialogue can react to events fired on this platform, and use the shared information. This closes the loop between the perception components on this platform and the interaction[37]. Representation of the dialogue state. The dialogue is divided into "topics", and the dialogue system is able to quickly switch between these topics. Each topic has an activation to indicate its relevance. Each second an activation function orders the topics to see which topic is the most relevant. The activation of each topic is determined using the speech input of the user, memories that change on the shared platform, and events on the shared platform. How designers create dialogues. Designers create "drives" in the SpirOps editor. Each drive describes what output must be given to the actuators of the robot, and what the "motivation" and "opportunity" of this drive are. The drive with the highest combined motivation and opportunity passes its output to the actuators. Advantages of our representation are that it is easy to add drives to a dialogue, maintain the dialogue by editing separate drives, and the ability to merge the dialogue of two designers. During an internship at the company SpirOps we implemented the dialogue system. We concluded that our dialogue architecture satisfies all requirements for the Romeo2 project. It is possible to design a dialogue that follows the scenarios in which Romeo should function, as given in the Romeo2 documentation. After a comparison to the program Choregraphe we concluded that both programs have a lot of functionality in common, but there are several di↵erences. As dialogues created with our dialogue manager are scalable, and it is possible for the user to give topic-unrestricted input, our dialogue manager is better for the Romeo2 project than Choregraphe.


Detection of genomic alterations of cancer genes by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) will provide important information for cancer diagnosis and therapy. To effectively and reliably detect the genomic changes, we prepared novel FISH probes by directly conjugating genomic DNA of genes to semiconductor quantum dot fluorophores (QDs). The generated QD-genomic probes are substantially more photostable than the probes labeled with organic dye and show high intensity in both metaphase and interphase cell. The directly labeling probes allow detection of genomic targets in a fast and simple FISH procedure with high sensitivity and specificity. Furthermore, application of the QD-genomic probes in lung cancer specimens can reliably visualize gene amplification in cancer cells. These results suggest that the QD-FISH probes may offer an effective approach to analyze cancer-related genomic aberrations in basic research and clinical applications.


Background: The healthcare system is complex and difficult to navigate, particularly for patients with multiple chronic conditions and complex care plans. Patient adherence to care plans and patient health outcomes can be negatively impacted by language, financial, and other social barriers. Community Health Navigators (CHNs) are community members that are hired and trained to navigate the healthcare system, who work with patients to overcome barriers to care and support patient self-management by providing services tailored to needs. While these types of interventions can improve access to care in other settings, they are not well studied in Canada nor in Canadian primary care settings.
Objective: For this pilot study, we aimed to determine the feasibility of a CHN intervention for patients with multiple chronic conditions. Our secondary objective was to assess the potential impact of a CHN intervention on patient-reported outcome measures.
Methods: We used an observational single arm pre-post study design. Using interviewer-administered patient surveys, we assessed patient-reported outcomes at baseline (pre-enrolment), and 6-months and 12-months post-enrolment. The survey included instruments to assess quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), patient chronic disease care experience (PACIC), social support (mMOS-SS), and cost-related adherence to care (i.e. financial security to pay for care-related costs). Descriptive analysis was performed on survey data, and the sample was restricted to participants who completed both follow-up surveys (6- and 12-month).
Results: Of the 21 participants enrolled in our pilot study, the mean age was 61.3 years, 56% had an annual household income below $30,000, and 68% were born outside of Canada. The three most common conditions reported were hypertension (77%), diabetes (59%), and back problems (55%). The mean number of conditions a patient reported was 5.4 (SD 2.3, range 3-11).
Of the sample enrolled, 14 (67%) patients completed both follow-up surveys. Mean social support (scale: 0-100), was 56, 68, and 75 at baseline, 6, and 12 months, respectively—indicating a potential increase in social support after the intervention. Mean self-ranked health (scale: 0-100) did not change over time. Mean patient experience with chronic disease care (scale: 1-3) was 2.01 at baseline; 2.24 at 6 months, and 1.89 at 12 months.  The proportion of patients who reported no difficulty paying for medical expenses increased from 36% at baseline to 79% at 6 months and 86% at 12 months. In other words, fewer patients reported difficulty paying for medical expenses at 6 months and at 12 months. Results presented here are preliminary; further analysis is underway which will include analysis of health outcomes using administrative data, statistical tests of survey data (where appropriate), and qualitative analysis of interview data.
Conclusions: CHNs may improve patients' social and financial support and satisfaction with care. Our pilot study demonstrates that a CHN intervention is feasible to implement in primary care for patients with multiple chronic conditions. These findings informed a large ongoing cluster-randomized pragmatic trial.


We consider solving a group of dual optimization problems that share a core structure: Every primal problem of the group is obtained by the right-hand side variation of constraints in the original primal problem, while the other core part of the original primal problem, such as the objective and the left-hand side of the constraints, are kept fixed. Since evaluations of the dual function are usually expensive in dual optimization, many algorithms are designed to reduce evaluations. However, they are tailored to solve one dual problem. We propose a framework of algorithms based on cutting plane methods to reduce total evaluations for multiple dual optimization problems. In the proposed algorithms, we construct a tree of evaluation points in which a route from the root node to a leaf node corresponds to a sequence of evaluation points for one dual problem, and the root node corresponds to an initial point that is common for all dual problems. Since essential parts of the evaluations are invariable among the group of dual problems, we can reuse the information. Our numerical experiments endorse the efficiency of the proposed algorithms.


Modeling of flow was made for Central Iran conditions on the example of river Hablerud where water reservoir is planning. Forms of dangerous flood hydrographs are very different because of different precipitation regimes. Practically it is impossible obtain typical design hydrograph for the reservoir routing. The storm precipitations and consequent floods can take place during any within-year interval, when water storage can be different with different probability. Therefore there is necessity to research a big amount of scenarios respecting possible combinations of flood hydrographs and water reservoir storages before floods for estimation of probability of damage. Observed hydrographs (30 years) can not represent base of all possible scenarios for reservoir routing of the requiring small probability. Consequently an aim of the represented research is modeling of long time series (1000 years) of daily discharges, which possesses a big variability but has approximately same statistic characteristics like observations. Method of Monte-Carlo according to fragment realization has been chosen among methods of stochastic simulation. At first annual discharge were simulated according to probabilistic curve, which was determined on the base of statistic parameters calculated with help of annual observed water discharges data. Then the simulated annual discharges were multiplied on ordinates of fragments. Every fragment was represented by 365 coefficients of observed daily water discharges of concrete year. Numbers of fragment was chosen by casual image. The choice of fragment was depended on value of annual discharge according to cluster analyses. The choice of algorithm of simulation was made on the base of comparison between month statistic parameters of the observed values and of the simulated values.


MiRNAs of blood and urine have been shown to represent a convenient source of biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and assessment of the therapy effectiveness due to their high stability and representation and the low invasiveness of sample collection. Here, we studied the influence of radical prostatectomy (RP) on the expression of 12 cell-free miRNAs previously shown as potential markers of PCa (i.e., miR-19b, miR-22, miR-92a, miR-378, miR-425, miR-30e, miR-31, miR-125b, miR-200b, miR-205, miR-375 and miR-660). The relative expression of the miRNAs combined into 31 paired ratios was evaluated in the urine extracellular vesicles (EVs), clarified urine (CU) and blood plasma of healthy donors, pre- and post-RP samples of PCa patients. Nineteen miRNA ratios based on combinations of ten of the miRNAs (miR-19b, miR-30e, miR-31, miR-125b, miR-200b, miR-205, miR-375, miR-378, miR-425, and miR-660) were altered by RP. The comparative expression analysis of the cell-free miRNA ratios between healthy donors and PCa patients revealed miR-125b/miR-30e and miR-375/miR-30e as potential markers for evaluating therapeutic efficacy. MiR-378/miR-19b, miR-425/miR-19b, miR-200/miR-30e, miR-660/miR-30e, and miR-205/miR-30e had minor prognostic value but could be used to increase the steadiness of the diagnostic system. The urine EVs had the highest potential as a source of markers.


This article describes the degree to which consumers use identical or similar brand and store choice strategies across product categories. The analysis is based on data on two pairs of frequently-purchased products and the results indicate that consumers frequently use identical or similar purchasing strategies across product categories. The principal implication of these results is that buying behavior may be governed by general household characteristics such as demographics to a greater extent than past research in this area had indicated.


Barton decarboxylation reaction was performed and optimized in an ultrasonic continuous flow. Indeed, continuous flow was chosen to give access to bulkier syntheses, ultrasounds were used to enhance yields compared to simple heating. Various Barton adducts and reductive decarboxylated compounds were obtained in moderate to good yield (33–73%).


The growth of baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in medium containing sucrose requires a high level of extracellular invertase enzyme activity. However, the expression of invertase is under the strict control of glucose repression in S. cerevisiae. In addition, invertase enzyme activity is also affected by physiological stress conditions that baker's yeast is exposed to during the various stages of industrial level production and downstream processing. We analyzed the effect of hyperosmotic stress on the derepression of invertase activities of a haploid laboratory yeast strain and three different industrial baker's yeast strains. Our results indicated that hyperosmotic stress interferes with the derepression of invertase activity in the yeast. The invertase activities of the yeast strains remained essentially at a repressed level in the presence of 1M NaCl or 1M KCl in the growth medium. However, the presence of low amounts of NaCl in the growth medium (0.2M) increased the invertase activities of yeast strains up to 40-50%. We also found that industrial yeast strains are more sensitive to hyperosmotic stress than the laboratory strains of S. cerevisiae used in this study.


Hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) has become increasingly important in tackling global environmental and energy-related challenges. However, its wide utilization is still limited by the complicated and environment-unfriendly synthesis process. Herein, we report a green and facile strategy to synthesize HPC from abundant metal carbonates without any emission of CO2 or/and noxious gases. The sponge-like HPC synthesized from reacting lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) with lithium hydride (LiH) exhibits high specific surface area and porosity, enabling high-performance lithium storage. The Li2CO3-derived HPC achieves a reversible capacity of ∼1750 mA h g−1 at a current density of 0.2 A g−1, among the highest reversible lithium storage capacities for HPCs. Moreover, excellent cycling stability and superior rate performance are demonstrated with a high capacity of 505 mA h g−1 even at 4.0 A g−1 over 2000 stable cycles. Such a rational and environment-friendly strategy might pave the way for the large-scale synthesis and utilization of HPCs in high-performance energy storage.


Context. High-frequency (millisecond) quasi-periodic oscillations (HF QPOs) are observed in the X-ray power-density spectra of several microquasars and low-mass X-ray binaries. Two distinct QPO peaks, so-called twin peak QPOs, are often detected simultaneously exhibiting their frequency ratio close or equal to 3:2. A widely discussed class of proposed QPOs models is based on oscillations of accretion toroidal structures orbiting in the close vicinity of black holes or neutron stars. Aims. Following the analytic theory and previous studies of observable spectral signatures, we aim to model the twin peak QPOs as a spectral imprint of specific dual oscillation regime defined by a combination of the lowest radial and vertical oscillation mode of slender tori. We consider the model of an optically thick slender accretion torus with constant specific angular momentum. We examined power spectra and fluorescent Kα iron line profiles for two different simulation setups with the mode frequency relations corresponding to the epicyclic resonance HF QPOs model and modified relativistic precession QPOs model. Methods. We used relativistic ray-tracing implemented in the parallel simulation code LSDplus. In the background of the Kerr spacetime geometry, we analyzed the influence of the distant observer inclination and the spin of the central compact object. Relativistic optical projection of the oscillating slender torus is illustrated by images in false colours related to the frequency shift. Results. We show that performed simulations yield power spectra with the pair of dominant peaks that correspond to the frequencies of radial and vertical oscillation modes and with the peak frequency ratio equal to the proper value 3:2 on a wide range of inclinations and spin values. We also discuss exceptional cases of a very low and very high inclination, as well as unstable high spin relativistic precession-like configurations that predict a constant frequency ratio equal to 1:2. We demonstrate a significant dependency of broadened Kα iron line profiles on the inclination of the distant observer. Conclusions. This study presents a further step towards the proper model of oscillating accretion tori producing HF QPOs. More realistic future simulations should be based on incorporating the resonant coupling of oscillation modes, the influence of torus opacity, and the pressure effects on the mode frequencies and the torus shape.


Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) become increasingly vulnerable to injury with advancing age. We recently showed that this vulnerability can be strongly modified in mice by exercise. However, the characteristics and underlying mechanisms of retinal protection with exercise remain unknown. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate cellular changes associated with exercise‐induced protection of aging retinal cells and the role of local and peripheral trophic signalling in mediating these effects. We focussed on two molecules that are thought to play key roles in mediating beneficial effects of exercise: brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK). In middle‐aged (12 months old) C57BL/6J mice, we found that exercise protected RGCs against dysfunction and cell loss after an acute injury induced by elevation of intra‐ocular pressure. This was associated with preservation of inner retinal synapses and reduced synaptic complement deposition. Retinal expression of BDNF was not upregulated in response to exercise alone. Rather, exercise maintained BDNF levels in the retina, which were decreased postinjury in nonexercised animals. Confirming a critical role for BDNF, we found that blocking BDNF signalling during exercise by pharmacological means or genetic knock‐down suppressed the functional protection of RGCs afforded by exercise. Protection of RGCs with exercise was independent of activation of AMPK in either retina or skeletal muscle. Our data support a previously unidentified mechanism in which exercise prevents loss of BDNF in the retina after injury and preserves neuronal function and survival by preventing complement‐mediated elimination of synapses.


In recent years, terms like "sustainable development" are all the more heard, as we are being sensitized concerning the environmental problems that make our life harder. Such problems have either direct consequences on our daily life (i.e. the greenhouse effect, district desolation, pollution of water resources etc.) or indirect ones (abatement biodiversity, overpopulation etc.). Regarding environmentally compatible entrepreneurship, there are contradictory opinions as to whether it is possible or not. A relevant reasoning that has been expounded is the following. Financial enlargement is a prerequisite of financial development. Now, for financial enlargement, production increase is essential, for which more input is needed. The surplus of this input has two consequences: 1. A more comprehensive destruction of natural resources, 2. A larger output to the environment, in the form of waste. According to the above reasoning, entrepreneurship development is not compatible with environmental protection. On the other hand, another reasoning, which is rather more constructive and progressive, and with which we agree, would introduce the terms of bearing ability, application to the production of environmentally compatible technologies and use of equable forms of energy. So, what we are looking for in this paper can be applied in each section separately. Since we know that no matter how deeply we understand the danger deriving from the destruction of the environment, none of us is disposed to sacrifice his personal benefit for that of society (which is environmental protection), it is imperative to give motives, so that the above will not be of academic interest only, but will be put into practice, for the benefit of all. Concluding, we should stress that environmentally compatible development of entrepreneurship does not constitute ecological sensitivity alone, but is also a prerequisite for the continuance of development.


Abstract. A novel chemical ionization inlet named the Multi-scheme chemical IONization inlet (MION), Karsa Ltd., Helsinki,
Finland) capable of fast switching between multiple reagent ion schemes is
presented, and its performance is demonstrated by measuring several known
oxidation products from much-studied cyclohexene and α-pinene
ozonolysis systems by applying consecutive bromide (Br−) and nitrate
(NO3-) chemical ionization. Experiments were performed in flow
tube reactors under atmospheric pressure and room temperature (22 ∘C) utilizing an atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer (APi-ToF-MS, Tofwerk Ltd., Thun, Switzerland) as the detector.
The application of complementary ion modes in probing the same steady-state
reaction mixture enabled a far more complete picture of the detailed
autoxidation process; the HO2 radical and the least-oxidized reaction
products were retrieved with Br− ionization, whereas the highest-oxidized reaction products were detected in the NO3- mode,
directly providing information on the first steps and on the ultimate endpoint of
oxidation, respectively. While chemical ionization inlets with multiple
reagent ion capabilities have been reported previously, an application in
which the charging of the sample occurs at atmospheric pressure with
practically no sample pretreatment, and with the potential to switch the
reagent ion scheme within a second timescale, has not been introduced
previously. Also, the ability of bromide ionization to detect
highly oxygenated organic molecules (HOM) from atmospheric autoxidation reactions has not been demonstrated
prior to this investigation.


The authors analyse the use of acetylcysteine as specific antidote treatment in 37 patients with acute 1,2-dichlorethane (DCE) poisoning. Administration of dichlorethane did not produce any determining effect on the outcome of the treatment in critical and irreversible concentration of DCE in the blood. The main component in complex therapy is early hemosorption. Acetylcystein may be used in the complex treatment of acute DCE intoxications after early extracorporal detoxication with the purpose of reducing the severity of troxic of hepatopathies.


Objectives A comprehensive summary and evaluation of the current evidence profile of the role of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in myocardial infarction management was conducted to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical application and evoke thoughts for future researchers. Methods We systematically searched CNKI, VIP, CBM, PubMed and the Cochrane Library for literature on TCM for myocardial infarction. After screening, studies were categorised in terms of type into five levels, i.e. systematic review (SR), randomised controlled trial (RCT), observational study, case study and basic research. General information was abstracted, and quality of these studies and conclusions made were summarised and assessed. Results A total of 452 studies involving 10 SRs, 123 RCTs, 47 observational studies, 28 case studies and 244 basic researches were included. Clinical studies centred primarily on herbal decoction and most were not rigorously performed. High quality studies were predominantly on patent drugs such as Danshen injection, Shenmai injection, Shengmai injection and Qishen Yiqi dripping pills. A summary of findings from systematic reviews and clinical research show that TCM may reduce mortality, decrease risk for complication, reduce myocardial injury, improve cardiac function and inhibit ventricular remodelling. Results of experimental studies also support the active role of TCM in reducing infarct size and myocardial injury, promoting angiogenesis, preventing ventricular remodelling and improving cardiac function. According to the current bodies of evidence, TCM has proven effects in the prevention and treatment of myocardial infarction. It is also found that the effects of Chinese patent drugs vary with indications. For instance, Shenmai injection has been observed especially effective for reducing incidence of acute clinical events, and patent drug with qi-nourishing and blood-circulating properties has been proved good at inhibiting ventricular remodelling. High-quality evidence supports the use of TCM injection for acute myocardial infarction and Chinese patent drug medication for secondary prevention. Reports on adverse events and other safety outcomes associated with Chinese medicine are not many. Conclusions Firstly, sufficient evidence has been drawn from all five types of studies in relation to the use of TCM as an adjuvant to conventional Western medicine for prevention and treatment of myocardial infarction. Scientific and rational use of TCM in combination with western medicine is therefore recommended, taking into consideration of the stage of the disease and therapeutic goals of the patients. For example, herbal decoction and Qishen Yiqi dripping pills are recommended for patients recovering from a myocardial infarction and for secondary prevention, whereas for patients with acute myocardial infarction Shenmai injection would be a good choice. Secondly, the quality of the bodies of evidence remains to be enhanced, and improvements can be made from the following aspects: 1) Some significant research subjects are worthy of further exploration, such as the benefits of and potential risks posed by the concomitant use of Chinese medicine and western drugs with cardiovascular protective properties; 2) The quality of both original and secondary research need to be enhanced, 3) Highlights should be given to the monitoring and reporting of adverse events associated with the use of Chinese medicine; and 4) To promote standard reporting of TCM clinical research.


The cluster of galaxies Sersic 159-03 was observed with the XMM-Newton X-ray observatory as part of the Guaranteed Time program. X-ray spectra taken with the EPIC and RGS instruments show no evidence for the strong cooling flow derived from previous X-ray observations. There is a significant lack of cool gas below 1.5 keV as compared to standard isobaric cooling flow models. While the oxygen is distributed more or less uniformly over the cluster, iron shows a strong concentration in the center of the cluster, slightly offset from the brightness center but within the central cD galaxy. This points to enhanced type Ia supernova activity in the center of the cluster. There is also an elongated iron-rich structure ex- tending to the east of the cluster, showing the inhomogeneity of the iron distribution. Finally, the temperature drops rapidly beyond 4' from the cluster center.


The yields of the K*(892)$^{0}$ and $\Phi$(1020) resonances are measured in Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\rm NN}}$ = 2.76 TeV through their hadronic decays using the ALICE detector. The measurements are performed in multiple centrality intervals at mid-rapidity (|$y$|<0.5) in the transverse-momentum ranges 0.3<$p_{\rm T}$<5 GeV/$c$ for the K*(892)$^{0}$ and 0.5<$p_{\rm T}$<5 GeV/$c$ for the $\Phi$(1020). The yields of K*(892)$^{0}$ are suppressed in central Pb-Pb collisions with respect to pp and peripheral Pb-Pb collisions (perhaps due to rescattering of its decay products in the hadronic medium), while the longer lived $\Phi$(1020) meson is not suppressed. These particles are also used as probes to study the mechanisms of particle production. The shape of the $p_{\rm T}$ distribution of the $\Phi$(1020) meson, but not its yield, is reproduced fairly well by hydrodynamic models for central Pb-Pb collisions. In central Pb-Pb collisions at low and intermediate $p_{\rm T}$, the p/$\Phi$(1020) ratio is flat in $p_{\rm T}$, while the p/$\pi$ and $\Phi$(1020)/$\pi$ ratios show a pronounced increase and have similar shapes to each other. These results indicate that the shapes of the $p_{\rm T}$ distributions of these particles in central Pb-Pb collisions are determined predominantly by the particle masses and radial flow. Finally, $\Phi$(1020) production in Pb-Pb collisions is enhanced, with respect to the yield in pp collisions and the yield of charged pions, by an amount similar to the $\Lambda$ and $\Xi$.


We offer in this paper an alternative way of controlling for worker and firm heterogeneity. Our strategy assumes that the gap between the individual wage and the firm average wage, unexplained by differences in observable characteristics, gives the extent to which the individual unobserved ability deviates from the unobserved average ability in the firm at which she/he works. Based on an extended set of longitudinally observed attributes, including participation on workplace training, our results indicate that the typical human capital function covariates are highly correlated with unobserved ability which of course leads to the presence of a large bias in standard OLS regressions. We also found that high ability workers are more likely to switch jobs, while at the same time the quality of job matching is expected to increase. In turn, after controlling for worker and firm effects, the gender gap virtually vanishes. Given the visible impact of unobserved ability on wage determination, it follows, in particular, that standard state subsidies to firm training do entail the risk of greater wage inequality.


Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a wide spectrum of benign and malignant diseases. Recent additions to the list include oral hairy leukoplakia; a subset of Hodgkin's lymphomas, particularly those with mixed cellularity histology or those occurring in underdeveloped countries; a subset of diffuse large cell/immunoblastic lymphoma in the immunocompromised, particularly primary central nervous system lymphoma; a subset of peripheral T cell lymphomas; and a subset of gastric carcinomas, particularly undifferentiated carcinomas. There are several distinctive aspects of the biology of the virus that are important in investigations of virus in clinical specimens. The presence of repeated elements in the genome facilitates detection of viral nucleic acids by a variety of hybridization techniques as well as the characterization of the clonality of virus-infected tissues. Latent viral infection is associated with several different patterns of viral gene expression in infected cells. Latent gene products are important because of their growth-regulating and -transforming properties as well as the potent cytotoxic T cell response they elicit. The abundant expression of the EBER RNA transcripts makes possible the sensitive detection of latent infection in EBV-associated tumors. Lytic infection can be inhibited by antiviral nucleoside analogues. Two lytic gene products are of special interest because of their homology to the cellular proteins BCL-2 and interleukin-10. Two viral biotypes or strains with different properties in terms of lymphocyte immortalization and transformation have recently been characterized. Current evidence suggests a differential biotype association with particular malignancies. Characterization of the association of EBV with various disease processes promises to be important for diagnosis and treatment as well as for a better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of these diabetes.


The goal of this research is to obtain quantitative information on chemical speciation over time during high temperature material thermal decomposition. The long term goal of the research will be to impact structural fire safety by developing a data base of characteristic "burn signatures" for combustible structural materials. In order to establish procedure and to generate data for benchmark materials, the first material tested in these preliminary tests is poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA). Material samples are heated in an infrared (IR) heating chamber until they undergo pyrolysis. Time resolved quantitative measurements of the exhaust species CO2 , O2 , HC, and CO were obtained. During heating the PMMA sample undergoes two distinct processes. First, pre-combustion pyrolysis is characterized by the appearance a peak in the THC signal between 600–650 °C. Secondly, at about 900 °C flaming combustion occurs as evidenced by an exothermic reaction reported by the thermocouples. The time sequence of the production of HC, O2 depletion and CO2 production are consistent with combustion in an excess-oxidizer environment.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Compelling evidence continues to demonstrate that racism is a modifiable determinant of health inequities. Despite growing recognition of this it is less clear how from a human resource perspective to engage in effective anti-racism.

Through a review of human resource and anti-racism literature, the white, Indigenous and racialised authors examined existing approaches to anti-racism applicable to the health system in Aotearoa.

Two systemic organisational approaches were identified: diversity training and dismantling institutional racism. Recruitment processes, talent management and retention were human resource specific sites for interventions. Insights from anti-racism scholarship including upholding te Tiriti o Waitangi and engaging in decolonising to enable transformative change.

Power-sharing remains at the heart of anti-racism praxis. A health sector response needs to be co-created with Māori and those with the political will to enable transformation. Given racism has a geographic specificity, solutions need to be informed by the cultural, political, social, and historical context.


The Americans with Disabilities Act ("ADA") was passed thirty years ago with the promise of "equality of opportunity" for people with disabilities. Notwithstanding, a nascent body of scholarship indicates that parents with disabilities experience substantial and pervasive inequities within the child welfare system, and that the ADA is often disregarded or misapplied by child welfare agencies and courts. Yet, despite extensive legal and social science scholarship about child welfare system involvement among parents with disabilities, no studies have empirically examined why the ADA is not effectively safeguarding the rights of parents with disabilities.

This Article responds to that scholarly void and offers novel and critically needed data on the barriers and facilitators to compliance with the ADA by the child welfare system. This Study draws qualitative data from forty-five in-depth interviews with parents with disabilities, child welfare workers, and parents' attorneys. This Study demonstrates that several barriers and facilitators exist that affect compliance with the ADA by the child welfare system. First, knowledge, training, and information about the ADA by parents with disabilities, child welfare workers, and legal professionals impede or enable ADA compliance. Second, institutional support—especially well-defined agency policies and procedures about the ADA, agency culture and leadership, and resource availability—impact compliance with the ADA. Third, factors related to the legal and social context in which cases involving disabled parents occur—particularly tensions between children's rights and parents' rights and issues relating to the intersection between disability and child welfare law—are barriers or facilitators to ADA compliance. This Article concludes by identifying critical areas for further research and discussing the policy and practice implications of the findings.


Background Women with female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) often suffer from physical and psychosexual problems related to FGM/C. As gatekeepers to the medical system, GPs are often the first to be consulted about these problems. It is as yet unknown if, and to what extent, Dutch GPs identify women with FGM/C or related health problems. Aim To investigate how often Dutch GPs register FGM/C and related health problems. Design & setting A case–control study of anonymised patient records was performed in the Netherlands. Method Medical records were checked for information on country of origin. Records of women, aged ≥15 years, from countries where FGM/C is practised were compared with those of a case-control. Results Although many migrants were registered with the participating GPs, information on country of origin was seldom recorded. Only 68 out of 16 700 patients were identified as women from countries where FGM/C is practised; 12 out of these 68 records contained information about the FGM/C status, but none on the type of FGM/C. There were no significant differences in health problems related to FGM/C between patients with FGM/C and the controls. Conclusion FGM/C may be a blind spot for GPs and registration of information on migration background could be improved. A larger sample in a future study is needed to confirm this finding. Given the growing global migration, awareness and knowledge on FGM/C, and other migration-related health issues should be part of GP training.


The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may derive benefit from bronchodilator therapy, particularly those patients with severe disease. Currently, three classes of bronchodilator are available: anticholinergics, beta 2-adrenergic agonists and methyl-xanthines. Several factors should be considered when choosing a bronchodilator. Inhaled therapy is generally preferred over oral treatment as the inhaled route reduces systemic exposure to the drug, whereas oral therapy has the advantages of convenience and ease of use. The anticholinergics (e.g. ipratropium bromide) and beta 2-agonists (e.g. salbutamol) are used via the inhaled route and have approximately equivalent acute bronchodilator effects; they differ pharmacokinetically in onset of effect and duration of action and the anticholinergic may be superior in its long-term effects on lung function.


Ethernet-based fieldbus protocols, are rapidly becoming the preferred choice for networked control systems (NCS) in Factory Automation. Identification of real-time Ethernet (RTE) traffic flows (TFs) is needed for networks that support parameterized QoS services. In this paper, we present a method based on cross-layer packet inspection to identify TFs of RTEs. The method is tested on hardware that uses some of the most popular RTEs used in industrial automation: PROFINET RT, EtherNet/IP and Modbus TCP/IP. The set of parameters chosen to generate the TF signature lead to a correct identification of all cyclic flows in all tested scenarios1.


Historically, the primary model of computation employed in the design and analysis of algorithms has been the sequential RAM model. However, recent developments in computer architecture have reduced the efficacy of the sequential RAM model for algorithmic development. In response, theoretical computer scientists have developed models of computation which better reflect these modern architectures. In this project, we consider a variety of graph problems on parallel, cache-efficient, and multicore models of computation. We introduce each model by defining the analysis of algorithms on these models. Then, for each model, we present current results for the problems of prefix sums, list ranking, various tree problems, connected components, and minimum spanning tree. Finally, we present our novel results, which include the multicore oblivious extension of current results on a private cache multicore model to a more general multilevel multicore model.


The paper presents the investigation of the expansibility of an Al-Si alloy in the form of a protective coating applied on a steel substrate and as a conventional cast, respectively. Examinations were carried out in the temperature range of troom÷220°C using the diffractometric technique based on reflections (311), (222), (400), and (331) from the Al solid solution. It was demonstrated that the coating exhibited better thermal expansibility compared to the cast, and its thermal expansion coefficient was close to the standard values for alloys of the same chemical composition. For the cast, the thermal expansion coefficient was lower by approx. 25% in relation to the standard value. It was also found that the soaking of alloys during X-ray examination reduced their texturing and caused changes in the microstructure of both the coating and the cast by thinning the silicon crystals and rounding their edges.


Background Residual paralysis increases the risk of pulmonary complications but is difficult to detect. To test the hypothesis that accelerometry predicts effects of residual paralysis on pulmonary and upper airway function, the authors related tests of pulmonary and pharyngeal function to accelerometry of adductor pollicis muscle in 12 partially paralyzed volunteers. Methods Rocuronium (0.01 mg/kg + 2–10 &mgr;g · kg−1 · min−1) was administered to maintain train-of-four (TOF) ratios (assessed every 15 s) of approximately 0.5 and 0.8 over a period of more than 5 min. The authors evaluated pharyngeal and facial muscle functions during steady state relaxation and performed spirometric measurements every 5 min until recovery. Upper airway obstruction was defined as a mean ratio of expiratory and inspiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity of greater than 1. The TOF ratio associated with "acceptable" pulmonary recovery (forced vital capacity and forced inspiratory volume in 1 s of ≥90% of baseline) was calculated using a linear regression model. Results At peak blockade (TOF ratio 0.5 ± 0.16), forced inspiratory flow was impaired (53 ± 19%) to a greater degree than forced expiratory flow (75 ± 20%) with a mean ratio of expiratory and inspiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity of 1.18 ± 0.6. Upper airway obstruction, observed in 8 of 12 volunteers, paralleled an impaired ability to swallow reported by 10 of 12 volunteers. In contrast, all volunteers except one could sustain a head lift for more than 5 s. The authors calculated that a mean TOF ratio of 0.56 (95% confidence interval, 0.22–0.71) predicts "acceptable" recovery of forced vital capacity, whereas forced inspiratory volume in 1 s was impaired until a TOF ratio of 0.95 (0.82–1.18) was reached. A 100% recovery of TOF ratio predicts an acceptable recovery of forced vital capacity, forced inspiratory volume in 1 s, and mean ratio of expiratory and inspiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity in 93%, 73%, and 88% of measurements (calculated negative predictive values), respectively. Conclusion Impaired inspiratory flow and upper airway obstruction frequently occur during minimal neuromuscular blockade (TOF ratio 0.8), and extubation may put the patient at risk. Although a TOF ratio of unity predicts a high probability of adequate recovery from neuromuscular blockade, respiratory function can still be impaired.


The high stocking density, stress, unhygienic conditions, lack of sunlight, and breeding practices typical of industrial poultry and egg production systems may facilitate the emergence and spread of diseases, including highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses with public health implications such as H5N1.


Steroids are one of the essential classes of bioactive compounds and are involved in many biochemical processes which include their role as signaling compounds, the alteration of membrane fluidity and the regulation of a variety of metabolic processes. In order to identify novel compounds with valuable pharmacological action, the synthesis of improved steroids is gaining much attention in recent times. Among those analogs, heterosteroids particularly azasteroids are one of the most important classes which display a variety of biological activities, often free from undesirable side effects. The challenges in the synthesis of steroids, particularly azasteroids, and the potential of azasteroids as novel drugs has prompted numerous investigations in this field. The synthetic methods leading to steroidal derivatives (azasteroids) with one or more nitrogen atoms are very limited. There are reports on the major skeletal types of steroids and their associated range of biological activities. In addition, there are increasing studies in which known non-steroidal pharmacophore are attached to the steroid skeleton with the aim that the latter might provide lipid solubility, receptor selectivity or membrane-binding properties. All these are testaments on the importance and the ubiquitous nature of steroids. The urgency for the syntheses of a wide array of steroids for several intended biomedical applications are found in the chemical and biochemical literatures. Several efforts are underway to achieve this milestone. There have been developments in therapies for the treatment of breast cancer which target the estrogen receptor. In the domain of rational drug design, a three-dimensional model of the CYP19 aromatase incorporating both the haem and the steroid substrate has been proposed.


The preparation of perturbed initial conditions to initialize an ensemble of numerical weather forecasts is a crucial task in current ensemble prediction systems (EPSs). Perturbations are added in the places where they are expected to grow faster, in order to provide an envelope of uncertainty along with the deterministic forecast. This work analyses the influence of large-scale spatial patterns on the growth of small perturbations. Therefore, we compare Lyapunov vector (LV) definitions, used in the initialization of state-of-the-art EPSs, with the so-called characteristic LVs. We test the dynamical behaviour of these LVs in the two-scale Lorenz'96 system. We find that the commonly used definitions of LVs include non-intrinsic and spurious effects due to their mutual orthogonality. We also find that the spatial locations where the small-scale perturbations are growing are 'quantized' by the large-scale pattern. This 'quantization' enhances the artificial disposition of the LVs, which is only avoided using the characteristic LVs, an unambiguous basis which may also be of great use in realistic models for assessing or initializing EPSs.


ABSTRACT. Explaining the low incidence of invasive disease (10%) in humans infected with Entamoeba histolytica has occupied the attention of generations of both clinical and nonclinical investigators. One possible explanation would be the existence of two morphologically identical species—one an invasive pathogen, the other noninvasive. This was first proposed by Brumpt in 1925, but his explanation was virtually ignored until 1978 when the first of several publications appeared suggesting that E. histolytica did indeed consist of two species. We have reexamined Brumpt's claim in light of recent biochemical, immunological and genetic studies and conclude that the data derived from these investigations provide unequivocal evidence supporting his hypothesis. With this in mind, we redescribe the invasive parasite retaining the name Entamoeba histolytica Schaudinn, 1903 (Emended Walker, 1911), and set it apart from the noninvasive parasite described by Brumpt, Entamoeba dispar Brumpt, 1925.


This brief report describes the perceptions of individuals who attended an educational program that targets HIV-positive people. Analysis of quotes from participants in a 90-minute focus group revealed three benefits of attending the workshop (empowerment, patient-physician relationship, and knowledge of medications). Four ways to improve the workshop were identified: peer support and support groups, additional information on medications, nutrition, and more information about the disease. The findings suggest that there may be an unmet need for counselling. Counselling practitioners could make further contributions to the systematic development, implementation, and evaluation of theory-based programs for people with a chronic disease.


Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation can greatly reduce both air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuel electricity generation. The Chinese government plans to greatly scale up solar PV installation between now and 2030. However, different PV development pathways will influence the range of air quality and climate benefits. Benefits depend on how much electricity generated from PV is integrated into power grids and the type of power plant displaced. Using a coal-intensive power sector projection as the base case, we estimate the climate, air quality, and related human health benefits of various 2030 PV deployment scenarios. We use the 2030 government goal of 400 GW installed capacity but vary the location of PV installation and the extent of inter-provincial PV electricity transmission. We find that deploying distributed PV in the east with inter-provincial transmission maximizes potential CO2 reductions and air quality-related health benefits (4.2% and 1.2% decrease in national total CO2 emissions and air pollution-related premature deaths compared to the base case, respectively). Deployment in the east with inter-provincial transmission results in the largest benefits because it maximizes displacement of the dirtiest coal-fired power plants and minimizes PV curtailment, which is more likely to occur without inter-provincial transmission. We further find that the maximum co-benefits achieved with deploying PV in the east and enabling inter-provincial transmission are robust under various maximum PV penetration levels in both provincial and regional grids. We find large potential benefits of policies that encourage distributed PV deployment and facilitate inter-provincial PV electricity transmission in China.


: Natural latex foam mattresses (NLFMs) are manufactured using the latex extracted in its purest form of milky white liquid, which is tapped from the trunks of mature rubber trees. The natural latex foam mattress manufacturing (NLFMM) process undergoes several processing stages before the natural latex is converted into an ultra cushioning material with a wide range of firmness and comfort. Among the other processing steps, the gelling process has been found to play a significant role in controlling the quality of the final product, provided that quality raw materials have been supplied to the manufacturing plant. This manuscript suggests a methodology for estimating optimal levels of parameters that affect the gelling process, focusing on minimizing the influence on mattress-es' surface quality deterioration. A case study has been performed in collabora-tion with one of the natural latex foam manufacturing plants to recognize main quality deterioration mechanisms and corresponding process parameters using the engineering robust design approach to establish the optimal combination of influencing factor levels.


Quite unexpectedly, a fun project to build a molecular model as a sculpture to display in our laboratory inadvertently contributed to our understanding of carbon particles at nanoscale dimensions. Heretofore attempts to explain the observations had been based on erroneous assumptions of chemico-structural behaviour. Building physical models of large Fullerene carbon cages based on Goldberg polyhedra indicted that the surface of the carbon particles would not in general be spherical and explained the structures previously observed but not understood. This seems to be a rare example of art contributing to the scientific knowledge base.


Although studies have shown increased evidence of death receptor-driven apoptosis in intestinal lymphoid cells, splenocytes, and the liver following the onset of polymicrobial sepsis, little is known about the mediators controlling this process or their pathologic contribution. We therefore attempted to test the hypothesis that the hydrodynamic administration of small interfering RNA (siRNA) against the death receptor, Fas or caspase-8, should attenuate the onset of morbidity and mortality seen in sepsis, as produced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). We initially show that in vivo administration of green fluorescent protein (GFP) siRNA in GFP transgenic mice results in a decrease in GFP fluorescence in most tissues. Subsequently, we also found that treating septic nontransgenic mice with siRNA targeting Fas or caspase-8 but not GFP (used as a control here) decreased the mRNA, in a sustained fashion up to 10 days, and protein expression of Fas and caspase-8, respectively. In addition, transferase-mediated dUTP (deoxyuridine triphosphate) nick end labeling (TUNEL) and active caspase-3 analyses revealed a decrease in apoptosis in the liver and spleen but not the thymus following siRNA treatment. Indices of liver damage were also decreased. Finally, the injection of Fas or caspase-8 given not only 30 minutes but up to 12 hours after CLP significantly improved the survival of septic mice.


Interleaving is an important technique for improving the effectiveness of traditional error-correcting codes in data transmission systems that exhibit multipath fading. Such channels often arise in mobile wireless communications. We present an alternative to interleaving for such systems, which we term "spread-response precoding." From the perspective of the coded symbol stream, spread-response precoding effectively transforms an arbitrary Rayleigh fading channel into a nonfading, simple white marginally Gaussian noise channel. Furthermore, spreadresponse precoding requires no additional power or bandwidth, and is attractive in terms of computational complexity, robustness, and delay considerations.


Data stored in databases constantly evolves as the application requirements change over time. Such evolution is a challenge, as existing applications must continue to work with the evolved data. XML is fast becoming the data model of choice for many applications as the XML data can be evolved easily and it supports heterogeneity. Various ways of storing XML data in tables or columns have been studied and explored in the past. However, they either do not address the evolving or heterogeneous nature of XML, or they do not take advantage of that in query optimization. UNION-ALL Views offer a logical layer to combine XML stored in various forms. This form of views - XML views - unlike relational views, offer logical structural partitioning of the XML data. In this paper we examine how such views can be used to solve the heterogeneity and evolving nature of XML and the unique properties of such views that allow better optimization.


The vulnerability of wireless communication links from sources of interference is increasing. The increase in the number of transmission systems, band congestion and intentional interference activity represent significant threats to the normal operation, availability and reliability of these wireless systems. This research paper will initially address conventional sources of interference that affect these systems, progress to the new threats posed by intentional interference and directed energy sources, and present a practical example of the effects of intentional disruption on a global satellite navigation system. Disruptive Effects of Electromagnetic Interference on Communication and Electronic Systems 4 ______________________________________________________________________________________