A yearling Holstein heifer was admitted with abdominal pain and bilateral, ventral abdominal distention. Bladder rupture was diagnosed by abdominocentesis and endoscopy. Correction of metabolic derangements was accomplished by volume diuresis, with maintenance of a urethral catheter before surgical repair of the bladder. The cause of the bladder rupture was believed to be related to adhesions resulting from previous surgery for urachal abscessation. Bladder rupture, which usually occurs in bulls or steers secondary to urolithiasis or in cows after dystocia, also should be considered in prepartum heifers with dehydration, abdominal pain, and abdominal distention.


Performance assessment (PA) of irrigation and drainage systems has been an important area of research and debate in recent years. The present study was carried out to determine some performance parameters of sprinkler irrigation systems. Thirty- eight subunits (lateral) were monitored and assessed in the Konya Basin of Turkey. Sprinkler nozzle-pressure, flow rate, and their variations, and the amount of irrigation water were determined. Application and distribution uniformity, irrigation adequacy, and characteristics of system design and application were analyzed. Christensen Uniformity coefficient (CUC) and distribution uniformity (DU) values were between 41% and 88%, and between 18% and 81%, respectively. Variation in pressure and flow rates, and the use of different sprinkler parts in the same system were the main causes of the observed heterogeneity. It was concluded that by reducing lateral spacing the water distribution pattern, such as CUC and DU, could improve significantly and thus improve irrigation


The first dinosaur to be named from Spain, the sauropod Aragosaurus ischiaticus Sanz, Buscalioni, Casanovas and Santafe 1987, is known from associated postcranial remains of one individual from the Las Zabacheras site in Galve, Teruel Province, Spain. Results of recent fieldwork confirm that the Las Zabacheras site represents a deltaic sediment complex in the Villar del Arzobispo Formation with a Tithonian–Berriasian (latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous) age. Description of the anatomy of Aragosaurus (including several previously undescribed elements) enables a re-evaluation of this taxon's relationships. Aragosaurus ischiaticus has six autapomorphies in the axial and appendicular skeleton, including the presence of epipophysis-like protuberances on middle caudal postzygapophyses. Phylogenetic analyses, using three independent data sets, support the view that Aragosaurus is a basal macronarian sauropod, lying outside of Titanosauriformes. Aragosaurus possesses derived states that are shared with basal Titanosauriformes, indicating that some characters previously considered to represent titanosauriform synapomorphies have a slightly wider distribution. A tooth, previously described as Aragosaurus, cannot be referred to this taxon as it was recovered from a different locality, and there are no overlapping elements with the holotype; it is here regarded as representing an indeterminate titanosauriform. These results, combined with new data on the stratigraphic age of Aragosaurus, demonstrate that basal macronarian sauropods were present in Europe at the end of the Late Jurassic, alongside more derived titanosauriforms. Aragosaurus is one of four genera of sauropod recovered from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation in Spain, making the latter an important contributor to our understanding of Late Jurassic sauropod diversity alongside the well-known contemporaneous faunas of the African Tendaguru Formation and the North American Morrison Formation. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London


Wellbore instability, which is considered as failure of borehole wall, is a complex and time-consuming analysis. Numerous factors such as well path, rock mechanical properties, in situ stress regimes, pore pressure, mud weight, bedding planes, and fractures play a role in borehole instability. Many wellbore stability analyses methods consider only a few of mentioned parameters and majority of them are based on continuum mechanics. However, most of the methods presented for wellbore stability analyses do not consider the impact of fractures. In the present work discrete element models (DEM) are used for numerical wellbore stability analysis of horizontal wells, while the presence of fractures is considered. In this study the effect of mud cyclic loading, hole length, stress regimes, and fluid pressures in fracture plane are examined. The results of analyses showed that direction of minimum horizontal stress is the optimum drilling direction. To evaluate the effects of mud cyclic loadings and open hole lengths, two other models are also considered. These models reveal that mud cyclic loading reduces the stability of borehole. Moreover, it was concluded that mud weight must be increased as open hole length increases and it should not exceed the upper mud weight limit.


The two key characteristics of a normalizing flow is that it is invertible (in particular, dimension preserving) and that it monitors the amount by which it changes the likelihood of data points as samples are propagated along the network. Recently, multiple generalizations of normalizing flows have been introduced that relax these two conditions. On the other hand, neural networks only perform a forward pass on the input, there is neither a notion of an inverse of a neural network nor is there one of its likelihood contribution. In this paper we argue that certain neural network architectures can be enriched with a stochastic inverse pass and that their likelihood contribution can be monitored in a way that they fall under the generalized notion of a normalizing flow mentioned above. We term this enrichment flowification. We prove that neural networks only containing linear layers, convolutional layers and invertible activations such as LeakyReLU can be flowified and evaluate them in the generative setting on image datasets.


The six kinds of different models were simulated by FLUENT software under certain circumstances. As a result, their pressure distributions and liquid film opening force with different thickness were obtained. The relationship between liquid film thickness and opening force was obtained by least square fitting. And then the relationship between stiffness and liquid film thickness was calculated and analyzed. The result shows that: seal opening force and liquid film stiffness decrease as the liquid film thickness increase, this simulation results is identical with the theoretical data. In larger film thickness range, the opening force is larger, and so was the liquid film stiffness, which provide the basis for seal optimization design and the stable operation.


We study a spin1 2 XXZ model with a four-spin interaction on a two-leg ladder. By means of effective field theory and matrix product state calculations, we obtain rich ground-state phase diagrams that consist of eight distinct gapped phases. Four of them exhibit spontaneous symmetry breaking with either a magnetic or valence-bond-solid (VBS) long-range order. The other four are featureless, i.e., the bulk ground state is unique and does not break any symmetry. The featureless phases include the rung singlet (RS) and Haldane phases as well as their variants, the RS* and Haldane* phases, in which twisted singlet pairs (|↑↓〉+ |↓↑〉) / √ 2 are formed between the two legs. We argue and demonstrate that Gaussian transitions with the central charge c = 1 occur between the featureless phases and between the ordered phases while Ising transitions with c = 1/2 occur between the featureless and ordered phases. The two types of transition lines cross at the SU(2)symmetric point, where the criticality is described by the SU(2)2 Wess-Zumino-Witten theory with c = 3/2. The RS-Haldane* and RS*-Haldane transitions give examples of topological phase transitions. Interestingly, the RS* and Haldane* phases, which have highly anisotropic nature, appear even in the vicinity of the isotropic case. We demonstrate that all the four featureless phases are distinguished by topological indices in the presence of certain symmetries.


While literature focusing on the constructs of the environmental factors of servicescape and trust are relatively common in Western countries, the...


VN/12-1 is a novel retinoic acid metabolism blocking agent discovered in our laboratory. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of anticancer activity of VN/12-1 in breast cancer cell lines and in tumor xenografts. We investigated the effects of VN/12-1 on induction of autophagy and apoptosis in SKBR-3 cells. Furthermore, we also examined the impact of pharmacologic and genomic inhibition of autophagy on anticancer activity of VN/12-1. Finally, the antitumor activity of VN/12-1 was evaluated as a single agent and in combination with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine in an SKBR-3 mouse xenograft model. Short exposure of low dose (<10 μmol/L) of VN/12-1 induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, and inhibited G1–S phase transition and caused a protective response. However, a higher dose of VN/12-1 initiated apoptosis in vitro. Inhibition of autophagy using either pharmacologic inhibitors or RNA interference of Beclin-1 enhanced anticancer activity induced by VN/12-1 in SKBR-3 cells by triggering apoptosis. Importantly, VN/12-1 (5 mg/kg twice weekly) and the combination of VN/12-1 (5 mg/kg twice weekly) + chloroquine (50 mg/kg twice weekly) significantly suppressed established SKBR-3 tumor growth by 81.4% (P < 0.001 vs. control) and 96.2% (P < 0.001 vs. control), respectively. Our novel findings suggest that VN/12-1 may be useful as a single agent or in combination with autophagy inhibitors for treating human breast cancers. Our data provides a strong rationale for clinical evaluation of VN/12-1 as single agent or in combination with autophagy inhibitors. Mol Cancer Ther; 11(4); 898–908. ©2012 AACR.


Most of the hydropower dams in Sweden were built before 1980. The present dam-safety guidelines have resulted in higher design floods than their spillway discharge capacity and the need for structural upgrades. This has led to renewed laboratory model tests. For some dams, even computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations are performed. This provides the possibility to compare the spillway discharge data between the model tests performed a few decades apart. The paper presents the hydropower development, the needs for the ongoing dam rehabilitations and the history of physical hydraulic modeling in Sweden. More than 20 spillways, both surface and bottom types, are analyzed to evaluate their discharge modeling accuracy. The past and present model tests are compared with each other and with the CFD results if available. Discrepancies do exist in the discharges between the model tests made a few decades apart. The differences fall within the range −8.3%–+11.2%. The reasons for the discrepancies are sought from several aspects. The primary source of the errors is seemingly the model construction quality and flow measurement method. The machine milling technique and 3D printing reduce the source of construction errors and improve the model quality. Results of the CFD simulations differ, at the maximum, by 3.8% from the physical tests. They are conducted without knowledge of the physical model results in advance. Following the best practice guidelines, CFD should generate results of decent accuracy for discharge prediction.


In this paper, the micro-arc oxidation coatings formed on biomedical Ni-Cr-Mo alloy were characterized by surface and cross-sectional morphologies, chemical and phase compositions and corrosion resistance using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and potentiodynamic polarization test, respectively. The results show that the coating is mainly composed of γ-Al2O3 crystal phase with a little Ni content. The coating possesses a typical porous surface and has a thickness of ~6 μm. The corrosion resistance of the coated sample is greatly improved compared with the uncoated Ni-Cr-Mo alloy.


The concept of blameworthiness plays a central role in criminal law. Deontologists and utilitarians alike agree that the criminal sanction should rarely, if ever, apply to an actor who caused harm without some subjective awareness of wrongdoing. Research in social psychology, however, suggests that human beings are predisposed to overstate the role of personal, versus situational, factors in explaining negative outcomes. It would seem to follow that officials (legislators, judges, and jurors) are likely to overstate the personal responsibility of individuals. This tendency has both positive and normative significance. Descriptively, it may help to explain why in many contexts, such as the felony-murder doctrine and prevailing (narrow) understandings of defenses based on insanity, intoxication, and necessity, present doctrine punishes absent culpability. It may also help to explain converse doctrinal anomalies, such as provocation, duress, and the "abuse excuse," which exculpate blameworthy actors. In these instances the defense invites the law to blame another human being, rather than impersonal situational factors. Normatively, the tendency to attribute outcomes to persons rather than situations suggests a systemic tendency to overblame. This risk poses a significant challenge to most popular theories of punishment, but it is an especially strong point against mandatory forms of retributivism. As applied by observers predisposed to overblame, mandatory retributivism is likey to inflict punishment the theory itself forbids. At least since the M'Naghten case of the 1840s,1 Anglo-American criminal law has concerned itself closely, famously, and contentiously with the psychology of the accused.2 Another significant body of scholarship addresses the psychology of juries,3 and other valuable research has approached some of the rules of criminal evidence from the perspective of social and cognitive psychology.4 There has, however, yet to be a general investigation of what social cognition research might teach us about the criminal law's pervasive concern with blameworthiness.5 This Article undertakes that investigation. It brings research on the psychology of social cognition to bear on the decision-making processes of public officials charged with the administration of criminal justice. The psychological research suggests that these decision makers, like most other human beings, are likely to overestimate the causal significance of personal choice, and to correspondingly underestimate the causal significance of situational factors in the behavior of others.6 My thesis is that this observer's tendency to attribute conduct and its consequences to personality, rather than to situation, has important and disturbing implications for the theory and practice of criminal law. I. INTRODUCTION: OVERVIEW, QUALIFICATIONS, AND ROADMAP A. Overview The idea of culpability or blameworthiness plays a central role in both the theory and practice of criminal justice. We have it on high authority that [t]he contention that an injury can amount to a crime only when inflicted by intention is no provincial or transient notion. It is as universal and persistent in mature systems of law as belief in freedom of the human will and a consequent ability and duty of the normal individual to choose between good and evil.7 There could be no crime, said Blackstone, without a "vicious will."8 Despite some exceptions, such as strict liability offenses, the principle that blameworthiness is a distinctive feature of criminal conduct remains fundamental in our legal culture. Yet many features of prevailing criminal law are hard to reconcile with this principle of culpability. For example, a failed attempt typically is punished more leniently than a successful one, even though those engaging in failed attempts are no less culpable (or dangerous) than those who are successful.9 The felony murder doctrine departs from the culpability principle in the opposite direction by imposing liability for murder on account of unintended killings, even in the absence of culpable recklessness. …


BACKGROUND
Poor nutritional status is common among patients awaiting orthotopic liver transplantation and is associated with poor outcome.

METHODS
This prospective randomized controlled trial examined the effect of pretransplant nutritional supplementation on the outcome of patients undergoing liver transplantation. Of 82 consecutive patients with mid-arm muscle circumference <25th percentile, 42 received enteral supplementation, and the remainder acted as the control group. The supplemented group received a calorie-dense enteral feed taken daily (in addition to diet) until transplantation. Nutritional status was monitored by upper arm anthropometric measurements and handgrip strength. Dietary intake was calculated from 5-day food diaries.

RESULTS
Supplementation improved mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and grip strength. Pretransplant nutritional status was not associated with posttransplant sepsis or major complications. Preoperative grip strength of <85% of normal values was predictive of increased incidence of posttransplant major complications. Supplementation did not affect outcome, although there were more deaths in the control group (seven deaths before and two deaths after transplant) than there were in the supplemented group (two deaths before and three deaths after transplant). There was no difference in overall survival (P = 0.075).

CONCLUSIONS
Enteral supplementation improved some parameters of nutritional status pretransplant. Dietary intake of patients in the two groups was similar at transplant. Nutritional supplementation has not increased nutritional intake, although this may reflect the importance of regular dietetic input and support, rather than suggesting that nutritional supplementation is ineffective. Supplementation had no effect on outcome of liver transplantation.


This absorbing book is an edited edition of the papers presented at a study group on non-accidental injury to chi]dren in Tunbridge Wells. It is a critical review of the enormous problems of battered children existng in Britain today, and there is little sign of improvement. The writers include doctors, representatives of the soial services, the legal profession, and the police. Indeed, the whole idea of the study group organized by Dr. Wlhite Franklin and Dr. Christine Cooper was to bring these various disciplines together to review the situation and improve commnunication within these groups. It is regrettable indeed that the answers to baby battering are bedevilled by lack of communication and indeed antagonism among doctors, social workers, and the police. By a strange coincidence while reading this book I happened to be watching "Z Cars," which introduced this problem in the episode concerned. I suppose it had what is known as a subliminal effect on many viewers, w,ho had the problem very efficiently illustrated to them, despite the fact that the main theme was the activities of the police. This particular programme illustrated extremely well the struggle between the police-who are not unnaturally out to protect the child-and the social workers, whose main object appeared to be to protect the family and to keep it together. The book is divided into five sections: the medical aspect, the social service element, the police, the legal aspects, and education. Recmmendations are to be found in ihree appendices. It is a pity that many of the chapters devote a considerable amount of time to explaining the function of the authors; to medical practitioners in particular the function of the coroner, the medical social worker, and the neurosurgeon are well known and do not need amplification. Generally speaking, however, the chapters are short and succinot, though the verbosity usual in certain specialties associated with the practice of medicine shows through very clearly. In Dr. M. H. Hall's chapter, the second in the book, accent is placed on the importance of the study of the effect of violence on the skin. Certainly in cases which come the way of forensic pathologists there is always a history of bruises having been seen, very frequently in casualty departments where their importance has not been appreciated. It is understandable that in the naturally benevolent heart of a young doctor the possibility of parental violence is not a "first" in differential diagnosis. In its opening pages the book has eight excellent coloured plates showing multiple bruises, black eyes, scalds, bite marks, and torn lips. There is a damtic picture of a dhild with many bruises on its right cheek and the expression described as "frozen watchfulness" on its face. There are also radiographs demonstrating damage to bones and periosteal bruising which is such a characteristic of healing injuries in maltreated children. I would like to suggest that these illustrations, if the auths permit, should be enlarged and hung up in casualty departments as wall charts. They would be of equal value to the chrs of coloured pills and capsules which are so comnonly seen in such departments. The authors combine an enormous expertise and it would be invidious to mention any one of them. Dr. White Franklin's editorship has resulted in a very readable book. Though it is not an entirely medical publication it should be found in all medical school libraries, social health centres, and, I would suggest, police stations. The prioe is high, but to be expected today because of the excellent colour reproductions wlich are such a dramatic part of the book.


Motivation: Global acronyms are used in written text without their formal definitions. This makes it difficult to automatically interpret their sense as acronyms tend to be ambiguous. Supervised machine learning approaches to sense disambiguation require large training datasets. In clinical applications, large datasets are difficult to obtain due to patient privacy. Manual data annotation creates an additional bottleneck. Results: We proposed an approach to automatically modifying scientific abstracts to (i) simulate global acronym usage and (ii) annotate their senses without the need for external sources or manual intervention. We implemented it as a web-based application, which can create large datasets that in turn can be used to train supervised approaches to word sense disambiguation of biomedical acronyms. Availability and implementation: The datasets will be generated on demand based on a user query and will be downloadable from https://datainnovation.cardiff.ac.uk/acronyms/.


The aim of this paper is to explore the linkages between corporate real estate, human resource management and business performance. Developing corporate real estate strategies in the current business environment has become an even more complex task. The implementation of flexible working, and the corresponding changes to HR practices, highlights the increasing importance of establishing the right amount and type of organisational space. One clear issue developing is the need to understand the changing demographic trend. The possibility that four different generations could be working in the same office at the same time means that CRE solutions must allow Multigenerational working. The office environment must not only enhance productivity must also provide environments that facilitate health and wellbeing. Creating office environments that are both productive and also supportive of physical and mental health requires that the occupier perspective is established. This means that the linkages between the people and their workplace need to be made through the application of techniques from Environmental Psychology. A number of themes will be identified throughout this paper. These will include the relationship between corporate real estate strategy and human resource strategy, organisational culture, changing demographics and the how office space can used to enhance organisational performance through the use of Environmental Psychology.


Abstract. This study investigates the link between rain and ice microphysics across the melting layer in stratiform rain systems using measurements from vertically pointing multi-frequency Doppler radars.
A novel methodology to examine the variability of the precipitation rate and the mass-weighted melted diameter (Dm) across the melting region is proposed and applied to a 6 h long case study, observed during the TRIPEx-pol field campaign at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution Core Facility and covering a gamut of ice microphysical processes.
The methodology is based on an optimal estimation (OE) retrieval of particle size distributions (PSDs) and dynamics (turbulence and vertical motions) from observed multi-frequency radar Doppler spectra applied both above and below the melting layer.
First, the retrieval is applied in the rain region; based on a one-to-one conversion of raindrops into snowflakes, the retrieved drop size distributions (DSDs) are propagated upward to provide the mass-flux-preserving PSDs of snow. These ice PSDs are used to simulate radar reflectivities above the melting layer for different snow models and they are evaluated for a consistency with the actual radar measurements.
Second, the OE snow retrieval where Doppler spectra are simulated based on different snow models, which consistently compute fall speeds and electromagnetic properties, is performed. The results corresponding to the best-matching models are then used to estimate snow fluxes and Dm, which are directly compared to the corresponding rain quantities.
For the case study, the total accumulation of rain (2.30 mm) and the melted equivalent accumulation of snow (1.93 mm) show a 19 % difference. The analysis suggests that the mass flux through the melting zone is well preserved except the periods of intense riming where the precipitation rates were higher in rain than in the ice above. This is potentially due to additional condensation within the melting zone in correspondence to high relative humidity and collision and coalescence with the cloud droplets whose occurrence is ubiquitous with riming.
It is shown that the mean mass-weighted diameter of ice is strongly related to the characteristic size of the underlying rain except the period of extreme aggregation where breakup of melting snowflakes significantly reduces Dm.
The proposed methodology can be applied to long-term observations to advance our knowledge of the processes occurring across the melting region; this can then be used to improve assumptions underpinning spaceborne radar precipitation retrievals.


This paper reports the results of a study on the cost implications of achieving greater energy efficiency as measured by House Energy Rating(HER) 'stars' for new housing on a greenfield development in the northern suburbs of Adelaide. Twelve house designs typical of the housing options available from a number of builders engaged with this development were modeled using the 2 nd generation Building Code of Australia (BCA) accredited energy rating assessment tool AccuRate. Where the model predicted a rating below the minimum rating (6 star) proposed under the recently agreed Commonwealth of Australia, National Energy Efficiency strategy, the designs were modified in order to improve the rating to 6 stars using a combination of specification changes and energy efficient technology options. These changes or options were then priced at prevailing building suppliers and subcontractors retail cost levels in order that an average 'extra cost to 6 star' and range of indicative costs to achieve 6 star housing compliance could be articulated. The results revealed that standard and currently available technologies, such a reflective foil barriers, increased insulation and low emissivity 'e' type glazing provide a means to achieving 6 star ratings at a modest additional cost, i.e. 1-2% of total construction and development costs.


During our recent investigation 1 of the influence of endocrine substances on the development of the mammary gland of the rat, a number of mammary abnormalities were experimentally induced. The possibility that some of these observations may have a bearing on diseases of the human breast made it desirable to study the changes further. It is our purpose in this paper to present the more pertinent results and to suggest their possible relation to mammary disease in human beings. A number of workers have observed abnormalities in the mammary glands of animals into which various endocrine substances were injected. Evans and Simpson 2 noted extensive mammary development following injection, for long periods, of pituitary extracts into rats; excessive epithelial proliferation and formation of fibro-adenoma occurred in noncastrated females. No effect was obtained in castrates, since the changes are mediated through an effect on the ovaries. Howard 3 recently obtained similar


Twitter is a microblogging website, which has different characteristics from any other social networking service (SNS) in that it has one-directional relationships between users with short posts of less than 140 characters. These characteristics make Twitter not only a social network but also a news media. In addition, Twitter posts have been used and analyzed in various fields such as marketing, prediction of presidential elections, and requirement analysis. With an increase in Twitter usage, we need a more effective method to analyze Twitter content. In this paper, we propose a method for content analysis based on the influence of Twitter content. For measuring Twitter influence, we use the number of followers of the content author, retweet count, and currency of time. We perform experiments to compare the proposed method, frequency, numerical statistics, user influence, and sentiment score. The results show that the proposed method is slightly better than the other methods. In addition, we discuss Twitter characteristics and a method for an effective analysis of Twitter content.


An overview is presented of possible pathways to enhance peak capacity in liquid chromatography (LC). The peak capacity in a chromatographic separation is directly related to the plate number and thus to column length and particle size.
Serial coupled columns can be used to obtain long effective column lengths, reaching over 100000 theoretical plates and peak capacities up to 900. Some theoretical considerations are made on column dimensions and particle size and examples are given of high resolution "GC-like" separations in LC using state-of-the-art LC hardware.
Recent developments in LC hardware have also enhanced the applicability of two-dimensional LC-LC and comprehensive LCxLC. Both techniques are extremely powerful to unravel complex samples.


The population dynamics in the enteric connective tissues of eosinophils, mucosal mast cells (MMC), and in the mucosal epithelium of goblet cells were examined morphometrically in fixed ileal tissue of outbred Sprague Dawley rats during the first 32 days of infection with the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta. MMC and eosinophils were present in the lamina propria and submucosa; however, only eosinophils were also present in the muscularis externa. Eosinophilic infiltrate was first observed in the lamina propria at 15 days postinfection (dpi) and the numbers of eosinophils remained elevated through 32 dpi. Initial mucosal mastocytosis was detected on 6 dpi and MMC numbers continued to rise over the study period without reaching a plateau. Goblet cell hyperplasia occurred only at 32 dpi. In contrast to some intestinal nematode infections where these same 3 cell types are associated with the host's expulsion responses, H. diminuta is not lost by a rapid host response in the outbred Sprague Dawley rat strain used in these experiments. We suggest that either the induction of hyperplasia of these host effector cells in ileum tissue during H. diminuta infection is not capable of triggering parasite rejection mechanisms, or the function of the induced hyperplasia is necessary for some as yet unassociated physiological or tissue architecture change in the host's intestine.


Striatal enriched protein tyrosine phosphatase (STEP) acts in the central nervous system to dephosphorylate a number of important proteins involved in synaptic function including ERK and NMDA receptor subunits. These proteins are also linked to stroke, in which cerebral ischemia triggers a complex cascade of events. Here we demonstrate that STEP is regulated at both the transcriptional and the post‐transcriptional levels in rat models of cerebral ischemia and that its regulation may play a role in the outcome of ischemic insults. After transient middle cerebral artery occlusion, there are profound decreases in the levels of STEP mRNA, whilst in global ischemia STEP mRNA is selectively down‐regulated in areas susceptible to ischemic damage. In a neuroprotective preconditioning paradigm, and in regions of the brain that are relatively resistant to ischemic damage, STEP mRNA levels are increased. Furthermore, there is a significant processing of STEP after ischemia to generate a novel species, STEP33, resulting in a redistribution of STEP from membrane‐bound to soluble compartments. Concomitant with the cleavage of mature forms of STEP, there are changes in the phosphorylation state of ERK. We show that the cleavage of STEP leads to a catalytically active form, but this cleaved form no longer binds to and dephosphorylates its substrate pERK. Therefore, in response to ischemic insults, there are profound reductions in both the amount and the activity of STEP, its localization, as well as the activity of one of its key substrates, pERK. These changes in STEP may reflect a critical role in the outcomes of ischemic brain injury.


Nosocomial infections are infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment for other health conditions within a healthcare setting or facility. This study aims to determine the level of awareness of healthcare providers on the role sphygmomanometers play in the spread of nosocomial infections and to isolate microorganisms in sphygmomanometer cuffs used in healthcare facilities. A structured, self-administered questionnaire was designed and administered to healthcare practitioners of two tertiary hospitals and community pharmacies in Benin City. Microbial contamination of sphygmomanometer cuffs was investigated following the standard isolation and identification techniques for microorganisms. A total of 217 responded; 27.2% pharmacists, 33.2% doctors and 39.6% nurses. The majority (50.2%) were between the ages of 20 – 30 years. 65.4% were females and 51.6% were single. Ninety-four percent (94%) of the total respondents said that microorganisms are present in the inner cuffs of sphygmomanometers, 76% said microorganisms on the cuffs are sources of nosocomial infections while 80.6% said patients can be infected with the use of sphygmomanometers. A total of 192 swabbed samples were collected from 64 cuffs in the healthcare facilities, 46.5% were bacteria and 53.5% fungi. The most isolated organisms were candida species 42(21%), Staphylococcus aureus 41(20.5% of which 28(68.3%) were methicillin resistant.), Mucor 34(17%), Aspergillus species 23(11.5%). Ninety four percent (94%) of respondents had good knowledge that blood pressure cuffs play a role in the spread of nosocomial infections. The sphygmomanometer cuffs were contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms implicated in nosocomial infections.


Abstract The Semantic Web movement has produced a wealth of curated collections of entities and facts, often referred as Knowledge Graphs. Creating and maintaining such Knowledge Graphs is far from being a solved problem: it is crucial to constantly extract new information from the vast amount of heterogeneous sources of data on the Web. In this work we address the task of Knowledge Graph population. Specifically, given any target relation between two entities, we propose an approach to extract positive instances of the relation from various Web sources. Our relation extraction approach introduces a human-in-the-loop component in the extraction pipeline, which delivers significant advantage with respect to other solely automatic approaches. We test our solution on the ISWC 2018 Semantic Web Challenge, with the objective to identify supply-chain relations among organizations in the Thomson Reuters Knowledge Graph. Our human-in-the-loop extraction pipeline achieves top performance among all competing systems.


We propose Cooperative Training (CoT) for training generative models that measure a tractable density function for target data. CoT coordinately trains a generator $G$ and an auxiliary predictive mediator $M$. The training target of $M$ is to estimate a mixture density of the learned distribution $G$ and the target distribution $P$, and that of $G$ is to minimize the Jensen-Shannon divergence estimated through $M$. CoT achieves independent success without the necessity of pre-training via Maximum Likelihood Estimation or involving high-variance algorithms like REINFORCE. This low-variance algorithm is theoretically proved to be unbiased for both generative and predictive tasks. We also theoretically and empirically show the superiority of CoT over most previous algorithms, in terms of generative quality and diversity, predictive generalization ability and computational cost.


In order to value a firm or a project, it is necessary to construct estimated financial statements and free cash flows. In this teaching note we will present a spreadsheet model - EXCEL© - for forecasting financial statements in a consistent way and without using what is known as plugs. The simplest and coarse form of a plug in forecasting financial statements is to match the financial statements (in particular the Balance Sheet) creating a line or item to account for any difference that arises between total assets and liabilities plus debt in order to make the Balance Sheet to check. If total assets are greater than total liabilities plus equity, then the plug is a new line in the liabilities side. If lower, the plug is a line in the assets side. This is no only inappropriate, but it can hide mistakes when working with complex models such as those used by valuation analysts. We illustrate the procedure with an example that has some complexities. These complexities are explained in Section One. The purpose of this note is that the reader, following the instructions, could complete the example. Then, the readers are encouraged to read actively by constructing the financial statements for themselves on a spreadsheet. The relevant financial statements are: the Balance Sheet (BS), the Income statement (IS) and the Cash Budget (CB). The construction of the financial statements starts from policies and/or targets (i.e. accounts receivable policy or target) and input data that is specific for the firm or from the macroeconomic environment. With these targets or policies and data we can construct the financial statements. For valuation purposes, the balance sheet and the income statements are important but may be insufficient if we wish to construct the cash flow using the direct method. For that reason we construct the CB. From the table of parameters we construct tables that will be used in the construction of the main financial statements. In the main text we describe some complexities such as price-demand elasticity, the effect of book value leverage on the real growth and on accounts payable policy. We introduce the effect of accounts receivable policy on growth as well. We reproduce Excel© spreadsheet and in the last two columns we include the formulation than the reader should replicate and copy for the forecasting period. There are a few exceptions, but they will be announced.


The European Landscape Convention has set out a much more holistic understanding of landscape than was previously the case within Europe. The Convention embodies thinking that is beginning to be reflected in the work of governments, environmental agencies and a wide range of interested parties within the landscape field in Europe. Landscapes are not necessarily classifiable as being either 'natural' or 'cultural' because all landscapes within Europe are to some extent or another impacted by humans. The term 'cultural landscape' could therefore be seen as redundant, since all the landscapes of Europe can also be described as 'cultural' to some extent. However the issue of labelling or classification is really much more complex. Different individuals, organisations and cultures often develop values according to the extent of human intervention or associations that may have built up over time. The European Landscape Convention helpfully does not value any one landscape above another, indeed it recognises that local and degraded landscapes are as likely to be of importance to the communities--or cultures--who inhabit them or the people who visit them as those which are commonly found to be labelled as globally important. The Convention is revolutionary in the way it has put 'ordinary' as well as 'special' landscapes onto government agendas throughout Europe.


Sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is a safe and patient-friendly variant of allergen immunotherapy. These characteristics may provide physicians with a therapy, perfectly suited to the treatment of allergic children. To give an overview of currently published studies on SLIT in children Pubmed was searched for randomised clinical trials (RCTs). In addition available systematic reviews and long-term observational studies were analysed. Until now, 13 RCTs on allergic rhinitis, 22 studies on asthma (including eight studies involving only children) and one study on atopic dermatis have been published. In addition, five systematic reviews on allergic rhinitis have been published and one is in press. One meta-analysis of adults and children with asthma has been reported. All studies report varying results. The effects and their magnitude differ between studies. Systematic reviews give inconsistent results. For allergic rhinitis three reviews appeared to be negative, two were positive and one analysis was inconsistent regarding children. In asthma a meta-analysis involving both adults and children concluded that SLIT is moderately effective. From observational studies effects of SLIT are suggested to persist after discontinuation. Randomised trials indicate that SLIT may prevent the onset of asthma and new sensitisations. As long as evidence for effectiveness is weak, SLIT cannot be firmly recommended in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the proven effectiveness of SLIT in adults supports the proof in principle of this therapy. In the near future immunotherapy trials in children may provide the required proof of effectiveness.


Using the full wave approach, the scattering cross sections for finitely conducting particles with very rough surfaces are expressed as weighted sums of specular point (physical optics) and diffuse scattering cross sections. Through judicious use of the forward-scattering theorem and the observation that for large particles the forward-scattered "shadow forming wave is the same for all surfaces which have the same shadow line," the albedos and the extinction cross sections for particles with rough surfaces are evaluated. These computations are essential to solve the equation of radiative transfer for the specific intensities (Stokes parameters) in media consisting of random distributions of particles with rough surfaces. The particle surface roughness has a significant effect on the diffuse specific intensities.


Safe object initialization is important to avoid a category of runtime errors in programming languages. In this paper, we provide a case study of the initialization patterns on the Dotty compiler. In particular, we find that calling dynamic-dispatching methods, the usage of closures and instantiating nested classes are important for initialization of Scala objects. Based on the study, we conclude that existing proposals for safe initialization are inadequate for Scala.


Diagnosis and therapy of chronic inflammatory lung disease is limited by the need for individualized biomarkers that provide insight into pathogenesis. Herein we show that mouse models of chronic obstructive lung disease exhibit an increase in lung chitinase production but cannot predict which chitinase family member may be equivalently increased in humans with corresponding lung disease. Moreover, we demonstrate that lung macrophage production of chitinase 1 is selectively increased in a subset of subjects with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and this increase is reflected in plasma levels. The findings provide a means to noninvasively track alternatively activated macrophages in chronic lung disease and thereby better differentiate molecular phenotypes in heterogeneous patient populations.


Introduction: Currently, infertility is a main concern, and it is estimated that 15% of couples are considered infertile. Conventional therapies such as vitamins, antioxidants and supplements have been used widely, but they may not be sufficiently effective. This study evaluated the effect of laser acupuncture on semen parameters in infertile patients with oligospermia. Methods: This study is a clinical trial with a double-blind control group. 35 patients in the intervention group underwent laser acupuncture twice a week for consecutive 5-weeks. In the control group, sham laser acupuncture was performed. The two groups were compared in terms of semen parameters including semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility and sperm morphology as the primary outcome. The secondary outcome was a successful pregnancy rate. After data collection, statistical analysis was performed with SPSS version 20. Results: The mean age of all patients was 27.46±2.88 years; in the intervention group, their age was 27.82±2.6 years, and in the control group, it was 27.11±2.96 years, and there was no significant difference (P=0.396). During the study, 4 patients (5.4%) reported adverse effects; three patients in the control group complained of mild weakness and itching, and one patient in the intervention group reported dizziness. The volume of semen and sperm morphology did not differ significantly in both control and intervention groups (P ˃ 0.05), while sperm motility and sperm concentration had a significant difference (P=0.0001). Conclusion: Laser acupuncture as a non-invasive procedure is effective in improving sperm mobility and concentration in infertile patients with oligospermia. Due to the surface contact of the laser probe with the skin and the lack of need to insert needles in the skin, laser acupuncture is more convenient and better tolerated by patients.


In practical ATM switch design, a proper dimensioning of buffer sizes and a cost effective selection of speed-up factor should be considered to guarantee a specified cell loss requirement for a given traffic. Although a larger speed-up factor provides better throughput for the switch, increasing the speed-up factor involves greater complexity and cost. Hence, it may not be cost effective to increase the speed-up factor for 100% throughput. Moreover, with a given buffer budget, an increase in the speed-up factor beyond a certain value only adds to the cell loss. The paper addresses design trade-offs existing between finite input/output buffer sizes and speed-up factor in a nonblocking ATM switch. Another important issue is the adverse effect on cell loss performance caused by nonuniform traffic (different traffic intensity and unevenly distributed routing). The paper analyzes cell loss performance of ATM switches with nonuniform traffic, and examines the effect of each nonuniform traffic parameter. The authors also provide an algorithm for effective buffer sharing that alleviates the performance degradation caused by traffic nonuniformity. >


In this study, curing of BPA-based epoxy resins Araldite®GY-2600 and Araldite®GY-240 by low-molecular-weight amines EDA, TETA and Jeffamine D-230, and bio-based phenalkamines Cardolite®NX-6019, Cardolite®Lite-2002 and Cardolite®GX-6004 was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rheology measurements. DSC provided quantitative information on the overall reaction kinetics (the enthalpy of curing reaction, ΔHR; cure degree, α; curing reaction rate, dα/dt) and the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the cured product. It was demonstrated that the DSC curing of epoxy resins by phenalkamines started at lower temperature, and the curing rates were slightly lower compared to those cured by low-molecular-weight amine hardeners. The enthalpy of the curing by phenalkamines was lower, especially in the case of more viscous epoxy resin GY-2600. Tg of the cured epoxy resins varied from 50 to 98°C and was slightly lower when cured with cardanol-based phenalkamines. The results demonstrate that curing of epoxy resins by bio-based phenalkamines proceeds in a similar temperature interval like using low-molecular-weight amines as hardeners but with less exothermic effect, which could be an advantage.


A new paradigm has been proposed for gesture selection and recognition. The paradigm is based on statistical classification, which has applications in telemedicine, virtual reality, computer games, and sign language studies. The aims of this paper are (1) how to select an appropriate set of gestures having a satisfactory level of discrimination power, and (2) comparison of invariant moments (conventional and Zernike) and geometric properties in recognizing hand gestures. Two-dimensional structures, namely cluster-property and cluster-features matrices, have been employed for gesture selection and to evaluate different gesture characteristics. Moment invariants, Zernike moments, and geometric features are employed for classification and recognition rates are compared. Comparative results confirm better performance of the geometric features


This is a study about meaning of speech to figurative meaning. This thesis focuses on types of figurative meaning. There are five types of figurative meaning in this thesis. There are: Personification, Hyperbole, Metonymy, Metaphor, and Irony. The types figurative meaning were found in Speech. In analysis the kinds of figurative meaning on Obama;s Presidential Speech, the writer clearly clarified the non-literal meaning and the most dominant Presidential in Obama's Speech edition JanuaryJuny 2014. In order to strengthen the analysis, the writer applied Descriptive research. Descriptive research is intended to descibe and clarify the non literal meaning due to figurative meaning by collecting some theories and data those are related to this thesis. The data are analysis by selecting and classifying them into their types due to figurative meaning. From the result of this analysis,the writer found that the kinds of figurative meaning have different meanings to know the literal meaning which are used on Obama Presidential Speech. Keywords, figurative meaning , Personification, Hyperbole, Metonymy, Metaphor, and Irony


Spacecraft-to-ground bistatic radar provides a straightforward method for surveying planetary surfaces on scales of importance to landers and rovers. Centimeter wavelengths, currently in use for deep-space telecommunications, interact with surface structure of similar to somewhat larger scales. For the quasi-specular component of scattering and for surfaces uniformly illuminated by monochromatic signals from an orbiting or flyby vehicle, the echo Doppler dispersion is proportional to the root mean square (rms) surface slope. When the specular condition occurs within 10°-20° of the Brewster angle, the surface dielectric constant can be derived from relative echo power measured simultaneously in orthogonal polarizations and the Fresnel reflection laws. Cross spectra, computed from outputs of the orthogonally polarized receivers, may be used to calculate a complete description of the polarization properties of the scattered fields. Application to planetary studies requires accurate amplitude and phase calibration of the polarization channels, including correction for any leakage between the two receiving paths, such as from imperfectly isolated antenna feeds. We illustrate these techniques using Mars Express results from "Stealth" (Medusae Fossae), a region on Mars that has not previously been detected by Earth-based radar, and from a long profile including Acidalia Planitia. Single-location Stealth observations support previous conclusions that the surface is rough and porous (dielectric constant ≈ 1.4). But the longest experiment (in which the specular point was followed for an hour) yields relatively high dielectric constants (2.8), suggesting that the model is incomplete. The surface of Acidalia Planitia has low dielectric constants ( ≈2.6) over 60-90 W at 50 N and higher values (≈3.6) as the specular point moves south and crosses the equator.


In this paper, we introduce a framework for multiuser detection in time-hopping (TH) ultra-wideband (UWB) systems. Based on this framework, we can derive multiuser detectors. In addition, we can gain insight into TH-UWB and improve the performance by modifying TH-UWB signaling for the multiuser detection. From simulation results, we can observe that there is about 5 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain at a bit error rate (BER) of 10-3 when the minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector is used by modifying TH-UWB signaling with random sign repetition


Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States that typically causes a self-limited pulmonary illness. Extrapulmonary dissemination is extremely rare and typically localized to the skin, bone, and meninges. The gastrointestinal system has generally been thought to be spared from this disease. This report describes a patient who was initially diagnosed with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy and skin dissemination. Ten months after completion of treatment, he presented with nonspecific abdominal pain and diffuse musculoskeletal and constitutional symptoms. Radiographic imaging revealed near resolution of previously noted thoracic findings but new peritoneal thickening and enhancement suggestive of peritoneal carcinomatosis. Laparoscopic biopsies confirmed Coccidioides immitis by culture and histology without evidence of other abnormalities. This case is unique for several reasons. It is one of a relatively small number of cases that describes a diagnosis of peritoneal coccidioidomycosis and the first case identified in which a healthy patient developed extensive peritoneal disease in spite of near-complete resolution of pulmonary and skin manifestations after appropriate treatment. This case underscores the complexity of this disease and motivates more investigation into pathophysiology and treatment considerations of coccidioidomycosis in the gastrointestinal system. We will review the risk factors associated with dissemination, the interpretation of serologies, the characteristics of patients with peritoneal involvement, and finally, the current treatment guidelines.


Purpose: To report the chorioretinal coloboma, and its association with increased risk of retinal detachment (RD) and choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Methods: This retrospective case series included eyes with chorioretinal coloboma diagnosed between 1995 and 2014 with a focus on RD and CNV as related complications. Cases of CNV were managed with laser photocoagulation or intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. For eyes with CNV, therapeutic success was defined as resolution of the subretinal hemorrhage on fundus examination and resolution of the subretinal and intraretinal fluid on optical coherence tomography (OCT). For eyes with RD, anatomic success following surgical intervention was defined as attachment of the retina at the last follow-up visit. Results: Fifty-one eyes of 31 patients with chorioretinal coloboma were identified for review. Bilateral chorioretinal coloboma was present in 64.5% of subjects. RD developed in 15 eyes (29.4%). Among 15 eyes with RD, 4 eyes (27%) had retinal breaks identified within the coloboma, 5 eyes (33%) had retinal breaks outside the coloboma, 2 eyes (13%) showed retinal breaks both inside and outside the coloboma, and in 4 eyes (27%) the causative retinal break was not localized. The overall rate of anatomic success after RD repair was 85.7%. CNV developed in 7 eyes (13.7%) and was located along the margin of the coloboma in all cases. CNV was bilateral in 2 of the 5 affected individuals (40%). Conclusion: RD and CNV were present in a high percentage of eyes with chorioretinal coloboma in these series. The frequent finding of retinal breaks outside the coloboma bed suggests that vitreoretinal interface abnormalities may play a role in development of RD in these eyes.


Jabodetabek, the urban agglomeration consisting of DKI Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, is the second fastest growing megacity on the planet (Robinson, 2011). Current projections show that Jabodetabek's population will reach 38 million people in 2030 (Jakarta municipality, 2014). However, this growth will take place in a city that is facing major problems; all these issues are deeply interconnected and are seriously jeopardizing the city's livability. (Kusno, 2010; Robinson, 2011; Silver, 2007). We believe these problems should be tackled with a radical reconsideration of Jakarta's urban fabric. We propose the double the amount of inhabitants, going from Jakarta to Jajakarta. In 2030 Jakarta will have expended so much due to migration and population growth, and in this process overtaken many adjacent cities, that it will be called Jabodetabekasepususesuci (Jakarta municipality, 2014). An unpronounceable name for a megacity that has become so addictive to growth that it will become uncontrollable. The municipality will be left incapable in effectively managing the dramatically enlarged city. Stopping the urban sprawl will mean that the city center, known as DKI Jakarta, should increase its density; both in its inhabitants as in floor space, in order to be able to house the majority of the expected growth for all income classes. This change will require a new kind of urban fabric, in which the kampung is intensified.


The present work deals with grain refinement in low carbon steel (AISI 1010) by severe plastic deformation (SPD). The effect of structure modification was evaluated with respect to thermomechanical (TM) treatment of steel prior to SPD. The grain refinement was accomplished during warm angular channel pressing (ECAP) at 300°C. The evolution of microstructure during equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) was studied using SEM and TEM of thin foils. Ultrafine-grained structure development is described in relation to strainintroduced. At lower strain applied, the subgrain and/or polygonized structure was frequently found. Due to increased deformation temperature, the dynamic recovery contributed to structure refinement in both structural states. The amount of high angle boundaries increased with higher ECAP strain and was higher in TM-processed steel. There was only an indistinctive difference in structure refinement, considering different initial structures of the steel.The deformation behaviour of UFG steel in dependence on processing conditions was evaluated by a tensile test and correlated with structural characteristics.


A technique has been developed for determining effects of chemotherapeutic agents on cell cycle progression in synchronized line CHO Chinese hamster cells grown in vitro . The proctocol combines autoradiographic and cell-enumeration techniques with analysis of DNA distribution patterns by means of the Los Alamos flow microfluorometer. CHO cells were accumulated in a state of G1 arrest by growth in isoleucine-deficient medium; then the cells were resuspended in fresh, complete medium containing isoleucine plus a test agent to reinitiate cycle traverse in the presence of the drug. Ten hr later, flow microfluorometric analysis of the population distribution of DNA contents for the cultures yielded the fractions of cells in G1, S, and G2 or M. For agents with reversible effects, confirmatory cell cycle data were obtained after resuspension of the cells in fresh, drug-free medium containing thymidine-3H; and aliquots were removed at intervals for determination of traverse capacity, even in slowly or nonprogressing populations. Four agents with differing effects on cell cycle progression were examined, namely, hydroxyurea, cytosine arabinoside, bleomycin, and camptothecin. Both hydroxyurea (10-3 m) and cytosine arabinoside (5 µg/ml) grossly decreased the rate of progression of cells into S phase, resulting in an accumulation of cells at the G1-S boundary. Neither agent completely prevented cells from initiating DNA synthesis. Bleomycin (100 µg/ml) allowed initiation and completion of genome replication to occur at a nearly normal rate, but cells accumulated in G2 and most cells lost the capacity to enter mitosis. Camptothecin (1 µg/ml) reduced the overall rate of cycle progression and allowed a few cells to replicate a complete complement of DNA. The relationship of these in vitro findings to the chemotherapy regimen design is discussed.


Three years of multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAXDOAS) measurements (2011–2013) have been used for estimating the NO 2 mixing ratio along a horizontal line of sight from the high mountain subtropical observatory of Izana, at 2370 m a.s.l. (NDACC station, 28.3° N, 16.5° W). The method is based on horizontal path calculation from the O 2 –O 2 collisional complex at the 477 nm absorption band which is measured simultaneously to the NO 2 column density, and is applicable under low aerosol-loading conditions. The MAXDOAS technique, applied in horizontal mode in the free troposphere, minimizes the impact of the NO 2 contamination resulting from the arrival of marine boundary layer (MBL) air masses from thermally forced upwelling breeze during middle hours of the day. Comparisons with in situ observations show that during most of the measuring period, the MAXDOAS is insensitive or very slightly sensitive to the upwelling breeze. Exceptions are found for pollution events during southern wind conditions. On these occasions, evidence of fast, efficient and irreversible transport from the surface to the free troposphere is found. Background NO 2 volume mixing ratio (vmr), representative of the remote free troposphere, is in the range of 20–45 pptv. The observed seasonal evolution shows an annual wave where the peak is in phase with the solar radiation. Model simulations with the chemistry–climate CAM-Chem model are in good agreement with the NO 2 measurements, and are used to further investigate the possible drivers of the NO 2 seasonality observed at Izana.


Advanced continuous fiber reinforced light metal matrix composites (MMC) are manufactured using thermally sprayed prepregs and subsequent semi-solid forming. The prepregs consist of fiber woven fabrics, which will serve as reinforcement, and a thick metal alloy coating on top of the fabrics as the final matrix material. The coated fabrics are trimmed to the shape of the component and laminated in packages of 40 to 80 prepregs to form a component. The prepregs are reheated into the semi-solid state of the alloy and solidified to a dense, complex shaped MMC with no residual porosity by semi-solid forging (thixoforging). The deposited alloy infiltrates the fabrics with 40 % vol. to 60 % vol. liquid fraction. The fine-grained structure of the thermally sprayed metal coatings allows the required formation of globular grains during remelting and improves the impregnation behavior. The semi-solid forming and simultaneous infiltration in short cycle times offer the possibility to realize complex near net-shape geometries and make additional fiber coating not obligatory. A pilot plant was developed to provide the MMC production with prepregs consisting of various reinforcement fiber materials and a wide range of metal matrix alloys capable for thixoforging densification.


To evaluate the contribution to conservation of private refuges, we compared the ecosystem functioning of this type of conservation (Refuge) with contiguous national parks (Park) and rural ranches and farms under traditional management (Traditional). We assume the Park as the reference situation, in as much they constitute the areas with the lowest human intervention. The analysis was based on three descriptors of the seasonal dynamics of the carbon gains, derived from spectral data provided by the MODIS sensor: the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index integral (NDVI-I), a spectral index related to the total carbon gains of the ecosystem; the relative range [RRel: (maximum NDVI–minimum NDVI)/(NDVI-I)], and the month of occurrence of the maximum value of NDVI (MMax). These last two attributes characterize the seasonality and phenology of vegetation. We worked on three contrasting biogeographic regions of Argentina [Paranaense forest (Misiones province), Mesopotamic Pampa (Entre Rios province), Interior Pampa (Cordoba province)]. In the Paranaense forest, the Refuge presented a lower NDVI-I value than the Park, but higher than the Traditional (P<0.05). The seasonality of the vegetation carbon gains (RRel) was lower on the Park than for the other two managements. In the Mesopotamic Pampa, the gallery forests were the most productive unit (higher NDVI-I). The Refuge presented an intermediate behavior. Grasslands presented the highest NDVI-I on the Refuge (P<0.05). The emblematic vegetation of this region (the palm savannas), did not differ among managements. The seasonality was lower in the gallery forests of the Park. In the Interior Pampa, the differences between Refuge and Traditional, both in NDVI-I and RRel, were not significantly different among vegetation types or managements. The MMax did not differ between managements for any of the regions studied. Our results showed that for most of the ecosystem attributes considered, the Refuge presented values more similar to those of the reference situation (the Park) than to the traditional management alternatives. Private conservation therefore has being efficient for the conservation and maintenance of the ecosystemic processes and services bounded to the dynamic of the vegetation carbon gains.


This paper presents a new property of maximally-flat filter prototype coefficients. The property can be used to relate the summation of all the coefficients to an elegant expression which only includes the first coefficient. This property is then used to calculate the increase in insertion loss of this type of filters in the presence of dissipative losses due to elements/resonators finite quality factors. This presented equation for the excess loss is very convenient and does not require referring to the prototype element value table. The property is also used to show that the group delay of a maximally-flat lowpass filter at ω = 0 rad/sec is only a function of the first element value of the prototype filter. Finally, a commercial circuit simulation tool is used to generate examples to verify the accuracy of the presented analytical equations. Additionally, the results are compared to expressions found in classical literature.


The scope of this article is to analyze anthropometric indicators as predictors in determining frailty in elderly people. This is a cross-sectional, family-based and analytical study. The survey was composed of 316 elderly subjects. The association between the anthropometric markers and frailty was tested using the Logistic Regression technique. However, the power of frailty diagnosis using anthropometric markers and the identification of the best cutoff points were evaluated using the parameters provided by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. The anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: calf circumference, body mass index and corrected arm-muscle area are inversely associated with frailty. Thus, an increase in the values of these indicators is a protective factor against this syndrome. Analyzing body mass index and calf circumference simultaneously in order to perform a simpler screening for frail elderly people is recommended, as these indicators show good sensitivity and are easier to measure.


This thesis contributes to the development of pattern classification methods employed by computer-aided detection (CAD) systems, with the application of these methods to the automated analysis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and tuberculosis (TB). Three different applications are considered. In Chapters 2, 3 and 6, we aim at detecting the presence of disease in chest radiographs. The purpose of a CAD system described in Chapter 4 is to pinpoint the locations of abnormalities in radiographs. In Chapter 5, a CAD system is described that estimates the progression of ILD in serial computed tomography (CT) scans. In many applications of CAD it is not possible to precisely localize lesions or affected areas in images that are known to be abnormal. Therefore, a CAD system has to be trained with weakly labeled data. In Chapters 2 and 3, two novel classification approaches are presented that deal with such data better than traditional classifiers. In Chapter 2, a classifier distinguishes between normal and affected radiographs by explicitly optimizing the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. This chapter introduces a novel heuristics for subsampling problem constraints which is shown to improve classification time and performance. Chapter 3 proposes to represent an image by comparing it with another image. A dissimilarity between two images consists of dissimilarities between the distributions of various local texture measurements. By comparing each image with different prototype images, several different classification results can be obtained and combined into a final image decision. The performance of this classification approach is similar to that of methods applied to fully labeled radiographs. In Chapter 4, a new method to set a reference standard for interstitial abnormalities in chest radiographs is described. Abnormality outlines are manually delineated in selected coronal slices of a chest CT scan and automatically mapped to a radiograph of the same patient. The CAD system performs pixel-wise classification of the lung fields and produces a color-coded probability map accentuating areas highly probable of being abnormal. The system is shown to perform not significantly different from two radiologists on severely and moderately abnormal regions. In Chapter 5, a novel CAD application is introduced. It compares corresponding 2D axial sections from the baseline and follow-up chest CT scans and yields an opinion whether this pair of sections represents regression, progression or unchanged disease. In the first stage of classification, image pairs exhibiting any change in the state of disease are separated from unchanged cases. In the second stage, the direction of an estimated change is classified into regression or progression. The accuracy of our system is not significantly different from that of two radiologists. In Chapter 6, the approach described in Chapter 3 is applied to the analysis of radiographs from TB screening programs. The dissimilarity-based approach is extended by applying it to fixed lung partitions, as well as to the complete lung fields, and merging the local and global classification results into a single image decision. The CAD system yields a probability for an image to contain TB-related abnormalities.


In order to define the safety limit of the medical ultrasound equipment and to study the ultrasonic bioeffects, ultrasound exposure microscopic system (UEMS) was developed in our laboratory. We intended to observe the tissue damage caused by ultrasound exposure in real time. The change of size and shape of the cattle red blood cells was investigated experimentally with UEMS. It was observed that, at a driving frequency of 2.2 MHz, when the ultrasound intensity ISPTP was 28.4 W/cm2, the change of shape of the cattle red blood cells, due to the ultrasound exposure, occurred after 30 min of exposure. The change of size of the cattle red blood cells was investigated with a Coulter counter. The results, indicated that the size of the red blood cells after exposure to ultrasound was smaller than before exposure. Moreover, the results also indicated that, there was a tendency of the red blood cells to decrease in size after the ultrasound exposure when the ultrasound intensity was increased. At the two driving frequencies of 2.2 MHz and 0.55 MHz, in this study, the size of the cattle red blood cells decreased when the ultrasound intensities were increased.


The etiology of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) frequently results in the uncontrolled inflammation of intestinal epithelial linings and the local environment. Here, we hypothesized that interferon-driven immunomodulation could promote anti-inflammatory effects. To test this hypothesis, we engineered probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) to produce and secrete a type III interferon, interferon lambda 1 (IFNL1), in response to nitric oxide (NO), a well-known colorectal inflammation marker. We then validated the anti-inflammatory effects of the engineered EcN strains in two in vitro models: a Caco-2/Jurkat T cell coculture model and a scaffold-based 3D coculture IBD model that comprises intestinal epithelial cells, myofibroblasts, and T cells. The IFNL1-expressing EcN strains upregulated Foxp3 expression in T cells and thereafter reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-13 and -33, significantly ameliorating inflammation. The engineered strains also rescued the integrity of the inflamed epithelial cell monolayer, protecting epithelial barrier integrity even under inflammation. In the 3D coculture model, IFNL1-expressing EcN treatment enhanced the population of regulatory T cells and increased anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Taken together, our study showed the anti-inflammatory effects of IFNL1-expressing probiotics in two in vitro IBD models, demonstrating their potential as live biotherapeutics for IBD immunotherapy.


Data protection laws are new in Singapore, Malaysia and Philippines. Indonesia and Thailand will be introducing new laws in 2016. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — a single law across all of EU – is expected to come into force from 2018. There are also strict laws in the US that govern the processing of personal data. Over a hundred countries in the world have a comprehensive data protection law and it is very easy for individuals and companies to breach these laws. Data or privacy breaches are on the rise and businesses can be prosecuted under data protection laws. Fines for non-compliance can be from S$1 million in Singapore, up to three years jail in Malaysia, and up to 4% of global revenues for EU countries. The focus on this book is operational compliance. The book is for everyone as all of us in the course of our daily work process personal data. Organised into sections, each idea provides practical advice and examples of how a breach of the law may happen. Examples cover HR, Finance, Admin, Marketing, etc, allowing the reader to relate to his or her own area of work.


How do parties target intimidation and vote-buying during elections? Parties prefer the use of carrots over sticks because they are in the business of getting voters to like them and expect higher legitimacy costs if observers expose intimidation. However, their brokers sometimes choose intimidation because it is cheaper and possibly more effective than vote-buying. Specifically, we contend that brokers use intimidation when the cost of buying votes is prohibitively high; in interactions with voters among whom the commitment problem inherent to clientelistic transactions is difficult to overcome; and in contexts where the risk of being denounced for violence is lower. We probe our hypotheses about the different profile of voters targeted with vote-buying and intimidation using two list experiments included in an original survey conducted during the 2011 Guatemalan general elections. The list experiments were designed to overcome the social desirability bias associated with direct questions about illegal or stigmatized behaviors. Our quantitative analysis is supplemented by interviews with politicians from various parties. The analysis largely confirms our expectations about the diametrically opposed logics of vote-buying and intimidation targeting, and illuminates how both are key components of politics in a country with weak parties and high levels of violence.


Technological developments converge to make people interact with electronic devices in an easy way. For people with disabilities, however, that interaction becomes something more than simple: it becomes possible. The current work presents a proposal of an open-source, low cost universal remote control system that translates user's head poses into commands to electronic devices. In addition, a proximity sensor circuit was combined to radio-frequency modules in order to act as a wireless switch. Among the applications found with respect to alternative remote controls, none of them supports head gestures as input, which would certainly make them a viable option to people whose upper limbs are compromised. A mean opinion score questionnaire was applied to volunteers in order to evaluate the system. The results show great interest of the users in this kind of technology.


Constitutional law has long assumed that mothers and fathers are fundamentally different.
Maternity, that law posits, is certain, obvious, and monolithic — consolidated in an easily
identifiable person who is at once a biological, social, and legal parent. Paternity, in
contrast, is construed as uncertain, nonobvious, relative, and often unclear. Over time,
constitutional law has grown more insistent about the obviousness of motherhood. It also
has cemented its idea of maternity into a fundamental principle of sex equality law that
applies in settings — like transgender rights — that have nothing to do with certain
mothers and uncertain fathers.
Constitutional law's logic of maternal certainty and paternal uncertainty invites criticism
for many reasons. It channels the notion that pregnant women are presumptive mothers.
It perpetuates questionable stereotypes about mothers and fathers. It determines who can
be a parent and how he, she, or they ought to parent. It is in serious tension with
constitutional law's disestablishment idea. For all of these reasons, constitutional
maternity warrants reform, and one promising pathway of reform is family law's less
regressive and more multidimensional vision of motherhood.
Never as uncomplicated as the Supreme Court has assumed, maternity has become
considerably more complex in light of the new forms of kinship enabled by alternative
reproduction and its legal accommodation. During the exact time that the Supreme Court
has insisted that women and men are inherently different because of maternal certainty
and paternal uncertainty, state family law has painted a more complicated picture.
Maternity, that picture suggests, often is uncertain and nonobvious. It often is relative.
Like paternity, it often is a matter of opinion — judicial opinion. Most remarkably, state
family law has shown that maternity is all of these things by relying on the same body of
federal constitutional doctrine that insists that mothers and fathers are fundamentally
different — and fundamentally different because mothers, unlike fathers, are basic,
singular, and monolithic.
This Article argues that progressive advances surrounding the new maternity ought to
unsettle regressive tendencies surrounding constitutional maternity. These regressive
tendencies touch and burden many: from unmarried fathers and transgender individuals
to nonbiological and biological mothers. This Article imagines what the new maternity
emerging from family law would mean for constitutional law. The idea that the new
maternity could unsettle constitutional maternity is not necessarily radical — that project
has been unfolding in state courts for years. The consolidation of the new maternity in
constitutional law, however, could have meaningful consequences both within and beyond
the law of parenthood, destabilizing everything from parentage regimes that rest on the
notion of essential biological difference to the argument that transgender discrimination
is not illegal because "sex" is not "a stereotype."


In recent years, many new radio-based connectivity solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) have been proposed. At the same time, development towards the 6G has brought on the stage the new business concepts. One of them is the concept of a micro-operator and implies the local entities to act as the telecom infrastructure owner and provider in their premises. In the current paper, we discuss the deployment and report the practical performance of a single-cell NB-IoT deployed as a part of the 5G Test Network (5GTN) and controlled by a smart-campus micro-operator. The practical measurements reported in the paper have been carried in the University of Oulu within a huge interconnected indoor environment with the total floor area of 188 600 m^{2}$. Our results demonstrate that the NB-IoT technology is a viable connectivity solution for various non-critical machine-based applications deployed indoors, highlight the practical performance of this technology, and reveal some practical specifics and challenges of acting as an IoT micro-operator.


The effects of hormones in the renal handling of calcium and phosphate are reviewed in the context of transport events occurring in different segments of the nephron. Hormones that influence the renal handling of calcium include parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and vitamin D. However, the kidney plays only a minor role in the maintenance of calcium balance. Hormones that modify the renal handling of phosphate are parathyroid hormone, thyroid hormone, growth hormone, glucocorticoids and vitamin D. In contrast to calcium, the kidney plays an important role in the maintenance of phosphate balance. In this endocrine context the contribution of the kidney is reviewed in clinical conditions of hypo- and hyperphosphatemia.


IMPORTANCE
Surgeons should understand the potential long-term complications in patients who undergo cochlear implantation (CI) and should be able to facilitate counseling.

OBJECTIVES
To review the delayed complications after CI and some of the management plans used to treat these complications.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION
The PubMed and OVID databases were searched for articles published from January 1, 2003, through December 31, 2013, using the search terms cochlear implant and complications. Seven hundred sixty-six articles were identified and searched for reports of delayed complications (>3 days after surgery). Exclusion criteria consisted of a language other than English, no long-term follow-up or report of delayed complications, small case series with fewer than 10 patients, and CI in patients with cochlear malformations. Additional articles were identified with specific search criteria consisting of cochlear implant combined with mastoiditis, meningitis complication, otitis media, hematoma, cholesteatoma, and facial nerve injury. Data were collected from January 1 through April 1, 2014, and analyzed from April 30 to May 1, 2014.

FINDINGS
A total of 88 individual articles were analyzed for this study. These articles included a total of 22 842 patients. Of 8519 patients with data in regard to sex, 4319 (50.7%) were male. The patients' ages ranged from 0.2 to 94.9 years, with a mean age of 19.0 years. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 month to 17 years. The total number of delayed complications was 1302 (5.7%), with vestibular complications (181 of 4655 patients [3.9%]) being the most common; device failure (507 of 14 704 patients [3.4%]), the second most common; and taste problems (22 of 776 patients [2.8%]), the third most common. Less common complications included cholesteatoma (40 of 8579 patients [0.5%]) and facial nerve palsy (31 of 4785 patients [0.6%]).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Cochlear implantation continues to be a reliable and safe procedure, with a low percentage of severe complications when performed by experienced surgeons. The patients should receive lifetime follow-up. These patients need lifetime follow-up to monitor for potential complications and to facilitate their care if complications occur.


Abstract

Introduction:
The horse' s vibrissae are often trimmed for cosmetic purposes in the Netherlands. The function of vibrissae has been studied in certain rodents and sea mammals, but not in horses. To assess the effect of trimming vibrissae on the welfare of horses, the vibrissae' s function in the horse must first be studied. However, no standardized test is available. The primary aim of this pilot study was to find parameters that could both measure the function of the horse' s vibrissae as well as the effects of trimming them. The secondary aim was to create a standardized test, which would allow their function to become apparent. To this end, two tests were performed.

Test 1:
Materials and method: Five stimuli were applied to the vibrissae of 14 horses: heat, cold, electricity, damage and traction. All stimuli and their control (i.e. ' sham' ) stimuli were applied for 5 seconds each, in a randomized order. Behavior and heart rate were analyzed.
Results: No significant heart rate results were seen. Results on behavior are not yet available.
Conclusion: These results could indicate that horses do not sense the applied stimuli with their vibrissae. However, heart rate might not be the right outcome measure.

Test 2:
Materials and method: Multiple devices were designed and evaluated for usability. The best device was a design that was adjustable to the circumference of the horse' s muzzle plus 1 cm. Horses were randomly divided into three groups. Group 0: vibrissae trimmed to 0 cm (N=16), group 1: vibrissae trimmed to 1 cm (N=13), group 2: vibrissae kept at natural length (N=14). All horses were asked to move their nose through the device. Behavior, nose-bumps, heart rate, heart rate variability and latency time were investigated.
Results: Results on behavior and latency time are not yet available. Available data showed a large within group variation. There was no significant difference between the means of the three groups.
Conclusion: Due to a small power of our test, no conclusions can be drawn from these results regarding the effect of trimming vibrissae on the used parameters. Analyzed parameters do not appear to be useful outcome measures. Because not all results are available yet, the usability of the designed device is still under debate.


This dissertation is based upon the work within a number of research projects, five of which are presented in detail. The work follows the direction of research laid out by the Ubiquitous Computing and Augmented Reality research programs and concerns the broad question of where to go as we seek to take digital technology, and human interactions with this technology, beyond the traditional desktop computer. The work presented takes a design-oriented approach to Human Computer Interaction research. Five prototype systems are presented: Ambient displays for remote awareness, a navigation device providing guidance through tactile cues, a personal device for wastewater plant operators, paper cards enabling control of video playback, and a cell phone that enables you to 'talk silent'. It is discussed how these prototypes, despite obvious differences, all reflect the same overall attitude towards the role of digital technology. It is an attitude emphasizing that integration of digital technology with everyday human activities means making computational power manifest as part of a larger patchwork of resources. Furthermore, it is an attitude promoting the design of digital technology that leaves the control and initiative with people and their earned ability to take appropriate action when faced with the particularities of the social and physical settings encountered in everyday life beyond the computer screen. In other words, this dissertation brings forward, by using five prototypes as examples, an attitude that encourages us to recognize, embrace, and take advantage of, the fact that human interaction with digital technology takes place, not in a vacuum, but in a rich and diverse world full of many resources for human action other than the digital technology we bring about.


: The development and application of noninvasive methods in space cardiology is discussed. These methods are used in astronautics both to gain new insights into the impact of weightlessness conditions on the human organism and to help solve problems involved in the medical monitoring of space crew members. The cardiovascular system is a major target for the action of microgravity. Noninvasive methods used to examine the cardiovascular system during space flights over the past 30 years are listed. Special attention is given to methods for studying heart rate variability and contactless recording of physiologic functions during night sleep. Analysis of heart rate variability highlights an important principle of space cardiology-gaining the maximum amount of information while recording as little data as possible. With this method, the degree of strain experienced by the systems of autonomic regulation and the adaptational capabilities of the body can be assessed at various stages of a space flight. Discriminant analysis of heart rate variability data enables the psycho-emotional component of stress to be separated from the component associated with the impact of weightlessness. A major advance in space medicine has been the development of techniques for contactless recording of pulse rates, breathing frequency, myocardial contractility, and motor activity during sleep using a sensor installed on the cosmonaut's sleeping bag. The data obtained can be used to study ultradian rhythms, which reflect the activity of higher autonomic centers. An important role of these centers in mobilizing functional reserves of the body to ensure its relatively stable adaptation to weightless conditions is shown.


Magnesium sulfate's reputation waxed as eclampsia's perniciousness waned. Since 1906, when eclampsia was first described, earlier diagnoses, better antihypertensive treatment, and improved intensive care have assured increasingly better results. The omission of control subjects assured that credit would accrue to magnesium sulfate, the treatment of choice. Moreover, because of its wide-spread use, physicians gained extensive experience with use of the drug, decreasing its complications and improving further its apparent beneficial effects. Dinsdale makes a gallant case for the use of magnesium sulfate in eclampsia, based in part on his own considerable knowledge and contributions to the understanding of other types of hypertensive encephalopathy, but he acknowledges that magnesium sulfate's usefulness has never been demonstrated in a controlled clinical trial. Kaplan and colleagues argue convincingly that there are better methods of treating both the hypertension and the seizures commonly associated with eclampsia. Until such time as we have a better grasp


In recent years, quantum-dot (QD) mode-locked semiconductors lasers have shown great potential as ultrashort pulse laser sources [1]. For instance, the generation of ultrashort transform-limited pulses with pulse durations of 360 fs has been previously demonstrated in tapered index-guided mode-locked quantum-dot lasers without any dispersion compensation - however, peak power reached only 2.25 W, for a typical average power of 15.6 mW [2]. In our recent work, we have shown that output average/peak power and pulse energy can be greatly increased using a tapered (or flared) gain-guided structure [3]. In [3], two-section devices incorporating 5 or 10 QD layers with a total length of ∼2.78mm were used, resulting in pulse repetition rates of the order of 14.6 GHz. With an absorber-to-gain lengths ratio of 1∶7, the highest peak power achieved was 3.6W from both QD structures. On the other hand, a maximum average power of 209 mW corresponding to 14.2 pJ pulse energy with 6-ps pulse duration was achieved for the 5-layer QD laser. The generation of high-peak-power pulses is vital for a variety of applications such as biomedical nonlinear microscopy and imaging, where a combination of high peak power and average power (up to the limit tolerable by the bio-sample) are most effective in enhancing the nonlinear effects required. In this paper, we report the highest peak power (to our knowledge) of 15 W directly from a monolithic quantum-dot tapered laser, with sub-picosecond pulse width.


Deep neural networks with millions of parameters may suffer from poor generalization due to overfitting. To mitigate the issue, we propose a new regularization method that penalizes the predictive distribution between similar samples. In particular, we distill the predictive distribution between different samples of the same label during training. This results in regularizing the dark knowledge (i.e., the knowledge on wrong predictions) of a single network (i.e., a self-knowledge distillation) by forcing it to produce more meaningful and consistent predictions in a class-wise manner. Consequently, it mitigates overconfident predictions and reduces intra-class variations. Our experimental results on various image classification tasks demonstrate that the simple yet powerful method can significantly improve not only the generalization ability but also the calibration performance of modern convolutional neural networks.


Near occlusion of internal carotid artery (ICA) is a rare and easily misdiagnosed condition and the decision for revascularisation still remains controversial. We conducted an updated meta-analysis in order to investigate outcomes after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), carotid artery stenting (CAS) or best medical treatment (BMT) in patients with near-occlusion of the ICA. We also aimed to investigate the role of time as a potential moderator of the near-ICA occlusion—stroke rate association. A multiple electronic health database search on articles published up to November 2019 was performed. The pooled stroke rate after CEA, CAS and BMT were calculated. We also investigated transient ischemic attack (TIA), stroke-related death, myocardial infarction (MI), any cause of death and ICA restenosis crude rates (%). A total of 33 articles were finally deemed eligible. The pooled stroke rate was 1.52% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.09–4.02%] after CEA, 1.80% (95% CI: 0.61–3.40%) after CAS and 8.39% (95% CI: 3.39–14.80%) after BMT. Out of 896 CEA patients, we recorded 22 TIAs (2.5%), 33 all-cause deaths (3.7%), 5 stroke-related deaths (0.6%) and 6 MIs (0.7%). Concerning outcomes after 603 CAS patients, we recorded 7 TIAs (1.2%), 56 all-cause deaths (9.3%), 4 stroke-related deaths (0.7%) and 22 MIs (3.6%). Among 263 patients who were treated with BMT, we found 16 TIAs (6.1%), 10 all-cause deaths (3.8%), no stroke-related death, and no MI. Crude restenosis rate during follow-up was 9.0% (54/601) for CEA and 4.1% (24/592) for CAS patients. No significant effect of publication year upon stroke rate after CEA was recorded. However, there was a significant reversed association between pooled stroke rate after CAS and publication year (P=0.05). A statistically significant reversed association between pooled stroke rate after BMT and publication year was also recorded (P<0.01). The results of this updated meta-analysis revealed high stroke rate for patients with near-occlusion of ICA who treated only with BMT, while intervention seemed to be safe and effective. A downward trend in the stroke rates over time after CAS and BMT was also discovered. These highlight that patients with near-occlusion of ICA should be included and investigated in future studies.


The need for a multi-purpose rock tester that incorporates a microcomputer for logging and evaluation purposes is identified. A number of semistandard test methods adaptable to such a tester are examined and found suitable from the point of view of simplicity, cheapness, and accuracy of determination. Some design aspects of this tester in its present state of development are considered.


Families and governments are the primary sources of investment in children, providing access to basic resources and other developmental opportunities. Recent research identifies significant class gaps in parental investments that contribute to high levels of inequality by family income and education. State-level public investments in children and families have the potential to reduce class inequality in children's developmental environments by affecting parents' behavior. Using newly assembled administrative data from 1998 to 2014, linked to household-level data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey, we examine how public-sector investment in income support, health, and education is associated with the private expenditures of low- and high-SES parents on developmental items for children. Are class gaps in parental investments in children narrower in contexts of higher public investment for children and families? We find that more generous public spending for children and families is associated with significantly narrower class gaps in private parental investments. Furthermore, we find that equalization is driven by bottom-up increases in low-SES households' developmental spending in response to progressive state investments of income support and health, and by top-down decreases in high-SES households' developmental spending in response to universal state investment in public education.