The article discloses that the modern prevalent consciousness of the society (ideology and psychology) predetermines that human rights and freedoms are the most important value of the modern world. This article also represents the analysis of the modern standpoint to the sources of human rights, discloses the relation between negative and positive liberty in details, indicates, that the negative liberty and formal equality and negative personal rights not always ensure sufficiently valuable life of a person. More over, it is accentuated that a negative justice extends contradictions of the society in the real life, in its economical, social sphere: formal equality (or equality of legal regulation) provides the same rules of activities for all persons, the equality of start possibilities, so, if there are equal possibilities of legal regulation, stronger, more healthy and clever persons will always reach more positive result. The author emphasizes, that human rights are not only formal; they must be real. Social, economical and cultural rights exactly help to achieve that reality. Social rights are closely related with principle of public solidarity. Article expresses the idea that principle of negative liberty, principle of formal equality and principle of solidarity may coexist and must coexist. Principle of solidarity must be perceived as voluntary, when the state, while collecting taxes, doesn't pursue a policy of unlegal and unjust aggression, but only implements social treaty. On the opposite the state as "coercive sovereign" would realize the economical equalization of all persons, which can not be in the society of free individuals.


The microstructural evolution during compression (at 350°C and a strain rate of 0.01s-1) was examined for magnesium alloy AZ31 received in the "as-cast" condition. It was revealed that at low strains, many twins are produced and dynamically recrystallized (DRX) grains form as a necklace along pre-existing grain boundaries. At higher strains, DRX stagnates, most likely due to the accommodation of deformation in the DRX fraction of the material. It was also observed that twin boundaries act as sites for the nucleation of DRX grains. The analysis was repeated for samples pre-compressed to a strain of 0.15 at room temperature prior to the hot deformation step. The idea of these additional tests was to increase the degree of twinning and therefore the density of sites for the nucleation of DRX. It was found that statically recrystallized (SRX) grains developed at the twins during heating to the test temperature. When these samples were deformed, the peak flow stress was reduced by approximately 20% and the development of DRX was enhanced. This can be attributed to the accelerated nucleation of DRX in the refined SRX structure.


Seagrass meadows are found growing on beach foreshores throughout the Caribbean. These underwater meadows greatly influence the coastal zone and provide services that benefit marine organisms and human communities, termed ecosystem services. Seagrasses photosynthesise, removing CO2 from the seawater, and provide a food source and habitat for fish, turtles and urchins. Furthermore, as waves travel over the seagrass canopy, the flexible seagrass leaves sway back and forth, removing wave energy and stabilising the sand on the seafloor. In doing so, seagrass meadows protect the beach foreshore slope from erosion. In this PhD, I show how these ecosystem services are dependent on healthy native seagrass meadows and healthy neighbouring ecosystems like coral reefs. When in a good condition, the seagrass meadows can help to naturally maintain stable beaches and make them resilient to extreme storms like category 5 hurricanes. This natural protection reduces the need for human intervention, such as sand nourishments and seawalls. Unfortunately seagrass meadows are under threat from human disturbance, invasive species and lowering coastal water quality. Degradation of tropical seagrass meadows puts tropical beaches at risk from erosion and threatens the many species that are reliant upon them as a food source and habitat. Ensuring seagrass meadows continue to exist is especially vital at this time when we require their ecosystem services to help combat rising sea-level and increasing storminess, which intensify coastal erosion. Continued loss of seagrass habitat will only help to exacerbate the negative effects of climate change facing tropical regions.


Aalto University, P.O. Box 11000, FI-00076 Aalto www.aalto.fi Author Vesa-Matti Tikkala Name of the doctoral dissertation Integrated Fault Detection System for a Board Machine Publisher School of Chemical Technology Unit Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology Series Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS 193/2014 Field of research Kem-90 Process Control Manuscript submitted 11 September 2014 Date of the defence 5 December 2014 Permission to publish granted (date) 18 November 2014 Language English Monograph Article dissertation (summary + original articles) Abstract The current process industry faces remarkable challenges due to global competition, tightening environmental regulations, and the increasing complexity and integration of process plants. Especially, the pulp and paper industry has been under pressure in recent years to improve the efficiency of operations and to optimize production. Managing abnormal events, such as disturbances, faults and failures is an essential part of improving the operation of process plants. Traditional plant automation systems are able to handle the typical faults and disturbances and to restore the process into a normal state. However, in order to address more complex faults, the automation systems must be accompanied by fault detection methods which provide the plant operators and maintenance with additional information about the faults. This thesis presents the development of an integrated fault detection system for a board machine. The system was developed according to a created methodology which exploited the decomposition and control strategy of the process as well as fault analysis. The presented fault detection system consisted of four fault detection algorithms that addressed the faults having the most significant effect on the economic performance and operability of the process. The fault detection system comprised of a valve stiction detection system employing a parallel configuration of four different stiction detection algorithms, a robust detection method for non-stationary oscillations, a dynamic causal digraph -based method for detecting consistency sensor faults, a detection method for leakages and blockages in the drying section using nonlinear parity equations, and a self-organising map -based process monitoring method for detecting caliper sensor fouling. The individual fault detection algorithms were tested and validated in case studies using simulations and industrial data. In addition, industrial experiments were carried out at the board machine. The obtained results were very promising and showed that the presented methodology provided a systematic approach to the development of a fault detection system. The testing results indicated that the fault detection algorithms provide useful information for improving the operation and maintenance of the board machine.The current process industry faces remarkable challenges due to global competition, tightening environmental regulations, and the increasing complexity and integration of process plants. Especially, the pulp and paper industry has been under pressure in recent years to improve the efficiency of operations and to optimize production. Managing abnormal events, such as disturbances, faults and failures is an essential part of improving the operation of process plants. Traditional plant automation systems are able to handle the typical faults and disturbances and to restore the process into a normal state. However, in order to address more complex faults, the automation systems must be accompanied by fault detection methods which provide the plant operators and maintenance with additional information about the faults. This thesis presents the development of an integrated fault detection system for a board machine. The system was developed according to a created methodology which exploited the decomposition and control strategy of the process as well as fault analysis. The presented fault detection system consisted of four fault detection algorithms that addressed the faults having the most significant effect on the economic performance and operability of the process. The fault detection system comprised of a valve stiction detection system employing a parallel configuration of four different stiction detection algorithms, a robust detection method for non-stationary oscillations, a dynamic causal digraph -based method for detecting consistency sensor faults, a detection method for leakages and blockages in the drying section using nonlinear parity equations, and a self-organising map -based process monitoring method for detecting caliper sensor fouling. The individual fault detection algorithms were tested and validated in case studies using simulations and industrial data. In addition, industrial experiments were carried out at the board machine. The obtained results were very promising and showed that the presented methodology provided a systematic approach to the development of a fault detection system. The testing results indicated that the fault detection algorithms provide useful information for improving the operation and maintenance of the board machine.


This study included patients with primary triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who underwent resection without neoadjuvant chemotherapy between January 2004 and December 2014. Among the 248 TNBCs studied, programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression was detected in 103 (41.5%) tumors, and high levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were present in 118 (47.6%) tumors. PD-L1 expression correlated with high levels of TILs, but was not a prognostic factor. Patients with TILs-high tumors had better overall survival than those with TILs-low tumors (P = 0.016). There was a strong interaction between PD-L1 expression and TILs that was associated with both recurrence-free survival (P = 0.0018) and overall survival (P = 0.015). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis showed that PD-L1-positive/TILs-low was an independent negative prognostic factor for both recurrence-free survival and overall survival. Our findings suggest that PD-L1-positive/TILs-low tumors are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with TNBC, and that it is important to focus on the combination of PD-L1 expression on tumor cells and TILs present in the tumor microenvironment. These biomarkers may be useful for stratification of TNBCs and for predicting prognosis and developing novel cancer immunotherapies.


OBJECTIVE
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using cyanobacterial platforms is becoming more popular nowadays. In this study, the filamentous non-heterocystous cyanobacterium Phormidium sp. was used for AgNPs production. Then, it was investigated for its antibacterial and wound-healing properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The cyanobacterium cultures were challenged by AgNO3, and the obtained nanoparticles were characterized using UV and FTIR spectrometric methods. The antimicrobial activity of AgNPs was scrutinized against MRSA either alone or in combination 0.5% chloramphenicol. The green synthesized AgNPs were tested for their skin wound healing activity using several wound models at different concentrations.

RESULTS
The cyanobacterial culture extract showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance peak at 440 nm for AgNPs. Different functional groups that could contribute to the reduction of Ag+ to AgNPs or the stabilization of the nanoparticles were identified by the FTIR. AgNPs potentiated the antimicrobial activity of chloramphenicol against MRSA. Green synthesized silver nanoparticles have demonstrated topical effectiveness in different wound models, including excision, incision, and burn. Significant wound improvement and the increase in wound closure rate, hydroxyproline content, and the reduction in epithelialization period confirmed the wound healing potency of AgNPs. The enzymatic antioxidant level escalation and inflammatory cytokines attenuation supported the AgNPs substantial effect on wound repairing.

CONCLUSIONS
Biogenic AgNPs produced by Phormidium sp. showed significant antimicrobial together with wound healing abilities.


This paper compares wrought aluminium with PM aluminum and PM aluminium alloys with boron-base additions, containing boron carbide and Fe/B (obtained by mechanical alloying during 36 hours from a Fe-B 50% mixture by weight). The effect of sintering temperature for the Fe/B containing material and the effect of mechanical alloying for the boron carbide containing aluminium alloy on the corrosion resistance of those materials have been studied. Their behavior is followed through cyclic anodic polarization curves in chloride media. In the Al+20%Fe/B composite, low sintering temperatures (650-950°C) exert a negative effect. However, when the material was sintered at high temperature (1000-1100°C) its behaviour was very similar to the PM pure aluminium. The effect of mechanical alloying studied in aluminium with boron carbide was also important in corrosion resistance, finding a lower corrosion rate in the mechanically alloyed material.


One hundred and three HBsAg carriers were followed up for 16-21 years with an average of 18.6 years. Results showed 30 of them recovered from carrier status. 26 became post-hepatitis carriers and 21 asymptomatic carriers, six suffered from acute hepatitis B and seven chronic active hepatitis, and 13 died. Negative conversion rate of HBsAg averaged 33.3% with 13.8% for those aged 30 or less and 42.6% for those over 30. Negative conversion rate of HBsAg and recover rate in carriers with high-titer HBsAg were very significantly lower, and incidence rates of acute hepatitis B and chronic active hepatitis significantly higher than those with low titer.


This study analyses the relationship between the e-government transformation success in Turkey and the 18 success factors commonly assumed to be the causes of transformation success in the literature. The study uses a quantitative methodology previously developed by the same researchers, which considers transformation success as the dependent variable and the 18 success factors as the independent variables in a relational model and applies correlation, regression and factor analyses to the collected data to search for the probable relationships between these variables. The results of these analyses show that there are significant and positive correlations between the success factors and transformation success, but none of these correlations could be attributed to a cause and effect relationship, as assumed in similar studies. The results also show that classifying similar success factors under common headings to analyze transformation success is not statistically meaningful.


In this work, we consider detection of errors in polynomial, dual, and normal bases arithmetic operations. Error detection is performed by recomputing with the shifted operand method, while the operation unit is in use. This scheme is efficient for pipelined architectures, particularly systolic arrays. Additionally, one semisystolic multiplier for each of the polynomial, dual, type I, and type II optimal normal bases is presented. The results show that for having better or similar space and time overheads compared to a number of related previous work, the multipliers have generally a higher error-detection capability, e.g., the error-detection capability of the RESO-based scheme for single and multiple stuck-at faults in a polynomial basis multiplier is 100 percent. Finally, we also comment on how RESO can be used for concurrent error correction to deal with transient faults.


In order to characterize the relation between apparent chondrule sizes (2D) and true chondrule sizes (3D), three ordinary chondrites of the H, L, and LL group have been analyzed. The diameters of a large number of chondrule cut faces in thin sections (2D; n = 2037) and of separated chondrules from the same meteorites (3D: n = 2061) have been measured. The obtained 2D/3D mean chondrule sizes (μm) for the H, L, and LL chondrite are 450/490, 500/610, and 690/830; the corresponding median values (μm) are 370/420, 450/530, and 580/730. The data show that there is a cutoff for small chondrule sizes in each sample. Possibly characteristic minimum sizes exist for the various groups, increasing in the (3D) sequence H (~90 μm)


Practically achievable limits for pressure-vacuum swing adsorption (PVSA)-based post-combustion carbon capture are evaluated. The adsorption isotherms of CO2 and N2 are described by competitive Langmuir isotherms. Two low-energy process cycles are considered and a machine learning surrogate-model is trained with inputs from an experimentally-validated detailed PVSA model. Several case studies are considered to evaluate two critical performance indicators, namely, minimum energy and maximum productivity. For each case study, the genetic algorithm optimizer that is coupled to the machine learning surrogate model, searches tens of thousands of combinations of isotherms and process operating conditions. The framework pairs the optimum material properties with the optimum operating conditions, hence providing the limits of achievable performance. The results indicate that very low pressures ( <~0.2 bar) may be required to achieve process constraints for low feeds with low feed compositions ($<0.15$ mol fraction), indicating that PVSA may not be favourable. At higher CO2 feed compositions, PVSA can be attractive and can be operated at practically achievable vacuum levels. Further, the gap between the energy consumption of available adsorbents and the achievable limits with a hypothetical -best adsorbent varies between 20% to 2.5% as the CO2 feed composition changes between 0.05 to 0.4. This indicates a limited potential for development of new adsorbents of PVSA-based CO2 capture. Future work for PVSA should focus on flue gas streams with high CO2 compositions


Hyperinflammation is related to the development of COVID-19. Resveratrol is considered an anti-inflammatory and antiviral agent. Herein, we used a network pharmacological approach and bioinformatic gene analysis to explore the pharmacological mechanism of Resveratrol in COVID-19 therapy. Potential targets of Resveratrol were obtained from public databases. SARS-CoV-2 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out via bioinformatic analysis Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets GSE147507, followed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis; then, protein-protein interaction network was constructed. The common targets, GO terms, and KEGG pathways of Resveratrol targets and SARS-CoV-2 DEGs were confirmed. KEGG Mapper queried the location of common targets in the key pathways. A notable overlap of the GO terms and KEGG pathways between Resveratrol targets and SARS-CoV-2 DEGs was revealed. The shared targets between Resveratrol targets and SARS-CoV-2 mainly involved the IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway. Our study uncovered that Resveratrol is a promising therapeutic candidate for COVID-19 and we also revealed the probable key targets and pathways involved. Ultimately, we bring forward new insights and encourage more studies on Resveratol to benefit COVID-19 patients.


East Germany remains unique among the transition economies. Soon after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, it became part of the Federal Republic of Germany. German Union meant the transplantation of West Germany's legal, administrative and economic infrastructure to the five new Lander. The paper traces the economic changes since 1989 and assesses the convergence between West and East Germany during the last decade. We reach three main conclusions: First, there has been significant convergence in the administrative and economic realm, though persistent differences remain in the level of output and incomes as well as local capacities. Third, the Kohl government's policy towards East German transition, driven by short-term electoral considerations, has focused almost entirely on financing a high standard of consumption and too little on fostering investment and economic restructuring. Third, there is, therefore, a considerable risk that East Germany will remain a transfer-dependent economy for the foreseeable future. However, endogenous institutional change in the labour market, showing its first signs in East Germany, may become important in overcoming the structural problems in the new Lander.


An experimental study has been performed on the desulfurization performance of the original magnesium slag (from the process of magnesium production). The total content of CaO and Ca2SiO4 is near 90% in the slag, but its conversion rate is below to 30% as desulfurizer directly in the experimental conditions. The aim of this paper is to enhance the performance of the slag by the hydration treatment process. In the hydration process, the slag, additives and water are mixed proportionally in slurry, then dehydrated and dried. Compared different slag performance by TGA, the optimal hydration method is found. The results show that a much higher calcium conversion rate (about 40%) of the slag is obtained after the hydration process. By means of XRD, Sorptomtic Instrument and SEM, the related parameters of the original slag and the hydration treated slag are analyzed. It is found that the composition, appearance and surface area changed obviously. The principle is basically studied that the hydration may enhance the desulfurization performance of the slag.


A unique aspect of the inverted metamorphic multijunction (IMM) solar cell is the bandgap tunability of each junction, creating extremely flexible device designs. The optimal structure has subcell photocurrents that are matched for a given spectrum. However, the subcell photocurrents depend on the cell operating temperature, and therefore, the bandgaps need to be optimized for a certain range of operating conditions. In addition, imperfect material quality results in a loss of voltage and current that depends on the cell bandgap and thickness. In this case, an iterative process of multijunction design and subcell characterization is necessary to determine the optimal design. We compare two different three-junction devices to demonstrate the effect of bandgap selection and lattice-mismatched material quality on device performance at different temperatures. The triple-junction (3J)-IMM design with two lattice-mismatched junctions of perfect material quality (2MMJ) is theoretically optimal at room temperature but experimentally performs similarly to a simpler design with one mismatched junction (1MMJ) at higher temperature because of material quality tradeoffs and the temperature dependence of the designs. Significant progress in the growth, processing, and measurement has led to a 1MMJ design with (42.6 ± 2.1)% peak efficiency at 327 suns and (40.9 ± 2.0)% efficiency at 1093 suns under the direct spectrum.


Abstract It is generally agreed that organisms are Complex Adaptive Systems. Since the rise of Cybernetics in the middle of the last century ideas from information theory and control theory have been applied to the adaptations of biological organisms in order to explain how they work. This does not, however, explain functionality, which is widely but not universally attributed to biological systems. There are two approaches to functionality, one based on etiology (what a trait was selected for), and the other based in autonomy. I argue that the etiological approach, as understood in terms of control theory, suffers from a problem of symmetry, by which function can equally well be placed in the environment as in the organism. Focusing on the autonomy view, I note that it can be understood to some degree in terms of control theory in its version called second order cybernetics. I present an approach to second order cybernetics that seems plausible for organisms with limited computational power, due to Hooker, Penfold and Evans. They hold that this approach gives something like concepts, certainly abstractions from specific situations, a trait required for functionality in its system adaptive form (i.e., control of the system by itself). Using this cue, I argue that biosemiotics provides the methodology to incorporate these quasi concepts into an account of functionality.


The paper addresses the problem of acquiring high-quality photographs with handheld smartphone cameras in low-light imaging conditions. We propose an approach based on capturing pairs of short and long exposure images in rapid succession and fusing them into a single high-quality photograph. Unlike existing methods, we take advantage of both images simultaneously and perform a joint denoising and deblurring using a convolutional neural network. A novel approach is introduced to generate realistic short-long exposure image pairs. The method produces good images in extremely challenging conditions and outperforms existing denoising and deblurring methods. It also enables exposure fusion in the presence of motion blur.


In the wake of recent studies concluding that financial markets effectively demand risk premia on noninsured bank securities, the debate has intensified over whether we should place greater reliance on markets and less reliance on direct regulatory oversight. This study contributes to the debate by investigating the interaction between the market's pricing of bank equity securities and the regulatory examination process during the early stages of New England's banking crisis in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It addresses the concern that reducing regulatory oversight may adversely affect the market's ability to price bank securities effectively. The author finds that the bank examination process contributed significantly to the market's understanding of financial problems at New England banks. Bank examiners appear to have uncovered problems that bank management was unwilling to disclose publicly., since accounting performance measures were significantly different in exam quarters that resulted in supervisory downgrades than they were in all other quarters. In addition, market participants appeared to find this information useful, driving down stock prices in the quarter after the exam, the period when the poor performance measures associated with the exam are generally disclosed. The author suggests caution in considering market discipline as a substitute for regulatory oversight; the results of his study suggests it should more appropriately be considered as a complement.


Increasing number of dengue cases in Surabaya shows that its city has high potential of dengue fever epidemic. Although some policies were designed by Surabaya Health Department, such as fogging and mosquito's nest eradication, but these efforts still out of target because of inaccurate predictions. Ineffectiveness eradication of dengue fever epidemic is caused by lack of information and knowledge on environmental conditions in Surabaya. Developing spread and prediction system to minimize dengue fever epidemic is necessary to be conducted immediately. Spread and prediction system can improve eradication and prevention accuracy. The transmission dynamics vector simulation will be used as an approach to draw a complex system of mosquito life cycle in which involve a lot of factors. Dynamics transmission model used to build model in mosquito model (oviposition rate and pre adult mosquito), infected and death cases in dengue fever. The model of mosquito and infected population can represent system. The output of this research is website of spread and prediction system of dengue fever epidemics to predict growth rate of Aedes Aegypti mosquito, infected, and death population because of dengue fever epidemics. The deviation of infected population is 0,519. The model of death cases in dengue fever is less precision with the deviation 1,229. Death cases model need improvement by adding some variables that influence to dengue fever death cases. Spread of dengue fever prediction will help the government, health department to decide the best policies in minimizing the spread of dengue fever epidemics.


Multi-phase mixture (MPM) discharge has the common characteristics of randomness with air but more complex. How about the statistical rule of MPM discharge This is not only a fundamental problem for discharge research, but it has its own strong applied and practical characteristics. The air-solid two-phase mixtures(ASTPM) are employed to study and carry out some experiments for investigating the development and breakdown of MPM discharge under AC voltage. The results from experimental data show that the AC breakdown voltage and corona-inception voltage will drop when the solid particles are added to the discharge chamber with different permittivity and volume fraction. And there is no influence in gas flow and the corona current.


We develop an econometric methodology to infer the path of risk premia from a large unbalanced panel of individual stock returns. We estimate the time-varying risk premia implied by conditional linear asset pricing models where the conditioning includes both instruments common to all assets and asset specific instruments. The estimator uses simple weighted two-pass cross-sectional regressions, and we show its consistency and asymptotic normality under increasing cross-sectional and time series dimensions. We address consistent estimation of the asymptotic variance by hard thresholding, and testing for asset pricing restrictions induced by the no-arbitrage assumption. We derive the restrictions given by a continuum of assets in a multi-period economy under an approximate factor structure robust to asset repackaging. The empirical analysis on returns for about ten thousands US stocks from July 1964 to December 2009 shows that risk premia are large and volatile in crisis periods. They exhibit large positive and negative strays from time-invariant estimates, follow the macroeconomic cycles, and do not match risk premia estimates on standard sets of portfolios. The asset pricing restrictions are rejected for a conditional four-factor model capturing market, size, value and momentum effects.


Abstract Radiation Therapy (RT) is one of the most common treatments for cancer. To understand the impact of radiation toxicity on normal tissue, a Normal Tissue Complication Probability (NTCP) model is needed to link RT dose with radiation-induced complications. There are two types of NTCP models: biological and statistical models. Biological models have good generalizability but low accuracy, as they cannot factor in patient-specific information. Statistical models can incorporate patient-specific variables, but may not generalize well across different studies. We propose an integrated model that borrows strength from both biological and statistical models. Specifically, we propose a novel model formulation followed by an efficient parameter estimation algorithm, and investigate statistical properties of the estimator. We apply the integrated model to a real dataset of prostate cancer patients treated with Intensity Modulated RT at the Mayo Clinic Arizona, who are at risk of developing the grade 2+ acute rectal complication. The integrated model achieves an Area Under the Curve (AUC) level of 0.82 in prediction, whereas the AUCs for the biological and statistical models are only 0.66 and 0.76, respectively. The superior performance of the integrated model is also consistently observed over different simulation experiments.


Informal groups cannot rely on external enforcement to insure that members abide by their obligations. It is generally assumed that these problems are solved by "social sanctions" and reputational effects. The present paper focuses on roscas, one of the most commonly found informal financial institutions in the developing world. We first show that, in the absence of an external (social) sanctioning mechanism, roscas are never sustainable, even if the defecting member is excluded from all future roscas. We then argue that the organizational structure of the rosca itself can be designed so as to reduce the severity of enforcement issues. The implications of our analysis are tested against first-hand evidence from rosca groups in a Kenyan slum.


This study examined changes in physical match performance of six players from an English Championship League team across the competitive season and examined the effect of team possession. Sprint and high intensity distances and frequency of efforts were all greatest in early-season, and were significantly reduced in both mid-and-late-season phases (all p < 0.0001). None of these variables were, however, related to team possession (p range = 0.2759 to 0.7411). Total distance covered on the other hand was sustained and did not significantly change over the season phases (p = 0.9219), but it was negatively associated with possession (p = 0.0080). This association suggests that physical demands were lower when this team was in possession of the ball. In summary, evidence of residual fatigue at mid-and-late-season was obtained from sprint and high intensity variables. Given possession was associated with a reduced total distance covered during matches, it may be speculated that better quality teams are able to maintain possession for longer periods of matches and thus require less recovery time due to reduced physical match demands.


Recently, a new approach to atomic layer deposition (ALD) has been developed that doesn't require vacuum and is much faster than conventional ALD. This is achieved by separating the precursors in space rather than in time. This approach is most commonly called Spatial ALD (SALD). In our lab we have been using/developing a novel atmospheric SALD system to fabricate active components for new generation solar cells, showing the potential of this novel technique for the fabrication of high quality materials that can be integrated into devices. In this minireview we will introduce the basics of SALD and illustrate its great potential by highlighting recent results in the field of photovoltaics.


ABSTRACT The article addresses two principal questions: how public management reforms develop in a context of high government turnover, and how, under these circumstances, features of the specific area of public management policy affect the dynamics of the reform and in particular its "technical feasibility." The research questions are addressed through the case study of the Italian administrative context between 1992 and 2007, a period marked by tumultuous government turnovers. The article presents reforms in two policy areas of public management: civil service reform and innovation, over a three-period time span covering 15 years. The brief duration of political leadership represents a threat to the approval and implementation of policy interventions irrespective of the political salience of the issue and the need for legal enactment. Therefore, the success of a public management reform process in an unstable political context characterized by frequent government turnovers depends on meeting certain conditions for successful policy entrepreneurship: the a priori expertise of policy entrepreneurs, their ability to repackage the issue, keep a community of practice alive, and maneuver the dynamics of the legal process. However, implementation, being a less visible phase, suffers from greater discontinuity as "maintenance activities" necessary for the success of reform are disregarded. Thus, the consideration of the temporal dimension of the policy cycle and the area-specific effects on public management reform dynamics exerted by diverse levels of political salience and legal enactment represent the main contributions of this work to the theories on public management policy change.


Spinal lumbar stenosis is a disease that occurs mainly between the 5th and 7th decade of life and can be congenital or acquired. The latter has many etiologies, but a degenerative cause is the most common. Stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal diameter caused by many factors such as bulging discs, hypertrophy of flavum ligament, facet capsule thickening and osteophyte formation. The classical symptom of the disease is sciatic pain, that improves with lumbar flexion and worsens with ambulation. Neurological examination is often normal and the most useful imaging test is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Conservative management consists in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, physical therapy and epidural - radicular infiltrations. Spinal infiltrations have a proven efficacy for pain management. A good result of this therapy predicts a favorable outcome after surgery. Surgical treatment consists in decompression with or without lumbar fusion. The addition of an arthrodesis is recommended for degenerative spondylolisthesis, correction of deformities, recurrent spinal stenosis with instability, sagittal or coronal imbalance and adjacent segment disease.


Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome Coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a member of the Coronaviridae family. The virus is associated with severe small intestine inflammation and diarrhea in suckling piglets. In 2017, SADS-CoV was first detected and identified as the causative agent of a devasting swine disease outbreak in southern China. Routine monitoring and early detection of the source of infection is therefore integral to the prevention and control of a SADS-CoV outbreak in the United States. However, the United States does not currently have any diagnostic or surveillance tests to identify this emerging disease. To address these industry needs, we developed monoclonal antibodies against SADS-CoV. To start with, the nonstructural SADS-CoV, papain-like protease 2 region (PLP2) was cloned into an E.coli plasmid expression vector Next, the nonstructural protein SADS-CoV PLP2 was expressed, purified and used as antigen. Then, the purified antigen was used to immunized mice to produce monoclonal antibodies and rabbits were immunized to produce antisera containing polyclonal antibodies also for diagnostic test development. Mouse spleen cells and a mouse tumor cell line (NS-1 myeloma) were fused together to produce hybridoma clones. The resulting monoclonal antibodies were characterized and evaluated for their ability to specifically recognize SADSCoV PLP2 epitope in cell culture. In total, nine monoclonal antibodies and approximately 105 milliliters of rabbit antisera were produced. The immunoreactivity of each monoclonal antibody and antisera was tested by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunofluorescence assay (IFA), and Western blot assays. The monoclonal antibodies will be used to develop validated diagnostic ELISA, IFA, Western blot tests and to better understand virus replication. Overall, the monoclonal antibodies, reagents, and assays will be vital in establishing the first early detection and surveillance tests thus preventing major economic losses to the swine


A high-loading sulfur cathode is critical for establishing rechargeable lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries with the anticipated high energy density. However, its fabrication as well as realizing high electrochemical utilization and stability with high-loading sulfur cathodes is a daunting challenge. We present here a new pie-like electrode that consists of an electrocatalytic nickel-foam as a "filling" to adsorb and store polysulfide catholytes and an outer carbon shell as a "crust" for facilitating high-loading sulfur cathodes with superior electrochemical and structural stabilities. The inner electrocatalytic nickel-foam is configured to adsorb polysulfides and facilitate their redox reactions. The intertwined carbon shell assists to shield the polysulfides within the cathode region of the cell. Both the nickel-foam and the carbon shell have high conductivity and porous space, which serve simultaneously as interconnected current collectors to enhance the redox kinetics and as polysulfide reservoirs to confine the active material. The effectiveness of such a pie-like structure in improving the electrochemical efficiency enables the cathode to host an ultrahigh sulfur loading of 40 mg cm−2 and attain a high areal capacity of over 40 mA h cm−2 at a low electrolyte/sulfur (E/S) ratio of 7. The enhanced cyclability is reflected in a high reversible areal capacity approaching 30 mA h cm−2 at C/5 rate after 100 cycles and excellent rate capability up to 2C rate.


Simulations of 10-day backward trajectories of air masses from Mount Wrangell, an Alaskan ice core site, were calculated for 11 years on a daily basis. Results were analyzed statistically in order to interpret monthly air mass contributions over the ice core site and to discuss implications for ice core studies in the North Pacific Region (NPR).Increases in tropospheric air mass transport from EA in spring suggest favorable transport conditions for Asian dust during this season. The stratospheric air mass (< 300 hPa) over the ice core site increases in winter and that from East Asia (EA) to the North Pacific Ocean in late spring. The tritium peaks observed in the ice core in late spring were discussed in the context of the present results with two possibilities on the time lag of tritium transportation in the stratosphere and the seasonal variations of water vapor amount in the troposphere. Increases in air masses originating from Siberia, Alaska and Canada in summer-fall favor the transport of black carbon due to forest fires over the ice core site. These results allow advanced interpretation of the origin and transport processes of materials in the ice core proxies in the NPR.


Pathobiology of Malignant Melanoma is an excellent, well-written review of the developmental biology, as well as the clinical, laboratory, epidemiologic, and pathologic aspects, of malignant melanoma. This text is relevant for dermatologists, pathologists, oncologists, and others involved in the care of patients with melanomas. The contributors to this text are leading authorities in the various areas of melanoma research. They include David Elder, Wallace Clark, Mark Greene, Richard Sagebiel, Christain Schmoekel, Otto Braun-Falco, Peter Heenan, Michael Kornstein, and Meenhard Herlyn. This book has 11 chapters. The first chapter discusses the developmental biology of melanoma. It focuses on tumor progression in relation to nevi and dyplastic nevi. The second chapter comprehensively reviews laboratory studies in hereditary melanoma, which include genetic, cytogenetic, and immunologic studies. This is one of the best and most comprehensive chapters in the text. The third chapter, by Elder and Clark, quite lucidly reviews tumor progression, classification, staging,


An abdominal wall mass can arise from a large number of etiologies, but it has not been reported as a complication of a ventral hernia repair. The most common complication of a hernia repair is recurrence. Here, we report an unusual case of a 47-year-old male who presented with a benign abdominal mass 12 years after undergoing a ventral hernia repair, and describe our recommended surgical management. J Curr Surg. 2018;8(3-4):41-43 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jcs357w


Abstract Two hypotheses were offered for the effect of shorter hospital stays on mortality after hip fracture surgery: worsening the quality of care and shifting death occurrence to postacute settings. We tested whether the risk of hospital death after hip fracture surgery differed across years when postoperative stays shortened, and whether care factors moderated the association. Analysis of acute hospital discharge abstracts for subgroups defined by hospital type, bed capacity, surgical volume, and admission time. 153,917 patients 65 years or older surgically treated for first hip fracture. Risk of hospital death. We found a decrease in the 30-day risk of hospital death from 7.0% (95%CI: 6.6–7.5) in 2004 to 5.4% (95%CI: 5.0–5.7) in 2012, with an adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.71 (95%CI: 0.63–0.80). In subgroup analysis, only large community hospitals showed the reduction of ORs by calendar year. No trend was observed in teaching and medium community hospitals. By 2012, the risk of death in large higher volume community hospitals was 34% lower for weekend admissions, OR = 0.66 (95%CI: 0.46–0.95) and 39% lower for weekday admissions, OR = 0.61 (95%CI: 0.40–0.91), compared to 2004. In large lower volume community hospitals, the 2012 risk was 56% lower for weekend admissions, OR = 0.44 (95%CI: 0.26–0.75), compared to 2004. The risk of hospital death after hip fracture surgery decreased only in large community hospitals, despite universal shortening of hospital stays. This supports the concern of worsening the quality of hip fracture care due to shorter stays.


We consider the effects of parameter uncertainty on the optimal radiation schedule in the context of the linear-quadratic model. Our interest arises from the observation that if inter-patient variability in normal and tumor tissue radiosensitivity or sparing factor of the organs-at-risk (OAR) are not accounted for during radiation scheduling, the performance of the therapy may be strongly degraded or the OAR may receive a substantially larger dose than the allowable threshold. This paper proposes a stochastic radiation scheduling concept to incorporate inter-patient variability into the scheduling optimization problem. Our method is based on a probabilistic approach, where the model parameters are given by a set of random variables. Our probabilistic formulation ensures that our constraints are satisfied with a given probability, and that our objective function achieves a desired level with a stated probability. We used a variable transformation to reduce the resulting optimization problem to two dimensions. We showed that the optimal solution lies on the boundary of the feasible region and we implemented a branch and bound algorithm to find the global optimal solution. We demonstrated how the configuration of optimal schedules in the presence of uncertainty compares to optimal schedules in the absence of uncertainty (conventional schedule). We observed that in order to protect against the possibility of the model parameters falling into a region where the conventional schedule is no longer feasible, it is required to avoid extremal solutions, i.e. a single large dose or very large total dose delivered over a long period. Finally, we performed numerical experiments in the setting of head and neck tumors including several normal tissues to reveal the effect of parameter uncertainty on optimal schedules and to evaluate the sensitivity of the solutions to the choice of key model parameters.


[1] The difficulties in validating aerosol optical depth from spaceborne lidars such as the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on board IceSat and the lidar on board the Cloud Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite with ground-based instruments are discussed. Because observations are often not collocated, matching errors, which increase with separation distance, confound the validation of instrumental errors. These matching errors can be assessed by comparing the aerosol total-column optical depth measured in a swath by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument on board the Terra satellite with point Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Sun photometer measurements at different separation distances. In particular, the relationship of the correlation of the two sensors' aerosol total-column optical depth observations with increasing spatial separation is determined. The use of back trajectories to reduce the loss in correlation with increasing spatial separation is then evaluated. Matching errors are found to increase faster over land than over water sites, with the correlation dropping by 20% in 200 km over the land sites and 500 km over the ocean sites. Constraining the area over which the MODIS aerosol optical depth is calculated to within 30° azimuth of the average back trajectory only improved the correlation for a site where long-range transport of aerosols often occurs.


Any cooperative control scheme relies on some measurements which are often assumed to be
exact to simplify the analysis. However, it is known that in practice all measured quantities
are subject to error, which can deteriorate the overall performance of the network significantly.
This work proposes a new measurement error analysis in the control of multi-agent systems.
In particular, the connectivity preservation of multi-agent systems with state-dependent error
in distance measurements is considered. It is assumed that upper bounds on the measurement
error and its rate of change are available. A general class of distributed control strategies is
then proposed for the distance-dependent connectivity preservation of the agents in the network.
It is shown that if two neighboring agents are initially located in the connectivity range,
they are guaranteed to remain connected at all times. Furthermore, the formation control problem
for a team of single-integrator agents subject to distance measurement error is investigated
using navigation functions. Collision, obstacle and boundary avoidance are important features
of the proposed strategy. Conditions on the magnitude of the measurement error and its rate of
change are derived under which a new error-dependent formation can be achieved anywhere in
the space. The effectiveness of the proposed control strategies in consensus and containment
problems is demonstrated by simulation.


The Korean government recently has rediscovered the potential value of Han-Ok, the Korean traditional house, as an eco-friendly building. In order to objectively verify the environmental performance of Han-Ok as a low carbon green building, this paper suggests the analysis method of GHG emission load of Korean traditional house, based on Life Cycle Assessment, which is commonly abbreviated to "LCA". The environmental impacts caused by building construction and operation can be analyzed through the sum of input and output data from every phase. The study particularly describes the GHG reduction effect by using traditional building materials such as wood products, traditional clay roof tiles, and mud, which are mainly used to construct Han-Ok. Also the study proposes the method for comparative analysis of quantity of GHG emissions in building's entire life cycle so that the data can be used as a reliable basis to optimize the environmental performance of building.


We elongated individual poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) molecules tethered at one end to an AFM cantilever. We observed the resistive force as a function of elongation in different solvents. In all cases the molecular response was found to be fully reversible and thus in thermodynamic equilibrium. In hexadecane the stretched PEG acts like an ideal entropy spring and can be well described as a freely jointed chain. In water we observed marked deviations in the transition region from entropic to enthalpic elasticity, indicating the deformation of a supra-structure within the polymer. An analysis based on elastically coupled Markovian two-level systems agrees well with recent ab initio calculations predicting that PEG in water forms a non-planar supra-structure which is stabilized by water bridges. We obtained a binding free energy of 3.0±0.3 kT.


Academy award winning illustrator Shaun Tan's 2006 graphic novel The Arrival, poignantly tells the story of the typical immigrant experience through a series of beautifully rendered, sepia toned images. Tan's illustrations provide us the perspective of the immigrant to whom the new city appears strange, alienating and even fantastical. Throughout the novel, Tan depicts a number of objects- some are familiar, iconic images of iteration such as a suitcase and a family photo, while others are the strange and alienating objects the man encounters in the new country. Using theories that bring together material culture and identity formation, this paper posits that Tan presents his narrative of the immigrant experience as a project of familiarization and naturalization, of home making and the creation of a comfortable "well-fitted habitus." Domesticating and familiarizing himself with the alien objects he encounters and furnishing his home with these objects alongside the familiar ones from home, allows the protagonist to construct his immigrant being within the space of the host nation.


The purpose of this essay is to find out how pre-schools teachers use mathematics in the outdoors to promote and develop children's learning. The essay also focus on similarities and differences between pre-school teachers and their ways of integrating mathematics in the outdoor environment. A comparison is later made to the answers from pre-school teachers in two ''I Ur och Skur" pre-schools about what outdoor education is , how they use the outdoors for mathematics and what kind of mathematics activates they use practical.The survey is based on a comparative method of qualitative interviews and observations. The study builds on Lev Vygotsky's socio-cultural theory in which we have chosen to focus on the concept of '' the proximal development''. It can be summarized as learning occurs in interaction with each other and that children learn better through social relationships. Another concept that we have chosen to use in our study is ''learning by doing'' by John Dewey's. The concept means that learning takes place through the practice.The essay then tries to analyse how '' I Ur och Skur'' pre-school teachers use mathematics in the outdoor environment. We analyze by see similarities and differences with both pre-school teachers education, outdoor as a learning room and mathematics activates.The conclusion of the study is that mathematics is infinite and therefore they are many different ways of working. We did not find such large differences in pre-schools teachers' way of working with mathematics outdoor. We also came to the conclusion that nature is as a support tool to develop the interest in mathematics with more space for learning. At the end of our essay we want to point out that the theories helped us to highlight preschool teachers interview answers to more clearly linked to previous research and our observations


We investigated the effects of composite electrospun polyurethane (PU)/loess powder (LP) fibers for absorption of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air. PU films containing different amounts of LP (0, 10, 30, and 50 wt% LP with respect to PU) nanoparticles (NPs) were analyzed using FE-SEM, FTIR, and XRD experimental analyzers. Electron microscopy and spectroscopy indicated that the proper content of LP NPs is homogeneous dispersion in a polymer matrix. In addition, 50 wt% of LP results in a higher concentration spinning nanosuspension that leads to some agglomeration on the film surface. The chloroform, benzene, and toluene (VOCs) absorption capacity of PU/LP composite films showed a trend of toluene > benzene > chloroform. The highest VOC absorption capacity was found with PU composite mats containing 30 wt% LP NPs. The high VOC absorption capacity of PU/LP composite films can be used to remove VOCs from a new house or car.


Case-based reasoning (CBR) solves new problems by retrieving records of similar past problem solving episodes and adapting the prior solutions to t the current situation. While the retrieval phase of CBR has been explored with success by past models, developing e ective algorithms for automated adaptation remains an open problem. The central hypothesis of this research is that e ective case adaptation knowledge can be learned and reapplied automatically by applying CBR to the adaptation process. In this model, adaptation knowledge is learned by storing the results of successful adaptations to be reused in solving similar future problems. If there is no relevant adaptation knowledge to reuse, general rule-based methods of adaptation are used to build the adaptation case base. These methods model the search for needed information as a planful process whose strategies can be captured and reused by case-based reasoning when similar situations are encountered in the future. In addition, as adaptation knowledge is acquired, methods for evaluating the similarity of past cases are re ned to re ect the adaptability of a prior case to the new situation. This model is implemented in the DIAL system, a case-based planner in the domain of disaster response planning. DIAL analyzes new disaster situations and proposes response plans to address the problems arising from the disaster. In this research, two criteria are used to evaluate adaptation learning in the DIAL system: the eÆciency of the solution process and the usefulness of its results. The eÆciency of the solution process is examined through statistical evaluation of empirical results. Usefulness is de ned as the system's ability to generate acceptable solutions. Through analysis of the results, the utility of this approach is measured and the contribution of the model is judged.


The study was set to explore the extent to which job satisfaction influences labour turnover in LGAs in Tanzania. It used a cross sectional survey research design.
Stratified sampling procedure with simple random sampling and purposive sampling were used in sample selection. Data was collected using questionnaire. A closed ended questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Descriptive statistical analysis, correlation analysis, factor analysis and multiple regressions analysis
included in the analysis of data. Results indicate that, high percentage of job satisfaction and labour turnover in LGAs is explained by financial and non-financial
rewards (R2 = .730, P<.01). Financial rewards and non-financial rewards have significant influence on job satisfaction and labour turnover (β =.439, P < .01), (β =
.447, P < .01) respectively. When compared, non-financial rewards (β = .447, p < .01) are more influential on labour turnover than financial rewards(β =.439, P <.01).Results also indicate that, context specific factors have significant influence on job satisfaction and labour turnover (β = .365, p < .01).Generally, the results show that job satisfaction have significant relationship with labour turnover in LGAs in Tanzania (R2 = .6496, p < 0.01). The study recommends an increase of financial and
non-financial rewards in LGAs for the sake of containing employees. In collaboration with development partners, the government may set priorities and specific strategies
for improving employees living and working conditions. Further studies may be conducted on context specific factors as they play a significant role in labour turnover.


Often in the literature, stochastic dynamical systems are approximated by moment closure techniques, closure in second moment being common practice. This refers to truncating the statistics generated by time varying probability density functions which evolve under the action of the trajectory-level dynamics. Although it is known that such moment closure approximations may lead to incorrect inferences, explicit examples at the dynamical systems level, are rare in the literature. In this paper, using optimal transport theory, we construct two dynamical systems such that starting from the same initial condition ensemble, their first two moments match at all times, but the underlying probability densities do not. This example serves as a motivation to consider the entire joint probability density function, as opposed to first few moments, for approximating stochastic systems in general, and stochastic jump linear systems in particular.


Of the four language macro language skills, writing is considered the hardest to master (Berowa, 2017). For ESL (English as Second Language) users, writing needs a good command of the target language and strategic rhetorical techniques like the use of cohesive devices (Hyland, 2003). Using Halliday and Hasan's (1976) cohesion taxonomy, 15 research introductions from Senior High School students were investigated using a mixed-method approach. This study identified the grammatical cohesive devices (GCDs) found in the research introductions its implications to the students' challenges in establishing and maintaining cohesion in their writing. Results revealed that reference, conjunction, and substitution devices appeared in the analysis of the corpus, but reference devices comprised the majority of the GCDs. The excerpts taken from the corpus and the rigid content analysis found traces of overusing it by using certain devices repeatedly, misusing it because of the wrong application of certain cohesive devices, and underusing as when needed, these GCDs are not present in the sentence. This inappropriate use of devices can reduce the quality of students' writing. Hence, further research is needed to identify the best teaching practices to improve students' cohesion in writing Keywords: cohesion, grammatical cohesive devices, research introductions, writing, challenges


Comparative study of the ability of three diphenols (pyrocathechol, resorcinol and hydroquinone) to inhibit the mutagenic activity of benzo(a)pyrene was carried out using the test for micronuclei account in mice polychromatic erythrocytes. It was suggested that the antimutagenic activity of diphenols used is mostly due to isomeric effect, i.e. the position of hydroxy-groups in molecules of diphenols.


The Internet boom of the last half of the 1990s seemed to herald the arrival of a "New Economy" with its promise that, after the stagnation of the early 1990s, innovation in information and communication technologies (ICT) would regenerate economic prosperity. The subsequent collapse of the Internet boom at the beginning of the 2000s called into question the New Economy's ability to deliver on this promise - and even raised questions about whether there had really been anything "new" about the economy of the late 1990s after all. Perhaps the journalist John Cassidy (2002) was correct to entitle his well-documented book on the Internet boom "dot.com: the greatest story ever sold". If the "New Economy" was just all smoke and mirrors, one would expect that, once the debris left behind by the storm of speculation and corruption had been cleared away, economic life would return to what it had been before the boom took place.


Online homework assignments have been shown to enhance student performance. Our research on gendered responses to these assignments adds new and useful information. We investigated differences between male and female students' responses to online homework in large-enrollment general chemistry courses. Replacing in class quizzes with online homework assignments significantly improved general chemistry success rates for both sexes—however, male students' average success rate improvement was double that of female students'. Therefore, online homework use decreased the female–male achievement gap, previously in favor of female students, to a difference that was no longer significant. Males self-reported less effective study habits than females; thus, we hypothesize that online homework might encourage more effective study habits for male students. However, in spite of greater performance gains for male students, females self-reported more positive views toward online homework use than males. Therefore, females might benefit from online homework's positive impact on their confidence in understanding the material. In addition to improving student performance, online homework also appeared to enhance student retention in the course. Overall, online homework provides a time and cost effective means to enhance pedagogy in large classes for both male and female students.


The 14 SNC meteorites are all igneous rocks, either basalts or basaltic cumulates. They are inferred to be from Mars, based on direct comparison with Martian materials and on consistency with inferences about Mars. Most telling is that the SNC meteorites contain traces of gas which is very similar in elemental and isotopic compositions to the modern Martian atmosphere as measured by Viking landers on Mars and spectroscopy from Earth. The Martian atmosphere appears to have a unique composition in the solar system, so its presence in the SNCs is accepted as strong direct evidence that they formed on Mars. Independent of this link, the SNC meteorites must be from a planet with a signi cant atmosphere because they contain several abundant gas components, one of which carries large isotopic fractionations characteristic of atmospheric processing. Further, the elemental compositions and oxidation state of the SNC meteorites are consistent with data from in situ analyses of Martian soils and rocks, and are quite distinct from compositions of other meteorites, rocks from the Earth, and rocks from the Moon. The range of formation ages for the SNC meteorites, 4.5–0:18 Ga, is consistent with the varied ages of the Martian surface (based on its cratering record) and inconsistent with surface ages on any other solar system body. The extreme chemical fractionations in the SNC meteorites suggest complex internal processes on a large planet, which is inconsistent with an asteroidal origin. Some SNCs were altered by aqueous solutions at ¡ 0:7 Ga, consistent with the recent presence of liquid groundwater in Mars inferred independently from the geology of its surface. There seems little likelihood that the SNCs are not from Mars. If they were from another planetary body, it would have to be substantially identical to Mars as it now is understood. c © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.


There are three different species of redfish (Sebastes spp.) in the waters of the Flemish Cap (Division 3M, NAFO Regulatory Area): S. fasciatus, S. mentella, and S. norvegicus. Historically, S. fasciatus and S. mentella have been managed together as a single stock because of similar biology and difficulty in species identification. Here we use multivariate autoregressive state-space models to examine the abundance trajectories of the three species and to determine whether they can be treated as a single stock for management purposes or whether they should be treaty separately. We also included covariates to evaluate relationships with climate, commercial catch, and the abundance of predators and (or) competitors and prey. We did two separate analyses: (i) a single-period analysis over the full time series and (ii) a blocked, two-period analysis over different regulatory periods. In both analyses, the best-fit model included separate trajectories for each species at each depth but one overall stock growth rate; both also included commercial catches as a covariate. These analyses suggest that a single assessment for the Sebastes complex is acceptable.


Introduction With the focus of SRE mainly unwanted pregnancies and STIs, due to the growing statistics, is that enough to educate and empower young people (YP) to help reduce them, or should we focus on the positives, like sexual pleasure and what sex actually is, to really engage young people and motivate behaviour change? In 2014, while working for a sexual health charity in West London, a College student approached the mobile sexual health clinic that I partnered with to encourage young people to STI test. He concluded that SRE was too 'negative' and just about STIs and unwanted pregnancies and so I invited him to help me develop a resource that makes SRE more 'positive'. Preceding that incident, 'Talking to Young People about sexual pleasure' training facilitated by Sussex University Researcher, Ester McGeeney (EM), was attended. Methods In partnership with the student and EM, we put together a questionnaire to gather qualitative research to find out what YP want from SRE and what they understood about good and bed sex. From July 2014 – Dec 2015, 297 young people (148 females, 148 males, 2 unknown) were interviewed anonymously at 14 locations (6 × YP Hostels; 4 × Youth Centres; 2 × YP Charities; 3 × Colleges) with the majority of those YP residing in West London (60%; 25% from South; 2% from North; 5% from East London and 8% unknown). The majority of the participants were BME (56% Black; 5% Asian; 23% Other) with 12% from a White background and 4% unknown. Results The top 4 topics that the YP wanted to know about, are already on the curriculum – Relationships (13%); Safe sex, condom use & negotiation (12%); STIs (12%); Being ready for sex/Consent (10%). However, the topics of Pleasure (7%) and the act of sex (8%) weren't far behind. The top 6 answers on what the YP understood what good sex was included Pleasure/Satisfaction (23%); Having a connexion (13%); Feeling/Being in Love (11%), Safe sex (10%); Mutual Feelings (9%); Passionate (8%). The top 5 answers on what YP understood what bad sex was, included Rape (18%), Mechanical/No feelings/Just for pleasure (15%); Unsatisfying/Incompatible/Disappointing (14%); Too quick/Premature Ejaculation (11%); Unprotected sex. Discussion This shows that if YP know that good sex is about pleasure and having a connexion with someone, and bad sex involves no consent, no pleasure and no feelings, then surely we need to be adding more about sexual pleasure and how this relates to healthy relationships and consenting to sex, to SRE?


We investigated the biomaterial interface between the bacteria Escherichia coli DH5α and silicon nanowire patterned surfaces. We optimised the engineering of silicon nanowire coated surfaces using metal-assisted chemical etching. Using a combination of focussed ion beam scanning electron microscopy, and cell viability and transformation assays, we found that with increasing interfacing force, cell viability decreases, as a result of increasing cell rupture. However, despite this aggressive interfacing regime, a proportion of the bacterial cell population remains viable. We found that the silicon nanowires neither resulted in complete loss of cell viability nor partial membrane disruption and corresponding DNA plasmid transformation. Critically, assay choice was observed to be important, as a reduction-based metabolic reagent was found to yield false-positive results on the silicon nanowire substrate. We discuss the implications of these results for the future design and assessment of bacteria–nanostructure interfacing experiments.


Aim:
 Altered renal afferent nerve responsiveness contributes to hypertension in the Spontaneously Hypertensive rat. We hypothesized that increased salt-intake differentially impacts the renal afferent nerve sensitivity in salt-resistant vs salt-sensitive rats.

 Methods:
 Groups of naïve Sprague-Dawley (SD), Dahl Salt-Resistant (DSR), Dahl Salt-Sensitive (DSS) or SD rats receiving a s.c. norepinephrine (NE:600ng/min) infusion were fed a 0.4% (NS) or 8% NaCl (HS) diet for 14 (SD) or 21 days (DSR & DSS). Following HS intake MAP and plasma NE content were determined. Via a renal pelvis preparation afferent nerve activity was assessed as NE-evoked (6250 pmol) substance P (SP) release (N=5/gp).

 Results:
 Salt-resistant phenotypes (SD & DSR) remain normotensive and exhibit HS-evoked suppression of plasma NE and increased renal afferent nerve release of substance P. In contrast in salt-sensitive phenotypes (DSS and NE infused SD) a high salt diet evoked hypertension, increased plasma NE and abolished sodium evoked increased responsiveness of the renal afferent release of substance P.

 Significance symbols:
 *p<0.05 vs. resp. NS gp; τ p<0.05 vs. resp. SD Naïve gp. value.

 Conclusion:
 These data support a role of the afferent renal nerves in blood pressure regulation during high salt-intake. Increased responsiveness of the renal afferent nerves contributes to the maintenance of normotension in a salt-resistant rat phenotype. Conversely, our data suggest that in salt-sensitive phenotypes excess release of NE triggers impaired activation of the renal afferent nerves, a factor we postulate contributes to the development of salt-sensitive hypertension.


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFD) includes urinary incontinence (UI), fecal incontinence (FI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). These disorders affect up to one in four women and deleteriously impact physical and psychosocial health. Multi-center randomized clinical trials on PFDs allow us to provide evidence-based care. Alarmingly, the demographics of several clinical trials in oncology disproportionately reflect the racial/ethnic distribution of the population affected. The objective of this study was to investigate the racial/ethnic distribution in key PFD clinical trials compared to the national population, while considering racial/ethnic differences in PFD in the literature. METHODS: Demographic data was collected from major PFD trials. The national racial composition was obtained from the US Census Bureau. Prevalence of PFD by race/ethnicity was obtained from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Percentage representation in PFD trials that was less than the US census percentage of that demographic group was considered underrepresentation. RESULTS: Compared to national census data underrepresentation was demonstrated in Asians across all PFD sub groups, except for one trial in fecal incontinence. In contrast, White women were overrepresented in every PFD subgroup. Hispanics were underrepresented or not even included as a unique group in at least half of the trials in urgency UI, POP, and FI. Black women were underrepresented compared to US census data in SUI and POP studies, which is consistent with lower prevalence of these PFDs in this racial/ethnic group. NHANES also demonstrates the weighted prevalence rate for POP is highest in Hispanics 5.3 (41, 6.8), and for FI and UI is highest in Whites 10.2 (9.1, 11.3) and 18.2 (16.7, 20.0) respectively. See Table. CONCLUSIONS: The invaluable body of literature that has advanced the management of PFDs also demonstrates underrepresentation of certain minority groups, most evidently Asian Americans. Our study suggests that PFD research would benefit from targeted sampling of minority groups. Understanding nuances across demographic groups may be helpful in improving quality of life for all women. Table. No title available. Source of Funding: None


While the action observation and mentalizing networks are considered to play complementary roles in understanding others' goals and intentions, they might be concurrently engaged when processing social interactions. We assessed this hypothesis via three activation‐likelihood‐estimation meta‐analyses of neuroimaging studies on the neural processing of: (a) social interactions, (b) individual actions by the action observation network, and (c) mental states by the mentalizing network. Conjunction analyses and direct comparisons unveiled overlapping and specific regions among the resulting maps. We report quantitative meta‐analytic evidence for a "social interaction network" including key nodes of the action observation and mentalizing networks. An action–social interaction‐mentalizing gradient of activity along the posterior temporal cortex highlighted a hierarchical processing of interactions, from visuomotor analyses decoding individual and shared intentions to in‐depth inferences on actors' intentional states. The medial prefrontal cortex, possibly in conjunction with the amygdala, might provide additional information concerning the affective valence of the interaction. This evidence suggests that the functional architecture underlying the neural processing of interactions involves the joint involvement of the action observation and mentalizing networks. These data might inform the design of rehabilitative treatments for social cognition disorders in pathological conditions, and the assessment of their outcome in randomized controlled trials.


Probing Local Heterogeneity in the Optoelectronic Properties of Organic-Inorganic Perovskites Using Fluorescence Microscopy Dane W. De Quilettes Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor David S. Ginger Department of Chemistry Unregulated emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases into our atmosphere has led to an increase in the average global surface air temperature, to a disruption of weather patterns, and to the acidification of oceans all of which threaten the continued prosperity of our race and our planet. The transition to renewable sources of energy is therefore one of, if not the most, important challenge that the 21 century faces. Solar energy is predicted to play a major role in global energy production in the coming century, as the amount of energy hitting the earth's surface is far greater than the energy demands of industrialized human activity. Many current photovoltaic technologies show promise in contributing to a large fraction of global energy production, but in order to reach terawatt-scale production the photovoltaic modules will need to be scalable, cheap, and efficient. Perovskite-based photovoltaics hold exceptional potential in contributing to solar energy production. Thus far, the unprecedented rise in power conversion efficiencies over the past few years can be primarily attributed to improvements in film processing and device engineering. Although effective, the fundamental photophysical processes that govern charge generation, transport, recombination, and collection in these materials is still in its infancy. Historically in semiconductor technologies, this understanding has been essential in the rational design of optimized materials. This knowledge appears to be even more critical as perovskite thin films are polycrystalline on the microscale, which suggests that the local structure may determine the optoelectronic quality and device performance on a similar length scale. Prior to these studies, much of the field had focused on bulk spectroscopic measurements to characterize the semiconducting properties of hybrid perovskite thin films. From our contributions as well as many others, microscopy has now given us a window into how this bulk behavior is composed of an ensemble of spatially varying structure and composition, which controls carrier transport and dynamics on the way to carrier extraction and power generation. This understanding has led to some exciting new discoveries on the rational design of materials and is leveraged to deploy chemical passivation techniques to improve the optoelectronic quality of the material, with the ultimate goal of improving photovoltaic power conversion efficiency. Reducing non-radiative recombination in semiconducting materials is a prerequisite for achieving the highest performance in a host of light-emitting and photovoltaic applications. In the first study described herein, we used confocal fluorescence microscopy correlated with scanning electron microscopy to spatially resolve the photoluminescence (PL) decay dynamics from films of nonstoichiometric organicinorganic perovskites, CH3NH3PbI3(Cl). The PL intensities and lifetimes varied between different grains in the same film, even for films that exhibited long bulk lifetimes. The grain boundaries were dimmer and exhibited faster non-radiative decay. Energydispersive x-ray spectroscopy showed a positive correlation between chlorine concentration and regions of brighter PL, while PL imaging revealed that chemical treatment with pyridine could activate previously dark grains. Next, to better elucidate the sources of these loss pathways, we performed a systematic study using confocal and widefield fluorescence microscopy to deconvolve the contributions from diffusion and non-radiative recombination which lead to the observed image heterogeneity. We showed that, in addition to local variations in non-radiative loss, carriers diffuse anisotropically due to heterogeneous intergrain connectivity. In addition to non-radiative recombination impeding material performance, we also showed that the materials exhibit a range of complex dynamic phenomena under illumination. We used a unique combination of confocal PL microscopy and chemical imaging to correlate the local changes in photophysics with composition in CH3NH3PbI3 films under illumination. We demonstrated that the photo-induced "brightening" of the perovskite PL can be attributed to an order-of-magnitude reduction in trap state density. By imaging the same regions with time-of-flight secondary-ion-mass spectrometry (ToFSIMS), we correlated this photobrightening with a net migration of iodine. This work provides visual evidence for photo-induced halide migration in triiodide perovskites and reveals the complex interplay between charge carrier populations, electronic traps, and mobile halides, which collectively impact optoelectronic performance. Next, we studied the effects of a series of post-deposition ligand treatments on the PL of polycrystalline methylammonium lead triiodide perovskite thin films. We showed that a variety of Lewis bases can improve the bulk PL quantum efficiency (PLQE) and extend the average PL lifetime <τ>, with large enhancements concentrated at grain boundaries. Notably, we demonstrated thin film PLQE as high as 35 ± 1% and <τ> as long as 8.82 ± 0.03 μs, at solar equivalent carrier densities using tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) treated films. Using glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, we showed that the ligands are incorporated primarily at the film surface and are acting as electron donors. These results indicate it is possible to obtain thin film PL lifetime and PLQE values that are comparable to those from single crystals by control over surface chemistry. Finally, we further characterized these TOPO treated films to show, with respect to material bandgap, these passivated films could demonstrate quasi-Fermi level splittings comparable to the highest performing GaAs solar cells, reaching 96% of the ShockleyQueisser limit. Importantly, we reported internal photoluminescence quantum efficiency values of 92% under one sun illumination intensity, which are the highest values achieved to date. These results suggest that the material optoelectronic quality has been nearly optimized and further increases in voltage and device efficiency will be obtained by integrating these types of surface passivation schemes into charge carrier selective interfaces.


High-intensity discharge lamps can be driven by radio-frequency signals in the ISM frequency band at 2.45 GHz, using a matching network to transform the impedance of the plasma to the source impedance. To achieve an optimal operating condition, a good characterization of the lamp in terms of radio frequency equivalent circuits under operating conditions is necessary, enabling the design of an efficient matching network. This paper presents the characterization technique for such lamps and presents the design of the required matching network. For the characterization, a high-intensity discharge lamp was driven by a monofrequent large signal at 2.45 GHz, whereas a frequency sweep over 300 MHz was performed across this signal to measure so-called small-signal hot S-parameters using a vector network analyzer. These parameters are then used as an equivalent load in a circuit simulator to design an appropriate matching network. Using the measured data as a black-box model in the simulation results in a quick and efficient method to simulate and design efficient matching networks in spite of the complex plasma behavior. Furthermore, photometric analysis of high-intensity discharge lamps are carried out, comparing microwave operation to conventional operation.


The transplantation of organs and tissues between animal species, or xenotransplantation, is the focus of a growing field of research, owing primarily to the increasing shortage of allogeneic donor organs. The pig stands out as the most suitable donor animal for humans; however, xenografts (e.g. pig organs) used for human transplantation are normally destroyed by the host within minutes by hyperacute xenograft rejection. An improved understanding of the immune recognition and rejection of xenografts has resulted in new therapies that can partially overcome hyperacute rejection (HAR), delayed xenograft rejection (DXR) or acute vascular xenograft rejection. Strategies to diminish immunogenicity following xenotransplantation can be divided into two approaches: those directed at the recipient (e.g. antibodies or complement depletion or inhibition and tolerance induction) and those directed at the donor (e.g. transgenic modifications to express human complement-regulatory proteins or removal or displacement of alphaGal epitopes). DXR is likely to be controlled by transgenic inhibition of endothelial cell activation (e.g. inhibition of NF-kappaB). Transgenic pigs required for xenotransplantation will soon be generated at a greater efficiency and precision using nuclear transfer and cloning when compared to pronuclear injection. Of greater significance is that nuclear transfer offers the ability to target gene insertion selectively to specific gene loci and to delete specific genes in the pig. Experimental pig-to-primate organ xenotransplantation is currently under way, and results show increased transplant function from minutes to days and weeks. The final therapeutic regimen that allows survival of a discordant xenograft is likely to involve a combination of 'modified' functional genes in the donor organ, the development of immunological tolerance to pig antigens and administration of novel therapeutic agents, including immunosuppressants, that can control natural killer (NK) cell and monocyte mediated responses.


It has long been established that inflammation and immunity play critical roles in the pathogenesis, control and eventual metastasis of cancers. With the advent of more sophisticated animal models and immunohistochemical techniques a greater understanding of the immune system and its interactions has occurred. Individual immune cells are dynamic structures that have variable behaviour controlled by complex interactions in the tumour microenvironment. In the setting of colorectal cancer it was first observed that peritumoral inflammatory infiltrates were associated with improved prognosis. Immunohistochemistry has shown the individual cells types within these infiltrates. It now appears that an adaptive immune response, differentiated along the T‐helper 1 pathway controls tumour invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, the immune system exerts selection pressure leading to the evolution of tumour cell variants that can induce tolerance and disable adaptive immunity. These tumour cells then use the mechanisms of innate immunity to facilitate further growth, angiogenesis, invasion and eventual metastasis. These issues are investigated with particular relevance to colorectal cancer. Using the immune response to defeat CRC has been under intense investigation but has so far been unsuccessful. Nevertheless, researchers remain optimistic that immunotherapy will play an important role in the treatment of this common disease.


The effects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in correctional settings, especially with male inmates, have not been extensively researched within the correctional literature. I sought to add to the existing literature by examining the effects of a modified DBT program on the coping skills of male inmates in the Oregon Department of Corrections. It was hypothesized that participants would show increases in task-oriented coping and decreases in emotionand avoidance-oriented coping over time as they progressed through treatment. A total of 66 male inmates who were participating in DBT groups from two Oregon prisons completed a coping skills measure at various stages of treatment. Participants completed surveys on one, two, or three separate occasions, depending on their length of time in the group. Participants who completed surveys on three occasions showed significant improvements in task-oriented coping scores. Although there was a trend toward improvements in emotion-oriented coping, no other significant results were found. Implications of the study and for future research are discussed.


ABSTRACT Does foreign direct investment (FDI) lead to higher growth? What type of FDI really works? In this paper, we disaggregate FDIs based on their technological characteristics and investigate which kind of FDI leads to output growth. The results for the sample of OECD countries during the period 1985–2012 indicate that FDI inflows to Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) using and producing manufacturing and service sectors (ICT-based), non-ICT using and producing manufacturing and service sectors (non-ICT-based) and other sectors (non-ICT-other) play no role in contributing to economic growth. However, we provide evidence that absorptive capacities of host countries work through ICT-based FDI inflows. Only if the host countries have sufficient level of human capital, financial resources and technological infrastructure, ICT-based FDI will foster economic growth. The results are robust to controlling missing values, studying the subsample of emerging market economies and consideration of endogeneity.


Classical models describe primary visual cortex (V1) as a filter bank of orientation-selective linear-nonlinear (LN) or energy models, but these models fail to predict neural responses to natural stimuli accurately. Recent work shows that models based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) lead to much more accurate predictions, but it remains unclear which features are extracted by V1 neurons beyond orientation selectivity and phase invariance. Here we work towards systematically studying V1 computations by categorizing neurons into groups that perform similar computations. We present a framework to identify common features independent of individual neurons' orientation selectivity by using a rotation-equivariant convolutional neural network, which automatically extracts every feature at multiple different orientations. We fit this model to responses of a population of 6000 neurons to natural images recorded in mouse primary visual cortex using two-photon imaging. We show that our rotation-equivariant network not only outperforms a regular CNN with the same number of feature maps, but also reveals a number of common features shared by many V1 neurons, which deviate from the typical textbook idea of V1 as a bank of Gabor filters. Our findings are a first step towards a powerful new tool to study the nonlinear computations in V1.


PURPOSE
To assess quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) in the depiction of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) by using 3-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study was HIPAA compliant and institutional review board approved. Ten healthy subjects (five men, five women; mean age, 24 years ± 3 [standard deviation]; age range, 21-33 years) and eight patients with Parkinson disease (five men, three women; mean age, 57 years ± 14; age range, 25-69 years) who were referred by neurologists for preoperative navigation MR imaging prior to deep brain stimulator placement were included in this study. T2-weighted (T2w), T2*-weighted (T2*w), R2* mapping (R2*), phase, susceptibility-weighted (SW), and QSM images were reconstructed for STN depiction. Qualitative visualization scores of STN and internal globus pallidus (GPi) were recorded by two neuroradiologists on all images. Contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of the STN and GPi were also measured. Measurement differences were assessed by using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and the signed rank test.

RESULTS
Qualitative scores were significantly higher on QSM images than on T2w, T2*w, R2*, phase, or SW images (P < .05) for STN and GPi visualization. Median CNR was 6.4 and 10.7 times higher on QSM images than on T2w images for differentiation of STN from the zona incerta and substantia nigra, respectively, and was 22.7 and 9.1 times higher on QSM images than on T2w images for differentiation of GPi from the internal capsule and external globus pallidus, respectively. CNR differences between QSM images and all other images were significant (P < .01).

CONCLUSION
QSM at 3-T MR imaging performs significantly better than current standard-of-care sequences in the depiction of the STN.


Load balancing among multi-cells in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks with heterogeneous services is investigated. It is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem, the objectives of which are load balancing index of services with QoS requirements and network utility of other services. The constraints are physical resource limits and QoS demands. Then the property and complexity of the problem are analyzed, and sequential optimization method is employed to solve it. After that, a practical algorithm for load balancing is developed which includes QoS-guaranteed hybrid scheduling, handover of users with and without QoS requirements, and call admission control. Simulation is made extensively and the results show that the proposed load balancing algorithm can significantly enhance the performance of LTE networks with heterogeneous services, decreasing call block probability of users with QoS requirements, and increasing throughput of boundary users with only a bit degradation of total throughput.


The Agilent QuickProbe gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer (QP-GCMS) is a rapid analytical instrument requiring minimal sample preparation. The instrument was considered for the screening of samples for potential implementation at New Zealand's border screening laboratory. One of the project's primary aims was to validate the method for the analysis of border seizures, including drug concealments, novel psychoactive substances (NPS), low-dose drugs and unknown substances. For the application to be useful beyond the capabilities of current handheld point-of-contact (POC) devices, the initial evaluation has included the analysis of a large variety of compounds in a large variety of matrices. These data will be reported separately. However, during the evaluation, several chromatographical challenges were encountered during the analysis of amphetamine-type substances (ATS). As such, the QP-GCMS required some troubleshooting and method development to improve resolution for this class of compounds.


We have investigated the cellular pathology of the syndrome called thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia (TRMA) with diabetes and deafness. Cultured diploid fibroblasts were grown in thiamine-free medium and dialyzed serum. Normal fibroblasts survived indefinitely without supplemental thiamine, whereas patient cells died in 5-14 days (mean 9.5 days), and heterozygous cells survived for more than 30 days. TRMA fibroblasts were rescued from death with 10-30 nM thiamine (in the range of normal plasma thiamine concentrations). Positive terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining suggested that cell death was due to apoptosis. We assessed cellular uptake of [3H]thiamine at submicromolar concentrations. Normal fibroblasts exhibited saturable, high-affinity thiamine uptake (Km 400-550 nM; Vmax 11 pmol/min/10(6) cells) in addition to a low-affinity unsaturable component. Mutant cells lacked detectable high-affinity uptake. At 30 nM thiamine, the rate of uptake of thiamine by TRMA fibroblasts was 10-fold less than that of wild-type, and cells from obligate heterozygotes had an intermediate phenotype. Transfection of TRMA fibroblasts with the yeast thiamine transporter gene THI10 prevented cell death when cells were grown in the absence of supplemental thiamine. We therefore propose that the primary abnormality in TRMA is absence of a high-affinity thiamine transporter and that low intracellular thiamine concentrations in the mutant cells cause biochemical abnormalities that lead to apoptotic cell death.


White blood cells are a routine haematological parameter for the assessment of tissue damage, infection and many inflammatory conditions. Aim : To assess the association of total leucocyte count (TLC) with obesity in the patients of Metabolic Syndrome. Method : Waist circumference, as a criteria for obesity was used to compare the total leucocyte count in 30 controls and 30 patients aged 20 – 60 years. TLC was determined using automated Coulter (Diatron) by venepuncture . Results: In comparison with the controls, TLC was higher in patients and statistically significant difference (p<0.0001) was observed between the two groups. Conclusion: This finding could be attributed to proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL- 6) released from adipose cells, insulin resistance mediated increase in inflammatory markers, decrease in adiponectin and increase in leptin. Thus, TLC in obese patients of Metabolic syndrome can be used as a predictor for future complications in them.


This study deals with the characterizing and the application like as insulation materials in the joint part in concrete surface layer and waterproofing sheet especially for roof slabs. Using the steel materials and butil-rubber tape to band waterproofing sheet and concrete surface together before this waterproofing system will be applied. That cause to maximize the performance of safety of this system. Also, It can be expected to both the durability and the watertightness by coating poly-urethane 2 or 3 times with sheet surface. Therefore this waterproofing system can be possible to protect water without the damage when vapor is going out from concrete and without air pockets because of the difference temperature inside and out. This system particularly consists of air bents and elastic waterproofing sheet considering the physical damage while water can cause purely physical damage. This system is one of the most efficient ways of waterproofing system without air pocket.