[Introduction]. The welfare state represents one of the major integrative arrangements of modern democracies. It has an important impact on the redistribution of wealth and the structure of inequality. In some respects, the welfare state helped to heal social divisions or at least to mitigate social inequalities; not only in terms of material inequalities, but also in ideological and political terms. Although essential for the idea of the welfare state the society-wide support for such redistributive efforts cannot be taken for granted. Older collectivist thinkers of welfare were less concerned with these kind of problems. Marshall (1965, p. 97), for example, saw a "growing measure of agreement on fundamentals" with regard to the provision of services and the willingness of the citizens to contribute. Many of those on the Left but also New Liberals had a great faith in human public-spiritedness and the mobilisation of altruistic motivations. In the Beveridge plan one can find an expression of the self-esteem of that time: "The capacity and desire of the British people to contribute for security are among the most certain and impressive social facts" (Cmnd 6404, 1942, p. 119). Since the comfortable mixture of economic growth and welfare state expansion has come to an end the welfare state has been subjected to a crisis discussion. Its integrative capacity and its ability to compromise different class interests have been doubted. It was assumed that pro-welfare-state orientations thrive under conditions of a prospering welfare state, whereas they "tend to decompose under zero-sum conditions" (Offe 1987, p. 530). Many commentators saw the end of the 'welfare consensus' and the rise of individualist and anti-collectivist ideologies which would turn against social protection and state intervention. It was assumed that the higher status groups will express their anti-welfare sentiments within the political arena, whereas the welfare beneficiaries of the lower status sections of the society might be the defenders of the welfare state. In this regard, it was widely assumed that people will support social institutions if they derive benefits from them. The "beneficial involvement" of social groups was seen as the crucial factor for the public standing of the welfare institutions. Special attention was given to the middle classes: "The idea here is that if the middle classes benefit from programmes, then they will not use their not inconsiderable political skills to obtain more resources for those programmes or to defend them in periods of decline" (Goodin/LeGrand 1987, p. 210). This paper sets out a comparative frame which charts the attitudinal stances towards the welfare state in Great Britain and Germany with a special focus on group differences. Following the argument made before, the institutional architecture is viewed as a decisive component which conditions the self-interest motives of the population. But moreover, it carries ideological and ideational notions which influence likewise the orientations of the general public. The institutionalised values and norms must appeal to the sense of justice and adequacy of a large number of citizens. The social security institutions depend on a 'normative soundness' which gives reason to participate and to contribute beyond pure self-interest, because of the "burden of discomfort which is a necessary part of any policy" (Ringen 1987, p. 50).


The design studio is the heart of architectural education where most schools of architecture devote 30% to 50% of their curriculum to design training and teaching. The design studio is the kiln where future architects are moulded and the main forum for creative exploration; interaction; and assimilation. However; theorists; academics; and researchers voiced the opinion that most design studio teaching continues to provide students with little understanding of the value of design as a technique; a process; or a set of purposive procedures. This paper argues for a process oriented design pedagogy by outlining an assessment of traditional teaching practices and by introducing a model that advocates the view that the process and the product are equally valuable components of studio teaching. Constituted in two major categories of process and teaching style; the model addresses students' individual differences. The implementation of the model at KFUPM sophomore studio is reported together with examples of outcomes of students' work.


Automatic citation recommendation can be very useful for authoring a paper and is an AI-complete problem due to the challenge of bridging the semantic gap between citation context and the cited paper. It is not always easy for knowledgeable researchers to give an accurate citation context for a cited paper or to find the right paper to cite given context. To help with this problem, we propose a novel neural probabilistic model that jointly learns the semantic representations of citation contexts and cited papers. The probability of citing a paper given a citation context is estimated by training a multi-layer neural network. We implement and evaluate our model on the entire CiteSeer dataset, which at the time of this work consists of 10,760,318 citation contexts from 1,017,457 papers. We show that the proposed model significantly outperforms other state-of-the-art models in recall, MAP, MRR, and nDCG.


Abstract
This paper analyses the stalling of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and its systemic and institutional consequences through a geopolitical economy approach that integrates the French school of international economic relations and Regulation Theory. These approaches put states and their economic roles at the fore, correcting dominant free trade approaches to world trade. The paper also avoids monocausal explanations for trade talk deadlocks and aims to provide a comprehensive approach on the co-evolution of world trade patterns and its institutions. In this approach, the DDA stalemate is traced to an institution-structure mismatch in how states articulate their accumulation strategies and institutions (competition, state regulation, adhesion to international regime) to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regime occasioned by the emergence of new trade powers. This has given rise to three distinct conflicts in how member states navigate between the main parameters of the multilateral trading system (non-discrimination, reciprocity and balance of power) and their national accumulation strategies: the erosion of non-discrimination and reciprocity; the failure to build an operational compromise between development and 'globalization', that is, between multilateral openness and new trade and power balances; and the difficulty in reaching a compromise between historical and emerging capitalisms. The outcome of these conflicts will determine the institutional configuration of the post-Doha WTO agenda.


Riemann hypothesis stands proved in three different ways.To prove Riemann hypothesis from the functional equation concept of Delta function is introduced similar to Gamma and Pi function. Other two proofs are derived using Eulers formula and elementary algebra. Analytically continuing gamma and zeta function to an extended domain, poles and zeros of zeta values are redefined. Hodge conjecture, BSD conjecture are also proved using zeta values. Other prime conjectures like Goldbach conjecture, Twin prime conjecture etc.. are also proved in the light of new understanding of primes. Numbers are proved to be multidimensional as worked out by Hamilton. Logarithm of negative and complex numbers are redefined using extended number system. Factorial of negative and complex numbers are redefined using values of Delta function.


In the late 1950s, a wide-ranging debate erupted over the seemingly innocuous question of how transistors——the revolutionary new electronic devices——should be drawn. By forcing a break in the long-standing traditions of electronic drawing, transistors generated a crisis in the ontology of circuit diagrams, forcing a choice between representations that emphasized form and those that stressed function. This paper explores what was at stake in that mid-century debate over visual culture. It tracks one function-based symbol through concerns about auto-comprehension, visual communication, and electronic reliability to see how transistor symbols formed crucial sites for articulating the meanings of material devices and their relationship to the wider populations of electronic entities, especially vacuum tubes. In doing so, the article shifts the emphasis in the history of electronics from material to visual culture, recasting our understanding of postwar electronics as a history of drawings as well as devices.


ABSTRACT Recent times have seen much reflection on the nature of the Anglo-Scottish border region; its past, present and potential future. Political concerns have rightly absorbed much of the attention, but at the same time important light has been shed on the legacy of cultural engagements and forms of interaction that might be said to perform and produce this border over time and render it particularly distinctive. A soft, internal border, the territory considered in this article is one with an ancient feudal past and a heavily conserved, preserved and, in parts, still militarized present. It is predominantly rural and characterized by large swathes of forestry, agriculture, and moorland, all of which raise issues of aesthetic and environmental, as well as social and economic sustainability. The concern in the case studies presented in this article is how, through the relational and processual perspectives of border studies and cultural landscapes, we might comprehend the over layered and sedimented histories, the nature of identities, heritage and experience of place here. I consider too the ways in which recent forms of creative practice are contributing to a wider investigation of this region and re-conceptualizing the cultural significance of the border.


ABSTRACT The Castlegate Sandstone is part of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) Mesaverde Group, a clastic wedge that prograded eastward from the Sevier Orogen of central Utah across the Western Interior Basin. The unit comprises the lowstand part of a regional fourth-order stratigraphic sequence. Earlier studies showed that the Castlegate Sandstone was deposited by braided rivers that deepened downstream from Price to east of Green River. Outcrop mapping employing photomosaics to document facies architecture, bounding surfaces, and paleocurrent information has been used to reconstruct the geometry of bars (macroforms) and bar complexes in the Castlegate rivers. The most common bar types are those that accreted laterally and downstream relative to local channel orientation. Gradations between these end-member accretion geometries may be present within the same depositional element. In one case, curved accretion surfaces are concave in map view, with the concavity oriented in a downdip direction, suggesting an origin as a counterpoint bar. Such bars are rare in braided systems. Accretion directions are determined relative to local paleoflow and are the basis for classification of bars as downstream- or laterally-accreted types. However, local paleoflow may be oriented at a high angle to regional or total-outcrop mean flow direction, indicating locally high channel sinuosity. The results of this study indicate that megascopic heterogeneity in the Castlegate Sandstone has a lateral dimension in the order of 100 m. It is suggested that this might be a suitable length dimension for scaling of grid blocks in simulation models of petroleum production of other, similar sandy braided fluvial systems.


Gaming has become increasingly popular in the past few years, with many games originating in foreign countries bringing unfamiliar terms within them. With their global releases, a game would usually come with localized terms which are sometimes inaccurate and leave the players scratching their heads in confusion. This study examines the acceptability of translation containing fantasy and gaming terms in the translation of "Dungeons and Dragons" and identifies the difficulties which arose from the interpretation of the unfamiliar terms. The study used two theoretical frameworks to answer the research questions; the first one was Cortales' (2012) translation strategies, and the second was Nababan et al. (2012) acceptability assessment. The strategy employed aimed to observe the subject from several angles. The local translation from the narrator (Dungeon Master) was examined alongside the interpretation and their acceptability. The data was collected in three steps. The first one was recording and observing a session of gameplay of Dungeons and Dragons. The second step was to interview the player discussing their translation strategy as well as the results of their translation. The last step was to hand out a translation acceptability questionnaire to the players which they then filled out. The data collected was analyzed based on the theories and concluded to synthesize the overall research process.


Summary

1. This paper examines the distribution, habitat relationships, and potential for spread of non-native signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) in streams of the Truckee River catchment, California, U.S.A. Crayfish associations with natural features and with impoundments and flow alteration were examined in a survey of 33 streams. Abundance changes were followed over 5 years, which included some of the highest and lowest flows on record, in three streams, two unregulated and one regulated. Movement of marked crayfish was studied in one 0.5 km stream reach just upstream from a reservoir.

2. Signal crayfish were most abundant in low-gradient streams and were positively associated with proximity to reservoirs (both upstream and downstream). Crayfish were more likely to be found in regulated than unregulated sites, and did not occur in sites upstream of barriers, such as culverts, that separated them from reservoirs or lakes.

3. Crayfish declined in abundance in years following particularly intense and prolonged wet-season spates, leading to a negative association between crayfish abundance and both peak discharge and duration of bankfull flows.

4. Crayfish moved distances of up to 277 m, and at rates of up to 120 m day−1, suggesting significant dispersal ability. Larger crayfish moved greater distances and were more likely to move downstream. Female crayfish showed a pattern of upstream movement in early summer and downstream movement late in the summer, opposite the pattern found in two other studies.

5. These results suggest that natural or artificial gradient barriers and, in regulated systems, management of flow regimes to include bankfull or greater flows may help to control invasive crayfish in streams.


Besides sodium and potassium, manganese and iron were found in significant amounts. The results confirm that the base metal and silver transporting capability of some early magmatic fluids is considerable. Chloride complexes were the most favorable species for transporting silver and base metals. An electron probe in the energy dispersive mode was used to analyze the precipitates formed upon the decrepitation of fluid inclusions.--Modified journal abstract.


Background Most cases of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are asymptomatic in early stages, and the disease is typically diagnosed in advanced phases, resulting in very high mortality. Tools to identify individuals at high risk of developing PDAC would be useful to improve chances of early detection. Objective We generated a polygenic risk score (PRS) for PDAC risk prediction, combining the effect of known risk SNPs, and carried out an exploratory analysis of a multifactorial score. Methods We tested the associations of the individual known risk SNPs on up to 2851 PDAC cases and 4810 controls of European origin from the PANcreatic Disease ReseArch (PANDoRA) consortium. Thirty risk SNPs were included in a PRS, which was computed on the subset of subjects that had 100% call rate, consisting of 839 cases and 2040 controls in PANDoRA and 6420 cases and 4889 controls from the previously published Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium I–III and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium genome-wide association studies. Additional exploratory multifactorial scores were constructed by complementing the genetic score with smoking and diabetes. Results The scores were associated with increased PDAC risk and reached high statistical significance (OR=2.70, 95% CI 1.99 to 3.68, p=2.54×10−10 highest vs lowest quintile of the weighted PRS, and OR=14.37, 95% CI 5.57 to 37.09, p=3.64×10−8, highest vs lowest quintile of the weighted multifactorial score). Conclusion We found a highly significant association between a PRS and PDAC risk, which explains more than individual SNPs and is a step forward in the direction of the construction of a tool for risk stratification in the population.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Kidney stones lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with rare hereditary disorders (e.g., primary hyperoxaluria, cystinuria), but it is unknown whether kidney stones are an important risk factor for CKD in the general population.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
Among Olmsted County, MN, residents, all stone formers (n = 4774) whose condition was diagnosed in 1986 through 2003 were matched 1:3 to control subjects (n = 12,975). Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for age, gender, and comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, gout, alcohol abuse, tobacco use, coronary artery disease, heart failure, cerebral infarct, and peripheral vascular disease) were used to assess the risk for incident CKD defined as a clinical diagnosis (diagnostic codes), ESRD or death with CKD, sustained (>90 d) elevated serum creatinine (>1.3 mg/dl in men, >1.1 mg/dl in women), or sustained estimated GFR <60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2).

RESULTS
During a mean of 8.6 yr of follow-up, stone formers were at increased risk for a clinical diagnosis of CKD, but an increased risk for ESRD or death with CKD was NS. Among patients with follow-up serum creatinine levels, stone formers were at increased risk for a sustained elevated serum creatinine and a sustained reduced GFR.

CONCLUSIONS
Kidney stones are a risk factor for CKD, and studies are warranted to assess screening and preventive measures for CKD in stone formers.


This data release serves as an archive of sediment physical properties and grain-size data for surficial samples collected offshore of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia, for comparison with surficial estuarine and subaerial sedimentological samples collected and assessed following Hurricane Sandy (Ellis and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219); Smith and others, 2015 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151169); Bernier and others, 2016 (https://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/0999/)). The sediment samples were collected by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) office in Woods Hole, Massachusetts while aboard the motor vessel (M/V) Scarlett Isabella as part of a larger effort to map the inner continental shelf (Pendleton and others, 2016 (http://doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60)). Following field work, the sediment samples were shipped to the USGS Coastal and Marine Science Center in St. Petersburg, Florida, where they were renamed for consistency with a previously existing naming scheme and processed for bulk density, loss on ignition (LOI), and grain-size. The grain-size subsamples were processed on a Coulter LS200 particle-size analyzer for consistency regarding methods and output statistics with related data sets from Chincoteague Bay and Assateague Island. For more information regarding sample collection and site information or the related data sets, refer to USGS data release Pendleton and others, 2016 (http://dx.doi.org/10.5066/F7MW2F60); for more information regarding processing methods refer to USGS Open-File Report 2015–1219 (http://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20151219). Downloadable data are available as Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), comma-separated values text files (.csv), and formal Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) metadata.


In 60 patients affected by primary open angle glaucoma, in 30 patients with isolated ocular hypertension and in 30 healthy patients visual evoked potentials were studied. Amplitudes and latencies of P100 of the pattern reversal visually evoked potential were recorded and compared between the three groups. A new method is presented. A significant increase in VEP latency could only be demonstrated in the pathological groups. The reasons of these findings are discussed.


Chronic constipation is one of the most common digestive diseases frequently observed in a clinical setting. It has been known to cause considerable damage to the quality of life of patients. Despite recent developments, there are considerable limitations in the use of constipation-modulating agents in Korea. Chloride channel inhibitors, such as lubiprostone and linaclotide, have not been introduced in Korea yet, and prucalopride and several kinds of polyethylene glycol are not covered under medical insurance. This article assesses medicines that are clinically available for the management of constipation in Korea, with a brief review of agents that have recently developed around the world.


Hand-eye coordination involves four tasks: i) identification of the object to be manipulated, ii) ballistic arm motion to the vicinity of the object, iii) preshaping and alignment of the hand, and finally iv) manipulation or grasping of the object. Motivated by the operation of biological systems and utilizing some constraints for each of the above mentioned tasks, we are aiming at design of a robust, robotic hand-eye coordination system. Hand-eye coordination tasks we consider here are of the basic fetch-and-carry type useful for service robots operating in everyday environments. Objects to be manipulated are, for example, food items that are simple in shape (polyhedral, cylindrical) but with complex surface texture. To achieve the required robustness and flexibility, we integrate both geometric and appearance based information to solve the task at hand. We show how the research in human visuo-motor system can be facilitated to design a fully operational, visually guided object manipulation system.


This paper contains a critical review of design standards for motorway diverges in the UK over the last 40 years. These standards have been progressively updated at regular intervals and their evolving nature has been assessed. Most changes have been minor as a result of changes to traffic flow, driver behaviour or vehicle performance. A brief comparison has also been made between standards for diverges in the UK and those in other selected EU countries. This paper particularly focuses on the diverging flow-region diagram contained in the latest Government Standard TD22/92 'The Layout of Grade-Separated Junctions'. This diagram is used by traffic engineers as a tool in order to select the most appropriate diverge layout for a particular site. The historical background leading to its derivation is reviewed along with a discussion of comments made by five practicing traffic engineers as to its effectiveness and usage. These comments have been used along with other analysis to make recommendations as to how the diagram should be interpreted and how it could be improved.


Introduction. Current approaches to haplo-HSCT rely either on T-cell depletion to overcome the HLA disparity or on the administration of the lymphotoxic agent cyclophosphamide several days after stem cell infusion, with the goal of selectively depleting activated alloreactive lymphocytes in vivo. In both approaches, haplo-HSCT can be associated with prolonged immunodeficiency post-transplantation. Thus, effective approaches to hastening immune reconstitution following transplantation are needed. Zalmoxis¨ is an Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product based on somatic T-cells genetically modified to express the Herpes Simplex Thymidine Kinase (HSV-TK) suicide gene and a truncated form of the human Low Affinity Nerve Growth Factor Receptor (ΔLNGFR) genes (for identification of transduced cells). The expression of the HSV-TK gene, as a suicide gene allows the selective killing of dividing cells upon administration of the pro-drug ganciclovir (GCV). If GvHD occurs, ganciclovir/valganciclovir can be administered. Here we report the results of a pair-matched analysis which compared the outcome of patients who received HSV-TK cells infusion post haplo-HSCT versus those who did not receive any cellular therapy post-transplant.

Patients and Methods. The HSV-TK patients' group included 45 patients who were treated as part of 2 prospective trials with various types of high-risk hematologic malignancies. These patients were compared to patients treated with haplo-HSCT reported to the acute leukemia working party registry of the EBMT. Inclusion criteria for the pair-matched analysis encompassed haplo-HSCT transplants performed in adult patients diagnosed with AML/ALL/sAML in CR or relapse at transplantation. To equate the distribution of baseline characteristics between the HSV-TK and control group and to reduce bias in treatment effect estimation, a pair-matched analysis was performed.

This analysis, in which pairs of HSV-TK and control subjects sharing similar baseline characteristics were formed, used the following parameters as pair matching factors: patient age, diagnosis (AML, ALL and sAML), disease status at HSCT (CR1, CR2, CR3 or relapse) and time from diagnosis to HSCT. The planned ratio of HSV-TK patients to control patients was one to four. Efficacy outcome measures of this pair-matched analysis were OS, LFS, NRM and relapse incidence (RI). Cumulative incidence rates of chronic GVHD were also analyzed.

Results. Overall, 37 HSV-TK-treated patients matched with 140 controls (71 from PT-Cy cohort and 69 from TCD cohort transplanted between 2005 and 2013). The recommended dose and schedule of HSV-TK cells was 1x107 cells/kg given as IV infusion every 30 days for a maximum of 4 times until a circulating T-cell count higher than 100 per μL. The 1st administration should occur between day 21 to day 49 after HSCT. Baseline characteristics of the HSV-TK treated and the control patient population are summarized in the below table.

OS at 1-year was significantly improved in the HSV-TK-group compared with the control group (p=0.01). The survival rates were 49% and 37% for HSV-TK- and control group, respectively. The NRM at 1-year was also improved upon treatment with HSV-TK, with 43% for the control group and 22% for the HSV-TK-group (p=0.014). A difference in favor of the HSV-TK-group could also be observed for the 1-year incidence of chronic GvHD with 25% for the control group vs 9% for the HSV-TK-group (p=0.04). The LFS and the RI were not different between the groups. Interestingly, these differences remained similar whether considering the TCD or the PT-CY subgroups). Together the data suggest that the benefit seen in OS is driven by a reduction in the NRM. A further analysis of NRM data revealed that in the control group 34 of 140 (24%) patients died due to infection and 8 of 140 (6%) succumbed due to GvHD. In the HSV-TK population 4 (11%) patients died because of infection and no patient died due to GvHD. This suggests that the reduction in NRM mortality in the HSV-TK population is caused both by a reduction in death due to infection and due to GvHD. Concerning safety, no death was attributed to HSV-TK cells. Acute GvHD resolved in all cases, and activation of the suicide gene by treatment with GCV has contributed to the control of GvHD.

Conclusion. The above pair-matched analyzis confirmed the positive impact and benefit of HSV-TK cells as adjunctive treatment in haplo-HSCT with an acceptable safety pattern.

![Table.][1]

Table.

Disclosures Bonini: Molmed SpA: Consultancy; TxCell: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Ciceri: MolMed SpA: Consultancy.

 [1]: pending:yes


Cross-linguistic studies of emotion language have explored the universality of emotion concepts (Koveces 1990; Wierzbicka 1999), the cultural specificity of emotion concepts (Wierzbicka 1999; Ning Yu 2009), and the sources of emotion in culturally specific discourse practices (Lutz 1988; Rosaldo 1990; Chen 2004). A few have investigated how emotions or feelings are expressed by certain kinds of grammatical constructions such as metaphors with predicate-base clause structure (Occhi 1999; Palmer and Brown 1998; Palmer, Bennett and Stacey 1999; and Palmer 2003b). This paper shows how grammatical constructions that express emotions and evaluations may arise from subjectification. We compare theories of subjectification proposed by Langacker (2000) and Traugott (2010), and we analyze examples from Shona and Tagalog. Our findings have led us to expand Langacker's cognitive linguistic approach to include cultural scenarios and themes in the discourse ground. This new perspective has potential applications to the study of ideological communications.


Power and area efficient multiplier using CMOS logic circuits for applications in various digital signal processors is designed. This multiplier is implemented using Vedic multiplication algorithms mainly the "Urdhvatiryakbhyam sutra", which is the most generalized one Vedic multiplication algorithm [1]. A multiplier is a very important element in almost all the processors and contributes substantially to the total power consumption of the system. The novel point is the efficient use of Vedic algorithm (sutras) that reduces the number of computational steps considerably compared with any conventional method. The schematic for this multiplier is designed using TANNER TOOL. The design is then verified in T-SPICE using 0.18 um CMOS technology library file. The analysis is made for various voltages across a range of 2.5V to 5V, to validate the design. A CMOS digital multiplier, with low power consumption and high linearity is proposed. The results prove that the proposed multiplier consumes 80% less power compared to the gate level analysis done earlier. The core area of the proposed multiplier is 737 um2 . Paper presents a systematic design methodology for this improved performance digital multiplier based on Vedic mathematics.


The bulk of educational research exploring open-book examination demonstrates that the open-book format reduces student anxiety and promotes higher-level learning (i.e., reduces reliance upon rote memorization and prompts students to focus on understanding concepts and principles). Previous studies examining open-book assessment provide evidence that students exhibit better performance on open-book exams compared to closed-book exams. In addition, many university faculty find it advantageous to employ exams using an open-book format, especially in engineering. However, within engineering we know little about how students approach open-book testing, particularly with regard to how they spend their time on different tasks and how this division of time may affect performance. The study in this paper examined the testing behavior of 8 senior materials science and engineering students at a large public university in the southeastern US. Students completed four engineering problems during individual laboratory sessions while engaged in a think-aloud procedure (i.e., verbally explaining their thought processes as they worked through the problems). The problems were designed to vary in terms of their closed or open-endedness and the number of decision points involved in their solution. Students' think-aloud protocols were categorized to determine the amount of time spent on each of five exam behaviors: reading from the textbook, writing, calculating, reading the test question, and talking/reflecting. Problem solutions were separately graded using a previously created rubric. The time spent on various behavior categories were then examined with respect to grades students received for their solutions. Reading from the textbook represented the bulk of students' time on the problems (35% on average). Interestingly, there was a significant negative correlation between time spent reading the textbook and students' grades. The more time that students spent with the text, the more poorly they performed. This correlation was strongest for students who had the lowest solution scores, but was still evident for students with the highest scores. Students with the lowest scores tended to search the text for information or an example problem to guide their approach to the problem, while students with the highest scores tended to use the text to confirm their knowledge. This data suggests that for our sample the textbook may have served as a distraction. The results highlight the importance of training students in the effective use resources during open-book exams so as to avoid distractive behaviors. This training would serve not only to improve exam performance, but to educate students in the effective use of resources for professional practice where open-book problem-solving is the norm.


A diverse collection of 359 advanced maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) breeding programs for drought, low N, soil acidity (SA), and pest and disease resistance was genotyped using 1260 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Model-based population partition, neighbor-joining (NJ) clustering, and principal component analysis (PCA) based on the genotypic data were employed to classify the lines into subgroups. A subgroup largely consisting of lines developed from La Posta Sequia (LPS) consistently separated from other lines when using different methods based on both SNP and SNP haplotype data. Lines related by pedigree tended to cluster together. Nine main subsets of lines were determined based on pedigree information, environmental adaptation, and breeding scheme. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that variation within these subsets was much higher than that among subsets. Genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium (LD) level were tested in the whole panel and within each subset. The potential of the panel for association mapping was tested using 999 SNP markers with minor allelic frequency (MAF) ≥ 0.05 and phenotypic data (grain yield [GY], ears per plant [EPP], and anthesis to silking interval [ASI]). Results show the panel is ideal for association mapping where type I error can be controlled using a mixed linear model (Q + K). Use of pedigree, heterotic group, and ecological adaptation information together with molecular characterization of this panel presents a valuable genetic resource for stress tolerance breeding in maize.


EFFECT OF TEOPHYLLINE ON INTERLEUKIN-8 LEVEL, NETROPHIL SPUTUM, AND COPD ASSESSMENT TEST SCORES IN STABLE COPD PATIENTS. Background: Particles and harmful gases especially from cigarette smoke can induce an inflammatory immune response in the lungs and decrease the function of histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) in the nucleus cell, and causing glucocorticoid resistance in COPD. It is associated with the increasement of pro-inflammatory cytokines release including TNF-α and IL-8 which occurs continuously. Theophylline with low plasma concentrations that less than 10 mg / L have anti-inflammatory effects by activating the HDAC. The aim of the study is to analysed effect of theophylline in inflammation response and clinically improvement for stable COPD patient. Method: This study was clinical quasy experimental and performed by using pre test and post test design. The subjects were stable COPD patient who control in outpatient pulmonary clinic Dr Moewardi hospital in July to September 2016. Thirty subjects were taken by consecutive sampling and divided into two groups, treatment groups (n = 15) received additional treatment with theophylline 70 mg per 8 hours and the control group (n = 15) with just standard therapy. The IL-8 levels, neutrophil sputum and CAT scores were measured at before and after 4 weeks of treatment. Result: The IL-8 levels of treatment group decreased 4,31±13,06 pg / ml while the control group increase 0,88±13,89 pg / ml, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.116). There were a decrease of sputum neutrophil percentage in the both of groups. The treatment group was 4,00±40,33 pg / ml and the control was 2,87±39,91 pg / ml, but it was not statistically significant (p = 0.939). CAT scores in the treatment group decreased 3,67±3,58 pg / ml but the control group increased to 2,40±3,38 pg / ml and statistically significant (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Theophylline can decrease IL-8 levels and neutrophil sputum not significantly, but it can decrease CAT scores significantly. Keywords: teophylline, interleukin-8, neutrophil sputum, CAT scores, stable of COPD


Soil replacement technique is not a new method to improve a soil stratum possessing poor strength properties. Before, such a problem of facing a location with weak soil properties is simply solved by changing that spot of estate by another one. Nowadays, such a proposal is no longer valid as a solution since the finance of real estates is rising considerably so that altering a location to the favor of other is not a choice. Calcareous soils are soils rich of calcium carbonate which occur manly in the semiarid subtropics for both hemispheres. This soil is one of the famous collapsible soils similar to the well-known gypseous soils. It has very good strength properties when dry, but once wetted it undergoes large and almost instantaneous settlement, potential collapse of productivity, even if there is no additional load applied on it. This research is concerned in studying the effect of soil replacement technique in reducing collapse settlement. A laboratory prototype model is used in study using SW soil mixed with different percentages of calcium carbonates, and gradual replacement of calcareous soil with sand is carried out in terms of width of footing B. Each model is leached for continuous seven days, and time-settlement data are recorded. This is done again for different percentages of calcium carbonate ratios mixed with sand. Laboratory tests revealed that the degree of improvement in terms of settlement for replacing B/2 depth by sand is 0.36 (B is footing width), that for replacing B is 0.65, for replacing 2B is 0.88, and for replacing 3B is 0.92. The amount of CaCO3 in soil does not affect the degree of improvement observed. An empirical formula is derived using finite differences for relating degree of improvement with depth of soil to be replaced.


Total intravenous anesthesia has recently become available for ambulatory surgery. It has the advantages of decreased air contamination from volatile anesthetics and decreased exposure of operating room personnel to volatile anesthetics. The purpose of this study was to compare the anesthetic properties of propofol/ketamine (total intravenous) anesthesia and thiopentone/halothane (intravenous and gaseous) anesthesia for herniorrhaphy or hydrocelectomy in children. Sixty children aged 2 to 7 years scheduled for herniorrhaphy or hydrocelectomy were allocated to two groups. The propofol/ketamine group (group 1) received a loading dose of intravenous propofol 3 mg/kg followed by propofol infusion 200 micrograms/kg/minute; additional bolus doses of propofol 1 mg/kg were given as needed or the infusion dose was increased or decreased by 33 micrograms/kg/minute as needed. Ketamine 1 mg/kg was administered intravenously 2 to 3 minutes before herniorrhaphy or hydrocelectomy to reinforce the analgesic and anesthetic effects of propofol. The thiopentone/halothane group (group 2) received intravenous thiopentone 6 mg/kg followed by halothane with 40% oxygen using a mask. Group 2 patients maintained spontaneous breathing with intermittent assistance and group 1 patients maintained spontaneous natural airway breathing during anesthesia. The scores on the postoperative assessment scale were higher in group 2 patients, indicating poorer anesthesia recovery characteristics, but the differences were not significant. Pain on injection was more frequent in group 1 (12/32) than in group 2 (2/28). The incidence of vomiting in group 2 (6/28) was significantly higher than in group 1 (0/32). We conclude that propofol/ketamine allows patients to maintain spontaneous natural airway breathing during anesthesia, and its analgesic and anesthetic effects are comparable to those of thiopentone/halothane. Propofol/ketamine is appropriate for pediatric herniorrhaphy and hydrocelectomy. It can be recommended for pediatric ambulatory surgery.


In an 8.5-year-old boy with severe recurring unilateral swelling of the neck, infection with Mycobacterium haemophilum was established. In addition to the more usual causative agents, cervical lymphadenopathy in children can, in rare cases, be caused by M. haemophilum. The skin tests did not differentiate between Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection. There was no evidence of specific immune deficiencies. The swelling did not respond to treatment with four tuberculostatic drugs (rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutole), nor to repeated surgical excision. Finally. M. haemophilum grew on the culture despite sub-optimal culture conditions. Thereupon the patient was treated with co-trimoxazole and recovered in two weeks. This is the first patient with cervical lymphadenopathy caused by M. haemophilum to be described in the Netherlands. M. haemophilum grows on an iron-rich medium at a relatively low temperature (30-32°C). In cases of cervical lymphadenopathy, it is advisable to consider M. haemophilum as a cause and to adjust the culture conditions accordingly.


Within the museum field, it is widely acknowledged that museums can have a positive influence on public well-being. Little is known, however, about the well-being of the people who staff museums, which may influence museums' overall effectiveness and relationships with the public they serve. This research examines the subjective well-being of a group of museum professionals, particularly their workplace well-being, with the intent to start conversations in the field. Forty-four self-selecting participants from three Seattle museums completed the Happiness Initiative's well-being questionnaire, 13 completed a workweek diary study, and four participated in a facilitated discussion. Overall, participating museum professionals had higher well-being scores than a large, preexisting opt-in sample, with strengths in intrinsic well-being and a weakness in time balance. Related to their jobs, participants mostly had positive well-being, with purpose-based tasks, free-choice working, and social cohesion particularly influencing their experiences. Finally, participants indicated that they value the topic of well-being and that others in the museum field should pay attention to it. These findings have positive implications for the sustainability of the museum workforce but suggest the field needs to spend more time reflecting about factors that affect the well-being of museum professionals. In particular, when considering how to sustain and improve professionals' well-being for the long-term, it is recommended that the museum field focus on three commodities of well-being: time, agency, and purpose.


Understanding the relationship between autophagy and excessive oxidative stress is crucial for determining the fate of cancer cells exposed to redox-active chemotherapeutic agents. Previous studies have shown that Mitoquinone (MitoQ), a redox active, mitochondrialy targeted ubiquinone derivative, can induce autophagy through the generation of excess reactive oxygen species and stimulate the antioxidant response involving nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) in breast cancer cells. Nrf2 is a transcription factor that is up-regulated during oxidative stress and activates the antioxidant response element, which in turn regulates antioxidant expression. The aim of this study was to evaluate microRNA (miRNA) as a link between oxidative stress and autophagy through modulation of Nrf2 activity. miRNA are endogenous 18-22 bp double stranded RNA that become active when bound to the 3′ UTR of target messenger RNA (mRNA). The primary goal was to suppress Nrf2 activity with miRNA so that oxidative stress, in the absence of antioxidants, can result in apoptosis rather than autophagy. miRNA expression was evaluated using Illumina RNA sequencing analyses in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells after treatment with DMSO or MitoQ (5 μM), in the presence and absence of Nrf2 silencing RNA (siRNA). Preliminary results show that Nrf2 is the most active at or before 18hrs of treatment (tested up to 72hrs) accompanied by a significant increase in nuclear Nrf2 levels. We are currently evaluating the transcriptome to identify key miRNAs that were up-regulated during Nrf2 suppression and down-regulated during Nrf2 activation. Nrf2 activity was also assessed using a stably transfected GFP modified MDA-MB-231 cell line containing the 3′ UTR region of Nrf2. Prior to obtaining the transcriptome, preliminary Nrf2-miRNA tests were performed with miR-93 as this miRNA has been shown to regulate Nrf2 expression in other studies on human breast cancer cell lines. We are currently assessing the effect of miR-93 on Nrf2 regulation, autophagy and apoptosis to decipher how miR-93 and other microRNA regulate Nrf2 signaling following excessive oxidative stress. Citation Format: Kaytee L. Pokrzywinski, V. Ashutosh Rao. microRNA regulation of Nrf2: A link between autophagy and oxidative stress. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-291. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-291


In the mind, language and literature of all people, there are some significant numbers like three, thirty, six, nine, twelve, forty, one hundred and one thousand that are called numbers of perfection. Sometimes one digit is added to these numbers (and the result is seven, thirteen, ten and one thousand and one) or is subtracted from them (and the result is five, ninety nine or eleven) and the outcome becomes very significant. It seems that these cases have mythological base. Referring to the myth of creation, the writer of the article believes that the number of perfection is another form of death and termination that causes recreation. The continuation of life is shown by subtracting from the numbers of perfection, which means, the cycle has not terminated yet, and even if a cycle is terminated, another is being created. Recreation is shown through adding a figure to the numbers of perfection. The significance of all these numbers has not been in presenting the myth but in defeating the time.


Gliomedin, which has been implicated as a major player in genesis of the nodes of Ranvier, contains two collagenous domains and an olfactomedin-like domain and belongs to the group of type II transmembrane collagens that includes collagens XIII and XVII and ectodysplasin A. One characteristic of this protein family is that constituent proteins can exist in both transmembrane and soluble forms. Recently, gliomedin expressed at the tips of Schwann cell microvilli was found to bind axonal adhesion molecules neurofascin and NrCAM in interactions essential for Na+-channel clustering at the nodes of Ranvier in myelinating peripheral nerves. Interestingly, exogenously added olfactomedin domain was found to have the same effect as intact gliomedin. Here we analyze the tissue form of gliomedin and demonstrate that the molecule not only exists as full-length gliomedin but also as a soluble form shed from the cell surface in a furin-dependent manner. In addition, gliomedin can be further proteolytically processed by bone morphogenetic protein 1/Tolloid-like enzymes, resulting in release of the olfactomedin domain from the collagen domains. Interestingly, the later cleavage induces formation of higher order, insoluble molecular aggregates that may play important roles in Na+-channel clustering.


Archivematica began in 2008 as a working hypothesis that assumed a comprehensive yet free digital preservation system could be created by matching existing open-source software tools against the OAIS functional model. Five years later the production release of the software is ready to go into production at several major North American archives and libraries, while the beta version is already widely-deployed worldwide. In the absence of a single major funding sponsor, the project management team worked as third-party contractors to several early-implementer institutions that shared the project's architectural and open-source vision while needing to implement an effective and sustainable digital curation solution for the digital content entrusted to their care. From the outset, Archivematica's system requirements were based on an ongoing dialogue within the digital curation community about the gaps between the standards and strategies that were held up as best practice (OAIS, PREMIS, normalization, agile development and so forth) and the ability for the average archivists and librarians to implement them. The iPres conference has proven to be a critical forum for advancing this dialogue and has included papers about the Archivematica micro-services architecture [1] and community-driven development approach [2]. This paper will provide a conclusion to these earlier papers by discussing the key architectural, digital curation and sustainability challenges that the Archivematica project has addressed as it emerged from a working prototype to a full-featured digital preservation system. This includes system scalability, customization, digital repository interfaces, format policy implementation, and a business plan that stays true to the ideals of the free software community.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of bank structure and earnings management on bank performance in international markets. Specifically, the authors empirically examine non-foreign banks in the following emerging countries: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of loan loss portfolio and bank's power structure is examined to formulate testable conjectures. The authors used data collected from Bankscope for the aforementioned countries. The data range is from 1997 to 2009.

Findings

The results suggest that: first, bank market structure and earnings management have a significantly negative influence on bank performance. Second, the negative influence is more pronounced in banks with higher level of concentration and earnings management.

Practical implications

The evidence suggest that banks with monopoly power have a greater incentive to establish lending relationships, and monopoly enhancing regulation in the financial sector at the time of the Civil War contributed to industrialization in the USA. The evidence in the emerging market suggest that monopoly power (bank structure) and propensity to manage earnings leads to lower bank performance. As such, helping bankers in understanding the effect of their bank structure in relation to their performance.

Originality/value

To the author's knowledge, this is the first study that explores the determinants of managed earnings and bank structure on bank performance in emerging markets.


Background and objectives: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common type of urinary incontinence, affecting approximately 46% of adult women. After failure of conservative treatment, the mid-urethral sling (MUS) is considered the most effective and safe surgical procedure for SUI. In 2012, Waltregny et al. introduced a new trans-obturator tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure, named TVT-abbrevo (TVT-A). The aim of the present study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the TVT-A procedure in women with pure SUI at 5-year follow-up. Materials and Methods: All women who complained of pure SUI symptoms with concomitant urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) were prospectively enrolled and treated with the TVT-A procedure. Postoperative subjective outcome measures included: International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Short Form (ICI-Q SF), Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scale, and patient degree of satisfaction scale. A PGI-I score ≤ 2 and a patient-satisfaction score ≥8 were used to define subjective success. Objective success was defined as the absence of urine leakage during a cough stress test. Adverse events were collected according to the Clavien–Dindo classification during follow-up. Results: Univariable analysis was used to investigate outcomes. Fifty women who met the inclusion criteria underwent TVT-A implantation. At 5 years after TVT-A implantation, 38 out of 45 (84.4%) patients were subjectively cured (p for trend 0.05), and 40 out of 45 (88.9%) patients were objectively cured (p for trend 0.04). A significant trend of de novo OAB symptoms was reported (22.2% [10/45]) at the 5-year follow-up. No serious early or late complications such as urethral/bladder injury, persistent groin-thigh pain, and sexual dysfunction that required mesh removal were detected. The univariate analysis did not reveal any risk factors (i.e., age, body mass index (BMI), menopause, obstetric factors, and preoperative ICIQ- SF questionnaire) statistically associated with failure of the TVT-A procedure. Conclusions: In conclusion, the 5-year follow-up results of this study demonstrated that TVT-A is a safe and effective option for treatment of SUI with a very low rate of post-operative groin–thigh pain


Orange flesh sweet potato (OFSP) is a globally important staple crop. Health benefits of OFSP are substantial, especially for nutrition-endangered populations. Compared to the Irish potato (IP), OFSP is a richer source of nutrients and fiber. In some parts of the world, OFSP is unfortunately regarded as a poor farmer's crop. This negative reputation has resulted in reduced acceptance of OFSP by populations that could benefit greatly from it. One purpose of this paper is to promote acceptance of OFSP by demonstrating sensory preference of OFSP compared to IP. The second purpose is to recognize a global effort to develop food products using OFSP. Consumer taste tests were conducted to compare OFSP and IP cooked and prepared using common methods of mashing and cubing. Published journal articles that reported development of foods with OFSP as a primary ingredient were identified. Recipe developers must have used a rigorous technique of sensory analysis to test products. Consumers did not show a significant preference for the taste or appearance of mashed or cubed OFSP compared to IP. Researchers from 9 different countries have developed food products that included OFSP in 22 different categories over a 26-year period. OFSP has been successfully utilized in the development of many well-liked food products. Continuous education and exposure of future generations of scientists and consumers to the benefits of OFSP will result in broad-based acceptance.

 Key words: Orange flesh sweet potato, Irish potato, sensory test, acceptance, product development.


Recent satellite and in situ observations have shown that at ocean ridges and other seafloor topographic features, a substantial amount of energy is transferred from the main ocean tides into "internal tides." In his Perspective, Garrett explains how these internal waves with tidal periods propagate through the density-stratified deep ocean and eventually break down into turbulence. The resulting mixing affects ocean stratification and ocean circulation. It thus influences climate as well as biological production. The energy for the internal tides is derived from the rotational energy of the Earth-Moon system changes of the length of the day and the distance to the Moon.


Over the last three decades, international agricultural trade has grown significantly. Technological advances in transportation logistics and storage have created opportunities to ship anything almost anywhere. Bilateral and multilateral trade agreements have also opened new pathways to an increasingly global market place. Yet, international agricultural trade is often constrained by differences in regulatory regimes. The impact of "regulatory asymmetry" is particularly acute for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that lack resources and expertise to successfully operate in markets that have substantially different regulatory structures. As governments seek to encourage the development of SMEs, policy makers often confront the critical question of what ultimately motivates SME export behavior. Specifically, there is considerable interest in understanding how SMEs confront the challenges of regulatory asymmetry. Neoclassical models of the firm generally emphasize expected profit maximization under uncertainty, however these approaches do not adequately explain the entrepreneurial decision under regulatory asymmetry. Behavioral theories of the firm offer a far richer understanding of decision making by taking into account aspirations and adaptive performance in risky environments. This paper develops an analytical framework for decision making of a single agent. Considering risk, uncertainty and opportunity cost, the analysis focuses on the export behavior response of an SME in a situation of regulatory asymmetry. Drawing on the experience of fruit processor in Muzaffarpur, India, who must consider different regulatory environments when shipping fruit treated with sulfur dioxide, the study dissects the firm-level decision using @Risk, a Monte Carlo computational tool.


Inhibition of NK cell cytotoxicity by killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR) depends on phosphorylation of cytoplasmic tyrosines in KIR, which recruit tyrosine phosphatase Src homology protein tyrosine phosphatase 1. It is not clear how KIR, whose function lies downstream of a tyrosine kinase, succeeds in blocking proximal NK cell activation signals upon binding HLA class I on target cells. Here we show that mixing NK cells with insect cells expressing HLA-C was sufficient to induce clustering of KIR, and phosphorylation of KIR and SHP-1. Transient phosphorylation of KIR was detected in the presence of pervanadate, an inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases, at suboptimal concentration. Phosphorylation of KIR was specifically induced by ligand binding because it was detected only when HLA-C was loaded with a peptide that permits KIR binding. KIR phosphorylation was not dependent on ICAM-1-mediated adhesion and was not blocked by inhibition of actin polymerization, but required Zn2+. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer between HLA-C molecules revealed close molecular interactions induced by KIR binding. These results demonstrate tight clustering of KIR and rapid KIR phosphorylation induced simply by binding to HLA-C. The unique property of KIR to become phosphorylated in the absence of adhesion and of actin cytoskeleton rearrangement explains how KIR can efficiently block early activation signals during NK-target cell contacts.


A common explanation for the failure of out-of-distribution (OOD) generalization is that the model trained with empirical risk minimization (ERM) learns spurious features instead of invariant features. However, several recent studies challenged this explanation and found that deep networks may have already learned sufficiently good features for OOD generalization. Despite the contradictions at first glance, we theoretically show that ERM essentially learns both spurious and invariant features, while ERM tends to learn spurious features faster if the spurious correlation is stronger. Moreover, when fed the ERM learned features to the OOD objectives, the invariant feature learning quality significantly affects the final OOD performance, as OOD objectives rarely learn new features. Therefore, ERM feature learning can be a bottleneck to OOD generalization. To alleviate the reliance, we propose Feature Augmented Training (FeAT), to enforce the model to learn richer features ready for OOD generalization. FeAT iteratively augments the model to learn new features while retaining the already learned features. In each round, the retention and augmentation operations are performed on different subsets of the training data that capture distinct features. Extensive experiments show that FeAT effectively learns richer features thus boosting the performance of various OOD objectives.


Recently, methods have been proposed that exploit the invariance of prediction models with respect to changing environments to infer subsets of the causal parents of a response variable. If the environments influence only few of the underlying mechanisms, the subset identified by invariant causal prediction (ICP), for example, may be small, or even empty. We introduce the concept of minimal invariance and propose invariant ancestry search (IAS). In its population version, IAS outputs a set which contains only ancestors of the response and is a superset of the output of ICP. When applied to data, corresponding guarantees hold asymptotically if the underlying test for invariance has asymptotic level and power. We develop scalable algorithms and perform experiments on simulated and real data.


Dimensional changes of α-type nickel hydrous oxide, α-Ni(OH)2(hyd), films electrodeposited on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, HOPG(bp), electrodes, have been monitored by in situ by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in 1 M KOH as a function of the applied potential. Freshly prepared α-Ni(OH)2(hyd) films were found to consist of conformal sections covered by large numbers of distinctly bright, globular-type features (0.25 μm average diameter), separated by sharply defined crevices. Upon oxidation, the width of the crevices, Wc, increased, whereas the distances between any two globular features, i and j, within a specific section, rij, decreased. A statistical analysis involving more than 100 pairs of features from different sections of independent films showed that the relative decrease in rij, induced by the nominal full oxidation of the film, rij(ox)/rij(red), is remarkably constant, 0.06 ± 0.01, and independent of the magnitude of rij. Plots of Wc obtained from linear AFM scans along ...


We analyze the evolving price °uctuations by using ultrametric distance of minimally spanning ¯nancial tree of stocks traded in Jakarta Stock Exchange 2000-2004. Ultrametricity is derived from transformation of correlation coe±cients into the distances among stocks. Our analysis evaluates the performance of ups and downs of stock prices and discovers the evolution towards the ¯nancial and economic stabilization in Indonesia. This is partly recognized by mapping the hierarchical trees upon the realization of liquid and illiquid stocks. We remind that the methodology is useful in two terms: the evaluation of spectral market movements and intuitively understanding for portfolio management purposes.


Maintenance dredging of marine waterways is necessary to ensure the efficiency and safety of the vessels navigating into the shallow waters. The dislodged sediments, commonly known as dredged soils are generally disposed of as a geo-waste. From the geotechnical point of view, the soil, mainly fine-grained particles like silt and clay, is too poorly for engineering applications. However, with suitable handling and treatment, it can be potentially reused as any sound geo-materials. Two feasible yet economical options for improving the remoulded strength of the soft material are as follows: (1) to partially pre-drain the soil in a backfill to improve the plasticity, and (2) to lightly solidify the soil with small dosages of binder, like cement. The present study examines the remoulded strength of high plasticity silt retrieved from a dredged site. The fine-grained soil was originally found to be in liquefied form (water content is 1.75 times the soil's liquid limit) with negligible shear strength or resistance. The material was semi-dried to form 60 mm thick soil beds at 0.90, 1.25 and 1.76 times the liquid limit. A separate set of soil beds (water content = 1.25 times the liquid limit) were also prepared to determine the efficacy of light solidification in the remoulded strength, i.e. with 1, 3 and 5 % cement addition in the soil. The fall cone and vane shear tests were next carried out for each soil bed at predetermined intervals up to a week. The strength gain over time was recorded as reduction in the cone penetration and corresponding increase in the shear strength measurements. Overall the remoulded soil was found to gain strength with time without further drainage, due to the thixotropic mechanism of particles rearrangement. Besides, light solidification resulted in markedly improved strength of the remoulded material with less time required. In short, strength lost due to remoulding of the soil could be recovered with either methods, though time would be the determining factor in the choice made. It is concluded that dredged marine silt is reusable with carefully designed backfill procedure to allow for strength recovery, i.e. adequate rest period after pre-drainage, as well as the accelerated approach via light solidification.


The model of an anytime-anywhere workforce is changing the landscape of business today. Increasingly employees are being emancipated from their traditional offices by the widespread infiltration of technologies that facilitate this model. The question is, how can we characterize the culture developing in support of these new ways of working and how can they be cultivated? Understanding this " nomadic culture " is critical to both researchers and practitioners. Due to the newness of these technologies and the speed of their integration into today's work practices, prior research lends little direction in understanding this developing culture. This research contributes by proposing and validating a multidimensional model of nomadic culture. The model describes nomadic culture in terms of three levels: underlying assumptions, espoused values, and artifacts. Each level is then described more specifically by eight measurable nomadic culture sub-constructs. Using the Structural Equation Modeling technique, proposed relationships among the sub-constructs are tested along with the effect of organizational support for nomadic behaviors on employee job satisfaction. Significant support for the model was found in data collected from 203 working IT professionals from a wide variety of organizations. Suggestions for future research as well as implications for practice are provided.


Most cities enjoy some autonomy over how they tax their residents, and that autonomy is typically exercised by multiple municipal governments within a given city. In this chapter, we document patterns of city-level taxation across countries, and we review the literature on a number of salient features affecting local tax setting in an urban context. Urban local governments on average raise some ten percent of total tax revenue in OECD countries and around half that share in non-OECD countries. We show that most cities are highly fragmented: urban areas with more than 500,000 inhabitants are divided into 74 local jurisdictions on average. The vast majority of these cities are characterized by a central municipality that strongly dominates the remaining jurisdictions in terms of population. These empirical regularities imply that an analysis of urban taxation needs to take account of three particular features: interdependence among tax-setting authorities (horizontally and vertically), jurisdictional size asymmetries, and the potential for agglomeration economies. We survey the relevant theoretical and empirical literatures, focusing in particular on models of asymmetric tax competition, of taxation and income sorting and of taxation in the presence of agglomeration rents. JEL-Code: H710, H730, R280, R510.


This paper proposes an equilibrium theory of nominal exchange rates, which offers a new perspective on various issues in open economy macroeconomics. The nominal exchange rate and portfolio choices are jointly determined in equilibrium, thus providing a new approach to overcoming the indeterminacy results in Kareken and Wallace (1981). The distinctive features of this theory are that the nominal exchange rate is determined in international financial markets, that the risk premium and UIP deviations are fully endogenous equilibrium objects and that the real exchange rate inherits its properties from the nominal exchange rate. In terms of policy, this novel theory implies that a country with an exchange rate peg and free asset mobility faces a tetralemma and not a trilemma, because it loses not only monetary policy independence but also fiscal policy independence.


The aim of this study is to test in a real political context whether or not a change in the beliefs which were fueling the political violence in question is required during the advent of a peace process. Two hypothesis are considered: a) in the case of these beliefs not being modified, there will be difficulties to reach an atmosphere of trust between both parts and the process will fail, and b) if this happens, the groups will develop more extreme beliefs against the opponent. The results obtained through a textual analysis support both hypotheses. During the failure of the peace process, neither the strategy of the delegitimization of the opponent nor the identities in conflict were modified. Consequently, when the process failed, responsibility for this failure was attributed to the opponent, and, at the same time, delegitimization against the opponent intensified.


Introduction: HIV epidemic has become the major problems among people with injecting drugs (PWIDs) in Nepal. The study was carried out to assess the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS among PWIDs.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in male PWIDs of age more than 16 years residing in Western to Far West Terai Districts of Nepal who had been injecting drugs for three months prior to the date of the survey" March-April 2017. A two-stage cluster sampling was used to recruit 300 PWIDs from seven Districts. HIV was diagnosed by using standard techniques approved by WHO. Similarly, Syphilis was tested using the "Rapid Plasma Reagin" and Hepatitis C as well as Hepatitis B was tested by using rapid test kits. Demographic data were collected by using structured questionnaire and the data obtained were entered in MS excel was transformed into the SPSS version 21 for the descriptive as well as inferential analysis.
Results: Prevalence of HIV, HBV, HCV, and STI among PWIDs were 5.3%, 2.7%, 23.7%, and 2.0% respectively. Majority of the PWIDs were literate (93.7%) and their age was below 35
years. Among the married PWIDs, 32.4% had got married before the age of 19. Similarly, 53.7% of them were living with their female sexual partner, and 95.0% were living with their wife. Ninety six percent of the respondents reported to be ever involved in sexual activity, 77.1% of them initiated the sexual intercourse before the age of 20 years and 41.9% of them had more than one female sexual partner. The survey indicated that 36.3% had been injecting drugs for more than 5 years while 27.7% had been injecting for last 2-5 years and 55.0% of the respondents had injected for the first time at the age of 16-24 years. About one in 10 respondents had started injecting drugs recently.
Conclusion: There is high prevalence of HIV, HCV, HBV and active syphilis among the PWIDs. Co-infection of HIV and HCV as well as Hepatitis B and C were also prevalent among PWIDs. Comprehensive education and awareness program is required to reduce the prevalence.


We describe a framework for real-time tracking of facial expressions that uses neurally-inspired correlation and interpolation methods. A distributed view-based representation is used to characterize facial state, and is computed using a replicated correlation network. The ensemble response of the set of view correlation scores is input to a network based interpolation method, which maps perceptual state to motor control states for a simulated 3-D face model. Activation levels of the motor state correspond to muscle activations in an anatomically derived model. By integrating fast and robust 2-D processing with 3-D models, we obtain a system that is able to quickly track and interpret complex facial motions in real-time.


Excerpt] This Beyond the Numbers article compares relative importances based on data collected during three periods that can be characterized roughly as boom, recession, and recovery. The "recovery" era is represented by the current CPI relative importances, which are based on surveys conducted in 2011–2012. These relative importances replaced figures that were based on data collected during 2009–2010, and represent the "recession" period. (While the economy was recovering at least during the latter part of this period, it seems reasonable to expect consumer behavior to reflect recession conditions.) Because the 2007–2008 period was one of transition from boom to recession, we will examine the weights based on 2005–2006 data, as representing spending during a booming economy.


Nicotine inhalation via electronic cigarettes (e‐cigs) is an emerging concern. However, little is known about the acute toxicity in the lungs following inhalation of nicotine‐containing e‐cig aerosols. We hypothesized that acute exposure to aerosolized nicotine causes lung toxicity by eliciting inflammatory and dysregulated repair responses. Adult C57BL/6J mice were exposed 2 hours daily for 3 days to e‐cig aerosols containing propylene glycol (PG) with or without nicotine. Acute exposure to nicotine‐containing e‐cig aerosols induced inflammatory cell influx (neutrophils and CD8a+ T lymphocytes), and release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in a sex‐dependent manner. Inhalation of e‐cig aerosol containing PG alone significantly augmented the lung levels of various homeostasis/repair mediators (PPARγ, ADRP, ACTA2, CTNNB1, LEF1, β‐catenin, E‐cadherin, and MMP2) in a sex‐dependent manner when compared to air controls. These findings were accompanied by an increase in protein abundance and altered gene expression of lipogenic markers (PPARγ, ADRP) and myogenic markers (fibronectin, α‐smooth muscle actin and β‐catenin), suggesting a dysregulated repair response in mouse lungs. Furthermore, exposure to nicotine‐containing e‐cig aerosols or PG alone differentially affected the release of pro‐inflammatory cytokines in healthy and COPD human 3D EpiAirway tissues. Overall, acute exposure to nicotine‐containing e‐cig aerosols was sufficient to elicit a pro‐inflammatory response and altered mRNA and protein levels of myogenic, lipogenic, and extracellular matrix markers in mouse lung in a sex‐dependent manner. Thus, acute exposure to inhaled nicotine via e‐cig leads to dysregulated repair and inflammatory responses, which may lead to airway remodeling in the lungs.


Plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) are known for their ability to produce plant hormones and antimicrobial substances, to induce plant resistance, and to solubilize phosphate. In this study, two bacterial isolates Bacillus sp. ST02 and Lactobacillus plantarum ST03, one endophytic bacteria Sp 1E, and one rhizospheric actinomycetes Sp10 R were assayed for their ability in solubilizing phosphate and producing indole acetic acid (IAA), and in affecting chili growth and health. Bacterial ability in solubilizing phosphate was assayed in Pikovskaya's agar, while the ability in producing IAA was spectrophotometrically measured using Salkowski reagent. To know bacterial potential in promoting plant growth and in reducing fungal disease of Fusarium oxysporum, bacterial isolates were applied in chili seedling grown in small scale field. The results showed that only two isolates Bacillus sp. ST02 and Lactobacillus plantarum ST03 were capable of solubilizing phosphate, but all isolates produced IAA to some extent. Single and combination of ST02 and Sp 10R showed to affect more in increasing plant performance and reducing fungal disease caused by F. oxysporum. This result indicated that the PGPB isolates were considered as a promising microbial inoculant for plant health and growth.


One of the long-standing obstetric traditions which have been copied from text-book to text-book is that the heart of the pregnant woman undergoes marked hypertrophy, particularly during the latter months of pregnancy. This would seem reasonable on account of the extra work which the burden of carrying on the fetal circulation necessarily throws on the heart, but the recent observations of Stengel and Stanton do not bear it out. These authors assert that there is little, if any, hypertrophy of the heart during pregnancy and that the apparent hypertrophy is due to a displacement of the heart upward and outward, arising from the pressure of the growing uterus on the diaphragm. Accepting their observations as correct, we must assume that the reserve power of the normal heart is sufficient to carry on the fetal as well as the maternal circulation without reacting markedly to the added burden, and, therefore, that


Teachers´ professional development is crucial to bring about educational effectiveness and school improvement. In the New Century teachers must be able to work effectively within context of change, paradox and instability. However, the current policy approaches to teacher education in Sweden are far from this demand of developing teachers as critical professional experts. In this article, we exam the use of the ideas of action research in carrying out a course within an in-service teacher training program for master degree at Mid Sweden University, in which teachers� inquiry into their own practice and their reflective learning were stressed. Fourteen teachers who took this course participated in this study. The data we collected into this study includes questionnaires, the writing reports of teachers� action research, the curriculum documents of programme, and conversations with the focus group. Using the constructive frameworks of professional knowledge, teacher professionalism, action research, reflective practice in analysing the data, we find that teachers become more aware and sensitive to questions and ideas concerning educational and pedagogical issues, as well as develop knowledge and a heightened sense of their own professional work through this kind of reflective practice. We argue that carrying out in-service training programmes based on ideas of action research can make teacher education more relevant to the demands for teachers� learning and their professional development, support the tendency of an inclusive approach in schools, and thus promote educational effectiveness and school improvement.


Several methods for extracting the chlorophyll sensitive red‐edge position (REP) from hyperspectral data are reported in literature. This study is a continuation of a recent paper published as 'A new technique for extracting the red edge position from hyperspectral data: the linear extrapolation method'. The method was validated experimentally for estimation of foliar nitrogen concentrations of rye, maize and mixed grass/herb. The objective of this study was to test the utility of the linear extrapolation method under different conditions including variable canopy biophysical parameters, solar zenith angle, sensor noise and spectral bandwidth. REPs were extracted from synthetic canopy spectra that were simulated using properties optique spectrales des feuilles (PROSPECT) and scattering by arbitrarily inclined leaves (SAILH) radiative transfer models. REPs extracted by the linear extrapolation method involving wavebands at 680, 694, 724 and 760 nm produced the highest correlation (R 2 = 0.75) with leaf chlorophyll content with minimal effects of leaf and canopy biophysical confounders (leaf area index, leaf inclination distribution and leaf dry matter content) compared to traditional techniques including the linear interpolation, inverted Gaussian modelling and polynomial fitting techniques. In addition, the new technique is insensitive to changes in solar zenith angle. However, the advantage of using the linear extrapolation method compared to the various alternative methods diminishes with increasing sensor noise and decreasing spectral resolution. In summary, the linear extrapolation technique confirms its high potential for leaf chlorophyll estimation. The efficacy of the technique under field conditions needs to be established.


ABSTRACT Tacit knowledge and dilemmas experienced by youth professionals in a preventive and environment-centred approach to working with parents and children On 1 January 2015 the new Youth Act, one of three recent reforms in the social domain, came into effect in the Netherlands. The Youth Act has profoundly altered the relationship between citizens/parents and professionals. While the welfare state, in which professionals play a central role, is gradually scaled down, parents and young people themselves are given a more active role in both managing and implementing the support they receive. This implies that professionals are expected to help parents implement the practice of self-management and empowerment, whereas in the past their role was to provide care for the parents and young people who were "entitled" to it. This transformation of the youth care sector is unfolding within a dynamic social context that, since 2011, has included the creation of a Youth and Family Centre (Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin (CJG)) in every municipality. The task of these CJGs is to stimulate a positive environment for parents and children from -9 months to 23 years of age. This transformation raises questions not only for policymakers, but also for scientists and educators, and particularly for youth professionals. This contribution assesses the consequences of this transformation for the work of youth professionals who operate at the forefront in CJGs or social district teams. The nature of their work is undergoing a shift from specialist to generalist. Although the work of youth professionals remains focused on identifying early warning signs, assessing risks and supporting individual children and their families, they are now also expected to work on strengthening social cohesion in local neighbourhoods and villages. The new method of working is referred to as the "preventive and environment-centred approach". The approach is defined as follows (Wekker, 2013). Youth professionals should: 1)     take account of the living conditions, lifestyle and living environment of parents and young people and invite them to use their own resources; 2)     strengthen social cohesion to improve the pedagogical climate in their neighbourhood; 3)     mobilize and/or extend the social networks of parents and young people; and 4)     identify risk situations and intervene where necessary to prevent escalations This study investigates how youth professionals working with parents and children in interdisciplinary district teams consolidate the preventive and environment-centred approach. In practice, what do they do? What are they good at? Which difficulties and dilemmas do they face? The value of this study lies in the insight it provides into the experiential knowledge of youth professionals, and the identification of points of attention for the further development of the preventive and environment-centred approach in social district teams. We investigated this issue by following experienced youth professionals working at the forefront of CJGs in their daily work. To gauge the professional knowledge of these workers, which is deeply rooted in practice, we used the concept of "tacit knowledge", also known as experiential knowledge. The study was conducted in two CJGs in two districts of the municipality of Groningen, the Netherlands: Oosterpark and Groningen Zuid. Both CJGs include youth professionals from various organizations who work closely together. In each CJG, we selected six youth professionals who, according to their colleagues, successfully apply the preventive and environment-centred approach. Of these 12 professionals, three were male and nine female. They included five youth/social nurses, four youth workers, one paediatrician and two parenting consultants. In order to provide further depth to our observations, we conducted interviews with all 12 youth professionals. The objective of these interviews was to identify their motivations, the ways they legitimize their actions, and the dilemmas they face. Finally, the findings of our observations and interviews in each district were submitted in the context of a focus group aimed at all youth professionals from both CJGs. The objective of these focus groups was to reach a consensus regarding the knowledge, attitude and skills required of youth professionals in order to implement the preventive and environment-centred approach in their work, thus extending the applicability of this approach. Our observations clearly indicate that youth professionals are able to effectively take into account the living environment of the parents (Aspect 1) and adopt a preventive approach (Aspect 4). Aspects that are less strongly developed include the ability of youth professionals to reinforce social cohesion and, in particular, to improve the pedagogical climate of the district (Aspect 2). The network of citizens who are doing well (Aspect 3) is also not yet optimally used. In the interviews and focus groups, youth professionals identified three important obstacles. The first was lack of time (substantial case load, time involved in collaborations). The second was physical location (open doors and the vicinity of the location), and the third was selective inclusion (highly educated parents and parents who are not experiencing problems are difficult to include). A preventive and environment-centred approach is not always easy to implement. In practice, youth professionals face a number of dilemmas. First of all, there are moral dilemmas in relation to the parents' own resources. Youth professionals are afraid that when parents seek help from within their own environment, they may actually be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. In addition, privacy is an issue. Youth professionals are afraid of damaging fragile trust by sharing information with third parties. A methodological dilemma concerns finding the right balance between a specialist focus and a generalist focus. Time forms a third organizational dilemma, not only with respect to balancing administrative tasks, team formation, and the time needed for the families, but also with respect to a healthy balance between work and private life. Finally, the relationship between the parent organization and the interdisciplinary team is sometimes strained. The preventive and environment-centred approach appears to be a promising one for CJGs and it can and should be strengthened further. Our advice is to further develop the preventive and environment-centred approach of experienced professionals by promoting self-aware, T-shaped professionals working in an interdisciplinary context within improvised teams. Management, administration and policy should be adapted to facilitate this new way of working, particularly by offering professionals the space to further develop their skills in relation to the preventive and environment-centred approach. SAMENVATTING Ervaringskennis en dilemma's van professionals in preventief en omgevingsgericht werken met ouders en kinderen De transitie en transformatie in het sociale domein vraagt van jeugdprofessionals een nieuwe manier van werken, namelijk preventief en omgevingsgericht. Preventief en omgevingsgericht werken kent vier aspecten: 1. aansluiten bij de leefsituaties van ouders ter bevordering van eigen kracht; 2. werken aan sociale cohesie ten behoeve van het pedagogisch klimaat in de wijk; 3. het mobiliseren en/of vergroten van het sociaal netwerk van ouders, 4. signaleren van risico's en ingrijpen waar nodig. Dit artikel gaat over de vraag hoe professionals die met ouders werken handen en voeten geven aan deze nieuwe werkwijze, welke ervaringen ze hierbij opdoen en welke dilemma's ze tegenkomen. Deze vraag is onderzocht door professionals werkzaam in twee Centra voor Jeugd en Gezin in de stad Groningen te volgen in hun dagelijks werk. Daarbij is gebruik gemaakt van een methode die gericht is op het ontdekken van hun ervaringskennis. Deze methode bestaat uit het gericht observeren van professionals in hun dagelijks werken en uit het voeren van gesprekken hierover met professionals om hun overwegingen bij het handelen te achterhalen. Daaruit blijkt dat twee van de vier aspecten van preventief en omgevingsgericht werken sterker zijn ontwikkeld. CJG-professionals sluiten vaker aan bij de leefsituatie van ouders en pakken vaker risicosignalen op. Minder vaak maken ze gebruik van het sociale netwerk van ouders en werken ze aan sociale cohesie in de wijk. In het handelingsrepertoire lijken de preventieve aspecten sterker te zijn ontwikkeld dan de omgevingsgerichte. Professionals ervaren zowel morele, methodische als organisatorische dilemma's bij preventief en omgevingsgericht werken.


Introduction. Although the role of TNF-α in tumor development is not fully understood, an increased risk of malignancy with TNF-α-inhibitors, such as infliximab, has been suggested. Case Presentation. We present a 54-year-old nonsmoking female sarcoidosis patient. After seven months of infliximab therapy a T1aN0M0 larynx carcinoma of the right vocal cord was found and excised. Within a year, whilst still on treatment, a second larynx carcinoma of the opposite vocal cord appeared. Discussion. A bilateral vocal cord tumor is rare, especially in a never smoker. Evidence on the role of infliximab in carcinogenesis is inconclusive. To date, there are no follow-up studies evaluating malignancy risk of infliximab therapy in sarcoidosis patients. No studies in other diseases focus on laryngeal carcinomas during infliximab use. We argue that infliximab treatment might have attributed to the rapid progression of vocal cord carcinomas in this patient with an a priori low risk tumor profile. This case illustrates that caution remains warranted in patients with previous malignancies when considering initiation of TNF-α-inhibitors.


Although allelic diversity of genes has been reported to play important roles in different physiological processes, information on allelic diversity of defense-responsive genes in host-pathogen interactions is limited. Here, we report that a pair of allelic genes, OsWRKY45-1 and OsWRKY45-2, which encode proteins with a 10-amino acid difference, play opposite roles in rice (Oryza sativa) resistance against bacterial pathogens. Bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzae (Xoo), bacterial streak caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv oryzicola (Xoc), and fungal blast caused by Magnaporthe grisea are devastating diseases of rice worldwide. OsWRKY45-1-overexpressing plants showed increased susceptibility and OsWRKY45-1-knockout plants showed enhanced resistance to Xoo and Xoc. In contrast, OsWRKY45-2-overexpressing plants showed enhanced resistance and OsWRKY45-2-suppressing plants showed increased susceptibility to Xoo and Xoc. Interestingly, both OsWRKY45-1- and OsWRKY45-2-overexpressing plants showed enhanced resistance to M. grisea. OsWRKY45-1-regulated Xoo resistance was accompanied by increased accumulation of salicylic acid and jasmonic acid and induced expression of a subset of defense-responsive genes, while OsWRKY45-2-regulated Xoo resistance was accompanied by increased accumulation of jasmonic acid but not salicylic acid and induced expression of another subset of defense-responsive genes. These results suggest that both OsWRKY45-1 and OsWRKY45-2 are positive regulators in rice resistance against M. grisea, but the former is a negative regulator and the latter is a positive regulator in rice resistance against Xoo and Xoc. The opposite roles of the two allelic genes in rice-Xoo interaction appear to be due to their mediation of different defense signaling pathways.


This paper focuses on risk over long time horizons and within extreme percentiles, which have attracted considerable recent interest in numerous subfields of finance. Value at risk (VaR) aggregates several components of asset risk into a single quantitative measurement and is commonly used in tail risk management. Due to realistic data limits, many practitioners might use the square-root-of-time rule (SRTR) to compute long-term VaR. However, serial dependence and heavy-tailedness can bias the SRTR. This paper addresses two deficiencies of the study by Wang et al. (2011), who propose the modified-SRTR (MSRTR) to partially correct the serial dependence and use subsampling estimation as the benchmark to verify the performance of MSRTR. First, we investigate the validity of the subsampling approach through numerical simulations. Second, to reduce the heavy-tailedness bias, we propose a new MSRTR approach (MSRTR∗) in light of the Central Limit Theorem (CLT). In the empirical study, 28 country-level exchange-traded funds (ETFs) from 2010 to 2015 are considered to estimate the 30-day VaR. After modifying both serial dependence and heavy-tailedness, our approach reduces the bias from 26.46% to 5.97%, on average, compared to the SRTR. We also provide a backtesting analysis to verify the robustness of the MSRTR∗. This new approach should be considered when estimating long-term VaR using short-term VaR.


BACKGROUND
Radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for curing atrial fibrillation (AF) is often followed by early recurrence and delayed cure, so the present study investigate the predictive factors this in patients with chronic AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS
Ninety-two consecutive patients (70 males; mean age, 58.7+/-6.4 years) with chronic AF who underwent RFCA for treatment of symptomatic AF were enrolled. Early recurrence of AF (ERAF) occurred in 45 patients after ablation. Not achieving AF termination could predict ERAF (odds ratio (OR) 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.84-1.13; p=0.02) in multivariate analysis. During a follow-up of 12+/-11 (range, 5-25) months, delayed cure occurred in 35.6% (16/45) of the patients with ERAF. Left atrial size and AF termination during ablation were related to delayed cure. AF termination was the only independent predictive factor for delayed cure (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.05-1.87; p=0.02).

CONCLUSION
Not achieving AF termination is the only independent predictor of ERAF. Among patients with ERAF, those with a smaller left atrium and AF termination have a higher probability of delayed cure. AF termination can independently predict delayed cure. These results emphasize the importance of AF termination during ablation for patients with chronic AF.


The composite accompanied with a function of thermoelectric conversion has been fabricated. It was a fiber metal laminate (FML) consisting of two aluminum alloy sheets of 0.5mm thickness and a central layer of glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP). The central layer with a thickness of 1mm included thermoelectric elements of Bi-Te based alloys between glass fibers. The mechanical properties of FML with and without the thermoelectric elements were evaluated by tensile and bending test. The thermomechanical properties were measured by a potentiometer for a module with heated and cooled sides, and plotted a potential as a function of difference in temperature between both sides.


Objective To compare signalment, presentation, treatment, and outcome in horses diagnosed with corneal degeneration (CD) or calcific band keratopathy (CBK) at a referral hospital. Animals studied Sixty-nine horses (87 eyes) diagnosed with either CD or CBK. Procedures Medical records of horses diagnosed with CD or CBK at the University of California-Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (UCD-VMTH) between 2000 and 2013 were reviewed. Signalment, concurrent ophthalmic diagnoses, previous therapies, diagnostic tests, systemic diagnoses, treatment, follow-up, and outcomes were compared between horses diagnosed with CD or CBK. Age, breed, and gender were compared between the CD/CBK and UCD-VMTH populations. Results Thirty-three horses (42 eyes) and 36 horses (45 eyes) were diagnosed with CD and CBK, respectively. Horses with CD or CBK were significantly older ( P < 0.001) than the UCD-VMTH population with a median age of 16 or 18 years, respectively. Appaloosas were significantly overrepresented in the CD/CBK population (33%) in comparison with the UCD-VMTH population (1.8%, P < 0.001). Equine recurrent uveitis was concurrently diagnosed in 67% and 84% of horses with CD or CBK, respectively. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) was diagnosed significantly less often in horses with CD vs. CBK ( P = 0.03). Chemical chelation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid was performed significantly less frequently in horses diagnosed with CD (7.1%) vs. CBK (31.1% of eyes) (P = 0.012). Conclusions Despite some differences, equine CD and CBK are relatively similar conditions and may represent a continuum of disease severity. Horses with PPID should be monitored closely for corneal disease including CBK.