: Nowadays we are using high quality of digital camera for capturing the image but due to some artifacts the quality of images degrades such as noise so to restore its original quality different interpolation techniques has implemented in digital image processing such as blind and non-blind restoration methods of image. In this work, we mainly emphasis on the Lucy Richardson algorithm and blind deconvolution using Weiner and regularized filter to restore the original image. The Lucy-Richardson algorithm engenders reconstructed images of improved quality in the existence of high noise level. Weiner deconvolution can be useful for the point spread function (PSF) when the noise level is known or estimated while regularized deconvolution is much more effective once constraints are applied on the recuperated image (for example: smoothness). The distorted and piercing image is restored by a constant least square (CLS) algorithm that uses regularized filter. The analysis of the projected approach is done using PSNR and MSE measuring parameters and after analysis it is found that the approach better in both the view visual quality and computation time view than other interpolation techniques. By using the combined method of image restoration and interpolation we obtained the better spatial resolution than others.


Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), such as Intel SGX enclaves, use hardware to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of operations on sensitive data. While the technology is available on many processors, the complexity of its programming model and its performance overhead have limited adoption. TEEs provide a new and valuable hardware functionality that has no obvious analogue in programming languages, which means that developers must manually partition their application into trusted and untrusted components. This paper describes an approach that fully integrates trusted execution into a language. We extend the Go language to allow a programmer to execute a goroutine within an enclave, to use low-overhead channels to communicate between the trusted and untrusted environments, and to rely on a compiler to automatically extract the secure code and data. Our prototype compiler and runtime, GOTEE, is a backwardcompatible fork of the Go compiler. The evaluation shows that our compiler-driven code and data partitioning efficiently executes both microbenchmarks and applications. On the former, GOTEE achieves a 5.2× throughput and a 2.3× latency improvement over the Intel SGX SDK. Our case studies, a Go ssh server, the Go tls package, and a secured keystore inspired by the go-ethereum project, demonstrate that minor source-code modifications suffice to provide confidentiality and integrity guarantees with only moderate performance overheads.


Polymer nanocomposite-based dielectric materials are playing a vital role in the area of electrical insulation research and developments. The nanoparticle dispersion and interface region are the crucial parts of these developments. This chapter begins with the description of physical properties and their derived nanoparticles of polyimide (PI) films. Then, the detailed synthesis process of PI/nanocomposite multilayer film and its optimization is discussed in this chapter. Several factors in the synthesis process, which can influence the quality of the film, are discussed. After synthesis, the dielectric properties such as space charge were measured, and the results are compared with single and multilayer PI/nanocomposite films. Simulations and modeling help to shed light on the experimental results and create an understanding of polymer nanocomposite properties. Therefore, the PI/nanocomposite multilayer 3D model based on boundary conditions obtained from SEM/TEM images of synthesized samples was also constructed and simulated in COMSOL multiphysics software. The nanoparticle agglomeration and the impact of nanoparticle dispersion on the electrical properties of the material are described in detail in this model. The results demonstrate that the nanoparticle dispersion is improved by using a thin layer of PI/nanocomposite on PI film. As a result, fewer space charges and low electric fields are observed in multilayer films.


Nowadays, railway networks are instrumented with various wayside detectors. Such detectors, automatically identifying potential railcar component failures, are able to reduce rolling stock inspection and maintenance costs and improve railway safety. In this paper, we present a methodology to predict remaining useful life (RUL) of both wheels and trucks (bogies), by fusing data from three types of detectors, including wheel impact load detector, machine vision systems, and optical geometry detectors. A variety of new features is created from feature normalization, signal characteristics, and historical summary statistics. Missing data are handled by missForest, a Random Forests-based nonparametric missing value imputation algorithm. Several data mining techniques are implemented and compared to predict the RUL of wheels and trucks in a U.S. Class I railroad railway network. Numerical tests show that the proposed methodology can accurately predict RUL of the components of a railcar, particularly in a middle-term range.


Generic file sharing P2P applications have gained high popularity in the past few years. In particular P2P streaming architectures have attracted attention. Some of them consider many-to-one streaming or high level multicast techniques. In contrast to these models we propose techniques and algorithms for point-to-point streaming in autonomous systems as it might occur in large companies, a campus or even in large hotels. Therefore we introduce the architecture of an overlay network. Each subnetwork contains local active rendezvous server (LARS) which do not just act as directory server but also control availability of movie content in their subnetwork. Due to this we consider data placement strategies depending on restrictions of network bandwidth and peer capabilities as well as the movies's access frequency.


Parks provide critical ecosystem services to urban residents. Park access critically determines how parks are used by residents. Many existing studies, which mostly have been conducted in developed countries, reported that park access disproportionately benefits the socioeconomically advantaged groups. To test if this observation also holds true in developing countries, we examined the park access and its relationship with socioeconomic conditions in Beijing, China. We used a buffering method and a road network-based analysis to calculate the park access of 130 neighborhoods, and applied the Pearson correlation to examine how neighborhood park access is related to socioeconomic conditions. Our results showed that (1) the park access decreased from 76% in the downtown areas to 24% in the suburbs; (2) the correlation coefficients (r) between socioeconomic conditions and park access were all smaller than 0.3 (p < 0.05)—that is, explaining less than 8% of the variability. Our study indicated that neighborhood socioeconomic conditions were only weakly associated with park access in Beijing and did not support the common phenomenon in western countries. Such a contradiction might be explained by the fact that park planning in Beijing is funded and administered by the city government and influenced by the central government's policy, whereas in most developed countries market sectors play a critical role in park planning. Our research suggested that urban planning funded by governments, when aimed at improving the wellbeing of all urban residents, may effectively reduce potential environmental inequalities.


Objective : The aim was to analyze the use of Information System of Primary Care (SIAB) for planning and evaluation of actions in Family Health Units. Method : A descriptive and qualitative study, conducted from January to June 2008, in the units of the Health District IV in Campina Grande-PB. Interviews were conducted with four practitioners medical and six nurses. Results : Four categories emerged: The work at the Family Health Strategy; The assessment of the Information System of Primary Care by family heath professionals; Training for use of Information System of Primary Care; and Use of Information System of Primary Care in planning and evaluation of local health activities. It was found that use of the SIAB boils down to filling in forms and reporting what is claimed by the Health Department. Conclusion : Information not have supported the planning and assessment of actions, nor they not have been added reflectively to routine services.


ABSTRACT Plumbagin is found in many medicinal plants and has been reported to have antimicrobial activities. We examined the molecular responses of Escherichia coli to plumbagin by using a proteomic approach to search for bacterial genes up-regulated by the drug. The protein profile obtained was compared with that of E. coli without the plumbagin treatment. Subsequent analyses of the induced proteins by mass spectroscopy identified several up-regulated genes, including ygfZ, whose function has not been defined. Analyses of the 5′-flanking sequences indicate that most of these genes contain a marbox-like stretch, and several of them are categorized as members of the mar/sox regulon. Representatives of these genes were cloned into plasmids, and the marbox-like sequences were modified by site-directed mutagenesis. It was proven that mutations in these regions substantially repressed the level of proteins encoded by the downstream genes. Furthermore, plumbagin's early effect was demonstrated to robustly induce SoxS rather than MarA, an observation distinctly different from that seen with sodium salicylate.


BACKGROUND
We examined if changes in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), light activity, and sedentary behavior are related to weight change over a 2-year period in obese adults with/elevated risk for knee osteoarthritis.

METHODS
Weight, physical activity, and sedentary time at baseline and 2 years were obtained from 459 obese participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Weight change was categorized as ≥ 10 lbs, 5.0 to 9.9 lbs, 4.9 to -4.9 lbs, -5.0 to -9.9 lbs, and ≤ -10 lbs. We examined the association between 2-year weight change categories and changes in activity/sedentary time from accelerometer monitoring by multiple linear regression adjusted for baseline weight, demographic, and health factors.

RESULTS
Across the 5 weight categories (loss to gain), average 2-year change ranged from -7.4 to 28.0 sedentary minutes/ day, 4.2 to -23.1 light activity minutes/day, and 3.2 to -4.9 MVPA minutes/day, respectively. Higher weight loss categories were separately associated with increased MVPA (P for trend < 0.001) and less sedentary gain (P for trend = 0.01). Weight loss categories had a strong trend with light activity gain but not statistically significant (P for trend = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS
Small increases in MVPA and decreases in sedentary time over 2 years were associated with weight loss among adults with obesity and with or at elevated risk for knee osteoarthritis.


This paper presents an analysing strategy for prioritising a power company's different types of maintenance projects. Qualitative criteria, such as for instance safety for personnel and effect on the environment, together with the economic figures, form the decision framework. The handling of qualitative criteria is assisted using the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method to structure the decision criteria and to obtain the relative weighting between different criteria. The analysing strategy is demonstrated by using case studies from maintenance decisions in hydropower plants.


In 2003, a climate extreme accompanying a wet and cool summer over East Asia was recorded over the East Asian countries including central China, Korea, and Japan. A possible relation of this record-breaking summer in East Asia to above-normal snowfall over the Tibetan Plateau in spring has been investigated using the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) global and regional models. The changes in the simulated East Asian summer monsoon circulations in response to snow anomalies over Tibet are highlighted. The results from both global and regional model experiments suggest that above-normal snowfall over the Tibetan Plateau in May induces a weakening of the Tibetan high, which leads to the formation of favorable upper-level circulations accompanying cyclonic circulation anomalies covering the East Asian region in summer. These circulation anomalies inresponse tothe snow anomalies over theplateau aremore robust and closer towhat wasobserved in the regionalthan inthe global model results. The sensitivity experimentsalso show that the precipitation and lower-level circulation anomalies in summer, caused by the snow anomalies in spring, influence the above-normal precipitation in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin, as revealed in previous observational studies. However, the experiments do not fully explain the observed signals in Korea and Japan since the spring snow anomaly over Tibet plays a role in weakening the western Pacific subtropical high in the simulated summer, whereas in reality the intensity of the high was stronger than normal in 2003.


When designing an audio processing system, the target tasks often influence the choice of a data representation or transformation. Low-level time-frequency representations such as the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) are popular, because they offer a meaningful insight on sound properties for a low computational cost. Conversely, when higher level semantics, such as pitch, timbre or phoneme, are sought after, representations usually tend to enhance their discriminative characteristics, at the expense of their invertibility. They become so-called mid-level representations. In this paper, a source/filter signal model which provides a mid-level representation is proposed. This representation makes the pitch content of the signal as well as some timbre information available, hence keeping as much information from the raw data as possible. This model is successfully used within a main melody extraction system and a lead instrument/accompaniment separation system. Both frameworks obtained top results at several international evaluation campaigns.


Background Milroy and Milroy-like disease are rare disorders characterised by congenital lymphoedema caused by dysfunctional lymphatic vessel formation. Loss of extracellular response mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) is associated with Milroy disease, and VEGFR-3 gene is mutated in around 70% of the cases diagnosed. The only genetic alteration known to be associated with Milroy-like disease was recently identified in a family with a frameshift mutation in vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) gene, which encodes a VEGFR3 ligand. Methods and results We report a newborn patient with an external phenotype consistent with Milroy disease and a truncating mutation (p.R210X) in the VEGFC gene detected by exome sequence analysis. Subsequent analysis, by lymphoscintigraphic scan, performed for research purposes, allowed us to correct the diagnosis, confirming patient's disease as Milroy-like. The mutation segregates with the phenotype in the family according to a dominant model with full penetrance. Conclusions The clinical presentation, similar to Milroy disease, indicates an overlapping of the external phenotype of both diseases, suggesting that genetic analysis of VEGFC would be useful in diagnosing patients that present with Milroy features but have no mutation in VEGFR-3. Establishing a well-defined genetic pattern would help with differential diagnosis.


This is the first in a series of manuals on small-scale food processing, compiled by contributors from several developing countries. Intended as a practical guide for people starting or operating a food business, it covers a range of topics, including hygiene, equipment, product testing, suppliers and retailers, and financial, production and staff management


Inspired by the shiny American venture capital industry, China has been on the way to engineer its own vibrant venture capital market since the middle of the 1980s. The development of the Chinese venture capital market has been rapid but accompanied by the fact that Chinese domestic venture capital has been marginalized by their American competitors during the developmental process. The lack of Chinese pension funds in financially supporting Chinese domestic venture capital partially explains the imbalance and distance between American venture capital and Chinese domestic venture capital. In order for Chinese domestic venture capital to level the playground in the aspect of fundraising, a double-faceted approach including the revision of law and the delicate design of private ordering ought to be respectively relied on by the Chinese authorities and Chinese pension funds.


Famines have long been associated with drought. With the severity of droughts growing in association with climate change, there is increasing pressure to do a better job predicting famines and delivering international aid to avert human suffering and civil instability. We examine recent advances in remote sensing technology, focusing on the latency, historical availability and spatial and temporal scales of the data these satellites provide. Because of their global coverage, seven variables derived from satellite observations emerge as especially pertinent to drought and famine: precipitation (TRMM/GPM), groundwater (GRACE/GRACE‐FO), snow (MODIS), soil moisture (SMOS, SMAP, Sentinel‐1), evapotranspiration (MODIS, ECOSTRESS), vegetation health (Landsat, AVHRR, MODIS, SPOT) and chlorophyll fluorescence (OCO‐2). We discuss tipping point theory as a possible framework for taking advantage of long time series of these satellite data where they exist in order to enhance the effectiveness of existing famine early warning systems.


A novel tricalcium phosphate Ca3(PO4)2 and calcium silicate CaSiO3 (TCP/CS) bone cement was developed and its mechanical properties and biocompatibility were evaluated from various proportions of TCP/CS composites which yield an injectable, self-solidified and degradable alternative biomaterial. The Osteoblasts (OB) were added into the TCP/CS composite disks and the properties of OB such as adhesion, proliferation, morphology and differentiation were observed. The solidification time of TCP/CS increases as the content of CS increases. The injectability of TCP/CS composite improves dramatically comparing that of TCP paste. The compressive strength of TCP/CS composites is greatly stronger than that of TCP alone. Furthermore, the degree of cell attachment, proliferation and differentiation, as well as biocompatibility significantly improves upon addition of CS into TCP. The TCP/CS composite with injectability possesses high strength and good biocompatibility, it might become a new biomaterial for vertebroplasy in the treatment of osteoporotic compressive fractures.


Kernel methods are among the most popular techniques in machine learning. From a regularization theory perspective, they provide a natural choice for the hypotheses space and the regularization functional through the notion of reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. From a probabilistic theory perspective, they are the key in the context of Gaussian processes, where the kernel function is known as the covariance function. The theory of kernel methods for single-valued functions is well established by now, and indeed there has been a considerable amount of work devoted to designing and learning kernels. More recently there has been an increasing interest in methods that deal with multiple outputs, motivated partly by frameworks like multitask learning. Applications of kernels for vector-valued functions include sensor networks, geostatistics, computer graphics and several more. Kernels for Vector-Valued Functions: A Review looks at different methods to design or learn valid kernel functions for multiple outputs, paying particular attention to the connection between probabilistic and regularization methods. Kernels for Vector-Valued Functions: A Review is aimed at researchers with an interest in the theory and application of kernels for vector-valued functions in areas such as statistics, computer science and engineering. One of its goals is to provide a unified framework and a common terminology for researchers working in machine learning and statistics.


e17032 Background: The optimal time to begin therapy in mCRPC patients who have either no, or minimal symptoms is not defined yet. Estimating prognosis of these patients can avoid undertreatment or overtreatment and guide the follow-up intensity. This study has investigated the ability of a deep learning framework (DLF) to identify asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic mCRPC patients with high risk of disease progression and mortality using PSA and testosterone levels. Methods: Data from the control arm of the NCT00554229 trial was obtained from www.projectdatasphere.org . These mCRPC patients were treated with placebo alone. The dataset consisted of more than 150 clinical variables. We generated synthetic fingerprints (SF) for each patient through the integration of PSA values collected at baseline and during the first 90 days of follow-up and testosterone levels at baseline. These SF were then input into a DLF to identify subgroup of patients based on their similarities. The resultant subgroups were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Feature contribution analysis identified the significant predictive clinical variables in each subgroup. Results: After discarding missing data, 189 patients were eligible for this exploratory study. Median PFS and OS for the total population were 8.7 months and 24.5 months, respectively. DLF identified two different subpopulations, SPA (n = 89) and SPB (n = 100), with significantly different survival outcome. Patients in SPA had a lower risk of progression (median PFS 12.2 months vs. 7.2 months; hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.41-0.71; p < .0001) and death (median OS not reached vs. 20.3 months; hazard ratio 0.33, 95% CI 0.21-0.52; p < .0001) compared to patients in SPB. SPA signature was significantly correlated to leuprolide treatment. These patients also had higher levels of haemoglobin, red blood cells, haematocrit, total bilirubin, Ca, phosphate, and K. Instead, SPB signature was significantly correlated with presence of > 3 bone metastasis, lack of energy or forced time to bed in the FACT-P and moderate problems in selfcare in the EQ-5D, and treatment with goserelin, tamsulosin, opioids and contact laxatives. In addition, these patients had higher levels of platelets, basophils, monocytes, ALP, AST, LDH, PSA, free PSA, Mg, Na, and specific gravity. Conclusions: DLF identifies mCRPC subtypes that correlate with higher risk of progression and death according to PSA and testosterone levels. Model predictions also suggest complex interactions among many clinical features that might be important modulators of key clinical traits and outcome. Further work is required to validate this approach to anticipate the clinical course of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic mCRPC patients and help to better decide when to start appropriate therapy.


Early to Late Eocene bryozoans from the La Meseta Formation of Seymour Island were collected at two localities within the Cucullaea I Allomember (Telm4 and Telm5) on the northwestern side of the island and in two localities within the Submeseta Allomember (Telm6 and Telm7) on the northeastern side. This fauna is represented by cyclostomes of the suborders Tubuliporina and Cerioporina and suborders of Neocheilostomata, among which nine species have been recognized. The following new species are introduced: Micropora nordenskjoeldi sp. nov., Lunulites marambionis sp. nov., Otionellina antarctica sp. nov. and Otionellina eocenica sp. nov. Some other taxa recognized in the studied material, such as Reticrescis plicatus , Uharella seymourensis and Celleporaria mesetaensis , were previously described from the lowermost (Telm1) or uppermost parts (Telm6–7), thus their stratigraphical ranges within the La Meseta Formation are extended. The diverse growth-forms of the bryozoans include a sole ball-shaped celleporiform colony and reticulated and bilamellar-foliaceous colony, as well as rich encrusting and free-living forms (so-called sand faunas), indicating the existence of locally restricted shallow-marine environments. This is particularly true in the middle and upper parts of the La Meseta Formation (Telm4–7). Reticulated, spheroidal and robust, branched colonies, which thrived in the environmental conditions of the lower part (Telm1), are represented only by a sparse bryozoan biota in the upper part of the La Meseta Formation. Lunulitiforms, such as Lunulites and Otionellina which are warm water, free-living bryozoans, dominate in the siliciclastic sediments of Telm5, but erect folded sheets forming a shell bed composed of ? Goodonia occur in Telm6–7. These three genera are recognized in Antarctica for the first time. The austral genus Otionellina has its earliest fossil record here, showing close biogeographical links with the Late Eocene–Miocene faunas of Australia and New Zealand. The taxonomic composition of the studied fauna together with their growth forms is a very good tool for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions in the middle and upper parts (Telm4–7) of the La Meseta Formation, deposited during the Late Ypresian–Priabonian.


The renal effects of manidipine, a new dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, were compared with those of nifedipine in anesthetized dogs. Intrarenal administration of manidipine 1 and 5 micrograms/kg resulted in prolonged (120 min) increases in renal blood flow (RBF), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urine flow (UF), and urinary excretion of electrolytes. In contrast, the renal effects of nifedipine disappeared within 5 to 10 min after administration. These results demonstrate that manidipine is a long-acting calcium antagonist. Manidipine proportionally increased RBF and GFR. As a result, filtration fraction was kept constant. The changes in afferent and efferent arteriolar resistance suggested that manidipine increases GFR via dilation of afferent arterioles with subsequent elevation of filtration pressure in the glomeruli. Manidipine also proportionally increased Tc H2O and Cosm; Tc H2O/Cosm did not change throughout the experiments. In addition, manidipine increased the fractional excretion of sodium from the distal tubule which was calculated from the lithium and sodium clearance. The mode of diuretic action of manidipine most likely involves inhibition of sodium reabsorption in the proximal and distal tubules, except the medullary portion of the ascending limb of Henle. The renal vascular site of action of manidipine might be the afferent arteriole.


Thermometric and salinity data are presented for fluid inclusion populations in samples of hydrothermal vein material (quartz intergrown with wolframite, cassiterite, stannite, arsenopyrite, pyrite/chalcopyrite, hematite and limonite) and in metasomatic quartz over-growths in granite, greisen and kaolinized granite. These data indicate that multistage high temperature (Th 200– 400°C) and single or multistage low temperature (Th 70–150°C) hydrothermal events occurred within the Cligga Head granite stock and its environs. Although fluid inclusion salinities were low (2–12 equiv, wt. % NaCl) throughout the hydrothermal history of the stock, there is a general tendency for the salinity of the vein fluids to decrease with decreasing temperature. The homogenization temperature and salinity of the vein fluids of the wolframite-cassiterite mineralization are similar to those of another Cornish Sn-W deposit at St Michae¾s Mount. Low to moderate salinity fluids in the Th range 300–400°C appear to be a characteristic of the cassiterite-wolframite mineralization in the Cornubian metallogenic province.


Machine learning models can contain many layers and branches. Each branch and layer, contain individual variables, know as hyperparameters, that require manual tuning. For instance, the genetic algorithm designed by Unit Amin [2] was designed to mimic the reproductive process of living organisms. The genetic algorithm and the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) training processes contain inherent randomness that reduces the replicability of results. Combined with the sheer magnitude of hyperparameter permutations, confidence that model has arrived at the best solution may be low. The algorithm designed for this thesis was designed to isolate portions of a complex ANN model and generate results showing the effect each hyperparameter has on the performance of the model as a whole. The results of this thesis show that the algorithm
effectively generates data correlating model performance to hyperparameter selection. This is evident in section 3.1, and 3.2, where it is shown that using the sigmoid activation function with CNN layers, regardless of the number of filters, or hyperparameters used in the subsequent LSTM layers, produces superior RMSE scores. Section 3.2 also reveals that the model does not improve in performance as the number of CNN and LSTM layers are added to the model. Finally, the results in section 3.3 show that the rmsprop optimizer generates superior results regardless of the hyperparameters used in the rest of the model.


Salzer 1 has published a study of trichinosis in which he claims to have secured beneficial results in man and in experiment animals by the use of serum from patients recovered from the disease. In this connection he also claims that injections of serum are prophylactic against trichinosis; that animals fed with infected meat within twenty-four hours after the administration of the serum might develop a mild form of trichinosis, but if fed at a later period would prove to be immune; and that if immune serum was mixed with infected meat and then fed to animals, the animals did not develop trichinosis, though the ingestion of the same meat without serum was invariably followed by the appearance of the disease. In two patients in the active stages of trichinosis the administration of the serum showed remarkable curative power; there was a decided drop in temperature within six hours and the


The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 sets forth a requirement that all school districts must address the issue of student failure by assuring that all students reach a level of proficiency by the year 2013–14. It requires that schools take action that may require curriculum adjustments and/or changes as well as providing choice to leave a failing school to one that is meeting NCLB criteria. This article describes how mastery learning principles applied throughout the curriculum can support the NCLB legislation. Mastery learning has been a proven strategy to maximize students' effort in achieving proficiency in learning. NCLB legislation is aimed at assuring that all children reach a level of proficiency in their learning. But the legislation does not determine how school districts can accomplish this task. The paper suggests that by implementing mastery learning principles each student can reach a level of proficiency and therefore will support effectiveness of NCLB legislation.


When a robot system collides with its environment, unexpected position errors occur due to the effect of impact. Large actuation effort may grow up to compensate for these errors. The sudden increases of actuator torque may violate the torque limit. We propose to employ a redundant actuation mode to facilitate disturbance rejection. An optimal load distribution algorithm for redundantly actuated system is introduced to reduce the effect of shocks. This scheme distributes the compensating effort to the system actuators in consideration of the torque limit. The disturbance rejection capability of the proposed scheme is compared with those of other load distribution methods by simulation and experiment. A five-bar mechanism is employed as an exemplary plant.


The objective of this work was to determine the biological parameters and thermal requirements of Trichogramma chilonis strain reared on Corcyra cephalonica and Plutella xylostella eggs at College of Agriculture, CAU, Imphal, Manipur. The optimum temperature for the parasitism and emergence of T. chilonis was 25°C and the utmost longevity was found at the same temperature. Maximum parasitism was observed 84.14 and 82.71 per cent at 25°C, while minimum parasitism was 76.57 and 69.14 per cent at 20°C on C. cephalonica and P. xylostella eggs, respectively. The results indicate that temperature has a significant effect on the biological parameters of T. chilonis and with increasing temperature developmental duration decreased in laboratory condition of Manipur. On the basis of the present results Corcyra cephalonica eggs was more suitable for mass production of T.  chilonis than P. xylostella under controlled conditions.


Dihydrofolate reductase has been isolated from cells of the rodent malarial organism Plasmodium berghei by separation from the host cells with saponin and extraction by rupture in a French pressure cell. The enzyme exhibits certain distinctive properties which clearly distinguish it from the dihydrofolate (H 2 -folate) reductase isolated from the host cells (mouse erythrocytes) and from H 2 -folate reductases obtained from other sources, as reported in the literature. The molecular weight determined by gel filtration (190,000 ± 10%) is 9-10-fold higher than reported for most other H 2 -folate reductases. This value was not significantly decreased when the enzyme was passed over Sephadex G-100 columns in the presence of KCl, urea + 2-mercaptoethanol, or the substrate, H 2 -folate. The plasmodial H 2 -folate reductase is unlike bacterial enzymes in its stimulation by high concentrations of KCl and urea, and its approximately 10-fold lower K m value for NADPH (1.3 µM). The enzyme from P. berghei differs markedly from other dihydrofolate reductases in its sensitivity to several diaminoheterocyclic inhibitors. Most striking is the inhibition by pyrimethamine; it exhibits a 50% inhibitory concentration of approximately 0.5 nM compared with 1 µM for the mouse erythrocyte enzyme. The binding of pyrimethamine to P. berghei dihydrofolate reductase is stoichiometric when enzyme and drug have been incubated for 5-10 min prior to the addition of H 2 -folate, and reversible in the absence of prior incubation. A positive correlation was observed between the binding of pyrimethamine and three dihydrotriazines by the enzyme and the activity of these compounds in vivo against P. berghei infections. These data establish that the selective action of pyrimethamine in malaria is due to the greater sensitivity to this drug of the plasmodial enzyme as compared to the host enzyme and reflect the unique, potent binding of pyrimethamine to plasmodial H 2 -folate reductase.


Introduction and objectives Electronic cigarette usage or "vaping" has risen exponentially in recent years in smokers and ex-smokers. Published data suggests that vaping e-cigarette liquid (ECL) may not be as benign as propounded by e-cigarette companies which are increasingly owned by "big tobacco". Much of the current literature has focused on the effect of non-vaporised ECL – such studies do not fully reflect the exposure of the user, as the process of vaping causes chemical changes in ECL. To investigate the effect of unvaped ECL and vaped e-cig condensate (ECVC) using our novel system, with and without nicotine, on alveolar macrophage (AM) viability and immune responses. Methods We developed a novel method to produce ECVC to allow direct comparison with unvaped ECL. Nicotine concentration as assessed by GFID was 31 mg/ml in ECL and 26 mg/ml in ECVC. AMs were obtained from lung resection tissue and treated with ECVC/ECL ± nicotine. Cell viability was assessed by cell titre aqueous assay, apoptosis, necrosis and markers of macrophage phenotype (CD68, CD80, CD163, CD206) were assessed by flow cytometry. IL-8 release by AMs was assessed by ELISA. Results AM culture with ECL or ECVC resulted in dose dependent reduction in cell viability. ECVC was cytotoxic at lower concentrations than ECL (0.8% ECVC vs 5 %ECL, n = 6). 24 hour culture with 1% ECVC resulted in a 5fold increase in AM apoptosis and 2 fold increase in necrosis compared with 1%ECL (p = 0.079, n = 5). Nicotine containing ECVC caused more apoptosis vs nicotine free ECVC (27.2% vs 13.4%, (p = 0.0079,n = 4). Culture with 0.6%ECVC significantly increased supernatant levels of IL-8 compared with 1% ECL (p = 0.015, n = 4). ECVC was also found to affect macrophage phenotype, showing both nicotine dependent/independent regulations of markers of macrophage m1/m2 polarisation (CD80 p = 0.0357, CD163 p = 0.0179, CD206 p = 0.0357, n = 6). Conclusions Our novel system creates ECVC which is sterile, minimises loss of nicotine and prevents dilution of the vapour. Vaped E-cigarette condensate is significantly more toxic to AMs than non-vaped e cigarette liquid. Furthermore, ECVC with nicotine is significantly more toxic than ECVC without Nicotine. Effects shown on inflammatory cytokine production and markers of macrophage polarisation indicate both nicotine dependent and independent effects of ECVC on alveolar macrophages.


RRM2B is a critical ribonucleotide reductase (RR) subunit that exists as p53-inducible and p53-dependent molecule. The p53-independent regulation of RRM2B has been recently studied, and FOXO3 was identified as a novel regulator of RRM2B. However, the p53-independent regulation of RRM2B, particularly under oxidative stress, remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of RRM2B underoxidative stress-induced DNA damage and further examined the regulation of mitochondrial and inflammatory genes by RRM2B. Our study is the first to report the critical role of RRM2B in mitochondrial homeostasis and the inflammation signaling pathway in a p53-independent manner. Furthermore, our study provides novel insights into the role of the RR in inflammatory diseases.


The motivation for dark matter searches at the LHC and the models used to perform these searches are presented. A particular focus is placed on the advantages and disadvantages of renormalisable mediator models, followed by a discussion of their central predictions. The case of mono-Higgs signals is considered in further detail for illustration, followed by an outlook on the activities of the LHC Dark Matter Working Group.


Tantalum arsenide is a member of the non-centrosymmetric monopnictides, which are putative Weyl semimetals. In these materials, three-dimensional chiral massless quasiparticles, the so-called Weyl fermions, are predicted to induce novel quantum mechanical phenomena, such as the chiral anomaly and topological surface states. However, their chirality is only well-defined if the Fermi level is close enough to the Weyl points that separate Fermi surface pockets of opposite chirality exist. In this article, we present the bulk Fermi surface topology of high quality single crystals of TaAs, as determined by angle-dependent Shubnikov-de Haas and de Haas-van Alphen measurements combined with ab-initio band-structure calculations. Quantum oscillations originating from three different types of Fermi surface pocket were found in magnetization, magnetic torque, and magnetoresistance measurements performed in magnetic fields up to 14T and temperatures down to 1.8K. Of these Fermi pockets, two are pairs of topologically non-trivial electron pockets around the Weyl points and one is a trivial hole pocket. Unlike the other members of the non-centrosymmetric monopnictides, TaAs is the first Weyl semimetal candidate with the Fermi energy sufficiently close to both types of Weyl points to generate chiral quasiparticles at the Fermi surface.


Introduction: Impairment of oral functions and masticatory efficiency is a result of a loss of teeth. Due to lack of awareness about importance of prosthodontic replacement, mostly patients do not seek treatment immediately after tooth loss. Patients with different educational and socioeconomic background may have different reasons for not replacing teeth after extraction such as financial issues, lack of time and motivation. Materials and Methodology: A cross sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted at Hitkarini Dental College and Hospital, Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) and surrounding population. The total study samples were 480. The subjects were randomly selected from patients reporting to the institute for teeth replacement. The sample population consisted of 278 males and 202 females A selfdesigned questionnaire containing total 14 questions, out of which 8 were knowledge based and remaining 6 were attitude based questions was used for obtaining data. The response to questionnaire was ranked according to Likert Scale. The collected data was put into SPSS software to be analyzed. Results: As the result indicated among the study population reported that 267 participants in the study population has insufficient knowledge which included men and women and 213 had sufficient knowledge about the various treatment options while 58.3% population had positive attitude for replacement of missing teeth and 74.8% population feels that oral hygiene maintenance for artificial prosthesis is must. Conclusion: From the analysis, it has come to the fore that the knowledge level might vary among the subjects based on demographic factors like income, education, gender and age. However, their attitude towards dental and prosthetic treatment is positive especially in cases involving no surgical procedure as it enhances their appearance and functionality. But positive attitude towards treatment does not amount to opting for treatment.


In this paper, we introduce the notion of a Markov chain and explore how it can be used to sample from a large set of configurations. Our primary focus is determining how quickly a Markov chain "mixes," or converges to its stationary distribution, as this is the key factor in the running time. We provide an overview of several techniques used to establish good bounds on the mixing time. The applications are mostly chosen from statistical physics, although the methods are much more general.


The DEMO reactor is expected to be the first application of fusion for electricity generation in the near future. To this aim, conceptual design activities are progressing in Europe (EU) under the lead of the EUROfusion Consortium in order to drive on the development of the major tokamak systems. In 2014, the activities carried out by the magnet system project team were focused on the toroidal field (TF) magnet system design and demonstrated major achievements in terms of concept proposals and of consolidated evaluations against design criteria. Several magnet system R&D activities were conducted in parallel, together with broad investigations on high temperature superconductor (HTS) technologies. In this paper, we present the outcomes of the work conducted in two areas in the 2014 magnet work program: 1) the EU inductive reactor (called DEMO1) 2014 configuration (power plant operating under inductive regime) was the basis of conceptual design activities, including further optimizations; and 2) the HTS R&D activities building upon the consolidated knowledge acquired over the past years.


Diffuse pulmonary hemorrhage syndrome (DPHS) is reviewed and classified according to the international classification. We analyse the more characteristic features, as well as the most appropriate diagnosis methods which ensure early and effective treatment. We conclude by proposing the therapeutic attitude to be taken for DPHS.


Objectives: In India, adverse drug reaction (ADR) monitoring activity is in infancy. This study was conducted to determine the pattern and extent of occurrence of ADRs in the hospital, to analyze the ADRs reporting behaviors in healthcare professionals (HCPs), to analyze the knowledge about ADRs in HCP, to analyze and compare the ADRs reported by HCP and to analyze the barriers involved in nonreporting of suspected ADRs.
 Materials and Methods: The study was carried out at Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH). A questionnaire containing 19 questions was distributed to the teaching faculties of pharmacy college, physicians, nurses, and students of the study setting.
 Results and Conclusion: The response rate of faculties, physicians, nurses, and students for the questionnaire in phase-I were found to be 66.67%, 40.00%, 66.67%, and 73.33%, respectively. But the response rates remarkably increased in phase-II when compared with phase-I study viz., 100% from faculties and students, 93.33% from physicians, and 86.67% from nurses. Almost all the participants said that ADR monitoring is done in their institution. Majority of the participants said that ADR should be reported if it causes both inconvenience and death to the patients. In our study, physicians (93%) knew the objectives of ADR monitoring very well in phase-II, when compared with phase-I study (75%), which was followed by faculties (83%), nurses (77%), and students (73%). Spontaneous reporting of ADRs is denoted by all faculties, 93% physician, 80% students, and 77% nurses in phase-II study. All participants in the phase-II survey knew any one method to monitor ADRs but in phase-I, 10% nurses and 9% students did not know about any method of monitoring ADR. Lack of knowledge about ADR reporting center is the mainstay in under-reporting or nonreporting of observed ADRs noted by only 6.67% of faculties, 19.23% nurses, and 10% students. The reason for underreporting was very much reduced in phase-II than in phase-I.


: Polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-Id-AT or AT2) were produced to AT idiotopes of virion antigens--structural proteins of herpes simplex virus (HSV) and of early virus-induced antigens (VIA). The method of SPRIA established that anti-Id-AT seemed to be associated with AT active centers. Besides, immunization with anti-Id-AT produced anti-anti-Id-AT (AT3) similar in their specificity with antiviral AT or anti-VIA. It was shown that AT2 could be used as a diagnostic preparation instead of specific antigen for the detection of antibody to HSV or VIA in human sera by indirect RIA.


The circadian rhythmicity of hormone secretion, body temperature, and sleep/wakefulness results from an endogenous rhythm of neural activity generated by clock genes in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). One of these genes, Clock, has been considered essential for the generation of cellular rhythmicity centrally and in the periphery; however, melatonin-proficient Clock(Delta19) + MEL mutant mice retain melatonin rhythmicity, suggesting that their central rhythmicity is intact. Here we show that melatonin production in these mutants was rhythmic in constant darkness and could be entrained by brief single daily light pulses. Under normal light-dark conditions, per2 and prokineticin2 (PK2) mRNA expression was rhythmic in the SCN of Clock(Delta19) + MEL mice. Expression of Bmal1 and npas2 was not altered, whereas per1 expression was arrhythmic. In contrast to the SCN, per1 and per2 expression, as well as Bmal1 expression in liver and skeletal muscle, together with plasma corticosterone, was arrhythmic in Clock(Delta19) + MEL mutant mice in normal light-dark conditions. npas2 mRNA was also arrhythmic in liver but rhythmic in muscle. The Clock(Delta19) mutation does not abolish central rhythmicity and light entrainment, suggesting that a functional Clock homolog, possibly npas2, exists in the SCN. Nevertheless, the SCN of Clock(Delta19) + MEL mutant mice cannot maintain liver and muscle rhythmicity through rhythmic outputs, including melatonin secretion, in the absence of functional Clock expression in the tissues. Therefore, liver and muscle, but not SCN, have an absolute requirement for CLOCK, with as yet unknown Clock-independent factors able to generate the latter.


We have isolated an endo-β-galactosidase designated E-ABase from Clostridium perfringens ATCC 10543 capable of liberating both the A trisaccharide (A-Tri; GalNAcα1→3(Fucα1→2)Gal) and B trisaccharide (B-Tri; Galα1→3(Fucα1→2)Gal) from glycoconjugates containing blood group A and B glycotopes, respectively. We have subsequently cloned the gene (eabC) that encodes E-ABase from this organism. This gene was found to be identical to the CPE0329 gene of C. perfringens strain 13, whose product was labeled as a hypothetical protein (Shimizu, T., Ohtani, K., Hirakawa, H., Ohshima, K., Yamashita, A., Shiba, T., Ogasawara, N., Hattori, M., Kuhara, S., and Hayashi, H. (2002) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 99, 996–1001). Since the amino acid sequence of E-ABase does not bear detectable similarity to any of the 97 existing families of glycoside hydrolases, we have proposed to assign this unusual enzyme to a new family, GH98. We also expressed eabC in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) and obtained 27 mg of fully active recombinant E-ABase from 1 liter of culture. Recombinant E-ABase not only destroyed the blood group A and B antigenicity of human type A and B erythrocytes, but also released A-Tri and B-Tri from blood group A+- and B+- containing glycoconjugates. The structures of A-Tri and B-Tri liberated from A+ porcine gastric mucin and B+ human ovarian cyst glycoprotein were established by NMR spectroscopy. The unique specificity of E-ABase should make it useful for studying the structure and function of blood group A- and B-containing glycoconju-gates as well as for identifying other glycosidases belonging to the new GH98 family.


The idea of a 'fertile crescent' linking Palestine with Mesopotamia is a commonplace for biblical scholars; a less familiar notion, and yet one which John Pairman Brown in Israel and Hellas (BZAW 231, de Gruyter, 1995, DM 178.00, pp. 407, ISBN 3-11-014233-3) clearly considers equally important, is a Levantine crescent extending over the eastern and northern Mediterranean and linking Palestine with Greece. The work of Cyrus Gordon, which depended much on Ugaritic texts, and of Michael Astour, identifying Danaoi with Danites, has not won the general acceptance which Brown now seeks to establish for a pre-historic relationship between Palestine and Greece. Most of the chapters in this book have appeared in earlier form as independent articles, and indeed these chapters may still be read as separate studies. They have been revised, however, and supplemented, especially with


A dual-band terahertz(THz) filter consisting of two different cross slots is designed and fabricated in a single molybdenum layer. Experimental verification by THz time-domain spectroscopy indicates good agreement with the simulation results. Owing to the weak coupling between the two neighboring cross slots in the unit cell, good selectivity performance can be easily achieved, both in the lower and higher bands, by tuning the dimensions of the two crosses. The physical mechanisms of the dual-band resonant are clarified by using three differently configured filters and electric field distribution diagrams. Owing to the rotational symmetry of the cross-shaped filter, the radiation at normal incidence is insensitive to polarization. Compared with the THz dual-band filters that were reported earlier, these filters also have the advantages of easy fabrication and low cost, which would find applications in dual-band sensors, THz communication systems, and emerging THz technologies.


We introduce a new perspective on approximations to the maximum a posteriori (MAP) task in probabilistic graphical models, that is based on simplifying a given instance, and then tightening the approximation. First, we start with a structural relaxation of the original model. We then infer from the relaxation its deficiencies, and compensate for them. This perspective allows us to identify two distinct classes of approximations. First, we find that max-product belief propagation can be viewed as a way to compensate for a relaxation, based on a particular idealized case for exactness. We identify a second approach to compensation that is based on a more refined idealized case, resulting in a new approximation with distinct properties. We go on to propose a new class of algorithms that, starting with a relaxation, iteratively yields tighter approximations.


Background/Purpose: Caregiving can be costly to dementia caregivers' well-being. Assessing the factor structure and psychometric properties of Cognitive-Behavioral Scales in dementia caregivers is an essential step in addressing the gap in the current state of research. Specifically, it is essential to determine first whether the factorial structure of the three measures used in this study namely, the Positive Thinking Skills Scale, the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist, and the Zarit Burden Interview are good representation of the data by studying the good model fit. Next, evaluating the reliability of each factor of the three measures used are essential to learn about the precision of the factors. Lastly, it is vital to study the factor correlation and its relevance to the theory used to determine the validity of the factors. Methods: A descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional design in a convenience sample of 100 caregivers. Results: Results indicated that the factorial structure of the three scales is a good representation of the data; an acceptable reliability of each factor of the three measures; and the factors correlated as expected and showed their relevance to the underlying theory. Conclusions: Future studies might consider studying the mediating/moderating effects of positive thinking on carerecipients challenging behavior problems. The findings can be used as a guide to provide a positive thinking training intervention among caregivers.


Abstract Susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) has become an important imaging sequence in the evaluation of patients with neurovascular disease. In this review, we provide a general overview of the physics of SWI and describe how image contrast is produced with this technique. We provide a general approach and differential diagnosis for 2 commonly encountered radiographic patterns seen with SWI in neurovascular disease. Finally, we discuss specific neurovascular applications of SWI, including its application in acute stroke, vascular malformations, venous thrombosis, and evaluation of cerebral microbleeds.


Magnitude, distance, and amplitude corrections (MDAC) made to ob- served regional amplitudes are necessary so that what remains in the corrected am- plitude is mostly information about the seismic source type. Corrected amplitudes can be used in ratios to discriminate between earthquakes and explosions. However, source effects remain that cannot easily be determined and applied as amplitude cor- rections, such as those due to depth, focal mechanism, local material property, and apparent stress variability. We develop a mathematical model to capture these near- source effects as random (unknown), giving an error partition of three sources: model inadequacy, station noise, and amplitude correlation. This mathematical model is the basis for a general multistation regional discriminant formulation. The standard error of the discriminant includes the variances of model inadequacy and station noise, along with amplitude correlation in its formulation. The developed methods are demonstrated for a collection of Nevada test site (NTS) events observed at regional stations (see Fig. 1). Importantly, the proposed formulation includes all corrected am- plitude information through the construction of multistation discriminants. In contrast, previous studies have only computed discriminants from single stations having both P and S amplitudes. The proposed multistation approach has similarities to the well- established mb versus Ms discriminant and represents a new paradigm for the regional discrimination problem.


Diazoxide, a potent vasodilator and antidiuretic, was used to examine the relationship between hypotension and thirst in conscious rats with indwelling arterial and venous catheters. Bolus iv. injections (5-50 mg/kg) caused prompt, long-lasting, and dose-dependent reductions in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and stimulated drinking. Water intake and degree of hypotension were closely correlated when MAP was 10-65 mmHg below normal. At the time of drinking there were no significant changes in central venous pressure, plasma osmolality, or Na+ or K+ concentration. Plasma glucose increased approximately 35%, and blood volume increased approximately 10% (based on hematocrit changes and dilution of Evans blue). Captopril (100 mg/kg sc to block the renin-angiotensin system) enhanced the depressor response to diazoxide but abolished the dipsogenic response over the same range of arterial pressures tested in controls. Angiotensin II iv infusion restored drinking in captopril-treated animals. The combination of captopril and diazoxide did not block drinking to iv infusions of hypertonic saline or water deprivation. These results confirm that hypotension potently stimulates thirst and support the hypothesis that angiotensin II mediates the dipsogenic response in rats.


Biogas is a renewable gas with low heat energy, which makes it extremely difficult to use as fuel in conventional natural gas equipment. Nonetheless, the use of hydrogen as a biogas additive has proven to have a beneficial effect on flame stability and combustion behavior. This study evaluates the biogas–hydrogen combustion in a conventional natural gas burner able to work up to 100 kW. Tests were performed for three different compositions of biogas: BG70 (30% CO2), BG60 (40% CO2), and BG50 (50% CO2). To achieve better flame stability, each biogas was enriched with hydrogen from 5% to 25%. The difficulty of burning biogas in conventional systems was proven, as the burner does not ignite when the biogas composition contains more than 40% of CO2. The best improvements were obtained at 5% hydrogen composition since the exhaust gas temperature and, thus, the enthalpy, rises by 80% for BG70 and 65% for BG60. The stability map reveals that pure biogas combustion is unstable in BG70 and BG60; when the CO2 content is 50%, ignition is inhibited. The properties change slightly when the hydrogen concentrations are more than 20% in the fuel gas and do not necessarily improve.


Introduction: From the most recent systematic revision of the literature, an orthotopic neobladder would seem to show marginally better health related quality of life (HR-QoL) scores compared with an ileal conduit. The aim of this study was to review all relevant published studies about the comparison between ileal orthotopic neobladder (IONB) and ileal conduit using validated HR-QoL questionnaires. Materials and Methods: Studies were identified by searching multiple literature databases. Data were synthesized using meta-analytic methods conformed to the PRISMA statement. Results: The literature search identified 10 papers; pooled effect sizes of combined quality of life outcomes for ileal conduit versus IONB showed a significantly better HR-QoL in patients with IONB (Hedges' g = 0.278; p = 0.000);. The present study has an important limitation due to the type of the analyzed comparative studies, all retrospective and not randomized. Conclusion: This meta-analysis of not-randomized, retrospective comparative studies on the impact of ileal conduit versus IONB on HR-QoL showed a significant advantage of IONB subgroups.


Being innovative is an important feature for companies that wish to be competitive and survive in the marketplace. However, there are different paths that could lead to innovation and different approaches that emerge with the intention to help companies innovate. Design Thinking is one of these approaches. It proposes an innovation process centered on the user that can be applied to a wide array of contexts. This study aims to describe the application of Design Thinking in the health sector, report the experience gained, and analyze the results. Initially, the literature on the subject was reviewed, including the main models of Design Thinking in Brazil and other countries. The approach was applied to the hemodialysis unit of a hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The main goal was to innovate and improve the experience of patients in their first week of hemodialysis sessions. Finally, the results were analyzed, a contrast between what was planned and what was actually done was studied, and a comparison between the literature and the practice was established. The study issue is fairly recent and there were not many cases for comparison. In this particular project, it was not possible to prove that the approach improved the experience of hospital patients.


Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic, iso‐639‐3 kal) is an Inuit language spoken in Greenland and is the official language of the country. In this presentation we discuss a collaborative project initiated by the Greenland Language Secretariat (Oqaasileriffik) to create a bilingual Kalaallisut‐English dictionary, aimed at two groups of users, Kalaallisut speakers who are learning English and English speakers learning Kalaallisut. We discuss the content and format of the dictionary, the underlying principles upon which it is being created, and the collaborative process itself. This collaborative project involves researchers from Greenland and the US.

The dictionary, intended to include something in the order of 25,000‐35,000 entries, aims to provide the necessary information for both sets of users to both comprehend and produce both languages. The two languages are typologically distinct and there is limited correspondence between what counts as a word in each language. Kalaallisut is highly polysynthetic with very productive derivational and inflectional morphology, providing challenges for what constitutes a lexical entry versus which forms are one‐off creations by speakers. Language learners need information not only about word meaning, but also about "word" creation. By the same token, much of the grammatical information included in English words is encoded in Kalaallisut suffixes, providing challenges for Kalaallisut speakers learning English.

The team began its work by establishing a core set of principles including:

1. The dictionary is based on the modern standard language, as currently spoken, with all entries approved by the Greenland Language Council (Oqaasiliortut).
2. The dictionary is usage‐driven.
3. The dictionary does not replace a reference grammar but provides an
internal word grammar, i.e., it includes necessary and sufficient information for a user to generate correct word forms in both languages.
4. Irregular, unpredictable or otherwise not transparent forms need to be included.
5. The dictionary should include all necessary information for proper usage such as collocations, style and register information

These principles are illustrated with sample entries from both languages. Entries are created through a collaborative process, but final approval of all material rests
with Oqaasiliortut, the Language Council, which is part of the Greenland Self‐ Government. This particular project illustrates not only the importance of the concrete linguistic entries, but also the significance of the collaborative process of dictionary making, and the approval process, which is controlled by the local government.


This study applied the reformed service quality model developed by Parasuraman to measure the service quality level and the gaps between perceptions and expectations of a motor company located in a mining environment (Francistown). The data from the three part survey questionnaire was used to examine gaps between perceptions and expectations of the respondents. The findings from a sample of 140 customers show that the service quality level of vehicle repair service department (VRSD) did not fully meet the expectations of the customers of VRSD and gaps were observed in all five dimensions. Paired t-test used to test the significance of difference between out of warranty responses and under warranty responses for expectation and perceptions showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups of customers. Finally the correlation analysis confirmed the strength of the relationship between the service quality and the dimensions studied. Recommendations are made to bridge the gaps between perception and expectation


Purpose–This study aimed to identify the effects of teachers' attitude on teachers' commitment in high performance schools in
Kedah and also the effects of principals' support as a mediator. Methodology–
Data was obtained through a survey. The sample
comprised a total of 399 teachers randomly selected from high performance public secondary schools in Kedah. The questionnaire
comprised 40 items and has high reliability with Cronbach Alpha 0.94. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and Multiple
Regression Analysis.Findings – The findings showed that principals' support in decision
making was at a high level while the level of teachers' commitment in decision-making was at moderate level. The regression analysis
showed that teacher's attitudes had significant relationship with loyalty and willingness to remain in school.The findings also indicate that principals' support partially mediated the effect of teachers' attitude and loyalty, and willingness to remain in decision making. Significance–This study illustrates that teachers who have a positive attitude while engaged in decision-making in high performance schools will remain at the school.Continuous encouragement by principals will affect the attitude of teachers towards participation n decision making.Teachers' positive attitude will eventually increased their commitment.


Drug delivery systems with active targeting ligand provide improved therapeutic efficiency due to the selectivity towards tumor cells. In this paper we prepared drug loaded nanoparticles (NPs) using folate (FA) incorporated chitosan (FA-CS) based on ionic gelation technology. FA-CS NPs were spherical in shape with an average particle size of 100 nm, while 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) loaded NPs became less circular with average particle size of 100-500 nm. NPs made from FA-CS conjugates exhibited improved capability to encapsulate hydrophilic 5-FU. It was found 5-FU distributed in FA-CS NPs in solid solution state. In vitro release results demonstrated the release of 5-FU from FA-CS NPs was more controllable as compared to that of CS NPs.


Obstructed labor is one of the most common preventable causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality in developing countries. Among the common causes are cephalopelvic disproportion, malpresentation, and malposition. Recognizing the causes of obstructed labor is important if the complications are to be prevented. Adequate prevention, however, can be achieved only through a multidisciplinary approach aimed in the short term at identifying high-risk cases and in the long term at improving nutrition. Early motherhood should be discouraged, and efforts are needed to improve nutrition during infancy, childhood, early adulthood, and pregnancy. Improving the access to and promoting the use of reproductive and contraceptive services will help reduce the prevalence of this complication.


A model for an early stage of particle growth is developed in order to investigate the process of particle growth around the electrode sheath boundary observed experimentally in an rf silane-helium plasma. In this model, it is assumed that formation of higher silane radicals produced by reaction chains of short-lifetime radicals and fast accretion of the higher silane radicals may lead to particle growth. Negatively charged particles are not taken into account in this model. The spatial distribution of the short-lifetime radicals such as SiH2 generated in the rf silane-helium plasma is obtained using a fluid model. Using the density of SiH2 as an initial condition, the spatiotemporal evolutions of the particles having up to 100 SiHn s are calculated. This indicates that short-lifetime higher silane radicals are responsible for particle growth in the rf silane-helium plasma.


Since the early 1980s, manufacturing industries worldwide have seen a revolution in the way they operate. Consumers have become more and more demanding and the key to company/firm survival is the recognition of customers' satisfaction. In a way, companies have been forced to enhance the quality of their processes and their products. Some of them chose to establish internal quality systems whereas others have opted for employing a general quality system standard, such as the BS 5750 or the ISO 9000 series. In Greece, a great part of the companies (about 80%) employ quality system standards, among which the highest percentage (80%) belong to food manufacturing industries.


every surprisingly gives rise to cumulative readings (Schein 1993; Kratzer 2000). The distribution of these readings is governed by scope-related asymmetries (Champollion 2010; Haslinger & Schmitt 2018). In this work, I notice a third property of these readings: cumulative readings of every receive weaker "leaky" truth-conditions under negation, previously thought to be unattested (Bayer 2013). Exploiting this third property, I build an event semantics to deliver these "leaky readings" by default. Within this semantics, it becomes possible to account for cumulative readings of every and their properties, keeping to standard assumption about the denotation for every. I also show how the same analysis predict the scope-related asymmetries and their less studied interaction with overt movement.


Objective: The present study aims to investigate the risk of developing second primary prostate cancer after treating initial primary prostate cancer and to determine the role played by different variables including age, race, marital status, etc. regarding this risk. Materials and methods: We have conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the risk of developing second primary prostate cancer. Data needed for this investigation was obtained from surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER). Analysis of the risk of developing SPPC compared to the general population was obtained by measuring the standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). Results: Incidence of initial primary prostate cancer was more evident at 60-69 years of age, 38.84% (59,067) than different age groups. Marital status was found to have a significant impact on the incidence of prostate cancer. Married men (83.78% of the study sample) had a higher incidence of developing IPPC in comparison with single ones (p<0.001). Furthermore, the highest SIR values were noted in patients who were diagnosed with the local stage of prostate cancer in comparison with other stages (O/E 0.01, 95% confidence interval (0.01-0.02). Conclusions: The risk of developing second primary prostate cancer after treating the initial one is increased over time and is found to be the highest in old aged patients (60-69 years), who were diagnosed with initial primary distant stage prostate cancer of adenocarcinoma histologic type.


A discrete-event simulation model, and a computer program that implements the model, have been developed as means of analyzing a spiral software-development process. This model can be tailored to specific development environments for use by software project managers in making quantitative cases for deciding among different software-development processes, courses of action, and cost estimates. A spiral process can be contrasted with a waterfall process, which is a traditional process that consists of a sequence of activities that include analysis of requirements, design, coding, testing, and support. A spiral process is an iterative process that can be regarded as a repeating modified waterfall process. Each iteration includes assessment of risk, analysis of requirements, design, coding, testing, delivery, and evaluation. A key difference between a spiral and a waterfall process is that a spiral process can accommodate changes in requirements at each iteration, whereas in a waterfall process, requirements are considered to be fixed from the beginning and, therefore, a waterfall process is not flexible enough for some projects, especially those in which requirements are not known at the beginning or may change during development. For a given project, a spiral process may cost more and take more time than does a waterfall process, but may better satisfy a customer's expectations and needs. Models for simulating various waterfall processes have been developed previously, but until now, there have been no models for simulating spiral processes. The present spiral-process-simulating model and the software that implements it were developed by extending a discrete-event simulation process model of the IEEE 12207 Software Development Process, which was built using commercially available software known as the Process Analysis Tradeoff Tool (PATT). Typical inputs to PATT models include industry-average values of product size (expressed as number of lines of code), productivity (number of lines of code per hour), and number of defects per source line of code. The user provides the number of resources, the overall percent of effort that should be allocated to each process step, and the number of desired staff members for each step. The output of PATT includes the size of the product, a measure of effort, a measure of rework effort, the duration of the entire process, and the numbers of injected, detected, and corrected defects as well as a number of other interesting features. In the development of the present model, steps were added to the IEEE 12207 waterfall process, and this model and its implementing software were made to run repeatedly through the sequence of steps, each repetition representing an iteration in a spiral process. Because the IEEE 12207 model is founded on a waterfall paradigm, it enables direct comparison of spiral and waterfall processes. The model can be used throughout a software-development project to analyze the project as more information becomes available. For instance, data from early iterations can be used as inputs to the model, and the model can be used to estimate the time and cost of carrying the project to completion.


The rise of online misinformation is posing a threat to the functioning of democratic processes. The ability to algorithmically spread false information through online social networks together with the data-driven ability to profile and micro-target individual users has made it possible to create customized false content that has the potential to influence decision making processes. Fortunately, similar data-driven and algorithmic methods can also be used to detect misinformation and to control its spread. Automatically estimating the reliability and trustworthiness of information is, however, a complex problem and it is today addressed by heavily relying on human experts known as fact-checkers. In this paper, we present the challenges and opportunities of combining automatic and manual fact-checking approaches to combat the spread on online misinformation also highlighting open research questions that the data engineering community should address.


This paper presents an integration of grasp planning and online grasp stability assessment based on tactile data. We show how the uncertainty in grasp execution posterior to grasp planning can be dealt with using tactile sensing and machine learning techniques. The majority of the state-of-the-art grasp planners demonstrate impressive results in simulation. However, these results are mostly based on perfect scene/object knowledge allowing for analytical measures to be employed. It is questionable how well these measures can be used in realistic scenarios where the information about the object and robot hand may be incomplete and/or uncertain. Thus, tactile and force-torque sensory information is necessary for successful online grasp stability assessment. We show how a grasp planner can be integrated with a probabilistic technique for grasp stability assessment in order to improve the hypotheses about suitable grasps on different types of objects. Experimental evaluation with a three-fingered robot hand equipped with tactile array sensors shows the feasibility and strength of the integrated approach.


This paper discusses the control of the compensation voltages in dynamic voltage restorers (DVR). It first analyzes the power circuit of a DVR system in order to come up with appropriate control limitations and control targets for the compensation voltage control. Based on this power stage analysis, a combined feed forward and state feedback control structure for the compensation voltages of DVRs is developed. This paper also discusses the time delay problems inherent in the digital control system of a DVR. Digital control systems normally have control delay from the sampling period, the switching frequency of the inverter, the sensor transmission time, etc. The control delay increases the dimension of the system transfer function. This makes the control system more unstable. This paper analyzes the control performance related with the control delay, closed loop damping factor, and the output filter parameters in DVR systems. Based on the control system analysis, design guidelines are proposed for the control gains and the inverter switching frequency of DVRs. The proposed theory is verified by an experimental DVR system with a full digital controller.


In this paper, an upwind meshless GFDM is presented for the first time and applied to the coupled computation of heat and mass transfer in porous media. The GFDM based sequential coupled discrete schemes of the pressure diffusion equation and thermal convection-diffusion equation, the upwind scheme of physical parameters without modifying node influence domain and the treatment of heterogeneous physical parameters in GFDM are given. Three numerical examples illustrate the good computational performances of the presented upwind GFDM and the application of the method to numerical solutions of the convection-diffusion equation. This study shows that this upwind GFDM, which can flexibly characterize the computational domain through allocation nodes without complicated mesh division and has sufficient accuracy, may have great potential to be developed as a general numerical simulator in the multi-physics coupling problem with complex geometry.


PREMISE OF THE STUDY
Tradeoffs among functional traits of vascular plants are starting to be better understood, but it is unclear whether bryophytes possess similar tradeoffs or how trait relationships, or the 'economic spectrum', differ between the two groups.

METHODS
We determined functional-trait values [including shoot mass per area (SMA), light-saturated assimilation rate (Amass), dark respiration rate (Rdmass), N and P concentrations (Nmass and Pmass), and photosynthetic N and P use efficiency (PNUE and PPUE)] and their bivariate relationships for 28 bryophytes growing in a subalpine old-growth fir forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Trait values and scaling relationships of these bryophytes were compared with data for vascular plant leaves from the Global Plant Trait Network (GLOPNET) dataset.

KEY RESULTS
We found that the Amass, Nmass, N:P, PNUE and PPUE of bryophyte shoots were lower than those of vascular plant leaves. In contrast, bryophytes possessed higher Pmass and the two groups had similar values of SMA and Rdmass. The Nmass and Pmass were closely associated with Amass and Rdmass, and these traits were all significantly negatively related to SMA. Metabolic rates increased faster with nutrient concentrations in bryophytes than in vascular plants.

CONCLUSIONS
Our research indicates that bryophytes have similar trait relationships as vascular plant leaves, although the slopes of the relationships differ for most trait combinations. This study confirms a functional-trait tradeoff in bryophytes, and reveals that bryophytes allocate greater proportions of N and P into the metabolic pools.


In the September 2017 B.C. Budget Update, the government announced that MSP premiums would be eliminated within four years, with advice from a task force of experts on how best to replace the foregone MSP premium revenue. The MSP Task Force was formed in November 2017 and asked to report by March 31, 2018. The Terms of Reference1 for the Task Force required us to apply the principles of fairness, efficiency, business competitiveness, simplicity, revenue stability, and progressivity in determining the best way to replace MSP premium revenues.

On February 1, 2018 we provided the Minister with our Interim Report that described our process and what we had heard so far. We conducted a thorough review of the B.C. tax system and met with or received input from 70 individuals and 28 stakeholder groups. The most common theme in the input was that the revenue should be replaced by a combination of an increase to personal income tax and a payroll tax. Other suggestions included taxes on unhealthy activities, corporate tax changes, broadening the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) base, and changing the Home Owner Grant to an income-tested program. Our Interim Report provided the following initial advice to the Minister:

}} Eliminate premiums and start collecting the replacement revenues all at once without phase-in;

}} Provide reasonable notice to allow employees and employers to prepare for the change; and,

}} Use a combination of measures to mitigate the negative impacts of each individual measure.

In Budget 2018, delivered on February 20, 2018, the Minister announced that MSP premiums would be eliminated effective January 2020, with foregone revenue offset by the Employer Health Tax, a payroll tax. The budget document also indicated that the Task Force should continue its work and make recommendations to improve the progressivity, fairness, and competitiveness of the tax system.

We have built upon some of the ideas we were working on to raise revenue and some observations we made while reviewing the tax system, but our proposals are now generally intended to be revenue-neutral rather than ways to raise revenues.


Abstract This paper describes a data processing system for recording automatically on paper punch tape and a teletypewriter 29 different meteorological variables measured at the Argonne National Laboratory. The meteorological sensors are coupled to the data system either directly or through analog-to-digital converters attached to the recorders. Average values of the meteorological variables over periods of 2, 10, or 60 min are obtained by modified ball and disc integrators and pulse accumulators. Other characteristics of the data processing system and an enumeration of difficulties encountered and their solutions are discussed.


Silver has been used for centuries as an antimicrobial agent to reduce bioburden and prevent infection. Its usage diminished when antibiotics were introduced but remained one of the most popular agents for wound infections, especially in burned patients. Incorporation of silver into a range of hygiene and healthcare applications has increased, and this has raised concerns over the development of silver resistance, toxicity, methods of testing products and evidence of efficacy. The published evidence for resistance and toxicity is limited and associated with frequent and high levels of silver used. Increasing evidence of improved antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles of silver and possible dual immunomodulatory effects are exciting. This may lead to further product development as potential alternative preservatives as some currently available preservatives have an increasing incidence of allergic reactions. Acknowledging the role of the carrier is important, and as silver is active when in solution, opens a window of opportunity in personal hygiene area. This is important in an age when multiple antibiotic–resistant bacteria are becoming prevalent.


Objective: To study the curative effect of continuous intravenous drip of low molecular dextran combined with furosemide in the treatment of edema in children with nephrotic syndrome.
Methods: A total of 170 children with edema in nephrotic syndrome treated in the Pediatric Department of our hospital from March 2015 to May 2017 were randomly divided into two groups. Patients in control group were treated with intravenous drip of furosemide (furosemide injection), while those in experimental group received intravenous drip of low molecular dextran based on the treatment in control group. The treatment indexes of the two groups were summarized.
Results: At 7 d after treatment, the total effective rate of treatment in experimental group was 97.15%, which was higher than that in control group (88.24%, P<0.05). The extinction time of edema in experimental group was shorter than that in control group, the 24-h urine volumes at 3 d, 5 d and 7 d after treatment were larger than those in control group, and the 24-h urinary protein level was lower than that in control group (P<0.05). During the 6-month follow-up, the recurrence rate in experimental group was lower than that in control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Low molecular dextran combined with furosemide is significantly effective in the treatment of edema in children with nephrotic syndrome, which promotes the extinction of edema and improves the renal function, so it is worth promoting.


This pilot case-control study at a tertiary-care hospital over a four-month period was aimed at evaluating the possible usefulness of screening of TORCH (Toxoplasma gondii, rubella virus, cytomegalovirus, and Herpes simplex virus) in females with bad obstetric history. The study included 12 women with bad obstetric history and a similar number of matched controls with previous normal pregnancies. A serological evaluation of TORCH infections was carried out by detecting IgG and IgM antibodies against these infections by ELISA test-kit. Statistical analysis was not done to compare the results relating to the two groups due to a small number of cases and controls included in the study. Ten (83.3%) of the 12 cases with bad obstetric history and two (16.7%) of the 12 healthy controls were serologically positive at least for one of the TORCH agents. The seropositivity rate in women with bad obstetric history was quite high compared to that in the normal healthy controls. The results suggest that a previous history of pregnancy wastage and the serological evaluation of TORCH infections during current pregnancy must be considered while managing cases with bad obstetric history.


We synthesized diamine-functionalized graphene oxide, DDS–GO and HMDA–GO, by introducing 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) or hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) into the carboxylic acid groups on graphene oxide (GO) via amide bonds. The introduction of diamines was confirmed by analytical methods such as FT-IR, TG-DTA, XPS, AFM, and optical microscopy. Then, we applied DDS–GO and HMDA–GO as co-curing agents for epoxy (EP) nanocomposites that were prepared by mixing bisphenol-A type EP and DDS curing agent (ca. 21 wt%). Interestingly, when 1.0 wt% of DDS–GO was added to the EP/DDS mixture, the crosslink density (CD) increased from 0.028 to 0.069 mol cm−3. Due to the higher CD, both the glass transition temperature and tensile strength of the EP/DDS/DDS–GO nanocomposite effectively improved from 160.7 °C to 183.4 °C and from 87.4 MPa to 110.3 MPa, respectively.


Innate immunity is the first line of defense against invading microbes1. The type I interferon (IFN) pathway plays a key role in controlling Human Immunodeficiency Virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication2,3. We identified an IFN-α stimulated gene C19ORF66 that we term Suppressor of Viral Activity (SVA). Full length SVA-1 protein inhibits HIV-1 by blocking virion production. SVA splice variants truncated at the C-terminus and/or disrupted at the nuclear export signal (NES) lose antiviral activity and localize to nucleus, while full length SVA-1 co-localizes with HIV-1 p24 protein in the cytoplasmic compartment of infected cells. SVA-1 is structurally and functionally conserved across species, including mouse and chimpanzee. We provide the first description of the effector function of the gene SVA/C190RF66 as an innate immune factor with anti-HIV-1 activity.


Both by itself and as part of Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac OS X, Entourage 2004 is about more than just email: It's about managing contacts and setting up appointments and creating task lists. But most of all it's about organization--providing a unified view for sharing, creating, and managing the information that threatens to engulf us. Here to help you make the most of it is the first Visual QuickStart Guide devoted entirely to the topic. In these pages you'll find all the task-based, step-by-step instruction you need to master every aspect of Entourage--from managing multiple email accounts to setting up groups, creating customized send and receive schedules, and more. Best of all, youi¾?ll get the skinny on all of Entourage 2004's new features--most notably, the very cool Project Center, which provides a single location from which you can view and organize all of the email, files, contacts, meetings, and tasks associated with a given project.


Arboviruses like chikungunya and Ross River (RRV) are responsible for massive outbreaks of viral polyarthritis. There is no effective treatment or vaccine available against these viruses that induce prolonged and disabling arthritis. To explore the physiopathological mechanisms of alphaviral arthritis, we engineered a recombinant RRV expressing a NanoLuc reporter (RRV-NLuc), which exhibited high stability, near native replication kinetics and allowed real time monitoring of viral spread in an albino mouse strain. During the acute phase of the disease, we observed a high bioluminescent signal reflecting viral replication and dissemination in the infected mice. Using Bindarit, an anti-inflammatory drug that inhibits monocyte recruitment, we observed a reduction in viral dissemination demonstrating the important role of monocytes in the propagation of the virus and the adaptation of this model to the in vivo evaluation of treatment strategies. After resolution of the acute symptoms, we observed an increase in the bioluminescent signal in mice subjected to an immunosuppressive treatment 30 days post infection, thus showing active in vivo replication of remnant virus. We show here that this novel reporter virus is suitable to study the alphaviral disease up to the chronic phase, opening new perspectives for the evaluation of therapeutic interventions.


Intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure were monitored in 12 patients who were comatose secondary to hypoxic (five cases) or hypotensive (seven cases) nontraumatic cerebral insults. Patients who were hypotensive but not hypoxic developed significant increased ICP. In patients who were comatose from hypoxic cerebral insults without hypotension, ICP was normal. When an increase in ICP was diagnosed, patients were managed aggressively so as to improve cerebral perfusion and lower ICP. Although a functional salvage rate of 25% was obtained, this may reflect the severity of the initial cerebral insult rather than the effect of treatment. In order to prevent the potential deleterious effects of raised ICP, it is concluded that monitoring ICP and maintaining adequate perfusion may be warranted in comatose patients who have suffered nontraumatic diffuse ischemic but not purely hypoxic cerebral insults.


Internships have proven to be beneficial for both the intern and the company. The Construction Management (CM) department has proven to be able to well connect students with the industry for summer internships and full-time jobs. Programs like info sessions, job fairs, and meet and greets have allowed the CM department to make this connection. However, partaking in a part-time internship while taking coursework has not been emphasized in the department. This paper will gauge student interest in obtaining a part-time internship for a local construction company in San Luis Obispo. Student responses to surveys showed a clear interest in the possibility of working part-time for a local construction company, and the results of those surveys are discussed.


This paper considers sneakerheads, or sneaker collectors and enthusiasts, as fans. It explores both them and their participatory culture, developing a new approach to researching sneakerheads: I here conceptualize sneaker collecting as an object-inspired fandom to highlight the difference between sneaker fandom and other object-oriented fandoms. This paper demonstrates that sneaker collecting is about both collecting knowledge about the subject of sneakers and collecting sneakers themselves. The materiality of sneakers, the story behind a design, and the cultural history of sneakers attracts sneakerheads to sneakers. As such, I here explore the following characteristics of sneaker collecting: the importance of knowledge and its acquisition, the high value of the community's practices and activities, the high level of emotional involvement, fan art (sneaker art), and anticommercial ideologies and beliefs. The approach demonstrated in this paper could also be useful in research of other communities organized around collecting wearable goods, such as clothes or accessories, including football T-shirts, vintage denim, and bags.


Offering discretionary preferential treatments (DPTs) to selected customers is a prevalent practice in hospitality services, yet its nature and effects on nonbeneficiaries are unclear. Drawing from social comparison and appraisal theories and relationship marketing literature, this study examines how nonbeneficiaries appraise and respond to witnessing service employees offering DPTs to others through the separate emotions of malicious and benign envy, that drive their respective contrasting reactions. Nonbeneficiaries' relationship strength with the firm and their perceived continuity of the preferential treatment (PT) further alter the proposed effects on experiences of envy. A customer survey and three experiments (laboratory and field) consistently affirm the distinctiveness of DPT and support a dual pathway model of the mediating processes of malicious and benign envy on nonbeneficiaries' behavioral outcomes (e.g., derogating the beneficiary, cooperating with the employee, loyalty to the service company). The findings also uncover a double-edged sword effect of a strong nonbeneficiary-firm relationship: It enhances the effects of DPT on both malicious and benign envy. Interestingly, this enhancing effect of relationship strength for eliciting malicious (benign) envy can be reduced (strengthened) if the PT is perceived to be available on an ongoing basis.


The dragonfly communities in Sweden may be affected in many ways. Loss of habitats, habitat alteration or even environmental toxins might have a negative impact on the communities. A new threat to the communities and to the species in general is climate change. In this study I examined whether the dragonfly composition had changed in an area in central Sweden between 1997 and 2010. I did a nestedness matrix to see if the dragonfly composition (only using partivoltine species) was more or less nested in 2010 than it was in 1997, i.e. if there was more unexpected species recorded in the area. I also looked at the surrounding of the lakes and whether the species were considered to be generalist species or specialist species. I found that the dragonfly composition had changed during these 13 years and that the composition was more nested in 1997 than in 2010, i.e. there was more unexpected species in the 2010 survey. I also recorded seven new species for the area and that six species had disappeared. Six species had gone from being generalists to being specialists. The surroundings had not changed significantly and I thus see climate change as a possible explanation to these changes.


Objective: To determine the frequency of various factors leading to un-controlled asthma in our asthmatics population (> 16 years of age). Study Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: Indoor and out-patient clinics of Department of Pulmonology of Jinnah Hospital, Lahore. Duration: Study was carried out over a period of six months from 27-08-2014 to 26-02-2015. Sample Size: Total 120 cases of uncontrolled bronchial asthma were included in this study. Methodology: Total 120 cases of uncontrolled bronchial asthma were included in this study. Upon presentation, each patient was asked for general questionnaire. Results: According to distribution of cases by age, majority of the patients 29.0% were between 21-30 years and minim 11.5% cases were more than 50 years of age with mean age of 33.5±4.1 years. Out of 120 patients, 81 cases (67.5%) were male and remaining 39 patients (32.5%) were female. Regarding factors leading to uncontrolled asthma, 32 (26.6%) patients used alternative medicine, 16 (13.3%) patients used oral medication, 59 (49.1%) patients used inhaler improperly while poor compliance was found to be in 63 (52.5%) patients. Conclusion: Self-monitoring and subsequent treatment adjustment on weekly basis can leads to improved asthma control in patients with uncontrolled asthma at baseline.


The paper discusses the relationship between the vestibular stability of man and his cardiovascular regulation that develops during the recumbent-to-upright change of the body position. It describes specific parameters typical of the intermediate processes of the cardiovascular system that are prognostically important for the evaluation of the vestibular stability. The paper gives equations of multiple regression helping to predict the level of vestibular resistance with respect to the pattern of intermediate processes of the cardiovascular system during orthostatic tests.