A class of VLSI architectures for data transformation of tree-based codes is proposed, concentrating on transformation functions used for data compression and decompression. Two algorithms are presented: a sequential algorithm that generates the code bits serially one bit per machine cycle, and a parallel algorithm that generates the entire code bits of a symbol in one machine cycle. The algorithms use the principle of propagation of a token in a reverse binary tree constructed from the original codes. The design approaches are applicable to any binary codes, although the static Huffman code is used as an illustration. A hardware algorithm for generating adaptive Huffman codes is proposed, and a VLSI architecture for implementing the algorithm is described. The high speed of the algorithms ensures that data transformation is done on the fly, as data are being transferred from/to high-speed I/O communication devices. >


Agent-Based Models are very useful for simulation of physical or social processes, such as the spreading of a pandemic in a city. Such models proceed by specifying the behavior of individuals (agents) and their interactions, and parameterizing the process of infection based on such interactions based on the geography and demography of the city. However, such models are computationally very expensive, and the complexity is often linear in the total number of agents. This seriously limits the usage of such models for simulations, which often have to be run hundreds of times for policy planning and even model parameter estimation. An alternative is to develop an emulator, a surrogate model that can predict the Agent-Based Simulator's output based on its initial conditions and parameters. In this paper, we discuss a Deep Learning model based on Dilated Convolutional Neural Network that can emulate such an agent based model with high accuracy. We show that use of this model instead of the original Agent-Based Model provides us major gains in the speed of simulations, allowing much quicker calibration to observations, and more extensive scenario analysis. The models we consider are spatially explicit, as the locations of the infected individuals are simulated instead of the gross counts. Another aspect of our emulation framework is its divide-and-conquer approach that divides the city into several small overlapping blocks and carries out the emulation in them parallelly, after which these results are merged together. This ensures that the same emulator can work for a city of any size, and also provides significant improvement of time complexity of the emulator, compared to the original simulator.


The current competitive landscape calls for firms to consider rivals in current markets and invisible competitors across the far reaches of the globe. The playing field is increasingly more uneven as a result of structural and resource diversity across global markets. Firms have to compete with rivals that have significantly different cost structures. Economizing considerations must be embedded in strategic decisions in order to sustain competitiveness. Transaction cost economics offers a viable framework for evaluating economizing by considering internal and external dynamics while putting into context unforeseeable future events and acknowledging behavioral shortcomings of organizational actors. For small firms, economizing is an effective fundamental strategy. Market power in large firms is unsustainable in the long-run. Firms with market power are better off implementing an economizing-strategizing sequence. Given the time lag between identifying economizing opportunities and implementing adaptive mechanisms, firms are constantly efficiency-seeking rather than in an ideal state of economizing.


The authors developed system of mass prophylaxis of essential hypertension disease and its complications. It considers biological and socio-cultural risk factors of essential hypertension disease and its complications. This system is of particular interest by its realistic approach to real situation in health care and its efficiency resulted in decreasing the temporary disability, disablement and death rate caused by the disease.


Initial food industry testing in our laboratory using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods indicated that the darkest caramel color (class IV) unexpectedly contained traces of peanut protein, a potential undeclared allergen issue. Caramel production centers on the heating of sugars, often glucose, under controlled heat and chemical processing conditions with other ingredients including ammonia, sulfite, and/or alkali salts. These ingredients should not contain any traces of peanut residue. We sought to determine the reliability of commercially available peanut allergen ELISA methods for detection of apparent peanut residue in caramel coloring. Caramel color samples of classes I, II, III, and IV were obtained from 2 commercial suppliers and tested using 6 commercially available quantitative and qualitative peanut ELISA kits. Five lots of class IV caramel color were spiked with a known concentration of peanut protein from light roasted peanut flour to assess recovery of peanut residue using a spike and recovery protocol with either 15 ppm or 100 ppm peanut protein on a kit-specific basis. A false positive detection of peanut protein was found in class IV caramel colors with a range of 1.2 to 17.6 parts per million recovered in both spiked and unspiked liquid caramel color samples. ELISA kit spike/recovery results indicate that false negative results might also be obtained if peanut contamination were ever to actually exist in class IV caramel color. Manufacturers of peanut-free products often test all ingredients for peanut allergen residues using commercial ELISA kits. ELISA methods are not reliable for the detection of peanut in class IV caramel ingredients and their use is not recommended with this matrix.


Voltammetric sensors based on glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs) modified with composites of polyelectrolyte complexes of chitosan (CS) and chitosan succinamide (SCS) with cyclodextrins (CDs) for the enantioselective recognition and determination of atenolol (ATN) enantiomers were studied using cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The films of the polyelectrolyte complexes of CS and SCS, as well as composites with α-, β- and γ-CDs, are stable in aqueous solutions and their properties do not change over a long period of time. The analytical characteristics of the sensors, the conditions of voltammogram registration and the capabilities for the recognition and determination of ATN enantiomers were studied. It was shown that the recognition of ATN enantiomers by registering voltammograms on three GCEs modified with composites of polyelectrolyte complexes of CS and SCS with CDs, followed by chemometric treatment of the principal component analysis, resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of correctly recognised samples, in comparison with the registration of voltammograms on only one electrode. The proposed sensory system was successfully applied to the recognition and determination of ATN enantiomers in pharmaceutical formulations and human urine and to establish the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals.


For the past several years an inter-disciplinary research group at Oregon State University (OSU), working in conjunction with Columbia Power Technologies (CPT) has been researching innovative direct-drive wave energy systems. These systems simplify the conversion of wave energy into electricity by eliminating intermediate energy conversion processes. In support of this research OSU and CPT have developed a hybrid numerical/physical modeling approach utilizing a large scale linear test bed (LTB), and a commercial coupled analysis tool. This paper will present an overview of this modeling approach and its application to the design of a 10kW prototype wave energy conversion system that was tested in the open ocean in the fall of 2008. The data gathered during ocean testing was used to calibrate the numerical model of the device and predict the energy capture potential of the system.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Despite the implicit recognition of trust in IS outsourcing, comparatively few research could be found in this area. While addressing the nature of trust in IS outsourcing, we found surprisingly many aspects on the concept of trust which have not been captured in the mainstream research on IS outsourcing. This paper presents an interdisciplinary view on trust and attempts to call for a greater understanding and focus on the role and impact of trust in an outsourcing context. It is argued that trust does play a significant role in many aspects of IS outsourcing and potentially could be one of the key elements that contributes to the success of an outsourcing activity. The paper suggests a multidimensional approach to the exploration of trust in outsourcing relationships with a greater focus on multi-faceted aspects of trust as well as the mediating factors that influence the success and/or failure of IS outsourcing activities.


In the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices and MEMS, undesirable scratches are produced during such planar nanomanufacturing processes as chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP). In this paper, the upper-bound loads for scratching in CMP at single-particle contacts are estimated and validated by AFM experiments on both homogeneous and composite coatings. Additionally, the upper limits for the scratch width and depth are estimated. For a Cu surface, the maximum scratch width is about one-half and for a Cu/SiO2 composite, it is about one-fifth of the abrasive particle diameter.


PURPOSE
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent molecule that mediates tumor angiogenesis primarily through VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody to VEGF, was administered to previously untreated patients to evaluate parameters of angiogenesis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Twenty-one patients with inflammatory and locally advanced breast cancer were treated with bevacizumab for cycle 1 (15 mg/kg on day 1) followed by six cycles of bevacizumab with doxorubicin (50 mg/m(2)) and docetaxel (75 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks. After locoregional therapy, patients received eight cycles of bevacizumab alone, and hormonal therapy when indicated. Tumor biopsies and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) were obtained at baseline, and after cycles 1, 4, and 7.

RESULTS
A median decrease of 66.7% in phosphorylated VEGFR2 (Y951) in tumor cells (P = .004) and median increase of 128.9% in tumor apoptosis (P = .0008) were seen after bevacizumab alone. These changes persisted with the addition of chemotherapy. There were no significant changes in microvessel density or VEGF-A expression. On DCE-MRI, parameters reflecting reduced angiogenesis, a median decrease of 34.4% in the inflow transfer rate constant (P = .003), 15.0% in the backflow extravascular- extracellular rate constant (P = .0007) and 14.3% in extravascular-extracellular volume fraction (P = .002) were seen after bevacizumab alone.

CONCLUSION
Bevacizumab has inhibitory effects on VEGF receptor activation and vascular permeability, and induces apoptosis in tumor cells.


This is a partial history of the literary topos "sub specie aeternitatis". The Latin phrase means "from the perspective of eternity". Eternity is the way God sees the universe, not as a succession of moments in time from past, to present, to future, but as a simultaneous present which includes the past and future as if they are already and always present. This temporal simultaneity is accompanied by a spatial totality and simultaneity. In both Chaucer and Dante the protagonist ends life's wanderings and struggles by being carried up into the heavens and looking back on earth from the point of view of eternity. Their literary source is Macrobius' Commentary on the Dream of Scipio and Boethius' The Consolation of Philosophy. The vision results in epistemological transformation that provides consolation or "contemptus mundi", the rejection of earthly concerns. The "sub specie aeternitatis" vision is both a revelation of the nature of the universe, time, and the protagonist's place in them and a disillusionment that radically changes the protagonist's understanding. The work of literature and the reading of it are potentially transformational. For the pagan lover Toilus in Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde the "sub specie aeternitatis" vision results in religious conversion as well as epistemological transformation. Boethius, whom Chaucer translated, offers an analogue to the vision in the way humans perceive a sphere through their senses and reason. Dante's version of the vision in Paradiso xxxiii is the most famous literary example as the protagonist's vision merges with the vision of God as an intense ray of light. The conversion and consolation associated with the "sub specie aeternitatis" vision takes cosmic dimension in Dante. A modern example is Jorge Luis Borges' parody of Dante in his story "The Aleph" where a satiric vision takes place not in the heavens but in the basement of the house in Buenos Aires. In Cervantes' Don Quixote the "sub specie aeternitatis" trope is present by its deliberate omission, and yet performs the functions of epistemological conversion, transformation, and consolation in Don Quixote's death. One brief sleep and Don Quixote passes from dreaming (in Borges' sense of the word) a reality from the fantasy of his books of chivalry to a true reality, similar to the conversion Troilus experiences from the sorrow of love to the pure felicity of heaven. With Don Quixote and the realist novel the "sub specie aeternitatis" vision may seem bound for extinction, at least with its cosmological apparatus of heavenly spheres, but it finds new form in the ending of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. The final reading of Melquiades's parchments reveals that the sequential events of the novel exist as if in a simultaneous moment, like God's eternity, embracing all time and space in one, before the vision vanishes forever.


Results obtained by the author and literature data concerning a peak of the power spectrum of hippocampal theta activity of a rat in the range of twofold theta frequency (12-20 Hz) are analyzed. The results of author's research of the signal corresponding to the second frequency group of spectrum (a twofold theta-frequency harmonic with adjoining frequency components) suggests the existence of a high-frequency component in the hippocampal theta activity regulated independently of the main theta wave. An attempt to coordinate the obtained results with the contemporary ideas about the structure of the hippocampal EEG and to explain the results of some works that does not correspond to these ideas is made. Some hypotheses about the origin and regulation of the high-frequency component of the theta activity are proposed. A particular role of the high-frequency component in different modes of activation of hippocampus is demonstrated.


The purpose of this contribution is to improve our knowledge about the time course of visual and auditory perception with regard to the representation of sound types as different in their phenomenological format as vowels and glides. Our results on the perception of Vowel-to-Vowel gesture via the production of epenthetic glides in between – according to our 2-COMP-Vowel Model – allow us to conceive of the timevarying vs. stationary representational issue as linked to the underlying control for moving phases: (i) while the stationary (plateau) or climax phase of a vowel can be shown as truly representative for this segment, (ii) and whereas motion in the time-varying on-gliding phase can be shown to be informative only when shape is incomplete, (iii) motion in the off-gliding phase of the same vowel can reveal itself as misleading, in the sense that it could prime an erroneous candidate for the following vowel, up to the end of the transitional glide in V-to-V. Thus, contrary to the dynamic specification theory for vowels, the moving on-gliding and off-gliding phases can be, respectively, less informative than stationary parts, as shown before, and even truly misleading as shown here. (iiii) Moreover the same off-gliding phase can be recovered as a true controlled glide under certain language-based constraints (as exemplified by the powereffect). Finally in line with our caveat against the claim that "all is dynamics in speech", we will briefly mention recent computational modeling and neural data which support our hypothesis, especially the snapshot neuronal computation which fits with recent brain imaging data of stilled and moving speaking mouths.


Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a simple, rapid, reliable, and cost-effective method in diagnosing mass lesions. In spite of its advances and advantages, conventional Hematoxyline and Eosin (H and E)-stained wet-fixed smear of FNAC fails to achieve 100% accuracy. To improve the accuracy of cytodiagnosis, toludine blue (TB)-stained wet film preparation of fine needle aspirates is supplemented along with conventional wet-fixed smear. We have assessed the morphology and accuracy of supravital-stained (TB) wet film study of FNAC, which has not been previously reported. Materials and Methods: A total of 197 fine needle aspirates from various body sites were studied both in supravital toludine blue (TB)-stained wet film and hematoxylin and eosin (H and E)-stained wet-fixed smear preparation. The results were interpreted with final diagnosis made by histopathological study, clinical, radiological follow-up and were statistically analyzed. Results: For the entire series, TB-stained wet film study gave a sensitivity of 93.7%, a specificity of 98%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 96.6%, a negative predictive value (NPV) of 96.9%, and an efficacy of 96.3%. H and E-stained wet smear study revealed a sensitivity of 86.2%, specificity of 97.9%, PPV of 95.4%, NPV of 93.4%, and an efficacy of 93.2%. The combined wet film and wet smear study results showed a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 99.2%, PPV of 98.4%, NPV of 98.9%, and an efficacy of 98.6%. The decreased sensitivity of wet smear study due to inadequate cellularity, loss of cell sample during fixation and staining, artifactual morphological distortion were minimized by supplementary wet film study and that yielded high accuracy rate. Conclusion: Wet film study gave a good cytomorphological picture and this immediate interpretation was useful for assessing the adequacy of material. False negative and false positive reports were reduced significantly when we combined this toludine blue-stained wet film study and wet smear study. Therefore, it could be regularly undertaken as a supplementary diagnostic procedure for wet smear to improve the diagnostic accuracy.


Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided biliary drainage is accepted as a less invasive,alternative treatment for patients in whom endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has failed. Most patients with malignant hilar obstruction undergo EUSguided hepaticogastrostomy. The authors present the case of a 77-year-old man with advanced hilar cholangiocarcinoma who had undergone a rouxen-Y hepaticojejunostomy several months prior. He developed progressive jaundice and a low-grade fever that persisted for one week. The enteroscopic-assisted endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography failed,thus the patient was scheduled for EUS-guided biliary drainage. In order to obtain adequate drainage,both intrahepatic systems were drained. This report describes the technique used for bilateral drainage via a transgastric approach. Currently,only a few different techniques for EUS-guided right system drainage have been reported in the literature. This case demonstrates that bilateral EUS-guided biliary drainage is feasible and effective in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma,and thus can be used as an alternative to percutaneous biliary drainage.


During an hypothetical severe accident on a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), Fission-Products (FPs) are released from the nuclear fuel and may reach the reactor containment building. Among the FPs, ruthenium is of particular interest due to its ability to form volatile oxide compounds in highly oxidizing conditions. In addition, Ru is a very hazardous compound because it is chemically toxic and also because of its radiotoxicity. The topic of ruthenium is examined in terms of nuclear safety issues. A review of the literature regarding ruthenium oxides properties, gaseous and aqueous chemistry is compiled. The study focuses on the ruthenium tetroxide (RuO4) which is highly reactive and volatile, and is the most likely gaseous chemical form under the conditions prevailing in the containment. The interactions between ruthenium oxides and containment surfaces, which could be of main importance in the overall Ru behaviour, are also discussed. Finally, an evaluation of the possible revolatilisation phenomena of ruthenium adsorbed on PWR containment surfaces, or dissolved in the sump, under super-oxidizing conditions (radiolysis), is also presented. In this case, ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) must also be considered. Knowledge of all these phenomena is required to accurately predict ruthenium behaviour, and to make best estimate assessment of the potential ruthenium source-term.


Public watermarks allow embedded signals to be extracted from audio and video content for a variety of purposes. One application is for copyright control, where it is envisaged that digital video recorders will not permit the recording of content that is watermarked as "never copy". In such a scenario, it is important that the watermark survive both normal signal transformations and attempts to remove the watermark so that an illegal copy can be made. In this paper, we discuss to what extent a public watermark can be resistant to tampering and describe a variety of possible attacks.


The aim of this research project is to study the performance of two antioxidants, TBHQ (1) and BHA (2) as a chain-breaking radical scavenger of the selected vegetable oil which contained high oleic fatty acid constituent i.e. canola oil. Experimental studies involved heating the vegetable oil in the forced air-flow oven for 15 days at 60oC. Samples subjected for peroxide value determination were analysed at 0, 1, 3, 6, 10 and 15 days of exposure. For the theoretical investigation, Gaussian 09 software package at the theoretical level of DFT B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) were used to evaluate the physical parameters of the antioxidants (TBHQ and BHA), the homo-chain of tri-oleic TAG (3) with hydroperoxide group at carbon-11 and its radical, and the transition-state complex of the two components in questions. The selected physical parameters such as the total electronic energy (SCF energy), the stabilization energy, the hydrogen bond distance of the complex, the properties of the O-H of antioxidant (bond length, bond dissociation energy, Wiberg bond-index), and the dipole moment, were then utilized to correlate with the actual performance of the two antioxidants. Experimental results showed that TBHQ exhibit better performance than BHA in inhibiting the production of hydroperoxides in canola oil. These experimental observations were in line with the theoretical results where all the physical parameters except hydrogen bond distance support the findings.


Polysiloxane materials have been used in conservation and protection of stone monuments and other outdoor objects of the cultural heritage for decades. Enhancing the inherent hydrophobic character of the siloxane materials is highly desirable as it can promote their protection efficacy against the degradation effects which are induced by rain water and/or humidity. We show that mixing a solution of a polysiloxane material with a small amount (1% w/w) of silica nanoparticles leads to the formation of a structured surface which has superhydrophobic properties i.e. the contact angle (CA) of a water droplet on the surface of the polysiloxane+nanoparticle film is >150°. We monitor the evaporation process of the water droplet on the surface of the composite (polysiloxane+nanoparticle) film and show that it follows the same evaporation mode reported for a water droplet resting on the surface of a natural rose petal. In particular, the evaporation of droplets on both composite and natural surfaces follows the constant contact radius (CCR) mode: the contact area between water and surface remains constant with time and the contact angle decreases. Moreover, we report that in the course of evaporation the relationship of the volume of the droplet to the 2/3 power (V 2/3 ) with time (t) is linear.


The Uinta basin represents a timely model for the study of many interesting geologic and geochemical problems that are pertinent to current exploration research investigations and to technical problems concerning petroleum production which face the petroleum industry, particularly in light of the present energy crisis. The primary areas of investigation in this reported study on the Uinta basin concern the complexities in the exploration of ultraparaffinic crudes from fresh- and brackish-water lacustrine sedimentary deposits. An investigative study of the subsurface temperature and pressure distribution patterns within the potentially productive section of the Wasatch Formation (Eocene) has produced highly favorable results as an exploration tool in predicting the recent successful exploratory trends within the Uinta basin. A direct relation has been documented between the occurrence of productive hydrocarbons within the Wasatch Formation and the simultaneous occurrences of high geotemperatures, abnormally high pressures, and the presence of an organic-rich shale facies. These relations currently are being investigated as a potential tool for the exploration of stratigraphic traps in Tertiary basins. In addition, this study illustrates an application of computer techniques to geologic evaluations on a regional basis: rapid data-processing methods, data banks, computer-contoured maps, and statistical analysis of geologic data. End_of_Article - Last_Page 916------------


About 275 million people worldwide aged between 15 and 64 years used drugs at least once since 2016. Initial estimations suggest that 13.8 million young people between 15 and 16 years used cannabis every year. Recreational drug use contributes significantly to mortality as well as physical and mental health problems. A number of urological complications can arise from the use of common and emerging recreational drugs which can present as wide spectrum affecting lower and upper urinary tracts, kidneys, sexual organs as well as sexual dysfunction. In order to effectively manage these issues, urologists need to be cognizant of these complications in their patients, particularly among youths. This review attempted to consolidate available data and provide insight into this issue; however, further population-based epidemiological studies are needed to provide necessary guidelines.


The design and analysis of a noncontact electrooptical orientation sensor is addressed. The sensor is based on the intensity measurement of modulated light signals reflected from the surface of an object. The experimental setup of the sensor used in this research was designed and manufactured such that two mechanical-design parameters could be investigated. The operation principle of the 1D inclination-angle measurement sensor was verified using the experimental setup as well as through simulation. Experiments undertaken yielded an optimal sensor design that can effectively operate within a range from +20 degrees to -20 degrees independent of its distance from the object (within the operational-distance range of the sensor). >


We perform the analysis of the trispectrum of curvature perturbations generated by the interactions characterizing a general theory of single-field inflation obtained by effective field theory methods. We find that curvature-generated interaction terms, which can in general give an important contribution to the amplitude of the four-point function, show some new distinctive features in the form of their trispectrum shape-function. These interesting interactions are invariant under some recently proposed symmetries of the general theory and, as shown explicitly, do allow for a large value of the trispectrum.


METHOD OF STUDY: At the beginning of the course, listen twice through SDM to familiarize yourself with the pronunciation of Slovene. For each lesson, 1. Listen to the entire dialogue while following the English translation in the book to tell you what the foreign sentences mean. 2. Listen again while following the foreign transcription to help you with details in the pronunciation. 3. Listen again with the book half-closed—look inside only when you need reminders about the meaning or pronunciation. 4. Replay individual phrases and say them aloud without referring to the book if possible. Imitate the voice on tape as closely as you can. Replay and repeat each phrase, then add phrases together to build a full sentence. Continue to build phrases into sentences in this way, until you can say the complete sentence easily and in unison with the tape while understanding what you are saying. Use the book only for occasional reference. 5. Say the sentences of the dialogue along with the speaker on the tape again and again until you can produce the foreign sentences easily and quickly given only the English ones as cues.


The study aims to find out students' perception about various aspects of academic environment at school and to depict the impact of academic environment on students' learning. This study also discovers whether these two variables exist at the same standard in public and private sectors or there is any variation in availability or relation? The study employed descriptive survey method. The population of the study was the secondary class students of all Public and Private Secondary Schools in Dera Ghazi Khan district. Two stage random technique was adopted to determine the sample size. At first stage 10 public sector and 10 private secondary school from Dera Ghazi Khan with equal ratio of male and female schools. At the second stage 25 students from each school were randomly selected. Total sample size for the study was consisted on 500 secondary school students. The researchers used the questionnaire and an achievement test in English as data collection instruments. The collected data was analysed by calculated mean score and Standard Deviation. t-test and co relational tests were applied to find out the relation between academic environment at school and students' learning. The study concluded that there was a positive co-relation between academic environment and students' learning. The study also recommended that secondary school management should focus in ensuring positive academic environment at school to enhance students' learning output and overall growth and development.


Background: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune diseases caused by deposition of immune complex with the involvement of various organ system and certain autoantibodies production. One of the most significant manifestation is neuropsychiatricsymptoms, known as NPSLE (Neuropsychiatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus). This study aims to portray the distribution of neuropsychiatric manifestation of SLE patients using a screening method in Hasan Sadikin General Hospital.Method: An observative, descriptive categoric study, with consecutive sampling were done. Data were collected by spreading the questionnaire to subjects diagnosed as SLE who visiting Hasan Sadikin General Hospital during August-October 2016 and by tracingtheir medical records. Data analyzed included age, sex, education background, duration of lupus, diagnosis criteria, ongoing therapy, and neuropsychiatric manifestation.Result: Samples volunteered in this study were 97 patients. Of them 94 patients (96.9%) were women and 47 patients (48.5%) were senior high school graduated. Most common diagnosis criteria found was positive ANA test (91.8%). Most necessary ongoing therapygiven was methylprednisolone (96.9%). Common neuropsychiatric manifestations were mood disorders (73,2%), headache (57,7%), and mononeuropathy (51,5%).Conclusion: The common psychiatric, central nervous, and peripheral nervous manifestations were mood disorder, headache, and mononeuropathy, respectively.


The paper recalls the idea of classification trees in OCR (optical character recognition) systems and proposes a technique for the automatic design of these classification trees. The design of both the classification trees and of the classification operators are based on training from sample pairs of observed-ideal images, allowing the development of customized OCRs.


Gamma (γ) ionizing ray is a physical mutagen, producing variation in crop improvement and employing such as a complementary tool in breeding process. The γ-ray dosages are a critical issue, so it should be optimized. In this research, various doses of gamma radiation including 150, 250, 350 and 450 Gy applied on three rice varieties (Tarom-hashemi, Sange-tarom and Nemat), and their effects were evaluated on 50% lethal dose (LD50), rate and percent of germination, radicle and plumule length at in vitro, including cluster analysis of dosage quantities at genotypes, range of variation (R), variation coefficient of treatment regarding to control dosage (CVt/CVnt). Euclidean similarity coefficient including UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) algorithm was used for cluster analysis. The results indicated that 250 and 350 Gy γ-rays have much more better effects to create variation rather than other doses and also clearly showed that γ-ray made novel variation in panicle sterility percentage, plant height, 1000 grain weight and fertile tillers on the studied varieties. Meanwhile the dendrogram of clustering classified into 3 groups on the base of gamma effects and control doses were placed in different groups. The LD50 values related to seed germination computed 350, 310 and 170 at Sange-tarom, Tarom-hashemi and Nemat respectively.

 Key words: Gamma ray, rice, mutation, morpho-physiological characteristics.


Internationalisation of regional development policies - Needs and demands in the Nordic countries. The research programme Internationalisation of Regional Development Policies—Needs and Demands in the Nordic Countries was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers (NCM) in the spring of 2005. The aim of the programme was to undertake research on key issues, where it was identified that new knowledge was needed and where such knowledge could benefi t the development and implementation of regional development policies in the Nordic countries. Three prioritised themes for the research programme have been identifi ed namely, "regional governance", "innovation and regional growth", and "demography and labour migration". In addition, two crosscutting topics were defi ned: "enlargement of the EU and the challenges for Nordic regional development policies" and the broad topic of "three dimensions of sustainable regional development" i.e., social, economic and environmental sustainability. In all, 10 projects were funded during the programme period 2005–2009, and the research results were published in 10 separate reports. In this eleventh report of the programme, the three prioritised themes and two cross-cutting topics are revisited. In this report, key findings of the research projects are linked with trends to draw attention to issues of particular relevance for policymakers and practitioners working within the broad field of regional development.


We discuss the design and usage of ldquoWordle,rdquo a Web-based tool for visualizing text. Wordle creates tag-cloud-like displays that give careful attention to typography, color, and composition. We describe the algorithms used to balance various aesthetic criteria and create the distinctive Wordle layouts. We then present the results of a study of Wordle usage, based both on spontaneous behaviour observed in the wild, and on a large-scale survey of Wordle users. The results suggest that Wordles have become a kind of medium of expression, and that a ldquoparticipatory culturerdquo has arisen around them.


Aspiration of oral contents can lead to pneumonia, which is a major cause of death among elderly adults susceptible to swallowing impairments. Tongue microbiota are a dominant source of oral microbial populations that are ingested with saliva. This large-scale population-based study revealed variations in the tongue microbiota among community-dwelling elderly adults. The total bacterial density was independent of the conditions of teeth surrounding the tongue, whereas the microbiota composition, especially the relative abundances of predominant commensals, showed an association with tooth conditions. Our results demonstrate that the elderly with fewer teeth, poorer dental hygiene, and more dental caries experience constantly ingest more dysbiotic microbiota, which could be harmful for their respiratory health. ABSTRACT Tongue microbiota are a dominant source of oral microbial populations that are ingested with saliva, and therefore careful attention is required for the maintenance of health of elderly adults, who are susceptible to aspiration of oral contents. This study aimed to investigate the variation in tongue microbiota among community-dwelling elderly adults. Following a dental examination, tongue coating was collected from a 15-mm-diameter circular area at the center of the tongue dorsum of 506 elderly adults aged 70 to 80 years inhabiting the town of Hisayama, Japan. The microbial composition and density were determined by a 16S rRNA gene sequencing approach using a next-generation sequencer and quantitative PCR analysis, respectively. Co-occurrence network analysis identified two cohabiting groups of predominant commensals, one of which was primarily composed of Prevotella histicola, Veillonella atypica, Streptococcus salivarius, and Streptococcus parasanguinis; these organisms have been previously associated with an increased risk of mortality due to pneumonia in the frail elderly. This bacterial group was more predominant in the elderly with fewer teeth, a higher plaque index, and more dental caries experience, whereas the total bacterial density was independent of these traits. A higher density of fungi was also observed in the elderly with these traits, as well as in individuals who wore dentures. These results suggest that elderly adults with poorer oral health swallow a more dysbiotic microbiota formed on the tongue. IMPORTANCE Aspiration of oral contents can lead to pneumonia, which is a major cause of death among elderly adults susceptible to swallowing impairments. Tongue microbiota are a dominant source of oral microbial populations that are ingested with saliva. This large-scale population-based study revealed variations in the tongue microbiota among community-dwelling elderly adults. The total bacterial density was independent of the conditions of teeth surrounding the tongue, whereas the microbiota composition, especially the relative abundances of predominant commensals, showed an association with tooth conditions. Our results demonstrate that the elderly with fewer teeth, poorer dental hygiene, and more dental caries experience constantly ingest more dysbiotic microbiota, which could be harmful for their respiratory health.


A new time series of high-resolution Stokes I and V spectra of the magnetic B2V star HD 184927 has been obtained in the context of the Magnetism in Massive Stars Large Program with an Echelle SpectroPolarimetric Device for the Observation of Stars (ESPaDOnS) spectropolarimeter at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and dimaPol liquid crystal spectropolarimeter at 1.8-m telescope of Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. We model the optical and UV spectrum obtained from the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) archive to infer the stellar physical parameters. Using magnetic field measurements, we derive an improved rotational period of 9.531 02 +/- 0.0007 d. We infer the longitudinal magnetic field from lines of H, He, and various metals, revealing large differences between the apparent field strength variations determined from different elements. Magnetic Doppler Imaging using He and O lines yields strongly non-uniform surface distributions of these elements. We demonstrate that the diversity of longitudinal field variations can be understood as due to the combination of element-specific surface abundance distributions in combination with a surface magnetic field that is comprised of dipolar and quadrupolar components. We have reanalysed IUE high-resolution spectra, confirming strong modulation of wind-sensitive C IV and S IV resonance lines. However, we are unable to detect any modulation of the Ha profile attributable to a stellar magnetosphere. We conclude that HD 184927 hosts a centrifugal magnetosphere (eta(*) similar to 2.4(-1.1)(+22) x 10(4)), albeit one that is undetectable at optical wavelengths. The magnetic braking time-scale of HD 184927 is computed to be tau(J) = 0.96 or 5.8 Myr. These values are consistent with the slow rotation and estimated age of the star.


Dark liquidity pools are one alternative trading system which do not display quotations to the public, using computerisation to seek out complementary trading interests. There is no regulatory requirement for alternative trading systems to indicate how they run and manage their orders, more so on how their dark pool operates. This article looks at the development and categories of dark pools; the associated risks; and regulatory proposals.


Signaling through the T cell receptor (TCR) mediates T cell activation, differentiation, and proliferation. Previous microscopy studies have shown the spatial reorganization of signaling molecules into microclusters on the plasma membrane after TCR activation. However, how microclusters form and what roles these structures play in signal transduction remain unclear. Importantly, direct comparison of the biochemical activities of signaling molecules in the clustered versus unclustered state has been lacking. Here, we address these questions by reconstituting a TCR signaling pathway in vitro with 12 purified proteins, beginning with TCR phosphorylation and culminating in actin polymerization. We show that upon initiation of phosphorylation, multivalent protein-protein interactions drive the phase separation of signaling molecules into microclusters that display liquid-like properties. These clusters enrich kinases but exclude phosphatases, thus sustaining protein phosphorylation. We also directly demonstrate that the reorganization of actin regulatory proteins into these clusters substantially enhances actin filament assembly at the membrane. These results establish that microclusters create unique physical and biochemical environments that promote reactions in TCR signaling. The principles revealed here likely apply to other systems that exploit phase separation to regulate biochemical reactions on membranes, in the cytoplasm, or the nucleus. Citation Format: Xiaolei Su, Jon Ditlev, Enfu Hui, Sudeep Banjade, Julia Okrut, Jack Taunton, Mike Rosen, Ron Vale. Phase separation of signaling molecules promotes T cell receptor signal transduction. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR Inaugural International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; September 16-19, 2015; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A087.


Limited legal protections for privacy leave minority communities vulnerable to concrete injuries and violence when their information is exposed. In Privacy at the Margins, Scott Skinner-Thompson highlights why privacy is of acute importance for marginalized groups. He explains how privacy can serve as a form of expressive resistance to government and corporate surveillance regimes - furthering equality goals - and demonstrates why efforts undertaken by vulnerable groups (queer folks, women, and racial and religious minorities) to protect their privacy should be entitled to constitutional protection under the First Amendment and related equality provisions. By examining the ways even limited privacy can enrich and enhance our lives at the margins in material ways, this work shows how privacy can be transformed from a liberal affectation to a legal tool of liberation from oppression.


Impulsive linear collisions between a string oscillator a one-dimensional particle in a box and a mass point are studied quantum mechanically. In the limit of a very heavy mass point which corresponds classically to many collisions during a single encounter the transition probabilities are determined exactly. The result permits a discussion of the mixed quantum-classical regime where the collider becomes almost classical while the oscillator remains quantum mechanical. While the average transition probabilities Pm→n are well reproduced by the Ehrenfest mean-field approximation, the prediction for the superimposed high-frequency resonance structure is qualitatively wrong for a genuine quantum oscillator. Only if the oscillator is also almost classical and if m−n 2 m, where is the mass ratio collider/oscillator, this structure is correctly predicted by the Ehrenfest approximation. © 2005 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2084946


This study's objective was to characterize the effect of traditional and 3 newly devised (soaking+grinding) methods combined with cooking on the content and composition of phenolic substances, antioxidant, and antiproliferative properties of soymilk prepared from black soybean. Phenolic substances and antioxidant profile were characterized and antiproliferation of prostate cancer DU145 cells was conducted using a cell culture assay. Results indicated Grinding Method 4 produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), condensed tannin content (CTC), and total isoflavone content in both raw and cooked black soymilk as compared to Method 1. Cooking soymilk reduced 23% to 38% of total phenolic substances. Raw black soymilk produced by Method 4 displayed the highest antioxidant capability, which was determined using ORAC, FRAP, and DPPH assays, and a higher antiprostate cell proliferation ability. Cooking only slightly reduced the potency to inhibit DU145 prostate cancer cells as IC50 value was increased from the average of about 4.0 mg/mL of raw soymilk extracts to 5.5 mg/mL of cooked soymilk extracts of all grinding methods. Overall, total isoflavone content was the only component that was negatively correlated with IC50 value (r = -0.93, P < 0.05) which indicates the ability to inhibit prostate cancer cell is associated with the increase in total isoflavone content, not with any other phenolic substances or antioxidant properties.


In the research field of Wireless Sensor Networks, how to reduce the energy consumption of WSN so that the lifetime of WSN can be prolonged is one of the hottest spots. Wireless sensor networks (WSN) lifetime is either superficial or impractical, which prevents us from thoroughly understanding the efficiency of these proposed routing protocols. Routing protocols have significant impact on the overall energy consumption of sensor networks. This project present variety of maximizing system lifetime wireless sensor networks with different energy consumption. Energy consumption for three routing protocols had been analyzed which are direct communication, minimum transmission energy and low adaptive energy clustering hierarchy. The energy consumption for Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) routing protocol give the maximum lifetime compared to the others. Clustering is an energy efficient and scalable way to organize the WSN. The main objective of this research is to maximize the lifetime of the wireless sensor (WSN). Simulation via Matlab shows that by applying energy consumption for LEACH routing protocol had increase the network lifetime by as much as 65.2% compared to DC and MTE.


The objective of this study is to test the effects of internal audit quality on the severity and persistence of the internal controls deficiencies (ICD). Internal audit quality is investigated through the internal audit process, internal audit input and types of ICD. The paper extends previous findings on ICD severity and ICD persistence. Using private data collected with questionnaires and performing logistic regressions, we find that the improvement of planning – scoping and testing – monitoring quality and competences – independence reduces ICD severity, decreasing significant deficiencies and material weaknesses, and reduces persistence of ICD over time. We also find that revenues are the most severe type of ICD, while human resources and period end accounts are the most persistent.


Living in a global world that is continuously changing while creating the experience of fluidity, we are losing ground and, therefore, stability. It affects mental health across the life span. During the last 12 months from the first WHO notification of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV, humanity started to experience a dramatic change in the level of plans, norms, expectations. Besides fear for personal safety and health, the directed distancing increased the gap in everyday quality of possibilities for personal contacts and support. Losing the ground and experience trembling, we were inevitably facing blurred boundaries, insecurity and a direct attack on our will and who we are. Furthermore, a year after, we realize that we are in the fertile ground for the manifestation and experience of anxiety, panic, and numerous psychosomatic disorders. The whole of humanity is suffering. Hence, those coming from helping professions (psychologist, psychotherapists, social workers) dealing with mental health are experiencing the kick even harder. The research we are conducting is checking their wellbeing a year after.


Kaduwela Municipal Council area is the largest geological administrative municipal council area which is 87.71 km2 in Sri Lanka. According to Food Act No 26 of 1980 Municipal Council is the authority to ensure food safety of the area which is implemented by the Municipal Veterinary Surgeon regarding quality of meat and meat by products. There are 55 leading super markets, 25 meat shops belongs to branded companies and 72 small scale individually owned meat shops. Study was conducted using an interview and questioner with 500 consumers selected randomly while purchasing the meat from all three types of meat shops. Objective of the study to identify the consciousness of the consumer on quality of meat presented to sell in shops before purchase. Consumers were questioned on appearance of meat (colour and texture of meat) and display quality (cleanliness of shop, method of display meat, workers' hygiene, technique of handling of meat and temperature of display meat) to evaluate the awareness of meat quality parameters. Results were analyzed and presented as percentages. It is identified 56% consumers conscious regarding the colour and only 10% of them assed about the texture of meat. Method of presentation of meat for selling directly interfere the quality of the meat. According to the results consumers visually asses the cleanliness of the shop (56%), hygiene of the workers' (25%) and the technique of handling meat at the shop (9%) before purchase. However it was unfortunate to observe the consumers' cognizant of the importance of method of display meat (5%) and temperature of the display fridge (5%) which affect the quality of meat, was significantly low. It is concluded that consumers' knowledge is inadequate concerning factors to be observed before purchase meat. Finally as the outcome of the research to educate the consumer Veterinary Department of Kaduwela Municipal council has displayed a notice to consumers' at each meat outlet regarding to concern about the temperature before purchase as it is indirectly contribute to improve the hygiene of the meat outlet by the owners.


Breadfruit (Treculia africana) is a member of the taxonomic family Moraceae, genus Treculia and a multipurpose tree crop of Southeast Nigeria.The desire to study breadfruit was instigated by a paradoxical situation observed in Nigeria. First, there is high and increasing demand for the crop. Second, it is a well-known and appreciated traditional component of Souteastem Nigerian farming systems. Third, however, high demand for the crop does not seem to be leading to an increase in cultivation and production of any of the varieties. Finally, instead of increasing supply, it is listed as an endangered species. The need for increased planting of the crop has been emphasized by many authors, but there appears to be no increase in breadfruit cultivation. The research therefore investigates this apparent paradox with the aim of understanding the reasons for limited planting of both traditional and improved breadfruit varieties in Southeast Nigeria. Data were collected via a survey questionnaire, 38 key informant interviews, 16 focus group discussions and 21 in-depth interviews. A total of 260 farmers were randomly selected from 13 communities in two states of Southeast Nigeria for the study. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Z statistics and logistic regression analysis. The study found that breadfruit planting appears to be at subsistence level with an increased number of the trees in the last 10 years relative to the number in the previous 20 years and that this is due to an increase in the number of farmers growing the crop and that adoption of improved varieties is poor. The study revealed that breadfruit plays important roles in the livelihoods of the farmers including its use for household food security, income generation, snacks, a source of firewood, fodder and traditional medicine, and in sociocultural activities. It was also found that the major reasons for limited planting of breadfruit were lack of access to new breadfruit (NBF) planting material, high cost of NBF and lack of awareness of the existence of NBF varieties, fear of increased risk of bush fires, drudgery relating to breadfruit depulping and cultural norms that allow the free collection of breadfruit in farm fields.
The study indicates that the farmers' characteristics associated with NBF adoption at 5% level of significance were their breadfruit consumption frequency (monthly intake), extension contact and educational level while sourcing of fodder and medicinal importance were associated with planting more of their traditional trees


The dwindling reserves of fossil fuels, coupled with the environmental consequences of burning these fuels, mean that a more sustainable alternative is required. Bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive candidate for the replacement of liquid transportation fuels. Lignocellulosic biomass is composed of plant cell walls, which are extremely resistant to digestion. Converting this biomass to fermentable sugars for bioethanol production therefore requires energetic pretreatment and expensive enzyme applications. To make lignocellulosic bioethanol a commercial reality, the conversion efficiency needs to be improved and one approach of doing so is to produce crops that are more susceptible to hydrolysis. To this end, this study used a forward genetic approach with the objective of identifying genes that affect the digestibility of plant biomass. A chemically mutagenised population of the model grass Brachypodium distachyon was screened for improved saccharification with industrial cellulases. This revealed 12 mutant lines with heritable increases in saccharification. Characterisation of these 12 mutants revealed a range of different alterations in cell wall composition. Interestingly, a number of the mutant lines showed no change in lignin content, which is thought to be the major contributor to cell wall recalcitrance. These results show that saccharification can be significantly improved through a number of distinct modifications of the cell wall, giving the potential for combining more than one of these modifications in biofuel crops to obtain even higher ethanol yields. Furthermore, the mutations seem to have little effect on plant growth, development or stem strength, important traits for crop field performance. Candidate causal mutations of three of the high saccharification mutants have been identified and characterisation of the mutated genes has begun. In the long term, this will enable subsequent examination of orthologous genes in the relevant cereal and grass crops used for biofuel production.


In a recent paper, P. Schmitter (1989) acknowledges that changes in the international markets and technological advances have led to a "turnaround in the tendencies of the corporatist trend" in the western capitalist societies. The signs which indicate the decline of the institutionalised and centralised systems of the representation of social and economic interests are clearly evident. Two of the nations which since the Second World War have developed, more than others, strong Keynesian policies, are Sweden and the Federal Republic of Germany. In these countries the governing social democratic parties, which in the past had ensured the regulation of relations between politics and economy on the lines of a class compromise (Bordogna, Provasi, 1984), lost their majority positions, either temporarily or definitively, in the latter half of the 1970's or thereafter. On the other hand, in Great Britain and the United States, two neoconservative administrations won and maintained their control for the whole of the 1980's. Even in Italy, where there have been governments which were not anti‐labour and where there has been a socialist executive, social concertation at a macro level has sharply declined since 1984.


Background and Aims: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common cause of chronic musculoskeletal pain, characterised by myofascial trigger points (TPs). TP injection is an established technique for management of MPS. In this study, we analysed the efficacy of myofascial TP injection of lignocaine and the influencing biomechanical factors on MPS. Methods: After obtaining ethical committee approval, we included the first 100 adult patients of MPS with failed physical therapy aged above 18 years, and with TPs in the trapezius, infraspinatus, and/or the levator scapulae muscles and Visual analog scale (VAS) >4. TP injection of 2% (2 ml) lignocaine was performed. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded immediately and after 1 month. Number of repeat TP injections and use of oral analgesic in one month was noted. Results were analysed with the analysis of variance test. Results: The mean VAS reduced significantly both immediately and 1 month after therapeutic injections (8.57 ± 0.77, 2.67 ± 1.43 and 2.82 ± 1.4, respectively, P < 0.01). Keeping the palm below the head during sleep was the major contributing factor for myofascial TP, followed by slanting the neck to use mobile phones. Repeat TP injection was used in 4% of cases. Conclusion: TP injection of 2 ml of 2% lignocaine along with correction of predisposing biomechanical factors provided significant pain relief for MPS in patients with failed physical therapy without any side effects.


Rare-earth nitridophosphates are a recently discovered class of materials, which are accessible by high- pressure metathesis. Antiperovskite-type Ho-3[ PN4] O was synthesized from HoF3, LiPN2, Li-3 N, and Li2O at 5 GPa and ca. 1025 degrees C by this method and the multianvil technique. Ho3[ PN4] O contains rarely observed isolated PN4 tetrahedra and can be derived by the hierarchical substitution of the ABX(3) perovskite, in which Ho occupies the X positions, O occupies the B position, and the PN4 tetrahedra occupy the A position. The structure was refined on the basis of powder diffraction data [ I4/ mcm, a = 6.36112( 3), c = 10.5571( 1) angstrom, Z = 4, R-wp = 0.04, R-Bragg = 0.01, x(2) = 2.275] starting from the structural model of isotypic Gd-3[ SiN3O] O. To characterize Ho3[ PN4] O, elemental analyses were performed through energy- dispersive X- ray spectroscopy ( EDX) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy ( ICP- OES). Ho3[ PN4] O is paramagnetic down to low temperatures with mu eff = 10.43( 1) mu(B) and a Curie temperature ( Theta) of 0.11( 4) K. It shows the optical characteristics of Ho3+ ions and vibrations corresponding to isolated PN4 tetrahedra. On the basis of DFT calculations [ generalized gradient approximation ( GGA)], Ho3[ PN4] O has an indirect band gap of 1.87 eV. We demonstrate the versatility of high- pressure metathesis by attaining the low end of the P/ N atomic ratio. = 1/ 4. This confirms the previous assumption that rare- earth nitridophosphates with. = 1/ 2 to 1/ 4 are feasible by this method.


due to the major technological development happened in the last 20 years, technology had great role in changing the architectural constants and classifying its priorities. Many studies focused on technology notion and its application in architecture. But they did not focus on the rule of technology to realize Human reliance on internal and external spaces in which the people spend most of their time in.The information technology with its developments has great impact on actions & behaviors of human beings. Here the research idea in "Lack of sufficient scientific knowledge about the impact of technology of virtual reality to achieve the existential nature of the personality in virtual space. The search aimed to discuss "Clarifying the role of virtual reality technology to establish an internal virtual theoretical framework of space which seeks to achieve human existential lost in realistic space achieving the goal required having Comprehensive theoretical framework .This theoretical framework as a first stage of theoretical framework .The second stage of tries to clarify the main levels of the practical study to clarify truth fullness of indicators achieved through out:selecting items of theoretical framework. The final conclusions of the research which include theoretical framework conclusions, application results conclusions.


This article highlights the importance of social capital for registered sex offenders who are reintegrating back into their communities. Although not always identified among community corrections, the sex offender registry creates a punitive atmosphere that diminishes the amount of available social capital for all involved—community members, sex offenders, and the government. Lost social capital contributes to recidivism, reentry problems, and mental health issues among registered sex offenders. We argue that deterrent and protective features of the sex offender registry are overemphasized and the goal of reintegration has been undermined. The loss of social capital exacerbates (1) the minimization of trust, (2) low expectations of rehabilitation and reentry, (3) limited contact and information from role models, (4) increased access to criminal capital, (5) formal sanctioning power of the registry, and (6) loss of sanctioning power from family and communities. Through this in-depth analysis, we argue that the current state of the registry system harms the social capital of all involved when a sex offense occurs—not just the offender—and we assess directions for future practices, as well as policy implications.


Abstract The major purposes of this paper is to firstly explore the relationship among three variables namely professional development of faculty members, teachers' performance and quality of higher education, and secondly to provide solution to perceived issues and challenges faced by higher education system with the help of comprehensive model. Authors have deeply reviewed previous research studies conducted by researchers and have elaborated their views in connection with the current debate. This paper is purely qualitative in nature and authors have formulated comprehensive model that can be helpful for the policy makers and administrators of the higher education system. This comprehensive model clearly explains that if teachers are equipped with proper and well organized pedagogical as well as administrative training programs then their performance can be greatly improved which can further enhance the quality of education delivered to the students. Both pre-service and in-service professional development programs should be organized for faculty members that will improve their knowledge, skills and abilities, which in turn will further improve their academic, pedagogical and administrative job performance resulting the improvement of overall quality education. Moreover the relation that has been explored can be used to minimize many emerging problems, and perceived issues and challenges faced by higher education system. The model proposed by authors will be useful for policy makers who can then make better policies and can design improved procedures to enhance quality of education. Besides all this, the model is also helpful for management/administrators of higher education system to train and develop their faculty members on specified patterns to inculcate healthy learning among their students. Key words: Professional Development of faculty members, Perceived Issues and Challenges to Higher Education, Quality, Quality of Education, Professional Development Programs, Performance of Faculty Members.


Dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex is thought to contribute to adaptive behavior by integrating temporally dispersed, behaviorally-relevant factors. Past work has revealed a variety of neural representations preceding actions, which are involved in internal processes like planning, working memory and covert attention. Task-related activity following actions has often been reported, but so far lacks a clear interpretation. We leveraged modified versions of classic oculomotor paradigms and population recordings to show that post-saccadic activity is a dominant signal in dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex that is distinct from pre-saccadic activity. Unlike pre-saccadic activity, post-saccadic activity occurs after each saccade, although its strength and duration are modulated by task context and expected rewards. In contrast to representations preceding actions, which appear to be mixed randomly across neurons, post-saccadic activity results in representations that are highly structured at the single-neuron and population level. Overall, the properties of post-saccadic activity are consistent with those of an action memory, an internal process with a possible role in learning and updating spatial representations.


The growing use of difficult-to-parse algorithmic systems in the production of news, from algorithmic curation to automated writing and news bots, problematizes the normative turn toward transparency as a key tenet of journalism ethics. Pragmatic guidelines that facilitate algorithmic transparency are needed. This research presents a focus group study that engaged 50 participants across the news media and academia to discuss case studies of algorithms in news production and elucidate factors that are amenable to disclosure. Results indicate numerous opportunities to disclose information about an algorithmic system across layers such as the data, model, inference, and interface. Findings underscore the deeply entwined roles of human actors in such systems as well as challenges to adoption of algorithmic transparency including the dearth of incentives for organizations and the concern for overwhelming end-users with a surfeit of transparency information.


Intestinal ischemia shock is obtained in fasted rats by 40-minute splanchnic arterial occlusion (SAO) or by 35-minute portal vein occlusion (PVO). Survival is prolonged by plasma treatment; further prolongation is obtained by additional administration of glucose. After SAO early hyperglycemia is marked. Plasma adrenaline rises steeply after opening of the arteries and remains high, while plasma insulin remains unaltered. The hyperglycemia is abolished by adrenalectomy and section of the major splanchnic nerves (MSN) proximal to the adrenals but not by section of the MSN distal from the adrenals or by vagotomy. It is concluded that the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated by a substance, possibly related to VIP, released from the intestines. After PVO hyperglycemia is less marked. Plasma adrenaline as well as insulin are increased. During late and fatal hypoglycemia after PVO plus plasma treatment, the liver still appears to be functionally intact. It is assumed that gluconeogenesis is reversibly inhibited by as yet unknown factors. The hypoglycemia cannot be abolished by injection of common substrates of gluconeogenesis but the combination fructose plus glucagon plus NAD is highly effective.


This creative-critical paper combines creative non-fiction and theory to trace one non-disabled scholar's personal experience with disability studies as a field and a community. Using disidentification and crip theory, this paper theorizes the personal, political, and academic utility of identifying with crip as a nondisabled, fat, black, queer, female academic. This crip identification then undergirds and informs the researcher's scholarship in and relationship to disability studies as a field. Specifically referencing the Society for Disability Studies dance as a potential space of cross-identification, this paper suggests that disidentification among/across/between minoritarian subjects allows for coalitional theory and politics between disability studies and other fields, particularly race/ethnic and queer/sexuality studies. Keywords: crip, identity, queer theory, race


The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic poses a significant public-health problem. In order to control the pandemic, rapid tests for detecting existing infections and assessing virus spread are critical. Approaches to detect viral RNA based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) hold outstanding promise towards greatly simplified and broadly applicable testing methods. RT-LAMP assays appear more robust than qPCR-based methods and only require incubation at a constant temperature, thus eliminating the need for sophisticated instrumentation. Here, we tested a two-color RT-LAMP protocol using clinical SARS-CoV-2 samples and also established a protocol that does not require prior RNA isolation ("swab-to-RT-LAMP"). Our study is based on several hundred clinical patient samples with a wide range of viral loads, thus allowing, for the first time, to accurately determine the sensitivity and specificity of the RT-LAMP assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in patients. We found that RT-LAMP can reliably detect SARS-CoV-2 samples with a qPCR threshold cycle number (CT value) of up to 30 in the standard RT-qPCR assay. We used both, either purified RNA or direct pharyngeal swab specimens and showed that RT-LAMP assays have, despite a decreased sensitivity compared to RT-qPCR, excellent specificity. We also developed a multiplexed LAMP-sequencing protocol as a validation and backup procedure to double-check the results of visual RT-LAMP assays. LAMP-sequencing is fully scalable and can assess the results of thousands of LAMP reactions in parallel. We propose decentralised COVID-19 testing as a routine to allow facilities and institutions to return to near-to-full functionality.


In this paper, we study how R&D investment affect financial analyst's earnings forecasts and how intellectual capital endowments moderate this effect. We argue that high information asymmetry and uncertainty associated with R&D investment increase a financial analysts' earnings forecast error. Patents can remedy this relationship by signaling the ability of a firm in transforming research investments into new and valuable knowledge. Using a panel of 2,253 publicly listed U.S firms, we find that higher R & D intensity is positively correlated with financial analysts' earnings forecast error. The endowment of intellectual capital (i.e. patents) moderates this relationship negatively. However we do not find any moderating effect for the value of patents measured as forward citations.


To assess whether serum albumin concentration measured upon hospital arrival was useful as an early prognostic biomarker for neurologically favorable outcome in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients treated with target temperature management (TTM). This prospective, multicenter observational study (The CRITICAL Study) carried out between July 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 in Osaka Prefecture, Japan involving 13 critical care medical centers (CCMCs) and one non-CCMC with an emergency department. This study included patients ≥18 years of age who underwent an OHCA, for whom resuscitation was attempted by Emergency Medical Services personnel and were then transported to participating institutions, and who were then treated with TTM. Based on the serum albumin concentration upon hospital arrival, involved patients were divided into four quartiles (Q1-Q4) defined as Q1 (<3.0 g/dL), Q2 (≥3.0, <3.4 g/dL), Q3 (≥3.4, <3.8 g/dL), and Q4 (≥3.8 g/dL). The primary outcome of this study was 1-month survival with neurologically favorable outcome defined by cerebral performance category 1 or 2. During the study period, a total of 327 were eligible for our analysis. The overall proportion of neurologically favorable outcome was 33.0% (108/327). The Q4 group had the highest proportion of neurologically favorable outcome (52.5% [48/91]), followed by Q3 (34.5% [30/87]), Q2 (27.3% [21/77]), and Q1 (12.5% [9/72]). The multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the proportion of neurologically favorable outcome was significantly higher in the Q4 group than that in the Q1 group (adjusted odds ratio 10.39; 95% confidence interval 3.36-32.17). The adjusted proportion of neurologically favorable outcome increased in a stepwise fashion across increasing quartiles (p < 0.001). In this study, higher serum albumin concentration upon hospital arrival had a positive association with neurologically favorable outcome after OHCA in a dose-dependent manner.


An object can be used in multiple contexts, each requiring different hand actions. How the central nervous system builds and maintains memory of such dexterous manipulations remains unclear. We conducted experiments in which human subjects had to learn and recall manipulations performed in two contexts, A and B. Both contexts involved lifting the same L-shaped object whose geometry cued its asymmetrical mass distribution. Correct performance required producing a torque on the vertical handle at object lift onset to prevent it from tilting. The torque direction depended on the context, i.e., object orientation, which was changed by 180° object rotation about a vertical axis. With an A1B1A2 context switching paradigm, subjects learned A1 in the first block of eight trials as indicated by a torque approaching the required one. However, subjects made large errors in anticipating the required torque when switching to B1 immediately after A1 (negative transfer), as well as when they had to recall A1 when switching to A2 after learning B through another block of eight lifts (retrieval interference). Classic sensorimotor learning theories attribute such interferences to multi-rate, multi-state error-driven updates of internal models. However, by systematically changing the interblock break duration and within-block number of trials, our results suggest an alternative explanation underlying interference and retention of dexterous manipulation. Specifically, we identified and quantified through a novel computational model the nonlinear interaction between two sensorimotor mechanisms: a short-lived, context-independent, use-dependent sensorimotor memory and a context-sensitive, error-based learning process.


Changes were examined in the expression of Class I and II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens by autochthonous cells of the terminal ileum affected by Crohn's disease. The study was based on the analysis of transmural specimens from terminal ileum segments obtained in the course of ileocolectomy for colon cancer and Crohn's disease. Serial sections were immunostained using monoclonal antibodies directed against monomorphic determinants of HLA-A,B,C, DR, DP, DQ, and the invariant chain (Ii) associated with Class II molecules. Compared with the normal state, the only change in Class I antigen expression occurring in Crohn's disease was the induction of HLA-A,B,C antigens in lymphatic endothelium. Changes in Class II antigen expression were more substantial. Enhancement of HLA-DR expression was found in enterocytes; DR induction was observed in glial cells of the visceral nervous plexus and in venular and venous endothelium. HLA-DP and DQ antigens were induced in enterocytes, glial cells, and capillary and venular endothelium, although this induction was restricted to areas of moderate or high inflammatory activity. The tissue distribution of Ii closely resembled that of HLA-DR, although this association was not strict: on the one hand, arterial endothelium contained low amounts of Ii in the absence of DR antigens; on the other hand, glial cells expressed Class II molecules in the absence of Ii. The extent of local enhancement/induction of MHC antigens was positively correlated with the local density of the cellular infiltrate. These data suggest that altered MHC antigen expression by autochthonous structures might be mediated by factors released from the lymphohistiocytic infiltrate, which is itself attracted by an unknown signal. In conjunction with an unknown antigen, the enhanced expression of Class II antigens might trigger an autoaggressive immune response.


In the eastern English Channel, characterized by its megatidal regime and the resulting very high turbulence, phytoplankton biomass and purely passive scalars such as temperature and salinity are basically regarded as homogenised by turbulent fluid motions. However, recent studies have demonstrated — on the basis of innovative statistical analyses in marine ecology — that these parameters were heterogeneously distributed at a small scale. We extend these concepts to high- resolution time series of dissolved nitrogen (NO2 - ). We first demonstrate the validity of our sampling procedure of continuously measuring nitrite concentration (3 s temporal resolution). Second, we describe how these time series recorded at different times of 4 tidal cycles can be characterized as heterogeneously distributed using fractal and multifractal parameters, and then can be described in terms of small-scale patches. In addition, we show how multifractal parameters can be regarded as being both qualitatively and quantitatively more informative than a single fractal dimension. These parameters showed very specific temporal patterns revealing the absence of density-dependence of nitrite distribution. In contrast, nitrite distributions clearly appeared to be less heterogeneously dis- tributed under higher turbulence, suggesting a physical control of small-scale nutrient patchiness. Nevertheless, taking into account the different structures of nitrite distributions under high and low turbulence, we suggest that the observed small-scale nutrient patches could be the result of complex interactions between hydrodynamic conditions, biological processes related to phytoplankton popu- lations, and the productive efficiency of bacterial populations. This hypothesis is supported by obser- vations that the structure of temperature and salinity — regarded as passive scalars under purely physical control of turbulent motions — recorded simultaneously to the nitrite data remained similar under all hydrodynamic conditions.


To expand the range of applications for thin film solar cells incorporating hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon (nc-Si:H), the growth rate has to be increased 0.5 or less to several nm/s and the substrate temperature should be lowered to around 100 C. In this thesis, key issues towards this goal are addressed, for films deposited using Very High Frequency Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (VHF PEVCD). The commonly encountered decrease of the performance of a-Si:H solar cells with decreasing substrate temperature is often attributed to surface chemistry changes during growth. However, in this thesis it is demonstrated that the gas phase chemistry depends on the substrate temperature as well. It was experimentally found that the ion energy flux towards the substrate decreased when the substrate temperature was reduced. The ion energy flux corresponding to optimal substrate temperatures can be restored during low substrate temperature deposition by increasing the hydrogen dilution. Using plasma impedance measurements, it was confirmed that powder formation is increased at lower substrate temperature. The transition from a-Si:H growth to nc-Si:H growth, which is determined by the relative fluxes of atomic hydrogen and silicon species, can be predicted using the optical emission associated with the origin of these fluxes. At higher power and pressure, the fluxes are also influenced by gas phase reactions. Moreover, the emission rate constants depend on the electron temperature. Using data from a 1 D computer simulation, a correction factor is derived that is purely based on measurable quantities, and that considerably extends the range of deposition conditions for which the phase transition can be monitored using optical emission from the plasma. In a high pressure, high power regime, where source gas usage is high, the phase composition has to be manipulated via the degree of depletion rather than via the dilution with hydrogen. Because the growth rate is very high, the stabilisation time associated with back diffusion of silane affects a large section of the growing film, causing a thick incubation layer. This problem is solved using an initially hydrogen filled reactor in combination with a few seconds of hydrogen plasma prior to the actual deposition. Both a-Si:H and nc-Si:H films show device-quality photosensitivity and activation energy values. The as-deposited conversion efficiencies of solar cells deposited at high deposition rate with a-Si:H (3.2 nm/s) and nc-Si:H (4.5 nm/s) absorber layers were both 6.4%. The conversion efficiency of the a-Si:H solar cell showed a light-induced degradation of 20%, whereas the nc-Si:H cell was stable. The defect density in the high deposition rate nc-Si:H cell was an order of magnitude larger compared to performance-optimized nc-Si:H material. Proton irradiation of the nc-Si:H solar cell revealed that radiation resistance was comparable to that of a-Si:H cells from literature with comparable thickness. The results presented in this thesis can be applied in industrial, in-line systems for the production of high deposition rate nanocrystalline silicon solar cells with enhanced homogeneity and for the quality improvement of solar cells deposited at low substrate temperatures on less expensive substrates, thus reducing production costs.


A symmetrical squaraine-based ligand, sbdpa, bearing two dipicolylamine (dpa) units, was synthesized for the first time, using an environment friendly procedure, such as one-pot and solvent-free reaction. The sbdpa ligand was found to have a small blue-green emission, in aqueous solution, due to a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) mechanism. Metal complexes of sbdpa with a large panel of cations, Na+, K+, Ag+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Ba2+, Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+, were prepared in aqueous buffered solution and screened, in search of a selective response for one of them. A turn-on fluorescence response was then found only for Hg2+, as a consequence of a chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect that disrupts the PET mechanism in sbdpa. Subsequently, the complexation behaviour of Hg2+ with sbdpa was investigated in aqueous solution by potentiometric titrations and other spectroscopic techniques. The acid–base reactions of the ligand were also studied by potentiometry, as well as by 1H-NMR and UV-vis titrations. For comparison purposes, the complexation of two other divalent cations, Cu2+ and Zn2+, was also assessed by potentiometry. Additionally, results are compared with dpa all along the study. Both mono- and dinuclear complexes of sbdpa were found for the three metal cations studied the mercury(II) complex having the largest thermodynamic stability. These findings support a stronger uptake of Hg2+ cation by sbdpa, possibly involving at least one oxygen atom from the squaraine moiety on its coordination sphere.


The importance of biodiversity for the functioning of ecosystems is still very unclear. Many hypotheses, mainly based on terrestrial studies, have been formulated, focussing on the plant diversity-productivity relationship. In this study, diversity-related and species-specific effects of bac- terivorous nematodes on the decomposition rate of cordgrass detritus Spartina anglica and on the associated microbial community were investigated using laboratory microcosm experiments. Four bacterivorous nematode species (Diplolaimelloides meyli, Diplolaimelloides oschei, Diplolaimella dievengatensis and Panagrolaimus paetzoldi) were added either separately or in combinations of 2 or 3 species to the microcosms. In contrast with previous reports, no stimulation of the decomposition process was observed in the presence of nematodes. Still, clear differences in process rates were found between nematode treatments. P. paetzoldi, reaching considerably higher densities than the other nematode species, suppressed bacterial activity and diversity, probably due to overgrazing. This was, however, not translated into slower decomposition. Within treatments exclusively contain- ing monhysterid nematode species (D. meyli, D. oschei and D. dievengatensis), differences in micro- bial activity and decomposition rates were found, but again no link was observed between activity and decomposition. Our data did not support any hypothesis predicting enhancement of process rates with an (initial) increase in numbers of nematode species, or redundancy among the studied species. Rather, we obtained support for an idiosyncratic diversity model, as differences in the effect of bac- terivore nematode species and species combinations could not be predicted at the start of the exper- iment. This could be explained by the inhibitory interactions between nematode species.


To reveal the stress state within the Kumano basin, which overlies the Nankai accretionary prism, we estimated seismic anisotropy from walkaround vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data recorded at Site C0009 during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 319. We obtained the following anisotropic parameters: (1) P wave velocity anisotropy derived from azimuthal normal moveout (NMO) velocity analysis, (2) P wave amplitude variation with azimuth, and (3) axes of symmetry of S wave splitting. Azimuthal variations of P wave velocity by ellipsoidal fitting analysis showed that P wave velocity anisotropy within sediments of the Kumano basin was ∼5%. Both the directions of fast P wave velocity and strong amplitude are aligned with the convergence vector of the Philippine Sea plate. Furthermore, S wave splitting analysis indicated that S wave polarization axes were parallel to and normal to the direction of plate subduction. These results indicate that the maximum horizontal stress at Site C0009 in the Kumano basin is in the direction of plate subduction. The horizontal differential stress estimated from the P wave velocity anisotropy (2.7∼5.5 MPa) indicates that the maximum horizontal stress is similar in magnitude to (or a little higher than) the vertical stress.


Currently, the only option for treating brucellosis is antibiotics especially to prevent complications. In this chapter, we want to talk about the drug therapy in brucellosis and the update of these therapies in the last years. Also, we will expose the principal antibiotics in brucellosis such as doxycycline, rifampin, streptomycin, cotrimoxazole (TMP/SMX), and gentamicin by talking about each one of their mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, administration, risk assessment, adverse effects, and principal drug interactions. Furthermore, we will add the evidence of efficacy in monotherapy combinate based on the evidence.


Aim. To investigate the feasibility and outcome of the AMORE protocol as salvage treatment in pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcoma (HNRMS). Methods. The AMORE protocol is a local treatment regimen, consisting of Ablative surgery, Moulage technique brachytherapy and surgical Reconstruction, scheduled in 1 week. Patients with recurrent or residual non-orbital HNRMS were eligible for AMORE salvage treatment. Results. The procedure was feasible in nine out of eleven eligible patients. Five patients were treated for recurrent or residual parameningeal RMS after prior chemoradiation. Local complete remission was achieved in all five patients and maintained in four. Three patients are without evidence of RMS with a follow-up duration of 4-10 years. Two patients developed a distant relapse, together with a local recurrence in one. Both patients died of their disease. Four patients were included for recurrent non-parameningeal HNRMS. Long-term local control at the site of recurrence was obtained in all four patients (follow-up 5-10 years). Conclusions. The AMORE protocol is a feasible salvage strategy for non-orbital HNRMS even after external beam radiotherapy. The local salvage rate in this series is promising.


This pre-experimental research was aimed to examine the influence of hypnoteaching method toward students' reading motivation and achievement. The sample was 40 students with purposive sampling technique. Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) and test were the research instruments to gain the data quantitatively. Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) adopted from Wigfield and Guthrie (1997) to examine students' reading motivation levels. For reading achievement, pre-test and post-test were distributed to assess the students' reading outcome about Narrative Text before and after applying hypnoteaching method. The results of this research showed that the implementation of hypnoteaching method affected students reading motivation and learning outcome. The mean score of pre motivation for reading Questionnaire (MRQ) was 40.2 indicated poor reader and it raised to be 81.1 showing good reader after the implementation of hypnoteaching method. Furthermore, hypnoteaching method also affects English reading result which the mean of pre-test was 45.30 indicating poor score criterion of English subject, meanwhile, after being taught applying hypnoteaching method, the score inclined to 90.25 which asserted good score criterion of English subject. The value of t test was 14.88 from data of pre-test and post-test, however the value of t table was 1.99. It represented that the alternative hypothesis (H 1 ) was accepted and revealed that hypnoteaching method can influence students' reading achievement. Finally, it was suggested that English teacher should implement this method in teaching English for secondary school students and can be conducted for further research.


The purpose of this study was to investigate the social and cultural norms of expressing sadness in Persian by exploring the cultural categories, metaphors, and schemas (or collectively described as cultural conceptualizations) associated with sadness, and reflected in the language. Besides, the act of responding to the expression of sadness (verbal sympathizing) as another norm-based behavior was analyzed in terms of the cultural schemas underlying it. To this aim, the theoretical and analytical tools of Cultural Linguistics together with the insights from the field of Pragmatic Act Theory (PAT) were adopted.


We investigated the ability of the macrolide antifungal agent rapamycin (RAPA) to inhibit murine graft-vs-host disease induced across the MHC barrier. An optimum dose (1.5 mg/kg) given for 14 days beginning on the day of transplant (and then three times weekly until 1 mo) effectively and significantly (p < 0.001) protected 80% of irradiated B10.BR recipients of C57Bl/6 bone marrow/spleen grafts for over 90 days, whereas 80% of control mice died by day 37. Using a congenic model in which a mixture of Ly5.1+ bone marrow (T cell-depleted) and Ly5.2+ spleen cells allowed us to distinguish mature and immature cells, we found that RAPA inhibits the splenic expansion of mature donor-derived T cells in B10.BR recipients after bone marrow transplantation. In addition, phenotyping studies revealed that RAPA causes a massive reduction of immature CD4+CD8+ T cells in the thymus, indicating that RAPA probably interferes with maturation of immature CD3-CD4-CD8- T cells to CD4+CD8+ T cells. There was also a predilection toward development or intrathymic retention of the more mature CD3+CD4-CD8+ or CD3+CD4+CD8- cells in the thymus of long term survivors. These same observations were made in different experiments with mice given syngeneic bone marrow transplantation and RAPA. However, RAPA administration was associated with the occurrence of an autoimmune-like syndrome, consisting of ulcerative dermatitis, hepatic bile duct proliferation, and nondestructive lymphoid peribronchiolar infiltration of the lung. RAPA interfered with the deletion of potentially self-reactive T cells that occurs in thymic development. The failure of clonal deletion was observed in allogeneic and syngeneic transplants given RAPA, although only the allografted mice experienced an autoimmune-like syndrome. Some, but not all, of the nondeleted V beta populations were functionally active. These new findings bear certain dissimilarities to the syndrome and lesions observed with cyclosporin A treatment, particularly in the observation of bile duct proliferation and ulcerative skin lesions. Nonetheless, because of the potent effect of RAPA in preventing lethal graft-vs-host induced across the MHC, further investigation of the immune consequences of this highly effective compound is warranted.


Milk supply response by dairy farmers in Delaware was analyzed employing d1stnbuted lag price structures for number of milk cows and milk production per cow. A polynominal distributed lag model is fitted to quarterly data with deflated prices for the period 1966 to 1978. The variations in the number of milk cows is explained by about 98 percent. Farmers react positively to milk prices after l-2 years, while wages and feed prices have a negative impact on cow numbers. Milk production per cow shows positive adjustments to milk prices after 6 to 15 months. Technology and feed prices influence also milk production (R l =.87). While the short-run price elasticity of milk production is only .2, the long-run aggregate elasticity grows to 2.8 percent. Intermediate-run projections of milk supply were also performed with the model.


It is shown that a large class of real-coefficient doubly-complementary IIR transfer function pairs can be implemented by means of a single complex allpass filter. For a real input sequence, the real part of the output sequence corresponds to the output of one of the transfer functions G(z) (for example, lowpass), whereas the imaginary part of the output sequence corresponds to its "complementary" filter H(z) (for example, highpass). The resulting implementation is structurally lossless, and hence the implementations of G(z) and H(z) have very low passband sensitivity. Numerical design examples are included, and a typical numerical example shows that the new implementation with 4 bits per multiplier is considerably better than a direct form implementation with 9 bits per multiplier. Multirate filter bank applications (quadrature mirror filtering) are outlined.


This research aims to study further about Islamic concept regarding with children, their development stages and up-bringing pattern in Islamic perspective as one of its scientific contribution for the success of educating children. This research also compares the perspective of psychology and Islam and the practical framework of developing children up-bringing in accordance with Islamic teaching. This is a library research with heurmeneutis-psychology approach by revealing texts from Al-Qur'an and Al-Hadith as well as other relevant sources which have psychology contents. The data was analyzed using comparative method and content analysis. From this research, it can be concluded that Al-Qur'an and Al-Hadith divide children development in two stages; they are early ath-thifl stage (0-7 years old) and late ath-thifl stage (7-14 years old). Therefore, based on this understanding of development stage the teaching pattern can be adapted starting from the early ath-thifl stage by implementing a'dib approach that is identifying self with the children, and implementing addib approach during late ath-thifl stage, that is by teaching discipline. From this research, it can be concluded that Islamic teaching also has clear guideline to bring up children from the day they are born until adolescence in accordance with their development stages.


Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that lncRNAs play an important role in BC. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), H19/miRNA-130a-3P/special AT-rich sequence-binding protein-1 (SATB1) axis on BC progression. Materials and Methods: Expression of lncRNA and RNA was quantified via RT-qPCR. CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, and flow cytometric analyses were used to analyze the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay and a RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used to assess molecular binding. Protein levels were measured by Western blotting. The function of the lncRNA H19 (hereafter referred to as H19) was examined by xenotransplantation. Results: We demonstrated that H19 expression was higher in cancer tissues and cancer cell lines than in adjacent non-tumor tissues and normal cell lines, respectively. H19 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells, and induced apoptosis. In addition, H19 directly bound to miR-130a-3p and downregulated its expression. We further demonstrated that H19 sponged miRNA-130a-3p, which resulted in SATB1 upregulation, thus promoting BC progression. Silencing of H19 substantially suppressed BC tumorigenesis in vivo. Conclusion: Our data uncovered a novel mechanism of BC progression based on the H19-miR-130a-3p-SATB1 axis.