Human society is now at the point where everybody is surrounded by an abundance of information. Those information have even become a problem, in terms of correct selection, qualification and potential benefits. The aim of this paper is to show that there are human needs and related opportunities for each web user, in terms of accessing the web site that is tailored to his personal metaprogram needs. This results in shortening the time of finding the "right information" and gives the effect of "relaxed buyer". On the other hand, this marketing concept can transform a mass marketing on the web into a "face to face" selling, on a much more humane, ecologically friendly way, ultimately, reducing marketing costs.


4050 Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of relatively uncommon tumors that show a broad range of differentiation, such as smooth muscle (leiomyosarcoma), adipocytic (liposarcoma), striated muscle (rhabdomyosarcoma), endothelial (angiosarcoma), or fibroblastic (e.g., dermatofibrosarcoma); they may arise in soft tissue or specific organs. Routinely-tabulated STS rates do not include the organ-specific sarcomas and thus underestimate true STS rates. We analyzed all1978-2001 SEER Program STS cases, including the organ-specific, according to demographic characteristics by histologic type and anatomic site to reveal clues for further research aimed at elucidating the etiology of these cancers. After excluding sarcomas of bones or joints and Kaposi's sarcoma, 26,758 cases were available for analysis. Leiomyosarcomas accounted for 24% of the total, malignant fibrous histiocytomas 17%, liposarcomas 12%, dermatofibrosarcomas 11%, rhabdomyosarcomas 5%, angiosarcomas and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors each 4%, and other specified sarcoma types 8%; fibrosarcomas not otherwise specified (NOS) and sarcomas NOS accounted for 4% and 13%, respectively. Almost half the STSs arose in soft tissue (48%); the skin accounted for 14%, uterus 7%, retroperitoneum 7%, stomach 4%, and small intestine 3%; the remaining 17% arose in other sites. Total STS incidence rates were highest among black women (6.26/100,000 woman/years), followed by black men (5.99) and white men (5.49), with the lowest rate among white women (4.60). This pattern was largely driven by higher rates of leiomyosarcoma among blacks compared to whites, with rate ratios of 1.2 and 1.7 among males and females, respectively, especially those occurring in the uterus (1.7) and stomach (2.6 and 3.7) (the latter now classified as GIST). Dermatofibrosarcomas also were more frequent among blacks, with rate ratios of 1.6 among males and 1.8 females. Only angiosarcomas clearly occurred more frequently among whites than blacks. Total STS rates rose logarithmically with age following a modest early childhood peak due to rhabdomyosarcoma. Rates for both uterine leiomyosarcoma and dermatofibrosarcoma rose rapidly during the childbearing years before plateauing or even declining thereafter, with the peak for dermatofibrosarcoma about age 40 years and for leiomyosarcoma about age 50 years. From 1978-1983 to 1996-2001, age-adjusted rates for all STSs combined increased at 1.2% and 0.8% per year among white males and females, respectively, both statistically significant, while rates among blacks declined slightly. Incidence patterns varied considerably by histologic type, supporting that these tumors are etiologically distinct and that they should be considered separately in analytic studies.


E-government is believed to be vibrant in developing the public sectors around the globe, as it assures more accountability and transparency. Jordan, as a developing country, has developed a number of e-government services. The success of e-government services is dependent one both; the government support as well as citizens' willingness to adopt those e-government initiatives. This study adopted a modified version of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) to examine factors that determine the adoption of e-government services in Jordan. Also, the study aims to examine whether and how national culture has an impact on e-government adoption. A survey collected data from 1,132 users of Jordan's e-government services. Using partial least squares (PLS) of structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis technique, the results show that all the five factors, namely: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions and behavioural intention have significant effect on the adoption of e-government services in Jordan.


Ghana's most prestigious energy infrastructural project, the Volta River Project (VRP), aimed to trigger industrial development through the generation of cheap electricity. At its initiation, the project had a people-oriented resettlement and livelihoods restoration programme, which was abandoned. The Tongu Ewe who constituted more than 80 per cent of those displaced, have faced socio-cultural and economic dislocation without adequate compensation. Within the Development-Induced 'Displacement and Impoverishment' literature a content and knowledge gap especially theoretical models of the impact on child care. As such, this paper proposes two models that focus on the effects of displacement on childcare practices of impoverished mothers who have assumed multiple roles. This is to establish an understanding of the economic and emotional effects of impoverishment and socio-cultural dislocation from development project displacement as the study in Dzemeni portrays. Keywords: childcare costs; impoverished mothers; Tongu Ewe migrants; Dzemeni; development-induced-displacement; development impact on childcare


The present work was conducted to evaluate the ovicidal and larvicidal activity of three insect growth regulators, flufenoxuron, chlorfluazuron and lufenuron against the cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.). Data indicate the important role played by age of eggs in determining the ovicidal activity against cotton leafworm S. littoralis eggs. In general, data indicated the superior ovicidal activity of lufenuron on egg masses followed by flufenoxuron and chlorfluazuron according to the toxicity index. While the field recommended rate of the tested IGR's caused reduction in the percent of hatchability compared with check. Regarding the efficacy of tested IGR's on 2 and 4 instars larvae of S. littoralis, data cleared that lufenuron proved to be the most effective tested IGR against 2 instar larvae of S. littoralis (Boisd.) followed by chlorfluazuron and flufenoxuron, respectively. In a different trend, flufenoxuron was the most effective followed by lufenuron and chlorfluazuron against 4 instar larvae of S. littoralis. The general mean of cumulative mortality could be arranged in following order: lufenuron, chlorfluazuron and flufenoxuron against the 2 & 4 instars larvae under field – laboratory condition. In field efficacy of tested IGR's in 2012 season, data showed that the initial effects of chlorfluazuron and lufenuron were most striking, which was causing 95.21 and 90.44% reduction, respectively. While the lowest obtained with flufenoxuron which caused 64.91% reduction in population density than control. At ninth day, no significant differences were obtained among all tested IGR's.


This paper presents a non-invasive approach for real-time grid impedance identification based on the principle of instantaneous frequency tracking of voltage and current harmonics already present in the system, by the use of Kalman Filter (KF). The KF based technique is compared to the FFT frequency domain approach highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The main limitation of the KF-based identification lies in its intrinsic model based nature, which in this case will limit its scope to the system steady state and to stationary signals. The KF based approach presented in this paper, can be useful as a basis for real-time grid stability assessment based on the impedance identification.


In this study, phenol-formaldehyde (PhF) resins, bisphenol A diglycidyl ether and 4-vinylpyridine were used for the preparation of two organic aerogels (AGs). The data showed that the organic AGs exhibited porous and functionalized structures resulting in efficient Cu(II) and Mn(II) ion removal from water sources. The AGs showed also fairly good sorption properties towards organic solvents and dyes. Combined complex permittivity and ac electrical conductivity measurements sense structural changes, indicating that AGs can also be promising sensors for the interaction of fluids interpenetrating their porous system.


In desert regions, dust is the most critical atmospheric parameter for irradiance assessment and solar resource conversion. Nowadays, atmospheric communities – chemical transport and re-analysis models – provide aerosols information, including dust, but with a spatial resolution greater than 100 km. This low spatial resolution makes the prediction of aerosol loads in a small scale very difficult, considering the possible high spatial variability of this aerosol loads in such desert regions. It has been indeed established in the United Arab Emirates that the variation of aerosol optical depth (AOD) within 100 km can lead to 18% deviation on Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) estimations. Therefore, the MACC AOD, which is provided at a spatial resolution of 125 km, has to be corrected before being used for DNI estimation, as well as any other publicly available AOD database. In this work, images from the High Resolution Visible channel data of the SEVIRI instrument on board Meteosat Second Generation satellite are used to downscale the MACC AOD. The first results of the downscaling approach are tested with one year datasets of AOD from two AERONET ground stations showing that this downscaling leads to a decrease of the mean absolute error on AOD and on the corresponding estimated DNIs.


For the manufacture of safe, lightweight vehicles, the demand for ultra-high-strength steel in the automotive industry is increasing. Although transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and dual-phase (DP) steels have a strength of under 1 GPa, boron-alloyed steel produced using the hot press forming process has a strength of more than 1500 MPa. Laser and resistance spot welding processes are used to join press-hardened steel, but the characteristics of the resulting weldments are not yet fully understood. In this study, the thermal cycles for both welding processes were investigated using finite element (FE) analysis. Resistance spot welding was analyzed using a combination of thermal, electric, and mechanical models, whereas the thermal behavior of laser welding was predicted using only a thermal model. The calculated bead shapes were compared with experimentally measured ones to validate the simulation models. The mechanical and metallurgical characteristics of the weldments were explained using the thermal history of each welding process.


Most therapists recognize that emotional factors influence the course of neurodermitis (ND). Most studies concerning the influence of experimental, acute stressors brought only inconsistent results in ND. Most likely, the experimental stressors chosen thus far were only able to poorly simulate the reactions to real stressors in neurodermitis patients. More recent articles, however, were able to demonstrate changes in psychoimmunological parameters under experimental stress conditions in ND in comparison with a control group of persons with healthy skin. Retrospective studies, serial analyses over time and psychotherapeutic evaluation studies were able to demonstrate even more clearly that emotional factors influence the course of ND.


Forensic facial reconstruction is still at its infancy in Sri Lanka and is yet to utilize the advanced technologies of other countries. Hence introducing a more efficient multimedia based technique to the local forensic officials in order to improve the efficiency and the accuracy of the reconstructions is the aim of this study. In contrast to the other mechanisms used for facial reconstruction by others, this paper adopts a novel approach of muscle based facial reconstruction which goes hand in hand with the manual reconstruction process. The adopted process involved, acquiring a 3D model of the skull and digitally sculpting muscles in a 3D environment, followed by adding different facial features to improve identification. The research also encompassed a tissue thickness analysis that is conducted for the first time on Sri Lankans as well as a facial component analysis, both of which were needed to improve the accuracy of the final output. This procedure was attempted on cases of the age category 20-30 and of medium weight. The outputs and the process were evaluated with different parties such as general public, forensic officials, lawyers and CID all of which are to be benefited from this application. The ultimate goal of conducting the study was to understand and overcome the challenges faced in developing this novel application for the Sri Lankan Forensic officials and to establish the first unit for facial reconstruction in Sri Lanka. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/icter.v6i1.6097 International Journal on Advances in ICT for Emerging Regions 2013 6(1)


A district9s grape-ripening capacity has previously been related to the area9s growing degree days (DD) or the mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM). It has been observed that grape cultivars ripened in parts of New Zealand where they did not fulfill the DD or MTWM criteria used for Europe or North America; thus, an attempt was made to find a more universal index. Cultivars were divided into four distinct groups, based on their ripening requirements, and 14 indices were tested for their ability to relate the groups to the districts in which they are known to ripen. Seventy-eight locations in Europe, North America, Australia, and New Zealand were used. Three groups of locations were adequately separated using DD or MTWM and a different three by latitude. All groups were separated, by an index combining latitude and MTWM. This is termed the latitude-temperature index (LTI) and has more general usefulness for all areas than any other index tested. LTI = MTWM (60 - latitude).


Organic–inorganic halide perovskites possess excellent chemical, optical, and electronic properties that make them attractive for next-generation solar cells. An important target for the further improvement of perovskite-based solar cells is to eliminate or reduce the use of the heavy metal lead. Herein, we systematically investigated the performance of FAPb1−xSnxI3 mixed metal halide perovskites. The addition of Sn led to the stabilization of the perovskite phase and the low temperature of 100 °C was enough to result in the formation of the perovskite phase. The efficiency of the solar cell fabricated in this study is over 10% at x = 0.5, owing to the improved light harvesting in spite of the reduced open voltage. As more Sn was added, the device performance gradually deteriorated. Importantly, we performed stability tests under white light illumination and demonstrated that the FASn0.5Pb0.5I3 material might be intrinsically stable in a nitrogen environment. These results show that the device based on the FASn0.5Pb0.5I3 absorber without encapsulation retained over 85% of the initial efficiency for 100 h in nitrogen, indicating that a highly efficient perovskite solar cell with reduced Pb content and long-term stability could be realized.


Purpose: Journalistic startups are thriving around the world, bringing new approaches to the news media environment in terms of concepts, contents, dissemination, internal organization, and business models. This research is relevant to create a prospective view on the evolution of the news media business in the next years, also allowing us to identify some trends and experiences which can be useful to future researchers work, and for professionals of news media companies, startups or not, to get some insights that might help to develop (or even save) their own businesses.
Methodology: Through semi-structured interviews with the editorial managers of each of the research subjects, we tried to understand the genesis, concepts, processes, and goals of these startups. We made a thematic analysis of the content, using an adapted version of the IPTC NewsCodes, to understand the editorial approach in terms of Genre, Subject, Media Topic, Media, and Priority in each of the startup's publication platform. To better understand the business, we did a business model mapping, using the Business Model Canvas conceptual tool, for all the subjects.
Findings/Contribution: The main findings indicate that all the startups in this research started through the identification of a problem or a need, within a small group of friends or colleagues. They all try to fit into a niche and not compete with legacy media, and search for alternative financing sources. All the teams are small, produce mainly long form reporting and interviews, and use mostly written text - but video tends to grow in volume. All the subjects work for niche audiences, by location or interests. These results contribute to create a structured and broader view of the journalistic startups scene in Portugal, but can also help other researchers to apply similar methods to map different realities, in geographical or thematical terms. This research can also contribute to better understanding the challenges that digital news media face in this networked society we live in.


The optimal commodity taxation problem is examined in a model of the economy which consists of both perfectly and imperfectly competitive industries. The number of possible tax instruments is expanded by including license fees and a profits tax in addition to unit and ad valorem excise taxes. Three types of industries are analyzed: a perfectly competitive industry, a monopolistically competitive industry, and a single-plant monopolist. Within monopolistic competition, there are two distinct industry equilibria considered;Each type of industry is considered separately in a partial-equilibrium framework and the results are extended to the general-equilibrium optimal taxation problem. For each market structure, the characteristics of its optimal taxation path are described; for all possible required levels of tax collections, the optimal adjustment of output per-firm, industry sales, and the number of firms is determined. That tax or combination of taxes which moves each industry along this optimal path is then examined. Attention is also given to maximal taxation schemes;A major focus of previous analyses has been on the optimal configuration of excise rates among perfectly competitive industries. It is shown that a single excise tax can both optimally and maximally tax a perfectly competitive industry. However, a combination of taxes is usually required for optimal taxation in imperfectly competitive markets. These optimal schemes generally consist of a simultaneous tax and a subsidy. Moreover, while optimal taxation usually requires a combination of taxes, a single tax can often maximize collections. In general, the tax instruments required for optimal and maximal taxation are identified and shown to depend on the particular type of market structure which is taxed.


Abstract In this paper, we provide the solution to the optimal Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) paradigm for Markovian Jump linear Systems, when the continuous state is available at the controller instantaneously, but the mode is available only after a delay of one time step. This paper is the first to investigate the LQR paradigm in the presence of such mismatch between the delay in observing the mode and the continuous state at the controller. We show that the optimal LQR policy is a time-varying matrix gain multiplied by the continuous component of the state, where the gain is indexed in time by the one-step delayed mode. The solution to the LQR is expressed as a collection of coupled Riccati iterations and equations, for the finite and the infinite horizon cases respectively. In the infinite horizon case the solution of the coupled Riccati equations or a certificate of infeasibility is obtained by solving a set of linear matrix inequalities. We also explain the difficulties of solving the LQR problem when the mode is observed by the controller with a delay of more than one step. We show that, with delays of more than one time-step, the optimal control will be a time-varying nonlinear function of the continuous state and of the control input, without presenting an exact solution.


Forty-four percent of hospital patients with indwelling catheters can develop significant bacteriuria within 72 hours of catheterisation. It is, therefore, critical that catheters are manufactured with perfectly smooth surfaces and apertures to reduce the potential for infection. An ultrasonic cutting technology is described here that produces smooth apertures and eliminates problems associated with debris.


Software-Defined Network (SDN) is vital in simplifying the dynamic network characteristics and device management. However, the centralized architecture of SDN opens the scope for malicious attacks on the controllers. To mitigate such attacks in real-time, we propose an SDN architecture for resource-constrained devices in a fog-enabled IoT environment using a private blockchain (pBC) network. We exploit the decentralized nature of pBC for enabling resource-constrained SDN controllers towards transparently setting flow rules for fog nodes and other devices in the network. In case the miners identify faulty flow rules, pBC allows the SDN devices/fog nodes to retract back to an earlier flow rule while raising a flag against the alleged controller. Additionally, since data in pBC are accessible by all the candidates having the same genesis file, they are readily available to malicious users. Towards this, we further propose encrypting the data before inserting them into the blocks, which helps in securing the data from undesired users. Through the extensive deployment of our proposed fusion, we observe CPU usage of 30% among the devices and latencies in the range of milliseconds, which presents the feasibility of our system with minimum delay. We also observe a reduction in energy consumption by more than 90%, compared to traditional SDN.


We study the pricing behavior of a multiproduct monopolist, when consumers must pay a search cost to learn its prices. Equilibrium prices are high because rational consumers understand that visiting the store exposes them to a hold-up problem. However a firm with more products attracts more consumers with low valuations, and therefore charges lower prices. We also show that when the firm advertises the price of one product, it provides consumers with some indirect information about all of its other prices. The firm can therefore build a store-wide 'low-price image' by advertising just one product at a low price.


This study focused on the effects of external conditions on the performance of grass swales installed to improve stormwater runoff quality. Four grass swales in Beijing and Shenzhen with different underlying surface characteristics, antecedent dry weather period (ADWP), transport within the grass swales, and rainfall characteristics, were compared during 16 rainfall events in Beijing and six in Shenzhen, and were evaluated over two years. The results revealed that the impervious fraction of the catchment's surface below the swales influenced inlet pollutant concentrations, resulting in variations in their efficiency. ADWP, transport within the swales, and rainfall characteristics all had important effects on their efficiency in removing pollutants. With high pollution loads, long ADWP, and concentrated influent, the swales reduced pollutant concentrations significantly, particularly suspended solids.


PART ONE: INTRODUCTION Microscale Testing in Aquatic Toxicology: Introduction, Historical Perspective, and Context, C. Blaise, P.G. Wells, and K. Lee PART TWO: MICROSCALE TESTING AT VARIOUS BIOLOGICAL AND PHYLOGENETIC LEVELS Biochemical Assays Immunoassays: Applications for the Aquatic Environment, A. Dankwardt, S. Pullen, and B. Hock Environmental Applications with Submitochondrial Particles, H.W. Read, J.M. Harkin, and K.E. Gustavson Bioassays to Measure MFO Inducers in Effluents, P.V. Hodson, J. Sherry, and J. Parrott Enzyme Inhibition for Examination of Toxic Effects in Aquatic Systems, U. Obst, A. Wessler, and M. Weigand-Rosinus Tissue Culture Assays Sponge Cells and Tissue as Biological Monitors of Aquatic Pollution, W.E.G. Muller and I.M. Muller The Use of Fish Cells in the Toxicological Evaluation of Environmental Contaminants, F. Denizeau In Vitro Assays for Detection of Non-Genotoxic Carcinogens, M.J. Durand, V. Cruciani, S. Alexandre, J.C. Hoflack, H. Bessi, C. Blaise, and P. Vasseur Bacteria Microbial Enzyme Assays for the Detection of Heavy Metal Toxicity, G. Bitton and J.L. Morel ATP-TOX System - A Review, H.H. Xu Luminescent Bacterial Biosensors for the Rapid Detection of Toxicants, S.F. Briscoe, J. Cai, and M.S. DuBow Stress-Responsive Luminous Bacteria for Toxicity and Genotoxicity Monitoring, S. Belkin Microtox(R) Toxicity Test Systems - Where They Stand Today, A. Qureshi, A.A. Bulich, and D. Isenberg Microtox(R) Toxicity Test System - New Developments and Applications, B.T. Johnson Measurement of Microbial Exoenzyme Activity in Sediments for Environmental Impact Assessment, K. Lee and K.L. Tay Small-Scale In Vitro Genotoxicity Tests for Bacteria and Invertebrates, P.D. Hansen and A. Herbert Microalgae Recent Advances in Toxicity Test Methods Using Kelp Gametophytes. B.S. Anderson, J.W. Hunt, and W. Piekarski Microplate Toxicity Tests with Micro-Algae: A Review, C. Blaise, J.-F. Ferard, and P. Vasseur Ecophysiological Considerations in Microalgal Toxicity Tests, C. Nalewajko and M.M. Olaveson Development and First Validation of a "Stock-Culture Free" Algal Microbiotest: The Algaltoxkit, G. Persoone Protozoa Ciliated Protozoa as Test Organisms in Toxicity Assessments, G.L. Gilron and D.H. Lynn Development of a Protozoan Chemoattraction Inhibition Assay for Evaluating Toxicity of Aquatic Pollutants, S.G. Berk and R.O. Roberts Ciliate Microbiotest Applications: Metal Contaminants in Water and Soil, J.R. Pratt, D.G. Mochan, and N.J. Bowers Invertebrates Utility and Practical Considerations for In Vitro Developmental Toxicity Testing: Hydra and FETAX Assays, E.M. Johnson Microscale Bioassays for Corals, M. Branton The Use of Larvae and Small Species of Polychaetes in Marine Toxicological Testing, D. J. Reish Development of a Canadian Marine Toxicity Test for Whole Sediment Using Cultured Spionid Polychaetes, P. Pocklington and K.G. Doe Microscale Toxicity Testing with Rotifers, T.W. Snell and C.R. Janssen Recent Advances in Microscale Toxicity Testing with Marine Mollusks, J.W. Hunt, B.S. Anderson, and B.M. Phillips Development and Validation of Toxkit Microbiotests with Invertebrates, in Particular Crustaceans, G. Persoone Death by Mud: Amphipod Sediment Toxicity Tests, P.M. Chapman Physiological Dysfunction in Estuarine Mysids and Larval Decapods with Chronic Pesticide Exposure, C.L. McKenney Teleosts and Amphibians Aquatic Testing with Early Life Stages of Killifish, J.S. Weis and P. Weis Genetoxicity in Fish Embryos, A. Herbert and P.-D. Hansen Genotoxicity Tests in Amphibians: A Review, V. Ferrier, L. Gauthier, C. Zoll-Moreux, and J. L'Haridon Multi-Trophic Assessment in Practice Marine and Estuarine Porewater Toxicity Testing, R.S. Carr Correspondence of a Microscale Toxicity Test to Responses to Toxicants in Natural Systems, J. Cairns, B.R. Niederlehner, and E.P. Smith Role of Microbiotests in Contaminated Sediment Assessment Batteries, P. Ross PART THREE: VALIDATION, APPLICATIONS, AND TRAINING WITH MICROSCALE TESTING The Influence of Particle Size, Ammonia, and Sulfide on Toxicity of Dredged Materials for Ocean Disposal, K.L. Tay, K.G. Doe, A.J. MacDonald, and K. Lee Oil Spill Treating Agents: Present Knowledge and Toxicity Testing Needs, A.J. Mearns The Development, Validation, and Analysis of Salmonella Mutagenicity Test Methods for Environmental Situations, L.D. Claxton Investigating the Sources and Fate of Genotoxic Substances in Aquatic Ecosystems with the SOS Chromotest, P.A. White and C. Cote The Development and Application of Sediment Toxicity Tests for Regulatory Purposes, M.G. Nipper PART FOUR: THE FUTURE - RESEARCH CHALLENGES Microscale Testing in Aquatic Toxicology: Conclusions and Future Directions, K. Lee, P.G. Wells, and C. Blaise Glossary Indexes


This paper analyzes the future prospects for the use of the Theater Battle Arena (TBA) specifically, and Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) facilities in general, in conducting analysis for senior Air Force leadership. The desire is to broaden the use of the TBA in the arena of combat analysis. We believe that such a study would benefit other participants in the Advanced Distributed Simulation (ADS) environment as they plan, develop, construct, and upgrade facilities that take advantage of the still emerging ADS technology.


The COVID-19 pandemic is a new and challenging experience for families with children. It has changed the routine of everyday life dramatically. The aim of this mixed methods study was to explore the sources of parental stress and applied coping strategies during the first emergency situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as compare the answers in different demographic groups of parents. Respondents were 2 559 parents, most of them were female, with a mean age of 39 years. Among the series of open-ended questions in a survey, the two of them were analysed in this research, respectively "What causes you the most stress or worry?" and "What activities do you do or keep in mind to maintain your mental health and quality of life?" Thematic analysis of written responses of parents led to development of 16 qualitative categories of stressors and 14 categories of coping strategies. The most common stressors of the parents were physical and social distancing, remote learning and work-related stress. The most common coping was physical activity, time for oneself and spending time with the family. Within demographic groups the two-parent families were more likely to report an increase of home duties, multitasking, parents' personal issues, fear of becoming infected with the virus and also no stress. Parents aged under 39 years were more likely to mention stressors such as physical and social distancing and change in daily routine, and they were more likely to cope with stress by spending time with the family. Older parents (over 39 years) were more likely to mention stressors such as uncertainty, COVID-related information, no stress at all or other, and were more likely to use such coping strategies as spending time for oneself, communication with others and gardening. The results of the study suggest that families were exposed to multi-stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic related first emergency situation in Latvia in May-June 2020. Parents of children used a variety of coping strategies and most of them were active.


V A Fock, in 1926, was the first to have the idea of an Abelian gradient transformation and to discover that the electromagnetic interaction of charged particles has a gradient invariance in the framework of quantum mechanics. These transformation and invariance were respectively named Eichtransformation and Eichinvarianz by H Weyl in 1929 (the German verb zu eichen means to gauge). The first non-Abelian gauge theory was suggested by O Klein in 1938; and in 1954, C N Yang and R L Mills rediscovered the non-Abelian gauge symmetry. Gauge invariance is the underlying principle of the current Standard Model of strong and electroweak interactions.


Title: Young Readers as Literary Critics Online: A (School) Genre on the Run?  Research has shown that the book review is part of a core of school text repertoire, and that it is characterized by particular blocks of information. Young readers also write book reviews outside the school context and post these texts online. This study focuses 50 book reviews in Swedish, written by readers age 9–20 outside the school context and posted online. The blocks of information have been mapped, showing that the plot, the characters and the evaluation are predominant among these young readers. However, in the reviews readers are often addressed directly, and the reviewer uses the affinity space provided by the digital environment, both to establish interaction with the readers and to position the young reader as an engaged and competent critic. The established genre conventions are observed to varying degrees, in particular the use of terminology with a bearing on narratives. Paratextual elements such as photos of book covers, quotes, links and spoiler warnings occur in many book reviews in the material. Three theoretical concepts are used in this article to analyse and understand young readers' online book reviews: James Paul Gee's concept of affinity space, Basil Bernstein's concept of horizontal and vertical discourse, and Gerard Genette's concept of paratext. The result shows that the book review may still, in essence, be an imitation genre, as the young readers use the blocks of information common to the genre conventions learnt at school or by reading professional reviews. The digital environment has, however, had an impact. Not only does Internet provide an arena for the young readers to act as critics, it also provides the young reviewer with national and international models, possibilities of interaction, and paratextual material to borrow. The young readers have capitalized on the possibility to position themselves as readers and critics.


Advanced building management systems utilize future information, such as electricity spot prices, weather forecasts, and predicted electric loads and hot water consumption, to reduce the maximum electric power consumption and energy cost. A model predictive controller (MPC) is implemented for a household with one hour sample intervals, including hot water usage, charging of an electric vehicle, and domestic heating, but also an accumulator water tank to be used as an additional thermal energy storage. Both the maximum total power used in the house and the energy cost are included in the cost function to evaluate how these properties are affected by different system designs. The MPC solution is compared to the global optimal solution using dynamic programming indicating comparable performance. The robustness of the MPC is evaluated using a prediction of the future household electric consumption in the controller. Results also show that a significant part of the cost reduction is achieved for as small prediction horizons as five hours. Analysis shows that including an accumulator tank is useful for reducing the total energy cost, while reducing the peak power is mainly achieved by increasing the prediction horizon of the MPC.


Introduction:
 stroke diagnosis is not always easy. Many non-vascular medical and neurological problems can mimic stroke, featuring focal neurological signs and symptoms of sudden onset. These patients can potentially be harmed by stroke-specific treatments, including fibrinolysis. Hence, a test capable of unveiling stroke mimics would be useful.

 Hypothesis:
 A proteomic platform called immunosignaturing may be useful to distinguish between acute ischemic stroke and imitators.

 Methods:
 plasma samples from 12 patients brought to the ER because of a stroke code were analyzed: 6 were diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke and 6 with seizures mimicking a stroke. Additional 12 samples from healthy volunteers were used as controls. Immunosignatures use microarrays with 10,000 random sequence peptides, which behave as antibody mimotopes. Antibody binding to microarray peptides is detected with secondary antibodies labeled with fluorescent dyes, then scanned with a laser. Resulting profiles are unique to each individual. Samples were run in duplicates, with good correlation between replicates, high signal and low background. Mann-Whitney U-test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare groups.

 Results:
 samples were obtained within 130 minutes after symptoms onset. We found no differences between groups related to age, gender, or cardiovascular risk factors. Analysis of signature profiles revealed striking separation between stroke and seizure cases. The Figure depicts a heatmap comparing the stroke (yellow bar underneath) and seizure patients. Peptides with QADAP or QADLP motifs helped differentiate the groups.

 Conclusions:
 We describe the first application of an antibody-profiling platform called immunosignaturing to the study of ischemic stroke and its imitators. Despite the small sample, these very preliminary results suggest that antibody signatures may help distinguish acute ischemic strokes from other conditions, deserving future research.


Part of a 'multiscale characterization' study of heterogeneous deformation patterns in metals is reported. A copper single crystal was oriented for single slip in the (111)[ ] slip system and tested to ∼10% strain in roughly uniaxial compression. The macroscopic strain field was monitored during the test by optical 'image correlation'. The strain field was measured on orthogonal surfaces, one of which (the x-face) was oriented perpendicular to [ ] and contained the [ ] direction of the preferred slip system. The macroscopic strain developed in an inhomogeneous pattern of broad, crossed shear bands in the x-face. One, the primary band, lay parallel to (111). The second, the 'conjugate' band, was oriented perpendicular to (111) with an overall ( ) habit that contains no common slip plane of the fcc crystal. The mesoscopic deformation pattern was explored with selected area diffraction, using a focused synchrotron radiation polychromatic beam with a resolution of 1–3 µm. Areas within the primary, conjugate and mixed (primary + conjugate) strain regions of the x-face were identified and mapped for their orientation, excess defect density and shear stress. The mesoscopic defect structure was concentrated in broad, somewhat irregular primary bands that lay nominally parallel to (111) in an almost periodic distribution with a period of about 30 µm. These primary bands were dominant even in the region of conjugate strain. There were also broad conjugate defect bands, almost precisely perpendicular to the primary bands, which tended to bridge primary bands and terminate at them. The residual shear stresses were large (ranging to well above 500 MPa) and strongly correlated with the primary shear bands; interband stresses were small. The maximum resolved shear stresses within the primary bands were oriented out of the plane of the bands, and, hence, could not recover the dislocation structure in the bands. The maximum resolved shear stresses in the interband regions lay predominantly in {111} planes. The results are compared to the mesoscopic defect patterns found in Cu in etch pit studies done some decades ago, which also revealed a mesoscopic dislocation structure made up of orthogonal bands.


CASE DESCRIPTION
A 7-month-old male Siberian Husky affected by lower motor neuron tetraparesis was anesthetized for electrodiagnostic testing and collection of muscle and nerve biopsy specimens.

CLINICAL FINDINGS
Preanesthetic physical examination revealed a high rectal temperature, and serum biochemical analysis revealed high muscle and liver enzyme activities. The dog was anesthetized twice. The dog was anesthetized with isoflurane and developed moderate hypercarbia and mild hyperthermia. Injectable anesthetic agents were used to anesthetize the dog the second time, during which the dog developed severe malignant hyperthermia. A genetic test performed after anesthesia did not reveal a mutation of the RYR1 gene, the gene that mediates calcium-release channels in skeletal muscle. On the basis of clinical features, and because other neuromuscular disorders were ruled out, a genetic channelopathy involving the skeletal muscle ion channels was suspected.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME
The dog was disconnected from the breathing system, and active cooling of the body was performed with ice packs applied to the body surface and alcohol applied to the foot pads. Cold crystalloid solutions were administered i.v.. Intermittent positive-pressure ventilation with 100% oxygen was performed to decrease end-tidal partial pressure of carbon dioxide. Because dantrolene was not available, acepromazine was administered to facilitate a decrease in body temperature. The dog recovered from malignant hyperthermia and was discharged to the owner after 13 days of hospitalization.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Dogs affected by genetic muscle disorders should be considered at risk for perianesthetic malignant hyperthermia, even in the absence of an RYR1 gene mutation.


An ultrasonic method for remote palpation of tissue is under investigation. In this method, a single ultrasonic transducer array is used to both apply localized radiation forces within tissue and to track the resulting displacements. The magnitude of the tissue displacement is inversely proportional to the local stiffness of the tissue. There are many possible clinical applications for this method, including detecting and characterizing soft tissue lesions, and detecting atherosclerosis. We have previously presented results from studies investigating the application of a single radiation force location in the presence and absence of a lesion in tissue-mimicking phantoms. In this paper, results are presented from in vivo experiments using a single pushing location, and phantom experiments in which multiple pushing locations are used to interrogate a two-dimensional field of view (FOV). Displacements on the order of 10 to 30 microns are observed in vivo after 10 milliseconds of force application, and the resulting displacement images exhibit structural information about the tissue. Remote palpation images generated using multiple pushing locations display local variations in tissue stiffness at high resolution. These results suggest considerable clinical potential for remote palpation imaging, and the potential for real-time implementation on commercial diagnostic scanners.


Abstract Bertuzzi, R, Franchini, E, Tricoli, V, Lima-Silva, AE, Pires, FDO, Okuno, NM, and Kiss, MAPDM. Fit-climbing test: A field test for indoor rock climbing. J Strength Cond Res 26(6): 1558–1563, 2012—The aim of this study was to develop an indoor rock-climbing test on an artificial wall (Fit-climbing test). Thirteen climbers (elite group [EG] = 6; recreational group [RG] = 7) performed the following tests: (a) familiarization in the Fit-climbing test, (b) the Fit-climbing test, and (c) a retest to evaluate the Fit-climbing test's reliability. Gas exchange, blood lactate concentration, handgrip strength, and heart rate were measured during the test. Oxygen uptake during the Fit-climbing test was not different between groups (EG = 8.4 ± 1.1 L; RG = 7.9 ± 1.5 L, p > 0.05). The EG performance (120 ± 7 movements) was statistically higher than the RG climbers' performance (78 ± 13 movements) during the Fit-climbing test. Consequently, the oxygen cost per movement during the Fit-climbing test of the EG was significantly lower than that of the RG (p < 0.05). Handgrip strength was higher in the EG when compared with that in the RG in both pre-Fit- and post-Fit-climbing test (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in any other variables analyzed during the Fit-climbing test (p > 0.05). Furthermore, the performance in the Fit-climbing test presented high reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.97). Therefore, the performance during the Fit-climbing test may be an alternative to evaluate rock climbers because of its specificity and relation to oxygen cost per movement during climbing.


The relationship between peripartum nutritional status and the resumption of postpartum ovarian activity was studied in thirteen ewes bred traditionally on littoral pastures of the extreme north-eastern province of Algeria. In order to follow up their peripartum nutritional status, 147 blood samples were collected once during antepartum and eleven times during the first two months postpartum at five to six days interval. Plasma level of total cholesterol, triglycerides, albumin, Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and Aspartate amino transferase (AST) was measured. In addition, body condition was scored. The interval from lambing to onset of postpartum luteal activity was obtained via radioimmunoassay of plasma progesterone. The resumption of postpartum luteal activity, beyond 65 days in 88.33 % of monitored ewes, was found to be dependent on peripartum nutritional deficit indicated by a strong significant relationship with postpartum body condition score, antepartum GGT level and postpartum cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.01), and by a slightly significant correlation (P < 0.05) with postpartum levels of AST and triglycerides. The use of nutritional status indicators could contribute to the control of ewe's peripartum through a better understanding of their sensitivity and adaptability to their breeding constraints. This would lead to the improvement of their reproduction performance.


There are provided a coefficient number detector (109) for detecting the number of coefficients having a value other than 0 for each block from the coefficients generated, a coefficient number storage unit (110) for storing the number of coefficients detected, and a coefficient number encoder (111) for selecting a variable length encoding table according to the number of coefficients of the encoded block positioned around the block to be encoded and performing variable length encoding to the coefficient number by referencing the variable length encoding table which has been selected.


This article concerns early representations in Arabic-Islamic sources of Ḥijāzī opposition to the dynastic succession initiated by Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān shortly before his death in 41/661. The study emphasizes the importance of Qurʾānic exegesis for understanding the origin of the Ḥijāzī-Umayyad debate over rightful caliphal succession. It also demonstrates that examining how this episode is depicted in various literary genres offers a wider perspective on the construction of historical narratives in terms of provenance, protagonists, and objectives. The analysis of tafsīr interpretations of Q 46:17, which serve as the article's underpinning, reveals that the Umayyad court promoted the view that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr was the rebellious son mentioned in this verse. Depictions of this dispute in the ḥadīth, ansāb, and adab genres clearly connect Marwān b. alḤakam with this interpretation after ʿAbd al-Raḥmān questioned Muʿāwiya's appointment of his son Yazīd as his successor. The portrayals of the Ḥijāzī-Umayyad debate in taʾrīkh accounts represent a different perspective, one that shows a transition from a tribal and provincial setting to a broader caliphal political framework. The gradual shift from a reliance on Medinan transmitters to a focus on Iraqi authorities testifies to this orientation, as does the appearance of new leading protagonists. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān's central role as a leader of the Ḥijāzī opposition to the Umayyads in the tafsīr, ḥadīth, and adab literature becomes secondary and overshadowed by other Ḥijāzī figures, particularly ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr.


Geographic Data Warehouses (GDWs) are traditional data warehouses with spatial attributes that are used for defining spatial dimension tables, spatial measures and spatial hierarchies. Non-redundant spatial data warehouse schemas have been recognized as an essential issue in the GDW design. Although the lack of spatial redundancy represents a gain in data storage, it implies in a need for performing expensive join operations to answer a given query that may refer to one or more query windows. In this paper, we investigate to what extent the separate storage of spatial and conventional data is recommended in GDW, according to increasing numbers of query windows. We also investigate if the complexity of the spatial data (i.e. points versus polygons) influences the choice of storing spatial and conventional data in the same or in different dimension tables. Our experimental results indicated that if non-redundant spatial data are represented as point objects, an approach to avoid additional join costs by storing both point data and their descriptive data in a single table should be chosen. The results also showed that redundant GDW schemas introduce a severe drawback, as some spatial analytical queries cannot reuse previously fetched spatial data, impairing query performance. Finally, based on the experimental results, we propose in this paper a set of guidelines for the design of logical GDW schemas, called ``Logical GDW Design Guidelines''.


ABSTRACT With educational expansion and rising standards, ever more students are being transferred into special education. These programs serve children and youth with 'special educational needs' (SEN), a heterogeneous group with social, ethnic, linguistic, physical, and intellectual disadvantages. An increasing proportion of students at risk of leaving secondary school without qualifications participate in special education. While most European countries aim to replace segregated schools and separate classes with school integration and inclusive education, cross-national comparisons of special education's diverse student bodies show considerable disparities in rates of SEN classification, provided learning opportunities, and educational attainments. Analyses of European special education demographics and organizations emphasize institutional instead of individual explanations. Findings from Germany and the United States further demonstrate that which students bear the greatest risk of becoming less educated depends principally on the institutionalization of special education systems and on definitions of 'special educational needs'.


Woolford (2015) distinguishes two types of ergativity—active and object shift—whereas ergativity is not governed by transitivity in any of the languages she examines. However, several languages remain unclassified in Woolford's typology, among them two Nakh-Daghestanian languages, Archi and Tsez. Woolford inquires whether they belong to the active or object shift type or whether ergativity in these languages depends on transitivity. This article presents data from another Nakh-Daghestanian language, Tabasaran, and shows that this language is best analyzed as an example of traditional transitivity-based ergativity.


Over the past 10 years, feminist scholarship has made important contributions to the new institutionalism in political science. This literature has developed into two directions. Some scholars have sought to gender existing approaches, resulting in feminist historical institutionalism, feminist sociological institutionalism, feminist discursive institutionalism, and even feminist rational choice institutionalism. Others have tried to sketch a feminist institutionalism on a par with, and as an alternative to, the classic approaches. Through an analysis of eight recent books, this review asks which direction shows the most promise.


Recent debates about the role of the International Labor Organization and the World Trade Organization are considered in the context of an examination of the appropriate relationship between international trade law and labor rights. After a brief history of the issue, consideration is given to how far there is a conflict between trade liberalization and labor rights, identifying different ways in which tensions may arise. Currently, four ways of dealing with these tensions exist in an uneasy relationship with each other: a unilateral model, an NGO model, a regional model, and a multilateral model (concentrating on the ILO). If dissatisfaction with these current models grows, two alternatives are identified (rather speculatively) as possible. In one, involuntary multilateralism, the WTO adjudicatory institutions are called on to determine whether actions are in compliance with existing trade disciplines. In a second alternative, voluntary multilateralism, states agree to give the WTO a more clearly articulated role in addressing labor issues. The debate on such issues should involve all the existing international institutional actors, including the WTO. Finally, in this context, the issue of who else should participate in this debate is identified. Copyright 2000 by Oxford University Press.


Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) with conduction disease and Atrial Fibrillation (AF) are the two cardiac-specific diseases associated with lamin A/C gene (LMNA) mutations. Protein Kinase C Alpha, (PKCα) functions as a nodal integrator of cardiac contractility by "sensing" intracellular calcium and signal transduction. PKCα has been implicated in heart failure and cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, abnormal PKCα function results in irregular atrial potassium channel activity associated with chronic AF PKCα is a lamin A/C binding partner. Thus, the deregulation of PKCα signaling can contribute to the development of DCM and AF.
Our hypothesis is that the AF (Thr528Met), DCM-associated (Arg541Cys) and (Arg541Gly) and DCM/AF-associated (Tyr481Stop) LMNA variants will disrupt the cellular distribution of PKCα therefore resulting in impaired PKCα function.
The first objective was to phenotypically characterise Arg541Cys LMNA variant in murine skeletal myoblasts cell line (C2C12) in comparison to cellular phenotypes induced by LMNA variants associated with AF, DCM and DCM with AF. Arg541Cys lamin A and C variants formed circular and sickle-shaped lamin A/C in the nucleus of C2C12 cells.
The second objective was to determine the effect of these lamin variants on cellular distribution of PKCα in C2C12 cells. PKCα mislocalized into the nucleus of C2C12 cells transfected with AF and DCM-associated variants (Thr528Met and Arg541Cys). Colocalization analysis showed significant increase in PKCα in the nucleus of AF (Thr528Met) and DCM (Arg541Cys) variants when lamin A and C, were co-transfected compared to wild-type, DCM (Arg541Gly) and DCM/AF (Tyr481Stop) variants. Densitometry analysis showed statistically significant increase in phosphorylated PKCα, the active form of PKCα, in nuclear and cytoplasmic extracts of C2C12 cells expressing Arg541Cys variant. Densitometry analysis also showed statistically significant increase in non-phosphorylated PKCα in the nuclear extract of Thr528Met variant expressing cells.
The third objective was to determine the effect of AF and DCM-associated variants on the activity of PKCα. PKCα activity is quantified by measuring the phosphorylation of a known phosphorylated PKCα substrate. Alpha-6-tubulin phospho (Ser165) is phosphorylated by PKCα. Hence, this was used to quantify PKCα activity. No statistical significance was observed in the level of phosphorylated alpha-6-tubulin at (Ser165) in the C2C12 cells that were transfected with lamin A and C variants compared to wild type. Furthermore, PKCα phosphorylation state is cyclic in nature and this could have had an impact on the phosphorylation state of the chosen substrate in this study.
The functional consequence of nuclear translocation of PKCα with respect to laminopathies is unknown. Abnormal activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) which are branches of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling cascade in hearts of mice, and humans prior to the onset of cardiomyopathy. These…


In modern Japanese history, the postwar experience has often been depicted as a story of war victims' endeavors to rebuild the nation from the ashes. "Sengo" (postwar) is considered a new history as if the nuclear bomb had completely eliminated the preceding period from the chronological table. "Sengo" is an ambiguous period with no clear end date (if it has ended). It is actually a signifier that produces a convenient legitimacy for Japan to claim a new history and ignore the painful memories of the people who fought the war for the nation. By the late 1960s, people's hard work was rewarded with the proud middle class identity, the high standard of living (with television sets, refrigerators and washing machines), and an illusion of freedom based on democracy. In reality, however, postwar Japan is a highly controlled society in which those who were once committed to die for the emperor were transformed into "salary men" who would die for the nation's economy.


BACKGROUND Genetic tests are increasingly performed for the management of unresectable pancreatic cancer. For genotyping aimed samples current guidelines recommend using core specimens, although based on moderate quality evidence. However, in clinical practice among the endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided tissue acquisition methods, fine needle aspiration (FNA) is the most widely performed. AIM To assess the adequacy for next generation sequencing (NGS) of the DNA yielded from EUS-FNA pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) samples. METHODS Between November 2018 and December 2021, 105 patients with PDAC confirmed by EUS-FNA were included in the study at our tertiary gastroenterology center. Either 22 gauge (G) or 19G FNA needles were used. One pass was dedicated to DNA extraction. DNA concentration and purity (A260/280, A260/230) were assessed by spectrophotometry. We assessed the differences in DNA parameters according to needle size and tumor characteristics (size, location) and the adequacy of the extracted DNA for NGS (defined as A260/280 ≥ 1.7, and DNA yield: ≥ 10 ng for amplicon based NGS, ≥ 50 ng for whole exome sequencing [WES], ≥ 100 ng for whole genome sequencing [WGS]) by analysis of variance and t-test respectively. Moreover, we compared DNA purity parameters across the different DNA yield categories. RESULTS Our cohort included 49% male patients, aged 67.02 ± 8.38 years. The 22G needle was used in 71% of the cases. The DNA parameters across our samples varied as follows: DNA yield: 1289 ng (inter quartile range: 534.75-3101), A260/280 = 1.85 (1.79-1.86), A260/230 = 2.2 (1.72-2.36). DNA yield was > 10 ng in all samples and > 100 ng in 93% of them (one sample < 50 ng). There were no significant differences in the concentration and A260/280 between samples by needle size. Needle size was the only independent predictor of A260/230 which was higher in the 22G samples (P = 0.038). NGS adequacy rate was 90% for 19G samples regardless of NGS type, and for 22G samples it reached 89% for WGS adequacy and 91% for WES and amplicon based NGS. Samples with DNA yield > 100 ng had significantly higher A260/280 (1.89 ± 0.32 vs 1.34 ± 0.42, P = 0.013). Tumor characteristics were not corelated with the DNA parameters. CONCLUSION EUS-FNA PDAC samples yield DNA adequate for subsequent NGS. DNA amount was similar between 22G and 19G FNA needles. DNA purity parameters may vary indirectly with needle size.


The fundamental difference between incompressible ideal magnetohydrodynamics and the dynamics of a non-conducting fluid is that magnetic fields exert a tension force that opposes their bending; magnetic fields behave like elastic strings threading the fluid. It is natural, therefore, to expect that a magnetic field tangled at small length scales should resist a large-scale shear in an elastic way, much as a ball of tangled elastic strings responds elastically to an impulse. Furthermore, a tangled field should support the propagation of 'magnetoelastic waves', the isotropic analogue of Alfvén waves on a straight magnetic field. Here, we study magnetoelasticity in the idealised context of an equilibrium tangled field configuration. In contrast to previous treatments, we explicitly account for intermittency of the Maxwell stress, and show that this intermittency necessarily decreases the frequency of magnetoelastic waves in a stable field configuration. We develop a mean-field formalism to describe magnetoelastic behaviour, retaining leading-order corrections due to the coupling of large- and small-scale motions, and solve the initial-value problem for viscous fluids subjected to a large-scale shear, showing that the development of small-scale motions results in anomalous viscous damping of large-scale waves. Finally, we test these analytic predictions using numerical simulations of standing waves on tangled, linear force-free magnetic-field equilibria.


AZ91D magnesium alloys were immersed in different phosphating solutions with zinc nitrate and sodium fluoride additives to enhance the corrosion resistance. The devolution law of the Open Circuit Potential (OCP) of AZ91D alloys during phosphating was measured. The corrosion behaviors of AZ91D alloys in 3.5%NaCl solution were investigated using OCP and Tafel polarization methods, and the effect of phosphating additives was discussed. The results show that the changes of the OCP of AZ91D alloys with phosphating time in different phosphating solutions are different; the anodic and cathodic corrosion processes of AZ91D alloys are conspicuously inhibited with phosphate coatings; zinc nitrate and sodium fluoride are benefit to form phosphate coatings with better corrosion resistance. The corrosion potential of AZ91D alloy phosphated in solutions with both zinc nitrate and sodium fluoride is most positive.


This article explores the determinants of corporate social responsibilities (CSR) in the banking sector of
the transition countries of Central and Eastern Europe
(CEE), as well as those of the former Soviet Union (FSU. Our panel fixed-logit results for 237 banks, covering the period 2000–2012,show that while financial performance is not associated with CSR, larger banks are more likely to engage in CSR. Additionally,a government's effectiveness and
its regulatory quality increase the likelihood that the banks will engage in social activities.
A range of possible approaches that governments can take to encourage social activities in the banking sector of transition countries are provided.
Overall, our results are consistent with the theory that
the necessary conditions must be in place to support CSR,
which seem to be absent in the countries under investigation


This is the first anthology to explore the fertile intersection of dance and political studies. It offers new perspectives on the connections of dance to governmental, state and party politics, war, nationalism, activism, terrorism, human rights, political ideologies and cultural policy. This cutting-edge book features previously unpublished work by leading scholars of dance, theatre, politics, and management, alongside renowned contemporary choreographers, who propose innovative ways of looking at twentieth- and twenty-first-century dance. Topics covered range across the political spectrum: from dance tendencies under fascism to the use of choreography for revolutionary socialist ends; from the capacity of dance to reflect the modern market economy to its function in campaigns for peace and justice. The book also contains a comprehensive introduction to the relations between dance and politics.


It was with great interest that we read the recent BMJ editorial by professors Lohmander and Roos1 that challenged the orthopaedic and sports world to have greater evidence to support interventions. We would place ourselves firmly on their bandwagon as we examine the evidence supporting physical performance tests (PPTs) in athletes.

A PPT is aptly named as each requires an athlete to perform a physical task that is believed to be a component of sports activity. PPTs are simple, portable, low-tech assessments and as such, are quite attractive. Representative of PPTs is the single leg hop test2 and its variations (triple, crossover, and timed 6 m hop), which are ubiquitous in sports rehabilitation environments. PPTs are routinely used to predict/determine if:

1. An athlete will be injured at some future time based on substandard performance of the test (injury prediction);

2. The athlete will perform at a higher level than his or her peers for the foreseeable future …


The commitment/consistency principle for compliance implies that people act in ways consistent with their previous behavior. Cialdini and Sagarin (2005) have stated that, according to this principle, asking individuals questions to which they would be expected to say "yes" could be associated with achieving greater compliance with a subsequent request. However, this procedure, referred to as the four walls technique, has never been tested experimentally. In this study, we conducted an experiment in which participants were first asked to answer several questions that required "yes" or "no" responses. Then, the participants were asked to comply with an additional request. It was found that saying "yes" several times beforehand is associated with greater compliance with a subsequent request than is saying "no" beforehand or when no first request was made.


Shadow price can reflect the resources' scarcity and their contribution for economy. This paper constructed an input-output LP model based on methods of input-output combined with linear programming. And then, this paper measured the shadow price of coal using this input-output LP model based on China's input-output tables in 1987-2007 and used the method of scenario simulation analysis to measure the shadow price of coal under different developing rates of coal industry. The results showed that the shadow price of coal in China showed an overall upward trend from 1987 to 2007 and the coal's shadow price will gradually reduce with the expansion of the coal industry on the existing economies' scale.


The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of Aerobic Exercise (AE), Resistance Exercise (RE), and a nonexercise (NE) control on measures of academic achievement (AA) and cognition in 10th grade males and females. This study utilized a randomized crossover design. Tenth grade males and females performed three exercise trials (AE, RE, NE) separated by 7 days each. Immediately following exercise, participants completed a 10-question mathematics test, followed by the Stroop test. A repeated measures ANOVA revealed small but insignificant differences in mean math test performance between RE and NE, F(1,86) = 2.81, p = .098, η 2 = .032, and AE and NE, F(1,86) = 2.03, p = .158, η 2 = .023. Significant differences were found between RE and NE in the Stroop dot test, F(1,86) = 4.31, p = .041, η 2 = .048, and between AE and NE in the Stroop dot test, F(1,86) = 10.402, p = .002, η 2 = .108, and Stroop color test, F(1,86) = 6.85, p = .01, η 2 = .074. In conclusion, acute RE and AE did not significantly improve scores on a test of mathematics, but did improve measures of cognition in comparison to an NE control. Subscribe to TPE


This essay appears in a collection of responses to Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and a Culture in Crisis, J.D. Vance's 2016 bestseller. This chapter focuses on what the book — and perhaps more significantly, responses to it — reveal about race and race relations in 21st century America. Pruitt observes that the attention Hillbilly Elegy draws to low-income, low-education whites does not foster understanding or empathy for them; instead, it cultivates judgment. Never mind neoliberal trade policies and the decimation of unions; the rise of Wal-Mart and contingent employment; crummy public education and spatial inequalities with respect to a wide range of services and infrastructure. Never mind the demise of the safety net. According to Vance, "hillbillies" — his label for working-class whites — just need to pull themselves together, keep their families intact, go to church, work a little harder, and stop blaming the government for their woes.
In spite of this message — or perhaps because of it — Hillbilly Elegy has made J.D. Vance a very rich and famous man. Pruitt argues that elites and our nation more broadly have embraced Hillbilly Elegy and given Vance a national platform because, on some level, he confirms a story we tell ourselves. As Vance acknowledges, he is the American Dream personified. His tale — as he curates it — is one of industry and (apparent) meritocracy, a tale that affirms our nation's core values and aspirations.
What Vance does not talk about is his privilege — male, white-ish (acknowledging that those of the milieu from which Vance came are often at the fringe of whiteness) and urban-ish (or at least not rural). Vance also does not talk about the role of the state as a positive force that facilitated his upward trajectory to the Ivy League and beyond. He also does not appear to see that he is actually an outlier, the exception to the rule. Upward mobility in the United States has been declining for decades and, indeed, many who were previously "middle class" by some definition (demarcations of socioeconomic class categories are notoriously ill-defined) are now facing downward mobility, along with attendant despair.
While the widespread fascination with Vance and his story in national public discourse is a function of many phenomena, Pruitt highlights three that shed light on race, race relations, and racial politics in 21st century America. First, the chattering classes' "shock and awe" response to Hillbilly Elegy — "(white) people actually live like that?" — suggests widespread ignorance of white socioeconomic disadvantage and the dysfunction it frequently spawns. One reason for such ignorance is that the public face of socioeconomic distress in America is almost exclusively Black or Brown.
Second, the widespread praise of Hillbilly Elegy suggests that elites across the political spectrum are willing to make scapegoats of poor whites. Progressives would vigorously protest Vance's tough-love stance if he were writing about poor Black and/or Brown people, calling them lazy and criticizing their "bad choices." Most progressives seem unfazed, however, that Vance's assessments and policy proposals throw low-income whites under the proverbial bus.
The third revelation about race is closely related to the second. Vance's tale confirms the way in which white elites — including those on the left — see themselves: as products of a meritocracy that levels the playing field for all, or at least for those with white skin. Further, Hillbilly Elegy confirms the way elite and middle-class whites typically see low-income, low-education whites — as defilements of whiteness.


Abstract The narrative about Chinese NGOs active in defending migrant workers' rights describes these organizations as increasingly powerful instruments through which Chinese people take part in public affairs, develop and articulate personal interests, and collectively form a more active and participatory citizenry. This article challenges not only the idea of labour NGOs as a progressive force for political change, but also the belief – widely shared among the international labour movement – that these organizations are sprouts of independent unionism in China. After a short overview of the historical process which led to the birth of labour NGOs in China, this article analyses the relations between these NGOs and four fundamental actors – the state, the workers, international donors and other NGOs – and argues that many of these organizations are struggling as a consequence of a substantial lack of "social capital."


This article explains the appeal of two different remarkable forms of cultural mobilization within the Aceh secessionist movement. The first form is the emergence of the Darul Islam (DI) rebellion in the 1950s; and the second is the rise of the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) during the 1980s and 1990s. Recent trends in Aceh's political dynamics pose a striking puzzle as to how the institutional arrangements created by the government of Aceh have complicated the political dimensions of GAM. Some institutions have shaped new patterns of Aceh-Jakarta relations, but others represent a revitalization of the previous Aceh-Islamic state rebellion under DI/TII. What are the likely causes for the re-emergence of Islam coming to the center stage of Aceh politics? This article argues that the primary forces that have driven these variations in the two periods of rebellion were the interaction between the institutional design of the nation-state and the considerable opportunity for cultural mobilization at a particular institutional juncture. Secessionist ideologies such as those in Aceh are shaped and mediated by the institutional context in which they manifest. DOI:  10.15408/sdi.v23i1.2659


Abstract— The intraperitoneal administration of L‐histidine in a dose of 1000 mg/kg increased threefold the whole brain levels of histamine in the mouse. This increase was evident in all brain regions except the medulla oblongata‐pons. The subcellular localization of histamine and histidine was the same in mice administered bhistidine as in salinetreated animals. Cold exposure and restraint further augmented the elevation of histamine elicited by histidine treatment. a‐Hydrazino‐histidine and 4‐bromo‐3‐hydroxybenzyloxyamine (NSD‐1055) but not a‐methyl‐DOPA inhibited histidine decarboxylase [EC 22.214.171.124 activity in mouse brain homogenates and prevented the increase in brain histamine after histidine administration. NSD‐1055 and a‐hydrazino‐histidine also lowered brain levels of histamine by 50 per cent. NSD‐1055 lowered whole brain levels of histamine rapidly, with a half‐life for the depletable histamine pool of about 5 min. Assuming that inhibition of histidine decarboxylase accounted for the reduction in histamine, then the rate of histamine decline reflects the rate of histamine turnover, and our results suggest that a portion of mouse brain histamine turns over quite rapidly. Reserpine lowered brain levels of histamine by about 50 per cent, whereas the antihistaminic agent, dexbrompheniramine, and sodium pentobarbital elevated histamine levels.


The pharmacological advantages of the rapid-acting analog, insulin aspart, over human insulin have contributed to the widespread prescription of the premix, biphasic insulin aspart 30/70 (BIAsp 30), in type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This article reviews the available literature on the pharmacology, efficacy and safety of BIAsp 30 in T1DM and T2DM from an online search of the PubMed database. Following injection, BIAsp 30 reaches higher plasma insulin levels more quickly than human premix or basal insulin, giving effective reduction of postprandial hyperglycemia. In T1DM patients, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown that HbA1c reduction is similar, but postprandial glycemic control is better, with BIAsp 30 than with human insulin regimens. In T2DM patients, lowering of HbA1c and postprandial hyperglycemia with BIAsp 30 compare favorably with optimized oral antidiabetes drug treatment, insulin glargine, and, in obese patients, human premix. An increase in minor hypoglycemia with BIAsp 30 relative to basal insulin has been reported in T2DM patients, but major and nocturnal hypoglycemia rates are generally low. Findings from RCTs in T2DM patients are supported by large observational studies. In summary, BIAsp 30 once to three times daily represents a simple and effective tool for the modern management of diabetes.


Alginate gel formation on-chip is presented in the first part of this thesis. The technique allows immobilization, and release, of biological cells on-chip. Furthermore, via layer by layer deposition, a locally heterogeneous environment can be generated at will, down to a resolution at the size scale of a single cell. The technique is proven to be biocompatible by the observation of cell division in the gel. A comprehensive theoretical framework for the alginate gel formation on-chip is provided. Further, experimental evidence for the existence of diffusion potentials in the vicinity of the reaction zone is given. It is concluded that rather than being a purely diffusive process, alginate diffusion under physiological salt conditions is an electrophoretic migration phenomenon. In practice, the gel growth on-chip is visualized by using fluorescein-tagged alginate, and rapid and reliable microfluidic switching schemes are developed. In a second part, a dielectrophoretic cell sorting device based on an equilibrium between opposing dielectrophoretic force fields is presented. By driving the two force fields at different excitation frequencies, the cell-type-specific dielectric response is exploited for focusing the different cells onto different flowlines, and hence sorting them in a continuous manner. The technique is characterised in terms of the calculation of the electric fields in the channel using conformal mapping, and the electric field expressions thus obtained are used to relate the particles' equilibrium positions to their dielectric response. Applications of the technique include separation of viable from non-viable cells and synchronization of yeast cell cultures.


This study aimed to investigate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on erectile function in Chinese patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS). A retrospective study was conducted on 657 CP/CPPS patients who visited The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (Changsha, China) from November 2018 to November 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on the timeline before and after the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The severity of CP/CPPS, penile erection status, anxiety, and depression was evaluated using the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI), International Index of Erectile Function-5 (IIEF-5), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scales, respectively. Compared with patients before the COVID-19 outbreak, more CP/CPPS patients developed severe erectile dysfunction (ED) due to depression and anxiety caused by the pandemic. After developing moderate-to-severe ED, mild and moderate-to-severe CP/CPPS patients exhibited more apparent symptoms of anxiety and depression (P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively), forming a vicious cycle. The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the psychological status of CP/CPPS patients, exacerbating their clinical symptoms and complicating ED. The exacerbation of clinical symptoms further worsens the anxiety and depression status of patients, forming a vicious cycle. During the COVID-19 pandemic, paying more attention to the mental health of CP/CPPS patients, strengthening psychological interventions, and achieving better treatment outcomes are necessary.


Adam Pisarek Don Quixote Syndrome. Tristes Tropiques or tilting at windmills. A starting point of this article is a trace which is a huge intellectual challenge for everybody that reads the French structuralist and wants to understand his creation. In an extended interview Conversations with Claude Levi-Strauss, he reveals the key to his soul saying that his mind is led by Don Quixote. After such a clear declaration, the interpretative perspective of Tristes Tropiques – where a knight-errant evolves into one of the fundamental figures – becomes obvious. Eventually, it turns out that Don Quixote travels in order to influence the surrounding reality actively. In his mind, the reflection of past overlays the presence and impels him to act, ignores the boundaries. Because of that he becomes a madman. Levi-Strauss travels in order to move back In time. An etnographer role excuses this eccentric undertaking. Procedures imposed by science create the necessary distance but at the same time they become the source of non-fulfillment. The article attempts to answer a question whether Don Quixote – his thoughts and actions influence the things; whether they are a union of That What is analogical. If the answer was yes, what would be the great anthropologist's dream, whose mind is controlled by a knight-errant? Bibliografia:


This study ascertained the directional effect of institutional quality through contract intensive money and effective governance index to economic growth in Nigeria using annual time series data covering the period 1979 to 2018. The study hinges on both the Solow-Swan neoclassical growth model and Washington Consensus to provide insight on the policy necessity for institutional quality. To achieve this, the study employs both the Johansen Cointegration and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) approach. The estimated cointegration test reveals joint relationship among the variables. OLS model shows that economic growth responds positively to institutional quality (contract intensive money) and is statistically significant while effective governance index exert positive and insignificant influence on the economy. The empirical results further reveal that economic growth respond positively and negative to the effect from the variables of domestic investment and foreign direct investment but significant. Furthermore, it takes 34% for the model to adjust to equilibrium in the long-term. The findings lend support to calls for quality institutions that can ensure that both private and public enterprise functions efficiently for sustainable growth and development in Nigeria.


for adnexal masses in the asymptomatic and symptomatic pregnant population. Ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool utilized to stratify patient groups into expectant management versus those who require further diagnostic and management decisions. Familiarity with the natural history and sonographic features of common adnexal lesions such as simple cysts, hemorrhagic cysts, endometriomas, dermoid lesions and ovarian conditions specific to pregnancy may decrease the number of surgical interventions. The goal is to balance the risk of surgery against the risks of conservative treatment which may include torsion, rupture, hemorrhage or the rare spread of a malignant cancer. Atypical features or persistent large lesions should initiate a multidisciplinary team approach to optimize diagnostic and management strategy. Acute symptoms may precipitate emergency intervention at any point in the pregnancy. This exhibit will develop a diagnostic and management algorithm based on clinical symptoms, timing of detection, natural history and sonographic features.


Corneal infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa leads to a severe immunoinflammatory lesion, often causing vision impairment and blindness. Although past studies have indicated a critical role for CD4 + T cells, particularly Th1 cells, in corneal immunopathology, the relative contribution of recently discovered Th17 and regulatory T cells is undefined. In this study, we demonstrate that after corneal P. aeruginosa infection, both Th1 and Th17 cells infiltrate the cornea with increased representation of Th17 cells. In addition to Th1 and Th17 cells, regulatory T cells also migrate into the cornea during early as well as late stages of corneal pathology. Moreover, using galectin-1 (Gal-1), an immunomodulatory carbohydrate-binding molecule, we investigated whether shifting the balance among various CD4 + T cell subsets can modulate P. aeruginosa –induced corneal immunopathology. We demonstrate in this study that local recombinant Gal-1 (rGal-1) treatment by subconjunctival injections significantly diminishes P. aeruginosa –mediated corneal inflammation through multiple mechanisms. Specifically, in our study, rGal-1 treatment signif-icantly diminished corneal infiltration of total CD45 + T cells, neutrophils, and CD4 + T cells. Furthermore, rGal-1 treatment significantly reduced proinflammatory Th17 cell response in the cornea as well as local draining lymph nodes. Also, rGal-1 therapy promoted anti-inflammatory Th2 and IL-10 response in secondary lymphoid organs. Collectively, our results indicate that corneal P. aeruginosa infection induces a strong Th17-mediated corneal


In this paper presents a Design of a Unified Power Quality conditioner (UPQC) connected to three phase four wire system (3P4W). The neutral of series transformer used in the fourth wire for the 3P4W system. The neutral current that may flow toward transformer neutral point is compensated by using a four-leg voltage source inverter topology for shunt part. The series transformer neutral will be at virtual zero potential during all operating conditions. In this simulation we observe the power quality problems such as unbalanced voltage and current, harmonics by connecting non linear load to 3P4W system with Unified Power Quality conditioner. A new control strategy such as unit vector template is used to design the series APF to balance the unbalanced current present in the load currents by expanding the concept of single phase P-Q theory. The P-Q theory applied for balanced three phase system. And also be used for each phase of unbalanced system independently. The MATLAB/Simulink based simulations are provided the functionality of the UPQC


We have carried out a series of simulations of a phase calibration scheme for the Atacama Compact Array (ACA) 1 using water vapor radiometers (WVRs). In the proposed scheme the WVRs devoted to measurements of tropospheric water vapor content are attached to the 12-m antennas. The excess path length (EPL) due to the tropospheric water vapor variations aloft is fitted to a simple two-dimensional slope using WVR measurements. Interferometric phase fluctuations for each baseline due to the turbulent water vapor are obtained from differences of inferred line-ofsight EPL and subtracted from the interferometric phases for the correction. We have estimated residual root-mean-square (RMS) phases for 30-m baselines after the correction for various values of WVR measurement errors, wind velocities, coefficients and power-law exponents of the spatial structure function of the EPL, and extents of the distribution of the WVR instruments. From the simulations we found that, for WVRs with no measurement errors, the proposed calibration scheme shows an excellent performance for all tropospheric conditions, and that a simple relationship between the residual RMS phase and the extent of the WVR distribution exists: the closer the extent to the interferometer array is, the more effective the calibration scheme will be. When WVR measurement errors are added, although the RMS phases are still improved in unstable tropospheric conditions (50-percentile conditions), the proposed calibration scheme may not be needed in good conditions (25-percentile conditions). We found that, if the performance of the WVR achieves the expected level (a factor of about three better than the current ALMA WVR specification), the proposed scheme is quite promising for the ACA. In addition, we provided a simple statistical model to explain the simulation results. The simulations and the following analyses with the statistical model show that radio seeing data with baselines of 10–30 m is important to determine the optimum extent of the WVR distribution around the interferometer array. Monitoring of the radio seeing as well as the WVR measurement errors during observations will be useful to judge whether pre-calibrated data with the proposed calibration scheme should be used in the following ACA data reduction or not. For observations at lower elevations made by the ACA, the expected performance of the WVR is also important. 1 The ACA consists of twelve 7-m antennas for interferometry and four 12-m antennas to measure total power of celestial sources.


Woody biomass from forestland, urban greenbelts, and residential areas has the potential to provide more than 150 million tons per year of cellulosic feedstocks for biorefineries, pellet fuels, and fermentation. Production sites range from urban lots to large wildland forest tracts. Destinations range from small urban boutiques to large remote industrial complexes. The systems, logistics and equipment will need to be matched to the context of each combination of source and destination. This paper offers a discussion and postulates an operational context for planning equipment, business models, and logistics systems that may represent the likely evolution of the woody biomass feedstock industry. The context includes thousands of very small producers and users, and a continuum toward a few very large industrial complexes. Forest engineers are the logical engineering professionals to expanding their practices to include urban sources and new woody biomass uses. A premise is that forest engineers are well equipped to address issues of materials collection, handling, preprocessing into commercially valuable feedstocks, and transportation systems to move large volumes of woody biomass to market.


A dynamically reducing retransmission control scheme is proposed for slow-frequency-hopped communication systems. In the proposed scheme a transmitter defers transmission of a new packet until all the other transmitters receive positive acknowledgments, so that the number of active transmitters are dynamically reduced. The performance of the proposed scheme is compared with the conventional scheme, in which a transmitter is permitted to transmit a new packet in any slot, in terms of the normalized throughput and the 98% packet transmission delay. The numerical results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the conventional scheme, although for some values of the number of transmitters the conventional scheme has higher normalized throughput.


PurposeSoftware process tailoring (SPT) plays a critical role in contemporary software development. Because SPT determines how a software project proceeds, its effectiveness should be investigated. Specifically, SPT is a collaborative yet highly conflictual process, and the existing literature has paid little or no attention to how team members coordinate and to how power distance (PD) influences coordination under this conflictual situation for the purpose of fostering SPT effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachA propositional research method is utilized by reviewing the extant literature regarding SPT, team coordination and PD. Accordingly, several propositions are developed to theorize the contributive and moderating effects of team coordinative capabilities and PD on SPT effectiveness.FindingsThis study advances the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the four distinct coordination capabilities in performing SPT, which will help software firms comprehend the moderating effects of PD on the relationships among coordinative capabilities and SPT effectiveness.Originality/valueThis study extends coordination theory and reveals four coordination capabilities that nurture SPT effectiveness. Moreover, this study demonstrates how power plays a role in the coordination of a team through the collaborative yet divergent SPT decision process to yield an integrative tailoring solution. In particular, we take a fresh viewpoint of PD considering the member-member relationship in exploring its moderating effects in the SPT context.


A photoelectronic circuit consists of a combination of electroluminescent cells and photoconductors, interconnected by electrical as well as optical paths. A study is made of the properties of electroluminescent cells and photoconductors, and of the applications of these elements to the design of switching circuits. The asymmetrical bistable stage is taken up in detail, and analyzed with a view to determining its advantages and disadvantages. It is shown that this stage suffers from the inherent disadvantage that any improvement in the speed of turn-on results in a deterioration of the recovery characteristic. Furthermore, the switching requirements for turn-on and turn-off are dissimilar. A symmetrical version of this circuit is also presented; this circuit eliminates many of the disadvantages of the asymmetrical version, and also considerably speeds up the recovery characteristic without increasing the turn-on time. Circuits are developed for performing the logical operations of transmission, negation, conjunction and disjunction, and their principles of operation are described. In conclusion, techniques are developed for the synthesis of over-all computing operations, such as those of a half-adder, even parity checker, and a shift register.


We report the case of a patient with severe mitral regurgitation who was diagnosed with double-orifice mitral valve by preoperative transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. During surgery, it was revealed that the mitral valve was divided into 2 orifices, anterolateral and posteromedial, by a fibrous bridging tissue that was supported by the chordae tendineae originating from an accessory middle papillary muscle. The posterior scallop of the anterolateral orifice was prolapsed due to chordal elongation. Six interrupted sutures were made between the anterior leaflet and the posterior leaflet at the prolapsed site. Additional interrupted sutures were made at the sites of 2 clefts, and a ring annuloplasty was added. Residual mitral regurgitation was trivial, and the mean postoperative pressure gradient through each orifice was approximately 6 mmHg. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of an edge-to-edge mitral repair for mitral regurgitation associated with a double-orifice mitral valve.


Checkpoint/restart (C/R) has become a requirement for long-running jobs in large-scale clusters due to a meantime-to-failure (MTTF) in the order of hours. After a failure, C/R mechanisms generally require a complete restart of an MPI job from the last checkpoint. A complete restart, however, is unnecessary since all but one node is typically still alive. Furthermore, a restart may result in lengthy job requeuing even though the original job had not exceeded its time quantum. In this paper, we overcome these shortcomings. Instead of job restart, we have developed a transparent mechanism for job pause within LAM/MPI+BLCR. This mechanism allows live nodes to remain active and roll back to the last checkpoint while failed nodes are dynamically replaced by spares before resuming from the last checkpoint. Our methodology includes LAM/MPI enhancements in support of scalable group communication with fluctuating number of nodes, reuse of network connections, transparent coordinated checkpoint scheduling and a BLCR enhancement for job pause. Experiments in a cluster with the NAS parallel benchmark suite show that our overhead for job pause is comparable to that of a complete job restart. A minimal overhead of 5.6% is only incurred in case migration takes place while the regular checkpoint overhead remains unchanged. Yet, our approach alleviates the need to reboot the LAM run-time environment, which accounts for considerable overhead resulting in net savings of our scheme in the experiments. Our solution further provides full transparency and automation with the additional benefit of reusing existing resources. Executing continues after failures within the scheduled job, i.e., the application staging overhead is not incurred again in contrast to a restart. Our scheme offers additional potential for savings through incremental checkpointing and proactive diskless live migration, which we are currently working on.


B ackground:

Hospital acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs) are one of the most serious hospital acquired infections. Surveys have shown that HA-BSIs were responsible for 20%-60% of hospitalization related deaths. Despite the high morbidity and fatality, and enormous burden of health care costs of HA-BSIs, to our knowledge, there are no published studies on HA-BSI in the Middle East. This study is an attempt to enhance the knowledge about HA-BSI and to advance scientific knowledge and improve services in Oman hospitals.

Objectives:

This study aims to 1) Estimate the prevalence of HA-BSI in Oman, 2) Evaluate the risk factors profile of occurrence of HA-BSI in Oman, 3) Assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) among healthcare providers towards infection control strategies related to HA-BSI in Oman.

Methods:

This research is including four studies. The first study is 'Prevalence of HA-BSIs in a Tertiary Hospital in Oman'. It is a cross-sectional study ambi-directional (retrospective & prospective) follow up. The study will retrieve data on hospital acquired infections from the infection control surveillance database at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH). The prevalence rate of patients with HA-BSIs and the prevalence rate of HA-BSI isolates (HA-BSI events) will be calculated by dividing the number of cases with index by number of monthly inpatient admissions for the whole year. The prevalence rates will be reported per 1,000 admissions. The second study is 'Risk

factors profile of occurrence of HA-BSIs'. It is a case-control study will be conducted to compare between HA-BSI cases and matched non-HA-BSI controls. HA-BSI Cases will be recruited from the registry to be established in study-1. Suitable controls will be recruited using Risk set sampling technique. Controls will be matched to the cases based on important confounding factors. The third study is 'Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Healthcare Providers towards Infection Control Strategies related to HA-BSIs". It is a Cross-sectional study. A random sample of healthcare providers among medical, nursing, and technical staff working at SQUH, will be enrolled  using clustered random selection scheme. KAP questionnaire is designed according to elements required in the infection control

strategies related to HA-BSI, and in reference to internationally-recognized standardized and validated KAP instruments.

Results:

A total of 1396 cases of HA-BSI occurred during the time between January 2014 and December 2018. A pilot study has been conducted on150 HA-BSI cases and 150 controls. Initial results indicated high response rate (92%) and cooperation rate (94%). Data collection tools have been standardized to the local setup (Cronbach's a = 0.06). Pilot assessment indicated high inter-rater reliability (Pearson's r coefficient= 0.88); and high validity parameters (content, construct & criterion).

Conclusion:

 Study protocol has been designed & validated to explore HA-BSI prevalence estimation, risk factors profile. Initial piloting indicated high applicability of study tools to local context.