Neural prostheses for restoration of limb movement in paralyzed and amputee patients tend to be complex systems. Subjective intuition and trial-and-error approaches have been applied to the design and clinical fitting of simple systems with limited functionality. These approaches are time consuming, difficult to apply in larger scale, and not applicable to limbs under development with more anthropomorphic motion and actuation. The field of neural prosthetics is in need of more systematic methods, including tools that will allow users to develop accurate models of neural prostheses and simulate their behavior under various conditions before actual manufacturing or clinical application. Such virtual prototyping would provide an efficient and safe test-bed for narrowing the design choices and tuning the control parameters before actual clinical application. We describe a software environment that we have developed to facilitate the construction and modification of accurate mathematical models of paralyzed and prosthetic limbs and simulate their movement under various neural control strategies. These simulations can be run in real time with a stereoscopic display to enable design engineers and prospective users to evaluate a candidate neural prosthetic system and learn to operate it before actually receiving it.


The importance of business secrets has increased pursuant to the evolution of new paradigms (such as the growing value of data and the development of IT and AI in innovation) and to the creation of a legal protection in many countries and more recently in the European Union and in France. In addition, one must underline that the present digital era creates high risks of illegitimate confidential information disclosures by human error or cyber attacks, as compared to the economy of past decades. Consequently, business secrets should be at the heart of any company's strategy to protect and value its key confidential information and data, thereby procuring a competitive advantage. The value and the need to protect these business secrets as a particular asset are generally implicitly recognized in enterprises, but not yet fully established. This article aims at explaining how confidential information can be a business secret benefiting from a legal protection and, as a consequence, how its value and even its recognition as an intangible asset can be established to the benefit of the company and its users. The authors have chosen to refer to business secrets in line with the French expression "secret d'affaires," as it seems to offer a wider approach than the expression "trade secrets" used in some national laws. All these assets relying on highly secured business secrets can also be the basis of immediate business value, not only of future value, for instance in R&D that leads to innovative business models and value creation in strategic alliances, competitiveness, reputation, expertise exposure, etc. high-growth enterprises are naturally particularly concerned, but medium and small businesses or even start-ups should not underestimate their interest either. In conclusion, the governance of business secrets is worth the investment, despite its apparent burden for companies.


Abstract. The use of high resolution hydrodynamic modelling to simulate the potential effects of tsunami events can provide relevant information about the most probable inundation areas. Moreover, the consideration of complementary data such as the type of buildings, location of priority equipment, type of roads, enables mapping of the most vulnerable zones, computing of the expected damage on man-made structures, constrain of the definition of rescue areas and escape routes, adaptation of emergency plans and proper evaluation of the vulnerability associated with different areas and/or equipment. Such an approach was used to evaluate the specific risks associated with a potential occurrence of a tsunami event in the region of Setubal (Portugal), which was one of the areas most seriously affected by the 1755 tsunami. In order to perform an evaluation of the hazard associated with the occurrence of a similar event, high resolution wave propagation simulations were performed considering different potential earthquake sources with different magnitudes. Based on these simulations, detailed inundation maps associated with the different events were produced. These results were combined with the available information on the vulnerability of the local infrastructures (building types, roads and streets characteristics, priority buildings) in order to impose restrictions in the production of high-scale potential damage maps, escape routes and emergency routes maps.


Recent years have witnessed a rise in Game Jams - organized events to create playable prototypes in a very short time frame. Game Jams offer a unique and quick way to prototype games. Beyond that, we believe Game Jams can also be seen as a design research method, situated in the research-through-design tradition, to create knowledge in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. The goal of this Game Jam is thus twofold: first, participants will use the Game Jam approach to investigate a research question; second, participants can, through actual practice, identify advantages and disadvantages of Game Jams as a research method. Hereby the Game Jam workshop provides a unique opportunity for HCI practitioners and researchers to gain experience in applying game-oriented methods for research.


The aim and objective of this study was to evaluate the quality and readability of leaflet and online Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery patient information leaflets (PILs). The quality, readability and grade level of each PIL was assessed using the DISCERN, Flesch Reading Ease and Flesh-Kincaid Grade Level instruments respectively. In total, 140 patient information leaflets were assessed. For both leaflet and online PILs, many items of the DISCERN instrument were deemed of low quality and poorly reported. The median overall quality score was 30.2. Variation in the quality and readability scores between leaflet and online PILs and those produced by various societies was evident. Overall, PILs were deemed to be of moderate quality. Online PILs were of lower quality, more difficult to read and aimed at a higher reading age level.


The efficient realization of an Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem is contingent on the efficiency of scalar multiplication. These systems can be improved by optimizing the underlying finite field arithmetic operations which are the most costly such as modular reduction. There are elliptic curves over prime fields for which very efficient reduction formulas are possible due to the special structure of the moduli. For prime moduli of arbitrary form, however, use of general reduction formulas, such as Barrett's reduction algorithm, are necessary. Barrett's algorithm performs modular reduction efficiently by using multiplication as opposed to division, an operation which is generally expensive to realize in hardware. We note, however, that when an Elliptic Curve Cryptosystem is defined over a fixed prime field, all multiplication steps in Barrett's scheme can be realized through constant multiplications; this allows for further optimization. In this thesis, we study the influence using constant multipliers has on four different Barrett reduction variants targeting the Virtex-7 (xc7vx485tffg1157-1). We use the FloPoCo core generator to construct constant multiplier implementations for the different multiplication steps required in each scheme. Then, we create a hybrid constant multiplier circuit based on Karatsuba multiplication which uses smaller FloPoCo-generated base multipliers. It is shown that for certain multiplication steps, the hybrid design provides an improvement in the resource utilization of the constant multiplier circuit at the cost of an increase in the critical path delay. A performance comparison of different Barrett reduction circuits using different combinations of constant multiplier architectures is presented. Additionally, a fully pipelined implementation of each Barrett reduction variant is also designed capable of achieving operational frequencies in the range of 496-504MHz depending on the Barrett scheme considered. With the addition of a 256-bit pipelined Karatsuba multiplier circuit, we also present a compact and fully pipelined modular multiplier based on these Barrett architectures capable of achieving very high throughput compared to others in the literature without the use of embedded multipliers.


Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a malignant hematological disease afflicting hematopoiesis in the bone marrow. While 80%-90% of patients diagnosed with ALL will achieve complete remission at some point during treatment, ALL is associated with high relapse rate, with a 5-year overall survival rate of 68%. The initial remission failure and the high rate of relapse can be attributed to intrinsic chemoprotective mechanisms that allow persistence of ALL cells despite therapy. These mechanisms are mediated, at least in part, through the engagement of cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) within the bone marrow microenvironment. This review assembles CAMs implicated in protection of leukemic cells from chemotherapy. Such studies are limited in ALL. Therefore, CAMs that are associated with poor outcomes or are overexpressed in ALL and have been shown to be involved in chemoprotection in other hematological cancers are also included. It is likely that these molecules play parallel roles in ALL because the CAMs identified to be a factor in ALL chemoresistance also work similarly in other hematological malignancies. We review the signaling mechanisms activated by the engagement of CAMs that provide protection from chemotherapy. Development of targeted therapies against CAMs could improve outcome and raise the overall cure rate in ALL.


Animal wellbeing is a balance between environmental stress and nutrition that regulates homeostasis. Augmentation of animal feed with essential oils can promote homeostasis. The present study was designed to observe the biochemical, immunological, and biological effects of daily administration of a mixture of essential oils (EOM) in a stressed rat model. Forty-eight adult male Sprague Dawley rats were  randomly allocated to four groups, namely a control group (C), a stressed group (S), a treated group (Tr), and a stressed group that  received the treatment (TrS). The treatment was applied by adding EOM to the water (0.2 ml/l) three days per week for 28 days. Two  chronic stressors (isolation and crowding) were applied to animals in groups S and TrS. Total oxidant status (TOS) increased in the S group  compared with C, whereas it decreased when fed with EOM. Although TOS was the same in S and C, it increased in Tr compared with C. There was a significant increase in interleukin 4 (IL-4) in S compared with C, and EOM reversed the IL-4 level. Nevertheless, an increase was seen in the weights of the liver, intestine, brain, and testes in TrS compared with S. The increase in water intake was a result of stress, but feeding with EOM decreased water consumption gradually. This study showed that 0.2 ml/l EOM had protective effects on antioxidant status, immunity and liver function, and decreased water consumption under stress conditions.


Abstract : This thesis presents a technology review of the emerging IEEE 802.11n standard. A wireless local area network (WLAN) based on state-of-the-art equipment supporting the 802.11n protocol is evaluated in the Coalition Operating Area Surveillance and Targeting System (COASTS). This thesis also provides a brief introduction to COASTS, its support for testing various networking schemes, and their effectiveness in supplying information necessary to reach a decision maker's desired end-state. Also provided is a summary of the current state of the 802.11n proposed standard, the hardware and software used to evaluate the equipment, and the testing methodology. In general, the methodology was to conduct field tests with private vendors and coalition partners to evaluate the capabilities of 802.11n networks that promise large throughput benefits for WLANs. The specific goal of this research focused on testing equipment and network configurations in an IP network. The ultimate goal of this research is to evaluate an evolutionary improvement for our forces to transfer large amounts of data and to maintain the mobility and flexibility to deploy rapidly to areas with little or no infrastructure. With this capability our forces may can gain control of the environment, dramatically improve tactical situational awareness, and attain information superiority.


The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI; George et al. 1996) was conducted with 28 mothers in order to assess their mental representations of attachment 4 years after giving birth to their first child. The interviews were coded and classified according to the method of Main and Goldwyn (1994). Using longitudinal data from the "Heidelberg Study on Transition to Parenthood", a significant correspondence was found between mothers' attachment representations and their childrens' patterns of attachment in the Ainsworth Strange Situation procedure after the first year of life. Additionally, further connections emerged between the mothers' attachment representation, their pre and post natal conceptions of their first child, their early bonding behavior, and their sensitive behavior with their 5-month-old infant in family interactions at home. These findings support the assumption of a transgenerational transmission of attachment quality and moreover indicate the usefulness of the Adult Attachment Interview in German-speaking countries, especially for studies on the transition to parenthood.


The hydrophobic interaction plays a critical role in a wide range of molecular phenomena in numerous biological and engineering systems. Using a Surface Forces Apparatus (SFA) coupled with a top-view optical microscope, we have directly measured and visualized the interactions between two polystyrene surfaces in different electrolyte solutions (i.e., NaCl, CaCl2, HCl and CH3COOH). It is evident that the long-range hydrophobic interaction measured is due to bridging of microscopic and sub-microscopic bubbles on polystyrene surfaces. The range of the hydrophobic interaction decreases with increasing the electrolyte concentration for NaCl and CaCl2, but shows no significant change for HCl and CH3COOH, which is related to the formation and stability of bubbles on hydrophobic surfaces due to the ion specificity. The range of the hydrophobic interactions was reduced to about 10–20 nm by degassing the aqueous solutions, but gradually recovered when re-exposing the degassed solution to air. Our results indicate that dissolved gasses in solutions play a crucial role in the hydrophobic interactions of polymer surfaces, and support a three-regime hydrophobic interaction model proposed. More interesting, spontaneous cavitation of water between two interacting polystyrene surfaces was directly observed in degassed aqueous solution at a separation of ≤20 nm. The interfacial energy of polystyrene in various aqueous solutions was determined to be γ = 42 ± 5 mJ m−2, close to the values measured in air. Interesting fracture patterns were also observed associated with the separation of two hydrophobic polymer surfaces in aqueous solutions, but not in air, indicating that hydrophobic force plays an important role in adhesion-induced fracture of polymer surfaces and thin films. Our study provides new insight into the basic hydrophobic interaction mechanism of polymers and biomacromolecules.


Gas entrainment may cause pressurization deterioration and even failure of pumps under conditions of high inlet gas volume fraction (GVF). When the inlet GVF increases to a critical value, an obvious deterioration performance of pump occurs. Air-water pressurization performance and inlet critical GVFs of a centrifugal multiphase pump are investigated experimentally under different inlet pressures and gas-liquid flow rates. To determine the first and second critical GVFs, a new method is proposed by computing the local extreme points of the second derivative of performance curves. New prediction correlations for two critical GVFs are established with relative errors lower than ±10% and ±8%. Boundaries of three different flow patterns and the transition flow rates are determined and presented by critical GVFs on the flow pattern diagram. Moreover, boundaries of maximum pressurization are determined by performance curve clusters and a power function correlation of gas-liquid flow rates when reaching the maximum pressurization is established. With the increase of inlet pressure from 1MPa to 5MPa, two-phase pressurization performance is significantly increased; occurrences of pressurization deterioration are obviously delayed with the first and second critical GVFs increasing by maximums of 8.2% and 7.1%.


Transform your CAD drawings into powerful presentationThis one-of-a-kind book shows you how to use Photoshop to turn CAD drawings and BIM models into artistic presentations with captivating animations, videos, and dynamic 3D imagery. The techniques apply to all leading architectural design software including AutoCAD, Revit, and 3ds Max Design. Video tutorials on the DVD improve your learning curve and let you compare your work with the authors.Turn CAD drawings and BIM models into powerful presentations featuring animation, videos, and 3D imagery for enhanced client appealCraft interactive panoramas for your Web site, add people and objects to your models, and integrate 3D object models inside architectural interiorsBuild 3D models from photos and turn them into videos with AfterEffects, add depth of field and atmospheric effects to 3D models, create stereographic images, and much moreSee how its done with the video tutorials on the DVDTake full advantage of Photoshops power to present your architectural drawings in a new and exciting way.


Author(s): Lai, Yen-Ting | Advisor(s): Yeates, Todd O; Wong, Gerard Chee Lai | Abstract: Protein based nanotechnology is an emerging field, which could someday provide novel protein materials for biomedical, biotechnology and other industries. In Nature, many proteins occur as ordered homomeric assemblies, such as virus capsids and microtubules. These natural protein assemblies not only play crucial functions in their biological context, but also can be adopted for various applications. As an example, the capsids of adenoviruses can be used for gene delivery for potential gene therapy. However, there are only limited numbers of natural protein assemblies available for such applications. It will be of great advantage if protein assemblies with novel properties can be designed and engineered to fulfill the needs of specific applications. Engineering ordered protein assemblies has been a challenging task for protein engineers. Compared to the more advanced field of DNA based nanotechnology, protein based nanotechnology is still in its infancy. Specific interactions can be easily engineered in DNA molecules through complementary hydrogen bonding between base pairs, which can facilitate the assemblies of DNA molecules into various shapes. On the other hand, protein interactions are much more difficult to engineer and hence protein engineers need to design artificial protein assemblies based on a limited number of distinct interactions. As can be learned from natural protein assemblies and crystallography, symmetric operations can expand a small number of distinct interactions into a network of interactions that can embody ordered protein assemblies. Based on the concept of symmetry, principles for designing ordered protein assemblies can be derived. Two strategies are conceived to fulfill the design principles in my dissertation. The first is to fuse two natural oligomeric domains through the use of helix linkers. Carefully designed fusion proteins can lead to self-assembled protein architectures. A model system of the helix-fusion strategy is studied in great detail by x-ray crystallography and other biophysical methods, while several other helix-fusion systems are also characterized. The second strategy involves merging natural oligomeric domains into chimeric proteins that are capable of forming higher-order assemblies. Several design targets by this chimeric-protein based approach are characterized and presented. My study shows that large protein assemblies can be achieved through the two strategies. Together with other contemporary engineering strategies, the field of protein-based nanotechnology might one day rival the DNA-based counterpart.


The incidence of testicular cancer in cryptorchidism is 30 to 50 times higher than general population. We report a case of a 48-year-old male presents to our institute with abdominal pain. Huge mass was palpable within the right lower quadrant of the abdomen during local examination. CT scan examination of the abdomen and pelvis was performed and shows bilateral cryptorchidism with large right testicular mass. The left testicle is atrophied and located within the left aspect of the pelvis. Para-aortic lymph nodes metastasis is also identified. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/wjnu75w


Purpose: To assess the effect of acute nitrate-rich (BJ) and nitrate-depleted (PL) beetroot juice ingestion on 2 km running performance in amateur runners, and to what extent the ergogenic effect of BJ supplementation would be influenced by the sex of the participants; Methods: Twenty-four amateur long-distance runners (14 males and 10 females) performed a 2 km time trial (TT) on an outdoor athletics track 2.5 h after ingesting either 140 mL of BJ (~12.8 mmol NO3−) or PL. After the tests, blood [lactate] and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) related to the leg muscles (RPEmuscular), cardiovascular system (RPEcardio) and general overall RPE (RPEgeneral) were assessed; Results: Compared to PL, BJ supplementation improved 2 km TT performance in both males (p < 0.05) with no supplement × sex interaction effect (p > 0.05). This improvement in 2 km running performance was a function of improved performance in the second 1 km split time in both males and females (p < 0.05). Supplementation with BJ did not alter post-exercise blood [lactate] (p > 0.05) but lowered RPEgeneral (p < 0.05); Conclusions: acute BJ supplementation improves 2 km running performance in amateur runners by enhancing performance over the second half of the TT and lowering RPEgeneral by a comparable magnitude in males and females.


Background: Wnt signalling has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. Methods: This study investigated the activity of Wnt signalling in peripheral blood chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) lymphocytes, and the methylation status of seven soluble Wnt antagonist genes, including WIF1, DKK3, APC, SFRP1, SFRP2, SFRP4 and SFRP5, by using methylation-specific PCR in the peripheral blood CLL lymphocytes and bone marrow samples of patients with CLL at diagnosis. Results: In the peripheral blood CLL lymphocytes, constitutive activation of Wnt signalling was detected, associated with hypermethylation of the soluble Wnt inhibitor genes. In the diagnostic CLL marrow samples, methylation of the seven genes was detected in up to 36.4% of samples. Moreover, 23 (52.3%) patients had methylation of at least one of the seven genes, of whom 14 (60.8%) had methylation of two or more Wnt inhibitor genes. Apart from an association of advanced age with DKK3 methylation, there was no association of gene hypermethylation with either clinical characteristics (including age, gender, lymphocyte count at diagnosis, Rai stage and poor-risk karyotype) or survival. Conclusion: Wnt signalling is constitutively activated in CLL B lymphocytes in association with methylation of multiple soluble Wnt antagonist genes. Methylation of these soluble Wnt antagonist genes, occasionally multiple genes, in primary CLL marrow samples suggests an important role in CLL pathogenesis. Moreover, this study underscored the importance of studying methylation of a panel of, but not individual, genes regulating a cellular pathway.


Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS: stereotactic irradiation [STI] delivered in a single high dose) was initially developed by Leksell for non-malignant brain lesions, but there has been increasing interest in using it to treat small primary brain tumors or metastases. Recently, stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT: fractionated STI) has been recommended on the basis of radiobiological considerations for tumors in which both normal glial cells and tumor cells reside within the tumor margin. Strangely, the factors 'repair' and 'cell proliferation' have been neglected in the radiobiological evaluations of STI reported so far, mainly because of the complexity of the calculations. 'Half-time repair' which is the key value in the 'repair' factor may be larger for nervous tissue than for many other normal tissues because nerve cells have decreased ability to recover from damage. 'Cell proliferation' should be an important factor when the total radiation period is extended by applying SRT. In this study, we created models based on estimated 'half-time repair' and 'cell doubling time' and attempted to determine optimal SRT schedules. When repair and cell proliferation factors are also taken into consideration, the recommended SRT schedules would be 7 Gy x 7 fractions every other day for malignant tumors and 3.5 Gy x 12 fractions every other day for benign tumors. However, clinically, these schedules should be modified according to factors in individual cases, e. g., tumor size, presence of tumor necrosis, the patient's general condition, prognosis, and so on.


Edge detection and image segmentation algorithms usually operate on an image to extract geometrical information based on pixel colors. For ray-traced images, the presence of geometrical information on the scene from which the image was rendered allows for a completely different approach. We present an algorithm that divides rays into equivalence classes, or categories. The category information is generated during the rendering process and used to determine edges in the resulting image. Detected edges can later be used to help determine areas subject to aliasing. Little effort is needed to implement the described algorithms over an existing ray tracer. Furthermore, the extra computational and memory requirements are modest.


We do not understand why non-white ethnicity and chronic kidney disease increase susceptibility to COVID-19. The lectin pathway of complement activation is a key contributor to innate immunity and inflammation. Concentrations of plasma lectin pathway proteins influence pathway activity and vary with ethnicity. We measured circulating lectin proteins in a multi-ethnic cohort of chronic kidney disease patients with and without COVID19 infection to determine if lectin pathway activation was contributing to COVID19 severity. We measured 11 lectin proteins in serial samples from a cohort of 33 patients with chronic kidney impairment and COVID19. Controls were single plasma samples from 32 patients on dialysis and 32 healthy individuals. We demonstrated multiple associations between recognition molecules and associated proteases of the lectin pathway and COVID-19, including COVID-19 severity. Some of these associations were unique to patients of Asian and White ethnicity. Our novel findings demonstrate that COVID19 infection alters the concentration of plasma lectin proteins and some of these changes were linked to ethnicity. This suggests a role for the lectin pathway in the host response to COVID-19 and suggest that variability within this pathway may contribute to ethnicity-associated differences in susceptibility to severe COVID-19.


In general, the element (Sr, Na, Sb, etc.) is used as a modifier of eutectic Si phase in the hypoeutectic Al-Si system. When these elements are added into the hypoeutectic Al-Si melt, the flake shaped Si phase transforms to fibrous shape and the size of Si phase is also decreased. In this study, the electromagnetic vibration is adopted for modifying eutectic Si phase and reducing its size. The higher the current density and frequency of electromagnetic vibration(EMV), the finer the size of eutectic Si phase. The tensile strength and elongation of EMVed alloy were highly improved. Measured twin probability of EMVed alloy at a frequency of 1000Hz was approximately six times as high as that of the normal alloy and a half of that of Sr modified alloy. The mechanism for the increase in twin density due to EMV during solidification could be supposed from the fact that the preferential growth along <112> in silicon was suppressed by preventing Si atom from attaching to the growing interface of Si phase and by changing the solid/liquid interfacial energy of silicon.


To the Editor: I read with great interest the article entitled "Mesenteric Artery Occlusion with Intestinal Gangrene" by Alfred L. Meier, MD and Peter Waibel, MD which appeared inArchives of Surgery88:181-184, 1964. The authors are to be complimented on their successful superior mesenteric artery thrombectomy, and their discussion of the many problems involved in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with mesenteric artery occlusion. I would like to call your attention to two points, however, in the interests of preserving accuracy. In discussing the principle of the "second-look," the authors state, "to our knowledge Zuidema and Atwell were the first to describe this method. In Atwell's case the second intervention was performed only 12 hours after the first; the intestine had, meanwhile, completely recovered and no further resection was necessary. As for Zuidema, he did not translate his theoretical proposal into practice." Actually, the credit for proposing the


: To summarise; the genetics of growth includes the genetics of growth regulation, for growth is tightly controlled, as evidenced by catch-up growth and the increasing similarity of MZ pairs as a result of growth in the first year. Tempo of growth is under genetical control but quite separately from size. Its heritability is not very different from the heritability of size. Genetic similarity between parents and offspring can be allowed for in the clinic either by using parent-allowed-for regression-type standards for height, at ages 2.0 to 9.0, or by comparing the predicted adult height of the given child with the target range of adult heights characterising the offspring of the particular parents.


Blurring of the cortical gray and white matter border on MRI is associated with normal aging, pathological aging, and the presence of focal cortical dysplasia. However, it remains unclear whether normal variations in signal intensity contrast at the gray and white matter junction reflect the functional integrity of subjacent tissue. This study explores the relationship between verbal abilities and gray and white matter contrast (GWC) in healthy human adults. Participants were scanned at 3 T MRI and administered standardized measures of verbal expression and verbal working memory. GWC was estimated by calculating the non-normalized T1 image intensity contrast above and below the cortical gray/white matter interface. Spherical averaging and whole-brain correlational analyses were performed. Sulcal regions exhibited higher contrast compared to gyral regions. We found a strongly lateralized and regionally specific profile with reduced verbal expression abilities associated with blurring in left hemisphere inferior frontal cortex and temporal pole. Reduced verbal working memory was associated with blurring in widespread left frontal and temporal cortices. Such lateralized and focal results provide support for GWC as a measure of regional functional integrity and highlight its potential role in probing the neuroanatomical substrates of cognition in healthy and diseased populations.


Knowledge of the bullous dermatoses has advanced with the more liberal application of the biopsy, allowing not only a more definitive classification of these eruptions but also an introduction of new members to the group. A newcomer among the vesicular and bullous diseases of the skin is subcorneal pustular dermatosis, first described by Sneddon and Wilkinson 1 in 1955 and introduced to the American literature by Greenbaum and Lee in 1958. 2 Additional cases have been added by Ellis 3 and Shoenfeld, 4 the former writer presenting an extensive review of the literature. Sneddon and Wilkinson pointed out that this disease complex presents a number of characteristic features which distinguish it from dermatitis herpetiformis, impetigo herpetiformis, pemphigus, and impetigo contagiosa. It is the purpose of this paper to present two patients with subcorneal pustular dermatosis, each of whom displays distinctive features of the disease but whose clinical


There is no universally accepted definition of blood pressure that is difficult to control, uncontrolled, resistant, or refractory. One consensus based US national guideline defines resistant hypertension as blood pressure that cannot be reduced below 140/90 mm Hg (below 160 mm Hg for isolated systolic hypertension) in patients who are complying with adequate triple drug regimens in appropriate dosage.1 This definition covers many hypertensive patients but not those for whom the target is an even lower pressure.

#### Summary points

Consider the following causes for apparently resistant blood pressure: inaccurate measurement, antagonising substances such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, aggravating conditions such as obesity or sleep apnoea, suboptimal treatment regimens, non-compliance

When apparent resistance remains unexplained or when there are clues suggesting white coat hypertension, consider this and arrange for multiple measurements by self monitoring, visits to or by nurses or health visitors, or ambulatory monitoring

If hypertension is still unexplained, or for patients who fit specific patterns of higher risk, consider a selective, sequential evaluation for secondary causes of hypertension, starting with relatively common conditions, such as renovascular causes and renal parenchymal disease

Work closely with patients to identify preferred and feasible solutions for correcting any cause that is found

Consider referral of patients with severe or persistently resistant hypertension to a centre specialising in its diagnosis and treatment

Both clinical experience and research surveys suggest that resistant blood pressure is common in everyday practice. For example, population and clinic surveys in North America, Europe, and Australia show that in as many as 50% to 75% of people being treated for hypertension target blood pressure levels are not achieved.2 Fifty per cent of the 19 196 participants in one recent trial had uncontrolled blood pressure levels when enrolled despite already being treated for hypertension; 59% of these uncontrolled patients were being …


Mild abnormalities of peripheral lung function can be detected by simple methods, but it remains difficult to determine when these changes are the result of emphysema rather than disease of the airways. We have compared the value of measurements of lung distensibility and a multibreath test of helium (He) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) washout in distinguishing between six men with mild impairment of airway function caused by asthma (group A) and six men with similar airway function but probable widespread emphysema (group E). In group E there were striking abnormalities in the static pressure-volume curve of the lungs (reduced lung recoil pressures, increased chord compliance, increased shape factor) and the relation between maximum expiratory flow and lung recoil pressure fell within the normal range. In group A there were only minor abnormalities in lung distensibility and maximum expiratory flow was reduced at a standard lung recoil pressure. In addition carbon monoxide transfer coefficient was reduced in group E but normal in group A. Normal values for He-SF6 washout were similar to those previously described. Differences in He-SF6 washout between group A and group E men were small and in part accounted for by differences in functional residual capacity. In subjects with lung disease, end-tidal He and SF6 concentrations during washout were erratic and it was sometimes impossible to define a crossover point. We conclude that in our hands this technique is less useful for detecting acinar disease than are measurements of lung distensibility or carbon monoxide transfer. Considerable changes in lung distensibility may occur at an early stage in the natural history of emphysema and are readily distinguishable from the small changes that occur in mild asthma.


Introduction Over recent years the Hospice has invested significantly in developing a range of means whereby people who use our services and provide the services can influence strategy, change practice and cast opinions into management decision making and clinical practice. Aims To be an organisation which genuinely listens to its people, enshrining the concept of a community of care and caring for the community of patients, families and carers. Methods implemented so far include: The Service User Forum developing into the Advisory Group involved in: ▶ Senior appointments – Chaplain, CEO, Ward Sister ▶ Patient client information material ▶ The organisation's website strategy ▶ Design, application and interpretation of patient and family Satisfaction Survey (actually undertaken by members of the Service User Forum) ▶ Fundraising and marketing methods A Staff Forum being set up: ▶ Regular meetings with C.E.O. and Directors to express concerns and formulate solutions. Regular Staff Satisfaction Surveys: ▶ Using the Times methodology generating depth and breadth of data, now used for three consecutive years. Staff briefings: ▶ CEO gives regular briefings to all staff and volunteers about all aspects of the Hospice. Discussion It is now expected practice to integrate peoples' voices (opinions) into planning, delivery and evaluation of all domains of the Hospice. Conclusion The Hospice feels a better place to work – a 'listening' and consultative approach. Patients and bereaved relatives meeting quarterly with an independent facilitator 'say it as it is' – real partnership.


Yoo, Innfarn M.S., Purdue University, May 2012. Sketching 3D Animation . Major Professor: Bedřich Benes. This thesis presents a method for creating natural 3D animation based on sketches. Our method provides novice and professional sketchers an easy, fast, and intuitive way to create three dimensional animations by drawing sketches, enhanced by strokes, and joint trajectory or rotation curves. It also allows searching massive databases of 3D animation as an application for motion capture system and major animation software. We extract 2D skeletons from strokes and find similar motion sequences by comparing all the important pre-generated key poses in database. To give the system more hints, users can draw joint trajectory and rotations curves that are similar to traditional motion sketches. The curves will be compared with the motion sequences that are found. The system supports graphical interfaces that are able to select the motion sequence candidates, to allow for changes in the range of the motion sequence, and to merge the final animation. The proposed system gives a solution for creating natural 3D motions from simple 2D sketches.


Physicians, physiologists, biochemists, psychologists and even professionals involved with physical exercise have been recently increasing their interests for the non-linear dynamics, a scientific theory developed mainly by mathematicians, which is generically known as the Complexity Theory. Although few investigations on Physical Education and Sports make use of this paradigm to solve their problems, a growing interest for this very approach has been noticed, mainly concerning the effects of physical exercise on changes in the variability and complexity of physiological temporal series. Usually, such changes appear as the decrease in its temporal behavior, denoting in decrease in the body complexity or in the components specifically involved in its regulation. According to the Complexity Theory, since non-linear interactions existing in biological systems are emphasized, it is observed that not only the increase (overcompensation) of the body components with the practice of physical exercises but also those which cause atrophy (decompensation) in parallel, once they can compromise the functionality of these systems. Thus, contrary to the emphasis that is given in the physical training to the monotonous repetition of intense physical activity and with emphasis on positive specific effects, that invariably promote the simplification of the body, larger qualitative and quantitative variation is recommended in the exercise practice. The objective is to preserve its natural complexity or neutralize its rapid decrease with aging. The present review has the objective, besides describing the possible complexity loss with physical training, to discuss some concepts of the Complexity Theory in an introductory way, with particular emphasis on issues involving health and physical training.


This thesis addresses the questions of subjectivity and aesthetics as two aspects of
identity-centred new work practices. To date, they have not been convincingly integrated
due to the incompatibility of the dominant conceptualisations in these two literatures.
Drawing on Lacan's theory of discourse, this thesis attempts to address these two questions
within an integrative conceptual framework.
The literature on identity work and organisational aesthetics dominantly considers new
work practices as a subtler system of control which relies on the logic of identification; that
is, controlling from within by rendering an idealised image with which employees identify.
This thesis, however, goes beyond this logic to interrogate subjectivity and aesthetics from
a structural point of view. Drawing on Lacan's conception of discourse as the structure of
the social bond, this thesis exposes the discursive formation of subjectivity in one
bureaucratic and two post-bureaucratic cases. Furthermore, in this thesis the question of
aesthetics is considered as part of the dominant discursive formation in the case studies.
Thus, this thesis uses Lacan's graph of discourse as an ontological foundation, or a
gravitational force, within which the questions of subjectivity and aesthetics can be
addressed.
This thesis approaches post-bureaucracies as part of the neo-liberalist agenda where
the subject is under increasing pressure to construct a self-governing and thus employable
self. Post-bureaucracies, according to my analysis, are identity workspaces where work
becomes a stage to actualise self-potential. Putting desire and enjoyment at the centre,
this thesis unravels the focal position of desire in this process. The subjects' desire to
actualise self-potential leads to the formation of a subjectivity apparatus that produces
self-governing subjects who desire work since they consider work as the primary stage for
self-actualisation. Therefore, desire becomes a crucial productive element since actualising
self-potential (through work) indicates the subjects' higher investment in work. This also
intensifies the accumulation of capital (knowledge, aesthetics, and a subjectivity
apparatus) within the organisation. This thesis, also, questions aesthetics within this
broader picture by uncovering its function as the mise-en-scene of the politics of selfactualisation.
This study contributes to critical organisational studies by introducing Lacan's theory of
discourse as the ontological foundation as well as a powerful methodological tool to
interrogate the structure of subjectivity and the formation and functioning of aesthetics in
post-bureaucracy. Drawing on the late Lacan's teaching, this study uncovers a more
nuanced picture of post-bureaucracies, its impact on workers and management, and their
implications for ethics at work. The key point in this regard is the contribution of a fresh
Lacanian perspective to expose how power relations are increasingly concealed behind the
seemingly pleasant working environment. This leads to a vicious self-criticising circle in
which the subject takes full responsibility for collective dysfunctions. It, also, contributes to
critical studies as an emancipatory project by revealing the truth of the seemingly win-win
situation of trust-based and employee-oriented workspaces as the truth of exploitation.


Matrix exponential computstion is a difficulty thing when the order of the matrix get big and big after discretion. When we use Lie group method to get numeric solution of a differential equation, we often face this problem.Li group method is a kind of prosperous method, its basic ideas is to keep the numeric solution in a manifold which is less than the Euclid space while bigger than the analytic solution manifold, so we can get more exact numeric solution than other method. So we discussed the generalized polar decompositions method for matrix exponential.


Pinyon pines respond chemically to above-and belowground herbivory and pathogens by synthesizing and emitting secondary compounds known as monoterpenes (C 10). However, whether aboveground herbivory can alter belowground monoterpene concentrations and the ecological importance of this potential systemic response remain uncertain. The overarching goal of my thesis is to determine whether foliar damage elicits an induced response by altering monoterpene concentrations in needles and roots, thus potentially changing the susceptibility of pinyon pines to needle herbivores and root pathogens. I used mechanical damage (M), the application of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and the combination of the two treatments (MeJA+M) on pinyon pine seedlings as proxies for foliar herbivore damage and assessed needle and root monoterpene concentrations periodically over 20 days following the treatments. Overall, my results show that simulated foliar herbivory significantly induced monoterpene production in both needles and roots. However, the specific compounds induced differed between needles and roots, and the direction and magnitude of these changes resulted in a significant damage effect on total needle monoterpenes, but not on total root monoterpenes. The significant increase observed for most of the needle and root individual compounds was due to the application of MeJA. Time and interaction of time and damage treatment did not exhibit a significant effect on most monoterpene compounds, which may be due to variation among individual seedlings at each time interval, resulting substantial variation in monoterpene concentrations. For future work, more detailed analyses are needed to be able to assess the time effect. Moreover, the effectiveness of the induced responses in both needles and roots in defense against future herbivory and root pathogens should be a focus of future investigations.


Recent advances in automated weapon systems and decreasing need to have human operators in the loop of decision-making processes, has given the floor to one of the most controversial matters in the history of warfare: the emergence of Autonomous Weapon Systems, known as AWS.

AWS it has been the source for significant controversy and heated international debate. One of the many reasons that are certainly behind this highly intense debate is the lack of a common ground for discussion.1 NGO's, scholars, States struggle to find a common definition of AWS, to agree in their nature and legitimacy under International Humanitarian Law; and, finally, to contemplate the possibility of a 'responsibility gap' caused with the deployment of AWS.

The focus of this research is to discuss the legitimacy and accountability for the deployment of AWS under International Humanitarian Law. The first endeavour was to prove that, first of all, it is necessary to organise the speech developed around autonomous systems in order to establish an AWS legal definition and to conclude that they should not be seen as 'new agents', but as more sophisticated 'weapon systems', looking at the structure of the embedded machine learning algorithms. The second endeavour was to prove that there are no reasons to proclaim a 'responsibility gap'. AWS will require not only a higher level of responsibility from commanders, designers, programmers and technicians but also the distinction between different causes of violations of IHL caused by AWS (malfunctions, accidents and errors). The situation of a 'accidents' will require that International Criminal Law accepts the category of dolus eventualis, and in the situation of 'errors' States shall accept their full responsibility but in no manner is it possible to argue that IHL does not provide the tools to deal with the advent of warfare autonomous systems.


Scholars frequently cite early nineteenth-century cases to ascertain the original meaning of the Free Exercise Clause. Previous studies, however, have ignored crucial trends in those decisions, thus leading to mistaken emphasis on the denial of religious accommodation claims. This Note argues that prevailing theological views, skepticism of courtroom declarations of religious belief, and contemporary notions of judicial deference better explain nineteenth-century cases than does a wholesale rejection of judicially enforceable religious exemptions. This novel approach clarifies previously unexplained tensions in early free exercise opinions. It also suggests that the Supreme Court�s holding in Employment Division v. Smith is inconsistent with many nineteenth-century decisions, notwithstanding Justice Scalia�s claim to the contrary in his concurrence in City of Boerne v. Flores. Moreover, past studies have failed to appreciate the enormous midcentury shift in constitutional meaning in response to Mormon polygamy and widespread Catholic immigration. This transformation leaves originalism incapable of providing a consistent account of the Free Exercise Clause.


The reproductive function of women was analysed using interviews in zones with different levels of pesticides application. Increase in frequency of abnormal pregnancies in the zone of high level of pesticides application is shown. The main part of cases with hereditary pathology constituted the children with mental retardation. On the basis of surnames differentiation analysis, the relative homogeneity of structures of populations studied was demonstrated. The cytogenetic analysis only revealed small increase in SCE levels and no changes in the levels of aberrations of chromosomes in cultures of lymphocytes of rural workers contacting pesticides.


UNLABELLED
Because of improvements in diagnostic technology, the incidental detection of synchronous primary tumors during the preoperative work-up of patients with esophageal cancer has increased. The aim of this study was to determine the rate and clinical relevance of synchronous neoplasms seen on (18)F-FDG PET in staging of esophageal cancer.

METHODS
From January 1996 to July 2004, 366 patients with biopsy-proven malignancy of the esophagus underwent (18)F-FDG PET for initial staging. This series of patients was retrospectively reviewed for the detection of synchronous primary neoplasms.

RESULTS
Twenty synchronous primary neoplasms (5.5%) were identified in 366 patients. Eleven neoplasms were in the colorectum, 5 in the kidney, 2 in the thyroid gland, 1 in the lung, and 1 in the gingiva. One of the thyroid lesions and the lung lesion were erroneously interpreted as metastases, leading to incorrect upstaging of the esophageal tumor.

CONCLUSION
(18)F-FDG PET detected unexpected synchronous primary neoplasms in 5.5% of patients with esophageal cancer. Sites of pathologic (18)F-FDG uptake should be confirmed by dedicated additional investigations before treatment, because synchronous neoplasms may mimic metastases.


The continued global biodiversity crisis necessitates the continuation and development of new well-designed monitoring strategies and action plans with particular focus on under-represented countries and regions. However, limited resources in terms of budget and availability of qualified field personnel can restrict the geographical coverage of monitoring efforts. Focusing monitoring efforts on a representative subset of species and locations can improve cost-efficiency. Optimal performance of multi-species indicators derived from such an approach requires objective methods for species selection and a sampling design that reduces inherent sampling bias caused by regional differences in habitat availability or accessibility. To explore the performance of a multi-species indicator across different regions within a nation, we developed a multi-species indicator (MSI) for farmland birds in Norway using objective niche-based selection of species. We compare the performance of this indicator at national and regional scales (Central and East regions) in Norway, and between urban and rural sites within regions. The seven-species indicator obtained from the species selection provided similar indicator values and trends for Norway and the Central and East regions, as well as for rural sites within the combined Central + East region. All trends were defined as showing moderate decline from 2007–2016. Urban sites within the combined Central + East region provided trend estimates that showed stronger decline than rural areas in the same region during the time span. Our results emphasize the need to control for sampling bias when structuring monitoring programmes such as a Breeding Bird Survey (BBS). This is especially important if limited resources restrict the geographical coverage of the monitoring scheme. We recommend that monitoring schemes follow a stratified random sampling design that represents both the availability of different land cover types and their distribution with regard to proximity to highly populated areas. If that is not possible, statistically weighting data from different regions or landscapes is likely to be necessary.


This commentary is a response to 'More than Skin Deep' by Shelley M. Park (Park, More than skin deep: A response to "The Whiteness of AI", Philosophy & Technology, 2021), and a development of our own 2020 paper 'The Whiteness of AI'. We aim to explain how representations of AI can be varied in one sense, whilst not being diverse. We argue that Whiteness's claim to universal humanity permits a broad range of roles to White humans and White-presenting machines, whilst assigning a much narrower range of stereotypical roles to people of colour. Because the attributes of AI in the popular imagination, such as intelligence, power and passing as human, are associated by the White racial frame with Whiteness, AI is cast predominantly as White. Following Sparrow (Science, Technology, & Human Values 45:538–560, 2020), we suggest this presents a dilemma for those creating or representing AI. We discuss three possible solutions: avoiding anthropomorphisation, explicitly critiquing racial role-typing, and representing powerful AI as non-White.


Coenobita compressus (H. Milne Edwards) walk forward on six legs using analternating tripod gait similar to that of insects. The first walking leg provides thedriving force for locomotion aided secondarily by the second walking leg, while thechelipeds act largely as supports. The left appendages are longer and heavier than theright, and they extend further laterally from the midline during their stride, thus compensating for the asymmetry of the crab which has a dextrally coiled shell and anabdomen displaced to the right. The abdomen is normally carried off the ground, but it is dragged when the shell is large. Bilateral leg autotomy alters gait patterns; usually a diagonal quadrupedal gaitwas adopted. Walking was poor in crabs without chelae (L 1 and R 1 ) because of problems of balance. Crabs without their first walking legs (L 2 and R 2 ) were themost accomplished amputee walkers. Crabs lacking legs L 3 and R 3 showed the mostgait diversity. Velocity of travel is a function of crab size and the substrate walked upon. Largecrabs travel faster than small ones on the beach by increasing their stride length rather than stepping frequency. Studies on a miniature treadmill showed individual crabs change velocity by changing both stepping frequency and stride length. Snail shells of the genus Nerita are carried; they are the lightest shells on the beach. Shell mass for an individual may vary three-fold, but usually the masses of the shell and crab are similar. Crabs running with and without shells have the same step frequency and stride length.


This paper aimed to verify the influence of moisture content and drying temperature on the values of maximum compression strength for fixed strains (1; 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; and 7 mm), rupture force, and proportional deformity modulus on the baru fruit (Dipteryx alata Vogel) under compression in a natural resting position. Baru fruits with a moisture content ranging from 0.333 to 0.053 (decimal dry basis - db) were used. The fruits were uniaxially compressed between two parallel plates, in the natural resting position, and the nuts were dried at temperatures of 60, 80, and 100 °C. The reduction in the moisture content during drying was monitored using a gravimetric method (weight loss) to determine the initial moisture content of the product and the final moisture content. Based on our results, the compression force needed to deform the baru fruit decreased with increasing moisture content, regardless of the drying temperature. The proportional deformity modulus increased with the reduction of moisture content for all the studied temperatures. The reduced moisture content increased the force required to rupture the baru fruit, regardless of the drying temperature. The rupture forces of temperatures of 60 to 100 °C may be represented by one model.


PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION VICKS, TERESA DALE B.S., Morris Brown College, 1983 AN ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OF AUTOMATION ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE FILL!) SUPPORT UNIT OF THE INTERNAL RLVLNUE SERVICL Advisors: Dr. R. A. Frempong and Dr. G. Kugblenu Degree Paper dated July, 1987 The major goal of this degree paper is to assess eval uate the effects of incorporating a computer based-word processing system in Field Support of the Internal Revenue Service. An attempt has been made to focus on the stated goals and objectives of this technological advancement. The purpose of Field Support is to provide technical and clerical assistance to Revenue Officers in the Atlanta District. A centralized unit was agreed upon to serve the professional needs and assist the Revenue Officers in their collection of delinquent or unassessed taxes. This study is significant because of the fact that automation involves serious controversy. Some view it as an attempt to modernize an organization's operations and effect cost-saving measures, while others view automation as an attempt to reduce staff and excerbated informal relationships within the organization. A major finding of the study is that with the instal lation of the automated system into Field Support, there was increased quality of work, increased effectiveness in accomplishment of work, and increased efficiency. The main sources of information were journals, books and reports which included Public Admi ni stration Review and unpublished surveys and statistics of Field Support. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES v


This study aims to determine the change pattern of morphological and physical traits of palm oil fruitsduring the fruit development until the time to harvest. This researchhas been conducted at PT. Panca Surya Garden's Research Farm located in Kubang Raya, Kampar and Plant Physiology Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Riau Pekanbaru from February to August 2016.Sixty fruit bunchs which antheses at the same day were selected at random from 7 years old oil palm trees. The fruit bunches were hand pollinated at 18 March 2016 and each was covered by pollination bag. Beginningat 30 to 120 days after pollination (DAP), 3 fruits bunches were harvested at 15 day interval. Then from 125 DAP to 185 DAP the fruit bunch were harvested every 5 days interval. The change of morphological and physical traits were observed such as fresh bunch weight, fresh fruit weight per bunch, mesocarp thickness, fruit diameter, fruit volume andfruit moisture content, and fruit color. Showed that the increase of bunch weight, fresh fruit weight per bunch, fresh fruit weight occurred at the same pattern. Fruit fresh weight and dry weight increase steadily from 30 DAP and reached the maximum values at about 170 DAP, then decreased slightly until 185 DAP. The fruit water content increased slowly from 30 to 45 DAP, then decreased progressively untul 150 DAP and finally decreased very rapidly from 150 to 180 DAP. Fruit color changed from dark purple to red purple and finally at harvest the color change to yellow red.


Abstract. Understanding and analyzing collaborative learning processes requires a fine-grained sequential analysis of the group interaction in the context of learning goals. Several researchers in the area of collaborative work take the quality of the group outcome as a success criterion. Nevertheless, recent findings are giving more importance to the quality of the collaboration process itself. This paper presents a set of patterns the main objective of which is to evaluate and monitor the collaborative learning process. Also we describe some software tools we have implemented based on these set of patterns and how the patterns proposed have helped us to evaluate and monitor the collaborative learning processes. In this paper our aim is to present a method, which can be used in analyzing the interaction processes in a CSCL environment.


AIM
To investigate the pooled prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), proliferative DR (PDR) and nonproliferative DR (NPDR) in Asian type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

METHODS
We performed a systematic search online search using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and China WeiPu Library to identify eligible studies that reported the prevalence of DR, PDR and NPDR in Asian T2DM patients. Effect size (ES) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to evaluate the prevalence of DR, PDR and NPDR in Asian T2DM patients, respectively.

RESULTS
There were 41 references and 48 995 T2DM patients involved in this study. The prevalence of DR, PDR, and NPDR was 28%, 6%, and 27% in T2DM patients, respectively; while the prevalence of PDR and NPDR in DR patients was 17% and 83%, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that prevalence of DR in T2DM patients from Singaporean, Indian, South Korean, Malaysian, Asian, and Chinese was 33%, 42%, 16%, 35%, 21% and 25%, respectively. In T2DM patients with NPDR from Indian, South Korean, Malaysian, Asian, Chinese, higher prevalence was found than that in PDR patients (45% vs 17%, 13% vs 3%, 30% vs 5%, 23% vs 2% and 22% vs 3%), as well as in DR patients (74% vs 26%, 81% vs 19%, 86% vs 14%, 92% vs 8% and 85% vs 15%). The prevalence of PDR in T2DM from India was higher than patients from other locations of Asia, and the same results were also observed in NPDR patients.

CONCLUSION
In either T2DM Asian patients or DR patients, NPDR is more common than PDR. Based on our results, we should pay more attention to NPDR screening and management in T2DM patients, and we also recommend suitable interventions to prevent its progression.


A low-rate distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack has significant ability of concealing its traffic because it is very much like normal traffic. It has the capacity to elude the current anomaly-based detection schemes. An information metric can quantify the differences of network traffic with various probability distributions. In this paper, we innovatively propose using two new information metrics such as the generalized entropy metric and the information distance metric to detect low-rate DDoS attacks by measuring the difference between legitimate traffic and attack traffic. The proposed generalized entropy metric can detect attacks several hops earlier (three hops earlier while the order α = 10 ) than the traditional Shannon metric. The proposed information distance metric outperforms (six hops earlier while the order α = 10) the popular Kullback-Leibler divergence approach as it can clearly enlarge the adjudication distance and then obtain the optimal detection sensitivity. The experimental results show that the proposed information metrics can effectively detect low-rate DDoS attacks and clearly reduce the false positive rate. Furthermore, the proposed IP traceback algorithm can find all attacks as well as attackers from their own local area networks (LANs) and discard attack traffic.


The effect of heavy and light avian adenovirus-associated viral (A-AV) particles on the replication of several adenovirus serotypes was studied in chicken embryo kidney cells. There was a significant decrease (P less than 0.05) in the number and size of adenovirus-induced plaques at A-AV multiplicities of infection greater than 40. Enhancement of plaque production was observed when A-AV multiplicities of infection were 1 to 40. There was a significant increase in the number and size of infective centers. Analysis of cellular yields indicated an increase in the number of adenoviruses produced per cell. Heavy A-AV particles of buoyant density 1.42 g/cm3 in CsCl were found to enhance plaque production more than light particles (1.38 g/cm3). Conversely, light particles showed greater inhibition of plaque production. Adenovirus serotypes varied in their response to enhancement or inhibition by A-AV particles of different density.


Although thyroid hormone is obligatory for the development of cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors, it is difficult to assign a specific role for the hormone in receptor ontogeny because beta-receptor expression is affected similarly in the adult. We have determined whether thyroid hormone plays a role in receptor development by evaluating alpha 1-adrenergic receptors, which in the adult are downregulated by thyroid hormone. Propylthiouracil given from gestational day 17 through postnatal day 5 caused significant deficits in the number of alpha 1-receptors and values resolved to normal in parallel with hormone level recovery. When propylthiouracil was administered later (postnatal days 11 through 15) only a transient deficit in alpha 1-receptor binding was seen; hyperthyroidism (triiodothyronine) could still evoke stimulation of receptor expression at this stage. The effects on receptor expression were distinguished from general effects on cell differentiation by examining alpha 2-receptors, which disappear over the first three postnatal weeks; delayed differentiation caused by propylthiouracil would slow the decline in alpha 2-receptors, whereas accelerated differentiation caused by triiodothyronine would hasten the decline. Instead, the effects were similar to those on alpha 1-receptors: perinatal propylthiouracil administration reduced, and neonatal triiodothyronine administration enhanced, alpha 2-receptor binding sites. Thus, thyroid hormone plays a role in the control of cardiac adrenergic receptor expression during a critical development period, with conjoint regulation of the multiple receptor subtypes present within the tissue. As adrenergic stimulation is important in maintaining cardiac function in the perinatal period, alterations of thyroid status during this period can be expected to result in abnormal reactivity and increased perinatal risk.


Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are considered as promising alternatives to conventional antibiotics in order to overcome the growing problems of antibiotic resistance. Computational prediction approaches receive an increasing interest to identify and design the best candidate AMPs prior to the in vitro tests. In this study, we focused on the linear cationic peptides with non-hemolytic activity, which are downloaded from the Database of Antimicrobial Activity and Structure of Peptides (DBAASP). Referring to the MIC (Minimum inhibition concentration) values, we have assigned a positive label to a peptide if it shows antimicrobial activity; otherwise, the peptide is labeled as negative. Here, we focused on the peptides showing antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative and against Gram-positive bacteria separately, and we created two datasets accordingly. Ten different physico-chemical properties of the peptides are calculated and used as features in our study. Following data exploration and data preprocessing steps, a variety of classification algorithms are used with 100-fold Monte Carlo Cross-Validation to build models and to predict the antimicrobial activity of the peptides. Among the generated models, Random Forest has resulted in the best performance metrics for both Gram-negative dataset (Accuracy: 0.98, Recall: 0.99, Specificity: 0.97, Precision: 0.97, AUC: 0.99, F1: 0.98) and Gram-positive dataset (Accuracy: 0.95, Recall: 0.95, Specificity: 0.95, Precision: 0.90, AUC: 0.97, F1: 0.92) after outlier elimination is applied. This prediction approach might be useful to evaluate the antibacterial potential of a candidate peptide sequence before moving to the experimental studies.


The effects of tungsten content on the nanocrystalline structure of Ni-W alloy electrodeposits were investigated. Direct current electrodeposition was conducted with various W mole fractions in a nickel sulfate solution containing citric acid as a complexing agent. Current efficiency was an almost constant value of 52% up to W mole fraction of 0.58. However, it was sharply decreased owing to severe H2 evolution with increasing cathode overvoltage at a W mole fraction higher than 0.74. The X-ray diffraction peak was decreased and broadened with increasing W content, and an amorphous pattern appeared clearly at 49 wt.% W. It was confirmed that Ni-W alloy deposit was transformed from crystalline to amorphous structure between 41 and 49 wt.% W. This result was also verified through a TEM analysis.


Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women globally and is a main reason of mortality, thus requiring more therapeutic advancements. The epirubcin (EPI) is an anthracycline. However, the dose-related cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity and myelosuppression are main problem associated with the use of available formulation of EPI. The poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV) is considered as an ideal drug carrier due to its non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible nature. The blank and EPI loaded PHBV nanoparticles decorated with folic acid and polyethylene glycol were by prepared by nanoprecipitation method. Temperature sensitive hydrogel was prepared by addition of β-glycerophosphate disodium salt (β-GP) solution to chitosan (CS) solution. The CS/GP hydrogel demonstrated a rapid sol-to-gel transition at 37°C. The addition of folate grafted blank and drug loaded nanoparticles did not alter the gelation time of the resulting nanogels. The drug loading efficiency of EPI/FA-PEG-PHBV/CS nanogel was found to be 45.23%. About 60% of total encapsulated drug was released at pH 4 from EPI/FA-PEG-PHBV/CS nanogel during in-vitro release study. Blank FA-PEG-PHBV/CS nanogel did not affect the % viability of MCF7 breast cancer cell line, thus demonstrating their non-toxicity and biocompatibility. The EPI/FA-PEG-PHBV/CS nanogel significantly inhibited the viability and proliferation of cancer cells in comparison to equivalent amount of free drug.


Biomass briquetting technology is one of the key technologies about biomass energy. In this paper we established solid model of biomass plane-die briquetting machine by UG software and imported the model into software-ADAMS/View module to simulate the process and to analyse dynamic characteristic parameters. Under the conditions of the same spindle speed and different roller pressures, we obtained the characteristic curves of the main spindle bearing torque and the motor power. The results of simulation showed that the main spindle beared torque increased along with the increase of the roller pressure so that the needed motor power increased. The maximum simulated motor power is in the start-up stage through which we can get the correction coefficient k compared with the theoretical value. According to the above analysis, we got the dynamic characteristic model of the biomass plane-die briquetting machine which can provide theoretical basis for related equipment design.


This study was designed to evaluate the effect of single layer centrifugation (SLC) and subsequent cold storage on stallion sperm capacitation-like status and acrosome reaction. Three stallions were included in the study, with three ejaculates per stallion. The samples were examined 4, 24 and 72 h after collection, extension and SLC, with storage at 6°C. Sperm capacitation-like status was investigated using the fluorescent dye chlortetracycline (CTC). There was no difference in capacitation-like status between colloid-selected and non-selected spermatozoa. Sperm motility decreased significantly during cold storage, whereas the proportion of apparently capacitated spermatozoa increased. There was no change in the proportion of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. In conclusion, SLC through Androcoll™-E does not adversely affect the capacitation-like status of stallion spermatozoa, although it did increase with time during cold storage.


Insulin binding to isolated circulating monocytes from normal subjects and adult patients with diabetes was studied. The diabetic subjects were nonketotic, and their degree of glucose intolerance varied from an abnormal oral glucose tolerance test (chemical diabetes) to significant fasting hyperglycemia. The results indicated that patients with chemical diabetes had a 45 per cent decrease in insulin binding to monocytes, and this decrease was secondary to a reduction in the number of receptor sites per cell (normals, 15,000 sites per monocyte versus 8,500 sites per mono-cyte for chemical diabetics). When the individual data from the normal and chemical diabetic subjects were examined, a highly significant inverse correlation was found between the amount of insulin bound and both the fasting plasma insulin level (r = 0.61, P > 0.001) and the incremental insulin area during an oral glucose tolerance test (r = 0.49, P > 0.001). Furthermore, insulin binding was closely and inversely correlated to the degree of insulin resistance (r = 0.65, P > 0.001) among these subjects. Thus, the ability to bind insulin is inversely related to both the plasma insulin level and insulin sensitivity, and chemical diabetics who are insulin-resistant and hyperinsulinemic have a decreased ability to bind insulin. Many patients with fasting hyperglycemia also have decreased insulin binding. However, although as a group these pa tients have fasting hyperinsulinemia, they are hypoinsulinemic in response to a glucose challenge. Thus, inclusion of their data with that of the normal and chemical-diabetic patients enhances the relationship between insulin binding and fasting insulin level (r = 0.68, P > 0.001) but obliterates the relationship between insulin binding and incremental insulin area. Furthermore, in these subjects no significant correlation was found between insulin binding and the degree of insulin resistance (r = 0.19, N.S.), suggesting that all or most of the insulin resistance in these subjects was independent of changes in insulin receptors. In conclusion, (1) if the subjects are taken as a group, in patients with chemical diabetes and in diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycemia, insulin binding to monocytes is decreased; (2) over the entire spectrum of adult, nonketotic diabetes, insulin binding is decreased to monocytes from patients with fasting hyperinsulinemia, while subjects with normal insulin levels have normal insulin binding; (3) the insulin resistance of patients with chemical diabetes may be related to a decrease in insulin receptors, but this does not appear to be the case for patients with fasting hyperglycemia; and (4) plasma insulin levels are inversely related to insulin binding, but it is the basal, not the stimulated levels that are associated with changes in insulin receptors.


Background: Tumour necrosis factor production is increased in the mucosa of patients with active ulcerative colitis. The benefits of infliximab in Crohn's disease are established. We investigated its efficacy in ulcerative colitis. Methods: We conducted a randomised placebo controlled trial of infliximab (5 mg/kg) in the treatment of glucocorticoid resistant ulcerative colitis. Infusions were given at weeks 0 and 2. Disease activity and quality of life were recorded over eight weeks of follow up. Remission was defined as an ulcerative colitis symptom score (UCSS) of ⩽2 and/or Baron score of 0 at week 6. Patients not in remission were offered open label infliximab 10 mg/kg and reviewed two weeks later. Results: After two weeks, there was no statistically significant difference between the infliximab and placebo groups in the proportion of patients with a Baron score of 0 (13% (3/23) v 5% (1/19) (95% confidence interval (CI) −9% to 24%); p=0.74). After six weeks, remission (UCSS ⩽2) rates were 39% (9/23) versus 30% (6/20) (95% CI −19 to 34%; p=0.76). The median improvement in UCSS was 3 for the infliximab group and 2.5 for the placebo group (p=0.82, Mann-Whitney U test). A Baron score of 0 was likely in either group (26% (6/23) v 30% (6/20) (95% CI −30% to 23%); p=0.96). Improvement in the IBDQ and EuroQol was not significantly different between the groups (p=0.22 and 0.3, respectively, Mann-Whitney U test). Twenty eligible patients were given open labelled infusions. Remission was achieved in 3/11 (27%) patients initially treated with infliximab and in 1/9 (11%) patients treated with placebo. Conclusion: These data do not support the use of infliximab in the management of moderately active glucocorticoid resistant ulcerative colitis.


Recently, increasing attention is being devoted to interest rate rules that respond directly to economic forecasts rather than relying on current and past observations. Empirical studies suggest this 'forward-looking' rule provides a reasonable description of recent monetary policy in several industrial countries. Such rules are also advocated on analytical grounds including simplicity, transparency, and efficiency. But, such rules can fail to generate unique rational expectations equilibrium under various combinations of structural and policy parameters, raising concerns whether forward-looking rules are robust to model uncertainty. Here, we analyze the efficiency and robustness of forward-looking rules using four structural macroeconometric models of the U.S. economy: the Fuhrer-Moore model, Taylor's Multi-Country Model, the MSR model of Orphanides and Wieland, and the FRB staff model. All four incorporate assumptions of rational expectations, short-run nominal inertia, and long-run monetary neutrality, but differ in other respects such as real expenditures and the dynamics of prices. We assume a policy objective of minimizing a weighted sum of the unconditional variances of the inflation rate, the output gap, and federal funds rate changes. For given model and particular class of policy rules, we determine the region of the parameter space for which simple forward-looking and backward-looking rules generate unique equilibria. Within this region, we determine the performance of rules on the policy frontier -- the best obtainable outcomes for output, inflation, and funds-rate volatilities. Finally, we evaluate robustness to model uncertainty, taking rules that perform well in one model and assessing their performance in each of the other three. Our analysis yields three significant conclusions. First, the indeterminacy problem is not one of practical concern. All four models exhibit a relatively high degree of nominal and real inertia consistent with U.S. data. Second, in each model, we find that forward-looking rules provide negligible stabilization benefits compared with well-designed backward-looking rules. Finally, the forward-looking rules that perform well in one model often perform very poorly in the other three. By contrast, simple backward-looking rules taken from the policy frontier of one model are generally very close to the frontier in each of the other three. Thus, while small improvements in output and inflation variability can sometimes be obtained using forward-looking rules, we find them to be much less robust to model uncertainty than simple backward-looking rules.


This paper develops a new technique for measuring changes in the degree of capital mobility confronting a developing country that has restrictions on capital flows and official ceilings on domestic interest rates. Because such official controls rule out the use of traditional interest rate parity conditions to measure changes in the degree of capital mobility, the analysis first examines an intertemporal model of an open economy. This model describes the linkages between the cost of undertaking disguised capital flows, the current account, capital controls, domestic and external financial market conditions, and the authorities' foreign exchange market interventions. The model suggests a means of measuring changes in the cost of undertaking disguised capital flows, based on the past history of differentials between external interest rates (adjusted for exchange rate changes) and domestic ceiling interest rates, provided that the authorities' foreign exchange market activities are incorporated into the analysis. Parameter estimates for Korea, Mexico, and the Philippines indicate that the real cost of undertaking disguised capital flows declined on average by nearly 70 percent between the early 1970s and the late 1980s.


Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do exactly what they say on the tin, they are not steroid medications and act to decrease inflammation. Finding an alternative to corticosteroid treatment for rheumatoid arthritis drove the discovery of ibuprofen in 1961.

Ibuprofen is the most commonly prescribed paediatric NSAID in the UK and the second most commonly prescribed paediatric inpatient medication (after paracetamol).1

All NSAIDs exert their clinical effects by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis. Prostaglandins modulate components of the immune system and are involved in the control of body temperature, pain transmission, platelet aggregation and gastric protection. The primary site of action is the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, which exists in two isoforms (Cox-1 and Cox-2). Selective inhibition of Cox-2 is associated with less gastrointestinal (GI) intolerance. It has also been hypothesised that COX-2 plays a role in the inflammation process, hence drugs that selectively inhibit COX-2 enzymes should have the beneficial anti-inflammatory activity of traditional NSAIDS without the toxicity. Experience with COX-2 inhibitors in paediatric patients is limited. COX-2 inhibitors are more expensive, and the debate over their safety and efficacy compared with traditional NSAIDs is not yet concluded. Meloxicam and celecoxib have proven to be effective and safe in children with musculoskeletal disorders in a controlled trial2

After oral administration, the absorption of NSAIDs is generally rapid and complete with most occurring in the stomach and upper small intestine. NSAIDs are highly bound to plasma proteins, specifically to albumin (>90%). All NSAIDs can be found in synovial fluid after repeated dosing, and ibuprofen also has the ability to penetrate the CNS.3

Members of the class (with formulations) are listed in table 1.

View this table:

Table 1
NSAID overview for pain and inflammation.

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There have been many studies comparing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of paracetamol and ibuprofen for pain and …


The recent increase in distributed power generation is highlighting the demand to investigate and implement better and more efficient power distribution grids. High-temperature superconducting (HTS) DC transmission cables have the potential to address the need for more efficient transmission and their usage is expected to increase in the future. Thermal modeling of HTS DC cables is a critical tool to have in order to better understand and characterize the operation of such transmission lines. This paper introduces a general computational model for a HTS DC cable. A physical model, based on fundamental correlations and principles of classical thermodynamics, mass and heat transfer, was developed and the resulting differential equations were discretized in space. Therefore, the combination of the physical model with the finite volume scheme for the discretization of the differential equations is referenced as Volume Element Model, (VEM). The model accounts for heat transfer by conduction, convection and radiation obtaining numerically the temperature distribution of superconductive cables operating under different environmental, operational and design conditions. As a result, the model is expected to be a useful tool for simulation, design, and optimization of HTS DC transmission cables.


Secret communication over network has captured the imagination of researchers for many years. Steganography and Digital watermarking techniques are used to protect copyright information, address digital rights management, and conceal secrets. Secret data hiding techniques provide an interesting challenge for digital forensic investigations. Research into steganalysis techniques aids in the discovery of such hidden information as well as leads research toward improved methods for hiding information. This paper presents a new approach of steganography based on Wavelet transform technique on raw images to enhance the security of the secret data. Steganography is a technique to hide secret information into the image so as unknown to an attacker. The proposed method has ability to hide secret message in a digital color image. In this technique, the bits of secret information are embedded in the coefficients of the Haar Wavelet Transformed cover image. Haar wavelet transform is applied for the separation of different frequency components of image i.e. Low, medium low, medium high and high frequency components of image and these are called sub bands of image. After forming these sub bands we can select high frequency component band from the above four sub bands and embed the bits of secret information into the high frequency coefficient of the selected sub band. To extract secret information apply wavelet transform on stego image, then select the embedded coefficients and extract the secret information bits from the high frequency coefficient. Without secret key nobody is able to extract the secret information from the stegoed image or even not proves the secret information present in the image. An experimental result shows that this approach perform better and improves the data embedding capacity by 15% approximately than 1level,2-level haar wavelet methods.


The use of technology and all that it entails, such as applications and social networks, has led to a transformation of education in all aspects. Communication and the monitoring of training processes are being transformed through these new elements gradually incorporated into the classrooms. The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of WhatsApp and Google Drive on the monitoring of training practices among pre-service students using a traditional, face-to-face methodology. A quasi-experimental design was carried out on a sample of 123 Spanish pre-service students. The data were collected by means of a questionnaire. The results show that the follow-up of external practices of future teachers using WhatsApp and Google Drive is effective in comparison with the face-to-face follow-up, although no significant differences are shown in the students' grades. Conclusions show that applying a monitoring method with these technological tools leads to an increase in students' motivation mainly as it allows a more direct interaction between the teacher and the student. It is important to select the monitoring method and the target student in the didactic development. Hence, these educational applications enable active learning where the learner is the main protagonist and can be supported and monitored.


BACKGROUND
Adult, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) guidelines from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and American Thoracic Society (ATS) include indications for urinary antigen tests (UATs) for Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) and Legionella pneumophila (LP). These recommendations were based on expert opinions and have not been rigorously evaluated.

METHODS
We used data from a multicenter, prospective, surveillance study of adults hospitalized with CAP to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the IDSA/ATS UAT indications for identifying patients who test positive. SP and LP UATs were completed on all included patients. Separate analyses were completed for SP and LP, using 2-by-2 contingency tables, comparing the IDSA/ATS indications (UAT recommended vs not recommended) and UAT results (positive vs negative). Additionally, logistic regression was used to evaluate the association of each individual criterion in the IDSA/ATS indications with positive UAT results.

RESULTS
Among 1941 patients, UATs were positive for SP in 81 (4.2%) and for LP in 32 (1.6%). IDSA/ATS indications had 61% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 49-71%) and 39% specificity (95% CI 37-41%) for SP, and 63% sensitivity (95% CI 44-79%) and 35% specificity (95% CI 33-37%) for LP. No clinical characteristics were strongly associated with positive SP UATs, while features associated with positive LP UATs were hyponatremia, fever, diarrhea, and recent travel.

CONCLUSIONS
Recommended indications for SP and LP urinary antigen testing in the IDSA/ATS CAP guidelines have poor sensitivity and specificity for identifying patients with positive tests; future CAP guidelines should consider other strategies for determining which patients should undergo urinary antigen testing.


This study examined the relationships among sociodemographic factors, social support, coping, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among HIV-positive women with depression. The analyses reported here were limited to the 224 women receiving ART of 280 women recruited from community-based HIV/AIDS organizations serving rural areas of three states in the southeastern United States. Two indicators of medication adherence were measured; self-report of missed medications and reasons for missed medications in the past month. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analyses were performed to systematically identify sociodemographic, coping, and social support variables that predicted medication adherence. In regression analysis, three variables were determined to be significant predictors accounting for approximately 30% of the variability in the self-report of reasons for missed medications. Coping focused on managing HIV disease was negatively associated, while coping focused on avoidance/denial and number of children were positively associated with reasons for missed medications. Coping by spiritual activities and focusing on the present mediated the effect of social support on self-reported missed medications. The relationship of predictor variables to self-report of missed medications was assessed using t test statistics and logistic regression analysis to determine the odds of self-reported medication adherence. Satisfaction with social support (p = 0.04), and coping focused on managing HIV disease (p = 0.002) were the best positive predictors, whereas number of children (p = 0.02) was the lone significant negative predictor of medication adherence. The study findings have implications for designing, implementing, and testing interventions based on social support and coping theories for achieving better adherence to HIV medications.


Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method is used for a long‐term and in‐depth study on the failure analysis of polymer coatings. With the assistance of neural networks, a deeper insight into the changing states of corrosion during certain exposure circumstances has been investigated by applying specific Kohonen intelligent learning networks. The Kohonen artificial network has been trained by using 4 sets of samples from sample 1# to sample 4# with unsupervised competitive learning methods. Each sample includes up to 14 cycles of EIS data. The trained network has been tested using sample 0# impedance data at 0.1 Hz. All the sample data were collected during exposure to accelerated corrosion environments, and it took the changing rate of impedance of each cycle as an input training sample. Compared with traditional classification, Kohonen artificial network method classifies corrosion process into 5 subprocesses, which is refinement of 3 typical corrosion processes. The 2 newly defined subprocesses of corrosion, namely, premiddle stage and postmiddle stage were introduced. The EIS data and macro‐morphology for both subprocesses were analyzed through accelerated experiments that considered general atmospheric environmental factors such as UV radiation, thermal shock, and salt fog. The classification results of Kohonen artificial network are highly consistent with the predictions based on impedance magnitude at low frequency, which illustrates that the Kohonen network classification is an effective method to predict the failure cycles of polymer coatings.


INTRODUCTION
In this study, we define the characteristics of perfusion computed tomography (CT) in an experimental model of testicular torsion.

METHODS
Twenty male Sprague-Dawley rats were included for the study. Torsion was applied to 10 rats and perfusion CT was performed in the first hour to evaluate the following perfusion parameters: blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV) and time to peak (TTP) values. Detorsion was done for the same rats, and perfusion CT was repeated 2 hours later to evaluate reperfusion. Ten rats were left as part of the control group.

RESULTS
There is significant statistical correlation between the BF and BV values in the torsion and control groups (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). There is no statistical correlation of the TTP parameters between the groups. No correlation was found between torsion and detorsion perfusion parameters.

CONCLUSION
Perfusion CT can demonstrate the testicular perfusion insult in an experimental model of torsion. Perfusion CT may be an alternative method for diagnosis of torsion in indeterminate cases. Following detorsion an interval of 2 hours is not sufficient for demonstrating luxury perfusion of the testis.


ABSTRACT: This article returns to questions involving fundamentalist Mormon polygamy first raised in articles by Martha Bradley and Lori G. Beaman in vol. 8, no. 1 (July 2004) of Nova Religio . While both authors acknowledged the potential for abuses in these communities, Bradley stressed their "effective adaptive strategies" while Beaman concluded that "[f]undamentalist groups, like those in Bountiful [British Columbia], are not perceived as a threat to the Canadian state." In response, this article argues that the fundamentalist Mormon communities of Colorado City and Bountiful have histories of polygamous marriages involving young, often underage teens, and on these grounds alone are maladaptive because they likely commit serious human rights violations against women in general and children in particular.


A new nanostructure, silica-coated Ag nanorods (NRs) aggregate with 4-mercaptobenzoic acid molecules (4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2), was prepared by a seed-mediated growth method and a modified Stober method. In the synthetic process, the optimal 4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2 was obtained by varying conditions such as surfactant concentration and centrifugation cycles. The morphologies and the optical properties of the 4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2 were investigated in detail by transmission electron microscope, UV-Vis spectrometer and Raman spectrometer. The experimental results show that the 4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2 prepared with 0.05 M CTAB has the aggregate morphology of single-crystalline Ag NRs, typical localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) characteristics and a high enhancement factor of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Based on the SERS activity of 4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2 and Ag NRs, an immune probe and an immune substrate immobilized with anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) antibody have been fabricated and used to construct a sandwich structure for a PSA immunoassay; the detection limit of PSA reached 0.3 fg ml−1. It is demonstrated that the as-prepared 4MBA-Ag NRs@SiO2 has great potential in biosensing applications.