Purpose: To compare the effect of an intravitreal injection of triamcinolone acetonide with bevacizumab in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Methods: For this study, the medical records of patients with diabetic macular edema, who received intravitreal triamcinolone injection (IVTA) or intravitreal bevacizumab injection (IVB), were reviewed. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT) and total macular volume (TMV) were evaluated before injection and at 1 week, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, and 6 months after injection. The adverse events, such as increased intraocular pressure, and progression of cataract, were also reviewed. Results: A total of 72 eyes from 72 patients, (IVTA: 40 eyes, IVB: 32 eyes) were included in this study. In the IVTA group, BCVA improved significantly at 1 week after injection and was maintained until 3 months after injection. In the IVB group, BCVA improved significantly at 1 week after injection and was maintained until 2 months after injection. In the IVTA group, CMT and TMV decreased significantly at 1 week after injection and were maintained until 3 months after injection, while in the IVB group CMT and TMV were maintained until 2 months after injection. The IVTA group showed significantly better results in visual improvement, CMT and TMV reduction compared to the results of the IVB group, from 1 month to 3 months after injection. In the IVTA group, intraocular pressure increased to more than 25 mmHg in 12.5% of patients during the follow-up period. Conclusions: While the functional and anatomical improvements are achieved by both IVTA and IVB for diabetic macular edema, the effect of IVTA is more prominent with longer duration than IVB.


This paper describes a natural language processing system developed for the Semantic Network Array Processor (SNAP). The goal of our work is to develop a scalable and high-performance natural language processing system which utilizes the high degree of parallelism provided by the SNAP machine. We have implemented an experimental machine translation system as a central part of a real-time speech-to-speech dialogue translation system. It is a SNAP version of the Φ DMDIAIOG speech-to-speech translation system. Memory-based natural language processing and syntactic constraint network model has been incorporated using parallel marker-passing which is directly supported from hardware level. Experimental results demonstrate that the parsing of a sentence is done in the order of milliseconds.


Experimental investigation was conducted to study the thermal performance and thermal resistance factor of staggered mini-duct heat sinks.With Reynolds number increasing,the performance of both staggered ducts and straight ducts are improved,and the former is more evident and significant.The thermal resistance factor has an exponential relation with Re;and at the same Re,the factor of staggered ducts is about 18% lower than that of straight ducts.The temperature profile of heat sink bottom is distinctly non-uniform,mainly caused by the fluid temperature rise along the flow,and it fluctuates spatially and temporally.The flow in staggered ducts would lose its stability at about Re 700,much lower than normal cases.


The research on free surface flow is of great interest in fluid mechanics, with the primary task being the tracking and description of the motion of free surfaces. The development of numerical simulation techniques has led to the application of new methods in the study of free surface flow problems. One such method is the Neural Particle Method (NPM), a meshless approach for solving incompressible free surface flow. This method is built on a Physics-Informed Neural Network (PINN), which allows for training and solving based solely on initial and boundary conditions. Although the NPM is effective in dealing with free surface flow problems, it faces challenges in simulating more complex scenarios due to the lack of additional surface recognition algorithms. In this paper, we propose an improved Neural Particle Method (INPM) to better simulate complex free surface flow. Our approach involves incorporating alpha-shape technology to track and recognize the fluid boundary, with boundary conditions updated constantly during operation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method through three numerical examples with different boundary conditions. The result shows that: (1) the addition of a surface recognition module allows for the accurate tracking and recognition of the fluid boundary, enabling more precise imposition of boundary conditions in complex situations; (2) INPM can accurately identify the surface and calculate even when particles are unevenly distributed. Compared with traditional meshless methods, INPM offers a better solution for dealing with complex free surface flow problems that involve random particle distribution. Our proposed method can improve the accuracy and stability of numerical simulations for free surface flow problems.


Making proper decisions in today's complex world is a challenging task for decision makers. A promising approach that can support decision makers to have a better understanding of complex systems is agent-based modeling (ABM). ABM has been developing during the last few decades as a methodology with many different applications and has enabled a better description of the dynamics of complex systems. However, the prescriptive facet of these applications is rarely portrayed. Adding a prescriptive decision-making (DM) aspect to ABM can support the decision makers in making better or, in some cases, optimized decisions for the complex problems as well as explaining the investigated phenomena. In this paper, first, the literature of DM with ABM is inquired and classified based on the methods of integration. Performing a scientometric analysis on the relevant literature lets us conclude that the number of publications attempting to integrate DM and ABM has not grown during the last two decades, while analysis of the current methodologies for integrating DM and ABM indicates that they have serious drawbacks. In this regard, a novel nature-inspired model articulation called optimal agent framework (OAF) has been proposed to ameliorate the disadvantages and enhance the realization of proper decisions in ABM at a relatively low computational cost. The framework is examined with the Bass diffusion model. The results of the simulation for the customized model developed by OAF have verified the feasibility of the framework. Moreover, sensitivity analyses on different agent populations, network structures, and marketing strategies have depicted the great potential of OAF to find the optimal strategies in various stochastic and unconventional conditions which have not been addressed prior to the implementation of the framework.


The bases for family change include an economy that provides more work opportunities for women, and a cultural orientation that values equal opportunity and legitimates family models other than the traditional breadwinner model. At the same time, both quantitative and qualitative evidence suggest a prevalent preference for making accommodations for children that include considerable time with children, especially in the infant and toddler years. Thus the average experience is for women to do less and for men to do more paid work in two-parent families that include young children in the home. Our reading of parental preferences suggests an interest in more services for young children in the form of early childhood education and child care, but also interest in policy directions that would allow parents to spend more time with children, in the form of leaves, part-time work with good benefits, and subsidies that supplement market income. These accommodations are often less feasible in lone-parents, and thus child care is a higher priority in these families. We start with the view that earning a living and caring for each other are the core activities that define families as units of material and emotional interdependence. The demographics of child care needs to pay attention to the bases for family change and the alternate ways in which earning and caring occur in families. Earning and caring in the human life course The core activities of production and reproduction need to be placed in the context of the human life course. Kaplan (1997) proposes that there are three unique features of the human life course, and that these features are interrelated: a long period of juvenile dependency, long life expectancy, and menopause. The period of juvenile nutritional dependency is a function not only of the difficulties of earning a living, but also of the necessity to invest in skills for future earning. The long life expectancy allows for these investments to pay off over the life course, and as we have invested in a longer period of juvenile dependency, we have also invested in extending the average length of life. Menopause, with reproduction stopping before death, is also unique to the human species. This allows for greater certainty that parents will be present while the children are dependent. This period of post-reproductive productivity also allows for older generations to be involved in the care of grand-children, that is, children benefit from the survival and post-reproductive productivity not only of their parents but their grand-parents (Lahdenpera et al., 2004; Lee and Kramer, 2002). This suggests that the core earning and caring activities of families, at least for families with young children, typically depend on assistance from a broader social group beyond the immediate parents. It is not just in modern times that parents need help from relatives or the broader society in caring for children. Such is the nature of the human life course.


Conventional computers have been successful for solving many real world problems but the algorithmic requirement limits their usefulness in applications where no exact mathematical relationship between input-output variables can be established. One such problem is the effects of noise pollution on human work efficiency. From the literature survey, it is observed that the human work efficiency depends to a large extent on noise level, type of task, and exposure time. The cause-effect relationships of these parameters are complex and highly non-linear in nature. It is difficult to develop a mathematical model in such situations. Artificial neural network are model-free estimators that do not require articulating a mathematical relationship. They "learn from experience" with numerical data. Hence, an attempt is made in this paper to develop a model for predicting the effects of noise pollution on human work efficiency using neural networks


To the Editor. —The article by Dr Stern and colleagues1reports an important relationship between risk for AD and education, a relationship that came under scrutiny following the report of Zhang et al.2Subsequent reports have suggested a protective role of education, possibly through increased neuronal synapse density.3 For several decades, computational neuroscientists, cognitive psychologists, and computer scientists have incorporated anatomical and physiological data into neural network computer simulations to replicate4and, more recently, to study5,6brain function. In general, neural network development can be separated into three phases (design, training, and testing) with simple models usually constructed with at least three layers: input (I), hidden units (HUs), and output (0). The I layer is equivalent to a sensory system such as vision, while HUs correlate with association cortices. Hidden units are sandwiched between the I and O layers with the I output serving as the


Hyper-Rayleigh scattering has become the technique of choice for the determination of the first hyperpolarizabilities of non-linear optical (NLO) molecules. Moreover, by exploiting the sensitivity of this second-order NLO-technique to molecular and supra-molecular symmetry, this technique was upgraded to a powerful spectroscopic tool. We did this by probing the symmetry of NLO-functionalized dendrimers, measuring the first hyperpolarizability at different generations. These results are compared with measurements on side-chain NLO-functionalized linear co-polymers with different degrees of NLO-functionalized along the polymer backbone. The measurement show, in a unique way at the molecular level, that the dendrimers in solution form globular structures at generations with 32 and 64 end-groups with restricted mobility of the end-groups.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical manifestations, management, prognosis, and risk factors of hyperacute graft versus host disease (hGVHD) after allo-SCT cell transplantation all-SCT.

METHODS
The data of 118 patients aged 2 approximately 52 who underwent 120 times of allo-SCT were analyzed retrospectively.

RESULTS
hGVHD was observed in 17 patients with an incidence rate of 14.17%. The clinical manifestations included gastrointestinal symptoms (13/17), rash (13/17), fever (8/17), and hepatic dysfunction (6/17). Another 12 cases with only one organ injured were included in atypical hGVHD group. The two-year survival rates were 30.50%, 40.00%, and 61.67% in patients with typical hGVHD, patients with atypical hGVHD, and patients without hGVHD respectively. The condition of twenty-five cases with hGVHD improved after treatment with immunosuppressive drugs.

CONCLUSION
hGVHD is a common complication after allo-SCT that affects the prognosis dramatically. The risk factors of hGVHD include HLA mismatching, disease being in progressive stage just before allo-SCT, female in sex, and sex mismatching.


The issue of state-patriotic ideology formation in the post-Soviet space is studied. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the socio-political environment, both in Russia and in Ukraine, associated with the need for consolidation of the society against destructive phenomena of terrorism, loss of moral guidelines and ideological bases.


The utility model discloses an exhaust expansion tank and an ozone generation system applying the same. The exhaust expansion tank comprises a tank body and an automatic exhaust valve, wherein a gas outlet pipeline is arranged at the top of the exhaust expansion tank; the lower end part of the gas outlet pipeline stretches in the tank body and forms a certain distance with the bottom of the tank body; the automatic exhaust valve is fixedly installed on the upper end part of the gas outlet pipeline; and a first water through hole and a second water through hole are formed in the tank body. The ozone generation system applying the exhaust expansion tank disclosed by the utility model is simplified in system structure and has a function of automatically exhausting, thus omitting a manual exhaust step, simplifying the operation procedure, effectively controlling the thermal expansion of the ozone system, and improving the running stability of the system.


This work investigates how an adaptable managed execution environment can be deployed in cloud environments to effectively explore the large amount of resources available in these infrastructures. Cloud infrastructures execute workloads from different tenants supported by a non-trivial virtualization stack, including high level language virtual machines (HLL-VMs), operating system (OS) services and system-level virtual machines (Sys-VMs). Currently, for a generic workload to be deployed in cloud-like infrastructures, it must have to deal with the intricateness of manually managing resources, available over different SysVMs. In this scenario, the allocation of physical resources to both Sys-VMs and HLL-VMs (e.g. overall memory, heap size, CPU cores) and the distribution of execution flows is done in an equal, mostly non-transparent fashion, missing the opportunity to manage the available resources in a more efficient and application-centric way. This document starts by surveying the state of the art of adaptable resource management in virtual machines, framing them into a novel and thorough classification. It then presents and discusses the architecture of the ongoing work on a comprehensive adaptable Java runtime, with its enforcement mechanisms, and an Economics-inspired model to govern resource allocation. Relevant implementation details of the resource management mechanisms on which this model can act are presented, with an increasing level of abstraction: (i) low-level resource management, (ii) state checkpoint for migration and (iii) distribution of execution flows. These enforcement mechanisms were implemented and evaluated, measuring their benefits to the workload execution (i.e. effectiveness in the distribution of resources, total execution time) but also the overhead they add to the baseline execution. Results show the benefits of the proposed approach globally overcome the cost they introduce.


Depositional porosity and permeability distribution in Guadalupian-age grainstone-dominated parasequences of the central Guadalupe Mountains have been moderately to strongly modified by diagenesis. Early diagenetic features in the ramp crest and inner shelf crest can be related to inferred paleohydrology that developed during high-frequency (parasequence-scale) sea-level lowstands. In the San Andres example, leaching of carbonate grains and resulting precipitation of intergranular cement in a meteoric lens beneath an emergent bar crest produced a well-defined, highly porous but relatively low-permeability moldic zone in the thickest part of a grain-dominated parasequence. In the Grayburg example, preferential preservation of intergranular porosity and minor leaching along a paleo-water table produced a thin (less than 30 cm) stratiform zone of higher than average permeability. A zone of preferentially preserved intergranular porosity developed within an inferred meteoric lens beneath an emergent bar crest. Diagenetically influenced lateral and vertical changes in permeability distribution are predicted to be typical of intermittently exposed ramp crest and inner shelf crest environments. These examples demonstrate the efficacy of parasequence-scale mapping of depositional and diagenetic facies for improving prediction of permeability distribution in analogous strata. End_Page 493------------------------


A novel chemistry has been developed for the production of capsules composed of a hydrophobic liquid core surrounded by a cross‐linked polyacrylamide/alginate membrane. These liquid‐core capsules may be used in capsular perstraction for the removal of inhibitory products from bioprocesses and bioconversions. They have the advantage of having a high surface area to promote rapid mass transfer, while separation of the organic core phase from the aqueous environment by the capsule membrane prevents the formation of stable emulsions and potential problems associated with toxicity of the organic phase for microbial cells or enzymes. Monodisperse spherical liquid‐core capsules of between 800 μm and 1.6 mm diameter, with high mechanical resistance, have been prepared by co‐extrusion, using the jet break‐up technique. Capsules produced from a solution of MBA/total monomer (5%) were found to be more elastic and have a higher burst force when exposed to chelating agents such as phosphate or citrate. The mechanical resistance was unaffected by buffer solutions in the pH range 4–9 and after sterilization at 121°C for 20 min. Capsules having membranes composed of a copolymer of acrylamide and N‐hydroxymethylacrylamide exhibited even higher mechanical stability toward chelating agents. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


The article first presents a definition of the environmental management concept, underlining its public and private dimension, and also the relation between those two sectors. Taking the environmental license as an exemple, it raises some problems like the lack of responsability share. A few options of a better integration between the public and the private segments are presented in the condusion, emphasizing the partnership practices.


This paper analyses the dimensions of the support given by Spaniards to the European Union (EU). In order to do this, the main theoretical approaches that exist for explaining European public opinion, which are based on affective, utilitarian and national political factors, have been taken into account. The three theoretical viewpoints are tested, independently and jointly, through various regression analyses in order to find out which are the elements that most influence the Europeanism of Spaniards. Our research shows that the perception of the economic and social benefits that community integration carries with it continues to be the main dimension for explaining the favourable attitudes shown by Spaniards towards the EU. However, affective aspects, such as confidence in European institutions and identification with Europe, are also highly relevant. The political factors are of secondary importance, but it can be seen that satisfaction with the performance of national


Although the spinal cord has a vital role in the function of the central nervous system, there have been relatively few investigations into its biomechanical and physical properties. Therefore, knowledge is comparatively limited in this regard. A definition of the basic physical behavior of the spinal cord and its response to stress provides valuable insight into the pathophysiology and the potential management strategies of its disease states. The spinal cord is a dynamic structure contained within the bony spinal canal, which while rigid, undergoes significant geometric changes with the physiologic movements of flexion, extension, axial rotation, and lateral bending. The unique physical properties of the spinal cord allow it to adapt to the physiologic and anatomic changes in the length and cross-sectional area of the spinal canal, while maintaining neurological function. However, alterations of the spinal canal secondary to trauma, neoplasm, deformity, instability, or the degenerative process can generate stresses on the spinal cord that can lead to pathologic dysfunction. In addition, alterations of the mechanical behavior of the spinal cord, such as that associated with spinal cord tethering, can also generate stresses that produce dysfunction. The onset, duration, and intensity of these stresses define the magnitude and potential reversibility of the spinal cord dysfunction. Within the confines of the bony canal, the spinal cord is invested in the soft-tissue structures of the pia arachnoid and dura mater, and the dentate ligament, epidural fat, and veins. It is bathed in cerebrospinal fluid. These structures also contribute to the biomechanical and physical behavior of the spinal cord.


This paper proposes an offline wavelength assignment technique for de Bruijn (d, k) optical wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks having nodal degree d and diameter k that can support lightpaths between pair of nodes. Each lightpath uses a channel (wavelength) along each link in its route. An efficient algorithm is proposed that can be used to assign wavelengths to lightpath requests in O(k|V|) time, where |V| represents the number of nodes of the de Bruijn network and V represents the set of nodes. The proposed algorithm can be efficiently used for wavelength assignment in de Bruijn WDM networks having limited wavelength conversion capabilities. This work shows that de Bruijn graph can be expressed as union of edge-disjoint rings. Wavelengths are assigned for the individual rings in the graph thus resulting in the assignment for the graph itself. Results are shown for a given de Bruijn graph and for an arbitrary request. The proposed algorithm is compared with two other algorithms, which use two other known works of wavelength assignment on ring topology. Comparisons of the time complexity and the type of wavelength conversion required for these algorithms clearly show that the proposed algorithm is a faster and more efficient way of assigning wavelengths.


Despite increased consumer concern about the privacy threat posed by new technologies and the Internet as a whole, there is relatively little evidence that people's privacy concerns actually translate into privacy-enhancing behaviors while online. One can say that it is not yet well understood how privacy concerns and trust influence social interactions between consumers within social networking sites. That is why, this article presents an exploratory study of perceptions of trust and privacy concern, along with willingness to share information and develop new relationships within two of the most popular social networking sites in Romania, Facebook and LinkedIn. The research shows that organizations must assume greater responsibility in ensuring consumers' safety who sometime neglect protecting their personal information, otherwise confidential. In this respect, the application of ISO 26000 standard recommendations by organizations would allow them to pass from just good intentions towards consumers to good actions, so that they are truly protected. The information was gathered with the help of an online questionnaire, administered to people over 18 years old. It is a very useful and needed tool for Romanian companies, as it presents the users' point of view, allowing them to find the best and most ethical way to do social data mining or use consumers' private information, disclosed on such sites. It is our strong belief that sometimes companies have to play an active part in helping users protect themselves from actually disclosing too much personal information on social networking sites. The paper begins with a summary of relevant research related to social networking sites. Then, the online survey methodology is described and the results presented, followed by limitations and conclusions.


Abstract Although patient engagement in research is gaining acceptance by researchers and funding bodies, descriptions of implementation options and associated outcomes are limited. In this appreciative inquiry of the 12 institutions involved in the Great Plains Collaborative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network (PCORnet), we interviewed patient engagement officers and patient partners to enhance understanding of approaches to organizational structure, research engagement processes, and associated outcomes of the engaged research. Multiple structures have been identified including operational affiliations in both hospital and multiple university departments. Professional affiliations of patient engagement officers vary widely, including nurses, social workers, and public health professionals, among others. Patient engagement processes also vary, but with the majority using forms of advisory boards. All sites reported outcomes of their work including completed and/or ongoing research and co-authored publications.


Chronic pain (that is, pain lasting beyond the usual course of illness or injury, usually longer than 3 to 6 months) is widespread, challenging to treat, and a growing problem (13). Approximately 20% of physician visits and 10% of drug sales are attributed to pain (1, 2). More than 116 million Americans have chronic pain, costing $600 billion annually (1, 3). Chronic pain disproportionately affects economically disadvantaged persons, ethnic minority groups, women, and older adults (2, 4), who have higher rates of chronic pain, greater risk for pain-related disability, and higher rates of major chronic physical and psychological comorbid conditions (1, 58). Standard approaches to chronic pain focus on expensive biomedical interventions and analgesic medications that are fraught with undesirable side effects, as exemplified by the spiraling opioid epidemic. Recently published national clinical practice guidelines stress nonpharmacologic, evidence-based alternatives to pain medications (911). However, many providers are not familiar with such treatments as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and access to CBT is limited, particularly in low-income communities. Although CBT for chronic pain is effective (1214), rigorous trials have not been conducted in populations with low socioeconomic status (1, 2). Pilot research showed that group-administered CBT and pain education (EDU), adapted to reduce cognitive demands, were efficacious in persons with low socioeconomic status who have chronic pain (15). That trial was underpowered to detect differences between treatment groups and lacked a usual care comparison group, precluding evaluation of whether the interventions could augment existing practices (16). The purpose of this study was to compare literacy-adapted CBT, EDU, and usual care for treating chronic pain in a larger sample of patients with chronic pain. We hypothesized that participants randomly assigned to receive CBT or EDU would show greater posttreatment improvements in pain intensity, physical function, and depression than those receiving usual care and that CBT would be superior to EDU and usual care in reducing depression. Because of the highly disadvantaged nature of the population and anticipated difficulty reaching participants for follow-up, we defined posttreatment as our primary end point and did not make hypotheses about maintenance of effects at 6 months. Supplement. Study Protocol Methods Design Overview The LAMP (Learning About My Pain) study was a 3-group, parallel-design (1:1:1 allocation ratio), randomized controlled trial comparing CBT, EDU, and usual care in treating chronic pain (17). Participants were recruited from 12 September 2013 to 1 December 2015, and follow-up visits were completed by 30 September 2016. Although the trial registration was submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov in June 2013, required revisions delayed its final publication. Sixteen of 290 patients (5.5% of the sample) were enrolled before trial registration on 21 October 2013, but no outcome data were collected. Procedures were approved by the University of Alabama Institutional Review Board (IRB); minor protocol changes during the study are described in Appendix Table 1. Informed consent was obtained at enrollment. Appendix Table 1. IRB Modifications Throughout the LAMP Trial Setting and Participants Participants were recruited from 4 clinic sites in 36 separate cohorts at community health centers administered by Whatley Health Services (WHS), a private nonprofit agency in western Alabama that predominantly serves members of ethnic minorities with low socioeconomic status. Two WHS employees served as paid participant coordinators. Together, they recruited and screened potential participants for eligibility, followed all participants (including those in usual care), and facilitated retention. All WHS patients with a chronic painrelated diagnosis were contacted to determine their interest in participating in the study. Eligible persons were at least 19 years of age; had a chronic painrelated diagnosis, with pain most days of the month for at least 3 months; were proficient in English; and provided a means of contact. Exclusion criteria were pain related to cancer, clinically significant cognitive impairment, current self-reported substance abuse, serious uncontrolled mental illness, a reading level below first grade, recent changes in pain or psychotropic medication (in the previous 4 weeks), and current psychosocial treatment for pain (Figure 1). Figure 1. Flow of participants through the trial with usual care, CBT, and EDU. CBT= cognitive behavioral therapy; EDU= pain education. Randomization and Interventions The study statistician used statistical software to generate a random-number table that stratified treatment assignments by site (n= 4, with intentional weighting toward the highest-volume site) and was balanced by treatment group (n= 3). At each site, participants were assigned to cohorts of 7 to 9 persons per group. Cognitive behavioral therapy and EDU were administered in group format by co-therapists. Both interventions were the result of adaptations begun in previous research to simplify treatment procedures and revise patient workbooks to a fifth grade reading level (15, 18). The patient workbooks and therapist supplements are copyrighted but freely available at pmt.ua.edu/publications.html. Each participant received a workbook and weekly audio CD with a summary of that week's material. For the CBT groups, CDs included instructions for skills practice and a relaxation exercise. Participants were compensated $20 per session for travel to the group sessions, with no additional compensation for attendance. CBT: LAMP Group The CBT treatment manual used in this study is standardized and supported by empirical studies (15, 19). Ten weekly 90-minute group sessions provided simplified cognitive behavioral techniques, including motivational reinforcement, pain education, and pain management skills training (such as cognitive restructuring, activity pacing, and relaxation). EDU: LAMP Group Ten weekly 90-minute group sessions provided relevant pain-related information aimed toward pain self-management and group discussion, but no specific skill-building exercises were taught. The EDU program was matched to the CBT intervention with regard to format, discussion, and therapist engagement; it is standardized and supported by empirical research (15, 18, 20). Both Groups All participants received usual medical care, which may have involved any nonpsychological pain management method, including medication, chiropractic, or physical therapy, through WHS or external providers. Those randomly assigned to usual care had parallel contact with participant coordinators and assessors, as well as intermittent phone contact to facilitate retention, but received no psychosocial treatment. Therapists worked in pairs of 1 doctorate-level psychologist and 1 predoctoral clinical psychology trainee (total of 10 therapists: 5 doctoral, 5 predoctoral). Training for the CBT and EDU therapists, as well as supervision of ongoing therapy, was provided by using the standardized CBT and EDU materials. All sessions were video recorded, and a study investigator uninvolved in treatment used a structured scale (21) to evaluate the therapists' adherence to the protocol and the quality of the intervention for 26.7% of the sessions (randomly selected) (Appendix Table 2). Appendix Table 2. Summary of Treatment Integrity Process for the LAMP Protocol* Blinding Study participants and patient coordinators were not blinded to treatment allocation but were unaware of the study hypotheses. Therapists were not blinded to participants' treatment assignment for the groups they led. Study outcomes were collected by blinded, trained assessors. Because the principal investigator supervised the therapists, she was not blinded to participants' assignment status; however, she did not conduct outcome assessments, nor was she one of the medical providers following the patients. Outcomes and Follow-up Assessors conducted face-to-face, 90-minute interviews, presenting assessment materials verbally. Assessment data were collected at baseline (before randomization), 5 weeks after the start of treatment (mid-treatment), at 10 weeks (posttreatment), and 6 months after treatment. Participants were compensated $45 for each assessment. Outcomes were prespecified as primarypain intensity, assessed by using the 4-item Brief Pain InventoryShort Form (BPI-SF) Pain Intensity subscaleand secondaryphysical function, measured by the BPI-SF Pain Interference subscale (22), and depression, measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire9, (PHQ-9) (23). Patient Global Impression of Change (24) was a secondary outcome evaluated in the study but not reported here. At baseline, sociodemographic and pain information was obtained, including self-reported methods to manage pain, and data regarding opioid prescriptions were collected from medical records. Primary literacy also was assessed with the Wide Range Achievement Test 4 Word Reading Subtest (25). Treatment adherence was defined as the number of CBT or EDU group sessions attended, and adequate dosage was defined as attendance at more than 6 sessions. Self-reported adverse events (emergency room visits, hospitalization, suicidal ideation) were queried weekly by therapists for participants in the CBT and EDU groups and by assessors at mid-treatment and posttreatment for all participants (including those receiving usual care). Identified adverse events were documented in compliance with IRB policies, and IRB staff ultimately determined whether each event was related to the study. An external data safety officer monitored all trial safety procedures and events, as did the IRB and principal investigator. Statistical Analysis Sample size was estimated by using the smallest expected between-group effect: the difference between groups across time in dep


The issue of algorithmic fairness has recently come to the forefront of machine learning, as classifiers increasingly propose decision rules in applications ranging from loan approval, criminal risk estimation, and job application review. In particular, the authors in (Dwork et al., 2011) and (Zemel et al., 2013) explore how different social expectations for group and individual fairness manifest as constraints on learned decision rules, and how such formulations suggest an inevitable accuracy/fairness trade-off in classification.


Searching for applications that are highly relevant to development tasks is challenging because the high-level intent reflected in the descriptions of these tasks doesn't usually match the low-level implementation details of applications. In this demo we show a novel code search engine called Exemplar (EXEcutable exaMPLes ARchive) to bridge this mismatch. Exemplar takes natural-language query that contains high-level concepts (e.g., MIME, data sets) as input, then uses information retrieval and program analysis techniques to retrieve applications that implement these concepts.


Abstract : The improvement in performance of a digital communications receiver preceded by an adaptive filter using the soft-constraint Least Mean Square algorithm is found. This algorithm has previously only been used in conjunction with adaptive antenna arrays. The fundamentals of adaptive filters and the spread spectrum technique are presented. A computer model is developed which simulated a 19 tap adaptive filter and spread spectrum receiver combination in the baseband region. The filter is shown to adapt well to hopping jammers and dual jammers. Plots of the filter's transfer function show notch depths ranging from -34 dB to -77 dB over iterations ranging from 15 to 5000 for the case of a 20 db sinusoid jammer. The improvement gained by adjusting the softness of the constraints is presented. The computer program and recommendation for further study are included as well as a 44 item bibliography. Originator-supplied keywords include: Soft-constraint LMS algorithm, LMS algorithm, Digital communication, Adaptive filters, and Spread spectrum.


The purpose of this study is to develop a sanitary aquarium for the safety slices of raw fish by using U.V. light. Water re-circulating system was composed of two tanks. One of the tanks was used for rearing fish and the other with 37 pieces of corrugated plastic plates was used for the growth of Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter to remove ammonia from the water. Consequently, bactericidal effects of U.V. light were examined under the controlled condition of water with flow rate 730m1/sec (water flow thickness: 10mm), the width 41cm of water flow route, and the distance 4.75cm from the lamp to its water bottom, and U.V. light 75W (5 lamps). The water of the aquarium tank will be theroetically circulated 1 cycle per 18 min. In these conditions the bactericidal effect was just after passing through U,V. light and 3 log cycle in aquarium tank water. The count of Vibrio parahaemolyticus just after irradiation was decreased by about over than 3 log cycle. Under the irradiation for 72 hours, viable cell counts in both skin and gill of fish reared were decreased into about 2 log cycle, but there was no significant decrease in viscera. When the temperature of the tank was controlled at about under the same condition, viable cell counts were reduced about 2 log cycle, and fecal coliforms were reduced about 1 log rycle and 3 log cycle in Crassostrea gigas and Mytilus edulis, respectively.


Considering extensive applications of multilayer spiral-wound heat exchangers (SWHEs) in industry but insufficient focus on shell-side fluid in SWHEs, an experimental investigation on flow and heat transfer performances in the shell-side of a self-manufacturing SWHE with 3 layers of coil inside the cylinder shell is carried out. Numerical simulation using constant heat flux boundary condition is also performed. The flow and heat transfer characteristics on the shell-side of the multilayer SWHE are obtained, and then relevant empirical correlations of 0.816 0.0193 / Nu 5H and 0.197 s 0.401/ f 5H are achieved. The results from CFD method gives visualization of flow and heat field of shell-side in the 3-layer SWHE and provides a reasonable estimation of flow and heat transfer performance.


Drunk driving and competitive driving with vile pursuit have been identified as dangerous driving charge in "Criminal Law Amendment(8)",and will be regulated through criminal law.The implementation of this bill has brought good social effect.The article analyzes the behavior pattern of dangerous driving and discriminates it from related charges.


WHEN THE CARTER administration first took office the reaction of official Taipei seemed to be one of cautious optimism. The architects of the U.S. rapprochement with the People's Republic of China (PRC) had been banished to the political wilderness and the advocates of detente put on the defense domestically. Both of the major parties and their presidential candidates had put themselves on the record during the campaign as opposed to the normalization of U.S.PRC relations on terms which would "sacrifice" or "abandon" Taiwan. Further, Carter's stress on morality as a base of U.S. foreign policy seemed in some ways to be a return to the pre-Nixon era of an ideologically based anticommunist line. During its first few months the Carter administration did not clarify its policy towards China-Taiwan and the Mainland. The President's May 12 press conference gave Taipei hope when Carter strongly implied that he did not see the completion of U.S.-PRC normalization coming about in the near future.' During June, however, the U.S. government began formulating a position which would, in essence, have involved a U.S. acceptance of the PRC's three standing demands regarding Taiwan in exchange for some sort of PRC promise not to


ABSTRACT Climate change has the potential to trigger social change. As a first step towards understanding mechanisms determining the vulnerability of animal societies to rising temperatures, we investigated interactions between social rank and thermoregulation in three arid-zone bird species: fawn-coloured lark (Mirafra africanoides, territorial); African red-eyed bulbul (Pycnonotus nigricans, loosely social) and sociable weaver (Philetairus socius, complex cooperative societies). We assessed relationships between body temperature (Tb), air temperature (Ta) and social rank in captive groups in the Kalahari Desert. Socially dominant weavers and bulbuls had lower mean Tb than subordinate conspecifics, and dominant individuals of all species maintained more stable Tb as Ta increased. Dominant bulbuls and larks tended to monopolise available shade, but dominant weavers did not. Nevertheless, dominant weavers thermoregulated more precisely, despite expending no more behavioural effort on thermoregulation than subordinates. Increasingly unequal risks associated with heat stress may have implications for the stability of animal societies in warmer climates. Summary: Socially dominant birds thermoregulate more precisely than subordinates, maintaining wider thermal safety margins. Higher vulnerability of subordinates to heat stress could have implications for social-group dynamics under climate change.


Abstract:This essay argues that the early modern fascination with the sleeping body—a fascination attested to in the many accounts of extraordinary sleeping in the period—is tied to anxieties about social and political transformation, namely, the transformation of sovereign rule to secular liberalism. Sleeper narratives share formal similarities with visionary literature and medical case histories, but they cannot be reduced to either: the uncanny presence of the sleeping body at the center of these strange texts engages key biopolitical discourses by challenging the philosophical hegemony of consciousness and the political imbrication of identity, labor, and property. After linking the extraordinary sleeper genre to the problem of "soul sleep" in both theological and epistemological contexts, this essay works through the specifically biopolitical dimension of these texts by examining the changing conceptions of life and subjectivity at this crucial juncture. Finally, this essay shows how the unsettling attempt to employ torture in order to awaken the comatose sleeper, represented frequently in the archive, is an explicit form of biopolitical violence that bespeaks a particular concept of liberal agency. The essay concludes by comparing the way pain empathy works in sleeper narratives to the deployment of sentimental affect in the eighteenth-century novel.


We explore the connection between dust and star formation, in the context of environmental effects on galaxy evolution. In particular, we exploit the susceptibility of dust to external processes to assess the influence of dense environment on star-forming galaxies. We have selected cluster Abell 1758 from the Local Cluster Substructure Survey (LoCuSS). Its complex dynamical state is an ideal test-bench to track dust removal and destruction in galaxies due to merger and accretion shocks. We present a systematic panchromatic study (from 0.15 $\rm \mu$m with GALEX to 500 $\rm \mu$m with Herschel) of spectroscopically confirmed star-forming cluster galaxies at intermediate redshift. We observe that the main subclusters (A1758N and A1758S) belong to two separate large-scale structures, with no overlapping galaxy members. Star-forming cluster members are distributed preferentially outside cluster central regions, and are not grouped in substructures. Rather, these galaxies are being funneled towards the main subclusters along separate accretion filaments. Additionally, we present the first study of dust-to-stellar (DTS) mass ratio used as indicator for local environmental influence on galaxy evolution. Star-forming cluster members show lower mean values (32% at 2.4$\rm \sigma$) of DTS mass ratio and lower levels of infrared emission from birth clouds with respect to coeval star-forming field galaxies. This picture is consistent with the majority of star-forming cluster members infalling in isolation. Upon accretion, star-formation is observed to decrease and warm dust is destroyed due to heating from the intracluster medium radiation, ram-pressure stripping and merger shocks.


Though sovereign debts are often viewed as risk-free assets, some extreme events may lead to the repudiation of these debts. A large literature has been devoted to the motivations of repayment and to the causes of default. The impact of wars, which may lead to the repudiation of sovereign debt, on sovereign bond prices has also been analyzed. However, the impact of other types of seldom occurring but dramatic events, which may lead to the repudiation of debts, on bond prices has been overlooked. My current research aims to analyze three of them: the repudiation of debts because of their alleged "odiousness", the introduction of common debt after a state's unification and the debt partition following the break-up of a country. Since the events under consideration don't happen frequently, the dissertation will rely on four historical examples: Cuba, Russia, Italy and Belgium. The time period considered is the 19th century. Based on a historical analysis and the set-up of an original database, this project determines the effects of these events on sovereign debt valorization, using an econometric approach. The first part of the research estimates the risk premium required by investors to hold debts which could be denounced as odious. Bondholders could require a premium to compensate for the higher default risk due to the odious character of the debts. The paper quantifies the risk premium required by investors to hold debts which could be denounced as odious and it analyses the relation between the value of the government bond and extreme "odious debt" events. In order to identify if such a premium exists, I focus on a Cuban case study. Based on an original database of Cuban bonds, the paper reveals the existence of a risk premium of at least 200 basis points which penalises bonds issued by dictatorial regimes. The bond market "odious" shocks are provided by a Structural VAR analysis. In a second case study, my research analyses the Tsarist bonds of 1906 and the premium to hold despotic regime debt. The paper shows that the market required a premium despite the attempts made by the Russian government to present the loan as clean. The second and third parts of my research look at the effects of state succession on the sovereign bonds market. They analyze respectively the two subsets of state succession: state unification and "country break-up". The second part of the dissertation provides an empirical study of sovereign debt integration and analyses the evolution of sovereign bond prices when several countries merge to become a "unified country" or when the probability of such an event exists. Based on an original database made of pre-unification and post-unification Italian bonds, the paper shows the impact of Italy's unification on the bonds. The analysis puts forward that prior to the unification in 1862, the bonds issued by the future parts of the kingdom reacted in an idiosyncratic way. Around the sovereign debt integration, the paper highlights a large risk increase for low-yield bonds. Using a break point analysis and a Dynamic Factor Model, the paper proves that until the late 1860's the financial market did not believe in Italy's Unification. The third part of my research analyzes the financial impact on state bonds of a country which faces a risk to break up. This paper provides an empirical analysis of the evolution of sovereign debt prices when a state breaks up, or when it faces such an event. Based on an original database of Dutch and Belgian bonds, this research shows the impact of Belgian independence in 1830 on the Belgium bonds. This article analyses two risk premiums which may affect the sovereign debt of a state: the first one is linked to the country break-up (or the probability that one may occur) and the second one is due to the instability experienced by the new country. This analysis puts forward a "country break-up" risk premium of 142 basis points. The role of the debt underwriter has also been highlighted in the case of Belgian independence. Financial markets required no "new country" risk premium for Belgian bonds which were underwritten by Rothschild, but the risk premium remained for the Belgian authorities. This was likely due to the role of Rothschild as underwriter whose reputation persuaded the market that the risk is low, but who charged a premium to the Belgian government for their services.


So it's perplexing to witness the situation happening currently in my home state of Western Australia, where the state government, led by Premier Colin Barnett, is implementing a policy of deploying baited drum lines 1km offshore from popular beaches with the aim of catching and killing large sharks, some of which are endangered species. This action is in response to an increase in the number of shark attacks on humans recently, and particularly seven fatalities in the last 3 years. While the prospect of being eaten by a very large fish with lots of sharp teeth is undoubtedly scary, and everyone sympathises with victims and their relatives, there is now a major grass-roots protest movement underway aimed at forcing the government to give up the baiting program.


The author argues that the relationship between climate change and the deaths in Darfur is less direct than some accounts suggest. While 'ontological vulnerability' theory is not without promise for understanding the relationship between climate change and its effects on human populations, the theory requires supplementation with the kind of empirical work reflected in vulnerability and adaptation science. The author suggests that existing international legal arrangements offer a well-established, accepted and universal normative, theoretical and practical framework to help understand and address the relationship between climate change and human well-being in general and between climate change and the outbreak of ethnic armed conflict in particular.


2510Background: BDs are protein domains that bind to acetylated histone tails, leading to upregulation of target genes driving oncogenesis. Inhibition of the BET family prevents assembly of the macromolecular complex and its transcriptional response. ABBV-075 is a pan-BET inhibitor that induces death in cell lines and tumor growth inhibition in xenograft models. This first-in-human, phase 1, two-part study (NCT02391480) assessed the safety and pharmacokinetics of ABBV-075 in pts with advanced tumors. Results from the dose escalation part in pts with solid tumors are reported. Methods: The dose escalation part of this open-label study enrolled adult pts with R/R solid tumors in a 3+3 fashion. Endpoints included maximum tolerated dose, recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) at different ABBV-075 dosing schedules (daily, Monday/Wednesday/Friday [MWF], or 4 days on/3 off [4/7]), safety and preliminary efficacy. Results: As of Dec 2017, 72 pts with solid tumors enrolled in the dose escalation cohort. Most common tumo...


Using a simulated telephone conversation task, we elicited sarcastic production in different utterance types (i.e. declaratives, tag questions and wh-exclamatives from native speakers of the southern variety of British English. Unlike previous studies which focus on static prosodic measurements at the utterance level (e.g. mean pitch, pitch span, intensity), we examined both static prosodic measurements and continuous changes in contour shape in the semantically most important words (or key words) of the sarcastic utterances and their counterparts in the sincere utterances. To this end, we adopted Functional Data Analysis to model pitch variation as contours and represent the contours as continuous function in statistical analysis. We found that sarcasm and sincerity are prosodically distinguishable in the key words alone. The key words in sarcastic utterances are realised with a longer duration and a flatter fall than their counterparts in sincere utterances regardless of utterance type and speaker gender. These results are compatible with previous reports on the use of a smaller pitch span and a slower speech rate in sarcastic utterances than in sincere utterances in North American English. We also observed notable differences in the use of minimum pitch, maximum pitch and contour shape in different utterance types and in the use of mean pitch and duration by male and female speakers. Additionally, we found that the prosody of the key words in sarcastic utterances and their counterparts in sincere utterances has yielded useful predictors for the presence (or absence) of sarcasm in an utterance. Together, our results lend direct support to a key-word–based approach. However, the prosodic predictors included in our analysis alone can achieve only an accuracy of 70.4%, suggesting a need to examine additional prosodic parameters and prosody beyond the key words.


Houses in rural areas of India are examples of indigenous planning and construction techniques, which had evolved from time to time. Architecture is understood to be a result of informed decisions taken by the people based on beliefs, geography, geology and climate. Thus, residential dwellings of rural areas are a result of time-tested beliefs, climate, locally available building materials and socio-economic aspects of the respective regions. Vernacular architecture of a place is informed by the culture, micro-climate, building materials used and building techniques of the time and place. However, the present trends of globalization and industrialization have led to changes in various aspects like availability of building materials, urge to tide along with modern building styles as well as construction techniques, lack of skilled human resources who can execute old construction methods using old materials, finishes etc. The reasons for transformation may change from place to place and from one case to the other, which show that it's the outcome of need based response(s) to the prevailing means and changing needs of people of a place. The users may or may not be in favour of transformations but the physical fact is that transformations take place in vernacular houses. In this situation, it is pertinent and rational to assess the acceptance level of people towards vernacular houses. The purpose of this paper is to present the causes of transformations of vernacular houses in a selected village of coastal Andhra Pradesh state of India, understand the acceptance level of people towards vernacular houses and conduct analytical tests to assess the acceptance of vernacular houses by people in an appropriate perspective..There exists an element of applied research as the employed method but the study has more to do with a combination of diagnostic study' and exploratory research methods. The study concludes that people are not happy about the transformations and there is an attachment for the vernacular houses.


Reliable and safe operation of electric motors in the industry is highly desirable. Accurate modelling is the first step in developing a diagnostic tool for different types of failures. This study presents a generalised dq
-model for interior-mount line start permanent magnet synchronous motors under asymmetrical stator phase's windings. The presented dq
-model has been derived using winding theorem. Implementation and simulation of the derived dq
-model has been done using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. For validation purposes, interior-mount line start permanent magnet synchronous motor (LSPMSM) under this fault condition is implemented using the JMAG
 TM
-finite-element-based software. The performance of a 1-hp interior-mount LSPMSM motor under different loading levels and stator winding asymmetric conditions has been investigated using the simulated MATLAB and JMAG models. Simulation results of MATLAB and JMAG are in very good agreement and show that under asymmetrical stator winding condition, oscillations are obvious in the torque characteristics of the motor. In addition, the torque experience high oscillations at a steady state due to the asymmetry between stator phases. Finally, investigating torque frequency spectrum showed that they can be good signatures in diagnosing asymmetrical stator winding faults in interior-mount LSPMSM.


From the result of laboratory experiment, in a compound meandering channel, we suggested the possibility of inner bank erosion due to channel plan shape and flood scale (relative depth ratio, duration). Actually, we received report of inner bank erosion in natural river flood.In this reseach, bed topography of inner bank of main channel in meandering compound river was studied. For the investigation, at first we bored some circular holes on inner bed, and then filled by painted soil of different color in six layers. We measured maximum depth of erosion at inner bed by the indication of colored sediment after the flood. It was observed from the investigation that the erosion occured at inner bed for long period and large scale flood.


Proteins are essential in all living organisms. They are involved in various critical activities and are also structural components of cells and tissues. Lactose permease a membrane protein has bec ...


The Chinese government has already proposed to build a nature protected area system composed mainly of national parks and encourages the development of concession operations in national parks. The establishment of a long-term ecological compensation mechanism under the concession mode is of great significance to promoting the harmonious development of man and nature in national parks. This paper selects the Pilot Programs for Shennongjia National Park System (PPSNPS) as the research area and constructs a long-term ecological compensation mechanism under the concession model of tourism back-feeding communities in PPSNPS. Through the questionnaire survey (516 valid questionnaires in 2018), based on the Travel Cost Interval Analysis (TCIA) and Contingent Valuation Method (CVM), the landscape value of the study area is monetized. Combined with the investment cost of concession enterprises, we construct the quantitative distribution ratio of the ecological compensation standard and get the amount of ecological compensation. On this basis, a long-term ecological compensation scheme is constructed. This specific scheme content is as below: on the one hand, Shennongjia National Park Administration (SNPA) is the beneficiary of ecological compensation, and the Shennong Tourism Investment Group Co, Ltd. (STIC) is the provider of ecological compensation; on the other hand, the travel tickets income is the only source of ecological compensation funds (back-feeding funds). Specifically, the landscape value of PPSNPS in 2018 was 604,230.3 × 104 yuan, the input cost of STIC was 140,696 × 104 yuan, the income after deducting tax from tourism tickets was 15,200 × 104 yuan, and the distribution ratio of back-feeding funds is 1:4.29 with the back-feeding funds provided to SNPA from STIC of 12,326.65 × 104 yuan. Through this paper, we know that landscape value monetization can provide ideas for quantitative accounting of the ecological compensation standard for national park tourism concession. In the future, this subject needs more theoretical and practical research on multiple long-term ecological compensation mechanisms.


At 10.17pm on the evening of 12 July 1993, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.8 occurred in the Sea of Japan off the south west coast of Hokkaido, the most northerly of the main Japanese Islands. The earthquake was located at a depth of 10 to 15 km with its epicentre about 55 km from the west coast of Hokkaido, and some 75 km north of the small offshore island of Okushiri. Indications are that the fault ruptured southwards, passing close to the west of Okushiri Island. Sea depth in the epicentral area is about 3,500 m. The location of the epicentre is shown in Figure 1.


The purpose of this paper is to assist the Get Away Special (GAS) experimenter in conducting a thorough structural verification of its experiment structural configuration, thus expediting the structural review/approval process and the safety process in general. Material selection for structural subsystems will be covered with an emphasis on fasteners (GSFC fastener integrity requirements) and primary support structures (Stress Corrosion Cracking requirements and National Space Transportation System (NSTS) requirements). Different approaches to structural verifications (tests and analyses) will be outlined especially those stemming from lessons learned on load and fundamental frequency verification. In addition, fracture control will be covered for those payloads that utilize a door assembly or modify the containment provided by the standard GAS Experiment Mounting Plate (EMP). Structural hazard assessment and the preparation of structural hazard reports will be reviewed to form a summation of structural safety issues for inclusion in the safety data package.


Decline in cognitive function in late midlife is indicative of dementia. Identifying early markers in this key phase is critical for identifying those at risk and guiding effective interventional strategies. As blood metabolites closely reflect the physiological status of an individual, they show promise as minimally invasive markers for population‐level implementation. Using the MRC 1946 British Birth Cohort, we aim to: 1) Identify blood metabolites associated with early cognitive changes relevant to dementia 2) Tease apart mediating life course factors to address key aetiological questions 3) Employ a network approach, weighted coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), to glean insights into underlying biology.


This paper brings together some central elements both of labour contract theory and so-called insider-outsider theory. We study labour contracts with two generations of workers where there is a ban on differentiating wages between otherwise homogenous workers of different seniority. Two basic results emerge: First, there might be a region where wages fall as the state improves. Crudely put, this originates from the old workers being reluctant to share with newentrants the insurance indemnities which in some states constitute a part of the wage. Moreover, even if we assume the old workers to be ex post immohile (as in the original implicit labour contract theory), we get a contract structure of the same form as if we had assumed them to be ex post mobile. Again crudely put: Newentrants are by necessity ex post mobile. If we tie the wages of old and new workers to each other, we will then, when any newentrants are hired, get a situation as if all workers were mobile. Hy conclusion is that within this framework the scope for the firm acting as an insurer of labour income is much narrower than in standard contract theory.


Dermoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic technique for the in vivo observation of pigmented skin lesions, allowing a better visualization of surface and subsurface structures. This diagnostic tool permits the recognition of morphologic structures not visible to the naked eye, thus opening a new dimension of clinical morphology by linking classical dermatology closer to cutaneous pathology. The recent history of dermoscopy starts in 1987 with the first publication of a new approach, called pattern analysis, for the diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions. In a recent systematic review dermoscopy has been reported to allow 10 to 27% higher sensitivity in diagnosing melanoma when compared to clinical diagnosis by the naked eye. However, it has been shown clearly that when using dermoscopy clinicians may improve their diagnostic performance only if trained formally. Subsequently, new diagnostic algorithms have been elaborated, the ABCD rule of dermatoscopy and the 7-point checklist, to name but two, with the aim to increase sensitivity in detecting cutaneous melanoma. A growing number of dermatologists are already equipped with digital systems, which can be handled easily requiring only some technical skills. The great advantage of these digital systems is the smooth storage and retrieval of images for follow-up examinations, which is particularly important for the management of patients with numerous Clark Nevi (also called dysplastic nevi). An even newer diagnostic approach, especially in communities where dermatologists are not available, is teledermoscopy that permits to send clinical as well as dermoscopic images of pigmented skin lesions for consultation using telematic networks. In our estimation, teledermoscopy may contribute significantly to reduce waiting time and workload in dermatologic clinics, spare the patients unnecessary distress, and ultimately save public money whilst providing a faster, reliable and more efficient service. The ultimate approach, however, is the automated diagnosis or more elegantly named computer-assisted or computer-aided diagnosis of a given pigmented skin lesion in order to obtain an unbiased and reproducible diagnosis. The future will show whether or not this fiction becomes reality.


Objectives: To compare the efficacy of silodosin (8 mg) vs tamsulosin (0.4 mg), as a medical expulsive therapy (MET), in the management of distal ureteric Calculi (DUC) in terms of stone clearance rate and stone expulsion time. Patients and Methods: A prospective randomised study was conducted on 130 patients, aged more than 18 years, who had unilateral DUS less than 1 cm. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A received silodosin (8 mg) and Group B received tamsulosin (0.4 mg) daily for 1 month. The patients were followed-up by urine analysis & serum creatinine. Kidney ureter bladder x-ray (KUB) (for detection of the stone size and site), Pelvi-abdominal ultrasound (U/S) (for diagnosis & monitoring of the degree of hydronephrosis), Non contrast spiral CT abdomen & pelvis (NCCT): for detection of site, size and density of the stone and detection of degree of hydronephrosis. Results: There was a significantly higher stone clearance rate of 88.3% in Group A vs 68.3% in Group B. Group also showed a significant advantage for stone expulsion time but as regard analgesic use no significant difference between both groups. Original Research Article El Sharaby et al.; AJRRU, 4(1): 20-29, 2021; Article no.AJRRU.64970 21 No severe complications were recorded during the treatment period. An ejaculation was recorded in 8 and 1 patients in Groups A and B, respectively. However, complication as headache hypotension are more common in group B, 4: 13 in group A and group B respectively. Conclusion: Our data showed that silodosin is more effective than tamsulosin in the management of DUC for stone clearance rates and stone expulsion times. A multicenter study on larger scale is needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of silodosin.


In Chinese Language teaching,to teach the students about the writing-style is of promineuce whether in Spoken language or written language,Whether reading or writing Writing-sStyle teaching plays an important part in Compiling language moterials or improving teaching methods.


This article discusses the historical development of Imami usul al-fiqh and the major themes that make Shi'i usul a distinctive system of jurisprudence within the broader history of usul al-fiqh. After reviewing the history of Shi'i usul and its early emergence from the time of al-Shaykh al-Tusi (d.460/1067) to the present, the article considers the reaction to the dominance of the model of usul al-fiqh which was initiated by al-'Allama al-Hilli and summarised by Hasan b. Zayn al-Din. In particular, it looks at Muhammad Amin al-Astarabadi's work called al-Fawa'id al-Madaniyya. It also examines the influence of Akhbarism on the development of Imami Shi'i legal theory and how its impetus has transformed into movements within Usulism. Finally, it explores the role played by Al-Shaykh Murtada al-Ansari as the founder of the contemporary school of Imami jurisprudence.


ABSTRACT Sea turtles harbour epizoic diatoms of which several taxa are considered exclusively epizoic and possible 'commensals'. The epizoic diatom communities were examined from 124 individuals representing four turtle species (Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, Lepidochelys olivacea and Dermochelys coriacea), from three well-defined areas: Eastern Caribbean, Equatorial West Atlantic and South Pacific. Overall, the epizoic diatoms are very small and need electron microscopy to be accurately identified. Non-Metric MultiDimensional Scaling analyses permitted us to evaluate these diatom assemblages according to turtle species and biogeography. Differentiation was mainly driven by 14 taxa in the diatom genera Chelonicola, Tripterion, Tursiocola, Olifantiella, Navicula and Achnanthes. The highest diatom species richness was found associated with E. imbricata. Dermochelys coriacea and L. olivacea exhibit lower diatom diversities. Some difference in colonization was detected between C. mydas adults and juveniles at the same site, with higher diatom diversity for the juveniles. Within C. mydas we show geographic differentiation of their diatom assemblages, particularly between populations of the Equatorial West Atlantic and South Pacific. Two Tursiocola species 'commensal' to C. mydas seemed to be geographically restricted to French Guiana and the Caribbean. Dermochelys coriacea has a diatom assemblage very different from those of the three other turtles, probably due to its particular behaviour. Lepidochelys olivacea is also unique in the complete lack of Chelonicola species. Based on our results, the diatoms Tripterion societatis and Chelonicola spp. (as currently defined) appear to be mutually exclusive on turtle hosts. This study adds significantly to our understanding of the global distribution of epizoic diatoms on sea turtles. We discuss to what extent these diatoms can be used as a geographic marker with regard to the biogeography of the diatoms themselves and their host.


The effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on the relationship between leaf photosynthesis, biomass and nutrient concentrations were investigated in Cassiope tetragona, Dryas octopetala and Salix polaris at Ny Alesund, Svalbard (79 o N). Cassiope, an evergreen, had the greatest leaf biomass and specific leaf weight but the lowest nutrient concentrations, rates of photosynthesis and photosynthetic nutrient-use efficiencies. In contrast Salix, a deciduous shrub, had the lowest leaf biomass and specific leaf weight but the highest nutrient concentrations, rates of photosynthesis and photosynthetic nutrient-use efficiencies (...)


. The current worldwide increasing trend in urbanisation is aggravating urban traffic congestion's social, economic, and health burdens. The introduction of new means of transport, such as Connected Autonomous Vehicles, and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, is enabling a paradigm shift in urban traffic management and control from existing reactive to proactive traffic control: proactive control paradigms can preemptively address issues, mitigating the negative impact on mobility. In this paper we provide an overview of the work done in the area by the Huddersfield AI for Urban Traffic Management and Control research team.


How to proceed with the extensive reading course in the classroom is a long-standing controversy. This thesis aims to make a critical review of the teaching models adopted in English extensive reading classrooms both at home and abroad ,so as to clarify the status quo of the research on the ER teaching models and reveal the gaps and problems in the research. The ultimate purpose is to lay a solid literature foundation for our later establishment of an Interactive ER Teaching Model based on topic and reading skill.


Thank you for reading blasted allegories an anthology of writings by contemporary artists. As you may know, people have search numerous times for their favorite novels like this blasted allegories an anthology of writings by contemporary artists, but end up in malicious downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of tea in the afternoon, instead they juggled with some malicious virus inside their laptop.


AbstractThis paper presents an effective approach for calibrating an extended period simulation (EPS) model of water distribution system. By using the benchmark model calibration problem, set up for Battle of Water Calibration Networks (BWCN), the EPS model calibration is solved in a progressive manner, optimizing model parameters and engineering judgments. The model calibration approach consists of multiple steps, including: (1) constructing the initial EPS model with the given system and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, (2) calibrating pipe properties and pump curves for static and fire flow test data, and (3) calibrating EPS model demands and controls for given SCADA data over 167 h. The calibration was iteratively conducted per district meter area (DMA) and then fine-tuned for the whole system. Although the field data contained some noise, good model calibration was achieved for BWCN. By using the practically measurable hydraulic attributes of pump flows, pressures, and tank leve...


Abstract For genetic evaluation of dairy cattle, contemporary group sizes are often small, and information is lost when contemporary groups are treated as fixed. Treating contemporary groups as random recovers some information across contemporary groups but may cause bias in prediction of breeding values if a nonrandom association exists between sires and contemporary groups. Results from a recent study indicated that treating contemporary groups as random gave consistently higher correlations between true and predicted breeding values, in particular when a positive association existed between contemporary group and sire effects. The present study shows that those results cannot be generalized based on correlations between true and predicted breeding values and on biases in breeding values for random and nonrandom association between sires and contemporary groups. For nonrandom association, the 50% best sires were assumed to be associated with half of the contemporary groups. If the best sires were used in the best contemporary groups, accuracies were higher when contemporary groups were treated as random effects (called the random model) than when contemporary groups were treated as fixed effects (fixed model) because of a reduced bias and a larger number of effective progeny. However, if the best sires were only represented in the worst contemporary groups, the correlation between true and predicted breeding values for the random model could become negative. If a nonrandom association exists between sires and contemporary groups, the groups should be treated as fixed effects for practical genetic evaluations.


access and manipulative facility for removal, and for treating the complications in every case. The Incision.?The situation of the incision is constant, but the length can be modified to the requirements of the case. If the viscus is enlarged in its transverse diameter the incision will be carried nearer the middle line; if in its vertical axis, probably a little extension towards the loin will be necessary. At a distance of 2 ins. below the left costal margin the incision runs parallel to it from a point 1 in. or less from the


Bi2S3/Bi and Bi2Te3/Bi core–shell nanorods were successfully synthesized by a hydrothermal method using Bi2S3 nanorods as the template. The thickness of the Bi shell was controlled by varying the reaction time or the Bi2S3-to-Te ratio. Phase-pure Bi and Bi2Te3 nanorods were also obtained by this synthetic approach. The formation of Bi2S3/Bi and Bi2Te3/Bi core–shell nanorods can be separated into two different processes. One is the reduction of Bi2S3 nanorods by hydrazine. The other is the formation of Bi2Te3 through the exchange of Te2– and S2– and the subsequent reaction of Bi with Te. The formation mechanisms for the core–shell nanorods are discussed in detail.


The sculpture freehand and painting freehand all belong to the traditional Chinese arts and culture;they share many similarities,but also have their own characteristics.In this paper,sculpture freehand and painting freehand's characteristics to carry out a comparative study has certain reference value.


The case study could be best categorized as reform related to the decentralization and administration of the Extension Services, as part of overall reform of the Ministry of Food Production, Marine Exploitation, Forestry and the Environment (MPMEFE) in Trinidad. However, there was more to it than bringing the services closer to the farming community. It was also meant to strengthen the linkages among the various arms of the Ministry and provide a mechanism for delivering services in an integrated way to farmers and the public. The reform was conceived as part of an overall effort to place the farmer as the focal point of the Ministry's services and therefore, it was associated with proposals for advisory committees, management councils and the like. The Government, and the Minister of Food Production at the time placed strong emphasis on people's participation in development planning, and this was a strong element in the approach. Perhaps for the first time it was so forcefully and explicitly incorporated in policy statements in agriculture. The initiative for decentralization came from central government and not really from explicit demands from the public.


We have had to contend with the problem of vaginitis, just as so many others have had to do in similar institutions. It is not my intention to write a review of the trials and tribulations encountered during the five years since we have been housed in modern buildings and have made every effort to combat this insidious disease. As we have profited in some respects by experience, however, it seemed as if it might be of value to those who are actively interested in this problem to communicate briefly some of the lessons learned during this period. Our endeavors have been directed in various directions: in preventing the admission of infected infants, in attempting in many different ways to avoid a spread of infection, in diagnosing cases at the earliest possible moment, and, finally, in resorting to every means to effect a cure. It should be realized at the


This paper illustrates the many changes, that a hydro project goes through as the plant is being designed. All of the changes have resulted in lower or equivalent costs in comparison to the original budget. The project is now in construction and suspect that a few more changes will evolve during this stage as well.


Athenian democracy is rightly recognized for its extensive network of accountability institutions. This essay focuses instead on popular unaccountability in democratic Athens: ordinary citizens participating but not speaking in the Courts and the Assembly were unaccountable. I explore possible justifications of popular unaccountability, including arguments from democratic sovereignty and epistemic arguments, and stress the importance of a third strand: the identification of jurors and assemblymen with deservedly unaccountable, because comparatively weak and powerless, idiōtai (private citizens), whose political activity failed to reach a level requiring intense scrutiny and control. Nonetheless, such a justification was always tenuous in light of the power jurors and assemblymen collectively wielded in the city. As I show through a reading of Aristophanes's Wasps, it was always possible to destabilize the juror idiōtēs identity and replace it with a much more troubling image: the identification of the juror with the dangerously unaccountable tyrant.


In this article,authors introduce performances,features and preparation methods of DZ series admixtures for preparing low-temperature high-early-strength high performance concrete and its application in construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway.


The study of "Keriyan" living in the center of the Taklamakan desert of Xinjiang was carried out in 1958. Their ethnic attribution has not yet been decided.The distribution of ABO blood group systems was investigated on 93 individuals whose parents and grandparents are "Keriyan" too. The results showed that the gene frequencies for ABO blood group are r=0 6095, p=0 1886, q=0 2019. The χ 2 test according to Hardy-Weinberg law is good. The gene frequecies of "Keriyan" for ABO blood group are concordant with theose of Uygur、Kazak and Mongolian too.


Radio-frequency ablation (RFA) is one of the methods used in multimodale treatment of liver tumors. The opportunities for the use of RFA are more wide recently. Authors present their own experience with RFA in the treatment of liver tumors and also its use in the treatment of parenchymatous abdominal organs injury. They compare the different operative approaches for RFA with concentration to their advantages.


In late 2017, between the furore of the Commonwealth citizenship saga, Malcolm Turnbull quietly rejected the Uluru Statement from the Heart; a statement borne from days of deliberation between Indigenous leaders from across Australia as part of the Referendum Council. The statement called for constitutional reform enshrining the establishment of a 'First Nations Voice', a Makarrata Commission and, importantly, a treaty (Referendum Council 2017). It is with a blistering critique of Turnbull's choice to reject the statement that Issue 69 of the Quarterly Essay, titled Moment of Truth (McKenna 2018), opens. Mark McKenna traverses modern Australia, drawing upon historians, academics, advisory bodies, and personal narratives to consider the role that both white and Indigenous history have had in forming today's nation, delving into the erasure of key moments in Australia's past and confronting our past and current violence towards Indigenous peoples.


The initial focus of this research was to develop a simplified transportation planning process for small urban areas of less than 250,000 population that is sufficiently flexible so that travel forecasts can be based on a small sample home-interview survey or simulation. It was found that the existing standardized procedures were incompatible with the possible variations in the nature of the problems, available resources and expectations of the participants. The need for a customization of planning procedures was established and the current organizational framework and technical practices in both land use and transportation planning were evaluated from that standpoint. Land use planning in small communities was found to be highly standardized in format and content, but not in procedures, which varied significantly in terms of sophistication. The transportation planning procedures appeared to be relatively more standardized. The research identified and presented four types of transportation planning techniques for application in small urban areas: (a) network simulation based on synthetic models and a small sample household survey, (b) consumer-oriented transit planning procedure, (c) simple techniques for corridor analysis, and (d) hand-computation oriented procedure for estimating localized impacts of major traffic generators. Under each category existing techniques were reviewed and tested (to varying levels).


A description is given of a versatile radiometric apparatus containing G- M counters, proportionnl counters, and scintillation counters. The instrument (comprising the following plug-in units: a high tension generator, and imput amplifier, a pulse amplitude analyzer, an average value indicator, a counting unit, and an electronic clock) can be arranged in all kinds of combinations, from the simplest to the most comprehensive. A comparison is given between possible requirements and actual performance. (tr-auth)


Abstract : A series of sharp skewed internal friction peaks were observed during warming of single-crystal ice after cooling below -120 C (153 K), the cubic-hexagonal transition temperature. The peaks were higher when the strain amplitude was lower. Since handling and annealing strongly affect the occurrence of the skewed peaks, those peaks are probably related to the stacking fault process in hexagonal-cubic transition. (Author)


Offers a checklist to create a digital archives program n the highly regulated world of drug manufacturers, preserving records is a critical requirement for business continuity. So far, paper has been considered the only official documentation format, and microfilm has provided a low-cost – but low-tech – backup solution that is stable over time and essentially technologyindependent. For the past two decades, however, all areas of pharmaceutical development have been generating electronic records. The accumulation of electronic source data and the evolution of electronic documents toward more dynamic forms that can combine written text, bookmarks, hyperlinks, and multimedia features create the need for digital archives and electronic signatures to preserve the integrity of originals. In 1997, the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the chief U.S. source for listing regulatory requirements, set the U.S. Food and Drug Administra-tion's basic rules for the validation of electronic records and electronic signatures (21 CFR part 11). Although archiving electronic records is clearly stipulated in 21 CFR part 11, only lately has the question of the long-term preservation of and access to digital assets arisen among drug makers.


Research within this Division focuses on large-scale atmospheric dynamics and related physics, and on the coupled atmosphere/ocean system. Specific research objectives are: the study of variability patterns and their underlying mechanisms, understanding climate change both in the recent geological past and as a result of anthropogenic forcing, and the study of the climate system's predictability. Work includes the development of a global so-called Intermediate Complexity Model. Climate Variability Research Climate variability and predictibility Decadal variability and predictability Climate variations in the North-Atlantic/Arctic area have been studied in an ensemble of integrations with the ECBILT-CLIO model, forced by greenhouse-gas emission scenario's for the period 1960–2100. In general the system warms. However, a sudden cooling occurs locally in the Greenland-Iceland-Norwegian (GIN) Sea. This is due to a high-latitude freshening of the ocean surface, an increased stability of the water column and a subsequent breakdown of oceanic convection (Figure 1). Natural climate variability limits the predictability of the timing of this sudden change. The same ensemble of integrations was used to analyse the change in the probability density function (PDF) of daily temperatures and precipitation in the Northern Hemisphere. In a warming climate the whole PDF shifts to warmer temperatures, thereby increasing the probability of extreme warm events. In addition, for many gridpoints the shape of the PDF changes in such a way that the probability of extreme warm events is enhanced. In collaboration with Dr. Hugues Goosse (University of Louvain-La-Neuve), the physical processes that lead to natural variations in the total amount of Arctic sea-ice in a long simulation of ECBilt-CLIO have been identified. These variations occur with a dominant period of about 20 years. A crucial process is the oceanic convection in the GIN Sea. Occasionally, the amplitude of these spontaneous variations is large enough to completely shut down convection. This leads to cold events of decadal or sometimes century long duration. In July 2002, a workshop was organised at KNMI for users of the ECBILT-CLIO coupled climate model. There were participants from the University of Louvain-La-Neuve, the Institut für Meereskunde in Kiel, the Free University of Amsterdam, the RIVM and AWI in Bremerhaven. The aim was to found a users community and to define a new standard version, ECBilt-CLIO3. This version was released in October 2002. The major change with respect to the previous version involves the modular structure, which enables an easy exchange of different subsystems. Various versions of …


In the design of hypoid gear, we discard the symmetrical demand of the strength of two sides of tooth blank and modify the pressure angle of tooth surface of forward running. By using the tooth edge contact analysis and finite element method, the maximal stretched stress, maximal compressed stress and tooth surface contact stress of the hypoid gear are analyzed. Simulation results show that the maximal stretched stress of the tooth surface of forward running can be reduced, and the change of tooth surface contact stress is very small.


Device (1) comprising a housing (10), one or more received therein electronic components (20) and a cooling (30) a supply line (31) for introducing a refrigerant into the casing (10) and an outlet (32) out of the housing for discharging the refrigerant (10), characterized in that the feed line (31) to a cable bushing (11) in the housing (10) occurs, the discharge line (32) at the cable bushing (11) from the housing ( 10) emerges and (in the region of the cable bushing 11), the feed line (31) in the discharge line (32) or the derivative (32) in the supply line (31) is provided.


Can a patient, whose personality agrees with that of another patient, influence that patient favorably from a psychotherapeutic standpoint? An answer in the affirmative appears indicated by several observations of the writer. These observations were all made on chronic wards. Usually a homosexual component was noted. was not of serious import and did not interfere with the beneficial results of the patient relationships.


Our experience at the University of South Florida with the use of personal computers in an undergraduate class in systems programming is described. To illustrate the principles of concurrent processing, we have implemented a simple, compact, multi-tasking kernel in an exceptionally interactive programming environment. The system has evolved over the past three years and the programs are implemented on IBM PCs and PC compatible computers. A laboratory of some 40 systems within the college serve as workstations for a class of approximately 100 students.


The aim of this report is to evaluate digital library websites, and make a critical analysis. For this purpose, four digital libraries, namely the Public Library of Science (PLoS), International Children's digital Library, North South University, and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) have been considered as an example. This evaluation report has thrown light on users' perception of the digital library environment from three different points of views that is usefulness and value of the content, richness of functionality, and ease of use. The evaluation is followed by a general discussion and conclusion. It may help policy makers to identify ways in which they can motivate their management for building digital library interfaces and help library managers to identify their user's different requirements in the digital library interface.


This paper presents results of a study on the use of viscoelastic dampers at expansion joints of highway bridges for preventing superstructure decks from falling off the seats and/or from colliding with each other in the event of a severe earthquake. The Kelvin and Maxwell models, consisting of an elastic spring and a linear viscous damper combined in parallel and in series, respectively, are considered for analysis. A 2-D finite-element analysis using bilinear hysteretic models for bridge substructure joints was performed on example bridges constructed with 1 or 2 expansion joints. It was demonstrated that the damper is effective in suppressing the relative displacements at the expansion joints without introducing a significant increase in ductility demands for the substructures. Results also showed that the spring component of the Kelvin and Maxwell models has little effect on the performance of the damper component. This study clearly indicated that the use of linear viscous dampers offers a practical solution to the seismic problem often arising in bridges with expansion joints.


The invention relates to a long-range conical high-flow-rate pneumatic nozzle, which comprises a plurality of pneumatic nozzles, wherein each pneumatic nozzle has the following structural form: the pneumatic nozzle comprises a pneumatic nozzle body and a pneumatic spray head; the pneumatic nozzle body is provided with a water inlet and a water mist outlet; the pneumatic spray head is provided with an air inlet; an air outlet of the pneumatic nozzle is formed in a cavity of the pneumatic nozzle body; positions of the water inlet and the air outlet correspond to each other; each pneumatic nozzle is circumferentially and uniformly arranged on a mounting disc at a certain inclination angle; the central position of the mounting disc is connected with a water inlet pipe; the water inlet pipe is communicated with each water inlet through a water inlet passage; and the lower part of the mounting disc is provided with an air cavity which is communicated with the air inlet of each pneumatic nozzle. The invention provides the long-range conical high-flow-rate pneumatic nozzle with large injection, long range and wide injection range.