Many physiological factors, such as spinal elongation, fluid shifts, bone atrophy, and muscle loss, occur during an exposure to a microgravity environment. Spinal elongation is just one of the factors that can also affect the safety and performance of a crewmember while in space. Spinal elongation occurs due to the lack of gravity/compression on the spinal column. This allows for the straightening of the natural spinal curve. There is a possible fluid shift in the inter-vertebral disks that may also result in changes in height. This study aims at collecting the overall change in seated height for crewmembers exposed to a microgravity environment. During previous Programs, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) and Skylab, spinal elongation data was collected from a small number of subjects in a standing posture but were limited in scope. Data from these studies indicated a quick increase in stature during the first few days of weightlessness, after which stature growth reached a plateau resulting in up to a 3% increase of the original measurement [1-5]. However, this data was collected only for crewmembers in standing posture and not in a seated posture. Seated height may have a different effect than standing height due to a change in posture as well as due to a compounded effect of wearing restraints and a potential compression of the gluteal area. Seated height was deemed as a critical measurement in the design of the Constellation Program's (CxP) Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), called Orion which is now the point-of-departure vehicle for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Program; therefore a better understanding of the effects of microgravity on seated height is necessary. Potential changes in seated height that may not have impacted crew accommodation in previous Programs will have significant effects on crew accommodation due to the layout of seats in the Orion.. The current and existing configuration is such that the four crewmembers are stacked two by two with the commander and pilot seats on the top and the two remaining seats underneath, thereby limiting the amount of clearance for the crewmembers seated in the bottom seat. The inner mold line of these types of vehicles are fixed due to other design constraints; therefore, it is essential that all seats incorporate additional clearance to account for adequate spinal growth thereby ensuring that the crew can safely ingress the seat and be strapped in prior to its return to earth. If there is not enough clearance to account for spinal growth deltas between seats then there is the potential that crewmembers will not be able to comfortably and safely fit into their seats. The crewmember in the bottom stacked seat may even have negative clearance with the seat above him or her which could lead to potential ingress/egress issues or potentially injury of the crewmember during landing. These impacts are specific to these types of vehicles with stacked seat configuration. Without proper knowledge of the amount of spinal elongation, or growth, which occurs due to microgravity and space flight, the design of future vehicle(s) or suits may cause injury, discomfort, and limit crew accommodation and crew complements. The experiment primarily aimed to collect seated height data for subjects exposed to microgravity environments, and feed new information regarding the effect of elongation of the spine forward into the design of the Orion. The data collected during the experiment included, two seated height measurement and two digital pictures of seated height pre-, in-, and post-flight. In addition to seated height, crewmembers had an optional task of collecting stature , standing height. Seated height data was obtained from 29 crewmembers that included 8 ISS increment crew (2 females and 6 males) and 21 Shuttle crew (1 female, 20 males), and whose mean age was 48 years (± 4 years). This study utilized the last six Shuttle flights, STS-128 to STS-134. The results show that participating crewmembers experienced growth up to 6% in seated height and up to 3% in stature. Based on the worst case statistical analysis of the subject data, the recommended seated height growth of 6% will be provided to the designers as the necessary seated height adjustment. REFERENCES [1] Anthropometric Source Book Vol. I: Anthropometry for Designers., (NASA 1024). [2] Brown, J. (1975). ASTP002: Skylab 4 and ASTP Crew Height, [3] Brown, J. (1977).The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project Medical Report (pp. 119-121), [4] Thornton, W., Hoffler, G., and Rummel, J. (1977). Biomedical Results from Skylab (pp. 330-338). [5] Thornton, W. and Moore, T. (1987). In: Results of the life sciences DSOs conducted aboard the space shuttle 1981-1986 (pp. 55-57).


Three partial responses among di Alkyl Acetylene dicarboxylate, Tri Phenyl Phosphite and pyrrole or Indole Induce the phosphonate poly factor with high yield CO2R RO2C + Z-H + P(OPh)3 CO2R P CO2R z O OPh OPh aceton,reflux


—To improve the user's localization estimation in indoor and outdoor environment a novel radiolocalization system using deep learning dedicated to work both in indoor and outdoor environment is proposed. It is based on the radio signatures using radio signals of opportunity from LTE an WiFi networks. The measurements of channel state estimators from LTE network and from WiFi network are taken by using the developed application. The user's position is calculated with a trained neural network system's models. Additionally the influence of various number of measurements from LTE and WiFi networks in the input vector on the positioning accuracy was examined. From the results it can be seen that using hybrid deep learning algorithm with a radio signatures method can result in localization error 24.3 m and 1.9 m lower comparing respectively to the GPS system and standalone deep learning algorithm with a radio signatures method in indoor environment. What is more, the combination of LTE and WiFi signals measurement in an input vector results in better indoor and outdoor as well as floor classification accuracy and less positioning error comparing to the input vector consisting measurements from only LTE network or from only WiFi network.


The article is dedicated to the personal characteristics of female crime in the southern macro-region of Russia. The author presents socio-demographic data concerning criminal women personality.


Polarization and depolarization currents in Mylar strongly differ when carried out either in a vacuum or in humid air. If vacuum is established during polarization, a current inversion is observed. We interpreted this effect as a withdrawal of free carriers and polarized water molecules by diffusion, for which a tentative diffusion coefficient of 5x10-9 cm2/s was found.


Thank you for downloading veterinary drug residues residues in food producing animals and their products reference materials and methods. As you may know, people have search numerous times for their favorite books like this veterinary drug residues residues in food producing animals and their products reference materials and methods, but end up in harmful downloads. Rather than enjoying a good book with a cup of coffee in the afternoon, instead they are facing with some malicious bugs inside their laptop.


A robust main controller with internal model based on traditional cascade ratio structure is designed for industrial furnace to overcome the absence of anti-disturbance ability. The two exceptional combustion conditions are analyzed. It is proved that the system lose the stability with the traditional cascade ratio control structure under the two exceptional combustion conditions. Therefore, the limitation of the traditional control scheme is defined. The intelligent stability supervision and intelligent optimization module are added to overcome the problem. A hierarchal intelligent controller with internal model is constructed. The practical results show that the proposed scheme is very effective. The stable and economic combustion are obtained.


Last year's JCMS Annual Review saw Greece in dire fiscal straits after the true scale of government borrowing in the years leading up to the global financial crisis came to light (Hodson, 2010). By the beginning of 2010, it had become clear that the Greek government would be unable to weather this fiscal storm without outside help from Brussels or further afield. It took several long months of protracted negotiation, however, before eurozone heads of state or government reluctantly agreed in May 2010 on a €110 billion package of loans for Athens co-financed by the European Union (EU) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This decision was, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, not so much the beginning of the end for the eurozone's sovereign debt crisis as the end of the beginning. Fears that other eurozone members might share Greece's fate saw the EU and IMF set aside up to €720 billion in loans and credit guarantees, with the former pledging €60 billion of this sum via a newly created European financial stabilization mechanism and €440 billion through a new European financial stability facility. Ireland became the first country to tap these funds in November 2010, securing €67.5 billion in


This is the final report of the High Burnup Effects Program (HBEP). It has been prepared to present a summary, with conclusions, of the HBEP. The HBEP was an international, group-sponsored research program managed by Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories (BNW). The principal objective of the HBEP was to obtain well-characterized data related to fission gas release (FGR) for light water reactor (LWR) fuel irradiated to high burnup levels. The HBEP was organized into three tasks as follows: Task 1 -- high burnup effects evaluations; Task 2 -- fission gas sampling; and Task 3 -- parameter effects study. During the course of the HBEP, a program that extended over 10 years, 82 fuel rods from a variety of sources were characterized, irradiated, and then examined in detail after irradiation. The study of fission gas release at high burnup levels was the principal objective of the program and it may be concluded that no significant enhancement of fission gas release at high burnup levels was observed for the examined rods. The rim effect, an as yet unquantified contributor to athermal fission gas release, was concluded to be the one truly high-burnup effect. Though burnup enhancement of fission gas release was observed tomore » be low, a full understanding of the rim region and rim effect has not yet emerged and this may be a potential area of further research. 25 refs., 23 figs., 4 tabs.« less


We give a construction of Skorohod integrals with respect to a Gaussian D'-valued random field W The method is based on the multiple Wiener integral expansion for L 2-functionals of W We also give a representation of the Malliavin derivative operator of L 2-functionals of W


Research in ultra-low energy communication for wireless sensor networks mostly focuses on radio frequency (RF). Simple, low-cost, and low-power approaches for acoustic communication are typically not explored, although in a variety of applications acoustic communication using ultrasonic waves is preferable to RF. In others, motes are already equipped with sensors and actuators for acoustics. In this work, we present a method to communicate between motes on structural elements using piezoelectric discs. We demonstrate that data rates up to one kilobit per second are achievable with only minimal additional hardware. At the same time, the energy consumption for communication is reduced compared with popular RF methods.


Abstract : The Advanced Polymer Components initiative began in December 1989. The initial purpose of the program was to explore advanced engineering polymers for use as rocket propulsion components. As research progressed it became apparent that advanced thermoplastics in general were highly dependent on processing and post-processing as well as on chemical composition and morphology. This realization led to a branching of the original objective into an applications research goal and a fundamental research goal. This report, coupled with PL-TR-92-3018, PL-TR-92-3018 Vol. 2 and PL-TR-92-3056, comprise a summary of the entire Advanced Polymer Components Initiative. jg


The present investigation work is carried out it in the months of June, July, August and September of the 2006 in the Coastal Profile of the county of The Gold that he/she understands stations of monitoreo of the following ports: The narrow lace edging, Under High, The Coconut, Jambeli, Port Bolivar, Port Jeli, The pitahaya, Hualtaco and Costa Rica. 1. to identify the levels of Persistent Organic Pollutants (COP´s) in the silts of the Coastal Profile of the County of The Gold 2. to Evaluate the results of the analyses of the obtained silts, with the permissible maximum concentrations already settled down by the Ministry of the Environment. In the ports: Port Bolivar, Port Jeli and the places of rich Costa and Hualtaco the presence of any Persistent Organic Pollutant was not detected. In The Narrow lace edging Aldrin met with a concentration of 1,95 ug/kg, in the sector of the Coconut Dieldrin met with a concentration of 2,82 ug/kg, values that are very above you limit them permissible accepted by the EPA. Taking like reference the permissible limits granted by the EPA, either for the trout rainbow (1,5 ug/kg) or it stops lakes, rivers and streams (74 ug/kg), the concentrations of the Isomeric Endosulfan Sulfate detected in the place Costa Rica (0,86 ug/kg), they are below the accepted ranges so that this Isomeric one is toxic in aquatic organisms and therefore, affect to the health. In the Island Jambeli residuals of the Isomeric Heptacloro Endo Epoxico is detected in a concentration of 0,4 ug/kg, value that is low for the permissible limits accepted by the EPA, being accepted a toxicity of 0,11 ug/kg,


In this article the author analyses Teaching Model,Students' Situation,Existing problems in High Vocational Art Education,and provides Teaching Model and Teaching Methods rich with the charactivities of High Vocational Education to solve these problems.To sum up,training practical abilities of vocational technology should be highlighted as the core teaching thought in Art Basic Lesson Teaching of High Vocational Education.Then,constantly accommodate Art Teaching to the development of society,and train qualified personnel for the development of time and economy.


Stern et al., "Animation of Nitrobenzene via Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution for Hydrogen: Direct Formulation of Aromatic Amide Bonds", J. Org. Chem, 1993, 58, 68883-6888. Ayyangar et al., "A Novel Reaction of Acetanilide With Nitrobenzene In DMSO-An Unusual Solvent Assisted Regioselective Aromatic Nucleophilic Substitution", Tetra hedron Letters, vol. 31, No. 22, p. 3217-3220 (1990). Ayyangaret al., "A Novel Synthesis Of Unsymmetrical AZO Aromatics Inaccessible By Diazo-Coupling Reaction", Tet rahedron Letters, vol. 30, No. 51, p. 7253–7256 (1989). Stern et al., "Direct Coupling of Aniline and Nitrobenzene: A New Example of Nucleophillic Aromatic Substitution for Hydrogen", J. Am. Chem. Soc., 1992, 114,9237-9238. Primary Examiner Samuel Barts Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cook, Alex, McFarron, Manzo, Cummings & Mehler Ltd. 57 ABSTRACT


Magnetic recording media are composed of magnetic thin films consisting of magnetically isolated crystallites. For practical use of magnetic particles as recording media, it will be necessary to realize high coercivity by fabricating nanocrystalline grains and forming grain boundaries with the nonmagnetic phase. In this study, a high-coercivity FePt–Ag nanocomposite magnet was synthesized by means of block copolymer-templated self-assembly. Precursors of Fe, Pt, and Ag were introduced into a polymer block, and the resulting material was oxidized and then reduced to form a nanocomposite consisting of FePt nanoparticles surrounded by a matrix of Ag. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the introduction of Ag did not significantly affect the crystalline ordering of the FePt. The addition of Ag increased the coercivity by 53% (from 11.1 to 17.0 kOe). Our results suggest that the grain boundaries of the nonmagnetic Ag metal acted as pinning sites, disrupting magnetic coupling between individual FePt nanocrystallites and hindering domain wall motion at an external magnetic field.


The creation of electronic three-dimensional maps by the space images and topographical maps expands opportunities of figurative perception of the territory; facilitates the study of asymmetry of high-altitude belts on slopes of different exposition.


Abstract By a random process with immigration at random times we mean a shot noise process with a random response function (response process) in which shots occur at arbitrary random times. Such random processes generalize random processes with immigration at the epochs of a renewal process which were introduced in Iksanov et al. (2017) and bear a strong resemblance to a random characteristic in general branching processes and the counting process in a fixed generation of a branching random walk generated by a general point process. We provide sufficient conditions which ensure weak convergence of finite-dimensional distributions of these processes to certain Gaussian processes. Our main result is specialised to several particular instances of random times and response processes.


ScrabbleTM-to-MIDI is a computer-emulated two dimensional board game that generates MIDI music from game rules and state as the game is played. Software modules include the board graphical user interface, rule engine and game state, a translator that maps game state to musical events, a second graphical user interface for manipulating translator configuration parameters, and a software synthesizer for rendering MIDI events. The plugin translator and its configuration parameters comprise a composition. Improvisation consists of playing a unique game and of making ongoing adjustments to mapping parameters during play. Statistical distributions of letters and words provide a basis for mapping structures from word lists to notes, chords and phrases. While pseudorandom tile selection provides a stochastic aspect to the instrument, players utilize knowledge of vocabulary to impose structure on this sequence of pseudo-random selections, and a conductor uses mapping parameters to variegate this structure in up to sixteen instrument voices.


This study investigated the user intention of self service technology(SST) in hotel, which was focused on UTAUT2. With the development and the increasing of interest in a new hotel service, hotel is trying to provide SST for customers. SST in hotel provides rapid and standard services to customers, and it can be saved employee-related labor cost. Indeed, it provides speed, convenience, consistency and control to users. Despite the advantages of SST, it has not been investigated the user intention in hotel customers yet. This study reviewed the past and recent UTAUT2 issues of terminology and applied to hotel industry with self innovativeness. UTAUT2 is a powerful prediction framework, it can effectively explain and analyze user's technology acceptance behaviors for new information technology products. 227 valid responses were used for this analysis by utilizing the statistical package programs SPSS 21. 0 and AMOS 21.0. The findings of this research summarized as follows. First, self innovativeness impacted on performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating condition of UTAUT2 positively. Second, social influence, hedonic motivation and habit of UTAUT2 impacted on the use intention positively. Third, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating condition of UTAUT2 did not impact on the use of intention for hotel customers. UTAUT2 is focused on individual perspectives in technology adoptions, so managers in hotels utilize this enhanced model for hotel customers for user intention to provide more insights and better service.


People today expect to be examined when they enter a doctor's office. At least they expect their blood pressure and temperature to be measured. However, as recently as two hundred years


We present a design methodology towards minimum-area maximum-performance designs in sub-/ near-threshold operation. Our methodology is based on a new metric called performance-per-area. Unlike conventional gate sizing, we use forward body biasing at synthesis time to render faster, smaller and more energy-efficient circuits. Our theory introduces body biasing into delay and energy models in the form of nonlinear derating functions that can easily be fitted to a technology node. The methodology is validated using an industrial microprocessor consisting of approximately 31 K gates and 3.7 K flip-flops in CMOS 90 nm. We obtain 4.2x better EDP, 3.8x higher speed and 9% smaller area than the non-body-biased counterpart.


– For a construction of potential scaffold of antitumor agents andrastins, intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of the triene composed of trans -fused AB ring with tethered D ring was examined. The reaction in refluxing toluene afforded a desired cis -fused hydrindane skeleton, the relative stereochemistries of which were unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis.


This chapter describes the Atlanta University Center's Dual Degree Engineering Program and the model used to increase the number of minorities in engineering, science, and technology through consortia.


no consideration is given as to whether the massive expenditure of the Pyrethrum Board on advertising is wise or appropriate or even effective. The Mission simply recommends that market development should be intensified. On the crucial question of industrial allocation the Mission merely echoes the Raisman Report in recommending the abolition of industrial licensing. It gives no attention to the problem of how Jo remove one of the biggest barriers to industrial expansion in East Africa—the uncertainty of manufacturers as to the size of the plant they should establish. In fact the report recommends that the Government should not indulge in planning for the private sector at all but should content itself with creating conditions which might appeal to private investors. It is not surprising that an attitude of muted exasperation can be detected in the Government's White Paper on the report—exasperation which becomes less muted when it touches on the Seven Forks question. Although it may seem churlish to scorn the free advice of the World Bank Mission (advice which, of course, is not necessarily endorsed by the Mission's sponsors) it is recommended that the report be looked upon as a useful summary of the progress of the economy up to 1962 rather than a recipe for planning in an independent Kenya. T o o l . r > J. S. Skinner The Economist Intelligence Unit, Dar es Salaam


Through analyzing Ying Shi,a very important figure in the Sino-German history of cultural exchange,as a case study,this article not only describes the friendship between Ying Shi and Hu Shi,but also discusses the different cultural way of Zing Shi as a Germany-returned intellectual in comparison with Lu Xun as a Japan-returned and Hu Shi as a America-returned intellectual especially through the Chinese translation of Heinrich Heine's works.Three main contributions of the first book Chinese Translation of German Poems translated by Ying Shi were concluded: 1.The academic standards of the poems translations had been summarized;2.The social functions of the literature had been emphasized;3.The native consciousness of the translation works had been shown also clearly.


The advantages of the pressure/immobilization technique as the first‐aid measure for envenomation are discussed. The use of arterial tourniquets is no longer recommended in the management of any type of envenomation in Australia.


IFMIF, the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility, is projected to generate materials irradiation test data for design, licensing, construction and safe operation of a fusion demonstration power reactor, such as DEMO. In particular, the study of the material behaviour under irradiation conditions similar to DEMO in terms of primary recoil spectrum (PKA), important transmutation reactions, and gas production (He, H) is essential. The fusion relevant neutrons are produced in a liquid Li jet flowing at 15 m/s impacted by 2 parallel 125 mA CW deuteron beams at 40 MeV. The IFMIF/EVEDA project, by its engineering validation activities, will install and commission in Rokkasho a 125 mA, 175 MHz deuteron LINAC at 9MeV that will validate the concept of IFMIF accelerator, LIPAc. The ion source will inject 140 mA deuterons at 100 KeV in a normal-conducting RFQ that will deliver the bunched beam at 5MeV to be accelerated up to 9 MeV thanks to 8 half-wave superconducting resonators. The installation and commissioning of LIPAc at Rokkasho (Japan) is sequential and the first stage is starting now; the strategy to overcome potential difficulties is detailed.


A glasshouse study Investigated the dry matter response of Grasslands Kopu and Grasslands Tahora white clover, cultwars ot dlffermg origins and morphologles. to three phosphate fertilizers, monocalcium phosphate (MCP), partially acldulated phosphate rock (PAPR) and a reactw phosphate rock, North Carolina phosphate rock (NCPR), of differing water solubtlity. Kopu responded more rapldly and reached Its rnax~mum dry matter yield at a lower phosphorus (P) level than Tahora when MCP and NCPR were the P lert~l~zers. With PAPR as the P fertlllzer, their response was similar. The shoot dry matter response by Kopu to all three P sources was reflected more in leaf weight and sue than leaf number or stolen length. In contrast Tahora responded to added P by increasmg leaf number and stolen length to a much greater extent than Kopu.


Aims. We have investigated a sample of 28 well-known spectroscopi cally-identified magnetic Ap /Bp stars, with weak, poorlydetermined or previously undetected magnetic fields. The ai m of this study is to explore the weak part of the magnetic field distribution of Ap/Bp stars. Methods. Using the MuSiCoS and NARVAL spectropolarimeters at Téles cope Bernard Lyot (Observatoire du Pic du Midi, France) and the cross-correlation technique Least Squares Deconvo lution (LSD), we have obtained 282 LSD Stokes V signatures of our 28 sample stars, in order to detect the magnetic field and to infe r its longitudinal component with high precision (median σ = 40 G). Results. For the 28 studied stars, we have obtained 27 detections of St okesV Zeeman signatures from the MuSiCoS observations. Detection of the Stokes V signature of the 28 th star (HD 32650) was obtained during science demonstration t ime of the new NARVAL spectropolarimeter at Pic du Midi. This result shows clearl y that when observed with su fficient precision, all firmly classified Ap /Bp stars show detectable surface magnetic fields. Furthermore , all detected magnetic fields correspond to longitudinal fie lds which are significantly greater than some tens of G. To better characte rise the surface magnetic field intensities and geometries o f the sample, we have phased the longitudinal field measurements of each st r using new and previously-published rotational periods, and modeled them to infer the dipolar field intensity and the magnetic obl iquity. The distribution of derived dipole strengths for th ese stars exhibits a plateau at about 1 kG, falling o ff to larger and smaller field strengths. Remarkably, in this sa mple of stars selected for their presumably weak magnetic fields, we find only 2 stars for which the derived dipole strength is weaker than 300 G. We interpret this "magn etic threshold" as a critical value necessary for the stability o f large-scale magnetic fields, and develop a simple quantita tive model that is able to approximately reproduce the observed threshold c hara teristics. This scenario leads to a natural explanati o of the small fraction of intermediate-mass magnetic stars. It may also e xplain the near-absence of magnetic fields in more massive B a nd O-type stars.


In this article three new estimators of the frequency of a single complex sinusoid are presented. The "rotate-add-decimate" (RAD) method of Crozier is first modified to more closely approach the Cramer-Rao bound, with the same computation. A second estimator almost achieves the CRB above an SNR threshold approximately 1dB above that of RAD. It can be shown to achieve the CRB for high SNR using log/sub 2/N arctangents and 2N MAC. A third method matches the SNR threshold of RAD and achieves the CRB at high SNR with log/sub 2/N arctangents and 3N MAC.


Students benefit from recognition of their achievements as learners. A simple tool to help students reflect on their own learning is the use of pre- and post-course self-assessments based on authentic veterinary interactions. The use of this tool in three courses over 2 years consistently demonstrated an increase in the confidence of the students in their ability to use the course content in realistic settings.


Active living improves the lives and social networks of the elderly. In terms of active living, walkability is an essential element in the daily life of the elderly. To support active living, it is important to create an age-friendly environment. Considering that the elderly carry out a large part of their activities by walking, a good walkable environment is one of the most important elements of an age-friendly environment. Existing studies have involved surveys of experts, audit tools, and questionnaires. However, despite their merits, current methods of measuring walkability remain limited as they do not include the actual walking activity of the elderly. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of using a wearable sensor to measure the walking of the elderly quantitatively, and to compare different walking environments based on data collected from their actual walking. To accomplish this, experiments were conducted in four types of environments with 30 elderly subjects. During the experiments, the subjects were asked to attach a smartphone that includes an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The IMU sensor collected the body movement using tri-axial accelerations. The collected data were used to calculate walkability by investigating how constant a subject's walking pattern is. The consistency of pattern can be regarded as gait stability that can be quantitatively measured via the maximum Lyapunov exponent (MaxLE—a metric used for measuring the stability of human body during locomotion. As a result of the experiment, it was found that the stability of walking of elderly people differs according to the walking environment, which means that by investigating the stability the current conditions of a specific walking environment can be inferred. This result helps improve the active life of the elderly by providing opportunities for continuous diagnosis of the walking environment.


Based on the panel data of meteorology and plant farming from 1990 to 2009 in 40 counties of Shandong Province,by using the method of output growth decomposition,this paper established production functions of plant farming and analyzed the impacts of climate and non-climate factors on the output of that in Shandong Province as well as the contribution of each variable to the growth of plant farming output.The result indicated that the influences of climate factors on the growth of the total output in 40 counties of Shandong Province is-11.03% from 1990 to 2009.Keeping the other conditions unchanged,with the average temperature rising up 1℃,the total output of plant farming correspondingly reduced by 2.2%,while the growth of the total output reduced by 1.48%.Increasing temperature was the most obvious contributor which offected the plant farming output in the northwest and Lunan region of Shandong Province.Precipitation had significant impacts on the output of plant farming by 16.86%.Fertilizers and pesticides were the top two contributors to the growth of plantfarming output.The decrease of agricultural labor forces,especially the labor forces of plant farming,started to have obvious impacts on the output of plant farming,with the growth of output of plant farming reduced by 5.90%.The impact of technical progress was in decline.Climate warming brought negative effects on planting farming in Shandong Province.The present study dissected various elements via the production functions,especially the contribution of climate warming to planting farming,which will be useful for further food security in Shandong Province.


In the present paper the writers attempt to deal with the problem of the delimitation of the boundaries of the zoogeographical regions in Hubei on the basis of the freshwater crabs fauna.Among the 33 species of freshwater crabs listed,30 species(or 90.9%) belonged to the species entirely or mainly distributed in the Oriental region,1 species(3.0%) to those entirely or mainly distributed in the Palaearctic region,and 2 species (6.1%) to those distributed in both Oriental and Palaearctic regions.Based on the comparison with the freshwater crab fauna of adjacent provinces,including guizhou Jiangxi,Hunan and Henan,our research results show that The freshwater crab fauna of Hubei province should be included in the Oriental region.


The goal in much of medical research is to answer the question: "What will a patient's outcome, Y, be if the patient is given a specific treatment, T?" We focus our efforts on understanding how to intervene in order to improve outcomes for our patients. Some of the strategies for estimating the effect of a treatment are well known. The foremost technique is the foundational technique of Science: the controlled and randomized experiment. A well run experiment's conclusions are highly regarded and often interpretable as establishing causal links between treatments and outcomes. But the ability to run a clinical trial – with its heavy demands on resources and time as well as ethical considerations – limits the situations in which we can construct an experiment. It would be beneficial if we could use data generated by the world, referred to as "observational data," to answer some of the questions about causal links between treatment and control. Examples of observational datasets are: insurance billing data, medical records and administrative data from hospital records. These datasets are in contrast to those generated by clinical trials.


Objective To study the relationship between the expression of avian erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog 1(Ets-1),matrix metalloproteinase-9 and recurrence in nonmalignant menin- giomas.Methods The expression of Ets-1 and MMP-9 was detected in 52 specimens of recrudescent in- tracranial meningioma totally reseeted(Simpson I grade)by using immunohistochemistry(IHC).The re- lationships between IHC score of Ets-1,MMP-9 and recurrence was studied.Results The IHC scores of Ets-1 in recurrent and non-recurrent groups was(6.3±1.5)and(2.8±1.7),respectively(PΙ0.01). IHC scores of MMP-9 in recurrent and nonrecurrent groups were(3.3±1.7)and(2.2±1.8),respec- tively(PΙ0.01).The expression of Ets-1 was positively correlated with MMP-9(γ= 0.822,P0.01). Conclusion The up-regulation of Ets-1 leads to the increased expression of MMP-9.The expression Ets-1 and MMP-9 may have value for predicting the risk of recurrence of nonmalignant meningiomas.


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek the determinants of service quality and evaluate the impact of service quality and consumers' characteristics on channel selection in the context of beverage industry in Bangladesh. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using convenience sampling method. Initially exploratory factor analysis was performed to extract the key dimensions of service quality and then structural equation modeling was employed to verify the causal relationships between the dimensions of service quality and service quality itself. χ2 test was used to determine whether any association exists between service quality or demographic variables and choice of channel types. Cramer's V was performed to measure the strength of association. One-way ANOVA was carried out to identify significant impact of demographic variables on perception of service quality. Findings – The research findings indicated that personal interaction, appearance, reliability, policy, and problem solving ar...


The aza-annelation of imines with acrylamide occurs smoothly, as in the cases of enamines, illustrating the versatility of imines as an effective substitute for enamines.


Growing attention has been given to the quality of life in several fields of medicine. The concept of quality of life is not unknown to the glaucoma culture if we recall that the European Glaucoma Society Guidelines state "the goal of glaucoma treatment is to maintain the patient's visual function and related quality of life (QoL), at a sustainable cost." Nevertheless in the past, more attention has been given to quantitative matters as IOP, visual field, and optic nerve because those were the ones that can be directly modified and physicians were less interested in qualitative and subjective measures as the QoL. Measurements of QoL, on the other hand, tend to be time consuming and can be strongly influenced by other factors (general physical health, psychological state, personality, relationships, wealth, etc.), which are not necessarily related to the disease itself. However, there is no doubt that when the physician pays attention to the claims of the patients, he will realize that most of their questions are related to everyday issues such as "will I be able to drive my car? Will I be able to be independent in my daily tasks within my home? And will I be able to go the supermarket two blocks from my house? Will I have problems reading?" The same questions are relevant for insurances and governments because the disability caused by any disease will help determine the level at which the benefits of screening outweigh costs and decide which patient should be treated and how aggressive treatment should be. Furthermore, knowing the degree of disability can potentially help to increase patient safety with appropriate guidelines, to recognize patients who can benefit from rehabilitation and evaluate the efficacy of those measures. Since the first studies on quality of life in glaucoma, several areas of interest have been identified and explored: (1) determining the symptoms that are more bothersome for the patients and correlating them with the stage of disease; (2) testing and building better methods to investigate the impact of glaucoma on the QoL; (3) assessing the impact of glaucoma on mental status; and (4) analyzing the impact of different therapies on the QoL of glaucoma patients.


Novel trusted hardware extensions such as Intel's SGX enable user-space applications to be protected against potentially malicious operating systems. Moreover, SGX supports strong attestation guarantees, whereby remote parties can be convinced of the trustworthy nature of the executing user-space application. These developments are particularly interesting in the context of large-scale privacy-preserving data mining. In a typical data mining scenario, mutually distrustful parties have to share potentially sensitive data with an untrusted server, which in turn computes a data mining operation and returns the result to the clients. Generally, such collaborative tasks are referred to as secure multi-party computation (MPC) problems. Privacy-preserving distributed data mining has the additional requirement of (output) privacy preservation (which typically is achieved by the addition of random noise to the function output); additionally, it limits the general purpose functionality to distinct data mining operations. To solve these problems in a scalable and efficient manner, the concept of a Trustworthy Remote Entity (TRE) was recently introduced. We report upon the performance of a SGX-based TRE and compare our results to popular secure MPC frameworks. Due to limitations of the MPC frameworks, we benchmarked only simple operations (and argue that more complex data mining operations can be established by composing several basic operations). We consider both a two-party setting (where we iterate over the number of operations) and a multi-party setting (where we iterate over the number of participants).


Recently, 3D photoacoustic (PA) and ultrasound (US) technologies have been developed in various forms. There are roughly two main streams to obtain a 3D image; an 1D array US transducer with motorized scanner and a 2D matrix array US transducer. The former has limitations such as longer time to obtain a single 3D image, bulky design with the scanner that degrades portability, and anisotropic resolution. In contrast, the latter acquires and generates a 3D image at once, which enables real-time imaging, compact design, and isotropic resolution. In this study, we demonstrate dual-modal PA and US imaging using a 2D matrix array transducer scanner. The resolution was measured through a phantom experiment, and the methylene blue signal was verified through a rat SLN experiment.


Abstract "This book is an attack on current city planning…." Thus began Jane Jacobs' 1961 popular classic, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. "The Jane Jacobs book is going to do a lot of harm…(b)ut we are going to have to live with it. So batten down the hatches." This was the reaction of the director of the American Society of Planning Officials, Dennis O'Harrow, in a first comment in the Society's newsletter.


This paper describes an efficient and robust optimal control algorithm for the design of fuel-optimal low-thrust interplanetary transfers. The solution is obtained with an indirect optimization approach, which has been selected to minimize the number of unknowns and to limit the computational effort. The optimization algorithm can deal with different intermediate conditions, such as flybys, rendezvous, or multiple gravity assists. Moreover, within the formulation adopted, no a priori knowledge of the control structure is required. The application of calculus of variations leads to a Multi-Point Boundary Value Problem (MP-BVP), characterized by complex inner constraints, which has been solved by means of an indirect multiple shooting method. Some effective techniques to increase the robustness of the algorithm and to overcome numerical difficulties are introduced, followed by the presentation of some test cases to assess the overall performances of the software-tool.


This article presents the main results of an exploratory study on the educational impacts of the video game Assassin's Creed during a history class in a high school located in Quebec, Canada. The main objectives of the research were to describe how the game was used in school, the benefits of using it in an educational context and identify the challenges of such a use of the game.


Handover Control is one of the essential means to guarantee the continuity of mobile services to a user traveling in a cellular infrastructure, without interruption. In previous work we illustrated that using the current 3GPP specified handover control algorithm to provide continuity of MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service) services to a user crossing cell boundaries results either in capacity or QoS inefficiencies and proposed a new MEHO (Mobile Evaluated Handover) based MBMS handover control algorithm that compensated for them. This algorithm, although effective in terms of capacity and QoS, has some limitations concerning the way certain parameters vital for the efficient MBMS handover execution are estimated. In this paper, using a different approach (Network Evaluated Handover (NEHO)), we enhance previous work and propose a different method, that eliminates all of its predecessorpsilas deficiencies while achieving the same capacity and QoS efficiencies.


There were 98 Type ⅠDM and 520 Type Ⅱ DM patients enrolled in our study. Psychological analysis showed that the prevalence of depression is high in diabetes patients,and there was some difference between in Type ⅠDM and Type ⅡDM patients. The correlation between depression and diabetes mellitus involves various aspects. It is necessary to study their correlation and mechanism of epidemiology,neuro-endocrinology,neuro-chemistry and so on.


Women mount stronger humoral and cellular immune responses than men. In fact, a higher number of CD4+ T lymphocytes, stronger production of cytokines (e.g., IFNα) in response to infections and higher levels of circulating antibodies have been observed in women in comparison to men. The higher activation of the immune response is a double-edged sword because it makes women more resistant to infections but more susceptible to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases1. The main factors affecting the differences between the female and male immune systems are: the presence of two X chromosomes in females versus one X and one Y chromosome in males, the sex hormones, and the different responses to environmental factors (e.g., microbial exposure and diet)2. Sociological differences between genders may also have a role in affecting the immune responses3.


Abstract : The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union brought about the need for United States (U.S.) strategic policy to ensure stability and support nation-building in the region. This region consisting of 12 newly independent states (NIS) of the former Soviet Union has remained relatively stable for the past 22 years. One contributing factor to successful nation-building, peace and regional stability has been the impact of Operation Provide Hope (OPH), an interagency effort between the Department of State (DoS) and Department of Defense (DoD). OPH has provided $363 million of excess DoD medical equipment and supplies to governments in the region since its conception in 1992. What will be the impact resulting from the DoS discontinuation of funding after Fiscal Year 2014? What are the possibilities to continue this program in the NIS or shift the support to other areas in need, such as sub-Saharan Africa?


This paper deals with the characterization of blood ultrasonic Doppler signals via the computation of the "mean fractal dimension". We show and we discuss the existing links between the "mean fractal dimension" and the well-known mean frequency and the bandwidth usually used to characterize the blood Doppler signals. To finish, we calculate and we discuss all these parameters in the case of in vivo blood Doppler signals.


Abstract In this study, structural characteristics and tribological performance of the coatings deposited on a 1050 quality aluminium substrate by cold spraying of the feedstock consisting of 100% Al–12Si and 25 vol.% SiC + 75 vol.% Al–12Si powders were examined. Wear tests were conducted in air and in water against alumina ball under loads of 1 and 5 N by a reciprocating wear tester at room temperature. Presence of SiC particles in the structure enhanced the wear resistance of the Al–12Si coating both in air and water. As compared to the air testing condition, water containing media provided better tribological performance especially at the wear test load of 1 N. The findings of this study revealed potentiality of water to be used as a lubricant for SiC-reinforced Al–12Si matrix cold spray composite coatings at relatively low wear test loads.


Activities of alcohols and long-chain aldehydes in 23% ethanol were found to be additive with esters, and limits of solubility were similar. Where the solubility limit was exceeded and agglomerates were formed, the composition of this second phase depended on the relative mole fractions and activity coefficients of the solutes present. In single solutions, addition of wood extract increased the activity coefficients of aldehydes and alcohols, but in model spirit solutions wood extract had little effect on either activity. Ester activities were influenced by aldehydes, alcohols, and wood extract, with short-chain aldehydes and wood extract decreasing overall activity


treatment. The parents were not blinded, so there is potential for observer bias. The results show a statistically significant reduction in hours crying (by 1.5 h per day in the treated group and 0.5 h in the control group) and also a small increase in hours of sleeping per day (1.35 h vs 0.18 h). Although these are small reductions in crying and increases in sleep, they may be perceived as worthwhile changes for sleep deprived parents. It is not clear from this study how these improvements are brought about. Releasing tensions in the dura is the proposed mechanism. However, the natural history of crying and sleep in small infants is that it tends to improve with time and the small scale of this study makes this difficult to eliminate as a confounding factor. The placebo effect is common in alternative therapies and a recent single blind randomised study showed that adults with irritable bowel syndrome improved with sham acupuncture, and even more so with sham acupuncture plus a supportive interview with their therapist. In theory, the placebo effect of the clinical encounter can be divided into the responses to three main components: assessment/observation, therapeutic ritual (placebo) and the patient–physician relationship. The three components of the encounter can be progressively added to produce incremental improvements in symptoms. A therapeutic ritual (placebo treatment) has a modest benefit beyond no treatment, but the patient–physician relationship is the most robust component of the placebo effect. Placebo effects produce statistically and clinically significant improvements. This study went some way to addressing the placebo effect, but the lack of blinding may have made it difficult for the parents in the control group to fully engage with the therapist. It may be that for parents with crying babies, having a cranio-sacral therapist to whom they can voice their concerns is the outlet by which they become more able to cope with their baby's crying and also become more relaxed, leading to the baby picking up less anxiety from their parents. Finally, no mention is made of the cost of treatment and inconvenience to families visiting a cranio-sacral therapist. While the treatment may have been provided at no cost in this trial, in most cases families would have to pay as this is not something generally provided by the NHS. The cost may be £30–40 per treatment, with most babies requiring more than one treatment. It is well recognised that people attribute a value to things which they personally pay for. In addition, the more expensive something is, the greater the value that may be put on it. A recent trial which looked at results when people were told a placebo analgesic was a ''novel'' preparation worth either $2.50 or 10 cents, found a significant improvement in analgesic effect with the more expensively labelled placebo preparation (85.4% vs 61%). Cranio-sacral therapy is very expensive relative to prescription charges (currently £7.10 per item, though free for children) and as such one would expect a significant expectation of positive results to be placed upon it, particularly in the context of ''desperate'' parents.


ABSTRACT Recent scholarship has discerned an increasing tendency of the UN Security Council to push the boundaries of UN peacekeeping beyond traditional doctrine by equipping peace operations with ever more robust and even peace enforcement mandates. The first and most frequently cited example of this turn is the so-called Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) in the DR Congo. Yet, a comprehensive account of the FIB experience is still missing. Authorized in March 2013 to launch offensive military operations against insurgent groups, the FIB may come to epitomize a sea change in the transition from robust peacekeeping to a qualitatively different kind of UN peace operation. Thus, studying the FIB can offer important insights about the advantages and challenges that may be in store for the UN, should the organization indeed turn towards peace enforcement. The articles analyses the origins, performance and consequences of the FIB in terms of conflict resolution and state-building. It also examines its organizational impact on the UN peace operation in which it was embedded (Monusco). It finds that the FIB has not proven to be the game changer. Instead, it had unintended negative consequences both on state-building and the performance of UN peacekeepers.


A simple, more efficient, less time consuming extraction technique has been developed for extraction of rutin, a flavonoid, from dry leaf powder of Morus alba Linn. Rutin was extracted from dried leaf powder of Morus alba Linn., using aqueous methanol as extracting solvent, using shaking extraction technique and ultrasonic extraction technique. The aqueous methanolic extracts obtained from these two techniques, were analysed by reverse phase HPLC method for quantitation of rutin. Chromatographic analysis was carried out on Cosmosil C18 column (150mm X 4.6mm, 5μm). The mobile phase used was a mixture of distilled water, methanol and triethylamine, in the volume ratio of 60:40:0.1, adjusted to pH 3.10, with orthophosphoric acid, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The UV detection was carried out at 256 nm.


An analysis is made of the performance of three types of quadrature partial response signaling (QPRS) systems using complex one-sided and two-sided transversal filters with additional decision-feedback (DF) taps in the presence of single continuous wave (CW) interference and additive white Gaussian noise. It is found that both DF filtered noise which is necessarily colored by passing through the QPRS receive filter, while decoding binary data signals from ternary QPRS signals. It is also shown that the duobinary system has the best performance of the three types of QPRS systems when the frequency of CW interference is low.<<ETX>>


In this paper, a new fast method for detecting human faces in color images using the wavelet transform is proposed. The face detection algorithm has three stages, where chrominance, shape and frequency information are used respectively. The algorithm starts at the lower resolution version of the image obtained from the wavelet transform, so that the amount of data to be processed is greatly reduced. Experimental results show that the human face in color images can be detected regardless of orientation.


Foreword Andy Hargreaves and Kathryn Riley Part 1. The Process of Change and Innovation 1. Knowledge Use and School Improvement 2. Permanent Innovations: Theoretical and administrative issues in institutionalizing change 3. Planning Improvement Efforts 4. Reforming Schools: Does the myth of Sisyphus apply? 5. Beyond 'Managed Change': Rethinking how schools improve 6. Organizational Learning and High Performance Learning Communities Part 2. Teachers in Changing Schools 7. Cultivating Teacher Engagement: Breaking the iron law of social class 8. Effects of Teacher Quality of Work Life on Commitment and Sense of Efficacy 9. Does Professional Community Affect the Classroom? Teacher' work and student work in restructuring schools 10. The Problem of Reform in Urban High Schools: A tale of two teams Part 3. Organizational Perspectives on Innovation and Change 11. Adoption Revisited: Decision-making and school district policy 12. Creating Community in Reform: Images of organizational learning in urban schools 13. A Culture Framework for Education: Defining quality values for U.S. high schools 14. Organizational Culture and Change: The impact of mental models, professional community, and interdisciplinary teaming on teacher practice Part 4. Educational Knowledge in Action 15. Policy Research in a Policy Vacuum 16. Improving Urban and Disadvantaged Schools: Dissemination and utilization perspectives 17. Reconnecting Knowledge Utilization and School Improvement: Two steps forward, one step back


The diagnosed gout is a signal to search for unrecognized concomitant conditions and their underlying causes and mechanisms of development. Due to the fact that gout is a common metabolic disorder with symptoms of localized inflammation caused by chronic and/or episodic deposition of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in joints and soft tissues, the understanding of the inflammation interaction in metabolic disorders has changed. In cases of severe visceral complications of gout, the most common sites of tophl are kidneys, liver, spleen, lungs, pericardium, subcutaneous tissue and other soft tissues. The aim of this study was to outline the features of severe visceral complications with atypical localization in a patient with gout (identification of MSU crystals with polarization microscopy) and to determine the role of videothoracoscopy in this case. Patient N., 55 years old, complained of moderate chest pain, shortness of breath during exercise, general weakness and occasional cough. The patient was hospitalized in a multidisciplinary clinical institution. Examinations were performed, including polarization microscopy, spiral computed tomography (polytopic foci, formations), videothoracoscopy. Endoscopic resection of SVII of the lower lobe of the left lung with a biopsy of the lungs formations and mediastinal lymph nodes was performed. Results of histologic examination: amorphous masses are presented in combination with the organized chronic giant cell granulomatous structure (tophus), which contains clusters of crystals of MSU. Cytological examination of pleural cavity fluid revealed the presence of crystals of MSU. The presence of crystals of MSU was confirmed by polarization microscopy. From the anamnesis of the disease it became known that at the age of 38 the patient consulted a rheumatologist for moderate joint syndrome. On the basis of anamnesis, laboratory and instrumental data (X-ray, ultrasound examination) the diagnosis of gout, chronic gouty arthritis was established. Urate lowering therapy was prescribed. The patient took the drugs periodically without re-consultation with the doctor. The presented case of untreated gout has led to significant structural disorders in organs such as lungs, pleura. Endoscopic resection of the lower lobe of the left lung and revision of the thoracic cavity revealed atelectasis, hemorrhage, inflammatory infiltration, fibrous changes in tissues, amorphous masses with organized chronic giant cell granulomatous structure, presented by crystals of MSU. During the surgery, a powdery substance was found on the pleura surfaces. A video thoracoscopy in this case was a means to present a visceral damage in gout. The search for diagnostic tools to diagnose a severe visceral complications with atypical localization in gout still remains unsolved. Undoubtedly, the central role in the development of gout is played by the deposition of numerous crystals of MSU. In the patient under observation, crystals of MSU were found in pleural fluid and sputum consisting of sodium urate, like the known facts of their appearance in the joint fluid and urine. Uric acid salt crystals were also detected in the areas of pulmonary fibrosis formation according to the results of radiological examination, as well as endoscopic intervention in the lower lobe of the left lung.


Visualization research tends to de-emphasize consideration of the textual context in which its images are placed. We argue that visualization research should consider textual representations as a primary alternative to visual options when assessing designs, and when assessing designs, equal attention should be given to the construction of the language as to the visualizations. We also call for a consideration of readability when integrating visualizations with written text. In highlighting these points, visualization research would be elevated in efficacy and demonstrate thorough accounting for viewers' needs and responses.


This study considers a three-period overlapping generations model with an endogenous growth setting, in which an agent borrows in the first period and repays the loan in the second period under a perfect credit market. Two educational subsidy schemes are considered: one is provided when an agent borrows and the other is provided when the agent repays his or her loan. This study compares the growth rates under each educational subsidy scheme for a balanced growth path and provides the sufficient conditions under which the growth rate in one scheme is larger than that in the other. A key to determining the size relationship of growth rates is whether the production of goods and services is physical-capital-intensive. Namely, when the production is sufficiently physical-capital-intensive, the interest rate in the credit market tends to be high, which discourages an agent from borrowing for his or her human capital investment. Hence, in this situation, an educational subsidy should be provided when an agent borrows to achieve a higher growth rate. If the production is not so physicalcapital-intensive, with some additional conditions, educational subsidies should be provided when an agent repays his or her loan to achieve a higher growth rate.


A spatially modulated Diagonal Space Time Coding (SM-DC) scheme for four transmit antennas is presented in this letter. In the proposed SM-DC scheme, the diagonal code is employed as the core space-time block code (STBC), and the spatial constellation (SC) matrices designed by Le et al. are used to activate the transmit antennas. The SM-DC scheme can achieve the transmit diversity order of two by designing a proper precoding matrix. Moreover, it supports any number of activated transmit antennas from 1 to 4. Simulation results show that, at the cost of increased decoding complexity, the proposed SM-DC scheme outperforms several existing STBC-SM schemes with four transmit antennas.


The Fenton reaction is a famous reaction in inorganic chemistry, with relevance to topics such as bioinorganic oxidation and fundamental redox chemistry of water and oxygen. It is also a reaction concerning which there has been very extensive mechanistic debate, with experimental and computational work leading to extensive evidence concerning its mechanism-not all of which is consistent. Here, we use this reaction as a challenge to modern electronic structure theory methods and show that density functional theory, when validated by accurate ab initio methods, can yield a picture of this reaction that is consistent with experiment. The article also highlights some of the challenges in accurate studies of reaction mechanisms of ionic species in water solution.


Examining Diodorus Siculus' historiographical methods and his representation of mythical culture-heroes, this study demonstrates the significant contribution of the author's first pentad to his universal history and its importance as a supplement to our perception of Hellenistic civilization.


Background There are some conflicting results regarding the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the severity of disease in patients with schizophrenia. Inconsistent findings among the studies might be caused by several limitations, such as, heterogeneous patient populations lacking stratification by antipsychotic therapy, small sample sizes lacking statistical power, ignoring multicollinearity between NLR and other related factors, and lack of controlling for potential confounding factors. In this study, we evaluated the possible correlation between NLR and disease severity as manifested in clinical scores in patients with schizophrenia. In particular, NLR is correlated with discrepant psychiatric symptoms in the different status of antipsychotic medication administration. Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted in our hospital. We identified inpatients with schizophrenia between July 12, 2018 and March 27, 2019 and who had NLR, Clinical Global Impression Severity scale (CGIS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores. Results The records of 1144 identified patients (32.4% male, 76.6% with NLR ≤ 1.98, and 10.8% drug-free patients) were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression showed that NLR was positively associated with worse psychiatric symptoms, both the CGIS score (moderately ill: OR: 63.578, p = 0.011; severely ill: OR: 53.617, p = 0.015) and the BPRS total score (moderately ill: OR: 4.049, p = 0.055; severely ill: OR: 4.312, p = 0.045). In the drug-therapy subgroup, there was a negative correlation between NLR and severe negative symptoms (severely ill: OR: 0.850, p = 0.018) after controlling for potential confounding factors. Conclusions The study is the first to confirm the hypothesis that NLR is independently associated with severe psychopathology in schizophrenia. There is the different correlation between NLR and psychiatric symptoms in the different status of antipsychotic therapy. Therefore, NLR is not appropriate to be an inflammatory biomarker for assessment of disease severity, but provide potential mechanistic insights on specific pathological cellular processes, as well be a potential target to improve the course of the psychotic disorder.


Objective To know the contamination of Crytosporidium parvum(C.parvum) and Giardia lamblia(G.lamblia) in drinking water in Tianjin and Shenyang and to provide the scientific data for producing drinking water.Methods Twenty-one samples from 7 water plants and 9 public houses were collected.G.lamblia and C parvum in the sterilized water,distilled water and barreled water were determined with Filta-Max Xpress rapid method,filtering,washing,magnetic isolation and staining were involved.The data were analyzed with factorial analysis of variance.Results No C.parvum and G.lamblia were detected in water samples.The recoveries of C.parvum were 37.2%±6.1%,41.6%±5.1%,44.4%±4.6% and those of C.parvum were 11.4%±3.4%,11.8%±2.6%,17%±6.4%,respectively.The RSD of all groups was less than 25% and accorded with the standard.Results showed that there was not any significant difference between three groups(P0.05).Conclusion The standard test methods are more effective in detecting G.lamblia than C.parvum.No G.lamblia and C.parvum contamination has been found in drinking water in the Tianjin and Shenyang.


Objective To establish a model of cervical spondylosis in rats. Methods Sixty SD rats (four months old) were ran-domly divided into control, muscle imbalance and posterior column instability group, ten rats in each group. Then the degeneration of X-ray film and motion function were evaluated by oblique board test. Results After analyzed the cervical films of control groups, the nature curve still existed, vertebral clearance had no abnormal. No ostensis spurs or ossifies in Luschka joint and joint processes were found. But in mus-cle imbalance and posterior column instability groups, the nature curve was disappeared or stiff, vertebral clearance were stenosis, osteosis spur formed, ossify or sclerosis emerged in Lnschka joint and joint process. Compared with control group in oblique board test, the muscle force decreased in muscle imbalance and posterior column instability group. There were no statistic significant difference between 2 and 4 months of control group, and also no difference in muscle imbalance and posterior column instability group, but there were significant differ-ence in 2 and 4 months of muscle imbalance and posterior column group. Conclusion Not only cervical posterior column instability but also muscle imbalance could result in cervical spendylosis, both muscle force balance and posterior column were important factors in maintaining spine stability.

Key words:
Cervical spondylosis;  Disease models, animal


Abstract Question-asking is a necessary step towards formulating hypotheses, making decisions, and solving problems, and is Practice #1 in the Next Generation Science Standards. To improve question-asking, educators and researchers need a way to categorize and evaluate students' questions, so as to judge whether an intervention has been effective. We collected a corpus of questions generated by undergraduates as they explored data pertaining to sea level and climate. To capture a broad range of questions, we recruited participants from all majors and multiple institutions, used different prompts to elicit questions, showed both physical- and social-science data, and presented the data both on paper and interactively. We developed a taxonomy of question types informed by geoscientific habits of mind and designed to be applicable across a wide range of data types. We assigned Bloom's cognitive levels to each question type, and developed a quality metric for question sets. There were wide individual differences in both quality and quantity of questions, plus some systematic differences by experimental condition. Prompting to ask as many questions as possible elicited more high level questions overall, but prompting to write questions you would like to ask the scientist elicited important questions about how the data were collected. Encouragingly, over 70% of participants generated at least one question at the highest Bloom's level. Implications for instruction include that assigned question-asking can be an opportunity to engage all students in question asking, and that students can ask good questions about complex data before the data are explained to them.


Solutions to the Dutch National Flag Problem have been given by Dijkstra [1] and Meyer [3]. Dijkstra starts with a simple program and arrives at an improved program by refinement. Both of the algorithms given by Dijkstra are shown to have an expected number of swaps which is 2/3N + &thgr;(1) and that these values differ at most by 1/3 of a swap and asymptotically by 1/4 of a swap. The algorithm of Meyer is shown to have expected swap complexity 5/9 N.


Combining visualisation techniques with drama is a powerful approach for identifying concerns and visions for the future, analysing causes and effects, identifying solutions and planning action. It is also a powerful approach for education and advocacy. This article describes the use of drama techniques in relation to the three cornerstones of participatory learning: participatory methods and techniques; ensuring a participatory process, framework or approach; and the attitudes and behaviour of development workers.


An encapsulation structure of a thin type battery for encapsulating a battery is provided. The battery includes a battery body and a top sealing area having a thickness smaller than that of the battery body. The encapsulation structure of a thin type battery includes a frame body and an extending wall. The frame body includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a third sidewall, and a fourth sidewall. The first sidewall has a first side, a second side, and a first flange. The first side is opposite the second side. The first flange is connected to the first side and protrudes from the first sidewall. The second sidewall is opposite the first sidewall. Two ends of the third sidewall are connected to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, respectively. The third sidewall has a first clamping portion. The fourth sidewall is opposite the third sidewall. Two ends of the fourth sidewall are connected to the first sidewall and the second sidewall, respectively. The fourth sidewall has a second clamping portion. The extending wall is connected to the second side in a bendable manner. A first clamping piece and a second clamping piece are provided at two ends of the extending wall, respectively. When the first clamping piece and the second clamping piece are clamped at the first clamping portion and the second clamping portion, respectively, the extending wall and the first flange envelop the top sealing area of the battery. In addition, the present invention also provides a thin type battery.


L1 adaptive control is a new control methodology developed in recent years with good robustness properties. But this control method could not provide full adaptive feedforward control in its generic structure. This paper introduces adaptive feedforward control action into the standard L1 adaptive control architecture for nonlinear systems in the presence of matched un-modeled dynamics. This new control structure could effectively compensate known disturbances with linear gain uncertainty, which occur in the nonlinear systems, while retaining the closed-loop control performance of L1 adaptive control. After the proof and discussions on the stability of this method, this new L1 adaptive control structure is applied to stagnation pressure control in a wind tunnel. Simulation results and analysis demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control architecture.


The Chengchao iron deposit, the largest high‐grade skarn iron deposit in southeastern Hubei Province, contains considerable amounts of magnetite and by‐product anhydrite. To obtain better understanding of the ore‐formation process, this study carried out He‐Ar‐S‐Pb multi‐isotopic analyses on the pyrites formed during two stages of mineralization. The results indicate that the δ34S values (ranging from 14.0‰ to 17.6‰) of pyrites formed from the two stages have no obvious differences, suggesting that they were not derived from a single magmatic sulfur source. The δ34S values of anhydrite mostly range from 21.9‰ to 28.4‰, similar to that of the Middle Triassic sedimentary anhydrite in the Middle‐Lower Yangtze River metallogenic belt (MLYRB). The Pb isotopic compositions of the pyrites of both stages are homogeneous, with values of 208Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and206Pb/204Pb being 38.006–38.257, 15.523–15.556, and 17.806–18.052, respectively, indicating a mixed crust‐mantle source. The He‐Ar results exhibit different compositions of the two stages: the 3He/4He (R/Ra) and 40Ar/36Ar values for the early‐stage pyrite are 0.46–0.63 and 311–322, respectively, whereas the values for late‐stage pyrite are 0.23–0.34 and 305–361, respectively. Both stages of pyrites indicate the multiple sources of the ore‐forming fluids, with decreasing amount of magmatic water and increasing amount of modified meteoric water(MASW) during fluid evolution. The Triassic evaporites played an important role in the mineralization process.


A relatively comprehensive analysis of the problem of seed graphitization during seeded sublimation growth of SiC bulk crystal is presented in the paper. It is shown that an intentional thermal etching process for the seed can cause serious seed graphitization due to preferential loss of Si from the seed. A polycrystalline deposit will be formed on the seed after growth if serious seed graphitization occurs. In the case of slight graphitization of the seed, the presence of additional carbon on the seed will act as impurities, making the growth more difficult and even inducing defect formation. Besides, additional carbon can be incorporated into SiC. Two possible mechanisms for this are proposed in the paper. It is suggested to initiate the growth with a relatively low growth rate in order to incorporate additional carbon into SiC as much as possible. Since the main cause for seed graphitization is the preferential loss of Si from the seed, maintaining a high Si pressure near the seed could be a possible solution to avoid seed graphitization. The problem of maintaining a high Si pressure near the seed is discussed in the paper. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.


Ahuzltimedia dlata mining (31AD) is onze of the focutsed prob/ems in curr7ent multimedia research domain. Dutring AIDARAI, based on user's annotations o?f corresponding icie/lia, it is crullcial to represent those annotations correctly au1i(/ comp7letel/ to discover expected latent infornmation. Itn othierwords, -ino-v/ledge representation plays an important r-ole in AIDAI. Existing representation models catn express on/v1 static attributtion2s of objects. But there are many important dnamic features in multimedia objects, especiall/v in videos that should be represented correctlv. In order to solve this problemn, this paper proposes a nlew kniow/edge repvesentation inodel---Concept hypotaxis senmantic network, whose siggnificant contribution is to cnb/be uscrs to take the continuous andCi dynamic semnantic f'atures oS f m-if}ecdia itnto accouns7t in AIDAL OQualitative ana/lvSes anid evaluations indclicate that this model can be m)1or1e fle.x^ible anid genieral than others that only) reflect static features ofobject5s.


Although standardized assessments are extensively applied for major decision making purposes in many language-teaching programs, the tests are not valid and reliable enough for many evaluation programs due to major demerits. Unfortunately, over the years, many high stakes proficiency tests have been widely applied for different educational purposes mainly due to using technically-sophisticated quantitative scoring methods as well as national and international availability. The extensive use of conventional standard tests in different academic settings has resulted in the wide negligence of valid assessment of language leaners' abilities and significant decrease in ethics and fairness in testing. Despite many advantages of standard assessments, some disadvantages of applying standard assessments can be substantially compensated through using formative assessments, criterion- referenced tests, affectively-oriented assessments, culturally familiar tests, and direct assessments such as self-assessment, peer assessment, and portfolio assessment. Combination of different types of assessment is of pedagogical importance due to integration of learning and assessment as well as great emphasis on learners' autonomy and responsibility for second/foreign language learning. The present article discusses the merits and demerits of standardized assessments as well as the necessity of implementing alternative assessments along with standardized assessments in language-learning settings in detail.


The objective of this study to determine the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of dry matter and protein of six pelleted fish diet incorporated with different levels of water hyacinth (Echhornia crassipes), 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25%) on performance of common carp fingerlings, using chromium dioxide as an inert biomarker. Experimented diets were prepared to be iso protein (30.70%±0.20) and isocaloric (375.00 ± 0.52 kcal/ 100gm). Proximate compositions of test diets, fecal matter and chromium contents also were determined. Results revealed the maximum value of ADCs for dry matter (DM) was found in treatment T4 (70.51%), while the minimum value was found in (T6) (60.56%). Similarly, the maximum ADCs values for crude protein content, in T4, while the minimum values were found in T6. The study has shown that common carp efficient maximum digestion to nutrients is only up to 20% of water hyacinth inclusion in the diet.


Thecyanobacterial phycobilisome isa large protein complex located on thephotosynthetic membrane.It harvests light energyandtransfers ittochlorophyll for useinphotosynthesis. Phycobilisome assembly mutants intheunicellular cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp.strain 6701havebeencharacterized. Onesuchmutant, UV16,contains adefect intheassembly ofthebiliprotein phycocyanin. We report thecloning andsequencing ofthephycocyanin genesfromwild-type Synechocystis strain 6701anddemonstrate an alteration inthegene forthephycocyanin asubunit inUV16.Possible consequencesofthelesion on phycobilisome assembly were assessed fromitsposition inthephycocyanin tertiary andquaternary structures. TheUV16phenotype is complex andincludes a reduced level ofphycocyanin relative tothatinthewildtype.Todetermine whether thelower phycocyanin content results fromlower transcript levels, a fragment ofcpcBAwas usedas a probe forquantitating phycocyanin mRNA.BoththewildtypeandUV16contained twophycocyanin transcripts of approximately 1.4and1.5kilobases that were equalinabundance andthatdidnotvary withlight quality during cell growth. Equallevels ofthese transcripts inthewildtypeandUV16suggest thatthelower phycocyanin content inthemutantmay beduetoposttranscriptional events. The5'endsofthetwo phycocyanin mRNAs were mappedat100and223basepairs upstreamofthecpcBinitiation codon. Homologous regions upstreamoftheputative transcription initiation sites may beimportant formaintaining highlevels oftranscription fromtheSynechocystis strain 6701phycocyanin geneset. Cyanobacteria arephotosynthetic procaryotes that generateenergy fromlight byoxygenic photosynthesis ina manner similar tothatinplants andeucaryotic algae. The predominant cyanobacterial light-harvesting complexes, called phycobilisomes, aremultiprotein structures located on thesurface ofthephotosynthetic membranes (19,20). Thephycobilisome isa very effective antennacomplex, harvesting light inthe500- to650-nm rangeandtransferring this energytochlorophyll atbetter than95%efficiency (34). Thetransfer oflight energythrough thephycobilisome is mediated by a network ofbilin chromophores thatare covalently attached tothemajorphycobilisome structural components, thebiliproteins. Intheunicellular cyanobacteriumSynechocystis sp.strain 6701, there arethree classes of biliproteins, differentiated bytheir spectral properties, that areorganized into twostructural domains inthephycobilisome, thecoreandtherods. Theallophycocyanin biliproteins areinthecore,whichcontains theterminal acceptors ofthephycobilisome energytransfer pathway andthemembraneattachment sites (3,26-28). Thesixrodsattached to thecorecontain thephycocyanin (PC)andphycoerythrin (PE)biliproteins, withthePCbiliprotein being proximal to thecore.Phycobilisomes alsocontain nonchromophoric linker proteins thatinteract withthebiliproteins todirect assembly andfine tunetheenergytransfer process(29). Phycobilisome biosynthesis includes many eventsthat can beexaminedbyusing our extensive knowledge ofthe structure andbiochemistry ofthecomplex combinedwith genetic andmolecular techniques. Posttranslational modifications are numerous inthephycobilisome biosynthetic pathway. Sites on eachclass ofbiliprotein mustberecognizedforthecovalent attachment ofan appropriate bilin


Although the liquid crystal display market is being driven by the need for a light weight display in computer workstations, laptop computers and notebook computers, there are other applications for high density, high information content displays.


Transaminase activity  (alanine  ->  glutamic,  aspartic  ->  glutamic,  glutamic  ->  alanine)  has  been  detecled  in  a  number of  pulses. An  easy  and  specific  method for the determination of  aminase  using circular paper  chromatography  is  described. The  optimum  pH  for  alanine -> glutanlic  acid  transaminase  is  found  to  be  7 ·4, Germination control  increases  the  enzyme  activity  (alanine ->  glutamic). Inhibition of  the  transaminase  activity  by  pterygospermin  has  been  reported  for the  first  time  and  the  hearing  of  this  result  on  the  antibiotic  action  of  pterygospermin  is  indicated.


The impacts of VLSI on the field of consumer electronics are briefly discussed. VLSI devices and process technology are considered to have a realistic influence on the future of consumer electronics, mainly through digital signal processing and the application of microprocessors.


Chaosynth is a new sound synthesis system being developed by the author and others working at Edinburgh University. Chaosynth functions by generating a large amount of short sonic events, or particles, in order to form larger, complex sound events. This synthesis technique is inspired by granular synthesis. Most granular synthesis techniques, however, use stochastic methods to control the formation of sound events, while Chaosynth uses a cellular automaton. Following an introduction to the basics of granular synthesis, the author explains how Chaosynth's technique works. He then introduces the basics of cellular automata and presents ChaOs, the cellular automaton used in Chaosynth. The article concludes with some final remarks and suggestions for further work.


The Chinese farmers' image has undergone the serial changes from individual laborers to collective laborers to independent production operators.The evolution is,in essence,the evolution of the mode of the laborer's combing with the means of production in the ownership of different nature or in the same ownership of different form.A study of this problem helps study our Party's policies on farmers since the establishment of PRC from a new perspective and is of great theoretical and realistic significance.


In a process for producing a bent part from an elongated workpiece, in particular from a tube, use is made of a bending machine having a bending head with a bending arm which has a device for engaging on an end portion of the workpiece and can be rotated about a bending axis by means of a bending drive controlled by a control device. First of all, a portion of the workpiece is moved into a starting position in the region of engagement of the bending head. Then, the engagement device is moved into contact with the end portion. Then, a bend is produced between a supply-side portion and the end portion in a bending operation by rotating the bending arm about the bending axis. An actual bend angle produced by the bending operation is then determined. To determine the actual bend angle, the bending arm is moved into a measurement position in which an element of the bending arm is in contact with the end portion, and a sensor signal which represents the rotary position of the bending arm in the measurement position is processed to determine the actual bend angle.


Despite the popularity of MIM applications in the workplace, little research has been done to understand the use of MIM applications at work. This initial study attempts to explore the effects of MIM on communication quality and Work‐Life‐Balance. Preliminary analysis from 166 participants indicated that the use of MIM did not compromise communication quality or Work‐Life‐Balance. Additionally, we also found that MIM applications facilitate information flow between work and personal domains.


Abstract 1884 Non-obese diabetic/severe combined immune-deficient (NOD/SCID) mice are widely used as a human-mouse xeno-transplant model for assessing engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Optimizing this model and understanding the variables that affect engraftment are critical to correctly interpret the engraftment results of human HSCs in NOD/SCID recipients. However, the engraftment efficiency of human HSCs remains very low in NOD/SCID mice. Larger efforts have been devoted to improving engraftment by increasing the immune-deficiency of the mice, but less effort has been made toward other negative parameters in the host. Our preliminary study showed that NOD/SCID mice had higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the bone marrow (BM) in comparison with other commonly used mouse strains (C57BL/6 and BALB/C). Given the previous studies by us and others showing that excessive ROS could impair the function of HSCs and that antioxidants were able to overcome the exhaustion of mouse HSCs in transplant recipients, we hypothesized that the poor engraftment of human hematopoietic cells in NOD/SCID recipients may be partially attributed to higher levels of ROS in NOD/SCID BM and a reduction of ROS by antioxidants may improve the engraftment of human HSCs in NOD/SCID mice. To test this hypothesis, NOD/SCID (8- to 12-week-old) mice were injected subcutaneously daily with an antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or PBS (control) for two weeks before being irradiated with 200 cGy from a cesium-137 source at 70cGy/min. Different doses of CD34+ cells or highly-enriched HSCs from human cord blood (CB) were injected through the tail vein or into the right tibia of the mice. The mice were maintained on NAC treated drinking water following injection, then sacrificed 12–14 weeks after transplantation to measure the engraftment levels of different hematopoietic cell lineages. We found that treatment with NAC was able to lower the levels of ROS in NOD/SCID BM. At the highest dose of injected CD34+ cells (>5×10 5 ), the NAC treated recipients displayed a significant increase of engraftment (2.1-fold) when compared with the control group (Control vs. NAC treated recipients: 11.04±3.11% vs. 23.21±4.0%, p=0.0224; n=20/each). This improvement was even more significant when injected cell numbers were reduced (2×10 5 and 1×10 5 had 3.9- and 4.9- fold higher engraftment, respectively, in NAC treated recipients), thus suggesting that saturating levels of HSCs may ease the anti-oxidant effect on engraftment. Furthermore, we also demonstrated higher levels of overall engraftment and multi-lineage differentiation of human HSCs (Lin-CD34+CD38-CD45RA-CD90+CD49f+Rho low ) with a limiting dilution analysis. In comparison with the control mice, NAC treated recipients displayed 2.5-, 3.5-, and 5.7-fold increases in engraftment in the injected tibia (IT), BM and spleen, respectively. The frequency of SCID-repopulating cell (SRC) in IT was approximately 3.0-fold higher in NAC treated mice than in control mice (1 in 108 vs. 1 in 36). Similar improvements (4.1- to 7.9- fold) in SRC frequencies were also detected in BM and spleen. Notably, NAC increased the probability of positive engraftment when a single human HSC was directly transplanted into the BM of NOD/SCID mice. In summary, our current study uncovers a previously unappreciated negative effect of ROS in the human-NOD/SCID xenotransplant model and reduction of ROS via antioxidants such as NAC may significantly enhance the engraftment of human hematopoietic stem cells in NOD/SCID mice. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


An approach to project prioritization in an engineering company is proposed in order to provide rapid response to unforeseen circumstances within the project change management. The concept is based on the formation of an integrated priority, consisting of static and dynamic components, the latest of which depends on the current state of the project.


This thesis makes a five-fold contribution to knowledge in the areas of theory, context, method, and management practice. It combines brand heritage, communitas, brand image, work engagement, affective commitment and satisfaction with management to develop a new theoretical model showing empirically, the contribution of brand heritage the history, image, symbols and story an organisation tells about its origins, evolution, and values and the interplay between these theoretical constructs for the first time. Second, it contributes to context through empirical demonstration of the appropriateness of brand heritage and communitas to the non-profit sector. Third, contributing to method, the research applied a mixed methodology, which included the use of a formative (as opposed to reflective) measurement model for brand heritage. It also contributes through conceptualizing for the first time, brand image and volunteer engagement as higher-order measurement models. Finally, contributing to management practice, this thesis outlines to managers the importance of nurturing, and cultivating a strong brand heritage, and ensuring it is leveraged appropriately to retain and attract satisfied, and committed volunteers. The data was collected in two phases. The first was conducted via questionnaires distributed amongst Scout volunteers to test the newly developed theoretical model, while the second phase enhanced understanding through semi-structured interviews with volunteers, complementing the validated theoretical model. The data demonstrates brand heritage makes a substantial contribution to volunteer management, and can positively impact upon volunteers' experiences, and a volunteer organisation's ability to retain them. Furthermore, the data shows the importance of cultivating non-profit brand heritage and suggests heritage custodianship as an important, but previously unidentified area of non-profit management focus. More broadly, this thesis offers guidance to non-profit managers for retaining volunteers, and vindicates further consideration of the contribution traditionally private sector management practices can have within the non-profit sector. Dedication This thesis is dedicated to the volunteers who inspired it. Acknowledgements Many PhD holders comment on the challenge of the PhD journey highlighting, in particular, the loneliness of a process involving many long days and nights by a computer, accompanied only by one's thoughts, anxieties, and mounting self-doubt. Although my PhD experience has certainly included these elements, it has also contained many highs; finally satisfying reviewer 2, presenting at international conferences, and the satisfaction of helping students develop and grow in fulfilment of my teaching responsibilities. Yet, the most satisfying outcome of this whole process has been the reiteration of the importance of those people who matter most and, indeed, I have no doubt the PhD process could not have been completed without them. First of all, I owe sincere thanks to Liz, who from the outset supported my ambition to leave Japan and undertake my PhD studies in Edinburgh, despite the challenges it presented to maintaining our relationship several continents and time-zones apart. Liz, the support you have given me, and the belief you have shown over the last three years has often been the difference between keeping going, or giving up, I could not have progressed this far without you. I am eternally indebted to Professor Kevin O'Gorman, and Dr Babak Taheri, who have been a tremendous support to me throughout the PhD process. Their patience and commitment towards me has been above and beyond the call of duty, setting a benchmark of supervision I will strive to offer to any supervisees I may have in the future. I owe gratitude also to Professor Robert MacIntosh for his contribution to publication projects related to this thesis, and constructive criticism on aspects of it. Additionally, I would like to thank my parents and family, for their continued support, for always pushing me to be the best I can, and for providing the appropriate grounding when necessary. The arrival of a new niece during the PhD process further helped in maintaining my perspective of the important things in life, and I hope a copy of this thesis will not impact too negatively upon Dolly's enthusiasm for reading in the future! Finally, the process of researching and writing this project has opened my eyes to the inspirational work carried out by so many people, not for financial gain, but simply to improve the lives of others, and better the society we share. During the data collection process, and through attending academic and industry conferences (ARNOVA, AVM), I was moved by the lengths volunteers will go to make a difference, and it is to them that this thesis is dedicated.


Leprosy is an infectious disease that affects the skin and peripheral nerves, caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae. In addition to a spectrum of clinical presentations, it can trigger acute immune reactions, called leprosy reactions, which may be type 1 (reverse reaction) or type 2 (erythema nodosum leprosum - ENL). Erythema nodosum is the most common and most severe type of reaction. It has been classified as mild, moderate or severe, which implies directly in the prognosis and treatment. In order to standardize the classification, the Erythema Nodosum Leprosum International Study (ENLIST) Group has developed an objective severity scale, the ENLIST ENL severity scale, which is the first validated scale in the world. The objective of the study was to describe the sociodemographic, clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients attending a tertiary hospital, one of the three reference centers in leprosy in Piaui, classifying them according to the severity measured by the ENLIST ENL scale. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional observational study was performed, involving 26 patients, recruited sequentially from May 2017 to February 2018. According to the scoring obtained in the scale, the patients were divided into two groups: 1, mild ENH and 2, moderate / severe ENH. The data, collected through a structured questionnaire, were analyzed statistically and compared to each other. There were 12 patients in group 1 and 14 in group 2 Cutaneous nodules were identified in 96.2% of the patients and pain in 84.6%, the most frequent manifestations. The extent and number of nodules were related to the severity of the cases. The majority of the patients were male, between 31 and 49 years of age, with low schooling, pardos, family income between 1 and 3 minimum wages and residents in the urban area of Teresina. Comorbidities were found in 46.2%, and diabetes melitus was the most frequent associated disease. Twenty-four patients (92.3%) had disability, most of them grade 1. Virchowian clinical form was the most frequent. Only two patients were still taking multidrug therapy (MDT) for leprosy, most had finished treatment more than a year ago. Most of the cases were chronic, with a history of more than 5 episodes treated with thalidomide at a dose of 100 mg / day, isolated or in combination with oral corticosteroid. Discontinuation of treatment was indicated as the cause for outbreaks in 61.5% of patients. Erythema nodosum leprosum is manifested by cutaneous nodules and pain in almost all patients, thus interfering negatively in their quality of life. Many patients develop chronic ENL and require treatment with thalidomide and other immunosuppressants for a long time and inappropriate discontinuation of medications is primarily responsible for outbreaks of the disease. This was the first study carried out in Piaui to use a validated severity scale of erythema nodosum leprosum, which should be disclosed in all reference services.