Conceptions of landscape and its protection have changed over time. The same is true of discourses about environmental management, but seldom have the two been aligned. This paper theorises a link between these practices through reference to the landscape of the Malvern Hills. The locality was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in October 1959 in recognition of the high scenic value of this 'upland ridge' situated within a lowland landscape setting. However, much criticism was levelled at the 'Cinderella' position of AONB designations until the 2000 Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act attempted to improve their performance at preventing landscape change. The Act formalised the need to establish AONB management plans and to monit or the effectiveness of such plans. With no established methodology for such monitoring in existence, the paper reports on an innovative attempt to monitor landscape change through a resolution of tensions between conceptions of 'scenic beauty' and the 'ecologically modern' system of Landscape Character Assessment. This done, thoughts turn to a cultural critique of these actions which raise challenges for future approaches to protecting landscape.


Problem statement and aim The esthetics of the complete denture primarily depend upon the color of the denture teeth; however, there are situations where the teeth are subjected to extrinsic and intrinsic stains and discolor over time. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of smoking and two different denture cleaners on the color stability of the denture teeth. Material and methods Commercially available maxillary anterior teeth made up of acrylic resin were selected for the study and were divided into two groups (n=10): persulfate-free denture cleanser and persulfate containing denture cleansers. The acrylic teeth were set in the smoke chamber with a distance to absorb the smoke equally from the cigarette. The smoke was released for 10 minutes, and the results are observed by the spectrophotometer. Results All the values were collected after the 21st day, and data were analyzed with the SPSS software. It was found that denture cleansers with persulfate are effective on color stability. Conclusions Even though the persulfate containing denture cleansers are injurious to health, they can be recommended to the smokers with clear instructions of use. However, for non-smokers, persulfate-free denture cleansers are preferred over the persulfate containing denture cleansers.


In this work, the dynamics of fluctuations in gene expression time series is investigated. By using collected data of gene expression from yeast and human organisms, we found that the fluctuations of gene expression level and its average value over time are strongly correlated and obey a scaling law. As this feature is found in yeast and human organisms, it suggests that probably this coupling is a common dynamical organizing property of all living systems. To understand these observations, we propose a stochastic model which can explain these collective fluctuations, and predict the scaling exponent. Interestingly, our results indicate that the observed scaling law emerges from the self-similarity symmetry embedded in gene expression fluctuations.


Based on the use of KD-tree, we present a method of indexing of the color images. This method combines color's information of the pixels and their positions in the images. It also aims at reducing the size of signatures of each image, and consequently reducing the computation time between two signatures. The method of similarity measure used is the EMD distance. The latter based on the minimization of cost required to transform one distribution to another, and is one of the only distances which can work on signatures which are not necessarily the same number of bins. The performances of this method are compared to those obtained by using color histograms in terms of time and accuracy.


This paper presents a novel algorithm for solving the traffic assignment problem (TAP). Contrary to traditional algorithms, which use the one-to-all shortest path algorithm to solve the problem for all origin destinations (OD) pairs, this algorithm tracks the changes of the edges and (at certain iterations) solves the problem only for critical edges whose flows have changed substantially using a state-of-the-art edge p2p shortest path algorithm. When additionally, only OD pairs with larger flows are considered, this enhancement halves the time needed to optimize the solution with a very small error in a large-scale network.


: The hemic hypoxia caused by the methemoglobin-inducing agent sodium nitrite (40 mg/kg intraperitoneally at days 10 to 19 of pregnancy) evokes a decrease in the birth and survival rates of pups, delayed disorders of motor coordination. Prenatal hypoxia was demonstrated to be able to disturb the habituation in the open field, learning and memory in passive avoidance paradigm, cognitive ability in the plus-maze extrapolative water escape test. The treatment of pregnant rats with sodium hydroxybutyrate (150 mg/kg orally 1-3 times daily at days 12 to 19 of pregnancy) normalizes offsprings' birth and survival rates, prevents the above-mentioned neuropsychological disturbances and improves learning in the active avoidance test.


In the last two decades there has been a growing interest in the scientific community to study the function of adipose tissue (AT), partly due to concerns about obesity and its metabolic consequences and also for recognition that adipocytes integrate a wide range of homeostatic processes. This paper shows the advances in research on the white adipose tissue physiology, with emphasis on its role on endocrine, metabolic and inflammatory process, as well as the adipogenic process. The knowledge of the molecular events that regulate differentiation of pre-adipocytes and mesenchymal stem cells into adipocytes or adipogenesis is critical for understanding the genesis of obesity. This issue will also be approached on this review. Key-Words: adipogenesis; adipokines; obesity


We present the results of a series of calculations predicting surface acoustic wave (SAW) beam profile propagation in the 〈110〉 direction on {100}‐cut GaAs. These calculations utilize an experimentally verified angular spectrum of plane waves diffraction theory computer program with experimentally determined GaAs slowness surface data. These data are presented in such a way that they should be particularly useful to designers of acoustic charge transport (ACT) devices, by enabling appropriate choice of ACT channel widths for given delay line lengths and SAW transducer apertures. Further, these calculations show that ACT filters which rely on apodization to determine tap weights will suffer transfer function distortion, alternatively interpreted as reduction of dynamic range, compared to ACT filters in which charge sensing is accomplished by taps extending fully across the channel and employing tap weighting external to the channel; this problem is observed to grow in acuteness with delay line length.


Here is a concise historical review and some perspectives on the spotlighted nuclear transplantation (cloning) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). Besides, we propose that iPSC may be hypothetically considered one exceptional case among "cancerous" cells. The argument between stochastic and elite model of iPSC is briefly discussed.


This article looks closely at eighteenth-century crime narratives written about Indian criminals. These texts present a more complex and contested view of emerging notions of racial difference than scholars have yet seen. Many authors of crime literature were also missionaries—and thus motivated to defend the worth of Indian souls, even in the face of hardening notions of racial difference. In so doing, they offered a view of human difference that hinged on conversion, rather than on nature—a view that challenged the developing concept that Indians were "naturally" and inescapably inferior. Because these texts were widely read, that pattern deserves attention. It amounts, ultimately, to a powerful reminder that religious discourse sometimes intervened in unfolding processes of racialization. Early Americans were confronted in their prejudices, even as they took shape. "Race" was not inevitable; it was the product of many choices, made silently by the public.


Thousands of cases each year of child exploitation on P2P file sharing networks lead from an IP address to a home. A first step upon execution of a search warrant is to determine if the home's open Wi-Fi or the closed wired Ethernet was used for trafficking; in the latter case, a resident user is more likely to be the responsible party. We propose methods that use remotely measured traffic to disambiguate wired and wireless residential medium access. Our practical techniques work across the Internet by estimating the perflow distribution of inter-arrival times for different home access network types. We observe that the change of inter-arrival time distribution is subject to several residentialfactors, including differences between OS network stacks, and cable network mechanisms. We propose a model to explain the observed patterns of inter-arrival times, and we study the ability of supervised learning classifiers to differentiate between wired and wireless access based on these remote traffic measurements.


We study the zero-temperature dynamics of the 1D Ising Model with long range interactions. In particular, we focus on the persistence behavior as the strength of the long range interaction is varied. Persistence pertains to those spins that did not flip after some time. We observe that whatever the strength of the long range interaction, the system exhibits blocking where some spins do not flip at all. The system size is also varied to see its effect on these properties.


In general, testing is one of the most important part of software development lifecycle (SDLC).Now a days, usage of internet is increasing rapidly, so it becomes necessity to test the websites. The web testing is more complicated as it involves different testing strategies and tools, because the tool has to support different characteristic properties and also different frameworks. So there is need to test websites as early as possible so that you will get require result in less time. The main objective of our project is to develop a time and cost effective web testing environment using selenium grid and spot instances of AWS (Amazon Web Service) on cloud to reduce testing Time using selenium grid on multiple machines and to reduce testing Cost by use of lower cost spot instances of Amazon Web Services (AWS).


This paper developes two algorithms for finding the time-dependent reliability of any active-redundant system in terms of component failure probabilities. These algorithms apply to non-loaded, continuously-operating systems in which drift-type failures are neglected. The first algorithm is used when each component can fail in only one mode. A procedure, based on the Quine-McCluskey technique from switching circuit theory, is stated in conjunction with this algorithm which permits rapid simplification of the reliability expression. Two failure modes are permitted in the second algorithm. The relation between the expressions resulting from the algorithms and lifetime random variables is given so that the algorithms do not depend on specific component failure distributions.


Global demand for air conditioning is expected to increase continuously. In order to minimize the impact on the climate as a total amount of CO2 equivalent, it is essential to continue to search for better refrigerants. On the other hand, product size and cost are important factors in providing value to users. This time, while using the experiment result of the mini-split type air-conditioner reported in the past, in addition, we conducted a new experiment on multi-type VRF air-conditioner. Then, the difference in COP performance between R-410A and alternative candidate refrigerants was evaluated. In addition, we studied the product design using R-452B, R-454B by simulation and compare the size when the performance is made identical by changing the system specifications with alternative refrigerant candidates. As a result, common results were obtained in both systems. It was found that R-452B and R-454B have better performance than R-410A. On the other hand, for split type air-conditioner with connecting pipes, it was found that these refrigerants need to increase both the indoor heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger to 120% in order to obtain the same performance as R-32.


The author investigates numerically the behaviour of the one-dimensional complex Ginzburg-Landau equation near the onset of phase instability. The spatio-temporal intermittency behaviour observed is characterized by the spontaneous creation and annihilation of non-oscillating points moving in space, delimiting regular regions of travelling waves. The author computes the probability distribution of finding a laminar area of size l and explain the creation mechanism of these localized propagative structures.


This IMTO summarises the evidence relating to a technology submitted for assessment by the manufacturer. This IMTO offers an impartial review of the strengths and weaknesses of the technology to contribute to local decision-making by NHS health professionals, managers and procurement colleagues. IMTOs do not make recommendations and should be considered alongside existing guidance applicable to NHSScotland.


We study the zero-temperature phase diagram of the disordered spin-1 Bose-Hubbard model in a two-dimensional square lattice. To this aim, we use a mean-field Gutzwiller ansatz and a probabilistic mean-field perturbation theory. The spin interaction induces two different regimes, corresponding to a ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order. In the ferromagnetic case, the introduction of disorder reproduces analogous features of the disordered scalar Bose-Hubbard model, consisting in the formation of a Bose glass phase between Mott insulator lobes. In the antiferromagnetic regime, the phase diagram differs more from the scalar case. Disorder in the chemical potential can lead to the disappearance of Mott insulator lobes with an odd-integer filling factor and, for sufficiently strong spin coupling, to Bose glass of singlets between even-filling Mott insulator lobes. Disorder in the spinor coupling parameter results in the appearance of a Bose glass phase only between the n and the n+1 lobes for n odd. Disorder in the scalar Hubbard interaction inhibits Mott insulator regions for occupation larger than a critical value.


Purpose: The purpose of this pilot descriptive study was twofold: to explore Guatemalan traditional midwives' knowledge, attitudes and practices about nursing interventions to manage postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), and to evaluate the effect of a culturally sensitive teaching on traditional midwives' knowledge of nursing interventions to manage PPH. Methods: Thirteen midwives participated in a one-day teaching at a Refuge International Health Clinic in the remote town of Sarstun, Guatemala. The quasi experimental study used a one-group, pretest posttest design. Researchers relied on a PPH checklist from the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM) to evaluate knowledge of PPH interventions before and after the PPH teaching. One 45-minute focus group also was conducted among the midwives. The Long Table Approach was used to develop a matrix of common themes. Results: The culturally sensitive teaching improved traditional midwives' knowledge and skills about nursing inter- ventions to manage PPH (pretest M=1.385/8, posttest M=4.846/8). In the focus group, midwives revealed several themes that contradicted the literature. Midwives repeatedly denied managing PPH despite a combined 197 years of midwifery experience. Midwives said they trusted local health care providers, and would transfer patients to hospitals in emergencies. Midwives asked for assistance in educating villagers about the importance of prenatal care and of seeking early labor support. Conclusions: Results of this pilot project suggest a culturally sensitive oral teaching in the primary language of participants improves traditional midwives' ability to manage PPH. Future training should follow a similar format to address the needs of illiterate participants in resource-poor settings, and should include the entire community, not just midwives.


§ These authors were previously at AVAZ Networks, Software Technology Park, Constitution Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan Abstract – This paper presents a method to create a model for simulating the top-level system design of System-on-Chip using a sequential language. The model constitutes a cycle accurate simulation of the system under test at the required level of abstraction. The need for such a configurable platform arises during the initial system level design phase. The approach described in the paper has been successfully applied in the system level verification of a commercial media processor where the primary application is in VoIP media gateways. The implementation is primarily focused on monitoring and verification of inter-processor communication (IPC) among processing engines in the media processor.


In this paper, we derive Taylor's theorem for beta-fractional derivative. We also investigate some new properties of Taylor's theorem and some useful related theorems for this derivative. We extend some recent and classical integral inequalities to this new simple interesting fractional calculus including Steffensen and Hermit-Hadamard inequality.


Quantization is an element of lossy image compression systems. We introduce three basic quantization methods commonly used in the JPEG or JPEG-2000 standards: USQ (uniform scalar quantization); USDZQ (uniform scalar dead-zone quantization); UTCQ (universal trellis coded quantization) which has recently become regarded as a competitive quantization strategy. We apply these three types of quantizers to the DWT transformed coefficients of images. The performance comparisons show that UTCQ can quantize data more precisely than the two other quantizers with the same step size. However, when they are combined with zero or high order entropy coders, USDZQ is the best. We show that if the dead-zone is designed carefully, USDZQ can effectively reduce the output bits of the entropy coder, although it reduces quantization precision by discarding some data around zero. These results show that the threshold we choose for USDZQ is reasonable, and it is suitable for a transform based image compression system.


Parental socialization of emotion consists of parental behaviors that scaffold child emotional reactivity and regulation. The current study examined whether adolescents' perceptions of their mothers' supportive versus non-supportive responses to negative emotions could predict adolescent emotional reactivity. Thirty adolescent girls (Mage  = 14.41 [1.55]) reported on how their mothers typically respond to their negative emotions and then completed a laboratory-based mother-adolescent interaction task. A multi-modal assessment of adolescent emotional reactivity during the interaction included adolescents' skin conductance levels (SCLs) and state anxiety, and mother-daughter interactions were behaviorally coded to assess how often dyads engaged in both negative and positive escalation (i.e., a pattern of negative or positive behavior of one partner being reciprocated by the other). Adolescents who reported that their mothers used more non-supportive responses to their negative emotion tended to exhibit higher SCL and engage in more negative escalation with their mothers during the interaction task. Furthermore, adolescents' SCL was positively correlated with both their state anxiety levels and negative escalation during the task. Together, these findings suggest that adolescents who perceive their mothers as less supportive of negative emotions are more likely to exhibit greater negative emotionality during parent-adolescent interaction, which may relate to risk for emotional disorders.


Abstract Cyber-physical systems (CPS) are able the collect huge amounts of data about themselves, their users, and their environment during their usage phase. By feeding these usage data back into product planning, manufacturers can optimize their engineering and decision-making processes. Despite promising potentials, most manufacturers still do not analyze usage data within product planning. Also, research on usage data-driven product planning is scarce. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the main concepts, advantages, success factors and challenges of usage data-driven product planning. To answer the corresponding research questions, a comprehensive systematic literature review is conducted. From its results, a detailed description of usage data-driven product planning consisting of six main concepts is derived. Furthermore, taxonomies for the advantages, success factors and challenges of usage data-driven product planning are presented. The six main concepts and the three taxonomies allow for a deeper understanding of the topic while highlighting necessary future actions and research needs.


Broadcasting is the primary procedure employed in Mobile ad hoc network for different kinds of functions like sending data and route discovery. Simple flooding is the direct method for broadcasting which can degrade the network performance. To resolve the broadcast storm issue which potentially leads to contention, collision and replicated messages, recently a new probabilistic approach has been proposed. In this paper we put forward this new probabilistic approach, namely Energy aware probabilistic broadcasting which ameliorates the network performance by decreasing the RREQ overhead in route discovery phase. In comparing the simulation results of AODV which employs blind flooding and fixed probability against the combination of AODV and the presented probabilistic broadcasting, the later has been found to reduce both overhead as well as the end to end delay.


The independent micro-grid is considered to be a technology in which maximum distributed energy is realizable. However, there are many subjects, such as the stability of the dynamic characteristics of power and development of an optimal design method. If the fuel cell system of the capacity corresponding to a load peak is installed, equipment cost will be high and energy cost will not be able to get any profile commercially. By increasing the hydrogen concentration at the time of low load, the power-generation efficiency of a city-gas-engine-generator improves, and carbon dioxide emissions decrease. So, in this paper, a micro-grid composed from a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and a hydrogenation city gas engine was investigated using numerical simulation. The system with a small load factor of NEG and with a large load factor of PEM-FC system has few CO2 emissions. The system which combined base-load operation of PEM fuel cell and load fluctuation operation of hydrogenation city gas engine is the most advantageous for the comprehensive evaluation of equipment cost, power generation efficiency, and CO2 emissions. When the optimal system was installed into the urban area model of 20 buildings and analyzed, power generation efficiency was 25% and CO2 emissions were 1,106 kg/Day.


We investigated the Eu charge and atomic dynamics in Eu3Pd20Ge6 by conventional 151Eu Mossbauer spectroscopy and 151Eu nuclear resonant inelastic scattering. The results of 151Eu Mossbauer spectroscopy indicate the presence of the Eu valence fluctuation both at the 4a and 8c site with different frequency. The 151Eu nuclear resonant inelastic scattering spectra differ from the previous results of filled skutterudites.


A discrete time multiaccess channel is considered where the outcome of a transmission is either "idle", "success", or "collision", depending on the number of users transmitting simultaneously. Messages involved in a "collision" must be retransmitted. An efficient access allocation policy is developed for the case where infinitely many sources generate traffic in a Poisson manner and can all observe the outcomes of the previous transmissions. Its rate of success is .488. Modifications are presented for the cases where the transmission times depend on the transmission outcomes and where observations are noisy.


Did Hillary Clinton lose the 2016 presidential election because she is a woman? This article entertains plausible alternative explanations, but I argue that sexism was a powerful influence in both that election and her loss of the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008. Enough voters in enough states expected more of women than of men, and they expected different things. Since the nineteenth century, some feminist scholars and activists have reinforced asymmetrical gendered expectations by emphasizing gender differences. Their actions served valid purposes at the time, but their legacy has encouraged antifeminist backlash.


Increasing plant diversity commonly enhances standing biomass and other ecosystem functions (i.e., carbon fluxes, water use efficiency, herbivory). The standing biomass is correlated with vegetation volume, which describes plant biomass allocation within a complex canopy structure. As the canopy structure of plant communities is not static throughout time, it is expected that its changes also control diversity effects on ecosystem functioning. Yet, most studies are based on one or two measures of ecosystem function per year. Here, we examine the temporal effects of diversity of grassland communities on canopy structural components in high temporal (bi-weekly throughout the growing season) and spatial resolutions as a proxy for ecosystem functioning. Using terrestrial laser scanning, we estimate metrics of vertical structure, such as biomass distribution (evenness) and highest biomass allocation (center of gravity) along height strata. For horizontal metrics, we calculated community stand gaps and canopy surface variation. Our findings show that species-rich communities start filling the vertical space (evenness) earlier in the growing season, suggesting a more extended period of resource use (i.e., light-harvesting). Moreover, more diverse communities raised their center of gravity only at the peak of biomass in spring, likely triggered by higher interspecific competition inducing higher biomass allocation at upper layers of the canopy. Furthermore, richer communities were clumpier only after mowing, revealing species-specific differences in regrowth. Lastly, species richness strongly affected canopy variation when the phenology status and height differences were maximal, suggesting differences in plant functional strategies (space to grow, resource use, and flowering phenology). Therefore, the effects of diversity on ecosystem functions depending on those structural components such as biomass production, decomposition, and herbivory, may also change throughout the season due to various mechanisms, such as niche differences, increased complementarity, and temporal and spatial variation in biological activity.


The amine sweetening process is one of the most matured technology that deals with acid gas removal. However, energy consumption is considered as a prominent concern for amine absorption process due to the significant energy requirement for amine re-boiler. In previous paper (SPE-192731-MS), we discussed the effectiveness of two promising debottlenecking approaches for amine sweetening process namely; lean vapor compression (LVC) and rich vapor compression (RVC). This paper objective is to study the effectiveness of Rich Solvent Recycle (RSR) and low stripper operating pressure on pre-combustion amine absorption process.
 The study used ProMax 4.0 simulator, which has been well proven to have a high accurate prediction for amine sweetening processes calculations. For RSR approach, the rich solvent leaving the bottom of absorber has been divided into two streams in which one is recycled back to the bottom of the absorber and other stream continues to the same normal path as for conventional amine process configuration. The flow ratio between recycled stream to the forward stream has been optimized to provide the minimum overall duty. For the stripper operating pressure approach, the impact of lowering the pressure on re-boiler duty has been studied for two different plants. For all scenarios, the treated gas acid gas concentration and system operating window were kept as constant. The proposed approaches have been simulated in two existing two amine-sweetening plants currently under operation by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) for H2S capture (i.e. Plant-A) and the other one for CO2 capture (i.e. Plant-B). .
 The results indicate that rich solvent recycle (RSR) debottlenecking approach potentially could result in lower re-boiler duty by maximizing the solvent/acid gas contact at the bottom of the contactor with a potential energy saving of 20% for Plant-A. The ratio between recycled streams to the forward stream has been manipulated to achieve optimum energy consumption. For stripper operating pressure, it has been found that the re-boiler duty decreased due to lower operating pressure.
 The study has focused on pre-combustion amine absorption process unlike most of the published studies, which focused on post-combustion processes. In addition, in this paper live plants data were used to examine the simultaneous impact of different parameters.


During the 21st century, the issue of service quality – especially in the field of education – is demonstrated more and more, not only in the Greek territory but worldwide. This fact has intensified the efforts from various institutions – national and international – for thorough measurement of service quality so that the modern (contemporary) educational institutes will be elevated as the most competitive ones.
For that exact reason, this essay aims to highlight the importance of assessment – both internal and external –, which constitutes the main axis for quality assurance in the field of education and it is considered an aid for a creative, innovative and experiential learning. In addition, main target of this essay is the appliance of the tools of strategic management to the Greek Business Schools: University of Piraeus, Athens University of Economics and Business and University of Macedonia.
Specifically, in Part A, the theoretical background of strategic management, the basic concepts of Total Quality Management, with meticulous reference to service quality, and the structure of Greek superior education system are presented.
In Part B, an analysis of both the internal and external environment of the examined strategic group is performed, followed by an overview of the methodology of quality assurance in Greek superior education system. In Greece, this analysis is being carried out under the supervision of the Hellenic Quality Assurance & Accreditation Agency (HQA) and the legal framework that defines it.
However, the interest is focused on the external assessment, and for that reason, the structure of the standard, according to the requirements of HQA, is presented. Also, a detailed report is performed on pros and cons, as well as, suggestions for further development of positive and necessary changes for the improvement per subject based on the latest assessment, which was conducted during the period of October 2015 – July 2016, for the examined universities are presented.
In conclusion, useful deductions based on the examination of the findings of the aforementioned reports are drawn and suggestions for future examination of the topic are proposed.


Staging the Message. The Architecture of Communication.With the autumn lecture series and the ResArc course "Staging the Message. The Architecture of Communication" the UMA School of architecture will especially investigate - besides a series of other relevant curriculum lectures - how mediated research can establish a pro-active relation with its audience. In reaction to the virtual realism of the spectacle dominating mainstream media - which prevents a substantive use of word and image, the lecture series and course deals with textual, visual and spatial practices that further more refined, complex and argumentative forms of communication and foreground the constructed nature of their messages in order to solicit the active interpretation of the viewer/reader. To paraphrase architect Stefano Boeri we are in need of interactive antennas that counter a geopolitics that destroys any chance of communicative action. It is for this reason that the lectures and course focuses on the practices of a narrative language use in text, image, spatial and electronic media with emphasis on the potentialities and richness of the 'reflexive' or 'dialogic approach'. It tries to recuperate the specificity of its progressive and participatory practice - due to its role in the socio-cultural context producing meaning and symbolic values - by concentrating on the editing and making process. Which is to say that the course will introduce a way of directing that structures the collection of information and its editing in such a way that the staging, the 'mise-en-page' of the message gets the complementary sensitivity its content deserves. The lectures are organized by Roemer van Toorn, Professor Architectural Theory, in collaboration with the Swedish research school ResArc, the Laboratory of Immediate Architectural Intervention (LiAi) run by Professors Oren Lieberman & Alberto Altes Arlandis, and the Laboratory of Sustainable Architectural Production (LSAP) run by Professors Walter Unterrainer and Juri Soolep at UMA.


The present work covers original information on the aphid parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Aphidiinae) of Southeastern Europe. The individual parasitoid species were reared from identified host aphid and plant associations which are listed alphabetically. Twenty two aphidiine genera and 115 species from 208 aphid taxa occurring on 422 plant taxa were identified and 561 parasitoid-aphid associations are reported. The determined parasitoid fauna was divided into 9 faunal groups. Local information on some important biocontrol agents (Aphidius colemani Viereck) as well as on expansive/introduced species (Lysiphlebus testaceipes (Cresson)) in the area are presented.


Abstract The production network under examination consists of a number of workstations. Each workstation is a parallel configuration of machines performing the same kind of tasks on a given part. Parts move from one workstation to another and at each workstation a part is assigned randomly to a machine. We assume that the production network is acyclic, that is, a part does not return to a workstation where it previously received service. Furthermore, we assume that the quality of the end product is additive, that is, the sum of the quality contributions of the machines along the production path. The contribution of each machine is modeled by a separate random variable. Our main result is the construction of estimators that allow pairwise and multiple comparison of the means and variances of machines in the same workstation. These comparisons then may lead to the identification of unreliable machines. We also discuss the asymptotic distributions of the estimators that allow the use of standard statistical tests and decision making.


Category: Ankle; Ankle Arthritis; Arthroscopy; Basic Sciences/Biologics; Bunion; Hindfoot; Lesser Toes; Midfoot/Forefoot; Sports; Trauma; Other Introduction/Purpose: Patients' expectations - and whether they are met - are an integral component of orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery. An expectations survey has been developed and validated to quantify patients' expectations preoperatively and the fulfillment of those expectations postoperatively. The fulfillment of expectations correlates highly with perceived improvement, outcomes scores, and overall satisfaction with surgery, both in foot and ankle surgery and across orthopaedic subspecialties. Yet unlike other orthopaedic specialties, foot and ankle contains an inherently wide variety of patient diagnoses and procedures. This study sought to identify the effect of foot and ankle diagnosis on postoperative outcomes in terms of the extent to which expectations are fulfilled. We hypothesized that the fulfillment of expectations would vary with diagnosis. Methods: This is a prospective single-center study of adult patients undergoing elective foot and ankle surgery. Preoperatively, all patients completed the validated Expectations Survey (range 0-100, with 100 indicating maximum expectations), which asks about anticipated improvement in items like pain, ambulation, function, and more generalized items like 'going back to normal.' Two years postoperatively, patients noted how much improvement (none, a little, moderate, a lot, or complete) actually attained for each item cited preoperatively. This allowed for calculation of a 'Fulfillment Proportion (FP),' a numerical representation of whether each patient's expectations were unmet (FP=0), partially met (FP 0-1), met as expected (FP=1), or surpassed (FP>1). FP was compared across diagnoses, and bivariate analysis between diagnoses and expectation fulfillment was performed using ordinal regression. Multivariate ordinal regression was then used to analyze the effect of diagnosis, clinical variables, and preoperative expectations on expectation fulfillment. Results: 271 of 340 (80%) patients had both preoperative and 2-year postoperative expectations data. Mean age was 55.4 years, mean BMI was 27.5 kg/m2, and 65% were female. Patients with diagnoses of midfoot/hindfoot arthritis (FP 0.68 +- .46) and neuroma (FP 0.69 +- .89) had the lowest proportion of expectations fulfilled (Table). Conversely, ankle arthritis patients had the highest proportion of expectations fulfilled (FP 0.94 +- .41). In multivariate regression analysis, diagnosis and preoperative expectations scores were significant independent predictors of low expectation fulfillment. Despite having lower preoperative expectations, neuroma patients were 5 times more likely (95% CI 1.5-14.6, p=.008) and midfoot/hindfoot arthritis patients were 3 times more likely (95% CI 1.3-8.5, p= .013) to have unfulfilled expectations. Conclusion: In orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery, the fulfillment of expectations varies with preoperative diagnosis. Patients with diagnoses of midfoot/hindfoot arthritis and neuroma were significantly more likely to have lower proportions of expectations fulfilled. Although the exact causes are unknown, possible explanations include the need for subsequent procedures, continued need for orthotics, progression of arthritis to adjacent joints in midfoot/hindfoot arthritis patients, and recurrent or residual symptoms in neuroma patients. Preoperatively, surgeons should emphasize the risks of surgery as well as the importance of realistic expectations in these patients in order to optimize their outcomes postoperatively.


It is very important and necessary to know the depth of the bedrock in determining the soil behavior. However, determining the depth of bedrock spatially is a very difficult and costly process. The depth of the bedrock can be obtained by using the dominant vibration frequency obtained by the microtremor data. The bedrock depth map was created with the correlation produced from the dominant vibration frequencies obtained from microtremor measurements made in Antakya (Turkey). In bedrock calculations at low frequencies, the value range shows scattering. In the vulnerability analysis for Antakya soils, a low level of vulnerability (Kg = 6) was obtained in the east and northeast of the area. It has been observed that the S-wave velocity (Vs) in this area is lower than 406 ms-1. In this case, this value has been accepted as the vulnerability threshold value in Antakya soils. Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) were obtained for each location by using earthquake ground motion levels with 2%, 10%, 50%, and 68% probability of exceedance in 50-year periods. The PGA values in the region range from 0.43 to 0.47 g for earthquakes with a return period of 475 years.


Spinal cord injury (SCI) is one of the leading and most crippling causes of acquired neurological impairment. It affects around 40,000 individuals in the UK, causing paralysis, multisystem impairment and a reduced life expectancy. This has a devastating impact on quality of life and places stress upon both individuals and healthcare systems. Despite extensive characterization of SCI pathology, there remains no cure. Stem cells offer a potential therapy since they can replace lost neurons, promote axonal regeneration and limit scar formation, but an optimal stem cell source has yet to be found. Enteric neural stem cells (ENSCs) are a possible solution. ENSCs comprise the renewing population of the enteric nervous system (ENS), the intrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. ENSCs can be isolated from the GI tract via minimally invasive techniques such as endoscopy, and when transplanted into aneural or dysfunctional gut, are capable of reforming a functional ENS. This thesis assesses the potential of ENSCs as a stem cell source for SCI. Chimeric neural tube grafting was used to fluorescently label chick ENSCs, allowing for isolation and lineage tracing. In vitro characterization revealed neuronal subtypes that were common between ENSCs and spinal cord tissue. Following transplantation into the embryonic chick spinal cord ENSCs survived, differentiated into neurons and formed anatomical bridges across the injury zone. In an adult rat model of SCI, ENSC transplantation was combined with application of chondroitinase ABC (ChABC), a modifier of the inhibitory microenvironment observed within SCI. ENSCs, when transplanted on their own, demonstrated extended survival, differentiated into neurons and bridged the injury site. Combined treatment (ENSCs + ChABC) resulted in a significant improvement in lesion histology, including reduction of the injury cavity, and increased numbers of endogenous axons crossing the injury site. Together, these findings establish ENSCs as a promising alternative stem cell source for SCI.


In this paper, self-adaptive proportional control method in economic
chaotic system is discussed. It is not necessarily required for the
fixed point having stable manifold in the method we used. One can
stabilize chaos via time-dependent adjustments of control
parameters; also can suppress chaos by adjusting external control
signals. Two kinds of chaos about the output systems in duopoly are
stabilized in a neighborhood of an unstable fixed point by using the
chaos controlling method. The results show that performances of the
system are improved by controlling chaos. Furthermore, their
applications in practice are presented. The results also show that
players can control chaos by adjusting their planned output or
variable cost per unit according to the sign of marginal profit.


Sustainable Development Goals and Africa Agenda 2063 acknowledges Small and Medium Enterprises as critical in promoting sustainable global economic development. However, most studies on corporate strategy in Kenya have mainly examined micro, small and large enterprises creating a missing middle with inadequate empirical data on medium scale enterprises, including those in the manufacturing sector. Moreover, Kenya's big four agenda proposes support to the manufacturing sector so as to raise its GDP share to 15 percent by 2022 in support of the realization of Vision 2030. Unfortunately, growth in the manufacturing sector has stagnated at about USD 5 billion for over a decade and continues to lose market share and competitiveness internationally. This study therefore investigated corporate strategy and competitiveness of medium scale manufacturing enterprises in Kenya. Data was collected from 56 senior management staff. Mean responses received in a Likert scale of 1 – 5 for each of the tested item was calculated by summing up all the codes and getting the average of the 56 respondents. This study established MSMEs which are within the SME sector are on average performing below par on issues to do with business strategy. The results show that in 56.1% of the MSMEs, there is a clearly written business unit mission statement (mean response of 4.3). In 54.5% of the firms, the business unit strategy is not adequate in light of competitive pressure (mean response 2.5) and the business unit strategy is not appropriate for exploiting opportunities in the future. In 48.5% of the firms, the business unit strategy is not formulated carefully by all levels of management (mean response 2.7) and there is no clearly developed long term business unit strategy (mean response 2.9). In 39.4% of these firms, the business unit strategy does not adequately reflect the strengths of the business unit (mean response 2.8). The study concluded that lack of an effective business strategy to direct the efforts of human resources in the desired direction would result in inability to realize the set organizational objectives. This means these MSMEs are struggling to operate, manage and improve their businesses efficiency and effectiveness in order to deliver quality products and services consistently and on time. This has a negative effect on MSMEs performance as it implies internal inefficiencies, ineffectiveness and negative bottom line, reduced job opportunities and low contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) in Kenya. The study recommended that the MSMEs should organise strategic focus workshops and use a combination of Porter's five force model components to plan, organise and formulate their business strategy mechanism after a comprehensive SWOT analysis. The MSMEs should periodically review their strategy in line with the prevailing competitive pressures using the following criteria to identify crucial strategic issues: (a) The impact they could have on their enterprises, (b) the likelihood that the identified issues would materialize, and (c) the time frame over which they could develop. The number of these issues needs to be limited to a manageable number (three to nine) to enhance the chances of securing the commitment and resources necessary to effectively act on them. The expected study output would be enhanced competitiveness of MSME and realization of Kenya's vision 2030.


The presence of human-leukocyte antigen (HLA)-antibodies and blood group incompatibility remain a large barrier to kidney transplantation leading to increased morbidity and mortality on the transplant waiting list. Over the last decade a number of new approaches were developed to overcome these barriers. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) remains the backbone of HLA desensitization therapy and has been shown in a prospective, randomized, placebo controlled trial to improve transplantation rates. Excellent outcomes with the addition of rituximab (anti-B cell) to IVIG based desensitization have been achieved. There is limited experience with bortezomib (anti-plasma cell) and eculizumab (complement inhibition) for desensitization. However, these agents may be good adjuncts for patients who are broadly sensitized with strong, complement-fixing HLA antibodies. Excellent short and long-term outcomes have been achieved in ABO incompatible transplantation with the combination of antibody removal, B cell depletion, and pre-transplant immunosuppression. Kidney paired donation has emerged as a reasonable alternative for programs who cannot provide desensitization or in conjunction with desensitization. Future therapies directed toward cytokines that alter B cell proliferation are under investigation.


A set of embedded atom model (EAM) interatomic potentials was developed to represent highly idealized face-centered cubic (FCC) mixtures of Fe–Ni–Cr–Co–Al at near-equiatomic compositions. Potential functions for the transition metals and their crossed interactions are taken from our previous work for Fe–Ni–Cr–Co–Cu [D. Farkas and A. Caro: J. Mater. Res. 33 (19), 3218–3225, 2018], while cross-pair interactions involving Al were developed using a mix of the component pair functions fitted to known intermetallic properties. The resulting heats of mixing of all binary equiatomic random FCC mixtures not containing Al is low, but significant short-range ordering appears in those containing Al, driven by a large atomic size difference. The potentials are utilized to predict the relative stability of FCC quinary mixtures, as well as ordered L1_2 and B2 phases as a function of Al content. These predictions are in qualitative agreement with experiments. This interatomic potential set is developed to resemble but not model precisely the properties of this complex system, aiming at providing a tool to explore the consequences of the addition of a large size-misfit component into a high entropy mixture that develops multiphase microstructures.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this paper is to analyze psychosocial stress in the workplace among hospital doctors working in surgical fields in Germany with the aid of the demand-control model, the effort-reward imbalance model, and selected additional indicators.

METHODS
A written questionnaire was answered by a stratified random sample consisting of 1311 hospital doctors working in surgical fields in 489 hospitals in Germany. Validated instruments were used to make measurements according to the demand-control and effort-reward imbalance models.

RESULTS
The working conditions of about a quarter of the hospital doctors surveyed were characterized by an effort-reward imbalance. 22% of them have "job strain" according to the demand-control model, i.e., they are confronted with high demands, yet have a low degree of control. Residents and assistant physicians not occupying training positions were both found to have an especially high degree of psychosocial stress. Furthermore, about one-fifth of the hospital doctors surveyed thought about giving up their profession at least a few times per month. 44% of them considered that the quality of patient care was sometimes or often impaired by an excessive physician workload.

CONCLUSION
An investigation of psychosocial stress in the workplace among hospital doctors in surgical fields in Germany indicates that this group suffers from more severe stress at work than other occupational groups. Such working conditions pose a threat to these physicians' own health and to the quality of the health care that they provide.


When designing a new product, conjoint analysis is a powerful tool to estimate the perceived value of the prospects. However, it has a drawback: when the product has too many attributes and levels, it may be difficult to administrate the survey to respondents because they will be overwhelmed by the too numerous questions. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach that permits us to bypass this problem. Contrary to conjoint analysis, which estimates respondents' utility functions, our approach directly estimates market shares. This enables us to split the questionnaire among respondents and, therefore, to reduce the burden on each respondent as much as desired. However, this new method has two weaknesses that conjoint analysis does not have: first, inferences on a single respondent cannot be made; second, the competition's product profiles have to be known before administrating the survey. Therefore, our method has to be used when traditional methods are less easily implementable, i.e., when the number of attributes and levels is large.


The major chemical changes during the processing of rubber occur with the breakdown in mastication and during vulcanization of the molded tire. There is little chemical change during the compounding, calendering, extrusion, and molding steps. Reclaiming is the process of converting scrap rubber into an unsaturated, processible product that can be vulcanized with sulfur. Pyrolysis of scrap rubber yields a complex mixture of liquids, gas, and residue in varying ratios dependent on the nature of the scrap and the conditions of pyrolysis.


The study aims to identify characteristics of the yogurt being incubated in green coconut shell (Cocos nucifera L. var. viridis Hassk). It was conducted in March 2020 at the Laboratory of Animal Product Technology and Mic- robiology Faculty of Animal Science, Udayana University. This studies used a Complete Random Design (CDR) with three treatments and five replications. The three treatments were incubated in a jar container (control) (P0), incubated in green coconut shell nonflesh (P1) and incubated in green coconut shell with flesh (P2). The variables observed were lactoce level, fat level, protein level and pH value. The results of this study have shown that yogurt's characteristic indicated lactose and protein levels was not significantly different (P>0,05) in all treatments, but P2 fat levels was higher significantly (P<0,05) different than P1 and P0. pH values was not significantly different (P>0,05) with P1 and significantly different (P<0,05) with P0. Conclusing in this study that the characteristics of yogurt incubated in green coconut shell getting good results at lactose level 2,32,42%; fat level 10,60-12,50%; pro- tein level 4,80-4,90%; and value pH 4,14-4,24%.


Compared with conventional linear ultrasonic inspection methods, which are sensitive only to severe defects, nonlinear ultrasonic inspection methods are better for revealing micro-cracks in thin plates. However, most nonlinear ultrasonic inspection methods have only been experimentally investigated using bulk or Rayleigh waves. Numerical studies, especially numerical simulations of Lamb ultrasonic waves, have seldom been reported. In this paper, the interaction between nonlinear S0 mode Lamb waves and micro-cracks of various lengths and widths buried in a thin metallic plate was simulated using the finite element method (FEM). The numerical results indicate that after interacting with a micro-crack, a new wave-packet was generated in addition to the S0 mode wave-packet. The second harmonics of the S0 mode Lamb waves and the new wave-packet were caused by nonlinear acoustic effects at the micro-crack. An amplitude ratio indicator is thus proposed for the early detection of buried micro-cracks.


The fact that xanthones have shown various activities, had encouraged the efforts to study their chemical characteristics. For example, the photochemical reaction of artonin E (13) and morusin (15), and also reaction artonin E (13) with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (14) gave cyclic xanthones derivatives : artobiloxanthone (8) and cycloartobiloxanthone (9). The structure of α-mangostin (1) with artonin E (13) and morusin (15) has the similarity, those are phenolic compounds with isoprenyl and hydroxyl groups. The photochemical reaction α-mangostin (1) and reaction α-mangostin (1) with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (14) have not been reported yet. This research study the photochemical reaction α-mangostin (1) and reaction α-mangostin (1) with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (14). α-Mangostin (1) obtained from polar fraction of dichloromethane of the root bark of Garcinia mangostana Linn. Photochemical reaction α-mangostin (1) was carried out using the high-pressure mercury lamp 100 watts as photon radiation source. Reaction α-mangostin (1) with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) (14) was performed at room temperature and in a dark room. The photochemical reaction of α-mangostin (1) for 38 hours gave 1,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-6',6'-dimethyldihydropyrano(2',3':2,3)-8-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (VII). The reaction α-mangostin (1) with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl DPPH (14) for 336 hours gave 1,6-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-6',6'-dimethylpyrano(2',3':2,3)-8-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (A) or 3-isomangostin (26).


Hedemora is the oldest town in Dalarna; traditionally acting as an important junction for trade. Nowadays, the town is suffering from a declining population and a poor economy. Therefore, it is important to explore how to best spend the money needed for Hedemora to become an attractive city once again.

"Sociotops" are public spaces that have been evaluated by their users and by city planners, both working together.

The result in the sociotop investigation will be used as a basis for city planning and as a foundation for discussing how to make the town a nicer environment.

The sociotop investigation attempts to answer the questions: What places are popular and why? And What places are disliked? I approached the questions by using questionnaires, by arranging public walks in the city and by holding group interviews with children, along with my own observations.

The information I have gathered is most detailed for children and youth between the ages of seven and twenty years old. This is good because they spend a lot of time outside, but seldom have any part in the planning process.

The most popular place in Hedemora is Sveaparken, while the most well used place is Asgatan. Asgatan is a necessary place for everyday life because that is where all the shops are. Sveaparken, on the other hand, is used by free will. Generally speaking, the most well liked places are open-air recreational areas and sports grounds, and well managed, central located, parks with some sort of extra activity or social meaning.
The sociotops will change as the town and its inhabitants develop, therefore the sociotop investigation has to continue. Otherwise it will soon be useless.


During their expeditions in Northern Tanzania in 1934/38, Ludwig and Margit Kohl-Larsen (discoverer of Eyasi and Garusi hominids)excavated i. a. the Mumba Rock Shelter. This important excavation yielded human skeletal remains of 18 individuals. The most relevant results of the morphological analyses are presented here. According to the affinities and absolute dating (hominid IX, 3700 B. C. ), the present study supports recent indications of the presence of Negroid groups in East Africa at an early stage in Later Stone Age times.


To investigate the influence of the variation of the original skeletons of natural phenanthroindo/quinolizidine alkaloids on antiviral activities, two types of structurally totally novel analogues 7a, 7b, 16a, and 16b were designed, synthesized, and evaluated against tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) for the first time. Bioassay results indicated that all four of the newly designed analogues showed good to excellent antiviral activities, among which analogue 16a dispalyed comparable activity with that of ningnanmycin, perhaps one of the most successful commercial antiviral agents, thus emerging as a potential inhibitor of plant virus and serving as a new lead for further optimization. Further structure-activity relationships are also discussed, demonstrating for the first time that the same changes of the original skeletons of phenanthroindolizidine and phenanthroquinolizidine exihibted totally different antiviral activities results, providing some original and useful information about the preferential conformation for maintaining high activities.


In the present study, we analyzed the immunological and biological potencies as well as the molecular composition of urinary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) present in determined lots of regular and highly purified (HP) commercial preparations of urofollitropin in order to obtain additional insights on the particular type of gonadotropin signal received by the ovary during exogenously regulated ovarian stimulation. In both preparations, a high degree of FSH charge heterogeneity was detected as disclosed by chromatofocusing analysis (pH range 7.5 to < 4.0). Urinary FSH present in the HP compound was consistently more acidic and exhibited a longer survival in rat circulation than the regular formulation. Inter-batch variability for FSH heterogeneity and in vitro bioactivity was higher in the partially purified preparation than in the HP analog. In the regular preparation, the amount of immunoreactive and bioactive FSH per ampule was two times higher than that present in the HP preparation; the resultant in vitro B/I ratios were similar. Although both urinary FSH preparations showed detectable amounts of immunoreactive and bioactive luteinizing hormone and choriogonadotropin hormone material, the degree of activity present in the less purified formulation was considerably higher than that shown by the HP analog. When the capability of each urinary FSH preparation to induce ovarian tissue-type plasminogen activator enzyme activity in hypophysectomized rats was determined, both formulations exhibited similar potencies despite the existing differences in plasma clearance rate and charge distribution profile. The present study indicates that the isoform composition of urinary FSH in the two commercial preparations analyzed differs according to the degree of purity of the formulation. More FSH material is needed in the partially purified FSH preparation to induce biological effects similar in magnitude to those exhibited by the highly purified analog. The possible impact of these variations in the molecular composition of the FSH signal on other biological functions of the ovary during the course of exogenously controlled follicular growth and maturation still remains to be ascertained.


The aim of our study is to determine the design ground acceleration values at different parts of Debrecen along two profiles crossing the city. Synthetic seismograms are computed by the so called "hybrid technique". This technique consists of the modal summation method, followed by finite difference modelling. Two independent computations have been performed using two different seismic sources and profiles. In both computations the seismic sources have been located in the so called "Mobile Zone". The Mobile Zone is a seismically active fault system between the villages of Hosszúpályi and Gálospetri. The focal mechanism and the homogeneous and heterogeneous parts of the profile are known from geophysical and geological data of the investigated area.The maximum response spectra ratio values of the horizontal component are found below 1 Hz all along the profile and the frequencies below 1 Hz are in good agreement with the natural frequencies of the multi-storeyed buildings.Computed effective peak acceleration (EPA) values are found to be in good agreement also with the higher than 6° MSK macroseismic intensity values estimated from the assessment records of damages wrought by the 1834 Érmellék earthquake.


Learning a good representation of text is key to many recommendation applications. Examples include news recommendation where texts to be recommended are constantly published everyday. However, most existing recommendation techniques, such as matrix factorization based methods, mainly rely on interaction histories to learn representations of items. While latent factors of items can be learned e'ectively from user interaction data, in many cases, such data is not available, especially for newly emerged items. In this work, we aim to address the problem of personalized recommendation for completely new items with text information available. We cast the problem as a personalized text ranking problem and propose a general framework that combines text embedding with personalized recommendation. Users and textual content are embedded into latent feature space. Œe text embedding function can be learned end-to-end by predicting user interactions with items. To alleviate sparsity in interaction data, and leverage large amount of text data with liŠle or no user interactions, we further propose a joint text embedding model that incorporates unsupervised text embedding with a combination module. Experimental results show that our model can signi€cantly improve the e'ectiveness of recommendation systems on real-world datasets.


In this paper, we present a model for silicon dioxide breakdown characterization, valid for a thickness range between 25 /spl Aring/ and 130 /spl Aring/, which provides a method for predicting dielectric lifetime for reduced power supply voltages and aggressively scaled oxide thicknesses. This model, based on hole injection from the anode, accurately predicts Q/sub BD/ and t/sub BD/ behavior including a fluence in excess of 10/sup 7/ C/cm/sup 2/ at an oxide voltage of 2.4 V for a 25 /spl Aring/ oxide. Moreover, this model is a refinement of and fully complementary with the well known 1/E model, while offering the ability to predict oxide reliability for low voltages. >


Molecular dynamics simulations of the Oeffner-Elliot model of germania (GeO(2)) are performed to identify nested regions of anomalous behavior in structural order, diffusivity, and pair entropy in the density-temperature plane, analogous to that seen in BeF(2), SiO(2), and H(2)O. The decreasing constraint of local tetrahedrality in GeO(2), compared to SiO(2) and BeF(2), substantially lowers the onset temperatures for anomalous behavior relative to the experimental melting temperatures (T(m)). Germania resembles water, more strongly than the ionic melts, in terms of temperatures for onset of anomalous behavior as well as in the order maps; for example, the structural anomaly sets in at 3.42T(m) in BeF(2), 3.09T(m) in SiO(2), 1.43T(m) in GeO(2), and 1.21T(m) in H(2)O. The detailed shapes of the anomalous regimes vary for different systems but the relative temperatures of onset for different anomalies are very similar in the different systems. The pair correlation entropy is shown to be a crucial and experimentally accessible quantity for relating structure, entropy, and diffusivity that could be potentially useful for a large class of inorganic ionic liquids.


In this paper, we investigate a novel and challenging task, namely controllable video captioning with an exemplar sentence. Formally, given a video and a syntactically valid exemplar sentence, the task aims to generate one caption which not only describes the semantic contents of the video, but also follows the syntactic form of the given exemplar sentence. In order to tackle such an exemplar-based video captioning task, we propose a novel Syntax Modulated Caption Generator (SMCG) incorporated in an encoder-decoder-reconstructor architecture. The proposed SMCG takes video semantic representation as an input, and conditionally modulates the gates and cells of long short-term memory network with respect to the encoded syntactic information of the given exemplar sentence. Therefore, SMCG is able to control the states for word prediction and achieve the syntax customized caption generation. We conduct experiments by collecting auxiliary exemplar sentences for two public video captioning datasets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach on generating syntax controllable and semantic preserved video captions. By providing different exemplar sentences, our approach is capable of producing different captions with various syntactic structures, thus indicating a promising way to strengthen the diversity of video captioning. Code for this paper is available at https://github.com/yytzsy/SMCG.


Several Chinese cities have invested billions of dollars to construct new industrial parks. These place based investments solve the land assembly problem which allows many productive firms to co-locate close to each other. The resulting local economic growth creates new opportunities for real estate developers and retailers that develop properties and stores close to the new park. The city mayor has the political clout and the personal promotion incentives to anticipate these effects as he chooses whether and where within the city to build the park. Using several geo-coded data sets, we measure the localized spillover effects of the new parks on local incumbent firm productivity, the growth of retail activity close to the park and local real estate pricing and construction. We document the heterogeneous effects of investment in parks. Those parks featuring a higher level of human capital, a greater level of co-agglomeration among firms within the park, and a smaller share of State Owned Enterprises offer greater spillover effects.


A spent cartridge case exhibits characteristic markings (firearm fingerprint) that can be used to identify the type, and possibly make, of weapon in which the cartridge was fired. This paper details research into the use of discriminant analysis for the purpose of matching spent cartridge cases to specific make and model of firearms. A fired projectile can also be analyzed by measuring the class characteristics such as land mark, groove, mar, and twist ratio. A personal computer (PC) based prototype software application called FireBall will also be described in detail.


There is a growing rate of marriages and relationship dissolution as couples surrender efforts to reconcile. Couple therapy provides psychotherapeutic solutions for this problem. However, it is not easily accessible due to scheduling difficulties or cost. Conversational agents (CAs) could provide more scalable access to couple therapy. This study investigates the suitability of conversational agents for individual therapy for couple problems. Couple Therapy Chatbot is a Wizard-of-Oz intervention using cognitive-behavioural couple therapy (CBCT) with individuals via an instant messaging platform. 12 participants trialled Couple Therapy Chatbot via single-session therapy. A qualitative self-reported questionnaire provided suitability insights. Thematic analysis revealed that while some participants appreciate deep and constructive responses and human-like empathy, others dislike generic and impersonal responses. Using CAs for couple problems appears to be a suitable application and may assist in mitigating relationship dissolution. Future work can assess efficacy using automated CA solutions against larger and more selective samples.


Infections caused by drug-resistant pathogens are on the rise. The ongoing spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains exemplifies the urgent need for new antibiotics. The marine natural product, marinopyrrole A, was previously shown to have potent antibiotic activity against Gram-positive pathogens, including MRSA. However, its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against MRSA was increased by >500 fold in the presence of 20% human serum, thus greatly limiting therapeutic potential. Here we report our discovery of a novel derivative of marinopyrrole A, designated 1a, featuring a 2–4 fold improved MIC against MRSA and significantly less susceptibility to serum inhibition. Importantly, compound 1a displayed rapid and concentration-dependent killing of MRSA. Compared to the natural product counterpart, compound 1a provides an important natural product based scaffold for further Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) and optimization.


A case‐control study focusing on the role of diet in the etiology of gastric cancer was undertaken in Piraeus, the sister city of Athens, in a population characterized by ethnic homogeneity but substantial heterogeneity with respect to dietary habits. The case series consisted of 110 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the stomach, admitted to two teaching hospitals during a 3‐year period; the control series consisted of orthopedic patients admitted to a nearby hospital for accidents, fractures and other orthopedic disorders, during the same time period. Dietary histories concerning the frequency of consumption (per month or per week) of about 80 food items were obtained by the same interviewer. Cases reported significantly less frequent consumption of lemons, oranges, brown bread, and raw, salad‐type vegetables (particularly lettuce, onions and cucumbers) and, independently, significantly more frequent consumption of pasta, beans and nuts. A relative risk of about 40 was found between extreme quintiles when the above 9 food Items were combined in a linear risk score. Use of an index constructed from the study material will clearly overestimate the level of risk between the extreme quintiles, but nevertheless the risk differences appear noteworthy, and consistent with the international variation in the incidence of gastric cancer. No significant associations were found with alcoholic beverages, coffee or tea.


This paper presents a method of measuring responses for a sinusoidally excited structure using a continuously scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV). The LDV output signal is an amplitude-modulated vibration in which theexcitation signal will be modulated by the response of the excited structure. The mode shape defined along a scan path can be derived by the envelope of the modulated vibration using an applicable demodulation. For an optimized identification of the tuned mode shape, it is possible during the scan to move the laser beam with alternating instead of constant driving signals over the surface of the test object. An algorithm was developed to derive an applicable function for the mirror drive signals from the measured responses along the scan path. The algorithm calculates the gradient of the measured responses and derives an optimized scan frequency. The scan frequency here is inverse proportional to the gradient of the measured responses. Hence the resolution and sampling rate could be adapted to the characteristics of the tuned mode shape.


Oral conditions represent a critical public health challenge, and together with descriptive and predictive epidemiology, causal inference has a crucial role in developing and testing preventive oral health interventions. By identifying not just correlations but actual causes of disease, causal inference may quantify the average effect of interventions and guide policies. Although authors are not usually explicit about it, most oral health studies are guided by causal questions. However, methodological deficiencies limit their interpretability and the implementation of their findings. This manuscript is a call to action on the use of causal inference in oral research. Its application starts with asking theoretically sound questions and being explicit about causal relationships, defining the estimates to evaluate, and measuring them properly. Beyond promoting causal analytical approaches, we emphasize the need for more causal thinking to promote thoughtful research questions and the use of appropriate methods to answer them. Causal inference relies on the plausibility of assumptions underlying the data analysis and the quality of the data, and we argue that high-quality observational studies can be used to estimate average causal effects. Although individual efforts to embrace causal inference in dentistry are essential, they will not yield substantial results if not led by a systematic and structural change in the field. We urge scientific societies, funding bodies, dental schools, and journals to promote transparency in research, causal thinking, and causal inference projects to move the field toward more meaningful studies. It is also time for researchers to move forward and connect with the community, co-produce investigations and translate their findings, and engage in interventions that impact public health. We conclude by highlighting the importance of triangulating results from different data sources and methods to support causal inference and inform decision-making on interventions to effectively improve population oral health.


AIM
The aim of this study was to investigate whether iloprost injected intraperitoneally immediately after colon resection can improve anastomotic healing on the fifth and eighth postoperative days.

METHODS
Forty Wistar rats were randomised into 2 equal groups. After the resection of a 1 cm segment of transverse colon, an end to end sutured anastomosis was generated. From the day of the operation, group 1 (control) received intraperitoneal 3 cc saline solution once daily until sacrifice, while group 2 (iloprost) received iloprost in a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally once daily until sacrifice. Each group was further randomly divided into 2 equal subgroups and animals were sacrificed on the fifth (subgroup A), and eighth (subgroup B) postoperative days. After sacrifice, anastomoses were examined macroscopically and were measured for bursting pressures and tissue hydroxyproline levels while anastomotic healing process was evaluated histopathologically.

RESULTS
None of the rats exhibited any clinical evidence of leakage and there were no instances of peri-anastomotic abscess or peritonitis. Bursting pressure on the fifth postoperative day was significantly higher in the iloprost group than in the control group (P<0.001), while on the eighth postoperative day, bursting pressure was higher in the iloprost group but not significantly different (P=0.165). On both the fifth and eighth postoperative days rats in the iloprost group developed significantly more marked neo-angiogenesis and, in parallel with this, there was a trend showing a higher inflammatory cell infiltration.

CONCLUSION
The intraperitoneal administration of iloprost promoted neo-angiogenesis and enhanced colonic healing on the fifth postoperative day.


UNLABELLED
Estimation of fever by touch and of pallor as a sign of anemia are common practices during physical examination. The diagnostic value of these procedures has been extensively studied in children, but there are fewer studies in adults.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the diagnostic value of physician's estimation of fever and anemia by touch and pallor, respectively.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
The study included 600 patients (mean age 66 years, range 14-94 years, 58% males) admitted to a hospital (n = 300) or seen at its Emergency Department (n = 300). Two physicians independently estimated the presence of fever by touch, as well as the presence of anemia by pallor (in the skin, nail or conjunctiva). Axillary temperature and peripheral blood hemoglobin were employed as standards for comparison.

RESULTS
Specificity of touch was higher than 90%, both for the diagnosis of axillary temperatures > or = 37.2 degrees C and > or = 38 degrees C, with a lower sensitivity. Interobserver concordance was fair (Kappa index, 0.47). Negative predictive value of touch was also high (99%) for the observed prevalence of fever (5%), with a very much lower positive predictive value. Similarly, specificity of pallor was high, particularly for hemoglobin values lower than 10 g/dL, with a substantially lower sensitivity. The best diagnostic values were obtained with conjunctival pallor. The Kappa index of concordance for the various types of pallor (skin, nail or conjunctiva) ranged between 0.39 and 0.44. Negative predictive value of pallor was high (98%) for the observed prevalence (9%) of significant anemia (hemoglobin < 10 g/dL), with a lower positive predictive value.

CONCLUSIONS
In adult patients of a hospital, physi-cian's estimation of fever by touch and anemia by pallor have a relatively low diagnostic value. Nevertheless, the estimation that the patient is afebrile or not pale make very improbable the presence of fever and significant anemia, respectively.


Clustering data streams has been attracting a lot of research efforts recently. However, this problem has not received enough consideration when the data streams are generated in a distributed fashion, whereas such a scenario is very common in real life applications. There exist constraining factors in clustering the data streams in the distributed environment: the data records generated are noisy or incomplete due to the unreliable distributed system; the system needs to on-line process a huge volume of data; the communication is potentially a bottleneck of the system. All these factors pose great challenge for clustering the distributed data streams. In this paper, we proposed an EM-based (Expectation Maximization) framework to effectively cluster the distributed data streams, with the above fundamental challenges in mind. In the presence of noisy or incomplete data records, our algorithms learn the distribution of underlying data streams by maximizing the likelihood of the data clusters. A test-and-cluster strategy is proposed to reduce the average processing cost, which is especially effective for online clustering over large data streams. Our extensive experimental studies show that the proposed algorithms can achieve a high accuracy with less communication cost, memory consumption and CPU time.


The current study focused on to evaluate the bioactive potential and immunostimulant effect of seaweeds in striped murrel Channa punctatus against the fish pathogen Aeromonas hydrophila. The aqueous extracts of seaweeds, Glacilaria foliifera, Acanthophora spicifera and Ulva lactuca were obtained in four different concentrations (25 μL, 50 μL, 75 μL and 100 μL) and evaluated for their immunostimulant potential. Aqueous extract of G. foliifera and A. spicifera has shown promising activity against fish pathogen. G. foliifera exhibited higher bacterial inhibitory zone of 8mm at 100 μL concentration followed by A. spicifera with 6mm at same concentration. The disease challenge study was used to ascertain the immunostimulant efficacy of active seaweed extracts. C. punctatus was administrated with the A. hydrophila and then fed with artificial feed incorporated with seaweeds extract. The survival rate seems to be higher in G. foliifera (80%) when compared with A. spicifera (60%). Observed result shows that both seaweeds possess active metabolites which may pave the way for the discovery of novel compounds with immunostimulant potential, which can be used in the field of aqua industry to augment disease management.


Page Header Open Journal Systems Journal Help User Username Password Remember me About The Author Francois Rechenmann Genostar Bioinformatics Solutions, Montbonnot France Article Tools Print this article Indexing metadata How to cite item Finding References Review policy Email this article (Login required) Email the author (Login required) Post a Comment (Login required) Related Items Show all Font Size Make font size smaller Make font size default Make font size larger Journal Content Search Browse By Issue By Author By Title Information For Readers For Authors For Librarians Keywords BITS COST ChIP-seq EMBnet ISCB Italian Bioinformatics Society RIBio RNA-seq SNPs alternative splicing committee report data analysis education gene expression metagenomics miRNAs next generation sequencing node report small RNA structural bioinformatics training Home About Log In Register Search Current Archives Announcements Archives (EMBnet.news) Contact Home > Vol 18 > Rechenmann Data modeling: the key to biological data integration Francois Rechenmann Abstract Motivation and Objectives The advent of NGS technologies is focusing much of the attention towards the data management issue. However, more than their volume, it is the diversity of biological data which constitutes the real bioinformatics bottleneck; a bottleneck which cannot be solved through technological considerations only, such as cloud infrastructures for instance. A bioinformatics platform must indeed store, organize and give access to a wide span of data and results. First of all, the experimental data and their transformations: not only the sequence data, such as the reads, the assembly files and the resulting contigs - to name the most important ones, but also spectra or metabolic flux measurements. Through the interpretation of these data, biological entities are predicted and characterized: coding regions, regulatory signals, polypeptides, enzymes classes, peptide tags, and so on. All these entities must also be properly described, connected each other and stored in adequately structured data repositories. Conversely, the programs that implement the analysis algorithms must be able to access these data and these entity descriptions to produce new secondary data and predict new entities. In this context, conceptual data modeling appears to be the very first task any project aiming at the design and the development of a bioinformatics integrated platform should perform.


Digitaria insularis is a perennial species that reproduces from seeds and rhizomes, being difficult to control after its first flowering. In order to define integrated management techniques to this species, its growth was evaluated under greenhouse conditions, using a pot filled with 0.003 m 3 of soil. Height, leaf area and dry matter evaluations were carried out between 14 and 112 days after emergence (DAE), every 7 days, at 15 different times. The experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design, with four replications. The plant was fragmented into root+rhizome, stem and leaf. After drying at 70 oC, leaf area and dry matter were determined. Highest leaf area and dry matter values were verified at 98 and 105 DAE, respectively. Leaves showed higher participation in dry matter total accumulation followed by roots+rhizome, up to 105 DAE. Dry matter accumulation of Digitaria insularis slowed down up to 45 DAE, increasing due to rhizome formation. Relative growth rate values decreased along time due to higher photo assimilate accumulation. Digitaria insularis showed slow growth up to 45 DAE, increasing from 45 to 105 DAE, suggesting the possibility of good cultural control by crops that have fast initial growth and large leaf area, covering the soil rapidly.


The Lacticaseibacillus paracasei species is comprised by nomadic bacteria inhabiting a wide variety of ecological niches, from fermented foodstuffs to host-associated microenvironments. Lc. paracasei SP5 is a novel strain, originally isolated from kefir grains that presents desirable probiotic and biotechnological attributes. In this study, we applied genomic tools to further characterize the probiotic and biotechnological potential of the strain. Firstly, whole genome sequencing and assembly, were performed to construct the chromosome map of the strain and determine its genomic stability. Lc. paracasei SP5 carriers several insertion sequences, however, no plasmids or mobile elements were detected. Furthermore, phylogenomic and comparative genomic analyses were utilized to study the nomadic attributes of the strain, and more specifically, its metabolic capacity and ability to withstand environmental stresses imposed during food processing and passage through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. More specifically, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZymes) analyses provided evidence for the ability of the stain to utilize an array of carbohydrates as growth substrates. Consequently, genes for heat, cold, osmotic shock, acidic pH, and bile salt tolerance were annotated. Importantly bioinformatic analysis showed that the novel strain does not harbor acquired antimicrobial resistance genes nor virulence factors, in agreement with previous experimental data. Putative bacteriocin biosynthesis clusters were identified using BAGEL4, suggesting its potential antimicrobial activity. Concerning microbe-host interactions, adhesins, moonlighting proteins, exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis genes and pilins mediating the adhesive phenotype were, also, pinpointed in the genome of Lc. paracasei SP5. Validation of this phenotype was performed by employing a microbiological method and confocal microscopy. Conclusively, Lc. paracasei SP5 harbors genes necessary for the manifestation of the probiotic character and application in the food industry. Upcoming studies will focus on the mechanisms of action of the novel strain at multiple levels.


This article explores the possibility of using imidazoline and benzimidazole derivatives as interesting ligands due to the fact that they are structurally simple, readily available, inexpensive, and they allow easy introduction of various substituents into their structure. Therefore, Nsubstituted imidazoline and benzimidazole ligands and their new ruthenium complexes [RuCl2(η-p-cymene)(L)] (L = N-substituted imidazoline/benzimidazole) were synthesized and characterized. The catalytic performances of new complexes are investigated for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Furthermore, corresponding secondary alcohols were also obtained in good yields.


Based on the experience of the treatment of 341 patients, applying transrectal hyperthermia, transuretral hyperthermia and TUT methods, the results in different groups of patients are assessed. Transrectal hyperthermia was used for the treatment of 40 patients with a first stage BPH, 39 patients with a first stage BPH combined with a chronic prostatitis, 34 patients with a second stage BPH combined with chronic prostatitis, 30 patients after acute urinary retention, 24 patients with suprapubic diversion. TUT was used in 54 patients, and TUMH in 46 patients with BPH. Conclusions suggest use of these methods for the treatment of BPH in general, and for complicated BPH in particular. It has been proposed that, provided these methods are properly used, they are most effective for patients after acute urine obstruction and suprapubic diversion.


A method for rapidly evaluating functional interactions between ligands and G-protein--coupled receptors has been developed. The technology is based on the ability of animals to change color by controlling the position of pigmented organelles within skin cells called melanophores. cDNA coding for a receptor to be studied is expressed in immortalized frog melanophores. Stimulation of a receptor that normally functions to activate either adenyl cyclase or phospholipase C induces centrifugal melanosome translocation and cell darkening. Conversely, application of an agonist to cells expressing a receptor that operates to inhibit adenyl cyclase induces centripetal pigment movement and cell lightening. The simple optical change can be used to investigate ligand-receptor interactions at several levels, including single-cell analysis and high-throughput chemical screening. Current efforts are focused on (1) identifying small peptides that activate or block thromboxane. A(2) and platelet-activating factor (PAF) receptors and (2) cloning eicosanoid receptors.


Tuberculosis is a highly challenging infectious disease that remains an important health issue, not only in developing countries, but also globally, since new cases of atypical tuberculosis resurface. Even though the global incidence of tuberculosis is on the rise, otologic manifestations of this pathology are a rare encounter for the ear nose and throat specialist, and bilateral localization is exceptional. Due to the numerous non-specific signs and symptoms of the condition and continuous genetic evolution of Mycobacterium, the diagnosis requires deep knowledge and fortuitous suspicion. The authors report a rare case of bilateral tuberculous otitis. What makes this case stand out is the fulminant, bilateral debut of the disease in an immunocompetent patient, with unknown primary infection and the knowledgeable course of clinical diagnosis.


In the article the authors show the possibility of spontaneous combustion of microbiological products at storage. There is presented the methodology of calculation of spontaneous combustion conditions of the stored inventory. The authors suggest the algorithms to determine safe conditions for storing. The basic directions of activities for the prevention of spontaneous combustion in the microbiological at utility facilities are also presented.


Recent studies on rural transformation and mobility have emphasized the
importance of considering these interrelated themes in relation to specific locational and
historical contexts. This paper argues that in order to integrate historical demography
with the social history of Ontario's rural population, it will be necessary to move beyond
the confines of the census-based cross-sectional approach and instead develop a longitudinal
perspective. A life-history approach based on linking the information found in
genealogies with other records is suggested as a possible strategy enabling researchers
to better understand how individuals and families responded to changes in rural society.


Silicon-based chips with discrete, independently temperature-controlled islands have been developed for use in DNA microarray hybridization studies. Each island, containing a heater made of a diffusion layer and a temperature sensor based on a p-n junction, is created on a silicon dioxide/nitride surface by anisotropic etching. Different reactive groups are subsequently added to the surface of the islands, and allele-specific oligonucleotide probes are attached to discrete spots on the chip. Hybridization is performed with Cy5-tagged single-stranded targets derived by PCR from genomic DNA. Results are assessed by measuring fluorescence of bound dye-tagged targets after hybridization and washing. Temperatures at each island can be set at different values to obtain optimal distinction between perfect matches and mismatches. This approach facilitates definition of optimal temperatures for probe/target annealing and for distinction between perfectly matched versus mismatched solution-phase targets. The thermal gradient DNA chips were then tested for genotyping, and the results for four different loci in two genes are presented. Unambiguous typing was achieved for clinically relevant loci within the factor VII and hemochromatosis genes.


The notion of
preordering, which is a generalization of the notion of ordering, has been
introduced by Serre. On the other hand, the notion of round quadratic forms has
been introduced by Witt. Based on these ideas, it is here shown that 1) a field F is formally real n-pythagorean iff the nth
radical, RnF is a preordering (Theorem 2), and 2) a field F is n-pythagorean iff for any n-fold Pfister form ρ. There exists an odd integer l(>1) such that l×ρ is a round quadratic form (Theorem 8). By considering upper bounds for the number of squares
on Pfister's interpretation, these results finally lead to the main result
(Theorem 10) such that the generalization of pythagorean fields coincides with
the generalization of Hilbert's 17th Problem.


Using a Sturmian-like expansion of the (first-order) Dirac Coulomb Green's function, the two-photon probability amplitude for the |12S1/2⟩ → |22S1/2⟩ transition in hydrogenic systems is calculated as a function of nuclear charge Z. A comparison between relativistic and non-relativistic treatments is made, taking care of the influence of retardation in both cases.


The paper critically reviews literature on patterns of injury occurrence in rural and urban areas in sub-Saharan Africa. Findings are based on research reports from eight countries purposively selected from major geographical regions in sub-Saharan Africa. From West Africa are selected Nigeria and Ghana; Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania represent East Africa; Rwanda for Central-Eastern Africa; Republic of South Africa for South Africa and Zambia for Central-South Africa. The selected countries are among those where adequate research work on injuries in urban and rural settings has been done. The Sahel region is not listed because it was found that no serious work on injury occurrence by rural and urban has been done in the region. Eight variables, namely, general causes of injury, rate of injury occurrence, severity of injury, persons involved in road traffic injuries (passengers and pedestrians), causes common to both settings, vehicles mostly involved in the injuries, child injuries and age group mostly affected form the basis for the analyses. The review establishes, among other patterns, that rural settings suffer greater severity and higher mortality from injuries through road traffic accidents and occupational (agricultural-related) injuries whilst other injuries including those suffered through pedestrian crossings, burns, cuts and falls are predominant in urban areas. Although a few works tilted the severity of the injuries through motor traffic accidents to the urban areas, the high incidence of occurrence in both rural and urban areas was still upheld. It is recommended, among other considerations, that rural areas be given priority in the establishment of injury clinics whilst the spatial techniques of remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS), the mixed methods approach and use of inferential statistics be more applicable to capturing and analysing data on injuries.


The prognosis of multiple myeloma (MM) has substantially improved during last decades due to new, so-called targeted drugs--proteasome inhibitor bortezomib and immunomodulatory drugs (ImiDs), thalidomide and lenalidomide. They could be used in various combinations and/or sequentially thanks to different mechanism of action and toxicity. Both bortezomib and thalidomide are widely used in Czech republic, however, lenalidomide was approved for the treatment of MM (and MDS) at the very latest and its usage is limited due to high costs, as well. According to the results of clinical trials lenalidomide is effective in myeloma refractory to various therapy including other new drugs. First time in the Czech republic the combination of lenalidomide and dexamethasone was given in our center to 2 patients with relapsed myeloma as 7th and 10th line of therapy. Acceptable results of treatment with improved clinical status in the first patient enabled to suspend his therapeutic plasmaferesis. Disease stabilization lasting three months was observed also in the second patient.


In-situ flow-tracking measurements at scales on the order of 10 m3 and larger remain a challenge. The large size of the tracers required for optical visibility results in an inertial lag and inherently low seeding density. For instance, natural snowfall, fake snow and soap bubbles on the order of 2 cm have been used as tracers for field measurements and extracted statistical quantities (Nemes et al., 2017; Wei et al., 2021; Rosi et al., 2014). There is also growing interest in networks of sensors for remote- measurement where optical access is impossible (Bolt et al. 2020; Villa et al. 2016). Onboard inertial measurement units (IMU) are a promising tool for high-resolution measurements over large spatial domains without optical access. However, due to the intrinsic lag, a dynamic-model-based correction is required for the tracking of transient phenomena, sketched in figure 1. In the present study, the tracer-velocity correction is evaluated by quantifying the residual error in measured flow velocity after the method of Galler et al. (2021) is applied.


Human brain must not be use for experiments. It is necessary to create new approaches for study of brain developing mechanisms under unfavorable conditions of external and internal environments. One of such approaches is our model of human tissue development study into xenografts. This paper is analytical review of literature and data of authors about study human tissue neurotransplants.