Enhancing the coordination and quality of care for chronically ill patients is a challenge across health care systems. In Germany, following a 2002 reform, physician-based and patient-centered disease-management programs (DMPs) were implemented in a nationwide rollout. These programs are characterized by information technology support, the central role of a designated doctor in ambulatory care, a patient-centered approach that encourages patient self-management, quality assurance (including reminders and benchmarking), and financial incentives for physicians, patients, and sickness funds. Results of a four-year follow-up show that despite the programs' implementation in a weak primary care system, quality of care and patient satisfaction have improved while hospitalization rates, duration of hospital stay, patient mortality, and drug costs have been significantly lowered. In some areas up to 90 percent of all eligible patients are enrolled, thereby giving the programs a broadly representative base.


The measurement of two-dimensional (2-D) excess-carrier distribution in a gate GTO by a time-resolved infrared-absorption technique is discussed. The optical scanning system employs a wide memory digital oscilloscope for data acquisition and a computer system for control, data processing, and display. Maps of the carrier distribution in the active GTO device are produced under steady-state conditions as well as during turn-on and turn-off operation. The maps are presented as three-dimensional (3-D) views produced from 2-D measurements. >


ABSTRACT Introduction Short bowel syndrome (SBS) is a rare, highly disabling, life-threatening condition due to extensive intestinal resections, characterized by diarrhea, malabsorption, and malnutrition. SBS is the main cause of intestinal failure (SBS-IF). The primary therapy for SBS-IF is intravenous supplementation (IVS) of nutrients. The pharmacological therapy aims to improve the remnant bowel function, leading to the decrease of IVS requirement. Areas covered This review provides a safety perspective and discusses unmet clinical needs on pharmacotherapy for SBS, ranging from symptomatic agents traditionally used off-label to manage hypersecretion and diarrhea, to curative drugs with selective intestinotrophic properties. Real-world evidence on symptomatic drugs is lacking. Data on teduglutide – the first-in-class glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) receptor agonist approved in SBS – are mainly derived from clinical trials, with several unsettled safety issues, including the risk of malignancies. Expert opinion Defining the long-term safety of drugs used for SBS is a priority; a unified list of commonly used drugs with consolidated proof of effectiveness is needed to harmonize the symptomatic pharmacological approach to SBS. GLP-2 receptor agonists are a promising curative pharmaco-therapeutic approach, although long-term safety and effectiveness deserve further real-world assessment. Pharmacovigilance and global data sharing are crucial to support safe prescribing in SBS.


This work focuses on the radiation response of Group IV (Si, Ge, SiC, diamond) and III-V (GaAs, GaN, GaP, GaSb, InAs, InP, InSb, AlAs) semiconductors subjected to D–D (2.45 MeV) and D–T (14 MeV) neutrons. The response of each material has been systematically investigated through a direct calculation using nuclear cross-section libraries, MCNP6, and Geant4 numerical simulations. For the semiconductor materials considered, we have investigated in detail the reaction rates per type of reaction (elastic, inelastic, and nonelastic) and proposed an exhaustive classification and counting of all the neutron-induced events and secondary products as a function of their nature and energy. Several metrics for quantifying the susceptibility of the related semiconductor-based electronics to neutron fusions have been finally considered and discussed.


THE USE of a prolonged electric current applied to the brain to produce a narcosis-like state, as a form of psychiatric treatment, was introduced by Frostig and associates 1 in 1944. That a unidirectional pulse current could produce such a narcotized condition was first shown by Leduc in 1902, with rabbits and dogs and in experiments on himself. 2 His observation was confirmed by others, and this form of narcosis was tried as a means of anesthesia, with some success. 3 In 1942, van Harreveld and associates 4 experimented with various types of current capable of inducing electronarcosis and concluded that the state could be produced with a variety of frequencies of both pulsating and alternating currents. They stated that the narcosis is due to the stimulating properties of the current applied and added confirmatory evidence in a later paper. 5 Frostig made this a point of fundamental differentiation between


The current randomized controlled trial was performed at the China Rehabilitation Science Institute, China to test the hypothesis that musical auditory stimulation has positive effects on the autonomic nervous system of patients with disorder of consciousness. Although past studies have recommended that patients with disorder of consciousness listen to patient-preferred music, this practice is not universally accepted by researchers. Twenty patients with severe disorder of consciousness listened to either therapist-selected (n = 10, 6 males and 4 females; 43.33 ± 18.76 years old) or patient-preferred (n = 10, 5 males and 5 females, 48.83 ± 18.79 years old) musical therapy, 30 minutes/day, 5 times/week for 6 weeks. The results showed no obvious differences in heart rate variability-related parameters including heart rate, standard deviation of normal-to-normal R-R intervals, and the root-mean-square of successive heartbeat interval differences of successive heartbeat intervals between the two groups of patients. However, percentage of differences exceeding 50 ms between adjacent normal number of intervals, low-frequency power/high-frequency power, high-frequency power norm, low-frequency power norm, and total power were higher in patients receiving therapist-selected music than in patients receiving their own preferred music. In contrast, this relationship was reversed for the high-frequency power and very-low-frequency band. These results suggest that compared with preferred musical stimulation, therapist-selected musical stimulation resulted in higher interactive activity of the autonomic nervous system. Therefore, therapist-selected musical stimulation should be used to arouse the autonomic nervous system of patients with disorder of consciousness. This study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of China Rehabilitation Research Center, China (approval No. 2018-022-1) on March 12, 2018 and registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number ChiCTR1800017809) on August 15, 2018.


Objectives: To analyse the differences in patient health outcomes and out-of-pocket costs following hip and knee joint replacement for osteoarthritis between patients who went home immediately after the acute care hospital stay and those who were admitted to inpatient rehabilitation care before going home. Methods: One hundred and eighteen patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement in Sydney, Australia completed cost diaries, SF-36 and WOMAC Index, pre-operatively and for one year post-operatively. Results: The health status of all groups improved significantly from before surgery to 12 months post-surgery. No significant difference in health status at 12 months post-surgery was seen between home and rehabilitation patients for either hip or knee replacement. Both hip replacement home and rehabilitation patients and knee replacement home patients reported lower out-of-pocket expenditure from before surgery to 1 year post-surgery. Discussion: The majority of total joint replacement patients can be discharged directly home and achieve excellent outcomes at 12 months post-surgery. We would recommend more focused randomized studies to explore the most suitable patient selection for rehabilitation.


In addition to receptor-type pinealocytes, the mammalian pineal organ contains small and large neurons and ependymal/glial cells as well. Axons of pinealocytes form synaptic ribbon-containing axo-dendritic synapses on large secondary pineal neurons and/or terminate as neurohormonal endings on the basal lamina of the vascular surface of the organ. The small pineal neurons were found to be gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-immunoreactive, while large secondary neurons and pinealocytes contained immunoreactive amino acids (glutamate and aspartate). Glutamate accumulated presynaptically in pinealocytic axon terminals on large secondary neurons and in the axons of these neurons. Glutamate immunoreactive axons of pineal neurons were traced via the pineal tract to the habenular nucleus. Axons containing granular vesicles and coming from extrapineal perikarya are glutamate immunoreactive as well. Aspartate and GABA are also present in some of the myelinated axons, supposedly pinealopetal in the pineal tract.


ABSTRACT Purpose: To report the results of IFNα2a therapy in patients with Behçet uveitis refractory to azathioprine-cyclosporine combination treatment. Methods: In a retrospective study, 39 patients treated with either azathioprine-cyclosporine combination treatment (group 1, n = 23) or IFNα2a (group 2, n = 16) with a diagnosis of ocular Behçet disease (BD), were included in the study. Group 2 consisted of patients who did not respond to conventional combination therapy, and were therefore treated with IFNα2a. Clinical response and relapse rates were recorded for each group. Results: The mean number of uveitis attacks/year per patient was 0.8 ± 1.6 in Group 1. In Group 2, a significant decrease in the mean number of uveitis attacks/year per patient was observed after initiation of IFNα2a (2.4 ± 1.8 vs 1.3 ± 2.0) (p<0.05). When the two groups were compared after administration of IFNα2a therapy, no statistical difference was found in terms of uveitis attack/year and attack-free intervals, with a partial response to both treatments. Conclusions: IFNα2a therapy is an effective alternative for Behçet uveitis patients where conventional combination therapy fails.


AIM
Genetic and environmental factors may play roles in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer and susceptibility may be modified by functional polymorphisms in folate metabolic genes, such as methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). We here evaluated associations of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism and folate intake with esophageal cancer.

METHODS
A matched hospital-based case-control study with 155 esophageal cancer and 310 non-cancer controls was conducted in Southern of China with gene-environment interactions evaluated between the MTHFR C667T polymorphism and drinking and smoking, as well as folate intake.

RESULTS
Individuals carrying MTHFR 667CT [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 1.95; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.23-2.62] and TT [adjusted odds ratio (OR), 3.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.46-8.74] had significantly increased esophageal cancer risk compared with those with MTHFR 667CC genotype. Folate intake was seen to have non-significant preventive effect. In former, moderate and heavy drinkers, a high esophageal cancer risk was observed for those with an MTHFR 677T allele genotype [ORs: 5.0(1.29-18.88), 3.70(1.83-7.66) and 5.77(2.11-15.72), respectively]. Significant interaction was found for moderate-heavy drinking and the MTHFR 677T allele genotype for esophageal cancer risk (p<0.05). Significant increased risk was also found in moderate and heavy smokers with the two genotypes [ORs: 3.58(1.64-7.80) and 4.51(1.15-17.78), respectively]. High folate intake and MTHFR 677TT was associated with a non-significant tendency for decreased esophageal cancer risk.

CONCLUSION
Our finding supports the hypothesis that MTHFR C667T polymorphisms play a role in pathogenesis of esophageal cancer in the Chinese population.


This report was prepared in support of Panel 4.1 'New market and new jobs' of the OECD Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy, held on 21-23 June 2016 in Cancun, Mexico. [It] provides new evidence on the effects of digital technologies on labour demand and discusses key policies to foster employment in the digital economy. The digital economy has the potential to enhance productivity, income and social well-being. It is creating job opportunities in new markets and increasing employment in some existing occupations. As digital technologies enable the production of more goods and services with less labour, they also expose some workers to the risk of unemployment or lower wages. They also enable changes in the organisation of work, with implications for the capability of existing policies and programmes to ensure labour market inclusion, job quality and skills development. The report discusses policies to foster growth and employment in new economic activities enabled by digital technologies, to accompany workers along the transition to new jobs, and to help ensure job quality in the digital economy.


Malmi et al. (2004) argue that the cost of quality (COQ) literature typically deals with manufacturing or service organizations in continuous or repetitive business processes in which identical or similar activities and work phases are repeated in the same sequence or order, batch after batch or customer after customer. Many modern businesses, such as the software business, are outright project based, or operate like a string of semi-independent projects characterized by unique resources, customized activity or work sequence order, and a predefined start and finish. COQ measuring and reporting are traditionally based on ex post calculations. In this study, an idea of real-time quality cost measurement will be developed and tested. The literature on real-time quality cost accounting is limited or even non-existent. The dissertation investigates whether it is possible to measure quality costs as a real-time basis in the software industry. The purpose is to develop a model for measuring quality costs on a real-time basis in software development. This is achieved by seeking answers to the research question how to measure quality costs on a real-time basis in the software industry. The research extends the current literature in three main respects. First, the study presents the idea of measuring quality costs in real-time basis. Second, a contribution is made by investigating how the characteristics of software business impact on the accounting of quality costs by presenting the nature and distinction of software business as well as its implications for software quality and applying quality cost measurement to the software business. Third, this study is expected to make a contribution by investigating how to use quality cost measurement as a management accounting tool in modern software business environment. The constructive research approach (CRA) proposed by Kasanen et al. (1993) is used in a case company, A, that develops and produces packaged software used in embedded products. Since it is not typically possible to pass semi-strong or strong market tests within a medium-term time span, the construction is tested by using more detailed nuances within the weak market test category suggested by Labro and Tuomela (2003) in order to analyse the level of progress of the construct. The possibility of constructing a real-time cost of quality measurement system developed in Case A is also tested in another case company (Case B) to make the weak market test stronger, and the boundary conditions how to construct such a system in a totally different working environment are charted. The results indicate that such a system could be constructed irrespective of the cost accounting environment or the software used. The anticipated contribution arises from the fact that the construct is a novelty that leads to a new means of quality cost accounting in software business (cf. Lukka 2000).


A multistate outbreak of Escherichia coli O157:H7 infections occurred in the United States in June and July 1997. Two concurrent outbreaks were investigated through independent case-control studies in Michigan and Virginia and by subtyping isolates with pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Isolates from 85 persons were indistinguishable by PFGE. Alfalfa sprouts were the only exposure associated with E. coli O157:H7 infection in both Michigan and Virginia. Seeds used for sprouting were traced back to one common lot harvested in Idaho. New subtyping tools such as PFGE used in this investigation are essential to link isolated infections to a single outbreak.


As seen from the perspective of Matthew's Gospel, the nature of Christian discipleship requires self-attestation through good works and a conspicuous lifestyle. Hence it is necessary to underscore the importance of Christian ethics and the character of bona fide righteousness. The ethical tenor of much of the material in Matthew can be understood against the background of the Jewish-Christian community's becoming increasingly Gentile-Christian as well as the early church's relationship to first-century Judaism. What is striking is the degree to which the halakah advanced by Jesus himself appears to stand in continuity with the OT. The "greater righteousness" called for by Jesus does not stand in juxtaposition to the ethical standard enunciated in the law and the prophets. Rather, it is to be understood against the ethical deficiencies of contemporary establishment religion.


Bone and soft tissue sarcomas are an infrequent and heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors including more than a hundred different entities attending to histologic patterns. Research into the molecular aspects of sarcomas has increased greatly in the last few years. This enormous amount of knowledge has allowed, for instance, to refine the classification of sarcomas, improve the diagnosis, and increase the number of therapeutical targets available, most of them under preclinical evaluation. However, other important key issues, such as sarcomagenesis and the cell of origin of sarcomas, remain unresolved. From a molecular point of view, these neoplasias are grouped into 2 main types: (a) sarcomas showing relatively simple karyotypes and translocations, which originate gene fusions (eg, EWS-FLI1 in Ewing sarcoma) or point mutations (eg, c-kit in the gastrointestinal tumors) and (b) sarcomas showing unspecific gene alterations, very complex karyotypes, and no translocations. The discovery of the early mechanisms involved in the genesis of sarcomas, the more relevant signaling pathways, and the development of genetically engineered mouse models could also provide a new individualized therapeutic strategy against these tumors. This review describes the clinical application of some of the molecular alterations found in sarcomas, some advances in the field of sarcomagenesis, and the development of animal models.


The natural abundance of 15N in animal proteins (δ15Nanimal) is greater than that in the diet consumed by the animals (δ15Ndiet), with a discrimination factor (Δ15N = δ15Nanimal− δ15Ndiet) that is known to vary according to nutritional conditions. The objectives of the present study were to test the hypothesis that Δ15N variations depend on the efficiency of nitrogen utilisation (ENU) in growing beef cattle, and to identify some of the physiological mechanisms responsible for this N isotopic fractionation in ruminants. Thus, we performed the regression of the Δ15N of plasma proteins obtained from thirty-five finishing beef cattle fed standard and non-conventional diets against different feed efficiency indices, including ENU. We also performed the regression of the Δ15N of different ruminant N pools (plasma and milk proteins, urine and faeces) against different splanchnic N fluxes obtained from multi-catheterised lactating dairy cows. The Δ15N of plasma proteins was negatively correlated with feed efficiency indices in beef cattle, especially ENU (body protein gain/N intake) and efficiency of metabolisable protein (MP) utilisation (body protein gain/MP intake). Although Δ15N obtained from different N pools in dairy cows were all negatively correlated with ENU, the highest correlation was found when Δ15N was calculated from plasma proteins. Δ15N showed no correlation with urea-N recycling or rumen NH3 absorption, but exhibited a strong correlation with liver urea synthesis and splanchnic amino acid metabolism, which points to a dominant role of splanchnic tissues in the present N isotopic fractionation study.


In this study, the synthesis and characterization of undoped and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles with 2%, 5%, and 15% Mn/ZnO prepared using the hydrothermal method were reported. The structural, morphological, and chemical-bond properties of the Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles were studied by using x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns indicate that all of the samples have hexagonal wurtzite structures. The average diameters of the Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles with different Mn/ZnO ratios were estimated to be about 20–38 nm from the FESEM images. The linear absorption coefficient and optical band gap energy of ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles were calculated using UV-Vis spectroscopy. A decrease in Eg was observed by an increase in Mn concentration. The nonlinear optical measurements have been performed using a nanosecond Nd:YAG pulse laser by the Z-scan technique. Both the undoped and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles exhibited a negative nonlinear optical index of refraction at 532 nm relating to the self-defocusing phenomenon. The nonlinear optical absorption of ZnO and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles is attributed to two-photon absorption combined with free carrier absorption. Furthermore, the third-order nonlinear susceptibility values of the undoped and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles varied between 1.2−2.5×10−9  esu, depending on the Mn contents. The results suggest that a Mn dopant can improve the nonlinear optical properties of ZnO nanoparticles, and Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles synthesized through the hydrothermal method may be a promising candidate for nonlinear optical applications at 532 nm.


Adult male rats were fed a liquid diet providing 35% of the calories as ethanol, while pair-fed controls received the corresponding diet with alcohol replaced by an equicaloric concentration of sucrose. After 1 month, lactate/pyruvate (L/P) and beta-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate (beta-HB/AcAc) ratios in the livers were determined under five different conditions: (1) both diets present up to the time of sacrifice, (2) ethanol diet replaced by control diet for 24 h before sacrifice, (3) ethanol diet replaced by control diet for 48 h before sacrifice, (4) as in the preceding, followed by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of ethanol, 1 g/kg, 1 h before sacrifice, (5) as in the preceding, but i.p. injection 3 h before sacrifice. The L/P ratio was significantly higher in the alcohol group than in controls under the first experimental condition, but the groups did not differ under the other four conditions. The beta-HB/AcAc ratio was also significantly higher in the alcohol group under the first condition. This difference disappeared in the second and third conditions. Under the fourth and fifth conditions the beta-HB/AcAc ratio was significantly higher in the controls. The results are compatible with an adaptive increase in mitochondrial reoxidation of NADH in the chronic alcohol groups, but the possibility of a change due to alcohol withdrawal can not be excluded.


In Nonlinear Dynamics synchronization of oscillators is examined. Alternatively for linear stochastic systems, coherence analysis is utilized to detect interdependencies in transfer function systems. In contrast to the latter, oscillators continue oscillating in the absence of interaction between the processes. For transfer function systems the output ceases to exist without an input. Analysis techniques able to differentiate these considerably different classes of dynamics are desired in various applications. We show that conclusions from analysis techniques to the underlying dynamics have to be taken with care due to missing specificity. Moreover, we present an approach towards higher specificity.


New, non-hydrolytic routes to synthesize highly crystalline iron oxide nanocrystals (8–40 nm, magnetite) are described in this report whereby particle size and morphology were precisely controlled through reactant (precursor, e.g. (FeO(OH)) ratios, co-surfactant and organic additive, and/or reaction time. Particle size, with high monodispersivity (<10%), is demonstrated to be a function of precursor concentrations and through the addition of different cosurfactants and/or additives, cubic, octahedral, potato-like, and flower-like iron oxide nanocrystals can be reproducibly synthesized through simple one-pot thermal decomposition methods. High resolution transmission electron microscope, x-ray diffraction, and superconducting quantum interference device were used to characterize the size, structure and magnetic properties of the resulting nanocrystals. For aqueous applications, materials synthesized/purified in organic solvents are broadly water dispersible through a variety of phase (aqueous) transfer method(s).


A magnitude and frequency control (MFC) strategy has been proposed for a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). The proposed MFC is to make the DFIG equivalent to a synchronous generator in power system. It is found that the stator active and reactive powers depend on the phase and magnitude of the internal transient electro-magnetic field (EMF). The relationship between the rotor voltage and the internal transient EMF is also described. Unlike traditional control strategies such as stator-flux-orientation vector control and FMAC, the proposed MFC method manipulates the magnitude and frequency of the rotor voltage which can simplify the control system design and improve system reliability. Thus, complex coordinate transforms, rotor position detection, and rotor currents are not required in the proposed MFC for the DFIG control system. Furthermore, the rotor speed signal is also not required in the proposed MFC, but it is needed for MPPT. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the correctness of the control scheme.


Nickel (Ni) compounds are well-recognized human carcinogens, yet the molecular mechanisms by which they cause human cancer are still not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNAs, are involved in diverse biological functions and carcinogenesis. In previous study, we identified upregulation of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) expression in nickel sulfide (NiS)-transformed human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells. Here, we investigated whether some miRNAs are aberrantly expressed and targets DNMT1 in NiS-transformed cells. Our results showed that the expression of miRNA-152 (miR-152) was specifically downregulated in NiS-transformed cells via promoter DNA hypermethylation, whereas ectopic expression of miR-152 in NiS-transformed cells resulted in a marked reduction of DNMT1 expression. Further experiments revealed that miR-152 directly downregulated DNMT1 expression by targeting the 3' untranslated regions of its transcript. Interestingly, treatment of DNMT inhibitor, 5-aza-2-deoxycytidine, or depletion of DNMT1 led to increased miR-152 expression by reversion of promoter hypermethylation, DNMT1 and MeCP2 binding to miR-152 promoter in NiS-transformed cells. Moreover, inhibition of miR-152 expression in 16HBE cells could increase DNMT1 expression and result in an increase in DNA methylation, DNMT1 and MeCP2 binding to miR-152 promoter, indicating an interaction between miR-152 and DNMT1 is regulated by a double-negative circuit. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-152 in NiS-transformed cells led to a significant decrease of cell growth. Conversely, inhibition of miR-152 expression in 16HBE cells significantly increased cell growth. Taken together, these observations demonstrate a crucial functional crosstalk between miR-152 and the DNMT1 via a feedback loop involved in NiS-induced malignant transformation.


This document defines an information model and a data model for
Distributed Denial-of-Service Open Threat Signaling (DOTS). The
document specifies the Message and Information Elements that are
transported between DOTS agents and their interconnected
relationships. The primary purpose of the DOTS Information and Data
Model is to address the DOTS requirements and DOTS use cases.


In this essay, I contend that globalization is less an international process and more a colonial project. I argue that definitions of "globalization" articulated primarily through economic metrics insufficiently account for the violences concomitant with such a project. In response to this insufficiency, I draw on three concepts by three decolonial authors—transmodernity (Enrique Dussel), global coloniality (Anibal Quijano), and dialogical cosmopolitanism (Eduardo Mendieta)—in order to develop my own definition of globalization. I then offer a preliminary sketch of what I call "affective alternatives," which could convey ways of life different from the hegemonic social forms that globalization promotes and imposes. At the very least, affective alternatives present a parallax: seen and felt from the perspective of the alternative, globalization is not taken as neutral, normal, irreversible, or desired; rather, it is "distorted" into globalization/coloniality, a project to be resisted. I conclude with reflections on connecting and deepening coalitions of resistance.


Disentangling uncorrelated information in speech utterances is a crucial research topic within speech community. Different speech-related tasks focus on extracting distinct speech representations while minimizing the affects of other uncorrelated information. We present a large-scale speech corpus to facilitate the research of speech representation disentanglement. 3D-Speaker contains over 10,000 speakers, each of whom are simultaneously recorded by multiple Devices, locating at different Distances, and some speakers are speaking multiple Dialects. The controlled combinations of multi-dimensional audio data yield a matrix of a diverse blend of speech representation entanglement, thereby motivating intriguing methods to untangle them. The multi-domain nature of 3D-Speaker also makes it a suitable resource to evaluate large universal speech models and experiment methods of out-of-domain learning and self-supervised learning. https://3dspeaker.github.io/


Background Although constipation is a common syndrome and a worldwide health problem. Constipation patients are becoming younger with a 29.6% overall prevalence in the children, which has captured great attention because of its epigenetic rejuvenation and recurrent episodes. Despite the usage of rhubarb to relieve constipation, novel targets and genes involved in target-relevant pathways with remarkable functionalities should still be sought after. Materials and methods We established a reliable constipation model in C57B/6N male mice using intragastric administration diphenoxylate and the eligible subjects received 600mg/25g rhubarb extraction to ameliorate constipation. Resultant constipation was morphological and genetically compared with the specimen from different groups. Results The constipation mice exhibited thicker muscle layers, improved content of cytokines, including IL-17 and IL-23, and lower content of IL-22. The bacterial abundance and diversity varied tremendously. Notably, the alterations were reversed after rhubarb treatment. Additionally, SCFA and MLCFA were significantly influenced by constipation accompanied by enhanced expressions of SCFA receptors, GPR41 and GPR43. Conclusion This thesis has provided an insight that rhubarb promoted the flexibility of collagen fiber, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokines, and maintained intestinal microflora balance with potential effects on affecting the metabolism of fatty acids and polyamines.


. We develop a phenomenological model of suspended-sediment transport on the basis of data acquired in the Capesterre river, which drains a small tropical catchment in Guadeloupe. The model correctly represents the transport of suspended sediment during floods, provided that the relation between concentration and water-level forms a counterclockwise loop. In the model, the properties of the sediment and of the river are all lumped into four parameters : a settling velocity related to the size of the suspended sediment, a threshold water-level which acts as a proxy for the threshold shear stress, a 5 characteristic erosion rate and a dimensionless exponent, both of which are related to the availability of fine sediment. The assimilation of field data to our model shows that the value of the parameters change from one flood to the next, probably reflecting changes in the characteristics of the river and the sediment. Finally, a test of the model against data acquired in a small catchment in the french Alps, suggests that the model is versatile enough to be used in diverse hydrological settings.


We explore the determinants of liquidation values of assets, particularly focusing on the potential buyers of assets. When a firm in financial distress needs to sell assets, its industry peers are likely to be experiencing problems themselves, leading to asset sales at prices below value in best use. Such illiquidity makes assets cheap in bad times, and so ex ante is a significant private cost of leverage. We use this focus on asset buyers to explain variation in debt capacity across industries and over the business cycle, as well as the rise in U.S. corporate leverage in the 1980s.


A 0.4 /spl mu/m silicon bipolar technology for mixed digital/analog RF-applications is described. Without increasing the process complexity in comparison to current production technologies transit frequencies of 52 GHz, maximum oscillation frequencies of 65 GHz and minimum noise figures of 0.7 and 1.3 dB at 3 and 6 GHz are achieved. Emitter-coupled logic (ECL) ring oscillators have a minimum gate delay of 12 ps, the low power capability of the technology is proven by a current-mode logic (CML) power delay product of 5.2 fJ and a dynamic frequency divider operates up to 52 GHz. These results demonstrate the suitability of this technology for mobile communications up to at least 6 GHz and for high-speed optical data links at 10 Gbit/s and above.


This work introduces BioLORD, a new pre-training strategy for producing meaningful representations for clinical sentences and biomedical concepts. State-of-the-art methodologies operate by maximizing the similarity in representation of names referring to the same concept, and preventing collapse through contrastive learning. However, because biomedical names are not always self-explanatory, it sometimes results in non-semantic representations. BioLORD overcomes this issue by grounding its concept representations using definitions, as well as short descriptions derived from a multi-relational knowledge graph consisting of biomedical ontologies. Thanks to this grounding, our model produces more semantic concept representations that match more closely the hierarchical structure of ontologies. BioLORD establishes a new state of the art for text similarity on both clinical sentences (MedSTS) and biomedical concepts (MayoSRS).


This paper examines the social origins of the rise in adult mortality in Russia and selected Eastern European countries. Three explanations for this trend are considered: (1) Soviet health policy, (2) social stress, and (3) health lifestyles. The socialist states were generally characterized by a persistently poor mortality performance as part of a long-term process of deterioration, with particularly negative outcomes for the life expectancy of middle-aged, male manual workers. Soviet-style health policy was ineffective in dealing with the crisis, and stress per se does not seem to be the primary cause of the rise in mortality. Although more research is needed, the suggestion is made that poor health lifestyles--reflected especially in heavy alcohol consumption, and also in smoking, lack of exercise, and high-fat diets--are the major social determinant of the upturn in deaths.


This paper presents a coordination method for multiple biomimetic robotic fish in underwater transport task. Based on our robotic fish prototype, we further investigate the coordination problems of multiple robotic fish. Considering the kinematic constraints of the robotic fish, and the unstructured and dynamic characteristics of the water environment, we utilize the limit cycle approach to control the posture of the fish and realize collision avoidance. To control the transport orientation in the particular underwater environment, the fuzzy logic method is adopted. Experimental results of transportation performed by three robotic fish validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammation of the pancreas. The clinical classification of the disease recognizes the mild acute pancreatitis, characterized by the absence of local and/or systemic complications, and the severe disease, characterized by the presence of local complications such as necrosis, abscess or pseudocysts and/ or distant organ failure. Gallstones constitute the predominant etiological factor. The severity assessment is essential for proper initial treatment of the disease. Primary objectives to achieve in the treatment of acute pancreatitis essentially are: pain control, electrolyte support and energy intake, removal of the causal agent, attenuation of the inflammation, and prevention and eventual treatment of local and systemic complications of necrotizing forms.


The model of ego development by Loevinger describes an epigenetic series of successive stages comprising increasingly complex styles of impulse control, interpersonal relationships, moral and cognitive reasoning. This model offers an opportunity to explore the structural premises young adults rely on solving their developmental tasks. Controls compared to patients show a significantly superior intrapsychic coping, awareness of social rules and knowledge of interpersonal relations. Except non-psychotic patients who seem to dispose of slightly more mature ego capacities than psychotic patients there prevails a dominant psychosocial immaturity among all patient subgroups however. The results are discussed in relation to psychopathological syndromes, the actual status of a psychiatric illness, and differently favourable patterns of psychosocial adaptation defined by results in the Offer-Self-Image-Questionnaire.


Every effort was tried to demonstrate the procedure of the structural safety assessment of MARK III membrane type Cargo Containment System (CCS) with corrugated membrane under sloshing impact loading using local zooming analysis technique of LS-DYNA code in the last study. Big discrepancy was found in the pressure responses between local zooming analysis and full-scale 3D one layer global sloshing simulation. In this study, wet drop and shooting water impact analyses of Mark III membrane-type CCS with flat membrane were performed together with full-scale global sloshing ones with 70% filling level for the investigation of their big discrepancy, considering diverse constraint parameters of coupling algorithm and mesh size.


Introduction:
 Our previous study indicated that blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption occurred secondary to hypoxia-induced and MMP-mediated neuroinflammatory white matter (WM) damage in spontaneously hypertensive/stroke prone rats (SHR/SP). Tight junction proteins (TJPs) maintain the normal BBB functions. Here, we investigated the effects of hypoxia on TJP degradation and hypoxia-induced angiogenesis, and tested the effect of long-term minocycline treatment on the BBB integrity and repair.

 Methods:
 Male SHR/SPs at 12W (weeks) old were subjected to unilateral carotid artery occlusion (UCAO) and fed a Japanese permissive diet (JPD) for 4W. For the treatment study, the SHR/SP/UCAO/JPD were given minocycline (50 mg/kg in DMSO, i.p.) and the vehicle rats received DMSO from 12W to 20W of life.

 Results:
 Sham-operated SHR/SP with normal chow had abnormal TJPs in blood vessels (BVs) at 16W compared to Wistar; they showed a slight increase of BBB permeability and NG2-positive microglia in WM. In the UCAO/JDP group, by 4W, multimodal MRI (T2, ADC, FA, and ASL) showed that WM damage of varying degree reflected the extent of injury corresponding to variable BBB leakage by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and IgG staining. TJP levels (claudin-5, occludin, and ZO-1) in WM were significantly decreased. Angiogenesis in WM was detected with increased expression of Ki67 and NG2 in vascular endothelial cells and/or pericytes. UCAO/JPD typically causes the death of SHR-SP/JPD/UCAO rats after 4W. However, minocycline treatment extended survival to 9W after UCAO/JPD and significantly reduced lesion size and vascular damage. TJPs, VEGF-A, and GST-π (mature oligodendrocytes) were increased by minocycline at 8W compared to sham and vehicle. Minocycline also increased the expression of factors involved in angiogenesis and WM repair (Ki67, NG2, MMP-2, MMP-3) in vascular endothelial cells, pericytes, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes compared to controls.

 Conclusions:
 Our results support the hypothesis that damage to the BVs by chronic hypertension and UCAO/JPD produces TJP degradation and increases BBB permeability. Minocycline treatment significantly protects WM from damage by preventing BBB disruption and enhances TJP formation and angiogenesis.


Seven Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes [Co(L)2(H2O)2]Cl2 (1), [Cu(L)Cl2]2 (2), [Cu(L)(NO3)2]2 (3), [Cu(L)(SO4)]2 (4), [Co(L)(LA)]n (5), [Cu(L)(OAc)2] (6) and [Co(L)Cl2] (7) (L = 1,2-bis(2′-ethoxy)phenyl-bis(benzimidazole), LA = terephthalate) have been prepared by means of self-assembly of Cu(II) or Co(II) salts with bis-benzimidazolyl chelate ligand L and a 1,2-bis(2′-ethoxy)phenyl linker. These complexes are structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction analyses. In complexes 1–4, two 15-membered macrometallocycles of each molecule are linked together via sharing moieties (the sharing moieties: Co(II) atom for 1, two bridging chlorine atoms for 2, two bridging nitrate groups for 3 and two bridging sulfate groups for 4) to afford a dimer, in which each 15-membered macrometallocycle is constructed from one ligand L and one metal atom (Co(II) for 1 and Cu(II) for 2–4). In complex 5, a 1D polymeric chain with 15-membered macrometallocycles is formed via ligand L, terephthalate and a Co(II) atom. In complexes 6 and 7, each molecule contains a 15-membered macrometallocycle formed by one ligand L and one metal atom (Cu(II) for 6 and Co(II) for 7). In the crystal packings of 1–7, 2D supramolecular layers or 3D supramolecular frameworks are formed via intermolecular weak interactions, including hydrogen bonds, π–π interactions and C–H⋯π contacts. The conformations of the metal complexes based on ligand L are described. Additionally, the fluorescence emission spectra of ligand L and the metal complexes 1–7, and the magnetic properties for complexes 1–7 are reported.


PURPOSE
To study vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) regulation in the development of intravitreous neovascularization and peripheral avascular retina in peripheral severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP).

METHODS
The rat 50/10 model of ROP mimics zone II, stage 3 severe ROP and recreates fluctuations in transcutaneous oxygen levels in preterm infants. On postnatal (p) day ages p0, p8, p11-p14, and p18, retinas from the model or room-air (RA) age-matched pups were analyzed for mRNA of VEGF splice variants and receptors using real-time polymerase chain reaction or VEGF protein using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS
On p14, when retinas were only 70% vascularized in the model but fully vascularized in RA, VEGF₁₆₄ expression was threefold greater in the model compared to RA. On p18, intravitreous neovascularization was associated with a 5-fold increase in VEGF₁₆₄ mRNA in the model compared to RA. By analysis of variance, VEGF₁₆₄ and VEGFR2 mRNAs were up-regulated in association with increasing developmental age (P<.0001 for both comparisons) or exposure to the model compared to RA (P<.0001 and P=.0247, respectively), whereas increasing developmental age was associated only with up-regulated VEGF₁₂₀ (P=.0006), VEGF₁₈₈ (P=.0256), and VEGFR1 (P<.0001) mRNAs. VEGF protein increased significantly in the model and on p14 and p18 compared to RA (P<.0001).

CONCLUSIONS
The model mimics contemporary severe ROP in the United States unlike other models of oxygen-induced retinopathy. Compared to RA retinas, VEGF significantly increased in association with avascular retina and intravitreous neovascularization. A hypothesis is proposed that VEGF up-regulation plays a role in the development of both important features.


The past two decades have seen a dramatic change in attitudes toward sexuality. Sexual functioning is now regarded as part of everyday life, open for frank discussion. Scientific knowledge of sex has burgeoned, beginning with the work of Kinsey, and then Masters and Johnson, and today there is precise information available on the incidence, nature, and treatment of many sexual dysfunctions, both physiological and psychological. Unfortunately, thus far only meager contributions to this research have come from the field of internal medicine. With few notable exceptions (as follows), there has been little effort to study the sexual functioning of patients with medical illnesses. In his important textbook Male Sexuality , psychologist Zilbergeld 1 states that the relation between sexuality and medical illness is one of the "least understood areas of sexuality." The exceptions are as follows. Since the field of endocrinology deals directly with the sex organs and sex hormones, the


Background
Two doses of measles vaccine (MV) might reduce the nonmeasles mortality rate more than 1 dose of MV does. The effect of 2 versus 1 dose on morbidity has not been examined. Within a randomized trial of the effect of 2 doses versus 1 dose of MV on mortality in Guinea-Bissau, we investigated the effect on hospital admissions.

Methods
Children were randomly assigned 1:2 to receive MV at 4.5 and 9 months of age or the currently recommended dose at 9 months. We compared hospital admission rates among children between 9 and 18 months of age in a Cox regression model with age as the underlying time scale. Half of the children had received neonatal vitamin A supplementation (NVAS) in another trial. The beneficial effect of MV at 4.5 and 9 months on mortality was limited to children who had not received NVAS; therefore, we investigated the interaction of MV with NVAS on admission rates.

Results
Among 5626 children (2 doses of MV, 1960 children; 1 dose of MV, 3666), we identified 311 hospital admissions of children between 9 and 18 months of age. Overall, compared to 1 dose of MV, 2 doses reduced the risk of hospital admission for children who had not received NVAS (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.47-0.93]), but we found no effect among NVAS recipients (HR, 1.16 [95% CI, 0.82-1.63]) (P = .02 for interaction).

Conclusions
The benefit of 2 doses of MV was limited to children who had not received NVAS. NVAS is not generally recommended; hence, an early 2-dose measles vaccination policy might reduce hospital admissions more than the current policy of providing the first MV at 9 months of age.

Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00168558.


The influence of infection with three different lipid-containing RNA viruses, Newcastle disease virus, fowl plague virus, and Semliki Forest virus on the phosphatidylcholine precursors of chick embryo cells and of baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells has been measured. In chick embryo cells infection with Newcastle disease virus does not influence the energy charge, or the distribution and absolute pool sizes of the precursors or the choline phosphotransferase activity. In chick embryo cells infected with fowl plague virus the CDP-choline pool increases because of an inhibition of the choline phosphotransferase activity. The phosphorylcholine and CTP pools are smaller in infected cells when compared with mock-infected ones, although the energy charge is not influenced by infection. In chick embryo cells as well as in BHK cells the energy charge is diminished by infection with Semliki Forest virus. Therefore the CTP and phosphorylcholine pools are decreased. The CDP-choline pool in chick embryo cells becomes extremely small after infection with Semliki Forest virus because of a significant stimulation of the choline phosphotransferase. In BHK cells infected with Semliki Forest virus the opposite effect is observed. There are also severe effects on the uptake of the labeled precursors by infection. One and the same virus (Semliki Forest virus) has two completely different effects on the phosphatidylcholine precursors when infecting two different cell types. If one and the same cell type (chick embryo cells) is infected with three different lipid-containing RNA viruses also completely different effects on the phosphatidylcholine precursors were observed. Thus, each virus develops its own strategy to influence the lipid metabolism of the host cell, depending also on the choice of the host. This explains the many disturbing contradictory results described in the literature about the influence of lipid-containing viruses on the lipid metabolism of the host.


Categorization and analogical reasoning are two important cognitive processes, for which there exist formal counterparts (at least they may be regarded as such): namely, formal concept analysis on the one hand, and analogical proportions (modeled in propositional logic) on the other hand. This is a first attempt aiming at relating these two settings. The paper presents an algorithm that takes advantage of the lattice structure of the set of formal concepts for searching for analogical proportions that may hold in a formal context. Moreover, properties linking analogical proportions and formal concepts are laid bare.


Introduction: Nephrotic syndrome is a common renal disease in children. Majority of the children usually responds to steroids without any long term effects on kidney function.  However about 10-20% of children are usually steroid dependent or steroid resistant and require multiple additional immunosuppressive medications such as cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and Rituximab. All these drugs are associated with specific adverse effects and lack of response to the drug can result in slow decline in renal function and development of end stage renal disease.
Material and Methods:A retrospective study was done to determine the efficacy of tacrolimus in steroid dependent and steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome (SDNS and SRNS). 40 children with SDNS and SRNS were included in the study. All patients were observed for complete remission, partial remission, decline in renal function and adverse effects of the drug.
Results:Study included 40 patients of SDNS (n=19) and SRNS (n=21) with 18 boys and 22 girls with mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) in 1. Complete remission was achieved in 14 children in SDNS group and 11 children in SRNS group. 3 children in SDNS group and 4 children in SRNS group did not achieve any remission despite treatment for 6 to 12 months. Adverse effects of the drugs included infections, tremors and hyperglycemia and were similar in both the groups.mean duration of follow up of 24 months. Renal biopsy of patients showed minimal change disease (MCD) in 23, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 13, IgM nephropathy in 3 and
Conclusion: Tacrolimus is efficacious in inducing and maintaining remission in children with steroid dependent and steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome with minimal adverse effects.

Keywords: Steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome, Calcineurin inhibitor, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, minimal change disease.


Knowledge of exact sequence lengths of undithered digital delta sigma modulators (DDSM) with respect to the input, initial conditions, and quantizer modulus, enables designers to predict spur intervals. It is necessary to know the sequence length for some applications such as fractional-N frequency synthesizers. In this paper, sequence lengths of multi stAge noise SHaping (MASH) DDSMs comprising first order error feedback modulators (EFM) up to three stages are calculated. Exact formulae for calculating sequence lengths with all possible inputs, initial conditions and moduli are provided for first and second order modulators. In the case of a third order modulator, the sequence length is found for the special case when it is not divisible by 3 but it is divisible by 4.


Objective The anatomy of the tracheobronchial tree differs among not only various races but also individual ethnic groups. Different lengths of the right mainstem bronchus (RMSB) had been described in previous publications. Since the differences in the anatomy of the RMSB and right upper lobe bronchus (RUB) may have clinical relevance when selecting devices, specifically, the right-side double lumen tube (R-DLT) for lung isolation, we revisited the anatomy of the right upper lobe in a large scale Chinese population. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed 2093 consecutive adult patients undergoing thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans from data base in our hospital. Demographic characteristics were collected. The lengths, internal diameters, and angles of the RMSB and RUB were measured using reconstructive CT images. The correlations between the demographic variables and the RMSB length and diameters were also analyzed. Results The incidence of the aberrant RUB originated equal or above the tracheal carina was 8.1‰. 52.3% of the patients had a length of RMSB less than 23 mm, and the incidence of RMSB length <23 mm in women was significantly higher than that in men (63.5% vs. 42.8%, p = 0.000). The right bronchial length (RBL) was less than 10 mm in 21% of cases (17.8% in men and 24.8% in women, respectively, p = 0.000). Both the RMSB lengths and diameters had poor correlations with the heights in either male or female patients. Conclusion A much higher incidence of a shortened RMSB potentially make placement of a R-DLT more difficult in Chinese population. Both the lengths and diameters of the RMSB cannot be predicted by the height. Preoperative thoracic CT scan for each patient helps optimizing the selection of a lung isolation device, and the importance of an evaluation of the CT scans preoperatively by the anesthesiologists should be emphasized.


One could define spiritual authority as the power to support the opening of the entire universe - and especially of the life of human beings - toward union with the redeeming ultimate reality. Christian tradition knows several holders of this power: God, Jesus Christ, the angels, the saints and priests, spiritual guides, and last but not least each and every Christian and person of goodwill. They all are spiritual authorities and together create a field of liberating power with many interdependent centers. One can conceive of spiritual authority in Christianity as a complex interplay between these various forces. The manifestation of spiritual power through them does not take place for its own sake, or to celebrate the holder of spiritual authority, but to empower other centers. Thus, spiritual power is not private property. It is only real insofar as it is passed on to others. In the field of human spiritual authority, tensions and struggles arise if the flow of authority is blocked by a particular center attempting to monopolize spiritual power for the establishment of an illusionary self-identity. Rather than going into an analysis of the entire field, I would like to take a closer look at one of its facets: "spiritual guides," those who are acknowledged specialists in helping others to a life in the presence of God. Of course, other centers of spiritual authority will sooner or later also come into the picture, because in the field of spiritual power one authority cannot be understood without the others. Fields of other forms of power and their centers of authority (scriptural authority, political authority, etc.) also influence and partially permeate the field of spiritual authority, but that is


Abstract:Despite being physically absent from the court hearings related to her enslavement and her sale to a new owner, Elena, an enslaved woman in late colonial Santo Domingo, becomes the most ever-present witness and gives voice to her life through the testimony of others. The details shared by Sebastián Álvarez, the buyer; Baltazar Guerrero, the seller; and the witnesses bring Elena's character to life by means of the descriptions of her alleged "defects." This article studies Álvarez's lawsuit against Guerrero for not properly specifying all of Elena's flaws in the bill of sale. I argue that Elena's carefree behavior—described in the redhibition case—allowed her an ascribed "freedom" that she attained by using her body as "rival geography" to contest the limitations of space. Accordingly, this article proposes that, at the same time enslaved people endured suffering, they used their bodies and minds as a refuge. Moreover, this article uses Elena's story to highlight Santo Domingo in the historiography of slavery in the Americas, within the context of "the unexpected" in Caribbean studies, and stresses the importance of archival research in giving a voice to the enslaved, even if they are not speaking for themselves.


INTRODUCTION
The cerebral palsy has the first place of physical handicap in children (type spastic, 88%). Tizanidine imidazole derivative is centrally acting as a a2-adrenergic agonist.

AIM
To demonstrate clinically the effectiveness of tizanidine in the decrease of the spasticity.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We assigned randomly in a double blind study 10 children treated with tizanidine (0.05 mg/kg/day) and 30 with placebo for a 6-month period, after which they were unified in the group of tizanidine. The dependent variables were spasticity, Ashworth scale, posture tone scale, reflex scale and liver function test.

RESULTS
The spasticity and the reflex decreased in the group of tizanidine an 78.85% in comparison with a 7.64% in the group of placebo (p = 0.0001); in the monitoring of 6 months 35 patients reduced this to 78.2% (p= 0.0001). The duration of effectiveness of tizanidine in four patients was two months and they never returned to their appraisal basal. Without reported adverse effects, the liver function test remains normal.

CONCLUSION
Tizanidine produces a significant reduction of the spasticity in children without adverse effects, having a high percentage of acceptance to the prescribe dose.


This report describes the "bottom-line" economics of programs that try to reduce crime. For a wide range of approaches—from prevention programs designed for young children to correctional interventions for juvenile and adult offenders—we systematically analyze evaluations produced in North America over the last 25 years. We then independently determine whether program benefits, as measured by the value to taxpayers and crime victims from a program's expected effect on crime, are likely to outweigh costs. This procedure allows direct "apples-to-apples" comparisons of the economics of different types of programs designed for widely varying age groups. Our overall conclusion is one of good news: In the last two decades, research on what works and what doesn't has developed and, after considering the comparative economics of these options, this information can now be used to improve public resource allocation. These estimates can assist decision-makers in directing scarce public resources toward economically successful programs and away from unsuccessful programs, thereby producing net overall gains to taxpayers, even in the absence of new funding sources. This report provides a snapshot of the Institute's cost-benefit findings as of May 2001. Steve Aos Polly Phipps Robert Barnoski Roxanne Lieb


A substantial body of literature addresses the motivation of technical professionals in large corporations. Included are considerations of the motivation of subgroups, such as contrasting the motivation of scientists and engineers. Notably absent, however, is an in‐depth, multiple‐perspective consideration of both the motivation and demotivation of the small number of individuals in nearly every corporation who contribute significantly and disproportionately to the growth and profitability of the corporation. These exceptional, high‐performing technologists, whom we refer to as technical visionaries (TVs), are the drivers of breakthrough, radical innovation. Through 64 in‐depth interviews with TVs, their direct technical managers (TMs) and their human resource managers (HRMs), this research explores the similarities and differences in perception between these three groups concerning TV motivation and demotivation. TMs predominantly apply informal, personalized, and relational management motivating techniques. HRMs predominantly perceive value in the formalized, standard corporate structures and reward systems that serve the 'typical employee' for motivating TVs. By comparing the perspectives of TVs, TMs, and HRMs, we observe that the TMs are in strong alignment with TV perspectives on motivation and demotivation, while the HRMs are not in alignment with TV perspectives. Interestingly, both TMs and HRMs emphasize techniques most readily available to them. Most notable relative to demotivating TVs, the HRMs are least able to articulate an understanding consistent with that of the TVs. Based on these and other observations, we offer recommendations for those who manage these critical and unique technical visionaries.


Prior studies have indicated that MTA requires intracellular polyglutamation for optimal cytotoxic effect and that these polyglutamates potently inhibit several key enzymes of folate metabolism, including thymidylate synthase (TS), dihydrofolate reductase, and glycinamide ribonucleotide formyltransferase (GARFT). In the present studies, we have investigated the mechanistic basis for resistance to MTA in several human tumor cell lines. The cell lines were developed for resistance by the gradual exposure to stepwise (fivefold) increases in the concentration of MTA over a 5-month period. The degree of resistance was 140-fold for GC3 colon carcinoma, 117-fold for HCT-8 ileocecal carcinoma, and 729-fold for CCRF-CEM leukemia cells adapted to 2 micromol/L MTA. The lines had strong cross-resistance (>3,200-fold) to raltitrexed. Only modest resistance was noted for methotrexate and the GARFT inhibitor, LY309887. The cytotoxicity of MTA in wild-type cells was only partially alleviated by thymidine addition (5 micromol/L) and complete protection required the addition of both hypoxanthine (100 micromol/L) and thymidine. In contrast, thymidine alone totally lacked protective activity in the MTA-resistant lines. The cells either demonstrated a GARFT-like reversal pattern (complete protection by hypoxanthine) for GC3MTA or a dihydrofolate reductase-like reversal pattern (complete protection by the combination of hypoxanthine and thymidine) for HCT-8MTA and CCRF-CEM(MTA) cells. Cellular resistance was multifactorial and stable on removal of selective pressure. Only GC3MTA cells showed increased TS activity (approximately 40-fold). Accumulations of 3H-MTA at 24 hours in CCRF-CEM(MTA), HCT-8MTA, and GC3MTA cells were 2%, 6%, and 46% of wild-type values, respectively. We also evaluated the cytotoxic activity of MTA in MCF-7 breast carcinoma and H630 colon carcinoma cells selected for resistance to raltitrexed and 5-fluorouracil, respectively, via TS amplification (provided by Dr P.G. Johnston, Belfast, Ireland). These cells demonstrated more than 200-fold less resistance to MTA compared with raltitrexed and MTA-induced cytotoxicity was prevented by hypoxanthine. These studies suggest that in addition to TS modulation, secondary targets emerge during the development of MTA resistance.


does not admit patients who are the subjects of litigation. The book reviews all aspects of pain, with parti cular emphasis on methods of management favoured by the Unit and upon the results of research carried out there. The management of what is categorized as the †̃¿ chronic ntractable benign pain syndrome' is given prominence. This condition is viewed from a dynamic psychosocial orientation and various forms of psychotherapy are used in treatment with results which are claimed to be superior to those achieved by other methods. The symbolic meanings of pain are especially stressed. The book will be of great help and interest to those conducting or establishing pain clinics; others can probably get sufficient information on the topic from a limited selection of original papers and briefer texts.


Inhibitory glycinergic neurotransmission is terminated by sodium and chloride-dependent plasma membrane glycine transporters (GlyTs). The mainly glial glycine transporter GlyT1 is primarily responsible for the completion of inhibitory neurotransmission and the neuronal glycine transporter GlyT2 mediates the reuptake of the neurotransmitter that is used to refill synaptic vesicles in the terminal, a fundamental role in the physiology and pathology of glycinergic neurotransmission. Indeed, inhibitory glycinergic neurotransmission is modulated by the exocytosis and endocytosis of GlyT2. We previously reported that constitutive and Protein Kinase C (PKC)-regulated endocytosis of GlyT2 is mediated by clathrin and that PKC accelerates GlyT2 endocytosis by increasing its ubiquitination. However, the role of ubiquitination in the constitutive endocytosis and turnover of this protein remains unexplored. Here, we show that ubiquitination of a C-terminus four lysine cluster of GlyT2 is required for constitutive endocytosis, sorting into the slow recycling pathway and turnover of the transporter. Ubiquitination negatively modulates the turnover of GlyT2, such that increased ubiquitination driven by PKC activation accelerates transporter degradation rate shortening its half-life while decreased ubiquitination increases transporter stability. Finally, ubiquitination of GlyT2 in neurons is highly responsive to the free pool of ubiquitin, suggesting that the deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCHL1), as the major regulator of neuronal ubiquitin homeostasis, indirectly modulates the turnover of GlyT2. Our results contribute to the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying the dynamic trafficking of this important neuronal protein which has pathological relevance since mutations in the GlyT2 gene (SLC6A5) are the second most common cause of human hyperekplexia.


The advent of Covid-19 pandemic, which surprised the world in 2020, has increased the poverty gap worldwide. Malaysia is not spared. In Malaysia, zakat institutions endeavored to develop several poverty management programs to assist asnaf (poor and needy) in meeting their basic necessities while developing their own ability to escape the chains of poverty. Literature suggests that these asnaf are shackled in the poverty culture and requires close supervision. In the zeal of developing these asnaf as entrepreneurs to fulfill their tangible needs, they too need knowledge of their responsibilities as khalifah (caliphs) on earth. This study intends to examine asnaf entrepreneurial development from the perspective of Islamic-based development based on the first principle–tasawwur (or Islamic worldview). It seeks to identify how asnaf entrepreneurial development is associated with tasawwur as the mould to development. This concept covers three fundamental components of Islamic tasawwur. Based on the collection of secondary data through documents reviews and using content analysis, proves that developing asnaf entrepreneurs to be dynamic and pious entrepreneurs who are governed by the Quran's teachings by emphasizing solely on tangible or material factors alone is inadequate. There needs to be concerted efforts to incorporate the three Islamic tasawwur components. The implication from the findings suggests that there is a need for zakat institutions, government agencies, NGOS, and the asnaf themselve to commit to develop asnaf entrepreneurs by incorporating these components in their poverty management strategies to ensure that the entrepreneurs that are born from such programs are materially independent, imbued with strong resilience requiring minimal supervision.
Keywords: Islamic tasawwur, asnaf entrepreneurs, Islamic development principles, Islamic-based development, zakat


Information on the glottal waveform is an important part of many speech applications. However, glottal waveform estimation remains one of the more inexact sciences of speech processing. The work presented here describes an enhancement to a recently presented algorithm by a new technique involving Rank-Based Glottal Quality Assessment (RB-GQA). The basic premise is to investigate potential measures of glottal quality and use these measures to mark the general trends for determining which glottal waveform estimations are better than others. The work presented here is the beginning of a new research initiative to identify robust methods of glottal waveform estimation across genders for use in speaker analysis applications of normal voices (i.e., no voice pathology).


Objectives: To evaluate whether a single-operator ultrasound-guided, right-sided, central venous catheter insertion verifies proper placement and shortens time to catheter utilization. Design: Prospective observational study with historical controls. Setting: Adult ICUs. Patients: Sixty-four consecutive patients undergoing ultrasound-assisted right-sided central venous catheterization compared with 92 serial historic controls who had unassisted central catheter insertion at the same sites. Interventions: Subcostal transthoracic echocardiography during catheter insertion. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome was the correct placement of the catheter tip determined by postprocedural chest radiography. The subclavian site was used in 41 patients (64%) (inserted without ultrasound guidance) in the ultrasound-assisted group and 62 (67%) in the control group, whereas the jugular vein was used in the remaining patients. The tip was accurately positioned in 59 of 68 patients (86.7%) in the ultrasound-assisted group compared with 51 of 94 (54.8%) in the control group (p < 0.001). The median time from end of the procedure to catheter utilization after chest radiography approval was 2.4 hours. Conclusions: A single-operator ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion is effective in verifying proper tip placement and shortens time to catheter utilization.


Hematite (α-Fe2O3) with uniform hexagonal flake morphology has been successfully synthesized using a combination of gelatin as natural template with F127 via hydrothermal method. The resulting hematite was investigated as adsorbent and photocatalyst for removal of ibuprofen as pharmaceutical waste. Hexagonal flake-like hematite was obtained following calcination at 500 °C with the average size was measured at 1–3 µm. Increasing the calcination temperature to 700 °C transformed the uniform hexagonal structure into cubic shape morphology. Hematite also showed high thermal stability with increasing the calcination temperatures; however, the surface area was reduced from 47 m2/g to 9 m2/g. FTIR analysis further confirmed the formation Fe-O-Fe bonds, and the main constituent elements of Fe and O were observed in EDX analysis for all samples. α-Fe2O3 samples have an average adsorption capacity of 55–25.5 mg/g at 12–22% of removal efficiency when used as adsorbent for ibuprofen. The adsorption capacity was reduced as the calcination temperatures increased due to the reduction of available surface area of the hexagonal flakes after transforming into cubes. Photocatalytic degradation of ibuprofen using hematite flakes achieved 50% removal efficiency; meanwhile, combination of adsorption and photocatalytic degradation further removed 80% of ibuprofen in water/hexane mixtures.


I described the tactile-stimulated startle response (TSR) of wood frog (Rana sylvatica), bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana), and American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles. One purpose was to rank species in terms of maximum acceleration performance. Also, I tested whether anatomical indicators of performance potential were predictive of realized performance. TSRs were elicited in a laboratory setting, filmed at 250 Hz, and digitally analyzed. TSRs began with two, initial body curls during which tadpoles showed a broad spectrum of movement patterns. TSR performance was quantified by maximum linear acceleration and maximum rotational acceleration of the head/body, both of which tended to occur immediately upon initiation of motion (< 0.012 sec into the response). Bullfrog tadpoles had higher maximum acceleration than the other species, but other interspecific differences were not significant. The species' rank order for the anatomical indicator of linear acceleration potential was bullfrog > wood frog > American toad. The species' rank order for the anatomical indicator of rotational acceleration potential was bullfrog > wood frog = American toad. Thus, the anatomical indicators roughly predicted the rank order of interspecific average performance. However, the anatomical indicators did not correlate with individual tadpole performance. Variability in behavioral patterns may obscure the connection between anatomy and performance. This is seen in the current lack of intraspecific correlation between a morphological indicator of acceleration capacity and acceleration performance.


Quantum cryptography has been extensively studied in the last twenty years, but information-flow security of quantum computing and communication systems has been almost untouched in the previous research. Due to the essential difference between classical and quantum systems, formal methods developed for classical systems, including probabilistic systems, cannot be directly applied to quantum systems. This paper defines an automata model in which we can rigorously reason about information-flow security of quantum systems. The model is a quantum generalisation of Goguen and Meseguer's noninterference. The unwinding proof technique for quantum noninterference is developed, and a certain compositionality of security for quantum systems is established. The proposed formalism is then used to prove security of access control in quantum systems.


Background Androgenetic alopecia is the most common type of hair loss. Although losing hair is not life-threatening, it can lead to psychological distress.
Objective To investigate the psychological impact using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the awareness among Filipino male patients aged 18 to 65 with androgenetic alopecia.
Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the OMMC Dermatology. Psychological impact was assessed using HADS. Age, education, duration of disease, previous investigation experience, previous experience in treating this condition, and satisfaction ratings for the treatment were likewise obtained.
Results 145 Filipino male patients with androgenetic alopecia were included in the study. The risks of anxiety and depression were not statistically associated with severity of AGA (P>0.05). The risk of depression was highest among those with severe AGA. 57% had previous investigation experience and 21% had previous experience in treating the condition, however only 1 or 0.7% was satisfied with the treatment. Age, education, duration of disease, level of awareness and treatment satisfaction and the severity of AGA in Filipino male patients were not statistically associated with anxiety (P>0.05), however, age, education and Hamilton Norwood Classification were statistically associated with depression (P<0.05).
Conclusion Three factors have been found to influence psychological well-being and self-image in AGA patients: age of 50 years and above, lower education level, and a moderate to severe grade of disease according to the Hamilton-Norwood classification. It is hoped that optimal management focusing on these factors can be used to solve one of the mankind's psychologically debilitating hair diseases.


A 54-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of sudden-onset dyspnea in shock. Chest computed tomography(CT) showed thrombi in the right main and left intermediate pulmonary arteries. The case was diagnosed as a massive acute pulmonary thromboembolism. Although his hemodynamic status was stable after catecholamine infusion, his dyspnea was still in progress. Emergency pulmonary embolectomy was performed and the life of patient was saved. It is thought that progressive dyspnea is an important sign of a deteriorating hemodynamic status and the predictive symptom indicating a surgical procedure in patients with massive acute pulmonary thromboembolism.


Demand for renewable energy has increased due to increased environmental awareness and conservation concerns. Renewable energy has been shown to be more efficient in the production of electricity. The wind and solar systems of PV have shown a significant growth rate over the years and are capable of grid integration. However, integrating all renewable energy sources is not easy because all renewable energy sources are available in a distributed manner. The older generations are connected to transmission systems and younger generations are connected to distribution systems. Here we discuss some of the problems that arise during the integration of these resources and other solutions on how to fix them.


In this paper, intelligent filtering methodology for masterarm translation signal is proposed. Fidelity and stability are contradicting factors in teleoperation. Human hand trembling filtering is one of the problems in telemanipulation field. During every operation the hand has a certain vibration that can affect the quality of teleoperation, especially in carrying FPD (Flat Panel for Display), nanomanipuation and other precise tasks. It is very important to study the kinesthetic perception of the human and to optimize the teleoperation system accordingly. To cancel out the influence of human's hand vibration the signal from the masterarm should be filtered. One of the feasible solutions is to use an intelligent filter, which is a very flexible instrument. Applying intelligent filtering methodology, we can use some heuristic methods to solve the filtering problem.


Attempts to sample a saturated gravel deposit beneath a proposed nuclear power plant with standard drilling methods and sampling techniques were unsuccessful. To provide the necessary information on in-situ stratigraphy and density, an alternate exploratory method and sampling technique was designed. In this method, a 107-cm (42-in.) uncased shaft was drilled to a depth of 14.3 m (47 ft) after freezing the soil around the shaft location. The soil stratigraphy, composition, and structure in the uncased shaft were then exposed in great detail for mapping and photographing. Two frozen undisturbed samples were cut from the walls of the shaft in loose gravel layer and the in-situ density was determined using a fluid displacement technique. Maximum and minimum densities were obtained for the thawed soil for calculation of in-situ relative density. Standard Penetration Test (ASTM D 1586, Penetration Test and Split-Barrel Sampling of Soils) results successfully indicated the approximate location and thickness of the loose layer despite the sampling difficulties and high gravel content. Judging from inch-by-inch blow count data, the high gravel content increased the penetration resistance values (through the spoon pushing a large gravel piece) in only a small number of samples. (AUTHORS)


The degradation in Escherichia coli of the recombinant serum-albumin-binding receptor derived from streptococcal protein G was investigated using a dual-affinity fusion approach. The proteolytic degradation of the receptor was characterized when fused to human proinsulin and human secretin. Several cleavages occurred at sequences not normally regarded as proteolytically sensitive, such as the dipeptide sequences Ile-Gly, Val-Ser and Ser-Ala. Depending on the fusion partner, large differences in the degradation of the albumin-binding domain were observed. Thus, susceptibility to proteolysis of a recombinant protein can be affected by a neighbouring domain.


Physical synthesis optimizations require fast and accurate analysis of RC networks. Elmore first proposed matching circuit moments to a probability density function (PDF), which led to widespread adoption of his simple and fast metric. The more recently proposed PRIMO and H-gamma metrics match the circuit moments to the PDF of a Gamma statistical distribution. We instead propose to match the circuit moments to a Weibull distribution and derive a new delay metric called Weibull-based delay (WED). The primary advantages of WED over PRIMO and H-gamma are its efficiency and ease of implementation. Experiments show that WED is robust and has satisfactory accuracy at both near- and far-end nodes.


Carbon dots, generally defined as small carbon nanoparticles with various surface passivation schemes, have emerged as a new class of quantum-dot-like nanomaterials, with their optical properties and photocatalytic functions resembling those typically found in conventional nanoscale semiconductors. In this work, carbon dots were evaluated for their photoinduced bactericidal functions, with the results suggesting that the dots were highly effective in bacteria-killing with visible-light illumination. In fact, the inhibition effect could be observed even simply under ambient room lighting conditions. Mechanistic implications of the results are discussed and so are opportunities in the further development of carbon dots into a new class of effective visible/natural light-responsible bactericidal agents for a variety of bacteria control applications.


In this study, two iridoids i.e. agnuside (1) and bartioside (2) were isolated from Vitex grandifolia  for the first time. These potent flavonoids were purified using fractionation and were separated by Sephadex LH 20, Silica gel 60, RP C-18 and Diaion HP-20 columns. Their structure was elucidated using FTIR, 1D and 2D NMR data, these were further evaluated for anti-inflammatory and antileishmania effects. Agnuside, isolated for the first time from V. grandifolia exhibited good activity against NF-kB assay with IC 50 (ug/mL) of 8.9 while bartsioside showed an IC 50 (ug/mL) of 12. Agnuside (1), an iridoid showed the highest IC 50 (μg/mL) of 5.38 and corresponding IC 90 (μg/mL) of 7.07 against L. donovani (intracellular amastigotes in THP1 cells). Positive standards were employed in these studies. The results allowed us to establish the relationship between the structure and the activities on the basis of the different patterns of substitution, particularly hydroxylation. This study gave credence to the view that there is a link between low incidence of some diseases and consumption of vegetables hence advantages of these vegetables are beyond nutritional gains.


The rate of maternal mortality of Bangladesh is increasing day by day. Among many reasons early marriage, unplanned impregnation or lack of antenatal care are the major causes of those maternal deaths. Antenatal care is significantly effective for the mother and their newborns during pregnancy period especially from severe bleeding, high blood pressures, infections or complications during delivery. Several researches have conducted in various countries about the antenatal care service factors affecting pregnant women during pregnancy period but have not been organized information collectively. Hence, further research need to accomplish a literature review for finding organized information about the antenatal care service factors affecting pregnant women in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive analysis based on the information extracted from different literature review, primary and secondary data sources by using a specific methodology. The study found that 60.87 percent pregnant women have adequate information about the ANC services and 39.13 percent have partial knowledge about the ANC services. The major outcomes of this special review study might help the respective authorities and interested groups to make plan and improvement existing approaches for application of ANC factors affecting pregnant women in Bangladesh.


Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM), often referred to as osmotic demyelination syndrome, is most commonly seen in the setting of rapid correction of hyponatraemia. Although imaging is the key to diagnosis, conventional CT and MRI findings often lag the clinical manifestations and characteristic MRI changes may be delayed by up to 14 days. We present a case of a 45-year-old female with an extensive history of alcohol misuse and malnutrition who presented with left hemiparesis, initially suspected to be a stroke. This was following a recent hospital admission when she was managed for Wernicke's encephalopathy and treated with electrolyte and vitamin replacement. As part of a "code stroke" protocol, CT was initially performed. The initial non-contrast CT brain and CT angiogram of the intracranial arteries were normal, but a CT brain perfusion study demonstrated increased pontine blood flow. A subsequent MRI of the brain confirmed CPM, which was congruent with her clinical course. This case highlights the importance of osmotic demyelination as a stroke mimic. CPM should be considered in alcoholic patients with neurological impairment regardless of serum sodium. To our knowledge, this is the first published case which illustrates CT perfusion changes in CPM. MRI, however, remains essential for diagnosis.


Tadeusz Różewicz's Mother Departs is a late work of one of Poland's most important writers — a polyphonic elegy dedicated to his mother, who died in 1957. The articles discusses the possible reasons of Różewicz's relative absence in the English-speaking world and proceeds to analyze the importance of Mother Departs in his oeuvre. This award-winning book, which testifies to the impossibility of overcoming the grieving of loss, is composed of a variety of textual fragments, including documentary material, such as diaries, notebooks and letters, as well as literary works by the poet's brother and the poet himself. Różewicz moves between the documentary and the lyrical, between the historical and the personal, between memory and grief, while merging the elegy for his mother with his own farewell, which stems from the sense of the poet's own imminent departure. The English translator of the work had to deal with such problems as the rendering of culture specific items and emotionally charged passages of grief and tenderness, often expressed in diminutives which have no equivalents in English.


Objectives: To determine with a systematic review (SR) if Vitamin D, compared to placebo or no treatment, reduces rickets in healthy, full term infants. Methods: Types of studies: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) or quasi-randomized controlled trials assessing the efficacy of vitamin D in reducing rickets in newborn infants. Types of participants: Infants born at term (>=37 weeks gestational age). Types of interventions: Vitamin D given orally or i.m. given at least for 4 weeks versus placebo or no intervention. Types of outcome measures: Primary outcome measures include clinical sign of rickets; secondary outcome measures include any of the following: bone mineralization, linear growth, radiological signs of rickets. Search strategy: A search was done on MEDLINE using the highly sensitive strategy of Dickersin, modified to exclude studies on preterm and low birth weight newborn infants. Methods of the systematic review: Standard Cochrane systematic review methods were planned. A subgroup analysis was planned to evaluate effects in formula- and breast-fed infants. Results and conclusions: Only two RCT fulfilling the inclusion criteria were retrived. One study was excluded because comparison was made between different doses of vitamin D. No meta-analysis was therefore performed. The single RCT enrolled 18 healthy, full term, breast-fed infants (9 placebo, 9 vitamin D at 400 U/die); 13 infants were followed up to 52 weeks (7 placebo, 6 vitamin D). Bone mineral content was higher in supplemented infants at 12 weeks, but the difference was no longer significant at 26 and 52 weeks. No infant was reported to have rickets. Based on the results of this review it is concluded that current practice and guidelines are not based on data coming from consistent, well conducted RCTs, but from data coming from observational studies.


In this correspondence a class of algorithms for recursive estimation of the mean of a random yariable is described and its properties are studied. New algorithms are presented that are shown to be statisticaily more efficient than the previous algorithms, and only slightly less efficient than the optimal algorithm of the same type. The computation time remains the same as in the best previous algorithm, whereas the optimal algorithm implies a considerably longer computation time.


Lacrimal drainage system disorders leading to epiphora are a common ophthalmologic complaint. When such a patient is identified, the ophthalmologist frequently collaborates with the otolaryngologist to perform a dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). In rare cases, sinonasal sarcoidosis may lead to nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLD) and dacryocystitis. A 48-year-old Caucasian female was referred to the Otolaryngology clinic for evaluation of a 6-month history of persistent right-sided nasal obstruction and epiphora. After physical examination and computerized tomography (CT) scan, she was diagnosed with right NLD with dacryocystitis. The patient underwent right endoscopic DCR. Pathology from the lacrimal bone and nasal tissue demonstrated noncaseating granulomas suggestive of sarcoidosis. Postoperative evaluation including lung CT scan confirmed systemic sarcoidosis. Nasolacrimal duct obstruction very rarely is the presenting symptom in patients with sarcoidosis. Imaging is necessary to rule out other causes of NLD, and histopathology is essential for diagnosis. Noncaseating granulomas are found along the nasal tissue and lacrimal sac, specifically in the subepithelial layer. Treatment consists of DCR, either endoscopic or external. Both approaches achieve long-lasting resolution of symptoms but may require revision from inflammation and scarring. There is no consensus on the use of intraoperative or postoperative steroids.


Although mechanical compression of the optic nerve by a dilated and/or tortuous sclerotic intracranial internal carotid artery is occasionally reported as an etiology for impairment of vision and visual field, early diagnosis of such condition has been hampered by the lack of characteristic neuro-ophthalmological and neuroradiological findings. The review of 35 previously reported cases (60 eyes) including ours showed that 41% out of the 34 operated eyes were improved neurologically by the decompressive procedure, while it was in 27% out of the 26 undecompressed or non-operated eyes. These unsatisfactory operative results are considered mainly due to the failure of early diagnosis. In order to investigate the relationship between the carotid artery and optic nerve, we proposed a method of angiographical projection consisting of the straight view along the long axis of the optic canal. By this projection, it is possible to detect a supero-medial enlargement and/or dislocation of the cisternal portion of the internal carotid artery. The addition of metrizamide CT cisternography which clarifies the relationship of the optic nerve, chiasm and internal carotid artery in the supersellar cistern may further provide an useful clue for the diagnosis of this condition.


A scaling analysis is made of the order parameter describing monopole condensation at the deconfining transition of N_f=2 QCD around the chiral point. In accordance with scaling properties of the specific heat, studied in a previous paper, scaling is consistent with a first order transition. The status of dual superconductivity of the vacuum as a mechanism of color confinement is reviewed.


This paper presents a new study on profit optimization of abrasive blasting systems. In the study, the effects of many parameters such as the air pressure, the initial nozzle diameter, the cost components and the nozzle wear on the profit rate were investigated. Based on the results of the optimization problem, regression models for determination of the optimal exchanged nozzle diameter in order to get the maximal profit rate were proposed. With "optimal diameter", both the profit rate and the cleaning time can be reduced significantly.


Using Bakhtin's concept of genre (1982), this article presents a quantitative analysis of the most popular genres among the productions of Spanish-speaking BookTubers (Book + YouTubers). Its aim is to determine which discourses are the most dominant discursive forms in their production and the repercussions these audiovisual genres have on their audiences through quantitative indicators of popularity (views, likes/dislikes/comments). We quantify the presence of audiovisual genres in a random sample of videos published in 2017 (n=368) using digital methods, through the informatic script YouTube Data Tools to obtain information about the videos (Title, Description, Number of Views, Comments, Likes and Dislikes). Evidence shows that BookTubers are able to use a great variety of audiovisual genres that come both from other YouTubers (such as vlogs, challenges, hangouts, hauls or unboxings) and from other media (reviews, rankings, lists, interviews). The most prominent in our corpus are the review, the list and the wrap-up, which fit a traditional recommendation function; however, the most popular among their audiences, in terms of views, comments and likes, are those in which the BookTuber performs a thematic selection of several books, such as lists, rankings or wrap-ups. This reinforces the curatorial value of their work as reading mediators.


Individuals and affected communities are often excluded from decision-making processes regarding the use of water resources. However, in the last two decades, non-state actors have been increasingly integrated into water management processes. Some international instruments, such as the 1998 Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, put emphasis on access to information and transparency in natural resource management. Public participation – encompassing the rights of individuals and groups to have access to information and participate in decision-making processes – is an increasingly common obligation in international agreements. Furthermore, mechanisms like the Aarhus Compliance Committee have been developed to providing individuals and groups direct access to decision-making procedures. The article identifies some of the main features of public participation in water management, drawing on the texts of international instruments and the practice of international actors.


This letter introduces a 15.5 × 56.5-mm2 planar slot antenna operated under surroundings of an unbroken metal rim in mobile handsets. The height of the slot antenna is shortened, and the bandwidth for low band is expanded to cover both GSM850 and GSM900. This antenna provides a solution for planar unbroken metal-rimmed handsets and can be operated in five wireless communication bands (i.e., GSM850, GSM900, DCS1800, PCS1900, and UMTS bands). Good performances on return loss, radiation pattern, efficiency, and gain are obtained over these five operating bands. Hand effect of this slot antenna is also studied by comparison to the conventional monopole antenna.


The duck has a great potential in helping to meet the growing demand for high quality protein in human diets. In order for ducks to meet their potential, more research is needed to establish their dietary requirements. Feeding and excreta collection techniques developed at Purdue University that minimize loss of excreta during collection, the first step towards precise dietary requirement quantification, are described. Using the techniques that were developed, energy and amino acid utilization of White Pekin ducks were evaluated in several studies. Diets supplying 3, 000 kcal ME/kg, 0.6% Methionine, and 1.2% Lysine are adequate to meet duck's requirement for optimum growth in the first week of life. Predicted ME of diets based on utilization values of individual ingredients was compared with the measured ME in the diets, the result showed that the energy in the feedstuffs had additive when compounded into a diet for ducks. In the case of amino acids, some essential amino acid showed significant associative effect. Enzymes likes xylanase and phytase improved performance and bone mineralization when used in ducks diet. The effect was demonstrated to be due to reduction in digesta viscosity and increased P availability as a result of the use of xylanase and phytase, respectively, the effects being more pronounced in younger ducks. There is need for more research to be done in the areas of amino acid nutrition in ducks and the evaluation of nontraditional feedstuffs.


Year 1956 was an important year for international road and freight transport. By this year Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) was made. The basic purpose of the Convention was to unify the rules in the international carriage of goods and thereby promote development of international trade. From the practical point of view, this was very important for both carriers and transporters. This Convention also describes the most important document in the international carriage of goods, which includes the consignment note of CMR as well. Recently this document is often associated with the term neutralization. Objective of this article was to clarify the meaning of this phrase in transport. In addition, the aim was to find out in what range carriers have real experience with neutralization of the consignment note of the CMR during the transport, for what types of goods and on what types of routes is the neutralization being used the most.