Most FIR and sub-mm space borne observatories use polymer-based quasi-optical elements like filters and lenses, due to their high transparency and low absorption in such wavelength ranges. Nevertheless, data from those missions have proven that thermal imbalances in the instrument (not caused by filters) can complicate the data analysis. Consequently, for future, higher precision instrumentation, further investigation is required on any thermal imbalances embedded in such polymer-based filters. Particularly, in this paper the heating of polymers when operating at cryogenic temperature in space will be studied. Such phenomenon is an important aspect of their functioning since the transient emission of unwanted thermal radiation may affect the scientific measurements. To assess this effect, a computer model was developed for polypropylene based filters and PTFE-based coatings. Specifically, a theoretical model of their thermal properties was created and used into a multi-physics simulation that accounts for conductive and radiative heating effects of large optical elements, the geometry of which was suggested by the large format array instruments designed for future space missions. It was found that in the simulated conditions, the filters temperature was characterized by a time-dependent behaviour, modulated by a small scale fluctuation. Moreover, it was noticed that thermalization was reached only when a low power input was present.


Mast cells (MCs) mediate robust innate responses during inflammation associated with infections, autoimmunity, and immune hyperactivation. MC development depends on signaling through the stem cell factor receptor (SCFR, also known as cKit, or CD117). Consistently, mice that carry an inversion in the regulatory elements of cKit expression, named W-sh mutation, are MC deficient. Interestingly, in addition to defects in the generation of MCs, the KitW-sh mice produce expanded megakaryocyte and myeloid populations, including neutrophils. Namely, aberrant extramedullarymyelopoiesis, characterized by accumulationofCD11b+ cells expressing intermediate andhigh levels of Ly6G, is present in these mice.1 This phenotype suggests questioning whether there is a connection between MC functionality and myeloid homeostasis. The issue has been investigated by Jachetti et al. and published in the current issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology.2 Neutrophils are remarkably short-lived cells at steady state with a circulating half-life of 6 to 8 h and are produced at an impressive rate of 5×1010 to 10 × 1010 cells/day.3 The frequencies of circulating neutrophils are tightly controlled by the coordinated regulation of granulopoiesis, mobilization from the bone marrow, and clearance. Classical studies in humans, in which ex vivo-radiolabeled neutrophils were infused back into healthy volunteers, as well as transfer studies in mice, proposed that the clearance of neutrophils from the bloodstream was realized in the bone marrow, liver, and spleen


Electrochemically deposited layer (EDL) prepared from electropolymerization of oligo(5-vinyl-2-nitrobenzyl triphenylamine-4-carboxylate) on conductive indium tin oxide glass (ITO) showed photolithographic properties as well as good hole-injection and transport properties. Under the optimized conditions, the polymeric light-emitting device (PLED) of ITO/EDL/polyvinylcarbazole(PVK)-Ir(PPy)3-[2-biphenylyl-5-(4′-tert-butylphenyl)oxadiazole] (PBD)/Mg−Ag had a turn-on voltage of 13.5 V (100 cd/m2) with a maximum brightness of 9100 cd/m2, and the current efficiency of 10.3 cd/A. When the EDL was exposed to UV light (365 nm) through a patterned photomask and developed in CH2Cl2, a positive image was obtained. After irradiation for 8 min through a band-pass filter (17 mW/cm2) by a Xeon lamp, the EDL became soluble and could be depleted completely in CH2Cl2. Patterned PLED device was also fabricated by this technique.


New approach to building up the optimization models of manufacturing processes related to use of interval variables is offered; it eases the process of models construction and makes their formulation accessible for operational personnel.


Silicon nitride (SiN) waveguides provide a substantially lower index contrast, thermo-optic coefficient and reduced birefringence compared to silicon-on-insulator waveguides. These properties make SiN a prominent candidate for implementation of ultra-wideband dual-polarization photonics circuits with a great potential for datacom applications. State-of-the-art SiN power splitters are still hampered in terms of either bandwidth or single-polarization operation. Here, we propose to overcome these


Hydrothermal alteration at high‐temperature vents near mid‐ocean ridge is thought to produce pervasive magnetization lows on basaltic ocean crust, but the detailed alteration process is insufficiently documented. Here, we performed microscopic and magnetic analyses on a large set of hydrothermal‐related basaltic samples from the Southwest Indian Ridge. Fresh basalts were chloritized and brecciated during hydrothermal alteration, where titanomagnetite nanoparticle clusters hosted in interstitial glasses were dissolved in the first order, followed by large micron‐scale dendritic particles. Natural remanent magnetization was reduced from 100–101 A/m for fresh basalts to 10−3 A/m for fully altered basalts. Hydrothermal deposits acquired a chemical remanent magnetization of 10−2 A/m. Our results link direct magneto‐mineralogical observations to geophysical interpretations, which is important in understanding seafloor hydrothermal circulation and mid‐ocean ridge geodynamics.


The "cycle of violence" begins with victimization of children and progresses to the long-term consequences of this abuse: delinquency, adult criminal behavior, and violence. This prospective cohort study examined criminal behavior in adults who had been abused as children. It corrected methodologic …


This volume presents the many manifestations of George Washington. Included are fine portraits, ranging from those he actually posed for to postmodern images that deconstruct the icon. Also contained are objects of mass distribution, from glass flasks, tableware and porcelain vases to calendar illustrations, prints and the dollar bill. Spanning more than two centuries, these items tell about the changes in American society as well as about the man portrayed.


A specific portion of a vulnerable stenosis is deformed periodically under a pulsatile blood flow condition. Detailed analysis of such deformable stenosis is important because stenotic deformation can increase the likelihood of rupture, which may lead to sudden cardiac death or stroke. Various diagnostic indices have been developed for a nondeformable stenosis by using flow characteristics and resultant pressure drop across the stenosis. However, the effects of the stenotic deformation on the flow characteristics remain poorly understood. In this study, the flows around a deformable stenosis model and two different rigid stenosis models were investigated under a pulsatile flow condition. Particle image velocimetry was employed to measure flow structures around the three stenosis models. The deformable stenosis model was deformed to achieve high geometrical slope and height when the flow rate was increased. The deformation of the stenotic shape enhanced jet deflection toward the opposite vessel wall of the stenosis. The jet deflection in the deformable model increased the rate of jet velocity and turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) production as compared with those in the rigid models. The effect of stenotic deformation on the pulsating waveform related with the pressure drop was analyzed using the TKE production rate. The deformable stenosis model exhibited a phase delay of the peak point in the waveform. These results revealed the potential use of pressure drop waveform as a diagnostic index for deformable stenosis.


Teacher assessment and evaluation (TAE) of a nation is an important determinant of its teacher quality and student achievement. However, literature lacks a scale for displaying English teachers' attitudes towards TAE model in an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context where teachers are assessed and evaluated via high-stakes tests based on multiple choice questions. The English Teachers' Attitudes towards Recruitment System Scale (ETARS) has been developed based on the existing literature, and data were collected from various stakeholders (policymakers, education experts, teacher trainers, teachers, student teachers). The data were piloted with 319 teachers through exploratory factor analysis. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis was utilized with 260 teachers. Results indicated the ETARS, comprised of 23 items and three dimensions, to be a valid and reliable instrument. Finally, the ETARS was applied to 260 English teachers to reveal their attitudes towards Turkish TAE model in terms of various variables. Findings displayed that English teachers had negative attitudes towards the current TAE model. This research fills the gap in the literature by providing the ETARS.


This paper attempt to introduce, a penta band, temple bell shape micro strip patch by coaxial probe technique. These band cover unlicensed spectrum of ISM band of (5.725-5.825) for the express purpose of supporting low power license-free spread spectrum data communication and four bands in c band range, Which can be used in military services, common carrier and satellite uplink, studio transmitter link, common carrier and satellite downlink. SONNET lite software is used as a tool for simulation.


Accounting for only 5% of all renal and urothelial tumors, upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) is a rare genitourinary malignancy. Although management guidelines for UTUC recommend radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) with resection of a bladder cuff as the 'gold standard' treatment, the solitary kidney status after this procedure may lead to higher rates of dialysis, cardiovascular morbidity, and overall mortality. In an effort to mitigate these attendant risks, ureteroscopy (URS) and laser photoablation represent a valid treatment option for these patients with high comorbidities and/or low-risk disease and willing to undergo an intensive surveillance program. Minimally-invasive endoscopic management of UTUC was first suggested for imperative cases as chronic kidney disease, solitary kidney, bilateral UTUC, and the good results obtained in terms of cancer control lead clinicians to offer this approach also to elective cases (patients with normal contralateral kidney). The endoscopic treatment of upper tract UTUC coincided with the development and refinement of percutaneous renal surgery, ureteroscopy, and laparoscopy. These techniques can now be combined to provide histologic diagnosis of filling defects of the upper urinary tract, remove small to even large intraluminal lesions, or remove the distal ureter or the entire kidney and ureter with endoscopes alone.


Four types of land subsidence have been observed in the southern San Joaquin Valley. These have distinct causes, and generally occur in different areas. Subsidence caused by the decline of ground-water levels affects 400 sq mi on the valley floor at rates to 0.5 ft/yr. It results from the compaction of the water-bearing deposits as effective stresses are increased by pumping, and will continue as long as ground-water levels continue their downward trend. Subsidence due to the hydrocompaction of surficial deposits is occurring on the southern and western perimeter of the valley. Hydrocompaction results when moisture-deficient, susceptible deposits are wetted for the first time. Subsidence associated with the production of oil and gas has been observed in several fields. Also, tectonic adjustment results in the continuing northward tilt of the mountain block at the southern end of the valley. The areal extent and rate of subsidence are determined principally by periodic releveling of surface bench marks. At selected locations in the valley, specially designed installations furnish a continuous record of compaction of the aquifer system due to artesian-head decline. Importation and extensive use of surface water of irrigation should greatly modify the subsidence pattern in the next decade. End_of_Article - Last_Page 564------------


The invention relates to a compound medical equipment multi-enzyme cleaning agent, belonging to the technical field of fine chemistry. The compound medical equipment multi-enzyme cleaning agent is characterized by comprising the following components in percentage by mass: (A) 0.5-1.2% of bio-enzyme component; (B) 5-15% of washing auxiliary; (C) 3-7% of surfactant component; (D) 3-10% of foam inhibitor component; (E) 0.05-0.3% of antibacterial component; (F) 0.005%-0.01% of pigment component; (G) 0.001-0.003% of perfume component; (H) the balance of solvent component. The compound medical equipment multi-enzyme cleaning agent provided by the invention is green transparent neutral liquid with a light orange flavor, has the advantages of no environmental pollution, few bubbles generated in use, no corrosion to equipment and the like, and is suitable for cleaning the medical equipment made from the materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, plastics and the like by manual operation, spray and ultrasonic cleaning machines.


Despite being a well established phenomenon, neutrino oscillations are extremely important in both particle physics and astrophysics. On the one hand, the mass-mixing parameters governing oscillations are still being measured, giving insights on the underlying flavor symmetries and CP violation in the lepton sector. The level of precision reached in these measurements poses unprecedented problems and opportunities: extremely refined statistical analysis of current and prospective data are now required. At the same time there is an increased sensitivity to physics beyond the Standard Model. On the other hand, neutrinos are now commonly used as messengers from astrophysical sources. In this case a full understanding of oscillations is mandatory for a precise characterization of the sources. However, in very dense astrophysical environments (core-collapse supernovae, neutron star mergers, ...), flavor evolution is still under theoretical investigation, even in the context of the Standard Model, where new collective oscillation effects can occur. In my talk I will review the current issues, recent advancements and future prospects for both frontiers: precision and new physical phenomena


Assessment of student's communication skill is one of the prime assessments in midwifery education process. This assessment is conducted to measure student's accomplishment towards learning objectives designated by the academic institution. Involvement of patient in the assessment process is important to conduct to know the student's communication skill from service user, whereas the involvement of clinic instructor is aimed to provide guidance and as an evaluator. Thus, this research aimed to assess the compatibility of interpersonal communication assessment of midwifery student between clinic instructor and patients. This research is a quantitative research with cross sectional design. The total of research subjects were 122 respondents, consist of 49 midwifery students of Poltekkes Tasikmalaya who are on clinical practice activity, 49 pregnant women, and 24 clinic instructors. This research was conducted at 24 private maternity clinics in Tasikmalaya on September 2013. Communication skill of midwifery students were measured using Likert scale with 11 statements. There are three aspects of assessment in this research which consist of raising problems and worries, disease management explanation and patient involvement in decision making. The compatibility of midwifery student's communication skill between clinic instructor and patients is measured by Cohen Kappa consistency test. It is interpreted as having significant result when p-value is <0.05. The analysis result showed a-Kappa index of 0.23 and p-value<0.01, indicating a weak level of agreement between clinic instructor and patients on assessing communication skill of midwifery students. Based on research result, it can be concluded that either clinic instructor or patients can be involved in interpersonal communication skill evaluation among midwifery students. However, a-careful evaluation is needed when patients are involved especially in relation to their background characteristics and their ability to use the  instruments. As recommendation, qualitative research should be conducted to find out more important aspects of interpersonal communication skill to further enhance communication skills curricula for midwifery students.


Beginning with its first issue of 1945, Elle magazine was instrumental in changing the way the French saw female domesticity in the postwar period, infusing the domestic space with an aura of glamour and modernity. Newly glamorous female domesticity went hand-in-hand with images of women as voters and professionals, communicating to the magazine's readers that they could 'have it all' – but never to the exclusion of their primary identity as mothers and wives. This ultimately conservative postwar version of femininity came to be challenged in the early 1960s by Mademoiselle, a magazine that projected a reader unmarked by war memories and whose relationship to technology and modernity went beyond the home. Yet, Mademoiselle was grooming the fun-loving teenage girl as a consumer who would one day be a wife and mother as well; from one version of modernity to another, feminine destiny remained the same.


OBJECTIVE:To explore prophylactic application of antibiotics before type Ⅱ incision surgery (clean-contaminated incision) and identify the major influencing factors of it.METHODS:Prophylactic application of antibiotics in patients undergoing type Ⅱ incision surgery in operation room of our hospital was observed to analyze the problems.RESULTS:Of observed 118 cases,61 cases were given medicine by nurses within 30 min before incision,while 50 cases were given medicine within 30~60 min before incision and 7 cases didn't use any kind of antibiotics.The rate of prophylactic application of antibiotics within 60 minutes before incision was 94.06%.Relevant influencing factors included dermal test,operation duration,the link of prescription,medicine taking and handover.CONCLUSION:It is necessary to strengthen cooperation and coordination with relevant personnel in surgical environment to ensure appropriate prophylactic application of antibiotics.


In this paper we present a new method on how to compute the expectation and distribution of the queue length for a particular class of systems. We apply this method and prove its time-efficiency for models in road traffic such as the fixed-cycle traffic light (FCTL) model and for the bulk-service queue model. We give several generalizations of the FCTL queue, which model right-turns, disruptions of the traffic and uncertainty in departure times. We also consider different ways of green time allocation, which are based on either minimizing the maximum expected delay per vehicle or minimizing the total expected queue length. We compare these methods to proportional allocation.


There is a perception that physicians are doing a poor job of treating hypertension despite the availability of effective, well-tolerated therapy. We are reminded that only about 35% to 40% of patients with elevated blood pressure (BP) have their BP controlled to goal levels and that only about 60% are receiving antihypertensive medication. Some of these data may be 4 or more years out of date. Recent surveys in large group practices or national polls note that as many as 90% of patients appear to be receiving treatment with some medication and that >50% of the respondents state that their BP is controlled to levels below the presently accepted goal of 140 ⁄ 90 mm Hg. Admittedly, some of these data are ''soft,'' but it is clear that we are doing a better job than some would have us believe; obviously, there is more that we can do. Physician or clinical inertia has been one reason cited to explain less than ideal treatment results.


6599 Background: Recent data reporting results of FCR therapy in previously untreated advanced CLL patients (F-25 mg/m2 d1-3 q 4wk; C-250 mg/m2 d 1-3 q 4wk; R-500 mg/m2 d1 q 4wk for 6 cycles) demonstrated complete remission (CR) of 70% and overall response (OR) of 95% (J Clin Oncol 2005;23:4079). The major toxicity was grade 3/4 neutropenia during 52% of courses. One approach to decrease neutropenia without compromising efficacy could be by reducing the doses of F and C and increasing the dose of R as high-dose R has been reported to be more efficacious in CLL.

METHODS
We conducted a phase II study for previously untreated advanced CLL patients treated with mFCR (F-20mg/m2 d1-3 q 4 wk; C-150 mg/m2 d1-3 q 4 wk; R-500mg/m2 d1 and d14 q 4wks; maintenance R-500 mg/m2 q 3 months until progression). A Simon two-stage design was used where 15 patients were accrued in the first stage and because of acceptable toxicity and response rate in stage I an additional 35 patients will be treated. The primary endpoint was response rate.

RESULTS
Twenty patients (13 male, 7 female), age 36-85 years (median 59) were treated with a total of 105 mFCR courses. All 20 patients were evaluable for toxicity. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred during 11(10.5%) courses. There were no episodes of neutropenic fever. Grade 3/4 thrombocytopenia occurred during 4 (3.8%) courses. Two patients are currently on study and not evaluable for response and among the 18 evaluable patients, the CR was 68%, PR was 32% with an OR of 100%. Eleven of the 12 CR patients had no evidence of CD5+/CD19+ coexpressing cells in their bone marrow after therapy and one had <1%; all 12 were NED by CT scan.

CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary results suggest mFCR is highly effective with considerably less grade 3/4 neutropenia than standard FCR. Complete responders had minimal residual disease in their bone marrow following mFCR. [Table: see text].


The occurrence of available energy reservoirs is decreasing steeply, therefore we are looking for an alternative and sustainable renewable energy resources. Among them, hydrogen is considered as gr ...


Abstract Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a known side effect of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) blocking agents. In this patient with HLAB27-associated spondyloarthritis, PPP started 6 months after the first exposure to Etanercept and persisted for 15 months in spite of reduced dosing for 6 months, and after discontinuation of TNF blockade and intermittent administration of topical corticosteroids for 9 months. T cell costimulation blockade using recombinant CTLA4-Ig (Abatacept) was started 4 months after stopping Etanercept for the treatment of both the refractory psoriatic skin manifestation and the joint inflammation, which relapsed after cessation of anti-TNF treatment. Only the skin manifestation responded satisfactorily to Abatacept after a delay of 5 months, but under prophylactic continuation of this treatment, it was possible to re-expose the patient to Etanercept again, thereby achieving a prompt remission of arthritis, now for more than 2 years, without a new exacerbation of PPP.


Modeling cycle-accurate transaction-level AMBA bus using SystemC is introduced in this paper.Some Bluetooth IPs connect to the bus and be tested.The concepts of interface,port and channel are adopted by which the bus models can be extended easily.The experimental results reveal that the bus model and the Bluetooth IP are completely compliant to AMBA specification 2.0 and the Bluetooth specification 1.1.This method can be used to modeling in early period of SoC design.


A Bacillus subtilis strain was screened to improve the production of proteinase in the process of solid state fermentation of soybean meal.Orthogonal experimental design was used to screen optimal condition for removing antigen proteins.Under the optimal condition of soybean meal humidity at 45%,particle diameter at 1.0~2.0 mm,and fermentation at 35 ℃ for 50 h,the removal rate of antigen protein reached 90%.SDS electrophoresis confirmed the antigen protein was effectively degraded.The molecular weight of the degraded peptide was less than 10 000.


This Article provides an in-depth examination of the strategic judicial maneuvering witnessed in the Supreme Court's 2012 healthcare decision. Through that lens, it is possible to gain a detailed understanding of the doctrinal groundwork that Chief Justice Roberts was laying for future conservative revolutions in the Commerce Clause Power, the Necessary and Proper Clause, and the Taxing and Spending Power. Understanding Roberts's actions as sophisticated judicial strategy reveals much about where he plans to take the Court. Although Roberts was clearly pursuing legal policy goals, his willingness to uphold the individual mandate without a clear majority for his conservative jurisprudential innovations suggests that his dominant interest was not doctrinal, but rather institutional. Roberts's driving aims were to protect the institutional legitimacy of the Court from the appearance of partisan decision-making immediately before a presidential election, to guard his own personal reputation from charges of partisan manipulation, and to increase judicial power. Roberts's evident strategic action is an ideal vehicle for understanding this case, his federalist constitutional agenda, judicial strategy more generally, and its relation to doctrinal development.


To determine scale velocity an additional similarity parameter is needed to supplement the Ruff scaling method. A Weber number based on water droplet MVD has been included in several studies because the effect of droplet splashing on ice accretion was believed to be important, particularly for SLD conditions. In the present study, ice shapes recorded at Appendix-C conditions and recent results at SLD conditions are reviewed to show that droplet diameter cannot be important to main ice shape, and for low airspeeds splashing does not appear to affect SLD ice shapes. Evidence is presented to show that while a supplementary similarity parameter probably has the form of a Weber number, it must be based on a length proportional to model size rather than MVD. Scaling comparisons were made between SLD reference conditions and Appendix-C scale conditions using this Weber number. Scale-to-reference model size ratios were 1:1.7 and 1:3.4. The reference tests used a 91-cm-chord NACA 0012 model with a velocity of approximately 50 m/s and an MVD of 160 m. Freezing fractions of 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 were included in the study.


As an extension of and complement to the campus network,the wireless local area network has distinct advantages in the aspects of networking,coverage,density,mobility,extension and management,and the demand is extensive.Rational planning,construction and application of the campus wireless network play an important role in promoting the construction of a digital campus and the informatization of higher education.


In a previous paper, Maeda et ale'. demonstrated, using a number of histochemical procedures for analysis of ceroid in tissue, that carbohydrates are a common component in the ground substance of ceroid. From the results of the repeated injections of a suspension of red cell envelope carried for the purpose of forming ceroid, Yamato2°) approved that glycoprotein constituting erythrocytic stroma is essential in case of ceroidogenesis. In this study an attempt was made to detect the presence of carbohydrates in the ground substance of ceroid granules at the electron microscopic level, with special reference to theoretical considerations that a complex of multiple hydrogen bonds may be formed between phosphotungstic acid (PTA) and polysaccharide chains10). Two methods used in order to detect polysaccharides or glycoproteins have been hitherto applied to a variety of cell types in tissues : one involved a successive treatment of sections with HI04-silver methenamine, and the other a treatment with a solution containing 1% PTA in 10% chromic acid (Cr-PTA) with or without prior oxidation by HI048,10,15,17) The results obtained with the two methods, whenever the comparison was possible, are identical with those obtained with the PAS reaction at the electron microscopic leve14,7). Therefore, the two methods of the HI04-Cr-PTA stain and the HI04-silver methenamine stain can be said to be equivalent in respect of the mechanism of detecting glycoproteins. When sections were stained by the HI04-silver methenamine stain at the light microscopic level, it was observed by Mowry9) that if paraffin sections initially oxidized by HI04 are then treated in chromic acid, deep blackening of most polysaccharides results after a silver methenamine stain and that oxidation of sections by HI04 alone fails to cause more blackening of polysaccharides than by a silver methenamine stain without pretreatment with H104.


Aiming at the time-space-frequency multi-domain conflict in making mission planning for large-scale UAVs, a time-space-frequency conflict decou-pling detection and resolution method based on systems Engineering V model was proposed. Firstly, the time-space-frequency conflict characteristics of UAVs mission planning are analyzed. Then, based on the systems engineering V model, a time-space-frequency conflict decoupling detection and resolution framework is constructed. On that basis, time-space-frequency multi-domain conflict resolution model for UAVs Mission Plan-ning is proposed by designing Terrain Model, Airspace Model, Time overlap Detection Model, elevation overlap detection model, 2-D overlap detection model, 2-D track overlap detection model, Space overlap detection model on same-frequency, etc. Finally, the simulation results show that the time-space-frequency conflict decoupling method based on system engineering V model has better advantages.


Finance has great effect on modern economy.But what is finance.how to give a correct definition to modern finance.This paper not only summarizes the different concepts of finance and has remarks on them,but also gives the definition of modern finance.


1Universitäts-Augenklinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 2Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands; 3Medipolis, Antwerp, Belgium; 4Acibadem Maslak Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; 5Hospital Universitari Mútua Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain; 6Oftalvist CIO Jerez, Cádiz, Spain Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new multi-segmented refractive multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) after phacoemulsification and refractive lens exchange (RLE). Patients and Methods: In this prospective, multicenter clinical trial, 63 presbyopic subjects who had cataract or where RLE candidates were bilaterally implanted with the Precizon Presbyopia IOL (Ophtec BV, Groningen, the Netherlands) after phacoemulsification. The study was conducted at 6 clinical centers in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Turkey and Spain. Subjects were evaluated at baseline and at 1 day, 1 week, 1 and 3 months postoperatively for monocular and binocular uncorrected (UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), uncorrected (UIVA) and distance-corrected intermediate visual acuity (DCIVA), uncorrected (UNVA), corrected (CNVA) and distance-corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA), contrast sensitivity and quality of vision. Results: Three months postoperatively, binocular UDVA and CDVA of ≥20/40 was achieved in 98.4% (60/61) and 100%, respectively. Binocular UIVA and DCIVA of ≥20/40 was achieved in 96.7% (59/61) and 93.4% (57/61) respectively. Binocular UNVA, CNVA and DCNVA of ≥20/40 was achieved in 93.4% (57/61), 98.4% (60/61) and 95% (57/60) subjects, respectively. Complete spectacle independence was achieved in 80% (49/61) patients; 93% of patients reported that they were quite or very satisfied with the outcomes of the procedure. Conclusion: Precizon Presbyopia IOL implantation is a safe and effective method to provide good visual acuity at all distances in presbyopic and cataract patients.


The present invention discloses a tool for introducing pipe, comprising a tool body having a rear end (15) and distal (17) (1), wherein said rear end thereof for mating with a rotary machine structure (16) , preferably a handheld drilling machine, provided on the distal adapter means (18) for the tool (2) connected to the detachable or integral with the binding tool tip (17) (19) , preferably in the form of drill steel, wherein the tool body (1) is provided with a positioning structure (13), located between said front end (17) and a rear end (15) of the position of the positioning structure (13) transformation It can be fixed into a pipe (3), on the rear end of the duct (15) sliding on the tool body (1) until the positioning structure (13) engages.


Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a complex of symptoms and infections caused by the HIV virus as it impacts the immune system. It is an acquired infection, not hereditary. AIDS since its appearance in 1981 has spread to become a major cause of prema‐ ture death and so far a cure has not yet been found. The diagnosis of HIV/AIDS requires a positive HIV antibody test or evidence of HIV infection and the appearance of some very specific conditions/diseases (CDC, 1993).


Abstract This paper studies an integrated economic model of automobile emissions that incorporates consumer mileage, automobile feature, and fuel content choices. Subject to informational constraints that bind the government, optimal regulatory policies are shown to include fuel content standards, gasoline taxes, and direct automobile regulation or taxation. Optimal automobile taxes are tied to the mileage that regulators can anticipate will be driven on a given car. In dynamic environments, constrained efficiency can be achieved by periodic automobile taxes or, under some circumstances, a combination of new car regulation and accelerated vehicle retirement subsidies. Desired properties of vehicle retirement programs are discussed.


Coated magnetite nanoparticles with a 6−8 nm average diameter were prepared. The surfactants used to stabilize the nanoparticles and disperse them in organic solvents were oleic acid (OA), lauric acid , dodecyl phosphonate, hexadecyl phosphonate, and dihexadecyl phosphate. Transmission electron microscopy analyses of the aggregation of the coated particles suggest that carboxylate surfactants provide the particles with better isolation and dispersibility as compared with phosphonate surfactants. However, Fourier transform infrared spectra of the phosphonate and phosphate coated particles suggest that these surfactants cover the surface of the nanoparticles in islands of high packing density. The thermogravimetric and differential scanning calorimetry measurements suggest that there is a quasi-bilayer of these surfactants covering the surface of the nanoparticles, with varying amounts of surfactant in the outer layer and with the second layer weakly bound to the primary layer through hydrophobic interactio...


A number of complications after oncological therapy increase with the number of patients who receive the treatment. The diagnostic process might be complicated and requires the use of multimodality imaging to rule out other causes. The immune-related adverse events (irAE) due to nivolumab — as myocarditis and pneumonitis are uncommon but potentially life-threatening. We present a case of a patient who developed both of them in a short-time interval.


In this paper is analyzed the energy balance in a west Amazoniapasture area (Rondonia) during the wet season. The aim is to understandthe influence of the rain and cloudiness in the surface energy division.The results showed that, on average, 38,81 % of the available energy wasconverted in latent heat and 23,99% was converted in sensible heat,remaining 37,18%. It is appreciated that around 30% of this remain energyis used to heat the water during the rain events.


The purpose of this study is to investigate Foreign Language (FL) learners' ability in writing an essay by using an environmental topic in terms of how they write the introduction, the body of the piece, and conclusion through content analysis design. Twenty-nine students, who took an academic writing class in the academic year 2019-2020 in a private College of Teachers Training and Education (STKIP PGRI) in Pasuruan, Indonesia, become the sample of the study. The result shows that to write the introductory paragraph, the majority of the students (69%) uses general way to open the essay, while the rest prefers questions (24%) and anecdote (7%). The result also shows that almost all the students can state their thesis statement (97%). The body of the essay is organized by using a cause-effect relationship (17%), reasoning (38%), problem-solution (10%), and the combination of those (35%). Moreover, almost all the paragraphs in the body of the essay have their topic sentences (90%). In terms of the concluding section, all students can provide proper conclusions for their essays by using recommendation or advice (48%), summary (48%), and hope (4%). In sum, using an environmental topic can help the students to write better because the issue is close and personal. Furthermore, the issue triggers students' self-awareness to protect their environment.


Abuse of power is one of classic concepts in administrative law. According to the classical approach, this concept is based on the assumption that the scope of discretion of public administration bodies is defined, beside competence norms, procedural and legal grounds for action, also by the objective for which the discretionary powers was granted. The classic concept has evolved over the years. It is also evident that its importance has been in decline nowadays. The priority objectives of my study concerned more practical than theoretical aspects of the topic. The key issue of my work is to analyze how courts have changed their approach to the judicial review of the discretionary powers of public administration. I set myself two goals in this study: first, I would like to indicate the fundamental direction in which the classic concept of abuse of power evolves. Secondly, I would like to describe the contemporary role of this concept and to response whether it can still be an effective instrument to protect an individual from arbitrary decisions of the public administration.


Much prior work has revealed that minority students are more likely than White youth to experience school suspensions, expulsions, and office referrals. However, the research establishing these patterns has relied exclusively on regression-based methods, which may not ensure adequate between-group balance on the measured covariates. Using data from the 2012 to 2019 8th/10th grade cohorts of the Monitoring the Future survey (N = 62,962), this study compares the treatment effects estimated following coarsened exact matching (CEM) with those generated using conventional methods on unmatched data. The results from both sets of analyses reveal notable effects of race but less consistent findings for Hispanic ethnicity. Further, while the effect sizes are similar, the average adjusted predictions from the matched data are more modest.


The invention relates to a gas holdup measuring method for an eight-electrode rotary electric field-type conductivity sensor. The adopted sensor comprises four pairs of electrodes which are uniformly distributed on the same cross section on the inner wall of a pipe wall; electrodes in each pair are opposite to each other. The method comprises the following steps: exerting sinusoidal signals, of which the initial phases are different, on the four pairs of electrodes respectively for excitation, wherein the phase difference between every two adjacent electrodes is 45 degrees, so that a rotary measurement electric field can be generated on the cross section; collecting the output signal of the sensor when a gas-phase fluid and a liquid-phase fluid pass through the sensor; calculating the normalized conductivity of the rotary electric field-type conductivity sensor; calculating the gas holdup according to the normalized conductivity of the rotary electric field-type conductivity sensor. The method has the advantages that the measurement is relatively accurate; the structure is simple.


Research areas of exceptional promise in the cancer field. To qualify as extraordinary opportunities these research initiatives must: Respond to important recent developments in knowledge and technology; Offer approaches to cancer research beyond the size, scope, and funding of our current research activities; Be implemented with specific, defined investments; Be described in terms of achievable milestones, with clear consequences for not investing; and Promise advances for making progress against all cancers. (from 2001 Bypass Budget)


The observation of internal solitary waves (ISWs) propagating upstream along a strongly stratified bottom layer on the California shelf is reported. An increased concentration of particulates in the water column accompanies the passage of these ISW packets. The estimated local Richardson number in the bottom vicinity is around 1/4, and a vertical coefficient of eddy diffusivity of order 1022 m2 s21 is associated with the upstream propagating leading ISW. The leading ISW gave rise to reversed flow in an 8-m layer above the bottom. It is argued that the upstream propagating ISWs were generated by resonant flow over bottom topography. Internal waves generated in this way seem to be frequent in the record of a month-long experiment. Model results suggest that the ISWs can carry up to 73% of such generated long wave energy. The ocean conditions at the site are similar to those of other coastal sites, which suggests that the phenomenon described here may be common.


The study assessed extent of arable crop farmers' involvement in non-farm activities in Ondo State, Nigeria. A structured interview schedule was used to obtain data from 210 respondents through a multistage sampling technique. Data were analysed using frequencies, mean, percentage, chi-square and correlation. Findings revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 55 years and the majority (67.9%) of the respondents were male. There was a high level of involvement (mean=2.6) in non-farm activities by the respondents. Inadequate finance (mean=1.56) ranked 1st in the constraint to arable farmers' involvement in non-farm activities. At p< 0.05, there was a significant association between educational level (χ2= 15.648; P= 0.016), Source of Credit (χ2 = 3.771; P= 0.052) and arable farmers involvement in non-farm activities. The study concluded that with the high level of involvement in non-farm activities, alongside side efforts to improve agriculture, there is a need for diversification into the non-farm economy. Hence, in ensuring a sustainable pathway to boosting productivity and thereby ameliorating the menace of poverty and food insecurity in Nigeria, a broader rural development strategy that includes both farm and non-farm activities must be adopted by farmers.


It is shown that for finite Coulombic systems the density per particle, final sigma identical with rho/N, determines the value of any observable quantity. The associated variational principle is derived.


An investigation was carried out with five lines and three testers of maize genotypes to assess combining ability. The resultant fifteen hybrids were evaluated for nine characters viz., plant height, days to 50 per cent tasseling, days to 50 per cent silking, cob length, cob girth, number of grain rows per cob, number of grains per row, 100 grain weight, and grain yield per plant. The results revealed that the hybrids L1/T3 and L4/T2 were the best for exploitation of heterosis. It also revealed that there is inconsistent relationship between gca and sca effects.


Summary Mariken Vaa, 'Community Participation in Urban Development Planning', Forum for Development Studies, No. 2, 1993, pp. 167–175. This article addresses issues related to upgrading of illegally constructed neighbourhoods in towns and cities, or squatter settlements, where donors increasingly advocate that provision and management of basic services should be based on community participation. But the concept of community is vague and denotes some form of homogeneity or social cohesion. Most actual settlements are differentiated along several dimensions, of which gender, income and housing status are probably the most important. Based on a case study from Bamako, Mali, it is argued that upgrading interventions risk producing reverse outcomes for poorer residents if internal differentiation is ignored.


The radiation-induced heterogeneous polymerization of ethylene in ethyl alcohol was carried out in a reactor with a capacity of 100 ml under the following reaction conditions: temperature, 24 ± 3°C; pressure, 200–400 kg/cm2; amount of ethyl alcohol, 30–70 ml; dose rate, 3.7 × 104−1.05 × 105 rad hr. The effects of amount of ethyl alcohol, pressure, and dose rate on the rate of polymerization at the steady state, the amount of polymerized monomer, the molecular weight of polymer, and the number of polymer chains were studied compared with the results obtained in the polymerization in tert-butyl alcohol. It was found that there is an acceleration period in the early stage of reaction followed by a steady state. The rate of polymerization was maximum when about 50 ml of ethyl alcohol was used. The molecular weight of polymer increased with a decrease in the amount of ethyl alcohol. The dependences of pressure (p) and dose rate (I) on the rate of polymerization at steady state (Rs) and the molecular weight of polymer (Mn) were expressed as follows; Rs ∝ p0.74, Mn ∝ p0.3−0.4, Rs ∝ I0.9 and Mn ∝ I−0.1 −0.0. The results were analyzed by a kinetic treatment based on a reaction mechanism containing both first-and second-order terminations. The rate constant of first-order termination by radical occlusion was considerably larger than that in the polymerization in tert-butyl alcohol, because the affinity of ethyl alcohol for polyethylene is smaller than that of tert-butyl alcohol. It was found that chain transfer to ethyl alcohol takes place easily and the G value of ethyl alcohol for initiation is larger than 1.5.


The article is devoted to changes in small European countries innovation policy under influence of globalization. The way of technology internationalization is not connected with weakness of national innovation system but is consequences of national market size. Risk of instability and decrease of efficiency in high technological spheres is especially great in countries that are unable to spread knowledge and competence of international corporations to small national enterprises, which are supposed to be converted into network sustaining efficiency and part of «additional cost» inside the country.


The present study aimed to explore the role of mediating factors of market orientation with regard to supply chain performance to help the firms achieve high levels of performance via identification of mediating factors of market orientation effective on supply chain performance and determining their degree of importance. The statistical population included all managers and experts of the purchasing, business and selling sector of Reef Iran Chemical and Industrial Group among whom 85 persons were selected as the statistical sample. The obtained results disclosed that mediating factors of market orientation including decentralization, formalization, control system, intersectoral coordination, senior managers' support and reward system have a significant relation with supply chain performance. According to results of regression test, control system and decentralization are more effective than other factors in supply chain cycle. This shows that they have a positive effect on marketing, market-oriented behavior and supply chain performance of firms. Article history : Received: 15 June 2014 Received in revised format: 22 July 2014 Accepted: 28 July 2014 Available online: 10 August 2014


Cervical cancer and its precursor lesions are caused by a persistent high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection. hrHPV testing has been reported to have higher sensitivity than Papanicolaou (Pap) testing for the detection of cervical precursor lesions. However, limited data are available for prior human papillomavirus (HPV) testing results for patients later diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer, especially in countries lacking a national cervical cancer screening program such as China. This study investigated prior hrHPV testing results for patients with invasive cervical cancer in China.


In this paper, we implement LDPC CODE in ZIGBEE (CC2430 chip) platform to improve the error rate. In the short-range wireless transmission technology, ZIGBEE is a popular new technology. Its advantages are low cost, low power, small size, easy to structure, etc. Control signal, sensing data is mainly transmitted data in ZIGBEE. This type of information required less bandwidth. It means that data transfer is relatively small, but its importance is very high. Such information, if an error occurs, it will have a serious impact. Therefore, a fixed bandwidth, we can use this space to improve its error rate. Add error correction code to each transmission data. Although this will increase the amount of data transferred, but its advantage is that accuracy will improve. In this paper, we added the LDPC CODE to improve the error rate. LDPC CODE is an error correction code. It is more popular in recent years, because its performance is very close to the Shannon Limit. The hardware decoder is simple and low cost. It is relatively good on the performance and complexity. In the implementation system, we produce MP3 data by recording, and then send data through ZIGBEE. At the receiving PC side, when get all data then will play MP3 music. Comparison of the effect of this improvement.


This lovely volume of Sharon Beals photographs of birds' nests is a treasure for birders and bird-lovers, and for anyone fascinated by the intricacy and wonder of the natural world. Photographed at the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, the nests in these images rise up luminously from deep black backgrounds, highlighting their rare beauty and astonishing detail.


Cyclin-dependent kinase 5(Cdk-5) and protein kinase A(PKA) are the important kinases in the regulation of Tau phosphorylation. However, it is unclear weather they participate in the regulation of tau phosphorylation in diabetic rat brain. The roles of Cdk-5 and PKA in the regulation of abnormal tau hyperphosphorylation in the hippocampus of diabetic rat model have been investigated. The diabetic rat model was induced by intra peritoneal injection with 55 mg/kg streptozotocin. Intracellular free calcium concentration was detected by loading Fura-2 and fluorescent technique in Control, Con+ Ros, DM, and DM+Ros groups, and the activities of Cdk-5 and PKA were measured by immunoprecipitation and by liquid scintillation for incorporated radioactivity respectively, furthermore, Western blotting was used to examine the level of tau phosphorylation by using phosphorylation-dependent and site-specific tau antibodies. The results show that, compared to normal control, the concentration of intracellular calcium in the diabetic rat hippocampus was elevated to 165.92 nmol/L(P 0.05). Cdk-5 activity was increased by 29% of control, and an increase of PKA activity by 30% of control was also found, both Cdk-5 activity and PKA activity were increased highly compared to normal control(P 0.01, P 0.01), furthermore, the immunoreactivity of Tau-1(detection of Ser 198/Ser 199/ Ser202, non-phosphorylated site) was decreased(P 0.01), the immunoreactivity of PHF-1 sites (detection of ser396/ser404, phosphorylated site) was increased(P 0.05) in these diabetic rats. After treated the DM rats with roscovitine, a specific Cdk-5 inhibitor, Cdk-5 activity was inhibited to 105% vs control, it was not obviously increased compared to control (P 0.05), but PKA activity remained 127% vs control, it was high compared to control(P 0.01). Moreover, the hyperphosphorylation of tau at Ser198/Ser199/Ser202 epitopes was reversed (P 0.01), but the level of phosphorylation of tau at Ser396/Ser404 epitopes was remained highly after roscovitine was administered to DM rats. However, after treated the control rats with roscovitine, Cdk-5 activity was about 104% vs control, and PKA activity was 105% vs control, neither Cdk-5 activity nor PKA activity was higher compared to control(P 0.05), and the level of tau phosphorylation at Ser198/Ser199/Ser202 and Ser396/Ser404 sites was not increased compared to control too(P 0.05). These results firstly suggest that the increase of Cdk-5 activity and PKA activity may cause the hyperphosphorylation of tau at Ser198/Ser199/Ser202 and Ser396/Ser404 epitopes in diabetic rat hippocampus, and the intracellular calcium may play a role in this process, however, it is needed to be elucidated in great details.


In this paper, the new configuration for planar inverted-F antenna (PIFA) is proposed for dual band mobile phone application. To reduce the size of the antenna, folded and shorted structure is used. Ushaped slot is cut in the antenna radiation patch, which can obtain two operating frequencies. It has been shown that the proposed antenna can cover the operating frequencies of GSM 900 (890-960 MHz) and DCS 1800 (1710-1880 MHz) bands. It is compact, low cost and having better antenna performance in terms of return loss, radiation patterns etc. The characteristics of the antenna are simulated using FEM based 3D EM software Ansoft HFSS. Keywords-Dual band; PIFA; Global system for mobile communication (GSM); Digital cellular system (DCS), HFSS


CONTEXT
Idiopathic Infantile Hypercalcemia (IIH) is an uncommon disorder with variable clinical features. The natural history and response to dietary calcium and vitamin D restriction in IIH remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to describe the clinical and biochemical response to dietary calcium and vitamin D restriction in a genetically characterized cohort of mild IIH.

METHODS
This is a longitudinal, observational cohort study of 20 children with mild IIH monitored for a median of 21months. Biochemical measures, dietary assessment and yearly renal ultrasound results, since the time of diagnosis, were obtained and assessed prospectively every 4-6 months.

RESULTS
Median age at initial diagnosis was 4·5 months. Median levels of serum calcium (2·82 mmol/l) and 1,25 (OH)2 D (192 pmol/l) were elevated whereas serum PTH was reduced (10 ng/l). Urinary calcium:creatinine ratio was elevated for some, but not all individuals (median 1·49 mmol/mmol). All patients who were managed with a low calcium diet showed an improvement in serum and urinary calcium measures, but the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D and 1,25(OH)2D/PTH ratio remained elevated. In 2 of the 11 subjects, renal calcification worsened. There were no differences in response between individuals with CYP24A1 or SLC34A1/A3 variants.

CONCLUSION
The clinical presentation of mild IIH is variable and dietary calcium and vitamin D restriction does not consistently normalize elevated 1,25(OH)2D concentrations or prevent worsening of renal calcification in all cases. Therapeutic options should target the defect in vitamin D metabolism.


The purposes of this research were 1) to explore current instructional practices and problems of using simulation-based learning (SBL) approach to teach nursing student in a maternal-newborn nursing and midwifery course and 2) to study needs for its improvement. Participants were 151 fourth-year undergraduate nursing students in the first semester of an academic year 2016 and seven instructors in the Maternal and Newborn Department of Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Data from nursing students were collected by using The Current Instructional Practices and Problems of SBL in the Maternal-Newborn Nursing and Midwifery Course Questionnaire developed by the researchers and validated by three experts in nursing education and instructional design. Its Cronbach's alpha correlation coefficient was .91. Using an open-ended interview guide developed by the researchers, one focus group was conducted among the instructors. Obtained quantitative data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were examined by using content analysis technique. The study findings have revealed that students perceived the overall current instructional practices and problems of SBL in the maternal-newborn nursing and midwifery course, the overall current practices were at a good level (mean = 3.83; SD = 0.80). The highest mean score was in the instructional activities of SBL (M = 3.95, SD = .52) and the lowest was in the contents of SBL (M = 3.69, SD = .64). They thought that SBL approach helped them understand contents better than traditional lecture did and easier to apply learned skills for clinical nursing practices. Future instructional design should allow the students to have more time to learn and practice. Instructors addressed that three issues influencing on teaching with SBL: instructional planning process, instructional implication, and instructional evaluation. Most problems found in instructional planning process because of workload and a time limit and in instructional implication because a number of students and how the simulation was set up. All instructor 1 Financial support for this research is provided by Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand 2 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Phunthip Cubkhuntod at email: firstname.lastname@example.com


ABSTRACT Television narratives present conflicting information regarding heterosexual, adolescent sexuality. In response to this, the present study examined the associations between adolescent girls' (N = 419, Mage = 16.37, SD = 1.36) sexually oriented television viewing and their expectations in romantic and sexual relationships in two related domains. Results showed that sexually oriented teen television viewing was positively associated with adolescent girls' endorsement of the sexual double standard in relationships and earlier expectations about the timing of sexual activities in relationships. This relationship did not differ by levels of perceived television realism, and remained even after controlling for covariates.


Effects of fiber length on mechanical strength, chemical strength, chemical properties and hygroscopic characteristics were investigated. Mechanical strength especially was measured inthe normal condition (R.H. 65%) and dry condition. The dry condition was obtained by the folloNN ing ways ; the paper sample was dried at 105°C for 3hr, and was impregnated with water-free oil.1) Tensile strength for fraction pulp decreases with increasing average fiber length, and in case of the same average fiber length, the tensile strength for whole pulp is higher than that for fraction pulp.2) Folding endurance and tearing resistance for fraction pulp increase with increasing average fiber length. There is a straight-line relationship between the average fiber length and tearing resistance of paper.3) Pentosan content of pulp decreases with increasing average fiber length, but DP of pulp increases.4) Moisture regain, dimensional change, water of monolayer absorption and internal surface area of paper decrease with increasing average fiber length, but crystallinites of paper fiber increase.


[Objective] To evaluate the feasibility of and indications for hepatolithiasis treatment using laparoscopic liver resection. [Methods] Candidate for laparoscopic liver resection were 10 cases of hepatolithiasis. Electric-cautery, ultracision were used for liver transection. Operative procedures included anatomical left hepatectomy in 1 case, non-anatomical left hepatectomy 2 cases, left lobectomy 7 cases. 2 cases of hepatolithiasis associatet with gallbladder stone were performed holecystectomy synchronously. [Results] Laparoscopic liver resection was successfully performed in all 10 cases. The operative duration was (219±58.63) min. The quantity of blood lost during the operation was (326±120.57) mL. The postoperative recovery was smooth and good except that 1 patient had a complication of bile leakage. The duration for hospitalization was (6±1.63) day. The rate of postoperative remainder stone was 0%(0/10). [Conclusions] If only the indications are mastered, laparoscopic liver resection for hepatolithiasis is a prospective and minimally invasive technique, which can be carried out safely and effectively with decreased postoperative pain and hospital stay time.


A culture-dependent enrichment technique was used to isolate endo-1,4-b-mannanase–producing fungi from a hypersaline environment. Galactomannan was used as carbon source and resulted in isolation of strains of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, S. candida, and Verticillium dahliae. The Scopulariopsis isolates were found to be more dominant and could be isolated from consecutive evaporation ponds, whereas Verticillium was only isolated from one pond. The Scopulariopsis strains exhibited only endomannanase activity, whereas Verticillium displayed broad-activity spectrum by secreting endoxylanases and cellulases in addition to endomannanases. S. candida LMK004 and LMK008 produced 7420 and 14750 nkat g biomass, respectively. Endomannanase production in these strains increased with an increase in NaCl concentration up to 10% (w/v), after which both growth and enzyme production was decreased. V. dahliae LMK006 grew and produced up to 5000 nkat g biomass endomannanase in the absence of NaCl. Increased NaCl concentration had a negative effect on this strain. S. brevicaulisLMK002 showed poor endomannanase production but a similar growth trend as the other Scopulariopsis strains. In general, the Scopulariopsis strains exhibited better halotolerance than V. dahliae and could grow in the presence of 20% NaCl on solid medium. Mannan and heteromannans are widely distributed in nature as part of the hemicellulose fraction in plant cell walls. (Galacto)glucomannans are significant structural components in angiosperms and gymnosperms [1] whereas galactomannans are largely present as storage carbohydrates in the endosperms of leguminous plants [2]. Complete hydrolysis of heteromannansmainly entails a cooperative action between endo-1,4-b-mannanases and the auxiliary enzymes, which are exo-b-mannosidases, 1,6-a-galactosidases and in some cases acetyl mannan esterases and b-glucosidases [3, 4]. Endomannanases are retaining glycoside hydrolases that randomly cleave the main chain b-1,4-mannosidic linkages to release mannooligosaccharides of various lengths. Comparedwith the auxiliary enzymes, these enzymes are often produced in larger amounts by most fungi and are widely used in several industrial applications, including animal feed industries, which use corn-soybean meal and guar meal–based poultry diets [5, 6], and more recently the detergent industry [7]. Although molds are regarded as efficient producers of extracellular enzymes, only a few fungal endomannanases have been purified and characterized. Hypersaline environments—including solar salterns, natural inland lakes, and the Dead Sea—have been shown to house a wide variety of molds [8–10]. The prevailing mycobiota comprises halotolerant terrestrial species, which are generally widely distributed in various soil types. Amongst them are several lignicolous and cellulolytic phytopathogens of the genera Alternaria, Ulocladium, Humicola, Phoma, and Cladosporium, for which soil is only a temporary habitat [8–10]. This pool of mycobiota could contain an untapped source of potential endomannanase-producing fungi. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to use routine enrichment culture techniques to isolate and identify endomannanase-producing molds from a hypersaline environment and to investigate the effect of NaCl on growth and enzyme production. Correspondence to: M. E. Setati; email: firstname.lastname@example.com CURRENT MICROBIOLOGY Vol. 52 (2006), pp. 477–481 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-005-0439-6 Current Microbiology An International Journal a Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006 Materials and Methods Description of the salt pan. The current study investigated the cultivable mycobiota of a small-scale salt work in the Free State province of South Africa. The solar salterns form one of the small localities around the Florisbad salt pan, northwest of the city of Bloemfontein, where farmers produce salt through solar evaporation of brines. The high salt season occurs during October and November. The salterns investigated consist of four consecutive evaporator ponds and five crystallizer ponds. Salt is produced through four phases. Phases one, two, and three are evaporation phases where brine is drawn from underground with boreholes into the first pond. The brine is allowed to evaporate during phases two and three, after which it is pumped into the crystallizer ponds for phase 4, where it is allowed to evaporate completely, leaving salt crystals on the floor of the ponds. At the time of sampling, the pH of the brine varied between 6.9 and 8.7 throughout the different phases, whereas the temperature was between 21 C and 26 C. The Institute on Groundwater studies (University of the Free State, South Africa) analyzed the mineral composition of the brine samples. The brine in the ponds contained Na and Cl as the major ions followed by Ca, Mg, SO4 , and K (Table 1). The redox potential of the inlet brine was +200 mV at the time of sampling. Sample collection and enrichment. Mud and brine samples were collected from three evaporator ponds and two crystallizer ponds in sterile 50-ml Falcon centrifuge tubes. Brine samples, including the inlet brine at the first evaporator pond, andmud samples from three evaporator ponds were enriched by mixing 10 ml sample with 10 ml media containing 1% yeast extract and 1% locust bean gum (Sigma Chemical, St. Louis, MO) in 250 ml Erlenmeyer flasks. Soil samples from crystallizer ponds and one from the last evaporator pond were enriched with media containing only 1% yeast extract. The flasks were incubated at 26 Cwith shaking. Sampleswere collected after 1week of incubation, and 200 ll were plated out on the following media: malt extract agar plates supplemented with 100 lg/ml chloramphenicol (MEA-C) and 2.5%, 5%, and 10% (w/v) NaCl, respectively. Ten milliliters of media containing 1%yeast extract and 1%glucosewere added to the flasks, and incubation was continued for 2 more weeks with samples collected weekly and plated out as described above. Plateswere assessed on a daily basis to monitor growth. Fungal isolates obtained from MEA-C plates were purified through subsequent streaking on malt extract agar (MEA) plates supplemented with 2.5% to 10% NaCl. Identification of fungal isolates. Microscopic observation was performed to determine the morphological characteristics of the fungal isolates. The isolates were also sent to Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) for further phenotypic characterization. In addition, the isolates were cultivated in 10 ml medium containing 1% yeast extract, 2% bacteriological peptone, and 2% glucose), and genomic DNA was isolated according to Raeder and Broda [11]. Universal primers internal transcribe spacer (ITS) 5 and ITS 4 [12] were used to amplify the gene encoding the ITS regions (1 and 2) together with the 5.8S rRNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The resulting amplicons were purified using a GFX PCR DNA and Gel Band Purification Kit (Amersham Biosciences UK Limited), ligated to pGEM -T Easy Vector System (Promega Corporation, Madison, WI) and sequenced using the T7 and SP6 primers. The sequencing reactions were performed using the ABI PRISM BigDye Terminator v3.0 Cycle Sequencing Ready Reaction Kit with AmpliTaq DNA polymerase (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) and analyzed using the ABI PRISM 377 DNA Sequencer. Identification of some of the isolates was confirmed by amplification and sequencing of the D1/D2 domain of the large subunit (26S) ribosomal DNA using NL-1 and NL-4 primers [13]. Screening for enzyme production and NaCl tolerance. The axenic isolates were streaked on MEA plates, and growth was monitored at different salt concentrations ranging from 2.5% to 20% (w/v) NaCl. Hydrolytic properties were determined by point-inoculating fungal isolates in parallel on agar plates containing 2.5% NaCl, 1% yeast extract, and 1· Vogel s medium prepared from a 50· concentrated solution with the following composition per liter of distilled water (130 g Na3citrate 2H2O; 126 g KNO3; 144 g (NH4)H2PO4; 80 g KH2PO4; 10 g MgSO4 7H2O; 5 g in 20 ml water CaCl2 2H2O added dropwise; 5 mL trace elements; and 2.5 mL 0.1 mg/mL biotin solution) [14]. This medium was then supplemented with either 0.5% (w/v) locust bean gum for determination of endo-1,4-b-mannanase activity, 0.1% (w/v) Remazol Brilliant Blue D-xylan (Sigma) for endo-1,4-b-xylanase activity, or 1% (w/v) carbomethyl cellulose for cellulase activity. Endo-1,4-b-mannanase and cellulase activities were observed after hydrolysis zones around the colonies were resolved by staining plates with 0.1% (w/v) Congo red solution and destaining with 1 M NaCl. The effect of NaCl on growth and endo-1,4-b-mannanase. Endo1,4-b-mannanase–producing isolates were maintained on potato dextrose agar (PDA) slants. The isolates were streaked out on agar medium containing 1· Vogel s medium with 0.5% locust bean gum and incubated at 30 C for 7 days. Agar pieces (1 cm) were cut out and used to inoculate 100 ml liquid medium containing 1% locust bean gum and (0% to 20%) NaCl. The cultures were incubated at 26 C with shaking at 120 rpm, and samples were collected daily to determine biomass (mycelial dry weight) formation and enzyme production. Endomannanase activity was determined using 0.5% locust bean gum prepared in citrate buffer pH 5.3 according to the method described by StLlbrand et al. [15]. The enzyme (0.1 mL) was added to 0.9 ml of the substrate pre-equilibrated to 50 C. The reaction was carried out for 10 minutes at 50 C, and reducing sugars were then determined by adding 1.5 mL DNS reagent, boiling for 10 minutes followed by measuring absorbance at 540 nm. Mannose was used to prepare a standard curve. The DNS reagent was prepared by sequentially dissolving 10 g dinitrosalicylic acid (Sigma), 16 g NaOH, and 300 g potassium sodium tartrate in 600 ml distilled water while slowly warming the mixture to 45 C. The solution was then made up to 1000 mL with distilled water. Enzyme a


It was long believed that epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are responsible for the initiation of cellular immunity. Only recently it has been shown that in skin alone 5 different subtypes of dendritic cells (DC) can be identified. Among these, LC, but also two Langerin‐expressing dermal DC populations and two more Langerin‐negative DC subtypes exist. Novel findings in the model disease leishmaniasis, as well as evidence from research in contact hypersensitivity, have revealed that activation of LC in skin leads to induction of regulatory, immunosuppressive T cells, whereas the other skin DC subtypes stimulate effector T cells. Thus, when producing vaccines designed for intradermal use, it would seem advisable to attempt to activate dermal DC subtypes while avoiding activation of epidermal LC.


Carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered as a green and renewable C1 feedstock. However, due to its thermodynamical and kinetical stability, transition metal-catalyzed carboxylation of unactivated C–H bonds with CO2 still...


Facing lengthening lifespans and economic concerns, workers and governments are increasingly considering the possibility of delayed retirement ages. However, the postponement of retirement may not be universally feasible, since not all workers may be willing and able to continue working past the standard retirement age, due to health status and other factors. We model this uncertain retirement problem in an overlapping generations general equilibrium framework with flexible retirement, where members of the older generation continue working with some probability, and otherwise retire. Comparing the policies of flexible retirement and mandatory retirement, we find that the consumption and welfare consequences depend largely on the labor intensity of the production function. Higher labor intensity of production tends to yield favorable social welfare results for the flexible retirement policy compared to the mandatory policy. We discuss policy insights and possible implications in China and other demographically shifting countries.


The rheology control of high temperature high density drilling fluid is the main technical problem of the drilling fluid technical.In the article,a variety of high-temperature treatment agent being undone dubbed in several different formulations are researched which to choose the best system for further performance evaluation test.Aging temperature,solid content on the rheological properties of drilling fluid,the mechanism of high-temperature water-based drilling fluid are studyed.Experiments show that the rheological property of the high density drilling fluid is influenced greatly by solid content and temperature.For the high-density drilling fluid system, clay invasion sewage should be controlled at four percent,and drill chip invasion sewage should be within five percent.


In this article, a design of custom bias tees to be used in a pulsed-bias, pulsed-RF measurement system is described. The bias tee design is such that the DC path allows bias pulses to pass through to the device unchanged, while still allowing RF measurements at as low a frequency as possible. The use of accurate component models led to a successful simulation-based development of a bias tee with a (three-port) frequency response that allows accurate pulsed S-parameter and pulsed IV measurement results to be achieved in the desired bandwidth.


The method was based on that the carbon fiber composite material workpiece has properties inhomogeneity. Taking the tensile strength of composite material workpiece as an example,setting different parts and different sample sites on the workpiece,then calculating the influence coefficients of each part on the workpiece,the entire workpiece performance index formula was created,the tensile strength of the performance index was 855.39 MPa. The results show that the method can solve the problem resulting from material inhomogeneity,and the workpiece performance index can be accurately obtained.


Computer models have long been essential for the static calculation of membrane or foil structures. In the case of combined pneumatically and mechanically tensioned structures, the generation of the models and the statical calculation is often a challenge. With pneumatic structures, we are basically dealing with 2 groups: The first group includes the pneumatic structures over an arbitrary boundary. These structures can only be created by a form-finding process considering an internal pressure. The second group includes pneumatically feasible structures like cylinders and spherical segments which are combined to form complete structures. These purely geometrically defined shapes can be created relatively easily by mathematical functions. To keep the manufacturing process simple and production costs low, it is still often seen today that the form-finding process is omitted in case of pneumatically feasible structures. In the case of combinations of pneumatically feasible structures, e.g. tube systems, nurbs geometry is often used. With nurbs, such structures can be easily generated and, above all, intersections between volume geometries can be easily created. When it comes to combinations of known pneumatically feasible structures together with mechanically stressed parts, it is not possible to completely omit the form-finding process. The mechanically tensioned parts are usually not in force equilibrium after generation via nurbs surfaces. Therefore, in the case of such combined systems, a form finding for the mechanically stressed parts is necessary. In this article, we show an example of how a pneumatically feasible tube system with mechanically stressed wall elements based on nurbs surfaces can be quickly generated and then statically calculated in our system. For this task, a discrete topologically correct and watertight mechanical model will be generated based on the nurbs model. The user


The increasing rate of tobacco usage is associated with rising incidence of malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract in South Asian countries. Head and neck cancer constitutes the third most common type of cancer in India. The tendency for premalignant and malignant lesions is further enhanced by the poor general health and nutrition of the population in addition to life style habits such as tobacco chewing and alcohol usage. Besides these human papilloma virus infection status (HPV) infection has also been seen as an important causative factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Early detection of malignancy substantially improves the survival in most head and neck cancers. Though it's difficult to dodge the eyes of a good clinician yet simpler and reliable screening method is something that is sought after by every clinician. Hence it was appropriate to carry out a clinicopathological study in the local population and to study the pattern of various associated factors with the clinically suspicious lesions of ABSTRACT


A two-color high speed shutter TV camera system has been developed as a new sensing device for measuring the flame temperature in engines. The TV camera system can measure the radiant intensities of high temperature substances accurately and rapidly. And, the two-dimensional temperature distribution can be easily calculated from the radiant intensities by using an image processor. This system is applicable to measurement of flame temperature in diesel and gasoline engines. The relation between the progress of combustion phenomena and the measured temperature distribution is clearly explained. It is confirmed that the system is effective for measurement of the flame temperature distribution in engines.


The word, reinforcement learning, comes from behavior psychology. This subject takes learning as trial and error process so as to map world state to the actions. The eligibility traces of reinforcement learning system are used to solve temporal credit assignment problems. In this paper, the basic principle and implementation methods of eligibility traces are presented. ;;


We investigate thermo-phonon transport and its nontrivial Berry-phase-like effect in an optomechanical system with a squeezed vacuum injection. By taking the cumulant generation function approach the exact expressions of the thermo-phonon flux and optomechanical Berry phase are derived analytically. Further, the quantum master equation approach is invoked to verify the analytical results of the transport properties. It is shown that the steady-state thermo-phonon flux can be modulated by varying optically the nonequilibrium characteristics of the system via the squeezed vacuum. In particular, an adiabatic modulation of squeezing parameters induces an optomechanical Berry-phase-like effect and as a result provides an additional geometric phonon response across the macroscopic mechanical motion near the quantum regime, which can also be seen as a consequence of the asymmetric jumping probability between transition associated with phonon absorption and emission in a thermal bath. The present method and results are general and can be straightforwardly extended to any multimode oscillator systems and therefore pave the way to the thermal noise energy harvesting and rectification in coupled oscillator systems with inertial terms.


This article describes a prison-based service for men with personality needs. A background to the service is provided alongside staff's reflections on service implementation. First-person resident accounts offer the reader an insight into the perspective of the residents.


We will explain how some new algebraic solutions of the sixth Painleve equation arise from complex reflection groups, thereby extending some results of Hitchin and Dubrovin-Mazzocco for real reflection groups. The problem of finding explicit formulae for these solutions will be addressed elsewhere.


___________________ *correspondence to: C Longstaff, Dept of Haematology, NIBSC, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Herts EN6 3QG, UK, Phone: 44 1707 641253, Fax: 44 1707 646730, Email: email@example.com Haemostasis Section and Biostatistics Section, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, South Mimms, Herts, UK EN63QG Report to Fibrinolysis SSC of the ISTH August 2005, Sydney, Australia Standardising methodology in fibrinolysis assays: report of a collaborative study on a potential reference method for potency determinations of thrombolytics:


This work is the result of research sponsored by NOAA, National Sea Grant College
Program Offce, Departent of Commerce, under Grant No. NA90-AA-D-SG480,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Sea Grant Project Number E/L-1.


I studied the invasion of Rana catesbeiana (the bullfrog) into a northern California river system where bullfrogs are not native. Native yellow-legged frogs, Rana boylii, a species of special concern, were almost an order of magnitude less abundant in reaches where bullfrogs were well established. I assessed the potential role of larval com- petition in contributing to this displacement in a series of field manipulations of tadpole density and species composition. The impact of R. catesbeiana on native tadpoles in the natural community agreed with the outcome of more artificial experiments testing pairwise and three-way interactions. In 2-M2 enclosures with ambient densities of tadpoles and natural river biota, bullfrog tadpoles caused a 48% reduction in survivorship of R. boylii, and a 24% decline in mass at metamorphosis. Bullfrog larvae had smaller impacts on Pacific treefrogs, Hyla regilla, causing 16% reduction in metamorph size, and no significant effect on survivorship. Bullfrog tadpoles significantly affected benthic algae, although effects varied across sites. Responses to bullfrogs in field settings were similar qualitatively to results seen in smaller-scale experiments designed to study size-structured competition among disparate age/size classes of species pairs and trios. Competition from large over- wintering bullfrog larvae significantly decreased survivorship and growth of native tadpoles. Competition from recently hatched bullfrog larvae also decreased survivorship of R. boylii and H. regilla. Native species competed weakly, both interspecifically and intraspecifically. The only suggestion of a negative impact of a native species on bullfrogs was a weak effect of H. regilla on recent hatchlings. Competition appeared to be mediated by algal resources, and there was no evidence for behavioral or chemical interference. These results indicate that, through larval interactions, bullfrogs can exert differential effects on native frogs and perturb aquatic community structure.


This paper introduces structured machine learning regressions for prediction and nowcasting with panel data consisting of series sampled at different frequencies. Motivated by the empirical problem of predicting corporate earnings for a large cross-section of firms with macroeconomic, financial, and news time series sampled at different frequencies, we focus on the sparse-group LASSO regularization. This type of regularization can take advantage of the mixed frequency time series panel data structures and we find that it empirically outperforms the unstructured machine learning methods. We obtain oracle inequalities for the pooled and fixed effects sparse-group LASSO panel data estimators recognizing that financial and economic data exhibit heavier than Gaussian tails. To that end, we leverage on a novel Fuk-Nagaev concentration inequality for panel data consisting of heavy-tailed $\tau$-mixing processes which may be of independent interest in other high-dimensional panel data settings.


Abstract Honno: the Welsh Women's Press is the longest running independent publisher of books by women currently operating in the UK. This article situates Honno's publishing activities within the 'cultural ecology' of the Welsh publishing industry. This unique cultural and economic infrastructure is traced back to the 1950s, when grassroots organizations such as the Books Council of Wales and state-subsidized initiatives were established to support the commercial and literary development of Welsh language publishing, and the survival of the Welsh language more broadly. In the late 1960s further support for the Welsh Book Trade came when the Welsh Arts Council was created, which facilitated the cultural development of Welsh writing in English and Welsh. Contextualizing Honno within the Welsh Publishing Industry reveals how the company has managed to survive as a small publisher focused on its original publishing mission: to promote writing by women in Wales, in English and Welsh, grounded in the history and lives of Welsh women. Honno's history—and, more broadly, the evolution of the Welsh Publishing Industry in the post-war era—can also help disrupt totalizing narratives about the reach of capitalism in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It demonstrates that alternative conceptions of cultural and economic value continue to circulate, despite their apparent embeddedness within neoliberal, business and financialised orthodoxies.


Segmented electrode technology is widely used in metalized film capacitors (MFCs) to limit self-healing energy and prevent self-healing failure. However, there is still a lack of research works on the design of the current gate width for ac segmented MFCs. In this article, an experimental platform is built to investigate the current flowing through the breakdown spot under ac voltage, and the effect of different factors on the current action integral is studied. The results reveal that the parallel capacitance has a little effect on the current action integral in the range of 10–<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$160~\mu \text{F}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>; the current action integral is negatively correlated with the interlayer pressure in the range of 20–800 kPa and the temperature in the range of −20 °C to 90 °C, while positively correlated with the voltage in the range of 950–1150 V and film thickness in the range of 7–<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$10~\mu \text{m}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The fusing criterion of the current gate is also studied experimentally. It is found that for a 1.5 mm wide current gate with square resistance <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\beta = 2~\Omega / \Box $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the current action integral should not exceed <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$3.295\times 10^{-5}\,\,\text{A}^{2}\text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. The design method of the current gate width of segmented MFCs is proposed, and the rationality of the design method is verified by experiments. The research results will provide guidance for the design of the current gate width for segmented MFCs.


S0rensen focuses on how gender functions as a social construct with rights and rules that are expressed in material culture and can therefore be examined archaeologically. She also discusses agency in gender studies, noting that individuals may not be the appropriate level for studying gender because it is socially constructed. The core of the book is chapter 5, "The Materiality of Gender." It examines some of the ways that archaeologists can address how gender is constructed by exploring how it is "expressed through and with objects and actions" (p. 72). Gender is seen as part of social discourse, and material objects function within this to evoke different meanings. Objects are not gendered per se, but become that way through practice and repetition, and hence can only be analyzed within the context of social discourse. Although some processual-minded archaeologists may disagree with S0rensen's approach, her ideas are interesting and bear attention.


In the anthropology of development, the contributions of poststructuralist theory have been marred by tendencies toward discursive determinism and an inadequate theorizing of agency. The life history approach is a strategy for probing the cultural politics of development in a way that better addresses the reality of development actors. Development does not just determine what counts as knowledge or truth, but also opens opportunities for individual cultural experiments. Richard Fox's concept of the "cultured life" is here used to explore the various cultural and political entanglements in the life of a northern Thai farmer who has helped pioneer a new form of agricultural development in Thailand. (Development, life history, NGOs, agency, Thailand) ********** In the 1990s, the anthropology of development saw a move toward poststructuralism and an approach to "development as discourse" (Apffel-Marglin and Marglin 1990; Escobar 1995; Ferguson 1994; Sachs 1992). Yet criticisms of the poststructuralist approach to development noted its overemphasis on the uniformity of development discourse (Grillo 1997; Gupta 1998), a tendency toward "discursive determinism" (Moore 1999), and an inadequate theorization of agency (Moore 1999; Sivaramakrishnan and Agrawal 1998). This article attempts to demonstrate the merits of the life history approach as an avenue of analysis in the anthropology of development that can address some of these problems. It does so by presenting the "cultured life" (Fox 1991) of a northern Thai farmer leader, Berm, who in the 1980s and 1990s became entangled with the politics of development in Thailand and with struggles over development intervention in his home village and district. Berm was confronted with various challenges, including changing livelihood options and the opportunity to become involved in nongovernmental organization (NGO) development efforts. He creatively engaged the challenges and opportunities in ways consistent with his cultural background, gender, class position, place in local politics, and personal inclinations. Far from a benighted victim of the discursive straitjacket of development, Berm emerged as an influential local figure who appropriated Thai development for personal and political projects that engaged yet also transcended the discourse and material process of development identified by poststructuralist analysts. THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENT The poststructuralist direction in the anthropology of development drew particularly on the work of Foucault. This showed that the analysis of development as a discourse could highlight the processes of knowledge and subject production wrought by institutions and actors in the global economy. In his account of the development "apparatus" in Lesotho in the 1980s, Ferguson (1994) argues that although development interventions most often fail to achieve their stated objectives, they nonetheless have important, if unintended, consequences. In Lesotho, development primarily provided for the expansion of state power under the cover of a technical, depoliticized struggle against poverty (Ferguson 1994:256). Ferguson likens the consequences of development intervention to Foucault's instrument-effects, "effects that are atone and the same time instruments of what 'turns out' to be an exercise of power" (Ferguson 1994:255). Escobar (1995:5), also drawing on Foucault, sees discourse analysis as a concern for "how certain representations become dominant and shape indelibly the ways in which reality is imagined and acted upon." Thus, development as discourse permits some modes of thinking and being while discouraging others. In the process, particular kinds of knowledge about the Third World and their subjects are produced and accepted, reinforcing the First World's material and symbolic domination over the Third. Discourse analysis has helped question both liberal views of development as a tool in the right against poverty and Marxist arguments that development is merely an extension of the "logic of Capital. …


journal of law, medicine & ethics The field of comparative law and policy, while not new, has grown in significance as the trend toward globalization has accelerated and technological advances have made it easier for people to travel, communicate, and do business internationally. Globalization has also removed barriers between national borders facilitating the flow of goods, services, capital, and labor between countries. As we peruse information on the internet, travel to and do business with other countries, and meet individuals who have come to the United States from other nations, we have become more curious about the laws and policies that shape their world, how they came to adopt those laws and policies, and how they function in a society with laws and policies that may be very different from our own. The discipline of comparative law and policy offers us an opportunity to examine the answers to these questions, better understand our own laws and policies, and consider their benefits and weaknesses in comparison to those of other nations. Comparative legal analysis historically has provided legislators and judges with new ideas and the justification for borrowing laws and policies from other countries. The field has also provoked debate about the feasibility of importing laws from one jurisdiction to another in light of "differences in national mentality,...habits deeply rooted in tradition, and...variations in the structure of legal institutions and legal technique from country to country."1 Scholars in several areas of substantive law, including tort law, contracts, business and constitutional law, have taken advantage of the benefits of comparative law. In addition, a number of academics in health policy have written about the health care systems of other countries. With the exception of a few individuals, however, health law scholars in the United States have made relatively modest use of the tools of comparative law.2 Yet, comparative law can offer us a lens through which to examine many of our own health laws and policies and provide a vehicle through which to learn about different approaches to solving health care delivery problems that are encountered both domestically and abroad. As a nation, we face significant decisions about the operation of our health care system ranging from how to expand access to adequate health care while controlling the growth of health care expenditures to how to compensate victims of medical malpractice and reduce the incidence of serious public health problems. We also confront bioethical dilemmas that affect patient care and medical research. Other countries are struggling with similar issues. Whether we can learn from the experience of other nations has been a source of controversy. Some argue that the unique political structures, cultural beliefs and values of our country preclude our adoption of policies and laws that have been adopted in foreign nations. This is perhaps especially true when it comes to issues in the bioethics arena such as abortion, artificial reproductive technologies, genetics, and end-of-life care. Others argue that scrutinizing the laws and policies of other countries as they relate to the delivery and regulation of health care may elevate the quality of discourse in this country regarding those issues. In January 2009, at the annual meeting of the American Association of Law Schools, the Law, Medicine & Health Care Section devoted its session to the topic of Comparative Health Law and Policy in order Diane Hoffmann, J.D., is the Associate Dean for Academic Programs, Director of the Law and Health Care Program and Professor of Law at the University of Maryland School of Law. introduction Comparative Health Law and Policy: What, If Anything, Can We Learn from Other Countries?


Mental health is a very important health care issue. The study from
World Health Organization (WHO) found that mental disorder was
suffered by approximately 25% of the population. Mental and behavioral
disorders were also found in patients in primary health care services
such as sub-district health center (Puskesmas), one of the public health
services in Indonesia. Approximately 20-36% from the patients who went
to the public health services were suffering from mental health problems.
Several studies have shown that the physicians in public health services
were difficult to diagnose those disorders. The aim from this research
was to adapt and validate the General Health Questionaire-12 (GHQ �
12), a screening instrument to measure anxiety in sub-district health
center as a primary health care. General Health Questionaire-12 (GHQ-
12) was used as the primary measurement instrument and the Structural
Clinical Interview Diagnosis (SCID) as a diagnosis golden standard. The
participants were 243 respondents in 25 sub-district health centers in
Sleman and Yogyakarta. Likelihood ratio was used to compare the
results between the GHQ and the SCID. The study stated that GHQ-12
appeared to be useful instrument to identify mental health problems,
especially patient with generalized anxiety disorder.


A 51-year-old man is seen in ED for progressive dyspnea, near syncope on exertion, bilateral edema. What does the tracing tell you?