OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of the study was to determine the salivary composition of Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.
METHODOLOGY:
A retrospective study was conducted over 6 months on data of 60 Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients obtained from the patient records of the Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine, Peshawar. Salivary pH, Sodium, Potassium, and total proteins of Oral squamous cell carcinoma patients were recorded.
RESULTS:
Sodium, Potassium, and total protein concentration in saliva of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients were 23.5 mM/L, 96.7mM/L, and 234.6 mM/L, respectively. These values were significantly higher than normal salivary concentration.
CONCLUSION:
It was concluded that the saliva of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients contains higher concentrations of Sodium, Potassium, and total proteins.


UV-curable process is widely used for paints, inks and adhesives due to its rapid curing, low energy consumption, high efficiency and low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The objective of this research is to prepare poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based UV-curable coating by using glycolyzed PLA. PLA was glycolyzed by ethylene glycol (EG) at 170°C for 90 minutes. The obtained glycolyzed PLA was reacted with methacrylic anhydride (MAAH) to provide PLA acrylate oligomer. The obtained PLA acrylate oligomer was used in coating formulations with various amounts of photoinitiator and cured under UV radiation. Physical properties of cured coating film were investigated such as pencil hardness, gloss and haze. The results showed that poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based UV-curable coating provided good physical properties.


The value of percutaneous core needle biopsy in the immunohistological evaluation of renal allograft dysfunction was studied in 72 consecutive biopsies performed in 42 patients. The phenotypes of infiltrating cells mediating graft destruction were identified with monoclonal antibodies and immunoperoxidase staining techniques. Light microscopy, electron microscopy, and immunofluorescence staining were performed in all biopsies. Biopsies were divided into groups depending on their classification on the basis of standard histologic criteria, i.e., acute tubular necrosis (ATN), acute interstitial rejection, acute vascular rejection, chronic rejection and renal disease in native kidneys (RDNK) of nontransplant patients. Immunohistologic analysis of graft biopsies showed a significant increase in Leu 1 (pan-T cells), (P<0.001), Leu 2 (cytotoxic/suppressor cells) (P<0.001), and Leu 3 cells (P<.05) in acute interstitial rejection. The expression of BR antigen was significantly increased in both acute (P<.0.25) and chronic (P<.05) rejection, when compared with the findings in ATN biopsies. Leu M1 (monocytes/activated T cells) and Leu 10 (B cells/macrophages) were significantly increased (P<0.05 and P<.005, respectively) in acute interstitial rejection only. The helper/suppressor ratio of infiltrating cells showed no significant change in any clinopathologic category. There was no correlation between the cell populations infiltrating the graft and those monitored in the peripheral blood. Allograft mononuclear ceil infiltrates in cyclosporine (CsA) vs. azathioprine-treated patients revealed significantly fewer Leu 2 (P<.05) and Leu M1 (P<.05) cell populations in CsA patients during acute rejection. In 32 of these 72 biopsies (44.4%), the biopsy results provided a direct contraindication to the use of steroids, by allowing differentiation between allograft rejection and other causes of graft dysfunction. A total of 38% of the biopsies yielded a histological diagnosis that contradicted the clinical pre-biopsy diagnosis. All allografts showing evidence of severe small vessel disease and/or antibody-mediated rejection eventually were lost. These data highlight the usefulness of needle biopsy material as a guide to the study of intragraft immune events and to clinical management of recipients.


Among the minor nitrogen bases methyluracil is used in medical practice. Methyluracil improves tissue metabolism, regeneration, possesses anabolic/ anti-catabolic effects and activates leucopoiesis. In case of local (topical) administration, this drug possesses photoprotective effect; it increases tissues granulation and epithelization. The anabolic effect of methyluracil is associated with the increase in hypophyseal prolactin production [3]. It has been established that methyluracil normalizes nucleic metabolism, accelerates cell regeneration (recovery) and inhibits the proteolytic enzyme activity as it possesses anti-inflammatory effect.


Cuba assumes a special place in the genealogy of the latin American Baroque and its twentieth-century recuperation, ongoing in our twenty-first century—the neobaroque. As Alejo Carpentier has pointed out (and as architectural critics confirm), the Caribbean lacks a monumental architectural baroque heritage comparable with that of the mainland, such as the hyperornate Churrigueresque ultrabaroque of central Mexico and Peru (fig. 1). Nevertheless, it was two Cuban intellectuals, Alejo Carpentier and José Lezama Lima, who spearheaded a new turn in neobaroque discourse after World War II by popularizing the notion of an insurgent, mestizo New World baroque unique to the Americas. Carpentier and Lezama Lima are the key authors of the notion of a decolonizing American baroque, a baroque that expressed contraconquista (counterconquest), as Lezama punned, countering the familiar identification of the baroque with the repressive ideology of the Counter-Reformation and its allies, the imperial Catholic Iberian states (80). Lezama and Carpentier argue that the imported Iberian state baroque was transformed into the transculturated, syncretic New World baroque at the hands of the (often anonymous) native artisans who continued to work under the Europeans, grafting their own indigenous traditions onto the iconography of the Catholic baroque style. The New World baroque is a product of the confluence (however unequal) of Iberian, pre-Columbian, and African cultures during the peaceful seventeenth century and into the eighteenth in Spain's and Portugal's territories in the New World. The examples studied by Lezama and Carpentier are all from the monumental baroque sculpture and architecture of Mexico, the Andes, and Brazil's Minas Gerais province: the work of the Brazilian mulatto artist O Aleijadinho (Antônio Francisco Lisboa [1738–1814]; see fig. 2 in Zamora in this issue) and the indigenous Andean artist José Kondori (dates unknown; see fig. 1 in Zamora), central Mexico's Church of San Francisco Xavier Tepotzotlán (fig. 1), and the folk baroque Church of Santa María Tonantzintla (see fig. 3 in Zamora), to mention a few landmarks and names.


1.0 Introduction This paper is an attempt to investigate the conditions on accusative marking in Turkish. After presenting some problems of previous analyses based on the semantically defined condition in section 1, I will provide, in section 2, some additional conditions. It will be demonstrated that various degrees of definiteness are realized by means of accusative marking. In addition to the traditional account based on semantic considerations, I will, based on the syntactic analyses in section 3, discuss some functions of accusative marking in relation to the syntactic frozenness between noun and verb. Furthermore I will demonstrate that so-called object-incorporated constructions exist along a continuum, and provide evidence concerning the validity of the notion of object incorporation in Turkish. In section 4, I will attempt to integrate the various conditions cited in the previous sections. This integration makes it possible to predict the occurrence of accusative


Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst is a well-known medicinal herb in the Ayurveda. It is also used as laxative and curative for ulcers, inflammation, anaemia, scabies, leucoderma, asthma and epilepsy, enlargement of spleen, leprosy and others. In vitro propagation and regeneration through somatic embryogenesis of B. monnieri has played an important role in the production of healthy, disease-free plants with desirable traits. In B. monnieri, there are few reports which indicate rapid regeneration and somatic embryogenesis. For in vitro clonal propagation, the highest shoot formation was obtained when BAP 2 mg/ l used. The best response for rooting was obtained in IAA 1.0 mg/ l. The recorded survival rate of the plants was 70%. Plants were without any detectable phenotypic variations. Cytological study indicated that the chromosome number remain same (2n= 64) in in vitro and in vivo roots. A rapid, simple and efficient protocol for plantlet regeneration was achieved through embryogenic callus from leaf explants of B. monnieri. Callus induction and embryogenesis were significantly affected by presence/absence and type and concentration of growth regulators. Best organogenic callus induction was obtained in MS medium supplemented with BAP 5mg/ l. For induction of somatic embryogenesis, auxin (2, 4-D 1 mg/ l) was used in the culture medium subsequently in basal media for embryo maturation. Kn 0.2 mg/ l was the best for production of plantlet from embryo. Thus, this can be an easiest protocol for stable clonal propagation and plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis in B. monnieri. The protocol used here for propagation and regeneration is much easier, low cost and reliable.


The interfaces between an ion selective electrode (ISE) membrane and the internal reference solution and external analyte solution are important in the overall response of solid-state ion-selective electrodes. Since the surface composition of a solid may differ from the bulk composition, we have used electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) in order to characterize the surfaces of lead ion selective electrode membranes. Both untreated and solution-exposed membranes have been studied. From the latter, evidence for the hydration of the outermost monolayers of the membrane has been obtained. This implies that ion exchange processes are viable and may be an important factor in the overall response of solid-state membrane electrodes. Finally, the effectiveness of the use of EDTA and HClO/sub 4/ as cleaning agents for the membrane has been correlated with changes in the membrane surface composition.


Introduction: H2O plays an important role at the various stages of impact cratering from the shock melting and component separation to excavation and postimpact evolution of impactites [1-5]. However, H2O behavior in impact processes is still poorly studied, and a bulk of impact studies are based upon the "dry" model. Meantime, the approach is too simplified for the terrestrial astroblemes. High-pressure specificity of H2O inclusions in fresh Popigai lechatelierites (LCHs) and fused K-Na feldspar glasses (FGs) and a buffer role of H2O in delay of shock pressure release (SPR) of "wet" compressed lithologies are presented below. LCHs and high-silica (SiO2>93 wt. %) glasses: They contain a number of various fluid and melt inclusions, both the kindred (derived from mineral and fluid inclusions of parental quartz) and the strange ones (melt and fluid intrusions from outside). Many of LCH schlieren from the different Popigai impactites contain fluid inclusions of various densities with a broad relation between gas and liquid phase (Fig. 1). Based on cryometry [5,6,7] the liquid phase of the most inclusions is made up of low-salt H2O (0.5 to 8 wt. % of salts in NaCl-equivalent). Together with them, separate groups of gas+liquid inclusions with NaCl? crystals (transparent isotropic cubic phase) are present in some shclieren; in some of the inclusions the salt phase even dominates (Fig. 2). These "salt" inclusions could be the relics of "brine" bubbles known after [8] in quartz of the target Archean migmatites. The most impressive among the kindred molten inclusions are the "ruthiles" (Fig. 3), serving as a melt thermometer of ~1860C.


THE introduction of salvarsan by Ehrlich in 1910 marks the beginnxng of the modern era in the treatment of lues. Although the early hopes of being able to effect a cure by one sterilisans magna have been disappointed, yet the synthetic arsenicals have proved of inestimable value and now occupy the premier place in our antisyphilitic armamentarium. Since the war a very large number of arsenical preparations have been placed on the market, and recently there have been many bismuth products, chiefly of French origin. At the present time the differences of opinion regarding the best preparations to use and the methods and periods of their employment are most confusing. We find one clinic employing arsenicals once in one to three weeks, whereas another employs them every day or two; also we find differences of opinion regarding the particular preparation to be used. Some maintain that the original salvarsan or its copies are the most effective while others hold similar views concerning the neo group. Others again advocate still more modern preparations; sodium salvarsan; silver salvarsan; sulfarsenol; gelatin-arsphenamine, and a host of others. Also there are many, especially in Europe, among whom is L. W. Harrison, who think arsenical preparations are best given intramuscularly or subcutaneously, their contention being that the drug is absorbed and eliminated too rapidly when administered intravenously, making the treatment intermittant rather than continuous. Regarding the comparative value of the various arsenical preparations we must consider: (1) The therapeutic index, i.e. the relation of the curative to the toxic dose. (2) The convenience and safety of administration. Schamberg, Kolmer and Raiziss' tested various preparations for toxicity and trypanocidal power. White rats inoculated with trypanosoma equiperdum were used. They found that for arsphenamine (American salvarsan) the therapeutic index


Computing revolution is heralding the transition from digital to cognitive that is the third significant era in the history of computer technology: the cognitive era. It is about the use of computers to mimic human thought processes, such as perception, memory, learning and decision-making in highly dynamic environments. In recent years, there is a growing research interest in the development of cognitive capabilities in radio frequency technologies. Using cognition-based techniques, a radar system would be able to perceive its operational environment, fine-tune and accordingly adjust its emission parameters, such as the pulse width, pulse repetition interval, and transmitter power, to perform its assigned task optimally. It is certain that traditional electronic warfare (EW) methods, which rely on pre-programmed attack strategies, will not be able to efficiently engage with such a radar threat. Therefore, the next generation of EW systems needs to be enhanced with cognitive abilities so that they can make autonomous decisions in response to changing situations, and cope with new, unknown radar signals. Because the system architecture is a blueprint, this paper presents a conceptual cognitive EW architecture that carries out both electronic support and electronic attack operations to synthesize close-to-optimal countermeasures subject to performance goals.


The vagueness of poetic beauty can be transmitted effectively by reader's fuzzy appreciation.Yijing,i.e artistic mood or conception,is a kind of fuzzy beauty,the ultimate goal of poetry translation is to transmit this kind of fuzzy beauty.The appreciation of yijing of a poem concerns with understanding of interior relationship between components of the poem and the exterior relationship between the poem and outer context.Consequently,pure linguistic analysis of words and phrases in the poem does not lead to the appreciation of yijing,and thus can not be used as the starting point for evaluating the translated versions.


Objective To observe the effects of qi-regulating and blood-activating herbs on chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG)and its mechanisms.Methods We established CAG rats model,which were respectively treated with qi-regulating herbs,blood-activating herbs,and qi-regulating and blood-activating herbs,with a course of 8 weeks.The features of gastric mucosal atrophy,gastric emptying and the levels of plasma vasoactive intestinal peptide(VIP),motilin(MOT)and cholecystokinin(CCK)were observed.Results Both qi-regulating and blood-activating herbs could prevent occurrence of gastric mucosal atrophy;qi-regulating herbs and qi-regulating and blood-activating herbs could obviously promote gastric emptying and significantly increase plasma MOT and decrease their CCK,while blood-activating herbs could not.Conclusion Qi-regulating and blood-activating herbs can obviously prevent gastric mucosal atrophy and promote gastric emptying by up-regulating MOT and down-regulating CCK.


Chest radiographs are commonly performed low-cost exams for screening and diagnosis. However, radiographs are 2D representations of 3D structures causing considerable clutter impeding visual inspection and automated image analysis. Here, we propose a Fully Convolutional Network to suppress, for a specific task, undesired visual structure from radiographs while retaining the relevant image information such as lung-parenchyma. The proposed algorithm creates reconstructed radiographs and ground-truth data from high resolution CT-scans. Results show that removing visual variation that is irrelevant for a classification task improves the performance of a classifier when only limited training data are available. This is particularly relevant because a low number of ground-truth cases is common in medical imaging.


This research is motivated by the phenomenon of the words "beautiful" attached to women who are expert at applying makeup, not least for the students, because makeup can build self-confidence. Through YouTube, messages about beauty delivered by the beauty vloggers are packaged into video in order to make the audience easier to get the point. Indeed, the messages conveyed in the communication process are designed to cause certain effects on the recipient. One example of the effect is in the form of imitation behavior, which is a behavior that begins from the process of observing to finally imitate.
The purpose of this study is to find out how much the influence of thr exposure of beauty vlogger on YouTube to the imitation behavior of female students in doing makeup. This research used quantitative method based on survey. The technique used in determining the subject was by total sampling technique and data collection techniques using questionnaires. The test used in this study included the validity, reliability, normality kolmogorov smirnov, linearity, and simple linear regression analysis. The result of the research on 65 students of Communication Science University of Muhammadiyah Malang, Academic Year 2013, by establishing the level of significance of 5% is obtained t value of 5.744> t table 1.998 then there is a significant influence between exposure variable video beauty vlogger on YouTube to the variable imitation behavior of female students in doing makeup face. The magnitude coefficient of determination is 0.346, which means the video beauty vlogger exposure on YouTube gives a fairly large effect of 34.6% on the imitation behavior of female students in doing makeup. On regression test is determined equation Y = 2,902 + 1,107x, meaning every increase of exposure variable video beauty vlogger on YouTube equal to 1% can raise the level of student's imitation behavior in doing makeup of 1,107.


MOCAF is the result of processing cassava flour by fermentation, so it has better physicochemical characteristics than cassava flour. Often used as a substitute for flour in food processing, but the protein content is low. The use of MOCAF to make cakes needs to be mixed with other flour, such as corn flour to increase the protein content of cakes. This study aims to determine the effect of a mixture of MOCAF and corn flour on the characteristics of the resulting chiffon cake. Observations were made on the physical, chemical, sensory, and microbiological properties. Based on the analysis of physical, chemical, and sensory tests (color, aroma, taste, and texture) chiffon cake with a ratio of 70% MOCAF and 30% corn flour was the best treatment with moisture content (32.96%), ash (1.31). %), protein (6.34%), fat (17.14%), carbohydrates (42.20%), fiber (2.64%), a ratio of chiffon cake (93.76%), swelling power (78, 82%), color (83.45oHue), hardness (4.25 N/Cm2), microbes (3.83 log CFU/g), and mold (2.46 log CFU/g).


Aim: To analyze bacterial and fungal sensitization in persons that have ability to absorb anti-A and anti-B antibodies incompatible with blood group type. Material and methods: 8 people had A blood group, 2 persons had B blood group, 22 persons showed O blood group type. 9 patients with O blood group and 2 patients with B blood group absorbed anti-A antibody. 2 patients with O blood group and 5 patients with A blood group absorbed anti-B antibody. 7 persons with 0 blood group without absorbing activity of anti-A, 4 persons with O blood group and 3 persons with A blood group without anti-B absorbing activity served as control groups. Leukocyte migration inhibition reaction was performed to estimate bacterial and fungal sensitization. Results: Persons with anti-A absorbing ability were characterized by increased antibodies, sensitization to Penicillium, Candida Albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. Coli and Clebsiella pneumoniae, increased CIC as compared to those without anti-A absorbing ability. Patients with anti-B absorbing ability showed decreased spontaneous leukocyte migration inhibitory factor production, sensitization to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus by cell type, sensitization to Candida Lusitaniae by humoral type. Persons with anti-A absorbing ability as compared to the persons with anti-B absorbing ability showed sensitization to Penicillium, Candida Albicans, while the persons with anti-B sensitization revealed sensitization to Streptococcus pyogenes. During incubation of erythrocytes with the heated polyclonal anti-A (and anti-B) and complement at room temperature the erythrocytes of the persons with corresponding anti-A (anti-B) absorbance were increased in size and agglutinated by sides. Conclusion: Anti-A and anti-B absorbing activity of erythrocytes is associated with different fungal and bacterial sensitization.


Explorable areas concerning actual impacts of computer usage on various types of related activities after school on student learning, and relationship between time spent on those activities and student personality styles (in terms of social and intellectual selves and learning attitudes) have still been under-researched in local and international perspectives. This study aims to fill up these research gaps by studying 528 Secondary 1-3 (Grade 7-9) students, aged from 12 to 16, in a secondary school in Hong Kong in terms of a questionnaire to record their activities on using computers after school and to identify their personality styles in Hong Kong. By taking mid-term school examination results for granted, the study not only reveals correlation between examination marks and time using computers, but also depicts variation of their participating activities on using computers.


Alzheimer's disease is characterized pathologically by the deposition of amyloid plaques. Fibrillar Aβ is the principal component of amyloid plaques in the brain of AD patients. The prevention of Aβ aggregation or dissolution of fibrillar Aβ has clinical significance. The present communication examined in vitro the antiamyloidogenic properties of garlic extract. The effects of aqueous garlic extract (both fresh and boiled) on Aβ aggregation and defibrillation were studied by thioflavin‐T based fluorescence assay, transmission electron microscopy and SDS‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The aqueous fresh garlic extract not only inhibited Aβ fibril formation in a concentration and time dependent manner but was also able to defibrillate Aβ preformed fibrils. The maximum defibrillization was observed after 2–3 days of incubation. The boiled aqueous garlic extract also retained its antiamyloidogenic activity. This indicated that antiamyloidogenic activity of garlic extract is non‐enzymatic, i.e. proteases present in garlic did not degrade Aβ in solution. However, the fibril degrading ability of boiled garlic extract was significantly lost. The findings suggest that consumption of garlic may lead to inhibition of Aβ aggregation in human brain. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


MATSUYAMA, AKiRA, NAMIKI, MITSUO, AND OKAZAWA, YOSHISHIGE. Alkali Halides as Agents Enhancing the Lethal Effect of Ionizing Radiations on Microorganisms. Radiation Res. 30, pp. 687-701 (1967). Actions of alkali halides such as fluoride, chloride, bromide, and iodide were found to enhance the lethal effect of ionizing radiations on cells of bacteria and yeast suspended in 0.067 M phosphate buffer. The data obtained are concerned mainly with the effects of halides present during irradiation. The effects of halide concentration, dose, pH, and freezing on the enhancing actions of halides and also on the aftereffects of irradiation were determined. It was concluded that the possible mechanism for the enhancement by halides may involve the inactivation of a multihit type of short-lived species, which is produced from halide ions by ionizing radiations, but not by ultraviolet light. Different halides, however, appeared to behave differently toward irradiation with respect to forming the longlived species which could have an influence on the enhancement of radiolethality.


Objective To explore the presence of 2 common serological modes of hepatitis B and HBV DNA level and to analyze the corresponding risk of these two modes. Methods Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay( ELISA) had been applied to detect serum HBV markers and real-time quantitative PCR assay was applied for quantitative detection of nucleic acid in 60 patients with hepatitis B,and serum HBV markers were denoted as Mode 1 and Mode 2. Results ①The positive rates of these two modes were compared with corresponding HBV DNA load,the difference in their positive rates was statistically significant( P 0. 05),and the positive rate of HBV DNA and HBV DNA load in mode 1 were significantly larger than those of mode 2( P 0. 01),but the difference in positive detection rate was not significant( P 0. 05). ②Among these two modes,the difference in positive detection rate in combination of HBsAg,HBeAg and HBcAb and combination of HBsAb,HBeAb and HBcAb was not significant( P 0. 05),but the difference in positive rate of HBsAg,HBeAb and HBcAb was significant( P 0. 05). ③In mode 1,the positive detection rate of combination of HBsAg,HBeAg and HBcAb was significantly greater than that of mode 2( P 0. 05),but the difference in result of full negative test between these two modes was not significant( P 0. 05). ④Among two modes in combination of HBsAg,HBeAg,HBcAb and combination of HBsAb,HBeAb,HBcAb,the difference in positive rate of HBV DNA and HBV DNA load was statistically significant( P 0. 05,P 0. 01). Conclusion Real-time PCR assay has high sensitivity and high specificity,and it is important in early diagnosis of hepatitis B and assessment of level of viral replication. There is good correlation between positive rate of serum HBV markers and HBV DNA load.


By the end of 2021, the elevators retention in our country has exceeded 8.7 million, which still maintains a steady growth of more than 10% after 2019, but the elevator injury accidents have not reduced in recent years under such circumstances of the manufacturing technology and maintenance. Most of the injury accidents result from the unintended car movement given rise to the failure of door system and breaks which causes shear and squeeze injury in the landing zone according to the statistics, so it is significant to stop the car within safe area by the unintended car movement protection system (UCMP) to prevent the accidents from happening. In this paper, the operating principle of breaking system of UCMP is simply analyzed, and the measuring method of stopping distance of the breaking subsystem is discussed.


Harnessing Change to Develop Talent and Beat the Competition explores how organizations can formulate effective corporate level and business level strategies to achieve competitive advantage, earn above average profits, build and retain talent, and sustain financial strength.


45 To determine the role of allogeneic, autologous and syn46 geneic hemopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCTx) as 47 a treatment for severe autoimmune disease (AID) we 48 performed a literature search employing Medline, Can49 cer Lit and abstract books for reports on transplants 50 for blood disorders and a concomitant AID. All reviews, 51 case reports and abstracts available between June 1977 52 and September 2001 were used and attempts made to 53 update them by e-mail by the corresponding authors. 54 Disease-free survival (DFS) after allogeneic SCTx for 23 55 patients with severe aplastic anemia was 78% at 16 56 years and survival in unmaintained remission of con57 comitant AID was 64% at 13 years. DFS after allogeneic 58 SCTx for 24 patients with hematologic malignancies 59 was 87% at 15 years and survival in unmaintained 60 remission for concomitant AID was 70% at 11 years. 61 DFS after autologous SCTx for 24 patients with hemato62 logic malignancies was 48% at 6 years and survival in 63 unmaintained remission for concomitant AID was 29% 64 at 3 years. Among 30 patients given allogeneic SCTx 19 65 developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and 11 did 66 not. Upon clinically justified discontinuation of all 67 immunosuppressive therapy, 3/11 patients without 68 GVHD relapsed with their concomitant AID (freedom 69 of AID-relapse 69% at 9 years), whereas none of 19 70 patients with GVHD did so (log rank: P 0.0135). Free71 dom of AID-relapse was superior after allo SCTx com72 pared to autologous SCTx (89% at 18 years vs 38% 73 at 5 years; log rank: P 0.0002). Our data suggest 74 that a graft-versus-autoimmunity effect after 75 allogeneic hemopoietic SCTx mediates elimination of 76 autoimmunity. 77 Bone Marrow Transplantation (2002) 30, 000–000. 78 doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703686 79


Originally published 1987. The first part of the volume is concerned with "The Roots of the Islamic Tradition and Spirituality". These are seen to include the Qu'ran as the central theophany of Islam, the Prophet who received the word of God and made it known to mankind and the rites of Islam. The second part examines the divisions of the Islamic community with their distinctive pieties and emphases: Sunnism and Shi'ism and female spirituality. Part III is devoted to Sufism - its nature and origin, its early development, its various spiritual practices and its science of the soul.


UV-vis absorption, steady state fluorescence emission, time-correlated single photon counting and laser flash photolysis methods were employed to examine the excited state properties of fluorescein derivatives to understand the mechanism that controls their fluorescence efficiency. The fluorescein derivatives contain amino, t -butyl, carboxyl or nitro on their phenyl moieties, respectively. These substituents are not directly connected to the fluorophore but still showed a very remarkable effect on the fluorescence properties. Compared to fluorescein, the introduction of nitro, a strong electron withdrawing group, or amino, a strong electron donating group, caused a substantial quenching of both the fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime. The presence of a t -butyl or carboxyl, on the other hand, caused a smaller decrease. The mechanism for the substituent effect is due to the involvement of an additional de-excitation process, i.e. intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer (PET). The thermodynamics and kinetics of PET were analyzed. Depending on the nature of the substituent, the xanthenic ring acts as an electron acceptor (or donor), while the phenyl moiety is the corresponding electron donor (or acceptor) in PET. The rate constant of PET for the amino case is larger than 4.79 × 10^9 s^−1, while for nitro substitution it is 0.67 × 10^9 s^−1. Both values are much larger than the radiation rate constant of 0.20 × 10^9 s^−1, meaning that PET plays important roles in the deactivation of S_1 for the two dyes. The charge transfer state generated by PET was observed by laser flash photolysis.


Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a shift from in-person to remote education, with most students taking classes via video meetings. This change inhibits active class participation from students. In particular, video education has limitations in replacing practical classes, which require both theoretical and empirical knowledge. In this study, we propose a system that incorporates virtual reality and metaverse methods into the classroom to compensate for the shortcomings of the existing remote models of practical education. Based on the proposed system, we developed an aircraft maintenance simulation and conducted an experiment comparing our system to a video training method. To measure educational effectiveness, knowledge acquisition, and retention tests were conducted and presence was investigated via survey responses. The results of the experiment show that the group using the proposed system scored higher than the video training group on both knowledge tests. As the responses given to the presence questionnaire confirmed a sense of spatial presence felt by the participants, the usability of the proposed system was judged to be appropriate.


coins cost more to produce but last longer, so for every $100 kept in circulation, estimates suggest that $1.82 would be saved by switching to coins. (For details, see the sidebar.) But substituting coins for notes would likely require more coins than notes, since many will sit idle in vending machines. In addition, analysts predict the use of two-dollar notes would increase slightly if the one-dollar note were removed completely from circulation. Adjusting the estimated savings for these details lowers the projected savings to $1.34 for each 100 notes originally in circulation. Keep in mind such savings are significant when one considers the number of one-dollar notes in circulation, which was about eight billion at the end of 2003, according to Treasury estimates (Treasury Bulletin, 2004)2.


A new carbon plus silicon carbide (C+SiC) alloy material has been developed for use on in-vessel components of plasma devices. This material is nominally 10 wt. % SiC and is applied as a coating to graphite substrates. It has been tested in the limiter/beam armor position of Doublet III for over 11,000 plasma shots. The performance is excellent and the material is highly resistant to thermal shocks, thermal cycling, and erosion from plasma boundary and neutral beam interactions. This promises a long useful life for components in fusion vesels.


The development of the insurance industry in Belgium at the start of the nineteenth century cannot be dissociated from the fundamental social and economic changes which were then taking place in the country: the start of the industrial revolution, which went hand in hand with a great financial evolution, and the transition from the class-based state of the Ancien Regime to a 'contractual' state, with the mercantile middle classes holding the power. One of the first insurance companies in the Southern Netherlands, the Maatschappij van Algemene Verzekeringen (General Insurance Company), AG for short, was set up in 1824 by a group of Brussels capitalists led by the banker Jacques Coghen. In this new study Rene Brion and Jean-Louis Moreau examine the growth of the AG group from its inception until today. An important chapter is reserved for the developments of the last ten years, and more specifically for the capital role which AG, now Fortis (B), plays in the project of the 'great Belgian bank', after the takeover and merger of the ASLK and the Generale Bankmaatschappij. From AG to Fortis (1824-1999) deals with the history of the oldest and most important insurance company in Belgium and with it the history of the Belgian insurance industry. With its brilliant and often unexpected illustrations it also gives the reader a picture of the development of demographics, mathematics, medicine, technology and also, of course, economic evolution. Rene Brion and Jean-Louis Moreau are members of the Vereniging voor de Valorisatie van Bedrijfsarchieven (Association for the Assessment of Company Archives) and authors of several studies on economic history and industrial archaeology, including the company monographs of Tractebel, Fabrimetal and the Generale Maatschappij van Belgie.


Autophagy is a self-digesting mechanism responsible for removal of damaged organelles, malformed proteins during biosynthesis, and nonfunctional long-lived proteins by lysosome. Autophagy has been divided into three general types depending on the mechanism by which intracellular materials are delivered into lysosome for degradation that is, microautophagy, chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA), and macroautophagy. In microautophagy cytoplasm material is sequestered through direct invagination to the lysosomal membrane. Whereas in CMA proteins flagged with pentapeptide motif (KFERQ) were selectively degraded through direct translocation into lysosome. Macroautophagy involves the formation of subcellular double-membrane-bound structures called autophagosomes that contain degradable contents of cytoplasm materials and deliver them into lysosomes for breakdown by lysosomal enzymes. The molecular mechanism of autophagy involves several conserved Atg (autophagy-related) proteins. Systems produce modified complexes Atg8-PE and Atg5-Atg12-Atg16 as autophagy regulators. Autophagy is activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions. For example, food deprivation, hyperthermia, and hypoxia are mediated by factors like insulin/IGF-1, m-TOR signaling, FOXO transcription factors, and chaperones. The perturbance in autophagy may lead to several types of cancers, myopathies, and neuromuscular disorders. Several autophagy inducers and inhibitors like 3-methyladenine (3-MA), bafilomycin A1, LY294002 (LY), and Velcade have been used to treat disease is an intense field of study.


METIS is developing a 5G system concept that meets the requirements of the beyond-2020 connected information society and supports new usage scenarios. To meet the objectives METIS uses Horizontal Topics (HT) that addresses a key new challenge, identifies necessary new functionalities and proposes HT-specific concepts. This paper presents an initial view of the HT-specific concepts for each of the METIS HTs: Direct Device-to-Device Communication, Massive Machine Communication, Moving Networks, Ultra-Dense Networks, and Ultra-Reliable Communication. It also describes how the HT-specific concepts will be integrated into one overall METIS 5G concept.


Background: Elderly patients have worse skin related quality of life regardless of psoriasis severity. Despite this, there may be risks to starting systemic immunosuppressant therapy, a mainstay for moderate to severe psoriasis, in elderly patients. Objective: We assessed how age relates to treatment intensity for psoriasis. We defined treatment intensity as a continuous scale with a value of 0 indicating no treatment, 1 indicating topical treatment only, and 2 through 4 indicating progressive degrees of systemic treatment. Methods: We assessed the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 1997 to 2016 to determine if treatment intensity for psoriasis was related to a patient's age. Results: Between 1997 to 2006, a 1-year increase in age was not associated with a change in treatment intensity score for the younger (p = .4) and older (p = .8) age groups. Between 2007 to 2016, a 1-year increase in age was associated with a .01 (95% confidence interval .005, .02) decrease in the treatment intensity score (p = .003) for patients aged 52 or older. When controlling for sex and race, a 1-year increase in age was associated with a decrease of .01 (.02, .005) in the treatment intensity score (p = .005). There was no association with those who were younger than 52 (p = .5). Discussion: Physicians provide less intense treatments for elderly patients with psoriasis. This effect has appeared in the last decade. It remains unknown if physicians are being cautious with more intense treatments in elderly patients or if they are unintentionally undertreating this population.


A k-ary n-cubes is an important network for information transportation.In this paper we address 4-ary n-cubes,and prove that a 4-ary n-cube with f ≤ n-1 faulty nodes admits a fault-free path of every odd length from 2n-1 to 4n-2f-1 inclusive between any two adjacent fault-free nodes.


In this paper,the S-curve model is used to analyze the technology development trajectory and life cycle characteristics of various segments of industrial.The results showed that the life cycle of high-tech industry becomes shorter and many technologies of high-tech industry are about to or have entered a mature stage.


The invention discloses an IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) module of a motor controller and an applied motor controller. The IGBT module comprises an IGBT element, a door pole plate, a driving plate and a control plate, wherein the door pole plate is mounted on a top face of the IGBT element, the driving plate is mounted on a top face of the door pole plate, and the driving plate is mounted on a top face of the driving plate. The IGBT module is characterized by further comprising a radiating bottom plate, a plurality of radiating fins are arranged on a bottom face of the radiating bottom plate and extend from top to bottom, a cool water channel is formed among the radiating fins, and the IGBT element is mounted on a top face of the radiating bottom plate. The IGBT module integrates the IGBT element, the door pole plate, the driving plate, the control plate and the radiating bottom plate, and is high in modularization degree and high in mounting efficiency for batch-production.


The following work is based on the aim of evaluating courses provided by a private university of West Mexico in non-attendance modality, in the field of human formation. Various unsuccessful attempts were held and let us with the certainty of using a tool for observation and analysis created avowedly. The selected model is proposed by Gunawardena, Lowe & Anderson (1997), based on the analysis of students interactions among several elements of the course. This qualitative approach is complemented with a quantitative approach based on the proposed by Padilla and Hernandez (2012). Once the choice was taken, it was decided to have an application that would allow us to weigh its relevance. The "pilot" test was applied to seven out of the ten courses offered in the first semester of 2015, which correspond to three different subjects. Various educational resources used by teachers were analyzed. Given the results obtained, it's considered relevant to use the model by Gunawardena, Lowe & Anderson and contributors for analyzing the interactions a student has in non-attendance or distance courses. The quantitative data obtained enriches this information.


The species of this genus are flies of medium to large size. Their larvae, so far as known, live in the soil and are predaceous, feeding on various forms of animal life present in such situations. The adults prey on many kinds of insect life, and with other genera of the same family may be considered as having the same relation among insects as hawks among birds.


The utility model relates to the lithium battery technology field, in particular to the improvement of the encapsulation structure of a soft electric core. An encapsulation shell of the soft electric core is connected into by buckling a metal surface cover with a bottom cover. The surface cover body is a thin box shaped body punched by stainless sheet steel, the front end of the surface cover is connected with a plastic end face by injection molding, the rear end face of the surface cover is a square-wave shaped fractured face, and the rear parts of the two side faces of the surface cover are connected with raised buckling edges. The bottom cover body is a one-side open box punched by stainless sheet steel, the front end of the bottom cover is open, the rear end face of the bottom cover is an injection-molded plastic face, the front parts of the two side faces of the bottom cover are connected with raised buckling edge. The shell body for encapsulating the electric core provided by the utility model is characterized in that the plastic faces of the bottom cover and the surface cover are injection-molded in advance, the process is convenient, the production efficiency is high, the shell body of the metal stainless sheet steel is thinner than the full-plastic shell body, the shell body forms the cavity body for encapsulating the electric core by buckling the surface cover with the bottom cover, and the encapsulation is convenient and practical.


Published in 1934, George Orwell's first novel "Burmese Days" was the result of his five years in Burma doing "the dirty work of empire" and oiling the "actual machinery of despotism" (Wigan Pier 147). This article considers the specific relationship in the novel between anti-imperialist politics and what it means to be modern in the early part of the twentieth century. How, for example, does modernity as a structure of feeling about breaking away from the past and tradition play out within the framework of a political dispensation of the imperial coupled with colonial governmentality? And what particular conception of culture and humanity might such a modernity be premised on? In "Burmese Days", I argue that Orwell expresses the dilemma and dynamics of modernity through his use of a self-conscious narrative voice, and the story of his main character Flory, specifically the latter's failure as a colonial, masculine subject. Orwell attempts to propose an alternative to the hegemonic version of European modernity that is based on the presence of an Other and the equation between colonialism and modernization. He explores a humanism written on and expressed through the body as part of the struggle with prejudice and bias that underlies Flory's yearning for an alternative modernity. Such an alternative proves unsustainable however and the result is cynicism, despair, and irony. Despite this, the textual search for another modernity remains ultimately of critical epistemological interest for its disclosure of the contested and far from monolithic nature of European modernity.


Chicago continues to be the most attractive single location for U.S. urban studies. The city has an extraordinarily colourful past, featuring such figures as Al Capone and Richard Daley. It has been written about by some of the best of America's journalists, authors and scholars from Lincoln Steffens, Upton Sinclair and Robert Park onwards. After almost a century of civic effervescence and objective observation one might expect Chicago to become less compelling, but there are no signs of it yet. Recently it has been associated with the black politics of Harold Washington and Jesse Jackson. No wonder, then, that Chicago still has fine reporters such as Mike Royko and Studs Terkel, and still attracts the most intelligent of analysis, as in this work from Dianne Pinderhughes. One failing of much early Chicago-based urban investigation was the assumption that broad generalizations about other urban places could be made from this single, and singular city. The inability to make such generalizations with any security has led some to doubt the value of a separate "urban studies" at all. Dr. Pinderhughes is in the business of generalization, but she uses the city as an experimental laboratory in which to test the broader political theories common in American political science. Her careful study of three groups in Chicago — Italians, Poles, and Blacks attempts to test the pluralist model of interest articulation and diversification in American society. The conclusion, that assigned status attached to race makes the political and social position and progress of blacks substantively more problematical than that of other groups, so much so that the usual expectations of the pluralist model cannot be said to apply, cannot be entirely surprising to all readers, but the assiduous way in which she marshalls the evidence does great credit to her work, and will be of great benefit to her readers. The book looks carefully at the operation of Chicago government through much of the twentieth century. The disadvantages to blacks of established machine politics, and an effective one-party system, are clearly laid out, the effective discriminatory operation of the schools system is made clear, the contributory effect of black organizations' self-definition in racial (rather than, say, class) terms is explored, but it may be that the chapter on "Crime and Punishment" provides the most compelling evidence of the endemic nature of black powerlessness. It appears that even Black crooks (and their political colleagues) were less able to manipulate the criminal justice system than their Polish and Italian equivalents. Blacks were " ghettoized " even in their criminal activities. They lived in high crime areas, but they were restricted to the less profitable criminal activities. Nevertheless they were prosecuted more regularly and sentenced more heavily than the other groups, thereby being confirmed in the public eye as society's troublemakers. Recent evidence suggests that a similar pattern of discrimination afflicts the British system of justice, so perhaps it is with more than a passing scholarly interest that we should consider the broader implications of Pinderhughes's work.


administration, they feared the invalidation and exclusion of their community by the next president (p. 60). So, Martin concludes it was only natural for them to look for a new icon to ensure their survival. Third, Martin unpacks this constituency's passive acceptance of Trump. Martin says Christian evangelicals carried out a mantra of "give it to God but still vote as God would have you to." Now that Trump was interwoven neatly into this constituency's narrative, they could passively ignore his dissimilar faults and vote for him (p. 77). Particularly in Chapter 6, Martin exemplifies this passivism in how evangelicals overlooked the contradictions of faith presented by Trump's sexual abuse allegations. From reviewing live digital video recordings, blogs, and social media posts of women pastors and evangelical leaders who were anti-Trump, Martin's core argument emerges: that the hypocrisy of the narrative Trump has been written into is fallible and that women are the demographic to collapse this narrative. The most significant contribution of this book is that it opens the door for future studies to examine the breaks in consubstantial rhetoric of Christian groups who have written Trump out of their narratives. We have seen in the 2022 midterms evidence of Martin's claims given that women turned the tide against the red wave by disrupting the evangelical narrative surrounding Trumpism for its ad verrecundiam hypocrisy. By integrating ourselves through digital rhetorical ethnography, rhetoricians can uncover passive hegemonic forces in a digitized, polarized political environment.


The set of all pairs of polynomials X(x,p) and P(x,p) in the position x and momentum p are found such that X and P have the same commutator as x and p. Several other types of representations of the commutation relations are studied. The reducibility, time, and space inversion properties of these are discussed. The unitary transformations connecting different representations are exhibited. The use of different representations to solve scattering and bound state problems is indicated. The application of one of the transformations to a partial diagonalization of a perturbed harmonic oscillator Hamiltonian is made.


Serious bacterial infections present a unique challenge for studies of real-world evidence. Often, the causative organism is unknown during the initial period of treatment and clinical symptoms change day-to-day, which lead to multiple changes in therapy. While it is assumed approaches to treating specific infectious diseases are mostly similar, we've previously identified substantial treatment heterogeneity, even among organism-specific and site-specific infections.

 Our retrospective cohort study included inpatients with positive P. aeruginosa from sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage cultures collected during VA medical center and community living center stays from 01/15-04/18. We included the first positive culture during the admission per patient. Daily antibiotic exposures were mapped from 3 days prior to the culture collection date until discharge or 30 days for longer stays. Heterogeneity was defined as patterns of antibiotic treatment (drug and duration) not shared by any other patient.

 Our study included 5,435 patients and 87.4% of patients had different patterns of antibiotic drug and duration. Among patients with changes in therapy (84.0%), 96.9% had different antibiotic treatment patterns, with a median time to first change of 1 day and median of 3 changes. When restricting the analysis to antibiotic classes (rather than drug), Gram-negative antibiotics, and anti-pseudomonal antibiotic classes, heterogeneity was 81.8%, 52.0%, and 48.7%, with median time to first change of 1, 3, and 3 days, and a median of 3, 2, and 2 changes, respectively.

 Among inpatients with positive P. aeruginosa respiratory cultures, substantial heterogeneity was observed in the national VA Healthcare System. Even at the class level, and restricting the analysis to anti-pseudomonal antibiotic classes, approximately 50% of patients had different treatment patterns during their inpatient stay. Current methods to assess treatment do not adequately account for the extensive heterogeneity observed in infectious diseases and it remains unclear how local or national treatment guidelines affect heterogeneity.

 Aisling Caffrey, PhD, Merck (Research Grant or Support)Pfizer (Research Grant or Support)Shionogi (Research Grant or Support) Emily C. Bodo, Pham.D, VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA) (Other Financial or Material Support, Bodo is supported by the VA Office of Academic Affiliations (OAA)) Laura A. Puzniak, PhD, Merck (Employee) Kerry LaPlante, PharmD, Merck (Advisor or Review Panel member, Research Grant or Support)Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc. (Research Grant or Support)Pfizer Pharmaceuticals (Research Grant or Support)Shionogi, Inc. (Research Grant or Support)


Recently, the senior author (M. P. S.)1 presented a study which offered clinical evidence for a correlation between nasal polyps and an abnormal carbohydrate metabolism. Patients presenting the typical "allergic" nose with pale, edematous mucous membranes demonstrated few positive allergic reactions but frequently showed some carbohydrate dysfunction. Over half of these patients had a family history of diabetes mellitus. A common finding in the patients studied was a pale nasal mucosa, the paleness seemingly attributable to a polysaccharide abnormality rather than to an atopy.


There continues to be something of a conundrum in the recruitment of headteachers in England. While "a very large majority of headteachers report being satisfied with their jobs" (Micklewright et al 2014: 17), headteacher recruitment and retention remain major challenges for school governors and policy makers. In this context, the New Pathways into Headship project was commissioned by the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) in January 2013. Tasked with considering new or alternative pathways into headship, the project focused on three research groupings of headteachers. These were defined as: 'Fast Trackers', who had participated in an accelerated leadership development programme prior to achieving headship; 'Young Heads', who had achieved headship before they were 35 years old in primary schools and 40 in secondary schools (without participating in an accelerated development programme); 'Career Changers', who had pursued another career before working in schools and achieving headship. The aims of the research set out by NCTL were to:
 analyse the size and demography of the three research groupings;
 identify their career pathways towards headship;
 explore the school leadership practices of each group.


【Objective】 To investigate the effect of Bmi-1 gene knockdown on the proliferation and apoptosis in human SO-RB50 cells.【Methods】 Bmi-1 expression was examined in human retinoblastoma tissue and SO-RB50 cells by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.Chemically synthesized Bmi-1 siRNA was transfected into SO-RB50 cells.After Bmi-1 siRNA transfection,expression of Bmi-1 mRNA and protein in SO-RB50 cells were examined by real time RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.Cell growth and proliferation were analyzed by MTT assay.Cell apoptosis was observed by flow cytometry.【Results】 Bmi-1 was expressed in human retinoblastoma tissue and SO-RB50 cells.After Bmi-1 siRNA treatment,Bmi-1 mRNA and protein in SO-RB50 cells were dramatically decreased by(83.9±3.2)% and(82.8±1.1)%,respectively.After Bmi-1 knockdown,MTT showed that Bmi-1 siRNA could significantly inhibit SO-RB50 cell proliferation.The inhibitory effect reached peak at 96 hours [(52.5 ± 1.9)%] after transfection.Cell apoptosis rate was promoted up to(20.7 ± 1.1)% in the siRNA treated cells while cell apoptosis rate was(1.9 ± 0.2)% in the negative group.【Conclusion】Specific Bmi-1 siRNA could inhibit the expression of Bmi-1 and inhibit human SO-RB50 cell growth in vitro.The effect might be attributed to promoting cell apoptosis.These results suggest that Bmi-1 may be a new therapy target in RBs.


Employing a state‐variable synthesis, a number of new current‐mode oscillators with explicit current output have been derived, which can be practically implemented from commercially available current‐feedback op‐amps (CFOA). The workability of the proposed structures has been confirmed by experimental results using AD844‐type CFOAs and some sample results have been presented. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This article is devoted to the implementation of Article 205 of the VAT directive in the Czech Republic. It focuses on the basic aspects of this instrument tackling VAT evasion from the EU law perspective, a description of the relevant Czech legislation and finally, its comparison with the EU law standards. The content of this article points out that Czech public law bodies do not respect the barriers for several and joint liability for VAT payment settled by the CJEU, moreover that the Czech Parliament failed to implement the right instrument when it implemented the personal guarantee for VAT payment. It is obvious that the complex approach to the implementation is missing in this case and the Czech transposition of the several and joint liability for VAT payment broadly failed to comply with the EU level of VAT regulation. The scientific methods used are description, analysis, induction and deduction.


Techniques and technologies of information and analytical support of nature-use management problems are disscussed. We present new approach to the solution of the problem allowing for integration of available information resources and combination of all tools of information technologies. Technological implementation of this approach is based on integrated distributed information environment, realized as a modular program complex. At the report we present the main block of the complex, its keynote features and possibilities for nature-use management problems.


(Zosimos); so too occasional clariμcation, e.g. on p. 161 (Dio Cassius 59.28.3–4) it would help to say that 'he' is Caligula, as is done e.g. on p. 167 (Josephus 19.8–10). The bibliography is extensive and, like the rest of the book, of use for many sculptural themes in addition to chryselephantine. Tobin (University of Pennsylvania, 1991) has been revised as Herodes Attikos and the City of Athens (Amsterdam, 1997). The plates are plentiful, although often disappointingly fuzzy (e.g II, 9, 13, 32–3). Surprisingly, there are about forty typographical errors, and some erratic use of the comma.


Low levels of connectedness can create problems in uncoupling genetic and environmental influences on phenotypes. This can result in bias in prediction error variance and covariance, decreasing the accuracy of comparison of EBV across herds (Smith and Banos, 1991; Kennedy and Trus, 1993). The main objective of this study was to compare connectedness statistics published in the literature and determine which measure is most practical or suitable for estimating the risk associated with EBV comparisons in an across-herd analysis and to determine changes in connectedness in the U.S. Duroc population over time.


The influence of calcium substitution at the barium site of porous Y(Ba1-xCax)2Cu3Oδ (x= 0.00, 0.10, 0.20 and 0.30) samples prepared via solid-state reaction method have been investigated. The structure, morphology, critical temperature and critical current were determined by x-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and four-point probe method, respectively. Generally, the curves of normalized resistance for all samples displayed normal metallic behavior above Tc onset. The Tc zero was between 84 K and 71 K with increase in Ca concentration corresponding to a small change of carrier concentration. The critical current density, Jc decreases with increase in Ca concentration. The highest Jc of 2.657 A/cm2 at 50 K was obtained in Ca-free porous YBCO which is higher than that of Ca-free non porous YBCO. Further substitution of Ca at Ba site decreased Jc monotonously. The increase of Ca concentration decreased the volume of unit cell but the crystallographic structure remains in the orthorhombic form where a≠b≠c. The grains are highly compacted and randomly distributed while the grain size decreased as the Ca concentration increased.


Rare earth-transition metal alloys are of interest in MEMS and magnetic storage industries because of their unique magnetic properties. However, the applications of these alloys have been limited to bulk and thin film architectures because of the limitations of the contemporary vapor deposition technique to fabricate high aspect ratio nanostructures. The objective of this study is to develop an electrochemical process to deposit rare earth-transition metal alloys thus making it possible to deposit high aspect ratio nanostructures such as nanowires and nanotubes, which helps to tune their properties for specific applications. Electrodeposition of rare earth-transition metal alloys was achieved from an aqueous electrolyte kept under quiescent condition. The effect of cobalt (II) concentration, pH and deposition potential on rare earth-cobalt alloy electrodeposition was investigated. The alloy composition and the partial current densities exhibited a coupled deposition behavior between cobalt and rare earth. The rare earth concentration in the deposit and the current efficiency was found to depend on cobalt (II) concentration. Template electrodeposition of rare earth-transition metal alloy nanowires and nanotubes was demonstrated for the first time. Template deposition enabled the growth of several micron long deposits as compared to about 200 nm thick films deposited on planar substrate. Electrodeposition of rare earth-cobalt alloy nanotubes was observed from unmodified templates under low electrolyte pH, short deposition time and larger


The main propose of the paper was to determine effect of strategic change management on performance of large and medium hotels in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was informed by discourse-based theory of organizational change, three-step change theory and phases of change theory. This study adopted an explanatory design because the research tried to establish causal relationship. The total number of the employees from which the sample was derived was 1769 employees drawn from 5 Five Star Hotels. The study used simple random sampling procedure to select a sample size of 225 employees. The research used questionnaires. Findings from Multiple regressions indicated that technology change (β1 = 0.254, p<0.05) and leadership change β2= 0.426, p< 0.05) have a significant effect on firm performance. This infers that technology change and leadership makes it possible for firms to improve its performance. It is therefore important for hotels to implement new electronic © Sang, Komen & Korir Licensed under Creative Common Page 466 communicative devices and adopt modern technologies on online bookings and payments. Firms should therefore keep those managers that bring new changes to the firm.


In connection with the increase in military conflicts and the deterioration of the geopolitical situation in the world, the study of the history of the Eastern Front of World War II and its consequences is more relevant than ever. In the first postwar years it was a difficult task for the state to solve the problems of front-line soldiers with employment and material conditions. The adaptation of demobilized soldiers was primarily associated with the economic and political state of the country. The paper examines the issues of adaptation and employment of demo-bilized soldiers of Bashkiria during the first postwar years. The author pays attention to then-existing problems and measures taken by the Soviet bodies of the republic. The postwar life of front-line soldiers of Bashkiria during the first postwar years has both great scientific and social significance. In the course of the study, the features of the postwar situation in the country as a whole and in the republic were studied, which determined the conditions for the adaptation of front-line soldiers and its results.


Abstract This essay uses a cultural rhetoric framework to analyze Hermanas: Deepening our Identity and Growing Our Influence (2019), a multi-authored book by evangelical Latinas in the U.S. The distinct storytelling in the text—which layers the authors' personal narratives with discussions of biblical texts—emerges from both white evangelical and Latina cultural contexts. This communal, activist approach to personal narrative enacts rhetorical leadership by confronting systemic injustices in U.S. evangelicalism and offering readers in that community new ways to engage with dominant evangelical rhetoric and with the stories of others.


The B- and P-doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon films (nc-Si:H) are prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). The microstructures of doped nc-Si:H films are carefully and systematically characterized by using high resolution electron microscopy (HREM), Raman scattering, x-ray diffraction (XRD), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and resonant nucleus reaction (RNR). The results show that as the doping concentration of PH3 increases, the average grain size (d) tends to decrease and the crystalline volume percentage (Xc) increases simultaneously. For the B-doped samples, as the doping concentration of B2H6 increases, no obvious change in the value of d is observed, but the value of Xc is found to decrease. This is especially apparent in the case of heavy B2H6 doped samples, where the films change from nanocrystalline to amorphous.


In this paper,a new class of generalized mixed equilibrium problem with invexity is introduced.The concept of well-posedness for the equilibrium problem is generalized and the existence and uniqueness of solution to the equilibrium problem are proved.By applying auxiliary principle technique,some iterative schemes for solving the generalized mixed equilibrium problem are suggested and the convergence of iterative sequences under suitable conditions is studied.


Abstract Overview for Pattern and Results of Herbal Medicine-derived Atopic Dermatitis Clinical Researches Kim Yunhee Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine Objectives To make comprehensive feature of clinical trials using herbal medicine and their results by today, then help a strategy for herbal medication–derived clinical studies in the future. Methods Through medical website (Pubmed․EBSCO․Medline), foreign clinical literatures about atopic dermatitis and herbal medicine were searched. And domestic clinical literatures about atopic dermatitis using internet website (OASIS) and hand-searching. Analysis was performed according to distribution mainly by subject, study design, number by year and its efficacy. Results and Conclusions Seventy-nine (Domestic literatures: Fifty, Foreign literatures: Twenty-nine) literatures were selected according to inclusion criteria of clinical study. 80% of domestic clinical literatures were observational studies, 50% of foreign were intervention. There were six adverse effect case studies, two follow-ups, one case report, four translational and four uncontrolled clinical trials in foreign literatures. And nineteen case reports, eighteen case series, two follow-up and five uncontrolled clinical studies in domestic. Six RCTs have established by four external herb therapy and two decoctions in Korea, showed positive effects. Three out of four external applications RCTs, four out of seven decoctions showed positive results in foreign studies. This study revealed the current status of atopic dermatitis clinical research using herbal drugs. To put clinical trials to use of herbal medicine in the treatment atopic dermatitis, scientific and objective-based studies should be needed.


Organic amendments are important to sustain soil organic matter (SOM) and soil functions in agricultural soils. Information about the contribution of organic amendments to SOM can be derived from incubation experiments. In this study, data from 72 incubated organic amendments including plant residues, digestates and manure were analysed. The incubation data was compiled from three experimental setups with varying incubation times, soils and incubation temperatures, in which CO2 release was measured continuously. The analysis of the incubation data was performed with an approach relying on conceptual parts of C‐TOOL, CCB, Century, ICBM, RothC and Yasso which are all well‐approved first‐order carbon models that differ in structure and abstraction level. All models are an approximation of reality, whereby each model differs in understanding of the processes involved in soil carbon dynamics. To accumulate the advantages from each model a model ensemble was performed for each substrate. With the ability of each carbon model to compute the distribution of carbon into specific SOM pools a new approach for evaluating organic amendments in terms of humus building efficiency is presented that, depends on the weighted model fit of each ensemble member. Depending on the organic substrate added to the soil, the time course of CO2 release in the incubation studies was predicted with different accuracy by the individual model concepts. Averaging the output of the individual models leads to more robust prediction of SOM dynamics. The EHUM value is easy to interpret and the results are in accordance with the literature.


Based on the solution of Boussinesq,a model is established;and the model assumes that a cone-shaped load acts on the circinal plane while its radius of a.Then a shield tunnel ground maximum settlement formula during constructions,is derived.The two important parameters are probed into.Then the three results of the Peck method,the formula in this paper and the true value are compared by a real example.Without considering creep of soil,the formula in this paper is closest to the true value.


ABSTRACT Background: Teachers in various countries worldwide have been confronted with the placement of students with disabilities in general classes, and the need to provide them with support and adapted physical education (APE). However, physical education (PE) teachers often do not feel prepared or self-confident enough for this inclusion. While a considerable amount of research has been identified, researchers have emphasized a need for additional studies that can shed more light on the influencing factors relevant to shaping teachers' attitudes towards inclusion, as well as on their inclusion practices. Purpose: The current article aims to provide a narrative summary of international research perspectives and findings regarding PE teachers' attitudes and self-efficacy (SE) toward inclusion, as well as to develop a model for conducting further research. Design: A narrative literature review was performed, based on a search of the databases SPORT Discus and MEDLINE (combined via EBSCO host and screened for peer-reviewed academic journals only), and Google Scholar. The search used the following terms: physical education teachers, inclusion, disability, and attitudes or SE. The narrative review begins with setting the scope of this topic via definitions and theoretical frameworks used to enable the understanding of attitudes and SE within inclusive PE. The Social Learning Theory (SLT) and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) were outlined in order follow up with an explanation of the link between attitudes and SE. In the next section, the literature on attitudes and SE of PE teachers is presented. This section is comprised of subsections describing the development of instruments and their utilization in the field of study, as well as contextual variables influencing PE teachers' attitudes and SE toward inclusion. Findings: Seventy-five articles were included in total, of which 54 discussed research on teachers' attitudes towards inclusive PE, 12 were related to research on teachers' SE (three of which also included research on teachers' attitudes towards inclusion), and 12 were considered reviews or viewpoints. The article ends with a model, including the following parts: background variables (regarding teachers' personal attributes, school attributes, and disability attributes); moderating variables (attitude and SE); and, teachers' behavior toward inclusion, all of which are interrelated and include a feedback loop. This model can be used for designing future research, as well as evidence-based interventions aimed at facilitating teacher training toward inclusion. Summary for practitioners: From a practical point of view, educational inclusion practitioners should be aware of several factors influencing attitudes and/or SE while engaging in inclusion of children with disabilities in PE: (a) The teachers' volume and type of experience with persons with disabilities at school, in the family or in the community; (b) The professional and academic training toward inclusion; (c) Individual factors, including gender; (d) School environmental factors, such as a process rather than performance orientation; and, finally, (e) The type and degree of disability.


BACKGROUND Visceral disseminated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection is a rare but life-threatening disease. In transplant recipients with VZV infection, visceral dissemination may develop without skin eruptions, which leads to the failure of early diagnosis. CASE SUMMARY The patient was a 33-year-old male renal recipient who was referred to our hospital with severe upper abdominal pain of 3-d duration. On admission, the patient rapidly developed septic shock and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome with liver dysfunction and acute kidney injury. Next-generation sequencing of peripheral blood yielded 39224 sequence reads of VZV, and real-time polymerase chain reaction for VZV was positive, with 1.2 × 107 copies/mL. The final diagnosis was visceral disseminated VZV infection. Acyclovir and supportive therapy were started, but the patient died of severe visceral organ damage 16 h after admission. CONCLUSION Visceral disseminated VZV infection is possible in renal transplant recipients presenting abdominal pain and rapidly-evolving organ damage without skin involvement.


Dashehari mango fruits were wrapped individually in perforated low density polyethylene bags (LDPE) or heat shrinkable Cryovac film D 995 after dipping in aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and calcium nitrate (2.0 and 4.0%, each) for five minutes to minimize the post harvest losses. Fruit treated with calcium compounds and packed in LDPE film substantially retarded the ripening processes and maintained higher fruit firmness along with lower physiological loss in weight (PLW) as compared to untreated fruits.


Sand Martins were trapped at an Oxfordshire colony during 1979–83. The return rate of adult males in following years was higher than for adult females, and adult females dispersed more than adult males in subsequent breeding seasons. The return rate of adults in the first year after capture appeared lower than in subsequent years but this was an artefact due to the catching efficiency being less than 100%. Birds ringed as juveniles had a much lower return rate than adults but many of them were probably passage birds. Juvenile males had a much higher return rate than juvenile females, with the females much more dispersive. The return rate of known second-year birds, which were heavily male biased, was higher than that of all adults, but not significantly different from that of adult males. Lower adult return rates and decreased recruitment from juveniles both contributed to the decline of the colony, both probably being the result of decreased winter survival.


Measurements of the associated production of a Z boson with at least one jet originating from a b quark in proton-proton collisions at √ s = 8 TeV are presented. Differential cross sections are measured with data collected by the CMS experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.8 fb−1. Z bosons are reconstructed through their decays to electrons and muons. Cross sections are measured as a function of observables characterizing the kinematics of the b jet and the Z boson. Ratios of differential cross sections for the associated production with at least one b jet to the associated production with any jet are also presented. The production of a Z boson with two b jets is investigated, and differential cross sections are measured for the dijet system. Results are compared to theoretical predictions, testing two different flavour schemes for the choice of initial-state partons. Submitted to the European Physical Journal C c © 2016 CERN for the benefit of the CMS Collaboration. CC-BY-3.0 license ∗See Appendix A for the list of collaboration members ar X iv :s ub m it/ 17 28 40 0 [ he pex ] 2 0 N ov 2 01 6


Separate chapters on the communist parties of eleven countries are included between the editor's long and detailed introductory "overview" and Kevin Devlin's summary of "the challenge of Eurocommunism." The focus of each chapter is on the recent programmatic orientations of the party, an area of inquiry which lends itself to current-events narrative instead of social science and conceptual rigor. THOMAS H.


We determine the accuracy of galaxy redshift distributions as estimated from photometric redshift probability distributions $p(z)$. Our method utilises measurements of the angular cross-correlation between photometric galaxies and an overlapping sample of galaxies with spectroscopic redshifts. We describe the redshift leakage from a galaxy photometric redshift bin $j$ into a spectroscopic redshift bin $i$ using the sum of the $p(z)$ for the galaxies residing in bin $j$. We can then predict the angular cross-correlation between photometric and spectroscopic galaxies due to intrinsic galaxy clustering when $i \neq j$ as a function of the measured angular cross-correlation when $i=j$. We also account for enhanced clustering arising from lensing magnification using a halo model. The comparison of this prediction with the measured signal provides a consistency check on the validity of using the summed $p(z)$ to determine galaxy redshift distributions in cosmological analyses, as advocated by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Lensing Survey (CFHTLenS). We present an analysis of the photometric redshifts measured by CFHTLenS, which overlaps the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (BOSS). We also analyse the Red-sequence Cluster Lensing Survey (RCSLenS), which overlaps both BOSS and the WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey. We find that the summed $p(z)$ from both surveys are generally biased with respect to the true underlying distributions. If unaccounted for, this bias would lead to errors in cosmological parameter estimation from CFHTLenS by less than $\sim 4\%$. For photometric redshift bins which spatially overlap in 3-D with our spectroscopic sample, we determine redshift bias corrections which can be used in future cosmological analyses that rely on accurate galaxy redshift distributions.


The very limited literature concerning the biology of P. electra is reviewed briefly, and a stranding of 53 individuals on Moreton Island, south-eastern Queensland, in August 1976 is described. A description of schools of animals observed at sea is given. Limited observations of body dimensions, growth, and relationship of body length and weight are reported. The anatomy of the reproductive tract of three female melon-headed whales is described, including detailed descriptions of the ovaries, and the histological appearance of the testes of four males is summarized. Tentative conclusions from available data are: sexual maturity in females is reached at a body length greater than 225 cm but probably considerably less than 257 cm, and after four laminations, but before 12 laminations are deposited in the dentine. Sexual activity in males seems to develop at a length of 260 cm, when approximately seven tooth laminations are present. Birth occurs from August to December in the southern hemisphere, and the gestation period is probably approximately 1 year.


According to legendary football coach Lou Holtz, the keys to success in life and as a healthcare professional include having a good attitude, having passion, and making good choices.


The advent of self-driving vehicles is no longer just science fiction conjecture but the reality of the coming decade. Various countries have already made real progress in self-driving technologies moving beyond slogans and to meaningful action – multi-country changes in the law, for one thing. Due to the rethinking of the transport planning process and new ways to organize passengers, the urban transport system is considered a single unit, not a set of separated transport subsystems (metro, land transport, etc.). Thus far, however, there has been no extensive study of the potential urban impact of self-driving technologies upon a city and its residents. This paper presents a methodology for the urban impact assessment of self-driving transportation developed based on an appropriate analysis for the city of Moscow. To that end, the urban environment as a research subject is described as a set of environmental, transport, technological, economic, social, and regulatory blocks of indicators. We purpose to evaluate these indicators: roads congestion, need for parking spaces, changes in the employment structure, new users of automobile transport, and others. To estimate the effects on the city, we described four scenarios for the introduction of self-driving cars, differentiated by the speed of technology introduction and the development of co-using economics. To achieve maximal effect of self-driving technology, one needs to adopt a proactive transport policy, including a set of measures defined by a current survey. The survey is indispensable for future research into the impact of self-driving technology upon a city. Also, the survey has a practical sense for administrations responsibility for urban transport policy.


OBJECTIVE To explore the neuroprolective action and the effects on ATP levels of Aspirin treatmeat in focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats with different treatment time-windows. METHODS Right middle cerebral artery was occluded by inserting a thread through internal carotid artery for 2 h, and then reperfusion for 24 h. 60 mg·kg-1 dose of Aspirin was ig administered at 0, 1 or 3 h of reperfusion respectively. The brain injury area, mortality, and cerebral edema were evaluated. Adenosinl 5'-tnphosphate (ATP) levels in the brain tissue of the occluded side were assayed by capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS The area of injured brain and mortality in the three groups were dramatically reduced by 60 mg·kg-1 dose of Aspirin. No significant difference was discovered among the three groups. The cerebral edema of occluded side was also dramatically reduced, but edema was more serious in the group to which treatment was given after reperfusion 3 h than that in the other two groups. The ATP level was improved by Aspirin in the group of treatment at reperfusion onset, but no similar effectwas discovered in the other two groups. CONCLUSION The neuroprotective effects of 60 mg·kg-1 dose of Aspirin were observed in focal cerebral ischemia-reperfusion rats, treated in different time-windows. But its effect on cerebral edema was decreased when given after reperfu-sion 3 h. The effect of improving ATP level was only observed when Aspirin was administered at the same time of reperfusion. It was indicated that the time-point of Aspirin treatment was very important for its neuroprotective actions.


Abstract Communicating across Cultures (CaC) is an undergraduate course that exists to achieve the goal of equipping students to effectively work in multicultural environments. Students' worldviews, beliefs, and values shape their experience with the course materials and potentially impact the degree to which they achieve the intended learning outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine which aspects of students' identities are most salient to their experiences in CaC. The Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI), a psychometric instrument that illuminates how the self is structured, was administered as a pre-/post-test at the beginning and end of the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 semesters. T1 to T2 changes in scores and between group differences on various BEVI scales emerged in interaction with several demographic variables. Based on these findings, we suggest some best practices for approaching the different layers of culture present in similar courses.


An efficient method for linearizing dynamic models about a nominal trajectory is developed from the straightforward Lagrangian formulation. The method is very simple and systematic. It can be applied to compute the feedforward control law (i.e. the generalized forces or torques) about the desired nominal trajectory and to design the feedback controller that reduces or eliminates any deviations from the desired nominal trajectory. The salient advantage of the method is that the number of computations for deriving the complete linearized dynamic models for a manipulator is so few as to allow real-time computation on a mini- or microcomputer. The total number of computations to derive the complete linearized dynamic models (including the computation of the joint generalized forces or torques) about the nominal trajectory for a manipulator with six degrees of freedom is at most 2600 multiplications and 2711 additions. Computationally, this method is the fastest of all existing methods. >


Two antisense ethylene receptor genes FaEtr1 and FaErs1 were introduced into leaves of strawberry(Fragaria ananassa Duch) with Agrobacterium tumefaciens EHA105.Plantlets were regenerated in vitro by kanamycin selection.Fifteen plants were confirmed by PCR and Southern blotting analysis which the antigene FaEtr1 and FaErs1 genes were transferred and integrated into the genome of strawberry.Northern blotting analysis indicated that FaEtr1 and FaErs1 mRNA abundance were decresased in antisense strawberry plants.


The peculiarities of electronic and crystal structures of Zr1-xVxNiSn (x = 0 - 0.10) semiconductive solid solution were investigated. To predict Fermi level εF behavior, band gap εg and electrokinetic characteristics of Zr1-xVxNiSn, the distribution of density of electronic states (DOS) was calculated. The mechanism of simultaneous generation of structural defects of donor and acceptor nature was determined based on the results of calculations of electronic structure and measurement of electrical properties of Zr1-xVxNiSn semiconductive solid solution. It was established that in the band gap of Zr1-xVxNiSn the energy states of the impurity donor εD2 and acceptor εA1 levels (donor-acceptor pairs) appear, which determine the mechanisms of conduction of semiconductor.


The author relates a short history of transportation's impact on development; discusses the negative impacts that highway travel has had on the environment and traffic congestion; describes how transit oriented development took root around the country; and discusses the impact of major rail transit stations on urban development in various cities in the United States. Cities highlighted include Boston, Massachusetts; Dallas, Texas; and Chicago, Illinois.


and advancements in diagnostic technology, such as magnifying colonoscopy and image-enhanced endoscopy (IEE), including narrow-band imaging (NBI) systems, have provided a higher rate of detection of superficial and small colorectal tumors. Even a depressed colon cancer as small as 5mm in size can be correctly diagnosed as submucosal deeply invasive carcinoma with magnifying chromoendoscopy and then appropriately treated surgically without endoscopic resection [1]. Furthermore, magnifying chromoendoscopy can differentiate between colorectal neoplastic and non-neoplastic polyps [2]. We report a case of a depressed lesion, about 8mm in diameter, which was diagnosed as an inverted sessile serrated polyp (SSP) by magnifying image-enhanced colonoscopy before removal. A 63-year-old man underwent surveillance colonoscopy at our department. Colonoscopy revealed a flat elevated polyp with a central depression, about 8mm in diameter, in the ascending colon (Paris classification IIa and IIc) (●" Fig. 1). No meshed capillary vessel (type I capillary pattern according to Sano's classification) was detected on the surface of the polyp by NBI with magnification (●" Fig. 2) [3]. After the dye-spraying of 0.4% indigo carmine, a depressed area was clearly defined in the polyp. However, the pit pattern of the depressed area was not clearly observed because of the overlying dense mucus (●" Fig. 3). Magnification with chromoendoscopy using 0.05% crystal violet staining after water washing showed a "dilated" typeII pit pattern in the depressed area (●" Fig. 4) [4]. Based on the above endoscopic findings, an inverted SSP was suspected. Endoscopic resection was performed for histological evaluation. The polyp was completely removed en bloc with endoscopic mucosal resection (the lift and cut technique) without complication. A histological diagnosis of inverted SSP was finally established (●" Fig. 5). Inverted growth of a hyperplastic polyp is characterized by epithelial misplacement or inversion of the epithelium into the submucosa, which is a variant form of an exophytic hyperplastic polyp [5]. Owing to the inverted growth pattern, a depressed area is present in such lesions, which could bemisdiagnosed as an early colorectal neoplasm on conventional view. Our Inverted sessile serrated polyp diagnosed by magnifying image-enhanced colonoscopy


Joey Wing Yan Chan, FHKAM (Psych)1; Shirley Xin Li, , PhD, DClinPsy2,3; Siu Ping Lam, MRCPsych, FHKAM (Psych)1; Jihui Zhang, PhD, MD1; Yun-Kwok Wing, FRCPsych, FHKAM (Psych)1 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong; Sleep Research Clinic and Laboratory, Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong


We consider a perturbed version of the second Painlevé equation ( PII ), which arises in applications, and show that it possesses solutions analogous to the celebrated Hastings–McLeod and tritronquée solutions of PII . The Hastings–McLeod-type solution of the perturbed equation is holomorphic, real-valued and positive on the whole real-line, while the tritronquée-type solution is holomorphic in a large sector of the complex plane. These properties also characterise the corresponding solutions of PII and are surprising because the perturbed equation does not possess additional distinctive properties that characterise PII , particularly the Painlevé property.


Given a set ${\cal R}=\{R_1,R_2,..., R_n\}$ of $n$ randomly positioned axis parallel rectangles in 2D, the problem of computing the minimum clique cover (MCC) and maximum independent set (MIS) for the intersection graph $G({\cal R})$ of the members in $\cal R$ are both computationally hard \cite{CC05}. For the MCC problem, it is proved that polynomial time constant factor approximation is impossible to obtain \cite{PT11}. Though such a result is not proved yet for the MIS problem, no polynomial time constant factor approximation algorithm exists in the literature. We study the performance of greedy algorithms for computing these two parameters of $G({\cal R})$. Experimental results shows that for each of the MCC and MIS problems, the corresponding greedy algorithm produces a solution that is very close to its optimum solution. Scheinerman \cite{Scheinerman80} showed that the size of MIS is tightly bounded by $\sqrt{n}$ for a random instance of the 1D version of the problem, (i.e., for the interval graph). Our experiment shows that the size of independent set and the clique cover produced by the greedy algorithm is at least $2\sqrt{n}$ and at most $3\sqrt{n}$, respectively. Thus the experimentally obtained approximation ratio of the greedy algorithm for MIS problem is at most 3/2 and the same for the MCC problem is at least 2/3. Finally we will provide refined greedy algorithms based on a concept of {\it simplicial rectangle}. The characteristics of this algorithm may be of interest in getting a provably constant factor approximation algorithm for random instance of both the problems. We believe that the result also holds true for any finite dimension.


The Arts and Crafts School of Paris was in need of an auditorium, with accommodation for one thousand persons, suitable for lessons and lectures. Owing to lack of space, it was decided to build it underground, below one of the courtyards.
The choice of roof shape was an ellipsoid of revolution, whose major axis is inclined to the horizontal. The maximum diameter is 32 ms and maximum height is 10 ms. The thickness of the roof structure is 50 cms along the lower part, and 20 cms near the crown.
This solution was of special interest as it overcame simultaneously two difficulties; namely, the foundation, when this has to be based on fill soil, and the non-interference with the illumination of nearby buildings. In this case the loading on the soil is always less than 380 grams per cm-, even assuming a local settlement of the soil over any area of 20 ms in diameter.
Concrete has been transported to the required sites by means of compressed air chutes, with the result that the rate of concreting has not been interfered with. Formwork has been carefully thought out, especially over the zones where the floor surface changes into the auditorium vault.
The tubular structure supporting the formwork of the vault has been erected with columns which are normal to the inclined diametral plane of the surface of revolution. Owing to this unusual arrangement, the staff working at the site have often lost their sense of balance.


Objective To observe the changes of plasma endothelin and calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP)in rats with pressure overload,and to study the possible mechanism of left ventricular remodeling.Methods Left ventricular mass index(LVMI)and plasma endothelin(ET)and calcitonin gene-related peptide were measured in the rat model with myocardial hypertrophy of congestive heart failure and pressure overload by abdominal aortic constriction by radioimmunoassay.Results ①The plasma endothelin levels in the model group were obviously higher than those of sham group(P0.01),LVMI in model group was higher than that in sham operation group(P0.05),positively related to level of plasma ET.②The level of plasma CGRP in model group was lower significantly than that in sham operation group(P0.01),and negatively related to LVMI.③Plasma ET/CGRP ratio was less than 1 in normal control group obviously,close to 1 in model group,positively related to LVH.Conclusion The levels of plasma ET and CGRP were related to LVH.The mechanism of heart failure might be related with the disorganization of ET and CGRP levels in plasma so as the left ventricular hypertrophy.


The quality of life in our cities critically depends on the intelligent planning and shaping of urban living space, in particular urban nature. By providing a wide range of ecosystem services (ES), urban nature essentially contributes to the well-being of city dwellers and plays a major role in avoiding common diseases through its positive impact on physical and mental health. Health is one of the most important factors underlying human welfare and is, thus, vital to sustainable development. The ES of urban green space provide other social-cultural functions alongside public health, for example by fostering environmental justice and citizenship participation. Thus, they should always be considered when searching for solutions to urban problems. The aim of this research was to determine the impact of green areas in three selected cities on the health and well-being of people by self-reporting of green areas' visitors. To this end, we posed the research question: which types and characteristics of urban green space are most appreciated by city dwellers? Based on our findings, we have drawn up recommendations for practices to promote better living conditions. We have also pinpointed obstacles to and opportunities for leisure time activities as well as ways of supporting the public health of citizens.


In his celebrated essay on Leonardo da Vinci, Freud (Freud, 1910, p. 123) claims: "Psycho-analysis has made us familiar with the intimate connection between the father-complex and belief in God; it...