This study investigates the ICT integrated teaching as adopted by primary teachers in local schools. With Larry Cuban's educational perspectives on technology, it examines the ICT integration policy which has been promoted by the Ministry of Education over the last ten years. A questionnaire is given to primary teachers in public schools nationwide. The findings are summarized below. (1) More than 70% teachers' satisfaction level in ICT facilities is mid-high. E-classrooms are excessively equipped but rarely used. (2) Teachers are not technophobic. They require low ICT technical supports and exhibit high degree of support for ICT use. (3) There are differences in gender and experiences when teachers use ICT in their classrooms. The use of E-classrooms varies in terms of the size and geographical location of the school. (4) Teachers adapts to the ICT integration policy at a slow pace. E-textbooks are highly influential to their ICT integration teaching. (5) Teachers uphold routine classroom pedagogical practices. Their use of ICT facilities is but limited. (6) The importance of ICT integration in teaching is expected to grow in the future. This study wraps up with four suggestions. (1) Teachers' involvement in the ICT policy-making process should be expanded. Schools should improve teachers' satisfaction and proper use of the ICT facilities. (2) Establishing a professional learning community for ICT teaching would help bridge the gap between gender, integration competence and urban rural schools. (3) Setting up performance indicators for ICT integrated teaching would help develop a higher level of application capability. (4) The reasons why teachsers adopt ICT integrated teaching are yet to be explored in future studies.


Summary It was estimated that the addition of 10.5 g of instant non-fat dry milk to 99 ml of water more nearly approximated a 1:10 dilution than did the currently recommended addition of 11 g of po...


A cluster Monte–Carlo (MC) method for systems of classical spins with purely dipolar couplings is presented. It is tested and applied for finite arrays of perpendicular Ising dipoles on the triangular lattice. This model is a modification with long-range interactions of the geometrically frustrated Ising antiferromagnet. From measurements of integrated autocorrelation times for energy, magnetization, and staggered magnetizations, a high efficiency of the cluster MC algorithm compared to a single-spin-flip algorithm is found. For the investigated model, a finite temperature transition is found which is characterized by a peak in the specific heat and in the staggered susceptibilities.


Nowadays there are vocabularies or languages able to describe concepts and data structures related to road traffic. Nevertheless, this description provides only a syntactic approach and it forgot the semantic knowledge. There not exist vocabularies or ontologies with semantic value that add significance to the vocabulary concepts and their relations. The objective to be reached of this paper is to present the research developed to build a representation scheme of a particular domain: the road traffic, with a well defined semantics. The inclusion of this semantic allows to obtain a formalized knowledge model. This model enables the development of an integrated architecture of traffic information from semantic Web services. The ontologies created in this work are used to describe and add semantic value to the current parameters of the traffic services


Forty male undergraduates were provoked following their ingestion of high or low doses of either alcohol or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The expression of physical aggression was related to the quantity of alcohol ingested. The high dose of alcohol instigated more intense aggression than the low dose. The high dose of THC, on the other hand, did not increase aggressive behavior. In fact, it tended to produce a weak suppression effect.


The objective of this contribution is to analyze the positive educational value of re-educational treatment in prisons, even in times of health emergencies. Law 354/1974 on the penitentiary system includes education among the main elements of the treatment (Article 15), together with work, religious, cultural, recreational and sports activities, and the links with the outside world and family members. Education has taken on particular value in the implementation of a re-education program aimed at promoting the harmonious and comprehensive development of the prisoner's personality. Cultural and vocational training in penitentiary institutions is implemented through compulsory schooling and vocational training courses, second-level schools are included on an optional basis. University studies are also facilitated, either by correspondence or by radio and television. Education plays a very important role in the prisoner's re-education process, and is a tool geared not only to a deepening of school and vocational training, but also to the promotion of new interests and stimuli for an inclusive development of the individual's knowledge and personality


3.6 billion years ago, A microbe is blasted off its home planet from a meteor impact and embarks on a journey through the inner solar system. After spending time on other worlds, it decides home is best and tries to return - only to head in the wrong direction by mistake. Unable to ever return again, it has a stunning vision of home - and what lies ahead for it. The imagery mimicks the look of electron microscope imagery. Created on a Dell workstation donated by Intel. Maya and Maya Composer donated by Alias|Wavefront. RenderMan courtesy of Pixar. Copyright held by creator.


Existing studies on bubbles have been mainly concerned with investigating the stationarity properties of stock prices and market fundamentals. We develop a new method of testing for bubbles that relates the bubble component of stock prices to the probability of bursting in the context of the Weibull distribution. There were several eruptions and subsequent collapses of seeming bubbles over the past three decades: 1987 (Black Monday), 2000 (information technology (IT) boom) and 2007 (housing market boom). Using US monthly data for the S&P 500 and NASDAQ series, we have found that the S&P 500 series contained an explosive bubble only during the boom of the housing market that occurred before the 2007 global economic crisis, and the NASDAQ market contained an explosive bubble during the surge of stock prices peaking in 1987 and 2007, although our stationarity tests fail to detect the bubbles. No bubble was found in both the S&P and NASDAQ series during the 2000 IT boom. Our evidence corroborates the criticism that the traditional unit root and cointegration tests may not be able to detect some important class of bubbles.


The differential and total elastic and inelastic scattering cross sections of the carbon atom have been estimated theoretically with a more realistic charge distribution for the electrons in the K and L shells. The agreement of the several experimental results with the present theoretical calculation is much better than with the existing theories of Lenz and Leisegang. For scattering by polystyrene latex particles, addition of the contribution of the hydrogen atoms in these particles results in an improvement of the agreement between theory and experiment.


Recent clinical SARS-CoV-2 studies link diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension to increased disease severity. In the US, racial and ethnic minorities and low socioeconomic status (SES) individuals are more likely to have increased rates of these comorbidities, lower baseline health, limited access to care, increased perceived discrimination, and limited resources, all of which increase their vulnerability to severe disease and poor health outcomes from SARS-CoV-2. Previous studies demonstrated the disproportionate impact of pandemic and seasonal influenza on these populations, due to these risk factors. This paper reviews increased health risks and documented health disparities of racial and ethnic minorities and low SES individuals in the US. Pandemic response must prioritize these marginalized communities to minimize the negative, disproportionate impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on them and manage spread throughout the entire population. This paper concludes with recommendations applicable to healthcare facilities and public officials at various government levels.


INTRODUCTION: Indigenous diving populations like the Bajau have extraordinary breath-hold abilities, which includes tolerating arterial partial pressures that are low in oxygen and high in carbon dioxide. While these populations have genetic adaptations that improve their hypoxemic and hypercapnic tolerances, other populations can improve these tolerances through training adaptations that allow for increases in oxygen carrying and pH buffering capacities. For example, two weeks of residence at altitude stimulates increases in hemoglobin mass (Hbmass) via erythropoiesis, while completing apnea training daily for 14 days elevates reticulocyte count. However, it is unclear whether relatively brief (<4 h) daily exposures to moderate hypoxia and maximal apneas, such as may occur with diving, meaningfully stimulates erythropoiesis in people without breath hold diving experience or ancestry. PURPOSE: Test the hypothesis that 14 d of moderate hypoxia for 3 h/d and 10 maximal apneas/d augments circulating Hbmass and reticulocyte count. METHODS: Eighteen healthy adults (27±6 y; 11 women) completed 14 days of training within a 16-day period. Training days consisted of 10 maximal apneas and 3 h of exposure to normobaric hypoxia (FiO2=0.14). Average apnea duration was recorded and presented as mean ± SD. On Days 1, 7, and 14 subjects completed a carbon monoxide rebreathe procedure pre and post training to estimate Hbmass (n=11) and provided a venous sample of blood for reticulocyte count (n=14) pre and post training. Repeated measures linear mixed models were used to assess change in Hbmass and reticulocytes from Day 1. These data are presented as mean difference (diff.) from Day 1 and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: Average apnea duration increased from Day 1 (69±29 s) to Day 7 (83±30 s, p<0.01) and to Day 14 (90±29 s, p<0.01), but there was no change from Day 7 to Day 14 (p=0.26). There was no interaction (p=0.79) or main effects of Day (p=0.54) or pre/post training (p=0.94) on Hbmass. Specifically, pre training Hbmass did not differ from Day 1 on Day 7 (mean diff. 23 (–131, 178) g, p=0.91) or Day 14 (mean diff. 5 (–154, 164) g, p=0.99) and post training Hbmass did not differ Day 1 on Day 7 (mean diff. 29 (–152, 210) g, p=0.90) or Day 14 (mean diff. 5 (–154, 164) g, p=0.99). An interaction effect (p=0.02) for reticulocyte count, showed a mean increase from pre to post training on Day 14 (mean diff. 9 (3, 15) #·μL-1, p<0.01). However, there was no change in reticulocyte count between Days (p=0.53). Pre training Day 1 reticulocyte count did not differ from Day 7 (mean diff. -3 (–9, 4) #·μL-1, p=0.48) or Day 14 (mean diff. -2 (–9, 6) #·μL-1, p=0.79). CONCLUSION: Fourteen days of brief daily exposures to moderate hypoxia and maximal apnea training did not augment circulating Hbmass or reticulocytes. Supported by Office of Naval Research award N00014-20-1-2593. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.


Recently, GaInNAs/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) structures have been considered as a new candidate material for an effective infrared LED for optical fibre communications. In order to investigate the electron nonradiative transitions in the GaInNAs SQW layer, piezoelectric photothermal (PPT) spectroscopy was used. The thickness- and the temperature-dependences of the PPT signal for the samples of thickness 10, 5 and 3 nm and from 300 K down to 77 K were investigated. The PPT spectra show a blue shift of the exciton and band-to-band transition with decreasing sample thickness. This was explained by quantum mechanical discussions for the confinement of the charge carriers supposing an electron effective mass of 0.08 m0 and band offset ratio of 6:4. The effect of the induced strain in the quantum well on the electronic structure is also discussed. The decreasing temperature also exhibits a blue shift of the PPT signal peaks and a decrease of the PPT signal amplitude. The temperature variation shows that the nonradiative intraband transition between the heavy and the light hole bands causes the additional contribution to the signal. It is concluded that the present PPT technique is an effective methodology for measuring the electron transitions in the SQW.


Cattle farming has been considered necessary in community life. The marketing of cattle in Dempo Barat Village, Pasean District, Pamekasan Regency is still mostly done through mediators, which means the price obtained by farmers is not optimal. The aim of this research is to analyze the market structure of Madura Cattle in West Dempo Village. The method of analysis in this research is descriptive and quantitative. The market structure is analyzed by explaining the number of market participants, barriers to market entry, and market information. The market structure is analyzed using a market concentration approach by measuring market share, HHI (Hirschman Herfindahl Index), and CR4 (Concentration Ratio for the Biggest Four). Based on the research results, the market structure of Madura Cattle in West Dempo Village leads to an oligopoly market with loose concentration. Farmers are advised to sell cattle directly to traders in the market to increase revenue. To help farmers get better deals, the government needs to make rules about how marketing institutions work.


Behavioural, attitudinal, cognitive, and personality traits factors have been recognized as the main determinants of intercultural effectiveness. This paper argues for the need to recognize that expatriates having similar behavioural, attitudinal, cognitive, and traits characteristics may vary significantly in their intercultural effectiveness. This is because some expatriates may be effective or ineffective by chance or birth (ascribed rather than achieved). Therefore, the expatriate's 'socio-biographical' background such as his/her ethnicity, age, nationality, educational qualification, profession (role) and religion is noted as among the most significant factors that can influence intercultural effect iveness. It is argued that these variables deserve serious attention given that the national and ethnic backgrounds of expatriates are very diverse. The implications of the 'socio-biograpbical' factor on expatriate management is also discussed.


This paper has been written exactly 50 years after the first disclosure of a closed-cycle gas turbine concept with a simplistic uranium heater. Clearly, this plant was ahead of its time in terms of technology readiness, and the closed-cycle gas turbine was initially deployed in a cogeneration mode burning dirty fuels (e.g., coal, furnace gases). In the 1950s through the mid 1980s about 20 of these plants operated providing electrical power and district heating for European cities. The basic concept of a nuclear gas turbine plant was demonstrated in the USA on a small scale in 1961 with a mobile closed-cycle nitrogen gas turbine [330 KW(e)] coupled with a nuclear reactor. In the last three decades, closed-cycle gas turbine research and development, particularly in the U.S. has focused on space power systems, but today the utility size gas turbine-modular helium reactor (GT-MHR) is on the verge of being realized. The theme of this paper traces the half century of closed-cycle gas turbine evolution, and discusses the recent enabling technologies (e.g., magnetic bearings, compact recuperator) that now make the GT-MHR close to realization.The author would like to dedicate this paper to the late Professor Curt Keller who in 1935 filed the first closed-cycle gas turbine patent in Switzerland, and who exactly 50 years ago, first described a power plant involving the coupling of a helium gas turbine with a uranium heater.Copyright © 1995 by ASME


PURPOSE: An acrylic resin composition is provided to obtain excellent transparency and thermal resistance and to be used for manufacturing an optical film having superior workability, an adhesive property, and durability. CONSTITUTION: An acrylic resin composition includes an alkyl(meth)acrylate-based monomer, a (meth)acrylate-based monomer including an aliphatic ring and/or an aromatic ring, an imide-based monomer, or a styrene-based monomer. The glass transition temperature(Tg) of the acrylic resin composition is more than 120°C. The resin composition includes an acrylic copolymer resin and a resin including the aliphatic ring and/or the aromatic ring in a ratio of 60-99.9:0.1-40, respectively.


Insulin resistance(IR) is the important physiopathologic change.IR and hyperinsulinemia are the basic characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS),and they are also one of the main characteristics of PCOS patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders.The rate of hyperinsulinemia of the PCOS patients with obesity are about 75%,and 30% with none obesity patients.According to epidemiological investigation,the morbidity of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus(NIDDM),hypertension and coronary heart disease increase in PCOS patients.IR may play an important role in pathogenesis of PCOS.Lifestyle modification and using insulin sensitizer are effective measures of PCOS with IR.


Many universities have assumed that a certain level of English language proficiency (ELP) is required for students to achieve academic success and so have incorporated the testing of English language proficiency into student selection processes. This paper investigates the relationship between ELP, as reflected by International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores, and the academic results achieved by international non-English speaking background (NESB) students enrolled in an Australian Master of Public Health (MPH) course. The results show the relationship between ELP and academic performance to be relatively weak (r = .359), suggesting that English language competence upon entry may not be the most critical factor for academic achievement for international MPH students. Nonlinguistic factors such as age, level of motivation and commitment, and the educational and cultural background of the students may also be important factors influencing academic performance.


Systemic Sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by excessive deposition of collagen in the skin and many internal organs, production of autoantibodies and microvascular alterations. Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated the presence of high proportions of identical β-chains TCR transcripts in skin biopsies from patients with SSc of recent onset, suggestive of clonal expansions of T cells. To identify the antigen(s) recognized by clonally expanded T cells in SSc biopsies, we examine the clonality of the α-chain TCR transcripts in patients with SSc. Sequence analysis of α-chain TCR transcripts following non-palindromic PCR/Vα specific PCR and cloning revealed the presence of clonally expanded α-chain TCR transcripts in skin biopsies from four patients with SSc. Substantial proportion of identical α-chain TCR transcripts were found in these skin biopsies accounting from 16% to 32% of the transcripts sequenced. These clonal expansions were confirmed with Vα-specific PCR followed by cloning and sequencing. Identical α-chain TCR transcripts, ranging from 68% to 100%, were identified in individual Vα families. In one of these patients an identical T cell clone was clonally expanded in both peripheral blood and skin. These T cells have undergone clonal expansion in response to, as yet unidentified, specific antigen(s).


Stochastic simulated annealing (SSA) is a popular method for solving optimization functions in which the objective function has multiple minima. Not only can SSA find minima, but it has been proven to converge (under certain conditions) to the global minimum. The principal drawback to SSA has been its convergence rate. In order to preserve the conditions of the convergence proof, the algorithm must be run so slowly as to be impractical for many applications. In this paper, an extension to SSA is described which allows the user to provide additional a priori information to the algorithm which may allow much more rapid convergence. The new method, called `compensated simulated annealing' (CSA) is also guaranteed to converge. A problem of finding a minimum path through a recurrent multilayer graph is described. Then a practical motivating application from medical imaging is presented. The graph structure is used to model the boundary of an artery in an intra-arterial ultrasound image. The optimization problem is posed and solved by SSA and CSA as a means of comparing the two methods. The CSA approach is shown to converge significantly faster than SSA.


For the first time, Hubble Space Telescope visible‐wavelength imaging shows the formation history of a dark vortex on Neptune. A new northern Great Dark Spot (NDS‐2018) was discovered in September and November 2018 images, spanning roughly 12° of latitude and 27° in longitude (11,000 × 5,000 km) at 23°N planetographic latitude. NDS‐2018 is similar in size, shape, and longitudinal drift rate as the Voyager 2 Great Dark Spot near 22°S. NDS‐2018 was prominent in blue‐wavelength November 2018 images and drifted at 2.46°/hr westward. Yearly global maps demonstrate possibly related cloud activity in prior years. The drift rate and formation history of the dark vortex indicates a deep origin. We estimate that the north‐south gradient in zonal wind speed is almost 4 times larger at the depth of the dark vortex, compared with cloud‐tracked zonal winds.


Abstract Contemporary academic human geography is irretrievably marked by disciplinary flux driven by divergent cognitive, cultural and social positions within geography's archipelago of subdisciplinary and subcultural territories, with the most evident sociocognitive disjuncture being between so-called social theorists and spatial analysts. The cognitive and social attributes of some leading subcultures prevalent in the 1960s and 2000s are compared, using an amended version of Becher's four dimensions, namely soft–hard, pure–applied, convergent–divergent and disengaged–engaged. Diagrams are presented indicating the postulated location of each subculture within these four dimensions. Five influential subcultures are identified in the 1960s, namely regional, cultural, spatial, radical and empirical. For contemporary human geography, cultural and empirical subcultures are retained, while acknowledging that these are radically different from the 1960s versions. In place of regional and spatial analysis, four major contemporary preoccupations are identified, namely critical, analytical, instrumental and reformist. Current disciplinary fragmentation is, in part, driven by expansion and specialisation in sociocognitive territories and by cross-disciplinary engagement, but is reinforced by loss of momentum towards a shared coherent disciplinary identity and by exclusionary strategies within some subcultural fiefdoms. Reciprocity and acceptance of multiple perspectives may be the best strategy towards realising disciplinary potential.


When a company is revoked, what liability should the shareholder be charged with if he fails to wind up the debt? Since there is not any explicit regulation, different judges have different measures. The article concludes that when a company is revoked, the responsibility of the shareholder lies in the fact that whether the shareholder has settled the accounts. If not, the shareholder is responsible to pay off the debt according to his share.


Hubacher and Trussell propose a new definition of "modern" contraceptive method: "a product or medical procedure that interferes with reproduction from acts of sexual intercourse". According to this definition, the authors classify themajority of the available methods as "modern", whereas the fertility awareness methods are considered "non modern" [1]. This definition of "modern" is arbitrary and misleading. The common meaning of "modern" is the one provided by the Oxford Dictionary of English: "characterized by or using the most up-to-date techniques, ideas or equipment". The World Health Organization, in a fact sheet about family planning (FP) updated in 2015, classifies fertility awareness methods as "modern methods" and withdrawal and calendar or rhythm method as "traditional methods" [2], in accordance with scientific publications about fertility awareness methods [3]. When discussing about lactational amenorrhea method, the authors state that "women must experience pregnancy to use it. Thus, it does not meet a logical criterion to be considered modern". Again, they are arbitrarily changing the meaning of "modern". For Hubacher and Trussell, the reason to redefine "modern" is to easily categorize FP methods. However, contraceptive methods are already classified in different useful ways, according to features such as effectiveness, Dear Editor:


Banking is an capital intensive and high risk business industry. Optimal working capital very
essential to avoid banks from financial crisis meltdown. The purpose of the study to compare
the management performance from liquidity and working capital turnover among private and
public banks in Indonesia. The variable in this research are Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR),
Cash Ratio and Working Capital Turnover Ratio. This study used financial data bank which
go public and audited from 2007 to 2011 as sample. Based on sample criteria Bank Mandiri,
BNI and BRI from public bank. BCA, CIMB Niaga and Danamon suited with the criteria
from private bank. Hypothesis testing in this research used nonparametric statistical tool.
Analysis nonparametric test used to test analysis of variance (One Way ANOVA). The results
of the statistical test obtained liquidity capability aspects from public bank and private bank
has not much different. Cash Ratio based on average public bank better than private bank.
Meanwhile, from the Bank's loan to deposit ratio private bank better than public bank. Proxy
financial ratios used to analyze the comparative performance of public banks provide
evidence that is not always superior than private banks and vice versa. From 2007-2011
banking profit growth reaches more than 5%. The increased profit attributed in credit quality
and increasing fee-based transactions is carried out from private banks and public banks
through funds or credit transactions. It shows that public banks and the private bank has
made capital efficiency.


In five forest sites (three in eastern Tennessee and two in western Washington) the effect of natural carbonic acid production on soil leaching was equaled or exceeded by that of atmospheric acid inputs. In a nitrogen-fixing red alder site in Washington, however, internal leaching by nitrification and nitric acid formation far exceeded atmospheric H/sup +/ inputs at any site. All other sites retained NO/sub 3//sup -/, and soil SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ adsorption reduced the effectiveness of atmospheric H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ inputs on soil leaching in two of the Tennessee sites and in the Washington red alder site. Atmospheric sulfur inputs exceeded the forest sulfur requirement in all five sites. Decomposer invertebrates appeared to be affected negatively by unrealistically large applications of SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/, either as KHSO/sub 4/ or K/sub 2/SO/sub 4/. Forest floor buffering prevented large changes in pH with acid SO/sub 4//sup 2 -/ treatments. Results indicate that effects of acid deposition on decomposer invertebrates are unlikely except at input levels much higher than ambient.


Eleusine indica is one of the weeds that the existence detectable almost field or plant cultivation, especially in oil palm plantation areas estate. One of the methods to control this weed is with herbicide applications. The used of one kind of herbicide with a continuously and long time can cause weed resistance to this kind of herbicide. The researched purposed is to determine the response of two population E. indica to glyphosate herbicide. The research used Randomized Block Design with three replication and five variations of treatment dose for an herbicide that are: 60,75 grams active ingredients/ha, 121,5 grams active ingredients/ha, 243 grams active ingredients/ha, 486 grams active ingredients/ha and 972 grams active ingredients/ha. This researched at Research Installation Faculty of Agriculture, University of North Sumatra with ± 25 meters over the sea. The highest rate of herbicide resistance was found in the ER1 population at 6 Week After Application where the Lethal Dose 50 glyphosate value in this population was 16 times greater than the comparison population. E. indica from ecotype ER1 has been resistant to glyphosate herbicide. Giving glyphosate herbicides significantly affected E. indica originating from both ecotypes, namely ER1 and ESP on weed number parameters surviving at 3 Week After Application and 6 Week After Application. While the administration of glyphosate herbicide has a significant effect on E. indica from ESP ecotypes on the parameters of the number of tillers at 6 Week After Application.


We present the analysis of four XMM-Newton observations of the narrow-line quasar PG 1543+489 at z=0.400 carried out over a rest-frame time-scale of about three years. The X-ray spectrum is characterized by a broad, relativistic iron K_alpha emission line and a steep photon index, which can be both explained by a ionized reflection model, where the source of X-ray photons is presumably very close to the black hole. If this were the case, strong light-bending effects are expected, and actually they provide the most plausible explanation for the large equivalent width (EW=3.1+/-0.8 keV in the source rest frame) of the iron line. Although the light-bending model provides a good description of the X-ray data of PG 1543+489, it is not possible to rule out an absorption model, where obscuring matter partially covers the X-ray source. However, the apparent lack of variations in the properties of the absorber over the time-scale probed by our observations may indicate that this model is less likely.


Background. Eosinophilic dermatosis of hematologic disorders is a reactive process that may cause a variety of clinical manifestations. Methods. We report a patient who had outbreaks of skin lesions since the onset of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Results. The cutaneous eruptions began as eosinophilic panniculitis and after changed to insect bite-like lesions. Conclusion. We think that eosinophilic panniculitis and insect bite-like lesions may be part of the spectrum of the same entity in patients with hematologic disorders.


The aim of the paper is to consider the existence and uniqueness of solution of the fractional differential equation with a positive constant coefficient under Hilfer fractional derivative by using the fixed-point theorem. We also prove the bounded and continuous dependence on the initial conditions of solution. Besides, Hyers–Ulam stability and Hyers–Ulam–Rassias stability are discussed. Finally, we provide an example to demonstrate our main results.


There are many female characters in Jinyong's novels; each of them has different temperament from others. This article tries to analyze them and to clarify their identities according to the author's attitude and readers' response and criticism. Based on its analysis, this article indicates that these female characters seem to have free individuality and independent personality, but actually they are female only because of those male characters, which portrayed by Jinyong.


Full-scanned photoacoustic data of the sample are needed to achieve better quality of the reconstructed photoacoustic image with filtered back projection algorithm. However, such a requirement is usually difficult to be satisfied due to the restrictions of the hardware conditions and spatial size. To tackle such a problem, a compressed sensing based method was proposed to recover the full-scanned photoacoustic data from the incomplete measurements. The results from the numerical simulation demonstrates that both the mean squared error and the peak signal-to-noise ratio(PSNR) of the image can significantly improved with our proposed method.


We observed angular multiplexing storage of multiple light pulses in a ${\text{Pr}}^{3+}:{\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{SiO}}_{5}$ crystal based on electromagnetically induced transparency. Addressable routing of stored light pulses with an angular resolution of $\ensuremath{\sim}1\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ and without cross-talk between two neighboring channels, which serves as an addressable optical buffer memory, was demonstrated experimentally in a 3-mm ${\text{Pr}}^{3+}:{\text{Y}}_{2}{\text{SiO}}_{5}$ crystal. Angular multiplexing storage of light pulses opens a way to manipulate light pulses selectively and in parallel, and therefore, is of important potential applications in quantum information processing and addressable all-optical delay lines and buffers.


In 1921, Gerlach and Stern observed that a beam of silver atoms splits into two lines when it is subjected to a magnetic field [1–3]. While the line splitting in optical spectra, first found by Zeeman in 1896 [4, 5], could be explained by the angular momentum of the electrons, the s-electron of silver could not be subject to such a momentum, not to mention that an azimuthal quantum number l = 1/2 cannot be explained by classical physics. At that time, quantum mechanics was still an emerging field in physics and it took another three years until this anormal Zeeman effect was correctly interpreted by the joint research of Uhlenbeck, a classical physicist, and Goudsmit, a fellow of Paul Ehrenfest [6, 7]. They postulated a so-called 'spin', a quantized angular momentum, as an intrinsic property of the electron. This research marks the cornerstone of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy which is based on the transitions between quantized states of the resulting magnetic moment. Cynically, the worst event in the twentieth century boosted the development of EPR spectroscopy as after World War II suitable microwave instrumentation was readily available from existing radar equipment. This lead to the observation of the first EPR spectrum by the Russian physicist Zavoisky in 1944 [8, 9] already one year before the first nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum was recorded [10, 11]. The development of EPR and NMR went in the same pace during the first decade though NMR was by far more widely used. But in 1965, NMR spectroscopy experienced its final boost with the development of the much faster Fourier transform (FT) NMR technique which also opened the development of completely new methodologies in this field [12]. The corresponding pulse EPR spectroscopy suffered from expensive instrumentation, the lack of microwave components, sufficiently fast digital electronics and intrinsic problems of limited microwave power. Although the first pulse EPR experiment was reported by Blume already in 1958 [13], pulse EPR was conducted by only a small number of research groups over several decades.


Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become very interesting and provide hope and the development of information and communication technology. One of the efforts to support the management of PBB geospatial data is by developing a Spatial Data Infrastructure (IDS). To determine the quality of geospatial data used in PBB management and the condition and readiness of IDS for PBB. A GIS-based computer program was used it. This study aims to determine the quality of geospatial data used to manage PBB in Gajahan Village, Colomadu District, Karngayar Regency. We collected data using observation and documentation techniques and data analysis of the PBB Block Map using the Arcgis software. The results showed that the position was less accurate in terms of geospatial data quality and the geometric shape had similarities. Also, the digitized results of the PBB block map can be used to support policymaking in local governments. However, the results of interviews with village officials were that they could only read old maps and could not update new data.


The PVC-ROV underwater robot testbed is a low-cost, three vehicle system designed to support research into multi-robot control techniques. Each vehicle is composed of a PVC frame with bilge-pump motors, a central microcontroller, and hobby-class sensing and power components. In addition, each vehicle is tethered to a surface buoy by a 15 meter tether and wirelessly exchanges data with an off-board, Matlab-based control program; an acoustic tracking system simultaneously tracks the position of each vehicle. Use of the testbed has begun with demonstration of two-vehicle cluster space control, a specific control technique developed by researchers in Santa Clara University's Robotic Systems Laboratory. This paper reviews the design of the PVC-ROV testbed and presents initial results in using the testbed to demonstrate the cluster control technique in an underwater environment.


This article presents a new dynamic motion stabilization approach to front-wheel drive in-wheel motor electric vehicles. The approach includes functions such as traction control system, electronic differential system, and electronic stability control. The presented electric vehicle was endowed with anti-skid performance in longitudinal accelerated start; smooth turning with less tire scrubbing; and safe driving experience in two-dimensional steering. The analysis of the presented system is given in numerical derivations. For practical verifications, this article employed a hands-on electric vehicle named Corsa-electric vehicle to carry out the tests. The presented approach contains an integrated scheme which can achieve the mentioned functions in a single microprocessor. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of the presented methodology.


The traditional theories of exchange rate determination are very weak in explaining the actual changes of exchange rate in realistic economy. Since the 80's of the 20th century, scholars have been seeking academic breakthrough in the rational explanation for what impacts the exchange rate. During this course, there appear many new papers that complement, develop and substitute the traditional exchange rate theories. This paper attempts to review and introduce the latest development of exchange rate theories in order to provide references for domestic research in this field.


Numerical simulations have been used to investigate intra-channel pulse interactions in a 40 Gbit/s dispersion-managed RZ transmission system for very high map strengths. It is shown that, depending on the launch position or prechirp, two pulses either attract or repel each other. By correctly choosing the launch position the interaction induced timing jitter can be greatly reduced. It is also shown that the timing shift between two pulses is maximum for a map strength of ~10. When increasing the map strength further the timing shift decreases.


Microwave endometrial ablation (MEA) is a minimally invasive treatment for uterine myoma with hypermenorrhea, which can replace conventional hysterectomy. However, cases requiring additional treatment because of postoperative recurrence are often encountered. MEA cauterizes the endometrium and is not recommended for patients who wish to preserve fertility. We present the cases of a patient with myoma-related hypermenorrhea who underwent microwave ablation of the inflowing blood vessels to the uterine myoma under transvaginal ultrasound guidance. A 43-year-old woman was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia and treated with dasatinib 2 years ago. Worsening hypermenorrhea was observed after treatment initiation. Ultrasound and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging revealed a uterine myoma. Therefore, she underwent MEA under transvaginal ultrasound guidance. Visual analog scale evaluation demonstrated considerable improvement in hypermenorrhea and dysmenorrhea; the myoma size showed reduction. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the day after surgery. No postoperative complications were observed. This patient is currently undergoing infertility treatment. The microwave ablation of myoma under transvaginal ultrasound guidance can effectively and safely reduce the myoma size. These findings suggest that this method is a novel treatment option for patients with myoma-related hypermenorrhea who wish to preserve their fertility and have children.


The first results of magnetotelluric studies carried out on the profile of v. Talmenka – Leninsk-Kuznetsky (South-Eastern part of the West Siberian plate and Salair) are considered, the main features of the distribution of deep electrical conductivity in the two main geological structures of the study area: the South-Eastern part of the West Siberian plate and the Salair zone are shown.


The nursing factors and nursing links of hospital infection were analyzed in this study. The solutions for every potential reason of hospital infection and the manage measures for supervising and standardizing the work of clinical nursing were made. After strengthening the supervision and management on the clinical nursing, the quality of nursing was improved remarkably and the incidence of hospital infection was obviously decreased.


Understanding written directions (i.e., medical instructions or technical equipment instructions) is a common necessity in everyday life. It can be particularly important for older adults who may risk life-threatening problems if they do not properly following instructions. The research presented here examined reading comprehension differences in old and young adults. In particular, the study observed the generation of knowledge-based inferences while subjects comprehended scientific expository texts. Subjects read experimental passages one sentence at a time in a self-paced reading time paradigm. The sentence reading times were analyzed using multiple regression. The predictors variables of interest were: confirmed expectation scores and inference volume scores. The regression accounted for a significant percent of the data (r2 = .69). For both young and old adults, the confirmed expectation score was significant. A sentence was read faster if it confirmed an expectation set up by a prior sentence. These results suggest that older adults are more likely to be guided by the overall expectations generated in the text.


Abstract : The Laser True Airspeed System (LATAS) developed by the Royal Aircraft Establishment and Royal Signals and Radar Establishment and installed on the RAE HS 125 research aircraft is described. It has proved exceptionally reliable and rugged. Examples of results are presented including a climb to 43000 ft; flight through a severe thunderstorm wind shear (microburst); pressure error measurements; and signals observed in cloud, heavy rain and from solid objects such as the ground. The paper concludes with some thoughts on other potential applications such as using the sensor for an intelligent autothrottle; for measuring cross-flow velocities; for measuring tyre and ground speeds to save tyre wear; and was a combined air data and ground velocity system for helicopters (including a facility to maintain a steady hover).


The cheapest attacks are often time-consuming, and those requiring high level of technical skills might occur rarely but result in disastrous consequences. Therefore, analysis focusing on a single parameter at a time, e.g., only cost or time, is insufficient for the successful selection of the appropriate measures increasing system^{\prime}s security. In practice, security engineers are thus confronted with the problem of multi-parameter analysis. The objective of this work is to address this problem and propose a sound, general framework for multi-parameter analysis of security. In order to ensure the usability of our solution for real-life applications, our proposal relies on the attack– defense tree model that security experts from industry are already familiar with. We present mathematical foundations of our framework and characterize the class of parameters it is suitable for. We identify conditions under which the proposed method applies to attack–defense trees where several nodes represent the same action. We discuss the complexity of our approach and implement the underlying algorithms in a proof of concept tool. We analyze its performance on a number of trees of varying complexity, and validate our proposal on a case study borrowed from industry.


OBJECTIVE
We sought to identify imaging features that help predict surgical success in patients undergoing thromboendarterectomy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Thirty-nine consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary angiography and thromboendarterectomy during 1995 and 1996 were included. Thirty-four underwent helical CT angiography. Measurements of postoperative pulmonary vascular resistance were compared with preoperative imaging features and preoperative pulmonary vascular resistance.

RESULTS
The best imaging indicators of a relatively high postoperative pulmonary vascular resistance were the extent of small vessel disease identified on CT angiograms as segments with abnormal perfusion but normal segmental arteries (p = 0.005) and the extent of central disease (p = 0.015). Combined with preoperative pulmonary vascular resistance, these features had a strong correlation with postoperative outcome (p = 0.0005). Segmental arterial disease seen on both conventional angiography and CT angiography correlated poorly with surgical outcome.

CONCLUSION
In patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, CT angiographic evidence of extensive central vessel disease and limited small vessel involvement indicates a favorable surgical outcome.


We examine ultraviolet through near-infrared reflectance spectra of Mercury from the MASCS VIRS instrument, and find variations possibly indicative of differing iron contents in different units.


Introduction Performance, in the context of organisation, is not only a broad concept which has been used synonymously with productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, and more recently competitiveness, it has also been a subject of study for social scientists from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. Labour productivity, for example, has long been the concern of (labour) economists ever since Marx and Smith. Within this perspective, how to extract labour from labour power, one of Marx's most fundamental insights, is seen as a basic problem of management (Harrison, 1997, p364). More recently efforts have been made by HRM theorists to try to establish a causal link between HRM and performance. This has led to a growing number of studies which examine the potential contribution that good human resource policy can make to improving organisational performance, so much so that 'the impact of human resource management on performance has become the dominant research issue in the field' (Guest, 1997, p263). The studies of HRM and performance are mostly cross-sectional and quantitative in nature, and contained in differing theoretical frameworks. While these studies provide us with colourful opposing findings and rich competing theoretical perspectives, the emerging field of HRM on performance suffers from a lack of unity in theory and inconsistency in research methodology. As Wood notes, 'The studies vary so markedly between each other that there is not even a pair of studies that differs simply on one or two dimensions'. Accordingly, 'A consistent picture does not emerge from the studies' (Wood, 1999b, p50). As Guest pointed out, 'statistical sophistication appears to have 3 been emphasized at the expense of theoretical rigour' and '(i)f we are to improve our understanding of the impact of HRM on performance, we need a theory about HRM, a theory about performance and a theory about how they are linked' (Guest, 1997, p263). Critiques (often backed by the more academically orientated research findings) have suggested that some HR policies (e.g. performance-related-pay) may be ideologically flawed, difficult to implement and with negative outcomes for various reasons. However, the drawback in relating 'HRM and performance' both in theory and in practice is by no means because the assumption of using HRM to improve organisational performance per se is flawed. Rather, the problem lies in the simplistic perception of the link, which is often discussed without contemplating the organisational context. Assuming HR policies have a positive effect on performance (arguably a …


During the period from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, farming cultivators and nomadic tribes living in the mixed areas of farming and stockbreeding around Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia contended for meadow and cultivable lands for subsistence. These constant disputes as well as some inappropriate economic activities, on the one hand, weakened the originally fragile ecological environment, which reduced the quality of natural living conditions and deteriorated the ecological unbalance, and on the other hand, caused a series of social contradictions and even armed disputes, which became the unstable social elements.


E. F., AGED j4, admitted to University College Hospital on June 30, 1920, had had two children and one miscarriage, the last pregnancy having occurred 27 years ago. She had been a widow for 25 years. She had suffered from intermittent haemorrhages from the vagina since September, 1919. The blood was very dark and clotted, and was followed by a slightly coloured discharge. Sometimes the patient had gone for a month without any discharge at all. Pain was absent except when the clots were being passed. The patient had been getting thinner during the last month. There was no history of cancer or tumour in the family. Menstruation began at the age of 15, had always been irregular (at intervals of four to six weeks), lasted three to four days and required five to six diapers. The menopause occurred six years ago (at the age of 48) and there had been no bleeding afterwards until nine months ago. There was no trouble with micturition, beyond slight frequency in the daytime; the urine was normal, except for a deposit of phosphates ; the bowels were confined ; there was no history of the performance of any vaginal operation with the exception of forceps deliveries. The patient, a grey-haired, moderately nourished woman, with a well-marked moustache, looked unhealthy and somewhat cachectic. Nothing abnormal was to be felt in the abdomen. The perineum had been torn in one of her confinements, and stitched. There were some scars in the vagina extending from the perineum (and, after removal of the tumour, a triradiate scar was seen in the posterior fornix). On passing the finger into the vagina a brittle growth as big as a large duck's egg was found nearly filling the vagina. It bled very freely, and prevented examination of the upper vagina. The tumour was irregular on the surface and exactly resembled a proliferating carcinoma of the cervix, and 1 had no doubt that it was of that nature. My purpose to remove the vaginal mass as a preliminary to


Use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) to image surfaces held under electrochemical control in the presence of fluid flow has been demonstrated. The performance of AFM during fluid flow was evaluated on (i) the atomic level (10 to 200 nm) using cleaved mica as the substrate, (ii) on the micron scale (1 to 12 μm) using a gold calibration ruling as the substrate, and (iii) on the micron scale during in situ electrodeposition of Cu onto Pt(100). The Reynolds numbers associated with the fluid flow were evaluated by using the diameter and height of the cell as cross-sectional area, and the hydraulic diameter based on the same area as characteristic length. Maximum Reynolds numbers of 8 for atomic imaging (1 to 25 nm) and 130 for larger scales (1 to 12 μm) may be maintained without loss of imaging quality


Computational grids are characterized by widely distributed computational resources shared by virtual organizations. Users submit workflows of tasks to be executed, some of which may duplicated because of their shared application domain. The problem of allocating tasks to resources in grids has unique characteristics, governed by three features. First, users are generally interested in workflows, coordinated sets of tasks that together achieve some goal, rather than individual tasks. Good allocations of resources will optimize workflow-centered measures of performance, such as makespan and overall resource use, rather than taskcentered measures. Second, the allocation process is relatively decentralized, with distributed, autonomous agents as opposed to central control. Third, the products of jobs, files, are easy to replicate and share once created, although transfer times must be taken into account. We describe several strategies for resource allocation in Grids that differ in the amount of coordination and make an empirical analysis of their performance using a high-fidelity grid simulation environment. This analysis indicates that some coordination is essential, but the most effective strategies depend on global features such as the temporal spacing of different workflow handlers as well as structural features of workflows. We identify situations under which different strategies are appropriate.


Abstract The main result is Vaught's conjecture for weakly minimal, locally modular and non-ω-stable theories. The more general results yielding this are the following. Theorem A. Suppose that T is a small unidimensional theory and D is a weakly minimal set, definable over the finite set B. Then for all finite A ⊂ D there are only finitely many nonalgebraic strong types over B realized in acl(A) ∩ D. Theorem B. Suppose that T is a small, unidimensional, non-ω-stable theory such that the universe is weakly minimal and locally modular. Then for all finite A there is a finite B ⊂ cl(A) such that a ∈ cl(A) iff a ∈ cl(b) for some b ∈ B. Recall the property (S) defined in the abstract of [B1]. Theorem C. Let T be as in Theorem B. Then, if T does not satisfy (S), T hasmany countable models. Combining Theorem C and the results in [B1] we obtain Vaught's conjecture for such theories.


In the few recent years a new paradigm has emerged, with the onward steps that revolutionized the internet and the machines interconnected over it. This has lead the modern technological world to be considered as a virtual sphere interconnecting things using internet, being called the Cloud Computing where any object can communicate with any other object using a network such as the internet. The Cloud Computing makes it possible for end users to profit from the high speed and high performance of remote machines, and deploys a business where internet providers can implement distributed resources and services based on modern technologies to address the needs of the end users. In such paradigm, all components should work in a fashion to provide the best response time possible, one way of doing that is through load balancing algorithms. In this paper we propose a cloud load balancing algorithm that relates to the stochastic and random behavior of any networking system, we show as a result that we can achieve a game theoretic load balancing policy based on the samples of the load in time.


Flood waves resulting from dam breaks have been responsible for numerous losses of life through centuries. Both the 26 December 2004 tsunami and 11 March 2011 Tohoku catastrophes were human tragedies of international significance. An important point is the physical analogy between dam break waves travelling downstream, tidal bores progressing deep inland, in-river tsunami propagating upstream, as well rejection surges in hydropower canals. The leading edge is a hydrodynamic shock, with a marked discontinuity in free-surface elevation and velocity and pressure fields, and a tri-phase flow with three distinct flowing phases, i.e. liquid (water), solid (sediment) and gas (air). Seminal features of bores and surges include a net mass flux, the breaking in shallow waters, and the intense turbulence at the front associated with massive sedimentary processes and air entrainment in the breaking roller. In this keynote talk, physical experiments, numerical CFD modelling and field observations are presented and compared. Current knowledge gaps are discussed. Ultimately it is argued that the 'solitary wave' analogy is not directly relevant to model the unsteady turbulent mixing of in-river tsunami surges, tidal bores and dam break waves.Recorded Presentation from the vICCE (YouTube Link): https://youtu.be/SQaPoSj2lP4


The topic of this bachelor's thesis is online analysis the heart rate variability (HRV) using the programming environment LabVIEW 2010. The main part of proposed software is processing the input signal obtained by R-peak sensor developed by Vernier Company, and its time, frequency and nonlinear analysis. Used components and instruction for creating software are represented in user manual. Results of the tested program are shown in the figures.


Lapsed Vigilance and a Resurgent Al-Qa`ida In recent years, al-Qa`ida has grown increasingly active and ambitious in Yemen. The current version of the organization, AQAP, is the second incarnation of an al-Qa`ida franchise in Yemen. The initial group was a loosely organized collection of individuals that fought a largely reactionary war against the U.S. and Yemeni governments from 2001 to 2003. The roots of al-Qa`ida's involvement in Yemen pre-date the September 11 attacks by nearly a decade, but it was only those attacks and the implicit threat of U.S. retaliation that finally compelled the Yemeni government to take the fight to al-Qa`ida operatives in the country.


One contributing factor in decreasing productivity of cocoa in the last years is due to pest attack. Cacao mealybug ( P. minor) attack the young cacao fruits, by sucking them until dry and die. Therefore it should be controlled. Alternatives pest control of the insecticide has been widely searched. G. maculata leaves consist of rich flavonoid that potencial as botanical insecticide . In oder to get the purified isolate of polar extract pouder leaf G. Maculata that named (PIGR), and test its toxicity to cacao mealybug (P. minor), the powder leaf of G. maculata were extracted by using various organic solvents (n-hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water). A set of laboratory experiment was conducted to test the toxicity by bioassay, and to know the type and structure of PIGR by spectroscopic analysis. Five different concentrations (0 % , 0,015 % , 0,030 % , 0,045 % and 0,060 %) of PIGR with each of 3 replications were tested to cacao mealybug mortality. Mortality observed at 12 , 24 , 48 and 72 hours after treatment. Probit analysis was conducted to obtain LC 50 . The result indicated the PIGR was toxic to cacao mealybug (P. minor) with LC50 72 hours metanol extract 0,054% and water extract 0,047%. Therefore water extract more toxic than metanol extract. The toxic compound of methanol extract and water extract G. maculata is flavon with the structural frame is 2 - phenyl - 1,4 - benzopiron .
Keywords : polar extract , powder leaf, cacao maelybug, flavon.


399 Background: Metastatic breast cancer (mBC) expresses varied levels of HER2 protein. While HER2+ mBC patients are treated with anti-HER2 therapies, those with lower levels of HER2 expression [HER2-low; immunohistochemistry (IHC) 1+, IHC 2+ with In Situ Hybridization (ISH) -] are currently classified as HER2-negative and are not treated with anti-HER2 therapies. This study aims to estimate population-based prevalence of HER2-low expression among mBC patients and assess healthcare resource utilization and breast cancer specific mortality rates, comparing HER2-low and HER2 IHC 0 patients. Methods: This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of women diagnosed with de novo mBC in North Carolina from 2010-2016, using a multi-payer linkage of insurance claims to state cancer registry data. We examined demographic and clinical characteristics, inpatient, emergency department (ED), and outpatient infusion visits over 12 months and lines of systemic therapy over 24 months by HER2 status and hormone receptor (HR) status. We estimated rates of hospitalization, emergency department (ED) and outpatient infusion visits per 1000-person days as well as hazard ratios for 3-year breast cancer specific mortality. Results: The cohort included 635 mBC patients; 53% (n = 337) met HER2-low criteria and 23.1% (n = 147) were HER2 IHC 0. Compared to HER2 IHC 0 patients, more HER2-low patients had hormone receptor (HR)+ disease (82% vs. 71%, p = 0.008) and were Black (26% vs. 16%, p = 0.029). HER2-low patients also had slightly higher rates of hospitalization (21.4 vs. 18.9, p = 0.003) and ED visits (2.4 vs. 1.8, p = 0.015), but similar rates of outpatient infusion visits (15.7 vs. 16.0, p = 0.684) compared to HER2 IHC 0. There were no differences in mortality due to mBC, comparing HER2 IHC 0 and HER2-low patients (HR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.68-1.20, p = 0.483). Among HER2-low/HR+ patients, the most common regimens in first line (1L) included endocrine monotherapy (46.6%), chemotherapy (combination or monotherapy) (32.9%), and endocrine therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors (18.8%). Similar patterns were seen in the second line (2L) with endocrine monotherapy (63.5%), chemotherapy (combination or monotherapy) (25.9%), and endocrine therapy with CDK4/6 inhibitors (9.5%). Most HER2-low/HR- patients received chemotherapy in 1L (88.9%) and 2L (90.9%). Conclusions: About 1 in 2 mBC patients met criteria to be classified as HER2-low. Overall, HER2-low patients experienced slightly higher rates of healthcare utilization than HER2 IHC 0 patients but had similar outcomes. Among HER2-low patients, treatment patterns by HR status were consistent with the standard of care for HER2 IHC 0 patients. There may be potential to improve outcomes among HER-low patients with anti-HER2 therapies demonstrating efficacy across levels of HER2 expression.


abstractThis paper introduces an overview on the historical development and key parameters of"BMC 375"jack-up,and summarizes its salient design features,which are of referential significance for the design of new class of jack-up.


Due to digital technology, data production has grown exponentially, creating enormous enthusiasm within the scientific community for "big data". This socio-technical phenomenon gives rise to dualities and conflicting attitudes in sociology: unlimited synchronic numerical data against classical data at risk of expiry, rigorous methodological process as opposed to a stagnation of the protocol. And has put in a vice the research techniques and their associated modes of resonance. In this article, from a consultation of the literature, three fundamental aspects will be subject to explore: the forced adjustment of the domain, the transformations of the methods of data collection, and the models of reasoning about the theory. In the outcome, the vast availability of digital data show how far the digital has invaded sociology by announcing the embarrassment of classical researchers facing big data, the obsolescence of traditional techniques and the change of models reasoning. Moreover, three models of interaction trace the ways of dealing with this digital derivative ranging from protection by the total refusal so that the discipline does not become digital, conservation manifested by a reserved acceptance by sociologists, finally, a trend of adoption under the pretext that digital technology transforms the functioning of societies and the ways of knowing about them.


Facing increasing PPCPs pollution in source water,carbamazepine(CBZ) as typical pollutant was studied to be removed by powdered activated carbon with magnetic resin pre-treatment.Freundlich model was more appropriate to describe the adsorption pattern of CBZ in aqueous solution.The adsorption kinetics of CBZ could be well described with pseudo-first-order kinetic equation,whereas pseudo-second-order kinetic equation was better for the description of the adsorption process more than 1h.200~300mesh PAC showed the largest adsorption capacity and fastest adsorption speed to CBZ.In the study of simulated source water treatment,compared with using PAC alone,the combination of magnetic resin and PAC improved the removal efficiency of DOC by 40.64%,UV254by 41.27%,CBZ by 14.72% respectively.The results of this research indicate that there is a kind of cooperative effect between magnetic resin and PAC on removing organic pollutants in water,which results in the enhanced removal efficiency of CBZ by PAC adsorption with magnetic resin pre-treatment.


This thesis describes a new methodology for particle trapping and fractionation using flow-induced electrokinetic trapping (FIET). FIET is a particle-trapping mechanism that relies on bidirectional, recirculating flow profiles generated by opposition of pressure-driven (PF) and electroosmotic (EOF) flows in straight channels that expand at both ends. Micrometer-sized particles are captured in the closed recirculating streamlines and fractionated according to differences in surface charge (zeta potential) and size. First, the behavior of trapped particles inside the straight, narrow channel was characterized under conditions of constant pressure and varying applied voltage. For this, we propose a Gaussian model that accurately describes the spatial distribution of particles along the trapping channel length as a function of the applied voltage. This model provides valuable information about the trapping process, such as the range of applied voltage within which particles of a particular size and charge are caught inside the channel and the specific voltage at which a maximum number of particles experience trapping. FIET enrichment of polymer particle suspensions is also evaluated using the optimal trapping parameters determined experimentally. Second, we evaluate the implementation of this distribution model for quantitative fractionation of binary mixtures of polymer microparticles in FIET microfluidic channels. For this, particle distributions of beads having different size or charge were registered as a function of applied voltage. A comparison of the fractionation capacity for each mixture was subsequently conducted at different applied pressures based on the acquired distribution curves. Particles having different sizes exhibited better separation rates (clearer collected fractions for both particle types) at lower applied pressures, whilst particles having different zeta potentials could be fractionated at higher pressures. This fact evidenced a clear distinction between two well-defined mechanisms (hydrodynamic and electrokinetic) co-existing in the FIET process. Lastly, the applicability of this model is further extended to the fractionation of ternary mixtures of particles having different size and zeta potential. The synergistic exploitation of the hydrodynamic and electrokinetic mechanisms described above was accomplished by a stepwise increasing voltage program applied at two different pressures. Two separation dimensions were clearly revealed, with one based on size, and the other based on charge. The simultaneous occurrence of these two mechanisms in the same FIET microfluidic device leads to a unique orthogonality, described here for the first time in the realm of microfluidic particle separations.


AIM OF THE STUDY
Self-rated health is an important indicator of current and future health. However, panel data-based findings are lacking that take into consideration the background features of differentiated development of self-reported adolescent health. This paper examines the development of self- rated health through secondary education from grade 5-12 in Germany, analyzing differences according to indicators of socio-economic position and other background characteristics such as gender and family structure.

METHODOLOGY
5th to 10th grade data from the "Class 5" cohort and 9th to 12th grade data from the "9th grade" cohort of the National Education Panel were combined. Growth curve models based on multi-level analysis were used to examine the level and course of self-rated health and to examine differences according to type of school, parenting, household income, gender and family structure. The final model contains 28,987 observations from 11,290 individuals over 8 time points.

RESULTS
Self-reported health declines slightly from 5th to 12th grade. Adolescents attending high school, living in higher-income households or parents with higher education status reported better health. Boys and adolescents growing up in nuclear families showed a more favorable course of self-rated health through secondary education.

CONCLUSION
This study provides a comprehensive overview of the development of self-rated health of adolescents in secondary education. In addition to the static differences according to background characteristics, girls and adolescents who do not live in nuclear families also had a worse prognosis for the development of self-rated health over the school career.


The performance of wireless cellular networks in indoor scenarios is in large parts characterized by the blockage objects such as walls. These objects can be included in the system model in several ways. We present in this paper different wall generation methods, ranging from approaches from random shape theory (in 1-D and 2-D) to semideterministic and heuristic approaches. To attain comparable results, we ensure that the average wall volume for each method is constant. This results in the same average attenuation for distinct paths, which is shown analytically as well as by simulations. We apply a regular transmitter grid, show the influence of the relative orientation between walls and transmitter–receiver path and also elaborate on the influence of interferers in different tiers around the desired transmitter. Based on the average attenuation, we introduce the necessary approximations to yield tractable expressions for average performance in terms of Signal-to-Interference Ratio (SIR). These approximations are necessary to reflect the fluctuations among the instantaneous SIR values for the individual realizations of the blockage scenario and also due to the spatial correlation of blockages influencing several transmitter-signals simultaneously. Our results show a good accordance among the analytical and simulation results. Furthermore, we find the random wall generation method in two dimensions as the worst case scenario and the regular wall generation method as the best case scenario under the constraint of constant average wall volume.


To remain economically competitive in the 21st century a nation must be able to secure resources beyond its borders and protect itself from other nations trying to do the same. While the situation has been shown to be more complex, the original assumption among world system researchers remains that multinational corporate penetration in the periphery can have negative effects on their prospects for economic development. But we now know that these negative effects upon long-term economic development can be prevented. The existence of a strong development state can be critical for this protection. In addition to supplying 'good governance' (as the World Bank now calls it), a strong development state can provide protection in the global economy so that multinational corporate penetration is beneficial rather than harmful to less developed nations. But given the importance of a strong development state it is surprising that little research has been directed to the question of how a nation acquires a development state and 'good governance.' To begin answering this question, this article focuses on the countries of Southeast Asia. After examination of the wide contrast among Southeast Asian nations with respect to economic development and poverty reduction, a comparative-historical analysis is employed to develop a model which helps us explain these contrasts. Previous research on economic development in East and Southeast Asia only recognized the impact of 'Asian values' on unity, respect for authority, and a work ethic among the masses. Beginning with the impact of ancient civilizations and the potential for nation-building, this research also suggests the importance of a sense of national identity and responsibility among elites. The model then turns to how this potential for a strong development state can be affected by different aspects of colonialism. Finally, the article considers the model's potential application to Africa and Latin America in helping us understand differing rates of economic success for other periphery and semiperiphery nations in the modern world system.


Historicizing Faith – Controlling Conversion: Ethiopian Empire and its Legislation on Foreign Missions Ethiopian Empire as the field of missionary endeavor remains an exception in the mission history due to both its century-old heritage of political independence and unique religious landscape marked by presence of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church – the only still existing precolonial Christian community in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although being – until 1974 – an Orthodox Christian Empire, Ethiopia tolerated an increasing number of foreign missionaries from various denominations working within its domain. The situation was however quite ambiguous: On the one hand the missionary activities in the field of education and public health were instrumental for modernizing policy of the Ethiopian state, on the other hand the increasing number of local converts inevitably led to tensions with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This situation led to establishment of special instruments controlling the process of religious transformation, the main part of which was manifested in the new legislation on foreign mission appeared in 1944. Attempting to establish state control over the religious conversion and to set a framework for relationships between the indigenous and the foreign missionary Christianity in Ethiopian Empire the so-called "Mission' Decree" used an elaborated narrative strategy, which is to be discussed in the paper. Special attention thereby is to be given to its historical and socio-religious contexts as well as to its influence on further development of legislation on religion in the Ethiopian Empire.


To quantitatively and comparatively analyze the evapotranspiration(ET)of grassland with different coverage and that of the forest floor in the mountain vegetation zone in the Hei River Basin, two types of microlysimeter are designed to measure the grassland's and forest floor's ET. One type is called bucket-microlysimeter in which the infiltration is taken into account, and the another type belongs to the conventional microlysimeter which does not measure the infiltration water and the soil column in it needs to be changed frequently. The results indicate that the bucket-microlysimeter only can be used in conditions that the rainfall is less than 5.0 mm and the rainfall intensity can not exceed 1.0 mm·h~(-1). All the two types of the microlysimeters made with PVC have the inner-diameter 10 cm, and they are installed in the grassland and forest floor respectively. In the two underlying surfaces, the conventional microlysimeters obtain larger measurement values than those of bucket-lysimeters. The reasons for this could be attributed to the disturbance of soil column and the changes of heat and water boundary conditions. The evapotranspiration processes in the rainy season can be divided into three sub-processes, which are the less rain early period, more rain meddle period and less rain late period. Each sub-process is distinguished by the measurement of the microlysimeters. The total ET of grassland with different coverage has not distinct discrimination if the coverage is larger than 0.5. However in terms of the three periods, the grassland with larger coverage has less ET during the first period and larger ET during the second period, and it has less ET during the third period. This could be attributed to the priority of water allotment in the grass transpiration and soil evaporation. The grassland ET is about four times of forest floor evaporation, and the daily forest floor evaporation is lees than 1.0 mm and larger than 0.3 mm averagely, and the average evaporation from forest floor is 0.83 mm. The maximum infiltration water in the forest floor can reach 33.8% of rainfall, that is about two times of the grassland infiltration water.


Objective: Dual-task interference is defined as decrements in performance observed when people attempt to perform two tasks concurrently, such as a verbal task and walking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of gait ability according to the dual task interference in chronic stroke survivors. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Ten chronic stroke survivors (9 male, 1 female; mean age, 55.30 years; mini mental state examination, 19.60; onset duration, 56.90 months) recruited from the local community participated in this study. Gait ability (velocity, paretic side step, and stride time and length) under the single- and dual-task conditions at a self-selected comfortable walking speed was measured using the motion analysis system. In the dual task conditions, subjects performed three types of cognitive tasks (controlled oral word association test, auditory clock test, and counting backwards) while walking on the track. Results: For velocity, step and stride length, there was a significant decrease in the dual-task walking condition compared to the single walking condition ( p <0.05). In particular, higher reduction of walking ability was observed when applying the counting backward task. Conclusions: Our results revealed that the addition of cognitive tasks while walking may lead to decrements of gait ability in stroke survivors. In particular, the difficulty level was the highest for the calculating task. We believe that these results provide ba-sic information for improvements in gait ability and may be useful in gait training to prevent falls after a stroke incident.


Abstract : Large- and small-scale tectonism and volcanism shape seafloor topography near Mid-Ocean Ridges (MOR) and produce a variety of both regular and irregular morphological features. Large consistent features such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR), central valley, and crestal mountains, are superimposed by smaller and more irregular features such as ridge offsets, ridge-parallel faults, and volcanic constructions. Many of these features are observable on Sea Beam swath-collected bathymetry. Our long-term objective is to quantify regularities in seafloor morphology and determine which features are best described by purely stochastic processes, which are suitable for deterministic physical and predictive models, and which fall somewhere in between.


Modern computer programs are executed in a variety of different contexts: on servers, handheld devices, graphics cards, and across distributed environments, to name a few. Understanding a program's contextual requirements is therefore vital for its correct execution. This dissertation studies contextual computations, ranging from application-level notions of context to lowerlevel notions of context prevalent in common programming tasks. It makes contributions in three areas: mathematically structuring contextual computations, analysing contextual program properties, and designing languages to facilitate contextual programming. Firstly, existing work which mathematically structures contextual computations using comonads (in programming and semantics) is analysed and extended. Comonads are shown to exhibit a shape preservation property which restricts their applicability to a subset of contextual computations. Subsequently, novel generalisations of comonads are developed, including the notion of an indexed comonad, relaxing shape-preservation restrictions. Secondly, a general class of static analyses called coeffect systems is introduced to describe the propagation of contextual requirements throughout a program. Indexed comonads, with some additional structure, are shown to provide a semantics for languages whose contextual properties are captured by a coeffect analysis. Finally, language constructs are presented to ease the programming of contextual computations. The benefits of these language features, the mathematical structuring, and coeffect systems are demonstrated by a language for container programming which guarantees optimisations and safety invariants.


These are confused times for the field of cardiac pacing. Allegations of impropriety, inadequate attention to the needs of the public, and technical failures are mixed wjith a real revolution in technology and consequent patient henefit. Capabilities such as dual-chamber pacing and communication of hardware and patient-derived data are a reality, but such developments cost money, and that seems to be in short supply. The field which seemed to flow through successive technologic feats is now plagued by the attitude of some that the simplest pacemaker is adequate for management of patient needs. Unproven allegations of overutilization have been presented to the medical community, and the public (or at least public servants who have an obligation to look at the budget) seem to believe that overutilization of pacemaker implantation may be more common than other therapeutic or diagnostic interventions. Senate and House committee hearings have been held and several professional organizations have begun the development of policy statements concerning the indications for— and the art and science of—cardiac pacemaker utilization.


In active control of flexible structures, the optimal selection of actuating andmeasurement positions on the structure is a prerequisite to enable effective control design. This paper compares two selection onsets based on the LQG control problem formulation. Although the two selection onsets differ considerably in their idea, it is shown at a classical bending beam example that they produce consistent results. The methods' characteristics are discussed and outlined, providing a guideline for their applicability in practice. The first onset, published in [11], utilizes the LQG formalism and efficient tuning parameter search to design tuned LQG controllers for each candidate actuator / sensor. Thereby, a normalized performance index can be formulated which reflects the efficiency of actuation / measurement. This very general onset has been shown to produce reliable results in numerically challenging industrial problems and is easily extended to sets of linearized systems of nonlinear plants. The strategy p...


We consider an interface between dielectric and semiconductor semispaces, curved along the direction of propagation and infinite in the transverse direction. The semiconductor is magnetically polarized in the Voigt configuration. We give approximate expressions for the loss due to curvature.


THE field of the American Folk-Lore Society has been defined by Mr. Newell as including the beliefs, customs, and oral literature of the aborigines of North and South and Central America, as well as the folk-lore that has come into America with the immigration of the various European stocks. Professor J. G. Frazer, in his inaugural address at Liverpool two years ago, divided the field covered by such a definition into two parts, calling the one the study of savagery, and retaining the name "folk-lore" (in accordance with its original use) for the study of those survivals or remainders of an earlier belief and practice which are to be found among the so-called civilized nations of our day. And he states very clearly the reason for attaching to the beliefs and traditions of the more backward part of our civilized populations the same significance as to the social and psychological phenomena of savagery. He is speaking of religion; but what he says applies as well to science, art, and civil institutions: "The present is the best guide to the interpretation of the past; for while the higher forms of religious faith pass away like clouds, the lower stand firm and indestructible like rocks." 2 It is upon this ground only, it seems to me, that the study of folklore in the narrower sense --the study of "the beliefs, customs, and oral literature" of the less-sophisticated part of our civilized populations can be justified in the eyes of science. Without this postulate, folk-lore must stand exposed to the charge once made by a carping critic against philology, the charge of being "an unintelligent curiosity about trifles." In regard to that part of the field of folk-lore with which alone I am at all familiar, the march-land between folk-lore and literature which we call balladry, it is especially important to ascertain, if possible, whether or no we are right, under the principle laid down 1 Address of the retiring President, delivered at the Annual Meeting of the American Folk-Lore Society in Providence, R. I., December 29, 19Io. 2 Adonis, Attis, Osiris (Io6), p. 83.


In order to develop an aerial back sonar for a car, we predicted the waveforms of the received pulse calculated by the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. The echo pulses reflected from the obstacle were calculated as a function of the object's height, the changing temperature and relative humidity in air. The maximum amplitudes of received pulses were changed by about 25% by the variation of relative humidity. The increase of temperature enlarged the variation of amplitudes on received pulses. The result shows that we need to consider the effect of the variation of temperature and relative humidity on an aerial back sonar.


Performance indices of power system fault diagnosis methods are summarized,followed by presentation of the method for construction of a test sample set to ensure an objective and precise evaluation.In order to enhance the fault tolerance ability of the fault diagnosis model,information correction is thus adopted based on the maximum likelihood decoding theory.Then the power network fault diagnosis process is carried out by the encoded elementary net(EEN)system,of which a new method for protection reclassification is introduced to simplify the EEN model as well as to enhance its translatability.Based on the test results of all the signals in the test sample set(two examples are given to show the diagnosis process),it is shown that the power network fault diagnosis model is simple,fast and is tolerant for information aberrance,which can meet the requirements of application.


We present a family of closed form inversion formulas in thermoacoustic tomography in the case of a constant sound speed. The formulas are presented in both time-domain and frequency-domain versions. As special cases, they imply most of the previously known filtered backprojection type formulas.


A body of work examining the etiologic factors of schizophrenia has yielded strong leads, suggesting that genetic factors play a major contributing role. The evidence is derived from findings of increased risk for schizophrenia that is proportional to the degree of kinship with the ill individual. Thus, the relative risk for schizophrenia is about five in second degree relatives of schizophrenic patients, 10 in siblings and dizygotic twins, and 50 in children with two schizophrenic parents or a monozygotic cotwin when the other is ill (Kendler and Diehl, 1995). The heritability of schizophrenia is calculated to be 80% (Cannon et al., 1998). Evidence supporting familial causes does not rule out significant interactions with environmental factors. In fact, data supporting the role of environment factors are compelling. Data implicate factors such as fetal insults in the form of malnutrition, obstetric complications, hypoxia, or maternal viral infections during critical periods of fetal development (Mednick et al., 1988; Karlsson et al., 2001). The search for genes of schizophrenia liability began in earnest in the 1980s. During the past decade, several significant linkage findings have been reported on chromosome loci 1q21-q44, 5q11-q13, 5q22-q31, 6p24-p22, 6q21-q22, 8p22-p21, 13q14-q32, and 22q11–13 with log odds ratio (LOD scores) of more than 3.3 (Tsuang et al., 1999). Other studies note LOD scores suggestive of linkage on several other loci. Despite these promising leads, few of the initial findings have been consistently replicated by subsequent studies. Replicated studies have much lower LOD scores than initially observed (typically in the 2 to 3 range). Thus, despite the strong heritable nature of the illness, the search for the genes of schizophrenia liability has been elusive. This pattern of findings is consistent with the hypothesis that schizophrenia is a multifactorial illness with a complex mode of inheritance. Mutations in more than one gene are probably necessary for the overt expression of the disease. Each mutation is thought to make only modest contributions, and different combinations of genes lead to similar overt clinical manifestations that fall under the same diagnostic umbrella. Interactions with environmental factors may be critical for some genetic combinations for the disease to express itself. Given this complexity, multiple phenotypes varying in their genetic composition are likely to define the illness that is currently described by the clinical diagnosis (Thaker, 2000). Reducing clinical and genetic heterogeneity by defining valid phenotypes is critical in the search for schizophrenia-related genes (Freedman et al., 1999). Freedman et al. showed the success of this strategy by refining the schizophrenia-related sensorygating phenotype by using evoked potential responses (P50), and applying the phenotype in a genetic study that observed a significant linkage mapped on chromosome 15q14 (Freedman et al., 1997). Holzman and others established the validity of this approach with respect to eye-tracking abnormalities (Holzman, 1987; Clementz et al., 1992). Several other subtle biological abnormalities have been identified in schizophrenic patients and found to be heritable. These include cognitive impairments in dimensions of attention, language, and memory, and deficits in levels of the neuronal marker N-acetylaspartate in the hippocampal region (Thaker and Carpenter, 2001). Studies in general have examined each of these phenotypic markers independent of each other. Thus, the degree of overlap among various putative schizophrenia-related phenotypes remains unknown. Few preliminary studies that did examine the relationships among the markers note a lack of overlap among several putative phenotypic markers of schizophrenia (Egan et al., 2001). If replicated, these findings suggest that the cause of schizophrenia is complex and the disorder may encompass multiple phenotypes varying in their genetic composition. Indeed, more studies in larger cohorts are needed 1 Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, P.O. Box 21247, Baltimore, Maryland 21228. Send reprint requests to Dr. Thaker. This work was supported by NIH grant MH49826 and 40279. 0022-3018/02/1906–411 Vol. 190, No. 6 THE JOURNAL OF NERVOUS AND MENTAL DISEASE Printed in U.S.A. Copyright © 2002 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins


The failure mode known as local failure could occur at structure discontinuities with multiaxial stress conditions. Experiments and analyses of notched bars, which generate multiaxial stress, were conducted. The experiments showed that the tensile strength of a notched bar was stronger than that of a smooth bar. The ratio of the maximum and minimum diameter has become the important factor of this notch strengthening. In addition, the initiation of failure was observed at the inner location from the notch root. According to the analysis results, the Mises-stress became the maximum at the notch root. On the other hand, hydrostatic stress became the maximum at the inner location from the notch root, and this location corresponded to the initiation of fracture. The maximum hydrostatic stress has good correlation with the notch strengthening ratio. These facts reveal that hydrostatic stress must be taken into account for strength evaluation as a dominant factor in addition to the Mises-stress. However, only Mises-stress is considered in the present structural design code of nuclear plants. From above results, the new criterion based on fracture surface, where the coordinate plane consists of hydrostatic stress and Mises-stress, was proposed for local failure. Furthermore, this fracture surface was extended to an isochronous fracture surface in a creep region based on isochronous stress-strain curves.


Abstract Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is on the increase in adolescent populations due to excessive noise exposure, particularly in leisure activities. A crucial factor in the prevention of NIHL and the use of hearing protective devices (HPDs) among this population relates directly to their attitudes toward noise. The present study investigated Australian adolescent attitudes toward noise and the use of HPDs as a follow-up study to research conducted in Sweden and the United States. The effects of gender, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) were also examined. The sample was composed of 287 high school and university students in Brisbane, Australia between the ages of 13 and 19 years. Questionnaires were used to gather information about attitudes toward noise, participation in noisy activities, and the use of HPDs. The majority of participants held positive attitudes toward noise (i.e., noise seen as "unproblematic") and these attitudes were associated with the low reported usage of HPDs during participation in noisy activities, particularly those involving loud music. Older adolescents and those with a higher SES held more negative attitudes toward noise (i.e., noise seen as something "bad" or "something to keep away from"); however, only gender was found to be a significant predictor of HPD use in this study. This was the first study of its kind in Australia, and further research in this area is vital so that appropriate strategies to reduce NIHL in this population can be developed.


BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare differences in the risk factors and clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and non-DM patients with de novo lesions (DNL), definite in-stent restenosis (ISR), and late or very late stent thrombosis (LST/VLST). METHODS: A total of 4151 patients with acute coronary syndrome were screened angiographically to determine DNL, ISR, and LST/VLST. A total of 3976 patients were included in the analysis and divided into DM (n=1302) or non-DM (n=2674) group at admission. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), defined as death, myocardial infarction, revascularization, and ischemic stroke within a 1-year follow-up period. RESULTS: In the group with total white blood cell count >10 10^9/L (p=0.004), neutral granular cell count >7 10^9/L (p=0.030), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio >1.5 (p=0.041), DNL outperformed LST/VLST lesions in terms of revascularization at a median follow-up of 698 days. Among patients with DNL, the incidences of MACEs (log-rank p=0.0002), all-cause death (log-rank p=0.00032), cardiac-related death (log-rank p=0.021), and revascularization (log-rank p=0.029) were significantly lower in the non-DM group than in the DM group. However, no difference was observed in the event rates of endpoints among patients with ISR and LST/VLST between the non-DM and DM groups. Furthermore, among DM patients, there was a critically higher cumulative incidence of revascularization (log-rank p=0.0002) in the subgroup with ISR lesions and higher rate of ischemic stroke (log-rank p=0.033) in the subgroup with LST/VLST lesions. CONCLUSION: This study found that DM patients have a higher incidence of composite clinical outcomes than non-DM patients among patients with DNL. Compared with patients with DNL, patients with ISR lesions and LST/VLST lesions had more incidence of revascularization by long-term follow up. Thus, ISR and LST/VLST lesions are critical problems after coronary stenting, especially among DM patients.


An open question amongst papillomavirus taxonomists is whether recombination has featured inthe evolutionary history of these viruses. Since the onset of the global AIDS epidemic, the questionis somewhat less academic, because immune-compromised human immunodeficiency viruspatients are often co-infected with extraordinarily diverse mixtures of human papillomavirus (HPV)types. It is expected that these conditions may facilitate the emergence of HPV recombinants,someofwhichmighthavenovelpathogenicproperties.Here,arangeofrigorousanalysesisappliedto full-genome sequences of papillomaviruses to provide convincing statistical and phylogeneticevidence that evolutionarily relevant papillomavirus recombination can occur.


Provides the Overview to the Report and reviews each of the chapters in the report. The theme of governance in India in the context of commercialisation of infrastructure is introduced and issues raised by the various papers are linked together to present an agenda for reform


Hiccup is defined as an abrupt involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles with sudden closure of the glottis 35 msec after onset. The term "intractable" is given to those hiccups with a duration ranging from 24 hours to more than 25 years. Short hiccup bouts are mostly associated with gastric distention or alcohol intake, resolved spontaneously or with simple remedies. In contrast, intractable hiccup is a rare but disabling condition which can induce depression, weight loss and sleep deprivation. Although the pathophysiologic mechanisms of hiccup are still poorly understood, wide variety of pathological conditions such as: brain tumor, abdominal tumor, myocardial infarction, renal failure, abdominal surgery etc., can cause intractable hiccup. A 58-year-old male who had suffered from hepatocellular cancer was consulted from medical department due to intractable hiccup. Initial treatment modalities with administrations of metoclopramide and chlorpromazine and nerve block including phrenic nerve block, cervical epidural block and glossopharyngeal nerve block were not effective. Administration of midazolam and baclofen however achieved desirable effect.