Partial $L$-shell fluorescence yields for three heavy elements have been measured using an x-ray coincidence counting method. Vacancies in the $K$ shell of the atom are produced either by $K$-electron capture or internal conversion of a nuclear gamma ray in the $K$ shell. The coincidence rate between the $K$ and $L$ x rays observed after the creation of the $K$ vacancy determines the partial fluorescence yield, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{KL}}$. This quantity is defined as the fluorescence yield of those vacancies in the $L$ shell created by ${K}_{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1}}$ and ${K}_{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}}$ x-ray emission. In some cases, it was also possible to determine the partial fluorescence yield, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{LL}}$ of the $L$ shell following $L$-electron capture. The results obtained are in reasonable agreement with previous measurements. The relationship between ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{KL}}$, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{\mathrm{LL}}$, and the fluorescence yields of individual $L$ subshells is discussed.


The mission of the IJISPM - International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management is the dissemination of new scientific knowledge on information systems management and project management, encouraging further progress in theory and practice. important contributions on Process Automation, Platform-as-a-Service post-adoption, and digital technologies adoption. but lags behind developments in practice. This study explores the definition, evolution, and categories of RPA, its benefits and challenges, identifies guidelines for implementation, and provides a future outlook. Since there is an evident scarcity of comprehensive grey literature reviews in the area, this study presents an extensive narrative review of organizational grey literature on RPA by analyzing sixty-one organizational reports and white papers. This study provides a unified definition of RPA and groups the many categories of RPA into three types: basic automation, cognitive automation, and artificial intelligence. The study identifies the benefits of RPA and categorizes them into monetary; simplicity; efficiency and productivity; flexibility and scalability; reliability and consistency; compliance and governance; customer satisfaction; employee efficiency; and other long-term organizational benefits. The main challenges of RPA are awareness and perception of RPA; uncertainty about how to prepare for RPA; change management challenges while implementing RPA; and challenges associated with RPA vendors. Three main steps of RPA implementation are highlighted. study post-adoption. Controversially, security and privacy, cost savings, and top management support post-adoption, as opposed to findings on company-level adoption. "Effects of the use of digital technologies on the performance of firms in a developing country: are there differences between creative and manufacturing industries?", is the fourth article and is authored by Jean Pierre Seclen-Luna, René I. Castro Vergara, and Hellen Lopez Valladares. This paper aims to analyze the effects of the use of digital technologies on firms' net sales and productivity. The technology adoption approach is applied in empirical research using data from the National Enterprise Survey in Peru. Using the OLS method on a sample of 2,970 firms from creative and manufacturing industries in Peru, the effects of digital technologies on net sales and productivity are determined. Findings indicate that there is a positive relationship. However, these relationships can be different depending on the type of digital technology, the size of the firm, and the manager's gender proportion. We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the distinguished members of the Editorial Board, for their commitment and for sharing their knowledge and experience in supporting the IJISPM. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to all the authors who submitted their work for their insightful visions and valuable contributions. Abstract: Research on Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in the last decade has increased but lags behind developments in practice. This study explores the definition, evolution and categories of RPA, its benefits and challenges, identifies guidelines for implementation and provides a future outlook. Since there is an evident scarcity of comprehensive grey literature reviews in the area, this study presents an extensive narrative review of organizational grey literature on RPA by analyzing sixty-one organizational reports and white papers published between 2015 and 2020. This study provides a unified definition of RPA and groups the many categories of RPA into three types: basic automation, cognitive automation, and artificial intelligence. The study identifies the benefits of RPA and categorizes them into monetary; simplicity; efficiency and productivity; flexibility and scalability; reliability and consistency; compliance and governance; customer satisfaction; employee efficiency; and other long-term organizational benefits. The main challenges of RPA are awareness and perception of RPA; uncertainty about how to prepare for RPA; change management challenges while implementing RPA; and challenges associated with RPA vendors. Three main steps of RPA implementation are highlighted. This study provides practitioners and researchers with an extensive bird's eye insight into RPA from an industry perspective. Abstract: Large-scale transformations of agile ways of working have received more attention in the industry in recent years. Some organizations have developed their own solutions for scaling, whereas many have chosen trademarked frameworks. In large-scale agile software development, many developers and development teams carry out work simultaneously. When autonomous teams need to coordinate toward a common goal, they must sacrifice some level of autonomy. Development, testing, and integrations need to be coordinated with other teams and aligned with an organization´s programs or portfolio. Through the conducting of 28 interviews and 17 on-site visits, this multiple case study explored how team autonomy changed in three agile software development organizations that implemented the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). The positive changes to team autonomy that they experienced as a result included getting a better overview, making better long-term decisions, giving and receiving help, and signaling limitations. We found two negative impacts on team autonomy: limited feature choice and enforced refinement. The study extends previous research on large-scale agile software development and improves our understanding of impacts on team autonomy. Abstract: When higher-level management of a company has strategically decided to adopt Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) as a Cloud Computing (CC) delivery model, decision-makers at lower hierarchy levels still need to decide whether they want to post-adopt PaaS for building or running an information system (IS) – a decision that numerous companies are currently facing. This research analyzes the influential factors of this managerial post-adoption decision on the IS-level. A survey of 168 business and Information Technology (IT) professionals investigated the influential factors of this PaaS post-adoption decision. The results show that decision-makers' perceptions of risks inhibit post-adoption. Vendor trust and trialability reduce these perceived risks. While competitive pressure increases perceived benefits, it does not significantly influence PaaS post-adoption. Controversially, security and privacy, cost savings, and top management support do not influence post-adoption, as opposed to findings on company-level adoption. Subsamples constructed by the form of post-adoptive use (migration of IS, enhancement of IS, new IS development) exhibit better goodness-of-fit measures than the full sample. Future research should explore this interrelation of the form of post-adoptive use and the post-adoption influence factors. delivery model. Abstract: This paper aims to analyse the effects of the use of digital technologies on firms' net sales and productivity. The technology adoption approach is applied in empirical research using data from the National Enterprise Survey in Peru. Using the OLS method on a sample of 2,970 firms from creative and manufacturing industries in Peru, the effects of digital technologies on net sales and productivity are determined. Findings indicate that there is a positive relationship. However, these relationships can be different depending on the type of digital technology, the size of the firm and the manager's gender proportion. We found that most of these technologies are more commonly related to creative industries than manufacturing firms. These relationships have greater statistical significance to net sales in large companies within both types of industry. However, SMEs have greater statistical significance with respect to productivity in both types of industries. Lastly, given the positive effect on these relationships, we conclude by highlighting the importance of managers crafting their technology portfolio and digital capabilities properly and the need for further research to determine the performance of companies in the context of developing countries.


Two joining fragments (0.037 χ 0.040m.) from the rim of a plain conical cup with a linear inscription. In Heraklion Museum, Cat. No. 1613. The diameter of the cup can be estimated as about 0.095 m. The clay is orange, the fabric rather soft. The cup had been used as a lamp, to judge from traces of black from burning around the edge of the rim inside and outside. The inscription appears to have been engraved after the cup was fired. No doubt the cup was inscribed before it was used as a lamp, but this is uncertain. These two inscribed fragments were found at Knossos during the 1961 season of excavations by the British School of Archaeology at Athens on the north side of the Royal Road immediately west of the Armoury. The fragments were in that part of a great deposit of vases of the Late Minoan I B period recovered from a basement-like space on the north-west edge of the excavated area. Parts of the same vases were found both in the basement and above a floor at a higher level a few metres away to the east. The vases had evidently been lodged in an upper storey of the building, and when it was destroyed the pieces of them were scattered over a wide area. This inscription has a particular interest as the first to be recognised atKnossos from a deposit of Late Minoan I B date. It is therefore more or less contemporary with the Linear A tablets from sites such as Ayia Triadha, Zakro and Tylissos, which suffered a major catastrophe in Late Minoan I B. Plain conical cups like the one from which these inscribed fragments came are in general the commonest type of clay vase in use during both the earlier (A) and later (B) phases of the Late Minoan I


At the beginning of the new millennium, it becomes totaly clear the important role and
usefulness of the wireless communication systems and their applications, which continue
to evolute in several areas including Personal Communication Services (PCS). In
this context there is a continuing demand for increased capacity and integration of the
provided services, such as voice, data and other types of traffic, over radio channels.
One of the key technical problem areas that has emerged out is the requirement for
determining the fading effects on network performance. This also the research area
of the current Philosophy diploma, which aims to the theoretical study of the performance
analysis of wireless communication systems, which are subject to fading. The
current study has employed diversity reception as a fading mitigation technique. According
to this technique, the receiver employs more than one antennae, in order to
receive multiple copies of the transmitted signal. Hence, these copies are appropriate
combined in order to satisfy network administrator demands.
The technical literature concerning diversity reception techniques over fading channels
is quite extensive. However, it deals mainly with fading channels, which are based
on Rayleigh, Rice, and Nakagami-m distributions. Additionally, important distributions
for modeling small scale fading are also the Weibull and, its generalization, the
generalized-gamma (ΓG), which have recently gained an increased scientific interest in
the wireless mobile communication area. However, the performance analysis of diversity
receivers operating over fading channels, modeled by these distributions, has not
been thoroughly investigated. Reasons for that include the composite statistical representation
of several diversity receivers output in conjunction with the quite complicated
mathematical expressions of the Weibull and/or ΓG distributions. In this thesis,
by overcoming these difficulties the performance of a class of Generalized-Selection
Combining (GSC) receivers operating over independent but non identically distributed
Weibull fading channels is studied. The case where the two branches with the largest
instantaneous Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) are selected, from a total of L available
GSC(2, L), is considered. By introducing a novel property for the product of moments
of ordered Weibull Random Variables (RV), convenient closed form expressions for the
moments of the GSC(2, L) output SNR are derived. Using these expressions, important
performance criteria, such as average output SNR and amount of fading (AF ), are
obtained in closed form. Furthermore, employing the Pad´e approximants theory and
the Moment-Generating Function (MGF)-based approach, outage and bit-error rate
performances are studied.
Additionally, by considering independent and identical distributed (iid) ΓG fading
channels, the moments of the output SNR of the GSC(2, L) receivers were derived, also,
in closed form, while infinite series representations were obtained for the MGF and the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF). Using these expressions, a simplified study
of the Outage Probability (OP) and Average Bit Error Probability (ABEP) performance
criteria can be performed. Moreover, the capacity of the ΓG fading channel, using
different adaptation policies, is also studied, with and without diversity reception.
Another important research issue concerning the performance analysis of wireless
digital communications systems operating over fading channels, is the composite
propagation environment arising in cases where fading is superimposed on shadowing.
In the current thesis this propagation environment is modeled by the K and
generalized-K (KG) composite distributions. These distributions are quite general
and mathematical versatile, and have been found to be appropriate for accurately modeling
the channel conditions when fading occurs simultaneously with shadowing. For
the KG distribution, expressions for important statistical metrics of the output SNR
for the Selection Diversity (SD) receiver and Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC), Equal
Gain Combining (EGC), and Switch and Stay Combining (SSC) diversity receivers are
derived. Using these expressions and by considering independent but not necessarily
identical distributed fading channel conditions, performance criteria, such as average
output SNR, AF and OP are obtained in closed form. Moreover, following the MGFbased
approach for MRC and SSC receivers, and the Pad´e approximants theory for SD
and EGC receivers, the ABEP is also studied. For the case of the K distribution, assuming
correlated RVs, the correlated (bivariate) K distribution, with not necessarily
identical shaping and scaling parameters, is introduced and studied. This composite
distribution is convenient for modeling multipath/shadowing correlated fading environments
when the correlations between the signal envelopes and their powers are
different. For this distribution, generic infinite series representations are derived for
the Probability Density Function (PDF), the CDF and the joint moments. Assuming
identical shaping parameters and uncorrelated signal powers, simpler expressions for
the PDF, CDF and the Characteristic Function (CF) are provided, while the joint moments
are derived in closed form. Capitalizing on these theoretical expressions for the
statistical characteristics of the correlated K distribution, the performance analysis of
various diversity reception techniques, such as MRC, EGC and SD, over bivariate K
fading channels is presented. For the SD, the outage probability is studied, while for
the MRC and EGC the ABEP is obtained.
In general the proposed analysis is accompanied by several numerical evaluated
results, clearly demonstrating the usefulness and flexibility of the theoretical approach.
These numerical results include performance comparisons of several diversity receiver
structures, employing various modulation formats and different channel conditions.


Ownership asymmetries lead to owners (residents) having substantial contest advantages over intruders, and this may overwhelm the fighting advantage of large body size. Why such an ownership advantage occurs, however, is not clear and requires further investigation. Here, we use a jumping spider, Phidippus clarus, to examine the role of ownership asymmetries and resource quality in determining contest outcomes and assessment strategies of both intruders and residents. Resident male P. clarus cohabit with and defend virgin females where reproductive potential increases with body size. Here, we show that ownership plays a significant role in contest outcomes, despite the previously demonstrated importance of body size when males encounter each other in the absence of a female. Owners have a substantial advantage over intruders with residency being more important than body size in determining contest outcomes. Intruders gave up more quickly when owners were larger, suggesting that owners follow a partial mutual assessment strategy. In contrast, contests won by intruders were "wars of attrition" where owners fought until resources were depleted as they were governed by the resource holding potential of the resident (loser). Finally, female size (reproductive potential) did not alter contest outcomes; however, it did affect how quickly contests were escalated. We highlight the importance of understanding the life history and reproductive biology along with the behavior and ecology of the species under study to truly understand the traits associated with fitness in contests. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.


The paper focused on how teachers enhance their creativity in secondary school using digital technology in secondary school studies. The study adopted the phenomenological approach by Gadamer and Csikszentmihalyi process of creativity. The paper presents an overview of teachers' lived experience that reveals the specific behaviour enhancing teacher creativity. The paper indentifies the factors enhancing teacher creativity while using digital technology. The paper concludes that teacher creativity is enhanced by the inner teacher creative personality characteristics, the external institutional forces, and the social environment where the teacher operates in. it means that using digital technology in secondary school studies allows teachers to be involved in the study process while the success of such teacher involvement is sustained by the creative personality traits and environment which support creativity. Keywords: Teacher Creativity, Creative Personality, Digital Technology, Social Environment. DOI : 10.7176/JEP/10-27-03 Publication date :September 30 th 2019


Several new excited doublet states of the nitric oxide molecule are identified. Some of these are upper states of NO bands observed in the visible and infrared.


Recently, Shao et al. proposed two bidirectional proxy re-signature schemes Smb and Sid−mb [3]. In their paper, the authors gave security proofs to say that both of them are secure in their security model without random oracles. But, we found that the scheme Smb is miss leaded and its security proof is false. In this paper, we present an attack on Smb and improve it to be secure in their security model.


In this paper, reference current components of a Distribution Static Compensator (DSTATCOM) are generated by using the popular control technique called instantaneous symmetrical component theory (ISCT). The performance of this method has been investigated under unbalanced loading conditions followed by the new IEEE Standard 1459 on power definitions. Performance of source current, source voltage & load current and their corresponding total harmonic distortion (THD) are presented. A supercapacitor is coupled with the DSTACOM to control its DC-link voltage rapidly within a reasonable time. An unbalanced non-linear loads supplied by a three-phase, four-wire distribution system is considered for the simulation study by using MATLAB/SIMULINK software. A spilt type capacitor is taken in voltage source converter (VSC) of the DSTACOM to compensate the neutral current in the system effectively. The control strategy behaved the better performance when DSTATCOM is coupled with a supercapacitor than the conventional DSTATCOM.


Recombinant human hepatocyte growth f actor α chain produces as inclusion body in E.coli DH5α with 25% expressio n level.The solubilization and renaturation conditions of rhHGF α were studied to develop a way to facilitate the purification of inclusion body.Highly purifi e d inclusion body was obtained via several steps including washing with 4 mol/L u rea buffers,solubilization in 8 mol/L urea and Sephacryl S 200 chromatography.R elative m olecular weight of the rhHGF α determined by SDS PAGE was 52 000.After ren aturation with rhHGF β,the whole HGF shows biological activity of increasing t he growth of rat hepatocyte in primary culture.


A population of i parasites is distributed at random among M hosts; any host carrying more than n parasites dies. We first find the expected numbers of hosts carrying 0 , 1 , . . . , n parasites. Parasite-free hosts then produce offspring according to a birth-death process over a breeding season T , while the parasites also breed in a birth-death process, again killing any host carrying more than n of them at time T . We find the expected number of surviving hosts and the total expected number of surviving parasites after the breeding season. We illustrate the process by a simple example.


ABSTRACT The Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) is a multidimensional measure widely used to access nine cognitive emotion regulation strategies. In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the CERQ-Short Portuguese version. A sample of 1052 adolescents (aged 10–25 years old, 60.53% females) completed the CERQ-Short form, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the nine latent dimensions of CERQ-Short provided an acceptable fit to the data. Measurement invariance (for gender and three age-groups), reliability and construct validity were adequate. The adaptative strategies were positively associated with higher positive affect, and maladaptive strategies with higher negative affect, symptoms of generalized anxiety and depression. These results suggest that CERQ-Short is a valid and reliable measure for Portuguese-speaking samples. Moreover, CERQ-Short's length makes it a cost-effective tool for both clinicians and researchers.


The objective of this study is to investigate the extent to which the use of Customer Relationship Management as A strategic marketing impetus influences Service delivery of Shopping malls in FCT Abuja. Questionnaires and oral interviews were used as research instruments. 110 questionnaires were administrated to a non-probability convenient sample of 110 persons (including Sales Representatives, Relationship managers and Operation managers) selected from branches of 4 major shopping malls in Abuja (Jabilake Malls, Shoprites, Grand Tower Abuja Mall and The Dunes Centres) located in Abuja Metropolis. The method of data analysis used was simple percentage and Chi-square Distribution. Findings indicated that the adoption and successful implementation of Customer Relationship Management as strategic marketing impetus has a significant effect on the service delivery of Shopping malls in Abuja Nigeria. The study also revealed that shopping malls in Abuja should adopt Customer Relationship Management as strategic marketing impetus to gain competitive advantage. The study recommended that all Shopping Malls in Abuja Nigeria should adopt Customer Relationship Management as strategic marketing impetus to enhance robust service delivery to retain their existing and potential customers.


"Bidens pilosa" L. var. "radiate", an invasive plant in Taiwan, is distributed into mountain area. In contrast to "B. pilosa" var. "radiata", "B. pilosa" var. "minor" is a naturalized plant and distributed mainly in mid-altitude of the island. This study aims to (1) investigate phenotypic variations between low- and mid-altitudinal populations of these two varieties of "B. pilosa", and (2) evaluate the causes, environmental effect or genetic differentiation, of the variations. Two populations, one from low-(500 m) and the other from mid- altitude (1300 or1600 m) along an elevation gradient in central Taiwan, of both varieties were selected for the study. We compared ecophysiological traits of field populations and of progeny of these populations cultivated in a common garden. For both varieties, mid-altitudinal populations had significantly higher chlorophyll and N contents, more positive δ^13C values and larger seeds than low-altitudinal populations. However, most of the phenotypic variations between altitudinal populations disappeared in common garden-grown plants. The results suggested that these variations were phenotypic plasticity in response to changes in environmental factors associated with altitudes. Comparing between populations of the same variety, seeds of the var. "minor" collected from mid-altitudinal population germinated faster. In contrast, seeds of the var. "radiata" from mid-altitudinal populations germinated slower and required more days to germinate. Thus, seeds produced by the mid-altitudinal population of the var. "radiata" had inferior germination performance, which might reduce its competitive ability at mid-altitude. However, high degree of phenotypic plasticity would allow "B. pilosa" var. "radiata" to spread into mountain area.


Abstract Carbon nanotube (CNT) foams have received an overwhelming response in research community due to their large strength to weight ratio. In this work, CNT foam was prepared using functionalized CNT. Pore size distribution in synthesized CNT foams was observed to be in the range 200–400 μm and porosity is in range 60–65%. The bulk density of foam is 0.2–0.3 g/cc. Furthermore, uniaxial compression tests at varying rates, indicates deformation behavior to be rate dependent. Cyclic compression test was also performed showing similar behavior to cellular materials; hysteresis loop is found in loading–unloading cycles, clearly indicating energy dissipation.


The settlement model of elastic interaction getting under the Main Aerodynamic Fairing of the carrier rocket of acoustic radiation with circular lamellar elements hanger devices of inertial navigation is under construction. Stationary and non-stationary interaction is analyzed. Will be defined law of flexural movement of a plate under the influence of a flat monochromatic wave of superfluous pressure of sound frequency.


Development well network density determined the control degree of sand's distribution,Kriging interpolation could be better simulated the geological features,a method to predict control degree of sand using Kriging's average coefficient combined with the least square method function was proposed in this paper,this method adopted the rule that average weight coefficient of interpolation generated gradually reduces with the increasing of data point numbers of interpolation condition,and used the characteristics that it had little effect on interpolation accuracy with the increasing of data points' number according to the average weights least to balance point,this method achieved a good practical prediction effect.


One of the central results in international economics is that an economy cannot have at the same time independent monetary policy, free capital flows, and a fixed exchange rate. Over the last few years, however, this so-called Mundell-Flemming 'trilemma' has increasingly been challenged. It is argued that given the rising importance and synchronization of capital and credit flows across countries and their underlying common driving forces, the 'trilemma' has morphed into a 'dilemma': an economy cannot have at the same time independent monetary policy and an open capital account, independent of the exchange rate regime. This Roundup provides a brief overview of the debate, reviews recent empirical findings on the topic, and outlines possible directions for future research.


Background: Lack of awareness about the fast-spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents a global threat. There is growing evidence of the challenges with adherence to COVID-19 prevention measures and the effect of the prevention measures on the health of populations especially those with comorbidities. Aim of the study: was to evaluate the effect of guideline protocol regarding COVID-19 preventive measures on awareness of hospitalized school age children. Subjects and Method: Research design: One group pre-posttest quasi-experimental design was adopted to carry out this study. Setting: The study was conducted in the medical wards at Zagazig University Pediatric Hospital, Zagazig, Egypt. Subjects : 72 hospitalized school-aged children. Tools of data collection: Structured Interview Questionnaire to collect data about studied children characteristics and evaluate their awareness regarding COVID-19 preventive measures. Results: The study reveals that 2.8% of the studied group had satisfactory general awareness score before the guideline protocol compared to 98.6% post the protocol with highly statistically significant difference at (P<0.001) throughout study phases. Conclusion: The guideline protocol regarding COVID-19 preventive measures for hospitalized school age children had great effect on improving their awareness. Recommendations: Pediatric nurses must provide awareness and public knowledge regarding the novel COVID-19 with simple Arabic illustrative educational booklets, pictures and videos about COVID-19 for all children in all health care settings to prevent the spread of this pandemic disease.


We discuss the additional damping to which magnetic domain wall motion is subject due to the replacement of a small proportion of the yttrium in yttrium iron garnet by erbium. Published ferromagnetic resonance data for a specimen of composition Er0078Y2922Fe5O12 are used to predict the wall mobility in this material assuming that the erbium doping, acting according to the longitudinal relaxation model, is the sole cause of damping. Measurements are reported of the time taken to reverse the flux in single crystal toroids of pure yttrium iron garnet and of the above composition when reversal takes place by domain wall motion, following the sudden application of a magnetic field. Comparison of theory and experiment shows that the proposed mechanism controls the reversal time for the doped material between 3 °K and 60 °K, where the predicted damping is strong. At higher and lower temperatures the controlling mechanism, which appears to be the same in the doped and pure samples, is different and not understood.


A study of a variety of screening techniques was undertaken to determine their suitability for an antibiosis-enhancing cotton-breeding program. Techniques trialled included 9 different larval bioassays of varying durations on squares, leaves, and seedlings of cotton-using larvae of different ages. Chemical analyses of squares and seedlings, and a field trial to validate laboratory findings, were also conducted. The 'standard' measure of antibiosis in cotton plants, using long-term (8-day) bioassays based on larval weight gain, was found to be unsuitable for mass screening cotton plants for antibiosis to the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hnbner), in Central Queensland. A 48-h technique using instar VI larvae proved as dependable as the standard, but faster and more energy-efficient, making it more suitable for mass screening. Chemical analyses supported previous findings that terpenoid aldehydes (i.e. gossypol) in cotton produce important antibiotic activity against H. armigera. Highly significant negative correlations were shown between gossypol content of ingested plant material and larval weight gains. In contrast, there was no relationship between condensed tannin content and larval weight gain. The relationships between larval bioassays and allelochemical content of cultivars were confirmed in a field trial.


Correspondence to: Dr T R Goodman, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust, Windmill Road, Headington, Oxford OX4 4LD, United Kingdom. Case history A forty eight year old man was referred with a three year history of right shoulder pain which was beginning to interfere with his job as a carpenter. The symptoms were not controlled by oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Past history included renal failure secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis twenty years previously for which he had been receiving haemodialysis ever since. Ten years previously he had a total parathyroidectomy due to tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Three years previously nerve conduction studies confirmed median nerve compression on the right for which he underwent carpal tunnel release. Examination revealed soft tissue swelling around the shoulder together with a limited range of movement. A rotator cuff tear was considered and a plain radiograph (fig 1) and arthrogram (fig 2) of the shoulder were obtained.


The managed care industry is missing a potentially rich opportunity to draw in consumers with the message that health insurance provides protection and peace of mind for the healthy as well as the sick.


Writing teachers aim to prepare their students to meet future writing demands both in and outside of academia.

Keywords:

CALL;
esl/efl;
language learning technology;
literacy;
writing


In recent years, tanker ships have been expanded to over 500,000 tons, imposing the development of new operational capacities on offshore terminals. This aspect has necessitated the creation of new terminals outside of port areas in the open seas, allowing for the receiving of much larger ships. This open sea positioning carries the risk of causing environmental damage much greater than that posed by port terminals. With these facts in mind, this paper presents some aspects of the potential impacts on the marine environment of offshore petroleum terminals.


The author analyzes the technical performance and the climatic influencing factors of the new autoclaved aerated concrete block,introduces the basic construction process of the masonry engineering,describes detailedly the control points of the wall render in the construction,to promote the wide application of the aerated concrete block.


NASA has selected two organizations to host the final phase of its four-year series of increasingly complicated technical demonstrations involving small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones.


Richard Broome of La Trobe University reviews Black and White Together: FCAATSI: The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, 1958–1973 , by Sue Taffe (Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 2005, pp. xiv + 402, AU$24.95pb).


The object of the present invention is to generate an appropriate target path based on the presence or absence of an occupant. The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating a target path for an autonomous vehicle, wherein a recognition determining processor 3 for the autonomous driving (control device) comprises: an occupant discernment section (51) (means of discernment) occupant) to discern whether an occupant is present; a first weight setting section (52) and a target path generating section (54) (first target path generating means) generating a first target path when discerned by the occupant discernment section ( 51) (means of discernment of the occupant) that an occupant is present; and a second weight setting section (53) and a target path generating section (54) (second target path generating means) generating a second target path when discerned by the occupant discernment section. (51) (means of occupant discernment) that no occupant is present. The first target path generated by the first weight setting section (52) and the target path generating section (54) (first target path generating means) and the second target path generated by the second weight setting section (53) and the target path generating section (54) (second target path generating means) are defined so that there are differences in the target paths.


In this chapter, we explain the methods and tools we used to obtain the results presented in Chapter 4 and Chapter 5. Our analysis approach is strongly based on measurements. This is mainly motivated by the fact that simulators for wireless networking were not sufficiently developed when we started our work. Also, with the globally deployed GSM-CSD systems we had a real (wide-area) wireless network available for our study, about which little was known with respect to inefficient interactions with end-to-end protocols. Hence, we used the GSM-CSD system as a case study of a wireless link. Our measurement-based approach gave us the unique opportunity to capture the aggregate of real-world effects such as noise, interference, fading, and shadowing. This is a key advantage over simulations as unrealistic assumptions about the error characteristics of a wireless channel can completely change the results of a performance analysis. This often leads to inadequate design decisions as we demonstrate in Chapter 4. Furthermore, we believe that results obtained by measurement are often more convincing than those obtained by simulations. The reason is that it is much easier to make mistakes in simulations that lead to wrong conclusions than it is when performing measurements. Experimental measurements often expose effects that may not be visible using simulations alone. This may be due to implementation errors, or the fact that a simulator has abstracted to many details, i.e., does not implement all the relevant features of a real system. In Section 3.2.5 and Section 4.2.3 we present examples of problems that would have been difficult to detect by simulations. Certainly, a measurement-based analysis approach has a number of drawbacks. First, it requires the availability of a real system. Measuring the performance of new features of a network that is still in the design phase is not possible. Also, the process of performing measurements is often a time intensive task while a large base of measurements is required to draw general conclusions when the error characteristics of a wireless link are crucial. Another problem for measurements is that real systems often only allow a limited parameterization.


Research on potency test of selected phosphate solubilizing microfungi (PSM) isolates had been conducted. The purpose was to obtain the most potential indigenous microfungi to solubilizing phosphate in bioleaching process. Identification with moist chamber showed that the selected PSM belonged to Penicillium genera. Bioleaching process through measuring process growth and oxalic acid production was effective on the 8th day. Chemical analysis showed that bioleaching process using selected indigenous PSM of phosphate rock was able to increase P2O5 content from 38.40 to 49.70% or improve around 11.30%. Experimental condition for such a recovery was -140+200# of sample size an 5% of percent solid. Mineralogy characters of the leached phosphate rocks showed some micro cracks as well as encapsulation by clay minerals. Not all phosphor element was leached by oxalic acid produced by microfungi.


The ionisation potentials of the phosphonitrilic fluorides (NPF2)n(n= 3–8) have been measured by photoelectron spectroscopy, and those of other phosphonitrilic derivatives (NPX2)n[X = Cl, n= 3–7; X = OCH2·CF3, OMe, OPh, NMe2, or Me, n= 3 or 4] by electron impact. All the 6-membered cyclic compounds have first ionisation potentials which are higher than those of their 8-membered analogues, and in the fluorides the first ionisation potentials alternate as the size of the ring increases beyond 8 atoms. These results, and also the relative energies of a number of states of (NPF2)n+, are interpreted by use of the orbital approximation and a model of a dual π-system which involves 3d-orbitals at phosphorus and valence-shell orbitals of nitrogen and which supplements the underlying σ-framework. Comparison of the results with simple molecular orbital calculations suggest that the highest π-system is of the homomorphic type, involving mainly the 3dx2–y2– orbital, and that it is accompanied by a lower and partly overlapping heteromorphic system, to which the 3dxz-orbital makes the major contributions. Ionisation spotential are also assigned to molecular orbitals which span the P–N and P–F σ-bonds, and the fluorine lone pairs.


This important book presents the most important articles by leading scholars in their fields and brings together three basic aspects of research into nonlinear dynamics and economics.


Droplet self-transport is crucial in various fields ranging from physics to biochemistry. Despite extensive progress, existing systems for droplet self-transport still perform at low transport velocity or limited transport range. Here, a multi-bioinspired surface comprising two-dimensional gradient structures is proposed innovatively, which integrates the heterogeneous wettability with the shape gradient morphology. Droplet transport behaviors are systematically investigated from experiment, theory, and simulation. The fabricated structure achieves the ultrafast (over ~ 450 mm/s) and long-range (over ~ 200 mm) self-transport of droplets. Moreover, the fantastic scalability of this structure enables it to pump numerous multi-scale droplets from one site to the preset region with ultralow loss. Drawing inspirations, two systems have been designed to complete complex tasks on open surface. This work provides a reliable droplet manipulation strategy for various applications, such as water collection, microfluidics, and biomedicine, etc.


ERP system implementation of risk assessment has been to ensure that enterprises key to the successful implementation of ERP. Domestic enterprises in accordance with the status of the implementation of ERP systems, risk can generally be controlled software risks, the implementation of risk management and other risks and internal risks. Therefore the text ERP Software Selection for the many influencing factors, and evaluate the information with the characteristics of ambiguity, on the basis of the introduction of AHP Analytical Hierarchy Process ERP system implementation to establish a risk assessment model for ERP implementation in the process of risk assessment, the application of AHP algorithm to find the key to the success of the impact of the implementation of risk factors.


This paper intends to study the circumstances, both aesthetical and ideological, that turned Rojo y Negro (Carlos Arevalo, 1942) into a unique piece of work of the Spanish postwar cinema. The political ideas expressed by the film –which belonged to a decadent Falange in favour of European fascism– and its striking avant-garde style – influenced by the Soviet montage and Surrealism– lead to the withdrawal of such an inconvenient film for Franco's Regime.


The energy-efficient and safe conversion of ethane into ethylene is possible by simultaneous exothermic oxidative dehydrogenation and endothermic

cracking of ethane in the presence of steam and limited amounts of O 2 , by using the thermally and hydrothermally stable supported catalyst

SrO/La 2 O 3 /SA 5205 diluted with an inert support. Because the exothermic and endothermic reactions are coupled, this process requires

only very little or no applied energy.


PTCHD1 has been implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and/or intellectual disability, where copy number variant losses or loss-of-function coding mutations segregate with disease in an X-linked recessive fashion. Missense variants of PTCHD1 have also been reported in patients. However, the significance of these mutations remains undetermined since the activities, subcellular localization and regulation of the PTCHD1 protein are currently unknown. This paucity of data concerning PTCHD1 prevents the effective evaluation of sequence variants identified during diagnostic screening. Here, we characterize PTCHD1 protein binding partners, extending previously reported interactions with postsynaptic scaffolding protein, SAP102. Six rare missense variants of PTCHD1 were also identified from patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. After modelling these variants on a hypothetical three-dimensional structure of PTCHD1, based on the solved structure of NPC1, PTCHD1 variants harboring these mutations were assessed for protein stability, post-translational processing and protein trafficking. We show here that wild-type PTCHD1 post-translational modification includes complex N-glycosylation and that specific mutant proteins disrupt normal N-link glycosylation processing. However, regardless of their processing, these mutants still localized to PSD95-containing dendritic processes and remained competent for complexing SAP102.


Yangtze River is the most dynamic, open and innovative region in China, as well as an important region for modernization and comprehensive opening. In this paper, under the strategic background of the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region, this paper systematically studies the transformation and upgrading of digitalization and manufacturing from the perspective of urban agglomeration, establishes a measurement model of the digital economy, constructs a comprehensive evaluation system for the quality of digital economy, and intuitively displays and studies the impact mechanism and realization path of digital economy and manufacturing transformation and upgrading. The objective of the study is to examine whether the development of the digital economy is a driver of regional development. The results of the study revealed that the quality of digital economy development in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration has a positive impact on the transformation and upgrading of the local manufacturing industry.


Knowledge of ecological impacts of fishing, especially in small-scale sector, is not always readily available, making it difficult to employ an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and to achieve sustainability. The topic of this dissertation was formulated with the aim to enhance this knowledge through conducting researches in Mu Ko Chang, Trat Province, the Eastern Gulf of Thailand. This study focuses on two main types of impacts, i.e. bycatch and habitat damages, consisting of three research modules: 1) assessing existing knowledge and analyzing the knowledge gap regarding bycatch and habitat impacts of fishing methods in Thai waters; 2) investigating fishing impacts in terms of bycatch and habitat damages, of some fishing gears in Ko Chang, Trat Province, and; 3) analyzing relative ecological impacts of fishing gears and to rank the levels of severity caused by different fishing gears. According to the literature review and gap analysis, a major gap of knowledge on the ecological impacts of fishing gears in Thailand was found, particularly the data on bycatch (retained and discarded) and habitat damages. The onboard surveys of bycatch for nine small-scale fishing gears in Ko Chang revealed that some of the gears, particularly trammel nets, crab traps, and gillnets, produced the higher number of bycatch in terms of biomass and species richness. A study on the impacts of fish traps on coral reefs revealed various possible impacts including physical damages on corals, impacts from sediment dispersion, ecosystem imbalance due to exploitation of reef fish, and marine debris. A comparative study on macrobenthic community between permanent and six-month closure areas exhibited the impacts of fishing activities (trawlers, push nets, and dredges) in terms of the reduction on macrobenthic abundance. An expert consultation workshop was also convened aiming to rate the impacts of fishing gears including large- and small-scale based on existing knowledge, surveyed data, and personal experience of the expert. It showed that otter-board trawls and pair-trawls were rated with the highest score of bycatch and habitat impacts.� In terms of small-scale fishing gears, bycatch impacts caused by shrimp trammel nets and crab gill nets were mostly concerned. This dissertation enhances understandings of the ecological impacts of fishing gears on marine ecosystems in Thailand that are highly required for ecosystem-based fisheries management.


Vitreous silica (v-SiO2) shows anomalous temperature dependence of velocity, including positive temperature coefficient of velocity (TCV) and velocity minimum around 70 K. The former characteristic allows its application in acoustic-resonator devices as a temperature compensating material. In this paper, we study the temperature dependence of velocity of fluorine-doped v-SiO2 (v-SiO2–xFx) thin films using picosecond ultrasonic spectroscopy. To correct the temperature increase caused by irradiation with light pulses, we calculated the steady temperature increase in the measuring volume with a finite volume method, considering the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity, and find that temperature in the measurement region remains high even when the back surface is cryogenically cooled. Using the corrected temperature, we determine TCV of v-SiO2–xFx thin films for 0<x<0.264, which increases as x increases and is smaller than reported bulk values by a factor of 0.5−0.7. The velocity minimum is absent f...


The influence of external electrohydrodynamic forces on natural convection from a flat plate has been studied. Temperature distribution in the aforementioned channel at α = 45°, 90°, and 150° angles in different 10-, 12-, and 15-kV electrostatic fields has been reviewed. Corona wind and the shape of the created vortex by electrohydrodynamics were detected. The results showed that heat transfer was enhanced by increasing the electrostatic field in all angles. In the presence of the field, enhancement of heat transfer of the plate at acute angles is better than for obtuse ones. The optimal angle in terms of heat transfer was 45°, noting heat transfer improvement by 61%.


After years of almost full confidence in the security of common hash functions such as MD5 and SHA-1, the cryptographic community is now facing the unprecedented threat of seeing practical security applications succumb to concrete attacks. A way to cope with this crisis is to fasten the development of new hash functions, but another crucial task is to assess the implications these attacks on hash functions may have on cryptographic systems. This paper reports a thorough investigation on how recent attacks on hash functions impact the security of signature schemes. We suggest the notion of probabilistic hash-and-sign signatures and further classify signature schemes into various related categories which allow us to identify completely the nature of security relations between signature schemes and their inner hash functions. We also determine how using iterated hash functions a la Merkle-Damgard impacts the security of deterministic (resp. probabilistic) hash-and-sign signatures. We confirm that the security gain inherent to using the probabilistic hash-and-sign paradigm may be lost completely if instantiated with a Merkle-Damgard hash function and unwise operating mode.


We report the case of a 10-month-old boy born to an HIV-positive mother who presented with symptoms compatible with AIDS. However, he became HIV-negative and his condition was probably due to combined cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus infections.


The slip of a small bubble (SB) from the annular film of the slug/Taylor bubble (TB) is often encountered in the chemical reactors and has intrigued many researchers. A combined experimental and numerical study has been performed to investigate the interaction of the SB and the slug bubble in a rectangular column with viscous fluids. The interaction behavior of the SB depends upon its diameter, deq, and thermo-physical properties of the fluid. The SB sprints away from the slug bubble at low Morton numbers, Mo=ρl−ρggμ4/ρl2σ3 (sprint-away regime). On the other hand, SB interacts with TB due to its lower terminal velocity at higher Mo (bubble slip regime). The SB behaves independently ahead of the TB nose but accelerates linearly into its annular film. A regime map has been proposed to differentiate between the bubble slip and the sprint-away regime. The entrapped film between TB and SB is continuously fed from the annular film and avoids the coalescence. An ad hoc pressure jump model has been proposed to explain the repulsion of SB in the annular film. Furthermore, a modified lubrication theory based model predicted the stability of the entrapped film due to interfacial velocities and curvature.


The aim of work is construction of correlation fields with trend lines and determination of the directionality of relationships between the investigated indicators of endothelial dysfunction, hypoxia and oxidative stress.
Our results indicate that Willebrand factor, endothelin-1, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, MDA, diene conjugates and eNOS are informative markers in the pathogenesis of experimental diabetic retinopathy. As a result of the research, it was established that there is a direct linear relationship between the Willebrand factor indicator and malondialdehyde, since the points of the correlation field are practically located on a straight line. We trace a similar type of direct linear relationship between Willebrand factor and diene conjugates. The specified results confirm the mutually aggravating relationship between the development of endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress. We trace an inverse linear relationship between Willebrand factor and peroxidase. With an increase in Willebrand factor indicators by stages, we trace a decrease in peroxidase indicators, which indicates a relationship between endothelial dysfunction and a weakening of antioxidant protection. As a result of the study, it was established that the first two indicators: malondialdehyde and diene conjugates have an almost direct linear relationship with endothelin-1 indicators. These results confirm the relationship between the functional and structural state of the endothelium and the development of oxidative stress. It was established that the peroxidase indicator has an inverse linear relationship with the endothelin-1 indicators, which, as in the case of the Willebrand factor, indicates a violation of antioxidant protection in the event of endothelial dysfunction. As a result of the analysis of the dependence of the indicators of 2,3 diphosphoglycerate, Willebrand factor and eNOS, it was found that in the first two pairs of indicators, there is an inverse linear relationship between the indicators. As eNOS levels increase by stage, levels of 2,3 diphosphoglycerate and Willebrand factor decrease. In the case of an inverse relationship between the parameters of the Willebrand factor and eNOS, a practically functional connection is observed, since the coefficient of determination is almost 1. The obtained results indicate that the violation of the structural and functional state of the endothelium and the development of hypoxia are interconnected with the violation of the physiological pathway of oxide synthesis nitrogen. The relationship between the indicators of 2,3 diphosphoglycerate and the Willebrand factor was revealed, which has a direct relationship between the variables, which once again confirms the aggravating interaction between hypoxia and endothelial dysfunction.


In this paper we study only partial retailers to share information in a supply chain with retail and e-tail channels, which is composed of one manufacture and two retailers. To achieve maximum profits of manufacture, an incentive model is designed to motivate retailer information sharing by a price discrimination strategy in supply chain. Manufacture and retailers' optimization decision and profits are resolved in the incentive mechanism. The research results show that it is feasible to motivate partial retailers to share information channels by a discriminating pricing strategy.


The main character of this story is Dr. Franz Sattler, born 1884 in Northern Bohemia under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. A brilliant but poor student of ancient philology and orientalism at the University of Prague and editor of the first German-Persian dictionary he wanted to become a university professor but was unable to find a paid job at the University. So he started to write adventure novels. Probably in order to finance his travels he then became a spy and ended up in prison. Due to his vast knowledge of oriental languages and culture he always found ways to travel widely in the Near East supposedly to study with esoteric masters. In several volumes Sattler explained then their alleged teachings. 1925 he founded a magical order in Vienna which he pretended to be the German outpost of an oriental secret society. This order worshipped the mythological figures of Adonis and Dido as orgiastic counterparts to the "prudish" Christian creed. A whole intricate mythological cosmos with a fierce antichristian bias and a language of its own was invented by Sattler for this purpose.

Very soon however the order's branches in Germany were closed down by the police because of immoral incidents. Dr. Franz Sattler was also accused for selling quack remedies at high prices. He fled first to Czechoslovakia and then probably to Greece. He also founded a bogus limited company which was to dig up a hidden gold treasure in Greece which Sattler pretended to have found in his early years selling the shares of this company at high prices. Other business scams were invented by him, too. At the same time however he was a typical social reformer, advocating women's rights and sexual liberty and he even wanted to reform the existent laws of Germany and also German orthography. It is not known when, where and how he died. There are still today followers of his Cult of Adonism.


1871. From March, 18 to May, 25, the Imprimerie nationale, which had been the State Printing Office for over two centuries, was seized by the French Commune. It was requested to print administrative and official documents and, above all, the numerous posters and tracts which gave daily news to besieged Parisian people. While its executive officers fled to Versailles with the legal government, three workers strove to put into practice the democratic and egalitarian ideals of the Commune, such as self-management, abolition of penalties, replacement of piece wages by weekly wages, simplification of hierarchy. Unlike most of the public services, the Imprimerie nationale managed to supply the new authorities. Besides it proved to be a successful laboratory of social experiences. But the victory of the army of Versailles put an end to this interlude and brought the former rules back.


As the main force in development of PE, the author thinks that the PE institute should take an important patr in putting the plan of fitness for all into practice by betting up various public club.


A new concept of differential phase has been proposed. The flux of molecules between two phases, rather than the fugacity, is used to formulate the phase equilibrium. A double-resistance physical model is presented for modelling the flow of molecules through the interface of two phases. By equating the equilibrium between differential phase and bulk phase, a generalized sequential-analytic method for determining the radial distribution function (RDF) is developed. The proposed method is capable of giving RDF values close to those obtained by molecular simulation. It has been shown that when coupled with the Lennard-Jones potential model, the pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) relation of pure fluids with molecular size up to n-hexane can be predicted satisfactorily in wide ranges of temperature and pressure.


Dietary fish oils and skeletal muscle. Diets supplemented with fish oils produced large changes in rat skeletal-muscle fatty acid composition, including reductions in arachidonic acid content. This did not affect muscle growth and exacerbated the efflux of intracellular enzymes following a damaging stress ; both processes had previously been claimed to depend on arachidonic acid metabolism. 21 7-224


Infections secondary to multidrug‐resistant organisms (MDRO) have emerged as a growing problem in solid organ transplantation (SOT). Most of the published data on MDRO infections in SOT pertains to abdominal organ transplantation and data specific to heart transplantation (HT) are limited.


Objective: Analyze the postoperative complications after repairing acute Achilles tendon rupture and compare them according to the surgical approach (open surgery (OS) or minimally invasive surgery (MIS)) and the patient's comorbidities. Methods: A retrospective analytical study including 154 consecutive patients with an acute Achilles tendon rupture submitted to surgery and divided into OS and MIS cohorts. The following relevant comorbidities were analyzed: obesity, diabetes mellitus, smoking, dyslipidemia, gout, chronic corticosteroid use, connective tissue pathologies, transplant history, cancer treatment patients, and postoperative complications. Results: Seventy-eight patients (50.6%) were treated surgically with an OS technique and 76 (49.4%) with an MIS approach. Twenty patients (13%) had postoperative complications between the two cohorts (OS 11.5%; MIS 14.5%; p = 0.588). No statistically significant difference was found in the logistic regression of the risk of the surgical approaches and complications. Obesity had a significant statistical difference when complications and comorbidities were compared. Conclusions: Patients with obesity have a higher risk of developing postoperative complications with both OS and MIS techniques. No relationship was found between the type of surgical approach and a higher percentage of postoperative complications in treating acute Achilles tendon rupture.


Late Qing Dynasty was important epoch that western modern natural science was introduced into China.The introduction of modern natural science was a well-regulated process.The introduction of modern natural science took on different character in different period of the late Qing Dynasty and had important influence upon modern society of China.


Increasing adherence will likely have far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific treatments [1]. While the author of this statement was referring to cardiovascular disease, it is equally, if not more applicable to bleeding disorders. Adherence to treatment recommendations is an essential component of successful haemophilia management for those on prophylactic therapy. While properly informed and motivated parents can help to ensure good adherence for children, many clinicians believe that adherence declines significantly during adolescence as individuals transition from parental care to greater independence. There are several potential barriers to adherence in haemophilia; the time-consuming nature of infusions and the lack of understanding of the disease are known to be among the most important of these barriers [2]. Recent research has indeed shown that patient knowledge about haemophilia and its treatment is somewhat limited [3]. Beyond these patient-centred factors, there are also potential physician-centred barriers to optimal adherence. Improving the treatment team s approach to adherence may lead to better clinical outcomes. We designed a survey to determine the perspective of haemophilia healthcare professionals on adherence to treatment recommendations and to maintenance of a bleed/infusion diary among Canadian paediatric, adolescent and adult haemophilia patients. In addition, the survey was also designed to quantify the proportion of healthcare professionals who assess adherence; and the ways in which adherence is assessed. The survey was developed by Anthony Chan, in collaboration with Margaret Warner and Kay Decker. It was an electronic survey distributed by email to 53 members of the Association of Hemophilia Clinic Directors of Canada (AHCDC) and 38 members of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Hemophilia Care (CANHC) members. The questionnaire asked the respondents to estimate the proportion of their patients [stratified by age group: children (0–12 years), adolescents (13–17 years) or adults (‡18 years)] who comply with treatment/prophylaxis recommendations with minimal deviation and the proportion who comply with the request to maintain a diary with minimal deviation. The healthcare professionals were also asked whether or not they assess compliance and the methods they use to assess and improve compliance. The response rate was 66% among contacted haematologists (35/ 53) and 45% (17/38) of the contacted nurses. Forty per cent of physician respondents indicated that they treat children/adolescents, 37% indicated they treat adults, and 23% treat both. Among nurse respondents, 17.6% indicated that they treat children/adolescents, 17.6% indicated they treat adults, and 64.7% treat both. Perhaps most surprisingly, not all respondents indicated they assess adherence: 12.5% of physicians and 17.6% of nurses responded that they did not assess adherence. Among professionals dedicated specifically to the management of bleeding disorders, this proportion seems to be high. In general, for both nurses and physicians, respondents indicated that a higher proportion of paediatric patients maintained a bleed diary and adhered to prophylaxis/treatment recommendations compared to adolescent and adult patients. For example, 84.6% of nurse respondents indicated that they thought their paediatric patients were 80–100% adherent to treatment recommendations, while none thought that their adolescent or adult patients achieved this level of adherence. Physicians had a less favourable view of adherence among children (50% of the physicians indicated an adherence rate of 80– 100% for this group), but a more optimistic outlook than their nurse colleagues about adolescents (19% of physicians estimated an 80– 100% adherence rate) and adults (35%). There was a broad variety of responses to the open-ended question asking how the nurses and physicians assess compliance. A high proportion of both groups indicated that education about haemophilia (93.8% of nurses and 80.6% of physicians who responded to that question) and improve relationship between team members and family/patients (nurses 81.3%, physicians 80.6%) were methods they used to improve adherence. Other popular responses were limit factor supply at home until bleed diaries are completed (nurses 62.5%, physicians 64.5%), psychological interventions (nurses 37.5%, physicians 32.3%) and increase amount of time they spend in the clinic visit (nurses 31.3%, physicians 35.5%). With respect to psychological interventions , the respondents did not indicate what type of interventions(s) they favoured. However, there is evidence that a structured intervention involving counterconditioning, distraction and positive reinforcement can be an effective way to achieve adherence among children who attempt to avoid treatment by exhibiting inappropriate behaviours [4]. In conclusion, assessment of adherence is not optimal: up to 18% of healthcare professionals do not assess adherence. The impression is that adherence is higher among paediatric patients than adolescents or adults. There is a need to promote adherence among patients in late childhood and adolescence. Further study is needed to evaluate the determinants of adherence in patients, and to develop tools to improve adherence.


Benzyl alcohol and Benzyl chloride were used respectively as the raw materials to synthesize the Neopentylbenzene.The reaction conditions,yields and feasibility of commercial scale production of each route were discussed and an optimal commercialized route was determined with the product yield of 30.1%.


Search based placement of modules is an important problem in VLSI design. It is always desired that the search should converge quickly to a high quality solution. This paper presents a tabu search based optimization technique to place modules on a regular two-dimensional array. The goal of the technique is to speed up the placement process. The technique is based on a two-step placement strategy. The first step is targeted toward improving circuit routability and the second step addresses circuit performance. The technique is demonstrated through placement of several benchmark circuits on academic as well as commercial FPGAs. Results are compared to placements generated by commercial CAE tools and published simulated annealing based techniques. The tabu search technique compares favorably to published simulated annealing based techniques, and it demonstrates an average execution time speedup of 20 with no impact on quality of results when compared to commercial tools.


This study was designed to investigate age-related differences in isokinetic peak torque and its endurance on normal 172 boys ranging in age from 10 to 18 years served as volunteer subjects. Each subject was given a leg extension/flexion test using an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex II), and extended/flexed at every speed of 0°, 60°, 120°, 180°, 240° and 300°/sec to measure the peak torque of thigh muscles estimated as muscle strength. He was also given an endurance test used the above Cybex II and extended maximally a leg at 180°/sec, 50 times, An endurance of thigh muscles was calculated as a ratio of (mean value for peak torque of initial 5 times-mean value of final 5 times)/mean value of initial 5 times.The peak torque, measured in the extension/flexion test, clearly increased in order of age. In the endurance test, the initial mean value for peak torque was in almost the same developing pattern as those described above in the leg extension/flexion test, but the final mean value did not respond to age over 16 years old.Therefore, 96 boys, aged 11 to 15 years old organized five age groups, and individual group was divided into two subgroups, i, e, experimental group and control group. The members in the experimental group participated in an isokinetic muscle training used Cybex II, consisted of 3 days/week, and 3 sets/day (1 set was 30-times repetition at 180°/sec) throughout 8 weeks.The training increased considerably the strength and endurance of thigh muscles for boys ages 13 years, compared to another age group. Boys aged 14 and 15 years had a larger increment of muscle strength through the training than 11 and 12 years old boys. Boys of 12 years, however, showed a comparable increase in muscle endurance through the training to those aged 14 and 15 years.As above showed, it was discernible that the effects of training on the muscle strength and endurance generally depended on physical maturing.The effect on muscle strength of thigh flexors through the training was greater than that of thigh extensor, independently of age.The improvement of muscle strength was caused by muscle hypertrophy and neurological factor, especially the latter regardless of age, irrespective of the influence due to hypertrophy extended from 10.3% at the age of eleven to 19.1% at the age of fifteen.


In the course of the recent music curriculum reform, there is an overemphasis on modern teaching technique. To overcome such a mistake, music teachers should keep the following in their mind: the using of modern teaching technique is not the key factor to implement a music class effectively, and music education also can be fruitful without using modern teaching technique. And the new curriculum reform doesn't give a priority to the application of modern educational technique; the teaching art of music teachers is the key factor for a high-quality music class.


This study examines the effect of family ownership and board independence on earnings management using quantile regression. Based on a large sample of Taiwanese companies, our results show that the effects of family ownership and board independence on earnings management differ across quantiles. Higher family ownership and greater proportion of independent directors affect earnings management positively and negatively respectively for firms in the lower quantile, but not in the higher quantile. Our findings can reconcile the conflicting predictions by the agency and stewardship theories about the effectiveness of family ownership and board independence on earnings management, with implications for regulators.


A natural nanotubular material, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs), was introduced to prepare styrene-butadiene rubber/modified halloysite nanotube (SBR/m-HNT) nanocomposites. Complex of resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine (RH) was used as the interfacial modifier. The structure, morphology and mechanical properties of SBR/m-HNT nanocomposites, especially the interfacial interactions, were investigated. SEM and TEM observations showed that RH can not only facilitate the dispersion and orientation of HNTs in SBR matrix at nanometer scale, but also enhance the interfacial combination between HNTs and rubber matrix. FTIR and XPS investigations confirmed that a number of hydrogen bonds were formed between the phenol hydroxyl groups in resorcinol-formaldehyde resin derived from RH and the oxygen atoms in Si–O bonds or hydroxyl groups on HNTs surfaces. The m-HNTs modified with RH have significant reinforcing effect on SBR vulcanizates. RH as a good interfacial modifier can remarkably improve mechanical properties of...


Method of preparation of fluorosulfonyldifluoroacetyl fluoride involving the stages of synthesis of tetrafluoroethane-β-sultone and its subsequent isomerization was studied in details and improved.


Background. This study examined the therapeutic effects of an orally active non-peptide kinin B1 receptor antagonist, BI113823, in a clinically relevant experimental model of polymicrobial sepsis in rats. Methods: Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Animals received treatment with either vehicle or BI113823. The experiment was terminated 15 hours after CLP in SET 1 animals. Seven-day survival following CLP was determined in SET 2 animals. Results: Compared to vehicle treatment, administration of BI113823 reduced neutrophil and macrophage infiltration, reduced cytokine production, attenuated intestinal mucosal hyperpermeability, prevented hemodynamic derangement, and improved cardiac output. Furthermore, administration of BI113823 reduced lung iNOS expression and lung injury score and attenuated NF-ĸB activation and apoptosis in the liver. Treatment with BI113823 also reduced plasma levels of cardiac troponin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, urea, and lactate, as well as proteinuria. Finally, administration of BI113823 improved the 7-day survival rate following CLP in rats. Conclusions: Administration of BI113823 reduced systemic and tissue inflammatory responses, prevented hemodynamic derangement, attenuated multi-organ injury, and improved overall survival. Ac ce pte d M an us cri pt 3 INTRODUCTION Sepsis is a complex inflammatory response that is often triggered via the innate immune system in response to polymicrobial infection (1, 2). It is a common and critical complication in surgical patients that often leads to multiple organ failure and death. Despite intensive supportive care, organ failure arising from severe sepsis accounts for nearly 6 million deaths worldwide annually (1, 2). The release of endotoxins from Gram-negative bacteria triggers activation of inflammatory cells, including polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN), monocytes/macrophages, and lymphocytes, leading to a massive, uncontrollable release of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other inflammatory factors (3, 4). High levels of inflammatory mediators can increase blood capillary permeability, intravascular coagulation, edema, multiple organ failure, and ultimately death (3, 4). Thus, early control of the inflammatory response could be critical for the treatment of sepsis. However, controlling the overwhelming inflammatory reaction associated with polymicrobial sepsis remains a prevalent clinical challenge with few treatment options. Kinins are proinflammatory peptides that are formed in plasma and tissues in response to infection, tissue trauma, and inflammatory factors (5, 6). Kinins exert a wide range of biological effects, including inflammation, hypotension, vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, pain, edema, smooth muscle contraction, and cell proliferation (5, 6). These actions are mediated by the stimulation of two pharmacologically distinct receptor subtypes, B1 and B2 (5, 6). The B2 receptor is constitutively expressed, whereas the B1 receptor is strongly upregulated during inflammation, tissue injury, and exposure to bacterial endotoxins such as lipopolysaccharide, growth factors, cytokines, and its own agonist (5-7). There is an important difference between the two receptor subtypes (8, 9). B2 receptor activation by binding of bradykinin results in rapid, Ac ce pte d M an us cri pt 4 receptor-mediated ligand internalization accompanied by loss of surface receptors (8, 9). In contrast, B1 receptor, once induced displays a lack of desensitization and absence of internalization (8, 9). Furthermore, a receptor subtype switch, from kinin B2 receptors to B1 receptors, is induced under various pathologic conditions (10, 11). B1R induction elicits persistent inflammatory responses and its up-regulation is further boosted by ligand binding (10, 12). Transgenic overexpression of B1 receptors in rats and mice lead to increased susceptibility to endotoxic shock (13, 14), whereas loss of B1 receptors prevents endotoxic shock in mice (15). These observations suggest that the B1 receptor blockade might represent a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of sepsis. Small molecular non-peptide orally active antagonists of B1 receptors are desired for clinical drug development for a variety of inflammatory diseases. BI113823, a small molecule, orallyactive, non-peptide B1 receptor antagonist, is a potent anti-inflammatory agent with a favorable cardiovascular profile (16, 17). The present study examined the therapeutic potential of BI113823 in a polymicrobial sepsis model using CLP in rats. METHODS Animals All animal studies were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and complied with the Animal Welfare Act. Male Wistar rats weighing 275-325 g were used in all experiments. The rats were housed under controlled light/dark conditions and fed standard rat food and water ad libitum. All animals were observed daily for general health, and all invasive procedures were performed under aseptic conditions. Ac ce pte d M an us cri pt 5 Induction of Sepsis Animals were anesthetized with ketamine (60 mg kg, i.m.) and xylazine (10 mg kg, i.m.). Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), as previously described (14). Briefly, a 2-cm midline abdominal incision was performed. The cecum was then exposed, ligated just distal to the ileocecal valve to avoid intestinal obstruction, punctured 10 times with an 18-gauge needle, and returned to the abdominal cavity. The animals were resuscitated immediately after surgery with 3 mL· 100g body weight subcutaneous normal saline and returned to their cages. Experimental protocol Following CLP, animals were randomly assigned to two study groups and received treatment of vehicle (0.5% Natrosol, n=8) or BI113823 (30 mg kg, p.o., n=8) at 1 and 12 hours after CLP. The dose was selected based on preclinical pharmacokinetic data. Hemodynamic assessment and tissue harvest At 15 hours after CLP, animals were anesthetized with ketamine, and hemodynamic variables were measured as previously described (18). At the end of the experiment, blood samples, abdominal ascites, urine, and organ tissues were collected for analysis. Peritoneal cell counting was performed using a standard hemocytometer. Differential cell counts were performed on Giemsa-wright stained (Microscopy Hemacolor-Merck; Germany) cytospin preparations. Histologic examination Lung tissues were fixed in 10 % formalin, embedded in paraffin, and sliced into 5-μm-thick sections. After deparaffinization, slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Morphological Ac ce pte d M an us cri pt 6 alterations in the lungs were examined by light microscopy. A previously described scoring system (19) measuring inflammatory infiltration, edema, disorganization of lung parenchyma and hemorrhage was used to grade the degree of lung injury. In this scoring system, higher scores indicate more severe lung abnormalities: 0 = normal, 1 = light, 2 = moderate, 3 = severe, and 4 = very severe (19). All histological studies were performed in a blinded fashion. Determination of intestinal mucosal permeability Small intestinal mucosal barrier function was assessed using the ex-vivo isolated ileum sac as previously described (18). Briefly, isolated ileum sacs were prepared in ice-cold modified KrebsHenseleit bicarbonate buffer (KHBB, pH 7.4). Fluorescein-isothiocyanate dextran with a molecular weight of 4000 Da (FD4; Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) was used as a permeability probe. The ileal segment, ligated with silk on one end, was filled with 1.5 mL of KHBB and suspended in a glass beaker of 80 mL of KHBB [containing FD4 (20 μg mL)] at 37C and gassed with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. The beaker was incubated for 30 min in a shaker bath at a frequency of 80-100 shakes min. After incubation, the fluid was aspirated from within the ileal sac to determine FD4 concentrations on the serosal side. The length and diameter of the ileal sac were then measured. FD4 concentrations on the serosal side, as well as the initial and final levels in the glass beaker, were determined by fluorescence measurements at an excitation wavelength of 480 nm and emission wavelength of 520 nm. Intestinal mucosal permeability was expressed as the mucosal-to-serosal clearance of FD4, as previously described (18). Ac ce pte d M an us cri pt 7 Biochemical assay Enzyme immunoassay kits for cardiac troponin I (CTNI-2-HSP , Life Diagnostics, Inc., West Chester, PA, USA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (#438204, BioLegend, San Diego, CA), and interleukin (IL)-1β (RLB00, R & D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA) were used to determine the concentrations of these mediators in the plasma and tissues. Plasma levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea (k753, k752, and k375, all from Biovision, Milpitas, CA), and lactate (MAK064, Sigma) were determined using assay kits according to the manufacturer's instructions. The urine protein concentration was determined using a Smart BCA Assay Kit (#21071, Intron Biotechnology Inc. South Korea). Neutrophil accumulation in the lung and liver was measured using myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, according to previously described methods (18). NF-κB (p65) binding activity was measured in liver nuclear protein extracts obtained using the Nuclear Extraction Kit from Cayman Chemical (Ann Arbor, MI) (20). The translocation and binding activity of NF-kB (p65) in the nuclear protein extracts were measured using a colorimetric assay according to the manufacturer's instructions (Cayman Chemical, Ann Arbor, MI). Liver tissue apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay (G-3250, Promega Corporation, Madison, WI). TUNEL positive cells were quantified by randomly select six fields (*100 magnification) from each tissue slide and the number of TUNEL-positive nuclei were calculated. Immunohistochemical staining Immunohistochemical staining for neutrophil elastase, CD68, and iNOS were performed to depict neutroph


We investigate the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions of the following nonlinear fractional differential equation with integral boundary value conditions, , , where , and is the Caputo fractional derivative and is a continuous function. Our analysis relies on a fixed point theorem in partially ordered sets. Moreover, we compare our results with others that appear in the literature.


In this paper, we investigate subspace supercyclicity for tuples of operators and we give conditions under which a tuple of operators satisfying the subspace supercyclicity criterion. AMS Subject Classification: 47B37, 47B33


The annealing of implantation induced lattice damage in AlN, GaN and InN was studied by means of the perturbed angular correlation (PAC) technique using the PAC probe 181 Hf( 181 Ta). In all three lattices substantial fractions of the probe atoms occupied substitutional lattice sites after annealing. A detailed investigation of the changes observed during isochronal annealing indicates differences in the recovery process. In GaN the trapping of a unique defect, possibly a Nitrogen vacancy, in an intermediate temperature range was found.


Harvest in the breeding nursery 1, the sum of the weight of triticale plants, stalks of density, mass, grain ear and plants, the number of grains per ear and plant. The competitive strain testing the varieties decisive role in the harvest playing figures the number of plants to harvest, and weight of 1000 grains. In the variety of winter rye crop in the nursery Olga 1 year made up of the type of triticale. Whereas the varieties of Roxana in this nursery accent falls on the number of seeds per plant, and a lot of productive tillering plants. The competitive strain testing the variety Olga crucial role in crop plants play a number of signs to cleaning and weight of 1000 grains. And Roxanne crop varieties made up of the number of ears per square meter, grain mass per plant and ear, number of grains per ear and the number of plants per square meter.


Seven species of brown seaweed, Colpomenia sinuosa (CS), Hydroclathrus clathratus (HC), Dictyota dichotoma (DD), Padina australis (PA), P. minor (PM), Sargassum polycystum (SP) and Turbinaria conoides (TC) were collected from Chon Buri (01), Chumphon (02) and Rayong (03) provinces. Polysaccharides were extracted by boiling the dried seaweed samples in water at 100°C (E1) for 2 h and at 75°C, adjusted to pH 3 by addition of 2 mol/l HCl (E2), for 5 h. The total polysaccharide yield, total carbohydrate, sulfate content and sugar components of the E1- and E2-extracts were determined. The E1-extract of SP03 gave a maximum yield of 1.97±1.15% (w/w). The greatest percentage of carbohydrate (55.95±0.72%) was obtained from the E1-extract of PM02. The maximum sulfate content (18.10±0.25%, w/w) was obtained from HC01. For the E2 extraction, the maximum yield (19.69±0.23%, w/w) was obtained from HC01, while the greatest percentage of total carbohydrate obtained was 44.41±0.94% (w/w) in PM02. The sulfate content was high in the E2-extract from CS01 (14.22±0.69%). Fucose was identified as a main component in all extracts, with the highest percentage in HC01 (12.35%). Mannose was observed in samples from CS01, PA03, PM02, SP01 and SP03, but not from DD02, HC01, PA01 PA02 or TC02. Furthermore, regarding the antimicrobial activity determined in both extracts at 2 mg/ml, only the E1- and E2-extracts of SP01 and the E2-extract of CS01 demonstrated activity against Candida albicans. In contrast, most of the E1- and E2-extracts were not only inactive against the microorganisms that were tested, but actually promoted microbial growth, particularly in the case of extracts that contained mannose.


There is scanty data on the dynamics of Anopheles gambiae in Katsina State. Consequently, a study was undertaken from 2009 to 2014 to establish the species composition, distribution and abundance and vectorial capacity of An.gambiaein parts of Katsina State. Mosquitoes collected were identified morphologically using morphological keys, then subjected to PCR analysis utilizing standard methods. An. gambiaes.s. was the most preponderant, out of the 1069 adults reared from larvae,972 (89.3%) were An. gambiaes.s. followed by An. arabiensis with 114 (10.7%). There was no significant difference between An. gambiaes.s .and An. arabiensis reared from larvae between Zones A, B and C of Katsina State. Also there was no significant difference between the two species (p>0.05, F=19). Nine hundred and one 901(95.1%) and 46 42.9%) adult collections were found to be An. gambiaes.s. and An. arabiensis respectively. The highest number of An. gambiaes.s. were from Dandume with 333 and 205 for reared adults and indoor collections respectively. The lowest number of 6 An. arabiensis was also recorded at Dandume. There was no significant difference between An. gambiaes.s and An. arabiensis caught indoors in Zones A, B and C and also no significant difference between the two species (P>0.05, F=19). As the number of P. malaria increases in An. gambiae, it decreases in P. falciparum. Chi-Square indicates no significant difference between the Plasmodium species (p< 0.05). Even though An. gambiae was the most preponderant, there was no significant difference between An. gambiaes.s. and an. Arabiensis.


We describe the key issues and possibilities for continuous final dosage formation, otherwise known as downstream processing or drug product manufacturing. A distinction is made between heterogeneous processing and homogeneous processing, the latter of which leads to the full value of continuous manufacturing. We also give the key motivations for moving to continuous manufacturing, some of the exciting new technologies, and the barriers to implementation of continuous manufacturing.


Principal, and Staff Member, Royston, Hanamoto, Beck and Abey, Hill Valley, Calif. 94941. Abstract: We will present a method of combining computer mapping with manual overlays. An example of its use is the Willamette River Greenway Study produced for the State of Oregon Department of Transportation in 1974. This one year planning study included analysis of data relevant to a 286-mile river system. The product is a "wise use" plan which conserves the basic character of the land. The process offers a complete analysis and overview for sensitivity of land to human use. Visual qualities of the landscape as well as environmental and cultural resources were recorded and displayed in various combinations for analysis. Opportunities for specific use and management guidelines were also based on the integrity of the resource.


Essays by an international research team survey the actual state of knowledge concerning the monumental sculptures of the Pieta type in the 1st half of the 14th century; the converge on the newly restored Pieta from St Jacobs in Jihlava/Iglau.


The candidate access router (CAR) discovery protocol is designed for use in wireless IP networks to dynamically collect information about neighboring access routers and their capabilities. This capability enables mobile nodes to dynamically execute low-latency hand-offs and to intelligently select a target access router. This paper presents possible approaches for CAR discovery, a security analysis of those approaches, and our novel security CAR discovery mechanisms.


With underground engineering character,some environmental engineering geological problems caused by urban underground engineering construction.,such as land surface deformation,stability failure of cave's surrounding rock mass,deterioration of geological and ecological environment etc are analysed.Some key problems which should be resolved in underground engineering study for urban underground engineering construction are also discussed,preventing approaches and countermeasures of the underground engineering problems are also proposed.


This project aimed to characterize municipal solid waste (MSW) in the city of Presidente Castelo Branco, PR – Brazil. The quartering method was used in the characterization of the solid waste. In this characterization, specific percentages of each type of waste were found among the solid waste generated in the city. The composition was as follows: metal (6%), organic matter (45%), other (17%), paper / cardboard (12%), plastic (14%) and glass (6%). The proportion of waste varied with the day of collection, being the highest content of organic matter found on Monday. The composition of MSW of the present study suggests the feasibility of separation of garbage for recycling.


ABSTRACT This paper investigates the stabilisation of stochastic coupled systems with time-varying delays and Lévy noise on networks (SCSTLN) via periodically intermittent control. And here, internal delays, white noise and Lévy noise are considered in the networks. To ensure stability of SCSTLN with a periodically intermittent controller, several simple and useful criteria are obtained by establishing a new differential inequality and using a graph-theoretic approach. The intensity of control is closely related to the coupling strength and the perturbed intensity of white noise and Lévy noise. In particular, the stabilisation of stochastic coupled oscillators with time-varying delays and Lévy noise on a network as a practical application of our theoretical results is studied. Finally, a numerical example about oscillators network is carried out to show the validity and feasibility of our analytical results.


With an increasing number of adult congenital heart (GUCH) surgery patients, a suitable risk stratification model should be available for outcome evaluation, but it would tend to be incomplete due to the very heterogeneous and often complex patient groups with multiple measured as well as unmeasured risk factors. The paper by Horer et al .[ 1] contained valuable data concerning the procedural factors associated with early death and the complications following GUCH surgery. In addition to identifying the associations between early death and procedural factors, the authors looked for associations between items contained within the Aristotle comprehensive complexity (ACC) score. They commented that some of the items in the ACC 'did not achieve statistical significance' in terms of an association with early death, putting this down to the low prevalence of these factors within the dataset or to the small number of deaths. However, the lack of inclusion of complex patients who were not offered high-risk surgical options might skew the analysis. A third possibility is the lack of an association between all items in the ACC (developed primarily for paediatric cardiac patients) and early death in adult patients. Having found that the ACC score had a fairly good discrimination in the GUCH patient population, the authors discussed the appropriateness of the ACC for predicting outcome. Some care is required here. The authors talked of predictive accuracy, but no assessment of the accuracy of ACC was presented. To be very clear, discrimination (the extent to which a model can discern between low-risk and high-risk cases) is not a measure of predictive accuracy for individual patients or patient sub-groups. As we may remember, the Aristotle score was not created to predict mortality [2]. The score would give an average value of mortality for a given paediatric cardiac procedure which every centre or surgeon could use for performance evaluation. The authors also commented on the potential utility of adding diagnostic information such as 'univentricular status' to augment procedural information in risk stratification schemes such as the ACC. We certainly see the value in this and have recently completed an analysis of the UK Central Cardiac Audit Database (CCAD) to develop a risk model for paediatric cardiac surgery that incorporates such information on diagnosis [3]. In risk modelling for paediatric cardiac surgery, the trend is towards systems based on the analysis of data rather than expert opinion [4]. Nevertheless, the authors' vision of their work stimulating the collection and publication of larger series of data is one we fully endorse.


Objective To survey the infestation of cockroaches in food and beverage industries in Tianjin.Methods The infestation status of cockroaches was surveyed by choosing 10 eating houses selected from each district and counties of Tianjin in April,august and October,respectived.Results Totally 180 eating houses were surveyed and the average density of cockroasch was 3.57%,The infestation rates of cockroach surveyed in April,August and October were 46.1%,45.0% and 40.56% without significant difference(P0.05).Blattella germanica was the predominat species.Conclusion Infestation rate of cockroaches in food and beverage industries in Tianjin is serious and effective measures be adopted to control the infestation of cockroach in Tianjin..


Abstract We present astronomers' native visualization as techniques for representing and analyzing both the universe and their own social world. From our ongoing study we also present our preliminary ethnographic maps of the bundle of relationships used by women, minorities and foreign-born researchers to build careers in the field of astronomy. We discuss three ways of knowing visually. While the astronomers' visualizations are based upon discrete entities, ours show a bundle of ties (meshworks) through which astronomers are constituted as such. Our goal is to bridge STS and power analytics from gender, ethnic, and Critical Race Studies.


Financing healthcare paying doctors - do they behave differently? demand for healthcare should patients pay? measuring healthcare outputs setting healthcare priorities medical practice variations competition in healthcare running hospitals are preventive services qualitatively different from the curative services? evaluating health services best medical practice equals (or should equal) efficient medical practice.