From September 1976 to August 1979 the Pediatric Oncology Group accessed 145 children to study the effectiveness of modified LSA2‐L2 therapy for the treatment of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Burkitt's lymphoma patients were ineligible; E‐rosette‐positive patients with ≥ 25% blasts in the marrow entered after February 1977 were reported separately. Radiotherapy could be used to treat patients with compressive mediastinal disease at diagnosis and was prescribed for those with residual abdominal disease as demonstrated by second‐look surgery on completion of induction chemotherapy. Confirmation of diagnosis by the Pathology Panel and Repository Center for Lymphoma Clinical Trials was mandatory. Diagnostic tissues of 131 patients were reviewed. Among 107 evaluable patients, 91 (85%) achieved complete remission. Differences in response rates among the three major histologic groups (lymphoblastic, undifferentiated, and large cell) were of statistical significance, with response being poorest for diffuse undifferentiated lymphoma (P = 0.03). Failure‐free survival did not differ significantly for the three major histologic diagnoses. While response rate was lowest for Murphy Stage III patients (79%), the differences among the stages were not significant. Stage was not a significant prognostic factor for failure‐free survival (P = 0.08). The number of patients still at risk and the Kaplan‐Meier estimate of percentage of patients remaining at risk after 3 years is: Stage I, 8 (100%); Stage II, 10 (67%); Stage III, 28 (57%); Stage IV, 6 (39%); and > 25% blasts, 1 (13%). Stage III failure curves for lymphoblastic disease show continuing stepwise failure through 3 years. Among patients with diffuse large cell and undifferentiated disease, most failures occurred by 8 months. M1 and M2 levels of marrow involvement were not prognostic among children with lymphoblastic disease. The presence of a mediastinal mass was a significant factor contributing to failure in children with lymphoblastic disease without marrow involvement. Leucocytosis > 10,000/1, was a significant (P = <0.001) factor predicting failure‐free survival for patients with large cell lymphoma. The delivery of radiotherapy was not a significant factor in achieving remission. No consistent benefit resulted from using radiotherapy to treat postinduction residual disease demonstrated on second‐look exploration. The LSA2‐L2 regimen was associated with considerable toxicity, severe or worse in 77% and life‐threatening to 40% of these patients. Four died of toxicity. However, therapy was given more easily and safely as investigator experience increased. Maintenance therapy was delivered on an out patient basis without complications in most instances. This study demonstrates the ability of the LSA2‐L2 regimen to produce long‐term remissions, or to "cure" 60% to 70% of children among the major histologic categories of childhood NHL, excepting Burkitt's lymphoma. Long‐term survival, or "cure", occurs in 90% with Stages I and II disease and some 50% of those with Stages III and IV disease. Neither radiotherapy nor second‐look surgical procedures appear to influence outcome. The continuous relapse pattern seen in lymphoblastic disease involving the mediastinum suggests the need for more intensive repetitive therapy "up‐front". The relapse pattern of non‐lymphoblastic disease suggests the discontinuation of therapy after 1 year.


Objective To establish an urban community nursing performance appraisal system from the perspective of input and output. Methods Delphi method is used for two rounds of investigation among the experts. Results Experts had relatively high authority and their views were in good accordance.Seven dimensions,17 items,and 23 indices were established for the system based on input and output. Conclusion A new community nursing appraisal system is established and will promote the improvement of community nursing care.


Problem statement: Event-based systems have importance in many application domains ranging from real time monitoring systems in produc tion, logistics, medical devices and networking to complex event processing in finance and security. T he increasing popularity of Event-based systems has opened new challenging issues for them. One suc h issue is to carry out requirements analysis of event-based systems and build conceptual models. Currently, Object Oriented Analysis (OOA) using Unified Modeling Language (UML) is the most popular requirement analysis approach for which several OOA tools and techniques have been proposed. But none of the techniques and tools to the best of our knowledge, have focused on event-based requirements analysis, rather all are behavior-based approaches. Approach: This study described a requirement analysis approac h specifically for event based systems. The proposed approach started from e vents occurring in the system and derives an importable class diagram specification in XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) format for Argo UML tool. Requirements of the problem domain are captur ed as events in restricted natural language using the proposed Event Templates in order to reduce the ambiguity. Results: Rules were designed to extract a domain model specification (analysis-leve l class diagram) from Event Templates. A prototype tool 'EV-ClassGEN' is also developed to provide automation support to extract events from requirements, document the extracted events in Event Templates and implement rules to derive specification for an analysis-level class diagram. The proposed approach is also validated through a controlled experiment by applying it on many cases from different application domains like real time systems, business applications, gaming . Conclusion: Results of the controlled experiment had shown that after studying and applying Event-based approa ch, student's perception about ease of use and usefulness of OOA technique has significantly impro ved. Their project reported showed positive feedback about Event-based approach. These results reinforced the evidence that by analyzing events that are likely to happen in a system, one can deri ve class diagram information from requirements.


For wireless Ad Hoc networks are highly dynamic,dynamic topology changes,a wireless cyber source management technology is put forward.The wireless resource dynamic partition is set up to from the dynamic partition resources priority mechanism by deteting the neighbor node.Simulation results show that,the technology is capable of fast inquiry,not only improves the Ad Hoc network resource discovery performance and stability of the system,but also has other good performance compared with the prior art.


Arguing that widespread changes in human attitudes and behavior are vital to ensure a secure sustainable future this book focuses on using communication processes for facilitating those changes. Through lively accounts and analysis of specific projects across four continents the authors show how communication has been used to mobilize societies to facilitate democratic participation and to help people acquire new knowledge and skills. Among the activities described and explored are the successful worldwide mobilization of all levels of society for child immunization; the role of communication in facilitating rapid advances in family planning in many countries; education through entertainment; and the use of radio and video to enable peasant farmers to be protagonists in their own development. Lastly the authors make proposals for how communication strategies techniques and media resources might be systematically harnessed to help societies adopt change and develop in the next century.


I love the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) statement. It summarizes most of the issues that need to be carefully documented in a publication of a randomized clinical trial. The CONSORT statement gives you leverage with a difficult client who insists on doing the research in a way that you know is bad. Most of us statisticians are not in a position to dictate to researchers. Instead we rely on our powers of persuasion. One of the most persuasive tools at our disposal is an appeal to a greater authority. The CONSORT statement has authority written all over it. It relies on empirical evidence, when it is available, rather than expert opinion alone. Even if the CONSORT statement relied on expert opinion alone, it would still carry much weight because the past and present members of the CONSORT committees are some of the heavy hitters in the research community. The CONSORT statement has been endorsed by many journals as well as major groups, including the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Association of Medical Editors. Finally, there is empirical evidence that adoption of the CONSORT principles has improved the quality of research. Use CONSORT and your research will be more persuasive. The Medical Journal of Australia published a series of articles elaborating on the CONSORT standards (EBM: Trials on Trial), and full free text of these articles is available on the Web. These articles have been expanded and consolidated into the book. I will use Keech et al. to refer to the book and CONSORT to refer to the CONSORT statement (Moher et al., 2001) itself. Why should you buy something that is largely based on materials available on the Web for free? The main reason is convenience. You cannot easily carry a series of Web pages with you. Paper is also a superior medium for reading than a computer screen. You can read a paper version faster, more accurately, and with less eye strain. Better still, this book offers substantial enhancements over Web resources. The writing is clean and crisp. The layout makes judicious use of color to enhance readability. The authors also liven things up by interspersing a variety of light-hearted quotes and anecdotes with more serious material. It is natural to compare this book to Lang and Secic (2006). In some sense, it is an unfair comparison, because the latter is far thicker and far more expensive. Keech et al. covers a broader set of guidelines, not just relating to the statistics. Lang and


From the Publisher:
Designed to be a complete guide to the tools and techniques of Photoshop up through Photoshop 6, Photoshop 6 Shop Manual: Tools and Techniques will help you make the most of your strengths and overcome your weaknesses, within the context of an actual, field tested manual. Written from the trenches, it covers hundreds of tools, techniques and best practices, even experts will be surprised by the breadth and attention to detail. In addition to outlining the correct use of a particular tool, each element focuses on when and why readers need to use the tool, its common problems and how to avoid them.


The methodology described in this report pertaining to infant and child mortality uses the data from the 1976 Jordan Fertility Survey (JFS). Much of the analysis is conducted with data aggregated by 5-year birth cohorts and in terms of mortality rates for neonatal postneonatal and childhood age intervals. An evaluation of the accuracy of the mortality data revealed misreporting of age at death (reporting of some infant deaths as deaths at 12 completed months of age) and suggested the possibility of underreporting of events (in particular neonatal deaths to female births). Both of these problems were most marked for the birth cohorts before 1956. For the birth cohort immediately preceding the survey (1971-75) the level of infant mortality was estimated by direct procedures as 69/1000 for both sexes 59 for males and 80 for females. The indirect infant mortality rate (IMR) estimate for this 5-year period based on pregnancy history data was 73/1000 for both sexes. For the birth cohort of 1965-70 the level of child mortality the probability of dying between exact ages 1 and 5 was 19.1/1000 for both sexes 20.3 for males and 17.9 for females. Analysis of time trends in mortality for the 1956-75 period revealed substantial declines in neonatal postneonatal infant and child mortality. The data revealed a persistent pattern of mortality differentials by sex. Analysis of mortality differentials was restricted to data on births in the 1966-75 period. Differentials were calculated for the demographic factors of mothers age at birth birth order survivorship of the previous birth and length of the preceding birth interval. The 1st 2 factors were associated with neonatal (NN) mortality survivorship of the previous birth was very strongly associated with NN and postneonatal (PNN) mortality and length of the previous birth interval was very strongly associated with NN PNN and child mortality. Mothers and fathers education and place of residence were associated with NN mortality and these factors and fathers occupation were associated with child mortality. Multivariate analysis with a logistic regression model was conducted to determine the net effect of the demographic and socioeconomic factors on mortality. The data set for the analysis consisted of births in the 1966-75 period. For the NN period only 3 demographic factors had a statistically significant effect on mortality i.e. mothers age at birth survivorship of the previous birth and length of the preceding birth interval. For the PNN period survivorship of the previous birth length of the preceding birth interval fathers occupation and place of residence were significantly related to mortality.


By analyzing the voice communication performance of the existing tactical FM radios, the performance target of the newly developing TICN combat network radio system VHF band tactical voice communication waveform was derived. In addition, a vocoder and modulation method that can satisfy the performance target and additional requirements are presented, and the expected voice communication quality is analyzed.


positions of authority, people whom it is impossible to trust, and people who have a very indelicate sense of their responsibilities. There is no question of not obeying them, both strictly and without question. But it is stupid and dishonest to pretend that they rule well. Bouyer's life is a fascinating and penetrating work. It is a personal view and a theological view. It is also the tale of a hero. The mass of material available to the Newman biographer, so much still unpublished, is still such that it is impossible to put everything in a biography in its proper place. Bouyer's life has been praised both for its Anglican part rather than its Catholic part, and vice-versa. A definitive life will have to wait for some years yet, and perhaps until all the as yet unpublished material, including enough to fill about twenty volumes of letters during the Catholic period, has been published. JOHN M. TODD


On the basis of evidence of price‐fixing, in May 2006 the Canadian Competition Bureau targeted retail gasoline outlets in some local markets in the province of Quebec. In June 2008, criminal charges were filed against many individuals and companies operating in those local markets. We employ a differences‐in‐differences approach to determine whether the public announcement of the antitrust investigation triggered a reaction in one of the targeted markets. We find that the price of gasoline in the targeted market fell by 1.75 cents per liter after the public announcement of the investigation. We also briefly discuss how well the Stiglerian theory of collusion performs in this real‐world conspiracy.


Abstract Training and development efforts are instructional activities within an organization that aim to improve performance. These programs often involve increasing knowledge and skills, abilities that could be reasons for increasing job satisfaction and job performance. A training method is a strategy or technique for developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities of employees so that they can do their given tasks flawlessly. The organization must evaluate the nature of the job, the size of the organization and its employees, the types of employees, and the cost of adopting a training approach. Various organizations have identified and used many training methods based on training materials, time, costs, and types of tasks. The present study selected seven popular methods of training and development used frequently by the Commercial Bank of Bangladesh. For this study, it has been hypothesized that training and development methods positively impact employees' satisfaction and performance from the perspective of commercial banks in Bangladesh. The current study is empirical in nature, implying the collection of both primary and secondary data. A structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from employees of twelve commercial banks. The 250 questionnaires were distributed to the employees and collected. After sorting out the primary data, 200 questionnaires were used for analysis. The present study revealed that the informal learning method of training and development has a significant positive impact on employees' satisfaction and performance in commercial banks in Bangladesh. The other two methods of training and development, i.e. job rotation and seminars, have a significant positive impact on creating employee satisfaction in the commercial banks of Bangladesh.


Good viscosity stability of latex compounds is important for production processes. The effect of additions of potassium laurate, zinc oxide and ammonium sulphate on the viscosity of a natural rubber latex concentrate were investigated using a full two-level factorial design. The main and interaction effects were found to be large and significant as calculated by Yates Algorithm. Thus, all three variables jointly influenced the viscosity stability of latex compounds. When potassium laurate and ammonium sulphate were at the +1 levels, the increases in viscosity of the latex compounds were found to be large and gelation took place on overnight maturation. The destabilising effect of the laurate has been interpreted based on the results of radiotracer investigations on C-laurate soap adsorption on latex particles, which showed appreciable surface protein displacement by the added soap at high soap concentrations. A similar interpretation is made albeit less conclusively when the nitrogen values of the cream fraction of latex which was treated with high laurate concentrations were examined. Further, the destabilising influence of ammonium sulphate on latex compounds is discussed together with some data showing the relationship between ammonia/ammonium concentrations and zinc oxide solubility as measured by a •Zn-radiotracer method.


We designed and constructed a new x‐ray diffractometer under grazing incidence condition. This diffractometer is mainly composed of two goniometers; (1) a goniometer for grazing incidence angle control and (2) a goniometer for a sample rotation. The axes of the goniometers are orthogonal to each other. Furthermore, a detector moves parallel and vertical to the sample surface. Therefore, lattice constants of vertical and parallel components can be identified. We will describe components and accuracy of our designed diffractometer for grazing incidence x‐ray diffraction and show applications for TiSi2 (several 10 nm thickness) and GaAs (20 monolayer) on Si.


This study was developed with a soil contaminated by heavy metals, with the purpose of evaluating the action of silicon and phosphorus as protection agents through simple extractions by DTPA. The collected samples were prepared and incubated with five doses of silicon and five doses of phosphorus, with four replicates, amounting to 100 experimental units. After 30 and 60 days, samples of each treatment were collected, submitted to pH analyses and simple extraction by DTPA. The amounts of DTPA-extracted metals depended on the doses of silicon and phosphorus and on the pH. Treatments with silicon and phosphorus was efficient in decreasing the availability of heavy metals in soil.


We present a new method for automatic landmark extraction from the contours of biological specimens. Our ultimate goal is to enable automatic identification of biological specimens in photographs and drawings held in a database. We propose to use active appearance models for visual indexing of both photographs and drawings. Automatic landmark extraction will assist us in building the models. We describe the results of using our method on drawings and photographs of examples of diatoms, and present an active shape model built using automatically extracted data.


According to the Marcus theory, the driving force for the transfer of photogenerated electrons from quantum dots (QDs) to oxide nanocrystals depends on the energy difference of the system. In this study, an efficient driving force for the transfer of photoinduced charge—inner electric field effects—was suggested. The inner electric field was introduced from the p-NiO/n-ZnO heterojunction, which was formed by the in situ deposition of NiO on the ZnO nanosheet/nanorod film surface. Photoluminescence spectra revealed that the photogenerated charge carriers can be efficiently separated at the interface of p-NiO/n-ZnO. The QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) assembled with the p-NiO/n-ZnO photoanodes exhibited considerably higher JSC compared to those fabricated with ZnO photoanodes, indicating that the formation of a p–n junction at the photoanode surface is an efficient strategy to boost the short-circuit current of QDSCs.According to the Marcus theory, the driving force for the transfer of photogenerated electrons from quantum dots (QDs) to oxide nanocrystals depends on the energy difference of the system. In this study, an efficient driving force for the transfer of photoinduced charge—inner electric field effects—was suggested. The inner electric field was introduced from the p-NiO/n-ZnO heterojunction, which was formed by the in situ deposition of NiO on the ZnO nanosheet/nanorod film surface. Photoluminescence spectra revealed that the photogenerated charge carriers can be efficiently separated at the interface of p-NiO/n-ZnO. The QD-sensitized solar cells (QDSCs) assembled with the p-NiO/n-ZnO photoanodes exhibited considerably higher JSC compared to those fabricated with ZnO photoanodes, indicating that the formation of a p–n junction at the photoanode surface is an efficient strategy to boost the short-circuit current of QDSCs.


This paper solves the problem of minimizing losses in the stator magnetic core of high-speed electric machines with the use of amorphous iron. A fundamentally new technology for manufacturing of a stator magnetic core from segments of amorphous steel is developed by the authors. The feature of the new stator design is the possibility to use technological ducts located inside the stator as cooling ducts. This aspect significantly improves the heat dissipation from the active zone of the stator and, accordingly, minimizing temperature. The efficiency of this solution was studied using two power generators of 100 kW and 200 kW and rotational speeds of 60,000 rpm and 45,000 rpm respectively in the software complex Ansys Maxwell. Harmonic compositions of currents and voltages, flux density distributions in active elements of the generator in various operating modes were studied: under load, in a three-phase short-circuit and at idle. Also, the obtained data were compared with analogous models of an electrogenerator made of electrical steel. The results of the study showed the operability and effectiveness of the proposed technology. Based on the results of the research, a prototype of the stator magnetic core made from amorphous iron was created. Losses in the generator were experimentally measured. Also the results of experimental studies of aerodynamic losses are presented.


maintain 50% MVC for 15 seconds, and decrease torque from 50% to 0 in five seconds. Bipolar surface electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded from the vastus lateralis. A surface EMG signal decomposition algorithm was used to calculate the mean firing rate (pulses per second [pps]) and recruitment threshold (% MVC) of each detected motor unit. Motor units with decomposition accuracy levels < 90% were discarded. Linear regression was then used to quantify the slope (pps/% MVC) and y-intercept (pps) of each relationship. RESULTS: Immobilization had no influence on the linear slope coefficient for the mean firing rate versus recruitment threshold relationship (PRE = -0.362 ± 0.127, POST = -0.399 ± 0.108 pps/%MVC; p = 0.413, d = 0.218). Similarly, no change in the y-intercept was observed (PRE = 23.2 ± 2.8, POST = 23.3 ± 4.0 pps; p = 0.972, d = 0.009) CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrated that 72 hours of knee joint immobilization in healthy females had little influence on vastus lateralis motor unit control during submaximal contractions. Funding: The De Luca Foundation and the UCF Office of Research's Advancement of Early Career Researchers program


TITLE Issues Affecting the Integration of Multiple Social and Cultural Identities among Black Students at a Predominantly White Institution. PUB DATE 2002-00-00 NOTE 20p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (Sacramento, CA, November 21-24, 2002). PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Black Students; *College Students; Individual Development; *Psychosocial Development; *Teacher Student Relationship


For roughly two decades, we have now had some new additions to the zoo of liquid crystal phases, bent-core liquid crystals, which for individual phases that are distinctly different from calamitic ...


Abstract Context: Leishmaniasis is a complex disease with a broad spectrum of clinical presentations. Objective: We evaluated the anti-leishmanial effects of Nigella sativa L. (Ranunculaceae) against Leishmania tropica and Leishmania infantum with an in vitro model. Materials and methods: Antileishmanial effects of essential oil and methanolic extract of N. sativa (0–200 µg/mL) and thymoquinone (0–25 µg/mL) on promastigotes of both species and their cytotoxicity activities against murine macrophages were evaluated using the MTT assay at 24, 48, and 72 h. Moreover, their leishmanicidal effects against amastigotes were investigated in a macrophage model, for 48 and 72 h. Results: The findings showed that essential oil (L. tropica IC50 9.3 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 11.7 μg/mL) and methanolic extract (L. tropica IC50 14.8 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 15.7 μg/mL) of N. sativa, particularly thymoquinone (L. tropica IC50 1.16 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 1.47 μg/mL), had potent antileishmanial activity on promastigotes of both species after 72 h. In addition, essential oil (L. tropica IC50 21.4 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 26.3 μg/mL), methanolic extract (L. tropica IC50 30.8 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 34.6 μg/mL), and thymoquinone (L. tropica IC50 2.1 μg/mL and L. infantum IC50 2.6 μg/mL) mediated a significant decrease in the growth rate of amastigote forms of both species. Thymoquinone (CC50 38.8 μg/mL) exhibited higher cytotoxic effects against murine macrophages than the other extracts. Conclusion: N. sativa, especially its active principle, thymoquinone, showed a potent leishmanicidal activity against L. tropica and L.infantum with an in vitro model.


Across the globe, rural communities and small towns are undergoing fundamental, and at times rapid, change. Within some rural areas of the USA, the decline of the family farm and the housing development of the countryside race along. In addition, the Wal-Marting of rural America and the demise of locally owned and operated businesses alter the smalltown landscape. Once-quaint hamlets are becoming vastly different places to those of only a generation ago. Living where I do and as a rural dweller, I likewise am not immune. I often am confronted with these changes of structure and how they affect my life, my family, and our anxiety about what may come. Over the past year and a half, I have set out to document these events within some areas of central Appalachia by paying visual attention to the downturn in farms and farming; to the disappearance of independent businesses; to local governments' diffi culty in providing infrastructural resources to a growing rural population; to the aggressive invasion of big-box retail stores; to the decaying, abandoned, and forgotten symbols of community now awash in change; to the decline in civic community within rural villages and small towns; and to local social disorganization (Quinney, 1991, 2001; Tolbert, 2005). Family farming in the USA has been on the decline for decades, with farmers' numbers dropping by 16 million since 1950 (Deavers and Hoppe, 1992). Farms likewise have decreased by over 4 million during the past century (USDA, 2005). Similar developments have occurred in central Appalachia. In Kentucky alone, the number of farms has decreased 67 per cent across the past century (USDA, 2005). Tobacco farming has been a major income crop in Kentucky, but with the abolition of federal subsidies, tobacco farming and market prices remain unpredictable. The 2005 Burley tobacco crop, for example, dropped 30 per cent from the 2004 levels – the lowest productivity since 1937 (National Public Radio, 2005). Meanwhile, rural land prices dramatically increase. With globalization an economic reality and land and labor costs cheaper elsewhere, family farmers inhabit a weak competitive location. Rural communities within an hour's drive or so of large cities are experiencing postagrarian development. During the past decade, the population of rural dwellers increased by more than 3 million, primarily from young suburban and ex-urban professionals


substrate, fructose-6-P, to an equilibrium mixture with glucose-6-P, it was necessary to apply a correction to the concentration of fructose-6-P added in order to obtain its actual concentration in the reaction mixture. The Km thus obtained for fructose-6-P is in fairly good agreement with the value of 3.8 X 10-4 M reported by Ghosh et al.'" for a purified preparation of rat liver enzyme which was free of isomerase. 23 Winzler, R. J., in The Plasma Proteins, ed. F. W. Putnam (New York: Academic Press, 1960), vol. 1, p. 314. 24 Wyman, J., in Synthesis and Structure of Macromolecules, Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, vol. 28 (1963), p. 483. 26 Gerhart, J. C., and A. B. Pardee, in Synthesis and Structure of Macromolecules, Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology, vol. 28 (1963). p. 491. 26 Steiner, D. F., and R. H. Williams, J. Biol. Chem., 234, 1342 (1959). 27 Lowry, 0. H., J. V. Passonneau, F. X. Hasselberger, and D. W. Schultz, J. Bzol. Chem., 239, 18 (1964).


Reaction of anhydrous CrCl 2 with the tripodal ligands 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane (H 3 thme), 1,1,1-tris(hydroxyme-thyl)propane (H 3 tmp) and pentaerythritol (H 4 peol) produces three new Cr III clusters that have been structurally and magnetically characterised. The dimeric complex [Cr 2 (H 2 tmp) 2 -Cl 4 ]·2MeOH (1·2MeOH) is generated under reflux. An analogous reaction, but under solvothermal conditions produces the octametallic species [Cr 8 O 2 (thme) 2 (Hthme) 4 Cl 6 ]·2MeOH (2·2MeOH) and [Cr 8 O 2 (Hpeol) 2 (H 2 peol) 4 Cl 6 ]·3MeOH (3·3MeOH). Complex 1 is a simple dimeric species whereas the structures of 2 and 3 are based on the decametallate {M 10 O 28 } 26- ion. Variable-temperature direct-current (dc) magnetic susceptibility data were collected for complexes 1 and 2 in the 1.8-300 K temperature range in fields up to 5.0 T. Complex 1 has a ground state of S = 0 with the best-fit parameters J = -12.30 ± 0.04 cm -1 and g = 1.990±0.003. Electronic structure calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) on 1 and 2 have been carried out and good agreement with the experimental data was found for 1. For 2, the theoretical results have been used as starting point to fit the J values to the experimental data, revealing the presence of competing antiferromagnetic (J 4,7 = -39.0 cm -1 ; J 3,7 = J 4,6 = +1.1 cm -1 , J 4,5 = J 3,4 = -20.0 cm -1 , J 3,6 = -16.0 cm -1 and J 1,3 = J 1,6 = J 1,4 = J 1,7 = -4.8 cm -1 ) exchange interactions between the Cr III centres that suggests a singlet ground state with very close S = 1, 2, 3 and 4 excited states. Magneto-structural correlations developed on a model complex based on 1 show a strong dependence of J with Cr-O-Cr angle. A similar magneto-structural correlation is found for the J values obtained by theoretical calculations on 2.


By mimicking the dry-spinning process of silkworm,regenerated silk fibroin(RSF) fiber was dry-spun and then post-treated to improve its mechanical properties.Compared to inorganic salt solution,the alcohol-water systems can obviously induce the conformation of the fiber from random coil and α-helix to β-sheet.Meanwhile,a drawing induced orientation of β-sheet can result in a drastic improvement of the fiber tenacity.The breaking strength and the elongation at break of the fiber are improved up to 200 MPa and 48%,respectively,when the fiber is drawn 2 times in ethanol aqueous solution (φ=80%),and then is(immersed) in the solution for 1 h.


Kentucky's highway agency has embarked upon an initiative tagged "Practical Solutions" which sets its goal toward reducing costs throughout the project development process extended into operations and maintenance of all highway facilities. This study focuses on the planning and design stages of project development. Developing a procedure that yields up to the maximum margin of return for the investment requires an approach that takes into account specific safety issues and the commensurate design elements for each roadway. Such an approach requires that the project : 1) achieves the stated goals/objectives and 2) delivers the highest rate of return for the investment. The purpose of this study was to examine available research and develop a hypothetical example to establish the efficacy of a practical solutions approach to planning and design as well as to propose a concept and principles for application and provide a real world example of the practical design that could be achieved.


We develop a hyperspectral pixel unmixing method that uses a Latent Variational Autoencoder within an analysis-synthesis loop to (1) construct pure spectra of the materials present in an image and (2) infer the mixing ratios of these materials in hyperspectral pixels without the need of labelled data. On OnTech-HIS-Syn-6em synthetic dataset that contains pixel unmixing groundtruth, the proposed method achieves acc = 100%, SAD = 0.0582 and RMSE = 0.0695 for segmentation, endmember extraction and abundance estimation, respectively. On HYDICE Urban benchmark, the proposed method achieves acc = 72.4%, SAD = 0.1669 and RMSE = 0.1984 for segmentation, endmember extraction and abundance estimation, respectively. Additionally, we applied this technique for crop analysis on hyperspectral data collected by the United States Department of Agriculture and achieved a coefficient of determination R2 = 0.7 with respect to the ground truth. These results confirm that the proposed method is able to perform pixel unmixing without using labelled data.


Apparatus for carrying out a method for the production of folded strip portions, in particular package inserts for cigarette packs, from a continuously fed strip material provided during the supply with a straight line extending in the longitudinal direction fold line and is folded around this so that the longitudinal parts formed on both sides of the fold line to each other wherein iw are applied simultaneously with the folding at least one longitudinal part rubber linings lying on the inside after folding surface of the tape, means (14) for the continuous come to rest, after which the folded tape in transverse direction is cut into equal strip portions, feeding the tape material (1) comprising die means (10) for generating the fold line (3), with folding means (12) for sequentially folding the longitudinal parts (4, 5) on both sides of the fold line (3) and means (13) for cutting the folded strip sections (8), characterized in that s in the area of the embossing means (10) comprises means (11) are arranged for applying the rubber linings, that the stamping means consists of a ...


The perception of the landscape transformation of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) is marked by the life stories and the memories of individuals who develop daily activities in this place. The UFSM, thus, is not only composed by an infrastructure in a given spatial area. It is also the result of memories and experiences of persons within study, work and live. Thus, this study aims to understand how the servers attached to the Department of Geosciences and Geography Postgraduate Program, UFSM, perceive the landscape transformation in your Campus headquarters in Santa Maria, RS. To understand the perception of the servers was held an interview with 31% of servers (29). The respondents were chosen by means of a draw, not for the purpose of obtaining an induced sample. It was found that the university landscape, expanding, after the consolidation of REUNI, in the perception of respondents servers, is multifunctional, as it meets the temporal aspects, (accumulation of technical and experiential functions), structural (exemplified in the expansion of the building) and cultural, as new prospects are driven by new characters that make up this landscape. This all aspects leads to the conclusion that the landscape should be analyzed from the social perspective, material, immaterial and cultural.


Nasr Ghoniem * , Andrew Sheng, and Giacomo Po University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA Computational modeling of complex fracture phenomena, where multiple  cracks propagate and interact in three-dimensional geometry is a very challenging task that has not been satisfactorily demonstrated.  Despite huge technological incentives, most of the exisiting methods are limited to simple geometry and a small number of interacting cracks.  The main reason appears to be the conceptual way that cracks are currently modeled as a disruption to an otherwise perfect continuum. We have developed a fundamentally different approach to modeling discontinuities and defects in materials, namely the method of Parametric Dislocation Dynamics (PDD), where discrete crystal dislocations are represented by parametric space curves, and their collective interactions in 3-D is completely resolved [1-3].  It has been known for a while that cracks can be represented by a suitable distribution of discontinuities (Volterra or Somigliana type dislocations), where the Burgers vector can be either fixed (Volterra), or locally variable (Somigliana).  Thus, such objects can provide enormous flexibility in modeling complex shape cracks and their mutual interactions, if only a computational method can be developed.  We present here a new approach to modeling complex facture phenomena by extending the robust framework of our PDD method.  We show that suitable choices of the Volterra Burgers vector enables dislocation arrays to represent 2-D cracks in modes I, II, and III [4,5].  Moreover, it is shown that the Peach-Koehler force, which is the basis for motion and equilibrium in PDD simulations, is equivalent to the J-integral in fracture mechanics problems.  Crack propagation is shown to be a natural extension to dislocation motion in PDD simulations.  Several examples of crack problems in 3-D finite geometry will also be given to illustrate the utility of the proposed approach. REFERNCES [1] RJ Amodeo, NM Ghoniem "Dislocation dynamics. I. A proposed methodology for deformation micromechanics," Physical Review B 41 (10) , 6958, 1990. [2] NM Ghoniem, SH Tong, LZ Sun "Parametric dislocation dynamics: a thermodynamics-based approach to investigations of mesoscopic plastic deformation," Physical Review B 61 (2) , 913, 2000. [3] G Po, NM Ghoniem, "A variational formulation of constrained dislocation dynamics coupled with heat and vacancy diffusion," JMPS , in Press, 2013. [4] Nasr M. Ghoniem and Jianming Huang, "The Elastic Field of General-Shape 3-D Cracks," Phil. Mag. , 86(27): 4195-4212 (2006). [5] Akiyuki Takahashi and Nasr M. Ghoniem, " Fracture Mechanics of Propagating 3-D Fatigue Cracks with Parametric Dislocations," Phil. Mag., 93(20) , 2662–2679 (2013). ______________________________________ *Presenting Author


Active esophageal cooling is a common method of esophageal protection during radiofrequency (RF) ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). Compared to the main alternative, luminal esophageal temperature (LET) monitoring, active esophageal cooling reduces esophageal injury. Recent findings in the community hospital setting indicate that procedure time and post-ablation chest pain may also be reduced, leading to greater same-day patient discharge.

 We aimed to compare the differences in same-day discharge rates and patient-reported post-ablation chest pain between patients treated with either LET monitoring or active esophageal cooling while undergoing RF ablation in a large academic medical center.

 We reviewed data from RF ablations performed between January 2020 and October 2022 by five attending electrophysiologists and four electrophysiology fellows. These data were extracted from Epic's Clarity database by two clinical informaticists. Extracted data points were paired with a manual chart review of inbound phone calls, electronic messages, follow-up visits, and readmissions within 30 days of the procedure.

 A total of 175 patients underwent RF ablation between January 2020 and October 2022, with 63 (36%) patients treated with LET monitoring and 112 (64%) treated with active esophageal cooling. Chest pain was reported by 11 patients (18%) in the LET monitored group and 7 patients (6%) in the actively cooled group (P=<0.001). Of the patients treated with LET monitoring, 13 (20.6%) were discharged within 12 hours of admission compared to 44 (39.3%) of the patients treated with active esophageal cooling (P=0.016).

 The adoption of active esophageal cooling during RF ablation was associated with less postoperative chest pain and increased same-day discharge rates.


AKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE OVERVIEW A. The New International Norms B. The Focal Point of the New International Norms C. The OECD Convention D. The OECD Convention and Common Law Countries E. Comparing the Anti-Bribery Legal Regimes in Common Law Jurisdictions I. THE OECD CONVENTION II. AUSTRALIA III. CANADA IV. IRELAND V. NEW ZEALAND VI. SOUTH AFRICA VII. UNITED KINGDOM VIII. UNITED STATES APPENDICES APPENDIX I - OECD CONVENTION: Part A: OECD Convention Part B: Commentaries to OECD Convention APPENDIX II - AUSTRALIA: Part A: Criminal Code Act 1995 - Division 70 Part B: Criminal Code Amendment (Bribery of Foreign Public Officials) -Explanatory Memorandum APPENDIX III - CANADA: Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act APPENDIX IV - IRELAND: Part A: Prevention of Corruption Act 1906 Revised Part B: Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001 APPENDIX V - NEW ZEALAND Bribery of Foreign Public Officials: Sections 105C - 105E APPENDIX VI - SOUTH AFRICA: Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act of 2004 APPENDIX VII - UNITED KINGDOM: Part A: Bribery Act 2010 Part B: Bribery Act 2010: Explanatory Notes Part C: Bribery Act 2010: Joint Prosecution Guidance of the Direction of the Serious Fraud Office and the Director of Public Prosecutions Part D: Bribery Act 2010: Guidance for Commercial Organisations APPENDIX VIII - UNITED STATES: Part A: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Part B: Record-Keeping Regulations Part C: Reporting on Internal Controls Part D: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Opinion Procedure Regulations INDEX


Key Points Question Is there an association between race and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) after controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities? Findings In this cross-sectional study of 2595 patients, positive COVID-19 tests were associated with Black race, male sex, and age 60 years or older. Black race and poverty were associated with hospitalization, but only poverty was associated with intensive care unit admission. Meaning The results of this study indicate that in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Black race was associated with a positive COVID-19 test and the subsequent need for hospitalization, but only poverty was associated with intensive care unit admission.


To The ediTor: Patients are playing an ever-greater role in making decisions about their health and treatment. Consequently, the use of patient reported outcomes (PRO) has increased tremendously in measuring conditions like pain, disability, and quality of life. PRO usage is usually the only option for the assessment of effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in low back pain (LBP). The pain outcomes are analyzed using carefully validated patient reported outcome measurements (PROM) like numeric pain rating scales, Oswestry disability index (ODI), Quebec back pain disability scale (QUEBEC), Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), SF-36, etc. We have encountered certain pertinent practical issues while assessing these outcomes during our research in patients with LBP. Firstly, we would like to discuss issues in assessing functional disability. Two most commonly used disability scales in patients with LBP are the ODI and QUEBEC. The major issue with this selfreported and interviewed data for these scales is the problem of missing values for the fields involving questions on lifting and running. The original ODI developed by Fairbank et al (1) has a question regarding lifting, where the patient has to respond according to the level of inconvenience caused due to pain in lifting heavy weights. The original QUEBEC developed by Fritz et al (2) has questions regarding lifting like "Pull or push heavy doors," "Carry two bags of groceries," and "Lift and carry a heavy suitcase." Where the patient has to respond on a 0 to 5 scale where 0 represents "No difficulty at all" and 5 represents "Unable to do." In both of these cases, while responding to these questions, the patients usually leave these blank. On enquiring about the missing values in the questionnaire from the patients, many answered that they fear that lifting heavy weights may worsen their pain and so, they do not lift any weights. Our understanding was further supported by our observation that, in spite of improvement in pain score, the patients avoid lifting heavy weights and leave the response for the question/s regarding lifting blank. The validity of these scales lies only in the absence of any missing information, because these scales were developed and validated using every question. Every data item in the questionnaire plays an important role in assessing the outcome. Cutoff level for various disability levels and minimum detectable change are usually calculated using the original author's developed scale summating responses from all questions. Missing data for one to 3 questions may change entire questionnaires' reliability and usefulness. Another important issue is that despite cross cultural adaptation of these scales, some of the questions may still not be applicable to certain patient groups like women especially older than 45 years in societies of developing nations, where they are commonly not in the habit of running. When female patients were interviewed or self-reported, we observed missing values for the question "Run one block." The reason mentioned was that they are not involved in any running activity. Thus, it must be emphasized that before adoptions of PROMs for local populations, we must evaluate and revise the instrument through cognitive interviewing, as well as documenting the methods and results to demonstrate that the instructions and item content are appropriate, comprehensive, and understandable to the target population.


Based on the principal-agent theory,the paper divides managers' behaviors into productive behavior and behavior of increasing benefits of control rights.Then,it adds the variable of control rights to build a model of maximizing shareholders' utility.Finally,the paper concludes an optimal managers' compensation contract.It is useful for designing an effective promotion mechanism in enterprises.


The article focuses on the identification of ethnocultural peculiarities of somatic code functioning in different-structure languages in two linguocultural communities. Herewith, somatisms are regarded as ethnocultural texts which can only be read and interpreted in the context of cultural meanings rendered by certain cultural signs: archetypes, samples, symbols, customs, traditions, rituals. These codes of national culture in the compared linguistic communities English and Russian are the image base of idioms and metaphors and are part of their inner form.


Non-road mobile machinery is used for a range of different operations with varying engine load characteristics. Fuel consumption and emission amounts from such machinery are dependent on the operation performed. The engine load during many of the operations performed is largely transient in nature. However, the majority of fuel consumption and emission data reported in the literature are based on static measurements and engine load patterns not representative of the real use of the vehicle. Emission data derived from the average annual use of agricultural tractors, based on three different typical areas of use, were compared with emission data obtained from European and international standards. The results showed that the emission amounts obtained from the engine load cycles stipulated in European and international emissions regulations were not representative of the real use of non-road mobile machinery. Furthermore, operations can be performed using a variety of different approaches depending on factors such as vehicle characteristics and driver behaviour. An engine load simulation model was developed and the results from the simulations showed that by using different driving strategies or transmission characteristics, it was possible to affect the emissions for a specific operation without affecting the fuel consumption or duration of the operation. Changes in engine speed and torque, i.e. transients, are likely to affect the fuel consumption and formation of emissions due to periods of time lags in e.g. the fuel injection system or the boost pressure. During normal operations a decrease in the fuel efficiency due to transient loads was detected. The fuel consumption increased with up to 13% compared with the corresponding steady-state condition. In order to study the effects of transients, special transient test cycles were developed. At high transients, both in engine speed and torque, the effects on fuel consumption and emissions were substantial. For example emissions of particulate matter increased with up to twelve times. Based on these results, a mathematical model was developed that could derive transient fuel consumption and emission amounts for all types of operations using a limited amount of emission measurements.


This paper deals with the estimation of the actuator temperature in an electropneumatic system. First, an appropriate nonlinear system that accounts for the actuator temperature dynamics is introduced. Then in order to overcome the difficulty of installing temperatures sensors in each chamber of the actuator, two nonlinear high-gain observers are proposed to provide online estimate of these temperatures. The gain of both observers can be tuned by the choice of a scalar design parameter. However, the design parameter is constant for the first observer and its choice has to satisfy a compromise between an accurate estimation of the state estimation and a satisfactory sensitivity of the observer with respect to the unavoidable output noise measurements. This difficulty is overcome in the second observer since the scalar design parameter is time varying and is governed by a Riccatti differential equation. The involved adaptation process of the design parameter is mainly driven by the power of the output observation error norm computed on a moving horizon window. Simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed observers and in particular to compare the performance of both observers, namely, the accuracy of the respective estimates and their sensitivity with respect to noise measurements.


Biomass has one‐third the energy density of crude oil and lacks petroleum's versatility as a feedstock for fuels and chemicals. Chemical catalysis and fast pyrolysis can overcome these limitations by transforming the main components of biomass (cellulose, xylan, and lignin) from grasses and trees directly to liquid hydrocarbons and aromatic co‐products. Our data show that, regardless of conversion process, biomass structural complexity at molecular, nanoscale, and mesoscale levels impacts the yields and selectivities of desired reaction products from catalytic and pyrolytic transformations. Therefore, we have modified the composition and architecture of cell wall components to optimize post‐conversion product yields without compromising pre‐conversion biomass yields. Our strategies to deliver metal catalysts throughout the cell wall structure and create functionalized sites ready for catalytic transformations may dramatically increase the effective surface area for catalysis of cellulose and xylan. Genetic redesign of the lignin network simplifies its architecture to enable facile catalytic disassembly and conversion of aromatics. Prior disassembly of about half of the lignin from intact woody biomass using a catalytic system dramatically improves subsequent saccharification yield and allows a re‐visioning of the cellulosic biorefinery concept.


Abstract The aim of the study was to determine the impact pike fishing season (before spawning in fall (group A) and after spawning in spring (group B)) had on the slaughter yield and fillet fatty acid profile. The slaughter yield of fillets with skin and skinned fillets from the group B fish was significantly lower (by approximately 7.5% of body weight). The fatty acid profile of the fish meat from the groups examined differed significantly. The fillets of pike caught before spawning were dominated by unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), while those from fish caught after spawning had mainly saturated fatty acids (SFA). The share of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the fillets of fish that had spawned was sixfold lower, and the n-3 PUFA differences were nearly ninefold. The content of eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) fatty acids in fillets of fish that had spawned was ninefold lower than in those that had not yet done so. Consequently, the ratio of n-3 PUFA/n-6 PUFA in pike from group A was over three times higher than that in the fish that had spawned (2.61 vs 0.82). Fillets from pike that have spawned are a significantly poorer source of valuable fatty acids for consumers.


Resumen es: >>>en: The concept of zoonosis is defined as applicable to any illness that is transferable in a natural way from vertebrates to man. The transmission of...


to the functioning of the mitochondrial matrix electron transport pathway enzymes that generate ATP. The OMM also protects the cell by compartmentalizing soluble pro-apoptotic mitochondrial factors, such as cytochrome c. Accordingly, the OMM barrier is stabilized by anti-apoptotic Bcl2-factors such as Bcl-xL, and destabilized by pro-apoptotic Bcl2-proteins such as Bax, Bak, Nix, and Bnip3. Loss of OMM integrity (ie, "OMM permeabilization") is the initial step in mitochondrial pathway apoptosis. If mitochondria are gateways to cell death, then these gateways are constantly changing size, shape, and location via organelle transport, fission, and fusion. This is "mitochondrial dynamics". The molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial fission and fusion are understood and have recently been reviewed in depth.15,16 The OMM is also the physical and biochemical nexus for mitochondrial fusion/fission. Mitochondrial fusion mediated by mitofusin (Mfn) 1 and Mfn2, and fission mediated by dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), occur with far less frequency in normal adult cardiac myocytes than in the more commonly studied fibroblasts,17 but recent work has uncovered essential roles for Mfn-mediated mitochondrial fusion and mitochondria-SR tethering in cardiac homeostasis.18–20 Conversely, pathologic mitochondrial fragmentation is observed in cardiomyocyte apoptosis and HF,21 although it is unclear if mitochondrial fission is an important effector of, or just a collateral event in, apoptosis.22,23 Because of the need for large amounts of ATP to fuel excitation-contraction coupling (~6 kg/day), hearts have the greatest density of mitochondria of any organ. It is axiomatic that mitochondrial health is essential to general health,24 and past research has focused on the cardiac consequences of altered itochondria are cellular powerhouses, but are also "gateways to apoptosis".1,2 Accordingly, multiple research studies over the past decade have defined context-specific molecular effectors of mitochondrial-mediated programmed cardiomyocyte death. My laboratory contributed to this area by developing the first in vivo mouse model to prove that cardiomyocyte apoptosis is sufficient to induce heart failure (HF).3 Subsequently, 2 Bcl-2 family "mitochondrial death" proteins that are the genetically programmed effectors of cardiomyocyte apoptosis (Nix in cardiac hypertrophy and Bnip3 in cardiac ischemia) were identified.4–7 These 2 transcriptionally regulated proteins localize primarily to the outer mitochondrial membranes (OMM) where they facilitate Bax/Bak-mediated OMM permeabilization, cytochrome c release, and activation of caspase-dependent apoptosis signaling.8 Recently, added and unexpected functions of these mitochondrial death proteins were uncovered. Nix localizes (in addition to mitochondria) to endoplasmic/sarcoplasmic reticulum (ER/SR) where it regulates SR-mitochondrial calcium crosstalk that opens mitochondrial permeability transition pores (MPTPs),9,10 inducing a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death, designated "programmed necrosis".11,12 Nix also plays an important role in mitochondrial quality control, targeting dysfunctional mitochondria for mitophagic elimination.13,14 Thus, "pro-apoptotic" mitochondrial Bcl2-family proteins are multi-taskers that also modulate programmed necrosis and mitophagy. It is at the OMM where mitochondrial and extra-mitochondrial factors interface and interact to determine mitochondrial integrity, and hence cell fate. The normal cytosolic/organelle OMM barrier maintains a protective internal milieu essential M


NATO's intervention in Libya has raised much controversy and been subject to opposite assessments. While many analysts, and NATO itself, refer to Operation Unified Protector in Libya as an undeniable success and even a template for future NATO operations, others accuse the Alliance of stretching its United Nations mandate in favour of a preset goal aimed at regime change. Moreover, assessing NATO's effective engagement in Libya has inevitably triggered comparisons with the parallel case of Syria, which involves a similar humanitarian disaster but has triggered less international and regional enthusiasm for intervention. Importantly, further criticism blames NATO's operation for the current state of chaos and insecurity in post-Gaddafi Libya. However, one should be careful when assessing NATO's operation in a manner that balances the successful military operation with the naturally predictable need to act in post-Gaddafi Libya. The following lines attempt to provide an assessment of the intervention in Libya and to sensibly consider its implications for the current and future security situation in the Mediterranean.


Tailings dams are usually operated by mining companies or consultancies with experience of tailings facilities, and remain under the supervision of state mining authorities. However, the safety of tailings dams is often not the priority of mining safety legislation and often may not be considered in any great detail. Legislation applicable to tailings management facilities varies in the different EU Member States, and usually includes environmental protection, waste, water and construction legislation. The relatively recent mining-related accidents at Baia Mare, Romania in 2000 and Aznalcóllar, Spain in 1998, and the pollution they caused, have attracted the attention of the public to the environmental and safety hazards of mining activities. As a response to these accidents, the European Commission launched a proposal for a new directive on the management of waste from the extractive industries on 2.6.2003. It is believed that a common set of rules at EU level will establish a level playing field in terms of minimum administrative control and supervision in the extractive industries sector. The pur-pose of this paper is to present some ideas and suggestions as to how new mining regulations could be implemented and maintained.


This article is a personal account of the author's experience in a project that integrated psychiatry with dance. The author, who is a psychiatry trainee and an Indian classical dancer, describes how this dance project, started in an attempt to raise awareness and reduce stigma towards mental illness became a personally fulfilling and enriching experience as a psychiatry trainee.


Mushrooms are mostly decomposers and possess the ability to digest food extracellularly by secreting specific enzymes. These enzymes and other bio-molecules present in the mycelium extracts of the P. florida have been used to produce zinc, copper and iron NPs extracellularly using metal salts as precursors. This work includes synthesis of metal oxide NPs by use of different concentrations (0.1to 0.9 mM) of three metal salts viz., zinc, copper and iron which were formed by incubating the salts with mycelium extracts of P. florida up to 96 hours under shaking conditions at 25±2°C in BOD incubator. The synthesis of the NPs was identified by performing the UV-Vis spectroscopy analysis at regular intervals to observe the time-dependent NPs synthesis. The visual color change in the reaction mixture was recorded and development of white, green and brown colors in zinc, copper andiron salt precursor containing sols respectively was recorded. The shape and formation of NPs was identified through TEM analysis. Incubation of the ferric chloride salt precursor with mycelial extract produced cubic shaped NPs. The antibacterial activity studies of the developed NPs using different concentrations (0.1 to 0.9 mM) along with the antibiotic standards (penicillin and gentamycin at the rate of 200 and 20 mg L-1 respectively) were performed against both gram positive and gram-negative bacteria. The results revealed formation of no inhibition zone by the biogenic NPs as compared to inhibition zones formed by the standard antibiotics (maximum 17 mm for E . coli in gentamycin).


Despite improvements in survival for children with T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma (T‐ALL/LLy), morbidity remains high. However, data are lacking regarding comprehensive descriptions of clinically relevant adverse events (AEs) experienced during early intensive chemotherapy.


The literature pertaining to the Autonomic Nervous System in Necturus maculosa L. is sparse and incomplete. Only one paper deals directly with Necturus; the rest of the literature is concerned with animals of the same order, but of different genera. Andersson in 1892 described the peripheral sympathetic nervous system of Menobranchus lateralis, which Smith (1877) states is synonymous with Necturus maculosa. The purpose of this investigation is to review the work done by Andersson, using newer techniques to attempt to contribute a complete, accurate description of this area avoiding, as far as possible, distortion caused by the classical method of dissection. The material presented in this paper will involve an anatomical description of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system of the mudpuppy (Necturus rnaculosa). Anderson's (1892) paper seems to be adequate, but his observations were based on one dissection and certain anatomical details are lacking, probably due to his inability to trace the nerves using dissection methods alone. A number of live, adult Necturus were obtained and a gross staining technique, in addition to histological examination of nervous tissue were used to ascertain the location, extent and distribution of the peripheral sympathetic nervous system.


Bilateral trade agreements have proliferated rapidly within the last two decades, growing into a dense network of multiple ties between countries. The spread of preferential trade agreements (PTAs), however, is not uniform: some countries have signed a multitude of deals, while others remain much less involved. This article presents a longitudinal network analysis method to analyze the patterns of the formation of trade agreements, based on the mutual codetermination of network structure and agreement formation. The findings suggest that PTAs spread endogenously because of structural arbitrage effects in the network, and that they establish a hierarchy among countries. Rich countries form ties with each other and middle-income countries, who themselves create a horizontal layer of PTAs, but least-developed countries are left behind and do not form many ties. Supplanting the multilateral trade regime with preferential agreements therefore creates a system of highly asymmetrical relationships of weaker spokes around a few hubs.


abstract The long duration and high frequency of P and S phases from earthquakes along the West Indian island are are deseribed. These phases have been described previously in the literature without explanation. It is shown that the long duration, high frequency, and velocity of both phases can be explained as due to a minimum velocity channel slightly below the M -discontinuity. Other observations are shown to indicate the probable presence of the minimum velocity channel.


Advances in wireless communication and mobile computing and networking are providing us with growing business opportunities and demands for multimedia services. Consumer networks, increasingly used for multimedia information and commercial content delivery, are destined to be heterogeneous. Meanwhile, for many multimedia services, security is an important component to restrict unauthorized multimedia content access and distribution. This suggests the need for new cryptography system implementations that can operate at different data rates, i.e., be scaled to various multimedia content, different network topology, changing bandwidth, and diverse receiver device capabilities. Content authentication is one important security tool for secure multimedia content communication. Conventional message authentication schemes do not offer suitable scalability for this new set of applications. In this paper, we study the design of scalable media data stream authentication when proxy caching is used and present a framework for multimedia authentication that supports various kinds of scalability.


The gene encoding for p16ink4a, a negative regulator of transition between G1 and S phase, is homozygously deleted in a large proportion of acute lymphoblastic leukaemias (ALL). Transfer of p16ink4a gene in several solid tumour cell lines with functional pRb and lacking both p16ink4a alleles has resulted in a dramatic reduction of cell proliferation, and the aim of this work was to confirm this effect in leukaemic (especially ALL) cell lines. We tested the proliferation in liquid medium and in soft agar after transfer of p16ink4a gene by a retroviral vector in leukaemic cell lines with homozygous p16ink4a gene deletion (K562, CEM, Jurkat cell lines) or with p16ink4a gene hemizygous deletion and a point mutation inactivating the remaining allele (HL60 cell line). The viral titre obtained after transfection of PA317 amphotropic packaging cell line, which has a p16ink4a gene homozygous deletion, was low, suggesting that p16ink4a gene expression could impair viral production of retroviral packaging cell lines derived from the NIH3T3 cell line.


Printmaking is an area of visual arts which deals with different processes in the multi-production of art works. The study discusses the various methodologies and processes involved in printmaking such as the linocut technique, etching, line engraving, aquatint and deep etching techniques otherwise known as intaglio. Of particular interest is the intaglio technique of printmaking, from design conceptualization to details of printing processes. Teaching and training in this field has metamorphosed into a fast digital lane. This has been difficult for the developing parts of the world to catch up. A hybrid flat-bed relief printmaking machine is proposed in this work. The machine employs both manual and electric motor technology for running the rolling parts. In this way a smooth transition is envisage from the conventional manual machine to the digital machines that are used in the industrialization of the textile industry.


Objective To study the clinical effects of simple closure and subtotal gastrectomy in treatment of patients with acute gastric perforation.Methods 90 patients with acute gastric perforation were selected and evenly divided into control group and treatment group.In the control group,the subtotal gastrectomy was applied;while in the treatment group,the simple closure was adopted.Results The total effective rate of the treatment group were obviously superior to that in the control group.The operation time,postoperative gas exhaust time,postoperative activity time,hospital stay were remarkably shorter than those in the control group.The amount of intraoperative blood loss was lower than that in the control group.In addition,the adverse reaction and complication were less than the control group,the differences were all significant(P0.05).Conclusion Application of simple closure in the treatment of patients with acute gastric perforation can obtain a remarkable clinical therapeutic effect,is worthy of application.


In multi-objective, multi-level optimization problems, there often exist conflicts (contradictions) between the different objectives to be optimized simultaneously. Two objective functions are said to be in conflict if the full satisfaction of one, results in only partial satisfaction of the other. In this work we described about the MultiCriteria, Multi-level Dynamic Decision Making (MCMLDDM) problem. We try to minimize a three tier (Multilevel, which can be generalized) shipping cost supply chain system by LINGO software model and compare this result with the heuristic model. And find the results are optimal but the MCMLDDM Model is efficient in practice because it involves two important aspects of any dynamic spatial-temporal decision problem: how to deal with uncertainty in dynamically changing input data and how consider different criteria importance, depending on criteria satisfaction and respective phase (or iteration) of the decision process. Additional


For some three thousand years the political, social, and economic relationships o f the Maghrib have depended largely on the Mediterranean,1 on whether the sea was friendly or hostile, whether it might at any given moment bring friends or enemies, traders or raiders. Phoenicians sailing via Cyprus founded Carthage at the end o f the ninth century B.C.,2 and the earliest treaties between Carthage and Rome, conventionally dated to 509 and 348 B.C., envisage Carthaginian raids by sea on central Italy as a normal event.3 Raiding and trading reinforced each other. Archeological evidence shows Carthage importing pottery and luxury goods from Greece and exporting her own manufactures and agricultural surpluses, particularly to Spain and southern Italy.4 Punic vessels sailed out through the Straits o f Gibraltar to travel north and south along the Adantic coasts.5 The sea routes throughout Antiquity far outweighed in commercial importance the land routes along the coast or into and across the Sahara, and when Carthage fell to the Vandals in A.D. 439, it was the first but not the last time that it succumbed to an army unsupported by a fleet.


Nata & Kushta medicinal plants are easily available in Indian diaspora and both are widely used in many Agada as Vishaghna dravya mentioned in classical texts. Both have reported acetylcholinesterase and Phospholipase A2 enzyme inhibiting property in many Research studies. The quality of Nata, Kustha & Nata Kustha Yoga was evaluated based on organoleptic, physico-chemical, and microbial quality parameters. Loss on drying at 105°C, Total ash, Acid Insoluble ash, Alcohol-soluble extractive, Water-Soluble extractive, HPTLC and pH value parameters were evaluated as per WHO guidelines, Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia and Indian pharmacopoeia. Analytic analysis of Nata, Kustha & Nata Kusthadi Yoga in this study found to be under standard limit. Standardization test done on Natakusthadi Yoga helped in authenticating the preparation and in ensuring quality of the same. The Natakusthadi Yoga prepared by following standard operative procedures should have Loss on drying at 105°C, Total ash, Acid Insoluble ash, Alcohol-soluble extractive, Water-Soluble extractive and pH value is 2.1%, 4.8%, 0.32%, 42.9%, 37.8% & 5.5 respectively


The effect of zeolites on reducing the risk of thrombosis was assessed. The possibility of using zeolites as a means of correcting the processes of blood clotting has been studied. It was revealed that natural zeolites suppress the development of coagulopathy.


The enzymatic activity of choline acetyltransferase (choline acetylase-ChAC) has been previously found to differ between motor and sensory nerve fascicles.' In samples removed from fresh cadavers, motor nerve fascicles demonstrated eight times higher activity of ChAC in comparison to sensory fascicles. This preliminary report describes the intraoperative use of this nerve identification technique, which has proved to be practical for the rapid and precise matching of cut nerve ends.


The great diurnal variation in the quality of wastewater of small communities is an obstacle to the efficient removal of high nitrogen with traditional activated sludge processes provided by pre-denitrification. To verify this problem, the authors developed a pilot plant, in which the domestic wastewater of community of 15,000 inhabitants was treated. The results demonstrate that average and peak nitrogen removal efficiencies of over 60% and 70%, respectively, are difficult to obtain because of the strong variations in the BOD 5 /NO 3 -N ratios and the unexpected abnormal accumulation of dissolved oxygen during denitrification when the BOD 5 load is low. These phenomena cause inhibitory effects and BOD 5 deficiency in the denitrification process. The results demonstrate the need for a more complex approach to designing and managing small wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) provided with denitrification than those usually adopted for medium- and large-size plants.


The development of multidrug resistance(MDR) to chemotherapeutic agents plays a major role in the failure of clinical cancer therapy.One of the mechanisms underlying this process is the over expression of ATP-binding cassette transporters(ABC transporters).Many tumors express ABC transporters, and their activities as drug efflux pumps allows many ABC transporters to eliminate a variety of anticancer drugs from tumor cells, decreasing drug efficacy, and leading to drug resistance.It is useful to understand the relationship between the structures and functions of the ABC transporters and drug resistance and the prognosis of ovarian cancer patients for individualizing treatment in patients.This review focused on the current knowledge about the relationship between ABC transporters and drug resistance in ovarian cancer, and described potential therapeutic strategies to overcome ABC transporter-mediated drug resistance.


Even in the region with less snowfall, snow accretion to exterior wall surface and structural members of high rise building in Tokyo metropolitan region has frequently occurred. Concern about human damage produced by snow blocks falling including snow accretion has been pointed out. Therefore, it is important to build method of countermeasures against snow accretion for buildings. To accumulate technical data for countermeasures against snow accretion, the authors studied basic characteristics of snow accretion on structural members both observationally and experimentally. First, field observation for snow accretion on structural members was performed in Sapporo of Hokkaido. When the snow accretion occurred during the observation, daily mean wind speed was more than 3.0 m/s. The snow accretion occurred around the stagnation of wind, which was formed in the vicinity of structural members. Next, wind tunnel test, for usual shape members such as steel pipes and flat plates, was performed. The snow accretion amount on the steel pipe increased with the diameter and it depended on the surface roughness in case of the steel pipe 216mm in diameter. The snow accretion amount on the steel plates decreased with attack angle. Through the observation and the wind tunnel test on snow accretion characteristics, technical data of countermeasures against snow accretion for buildings was obtained.


A coherent beam combination has the potential to revolutionize high-peak-power laser systems. However, achieving a high-average-power ultrashort pulse is difficult due to the accumulation of a nonlinear phase and gain narrowing. In this article, we demonstrate a coherent beam combination system that does not require pulse shaping or a spectral modulator. By optimizing the gain of each amplifier and using highly integrated optical components, we reduce the limitations caused by the accumulation of a nonlinear phase and gain narrowing. In our study, we used a polarization beam splitter to combine the pulses from two rod-type photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) in a Mach–Zehnder-type interferometer. A piezo-mounted mirror controlled with a Hänsch–Couillaud polarization detecting system was used to stabilize active phase locking. The system produces 165 W with a 91.6% combining efficiency compared to 90 W per amplifier. Compressed pulses with an energy of 132 µJ and Gaussian fitting pulse duration of 330 fs were achieved.


This study investigated the influence automation of revenue collection, revenue mapping, financial partnerships and revenue legislation on revenue generation in Busia county government, Kenya. The study was based on rational Expectations theory of technology adoption, Optimal taxation theory and Sequential theory of decentralization. The study used descriptive research design and targeted a population of 103 staff in the county government of Busia who had direct or indirect role in revenue collection and cash management from where a sample size of 82 respondents was drawn using Taro Yamane's proportional sampling technique formula. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data and piloting of the research instrument was done in Bungoma county government so as to ensure content validity and a Cronbach's alpha which tests internal consistency checked instrument reliability. SPSS version 24 software was used to compute statistical data; whereby collected data was cleaned, coded and transformed to allow regression analysis. Descriptive analysis such as frequencies, means, standard deviation was used to summarize data into meaningful form; whereas inferential statistics assessed the nature and strength of the correlations, direct and multiple relationships. Analyzed data was presented in tables and graphs. A total of 79 respondents out of the sampled 82 respondents returned completely filled questionnaires representing a response rate of 96.34%, thus good for generalizability of research findings to a wider population. Both descriptive and inferential statistics showed that all independent variables (automated revenue collections, revenue mapping, financial partnerships and revenue legislations) significantly influence revenue generation in Busia county government. The study concluded that; automation of revenue collection significantly improves revenue generation in county governments since the automated revenue systems minimize financial embezzlements associated with manual revenue collections, revenue mapping initiatives assist county governments identify all sources of county revenues thus boosts revenue generation in county governments. The study recommended that, county governments should purely implement automated revenue collection systems so as to minimize financial fraud related cases that are associated with manual revenue collections, county governments should engage in viable revenue mapping initiatives that help in identification of pertinent sources of county revenues. Key Words: Revenue Collection, Revenue Mapping, Financial Partnerships, Revenue Legislation, Automation CITATION: Sechero H., & Otinga, H. N. (2020). Determinants of revenue generation in county governments in Kenya; A case Of Busia County Government. The Strategic Journal of Business & Change Management, 7(1), 357 – 375.


Internet of Things (IoT) development and the addition of billions of computationally limited devices prohibit the use of classical security measures such as Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). In this paper, we study the influence of the implementation of different feed-forward type of Neural Networks (NNs) on the detection Rate of the Negative Selection Neural Network (NSNN) algorithm. Feed-forward and cascade forward NN structures with different number of neurons and different number of hidden layers are tested. For training and testing the NSNN algorithm the labeled KDD NSL dataset is applied. The detection rates provided by the algorithm with several NN structures to determine the optimal solution are calculated and compared. The results show how these different feed-forward based NN architectures impact the performance of the NSNN algorithm.


Abstract Introduction This resource presents a series of communication skills training modules designed to highlight interprofessional care and communication. Each module of the COMFORT (Communicat...


Ganoderic acid 3‐hydroxy‐lanosta‐8,24‐dien‐26‐oic acid (GA‐HLDOA), an antitumor triterpenoid from the traditional Chinese medicinal higher fungus Ganoderma lucidum, is considered as a key precursor for biosynthesizing other ganoderic acids (GAs) with superior antitumor activities. Our previous study identified CYP5150L8 from G. lucidum as a lanosterol oxidase, and achieved heterologous biosynthesis of GA‐HLDOA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. However, low production of GA‐HLDOA in either G. lucidum or heterologous host hindered its further investigation and application. In this study, we constructed a dual tunable system for balancing the expression of CYP5150L8 and a Ganoderma P450 reductase iGLCPR, and performed a comprehensive optimization of CYP5150L8 expression, iGLCPR expression, and glycerol usage. Then, we investigated the fermentation behavior of the best strain in optimized condition in flask and achieved 154.45 mg/L GA‐HLDOA production, which was 10.7‐fold higher compared with previous report. This study may facilitate the wide‐spread application of GA‐HLDOA and the discovery of unknown cytochrome P450s in downstream GAs biosynthesis.


Reference book is an important part of scientific and technological treatises,and one of major information sources which are used to count and analyse the data of quotations used in journals Through using《Data norm for retrieval and evaluation of Chinese Academic Journal(CD)》 of CAJ-CD B/T 1-1998,and according to the existing problems which occur when autors contribute their treatises,the paper discusses the problems,and some basic jobs are done for further performing the state standard,so as to improve the level of the journal and its quality


This article describes the governor of Washington State's new Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) program. This program seeks to implement performance-based accountability for those agencies that serve the statewide population. The program was created with the objective of having data-driven discussions on how to best improve publicly invested sectors like transportation. Six such forums have been held to analyze the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). WSDOT has, since the program's inception, exceeded its goal for wetland improvement with 45 different sites showing a greater replacement of acreage than had been planned for. One problem that GMAP is stimulating WSDOT to rectify is that of motorcycle deaths, which the department has recently begun improving with the State Patrol and the Traffic Safety Commission.


IN 1974 a strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae, of capsular type 43 and referred to as L1, was isolated from the River Taff in Wales. In mixed culture it co-transferred its chloramphenicol, ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, spectinomycin and sulphonamide resistance and its ability to ferment lactose to Escherichia coli K12. Because of the possible medical significance of this observation, strain L1 was studied more fully; the results are recorded in this paper.


We show the minimal total Betti number of a closed almost complex manifold of dimension $2n\ge 8$ is four, thus confirming a conjecture of Sullivan except for dimension $6$. Along the way, we prove the only simply connected closed complex manifold having total Betti number three is the complex projective plane.


Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease and microvasculopathy is its major pathophysiological process. Patients with SSc usually have abnormal immune activation, neovascularization, and vascular remodeling. Progressive fibrosis and dysfunction will occur in multiple organs along with the progression of diseases, such as interstitial lung disease and cardiomyopathy [1]. Myocardial impairment is the major cause of death in patients with SSc [2]. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has been demonstrated to be an ideal non-invasive modality to assess myocardial pathology, particularly quantitative T1 [3]. However, CMR is not applicable for individuals with contraindications to MR examination.This study aimed to investigate the association between lung function and myocardial T1 values using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in SSc patients without cardiovascular symptoms.The SSc patients without cardiovascular symptoms and age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were recruited and underwent CMR examination to acquire CINE and T1 mapping images. Myocardial native T1 values and lung function were evaluated. Spearman's rank correlations and linear regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between lung function and myocardial native T1 values.Forty SSc patients (mean age 47.7±13.8 years, 35 females) and 13 (mean age 43.2±3.3 years,10 females) healthy subjects were enrolled. SSc patients showed significantly higher native T1 value in myocardium compared to healthy subjects (1305±48.3 ms vs. 1273.7±35.5 ms, P=0.036). Diffusing capacity of lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was significantly associated with myocardial native T1 value before (β, -0.958; 95%CI, -1.822 to -0.094; P=0.031) and after adjusted for confounding factors (β, -1.223; 95%CI, -2.155 to -0.291; P=0.012). Moderate-to-severe decrease of DLCO (DLCO<60%) was independently associated with myocardial native T1 value (β, 33.189; 95%CI, 16.332 to 50.046; P=0.001). Figure 1 presents a typical case about myocardial native T1 value in a SSc patient (DLCO<60%) and an age- and sex-matched healthy subject.Lung function is independently associated with myocardial native T1 values in SSc patients, particularly for moderate-to-severe decrease of DLCO, suggesting that lung function measurements might be a potential indicator for subclinical myocardial impairment in SSc patients. It is well established that chronic inflammation, the major pathophysiological process of SSc in early stage, persistently activates interstitial fibroblasts of multiple organs including lung and heart, leading to the irreversible fibrosis and subsequent decline of function [4].[1]Katsumoto TR, Whitfield ML, Connolly MK. The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis. Annu Rev Pathol 2011;6:509-37.[2]Komócsi A, Vorobcsuk A, Faludi R, et al. The impact of cardiopulmonary manifestations on the mortality of SSc: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2012;51:1027-36.[3]Agoston-Coldea L, Zlibut A, Revnic R, Florea M, Muntean L. Current advances in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in systemic sclerosis. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2021;25:3718-36.[4]Asano Y. The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis: An understanding based on a common pathologic cascade across multiple organs and additional Organ-Specific pathologies. J Clin Med 2020;9:2687.Figure 1: A 59 years old female SSc patient with declined DLCO (54%) and elevated myocardial native T1 (1327ms) (a-c); Images d-f showed the native T1 maps of myocardium of a 57 years old female healthy subject with the mean T1 value of 1255ms. The MR images of T1 maps of myocardium were taken from short axis slices of left ventricle. nT1, native T1 value.Figure 1 Native T1 value measured by cardiac magnetic resonance in a SSc patient and a healthy subject.NIL.None Declared.


With the instruction of computational dynamics of multi-body systems theory, considering factor of the crankshaft system with variable inertia, the torsional vibration model of crankshaft system was established. Based on kinetic energy equivalence principle, the variable inertia of crankshaft system was analyzed by computational dynamics of multi-body systems method; and the characteristic relation curve between torsional vibration frequency and crank angle was attained; then the belt type distribution characteristic of critical speed was obtained. The analysis considering the nonlinear factor of variable inertia was complicated, but the result was much more approach to the fact. The whole analysis laid the foundations of diesel structure design, and provided a simple and feasible approach to torsional vibration analysis with variable inertia of other systems.


This paper presents an approach to the generation of three dimensional maps of complex environments that exploits improvements in vehicle location estimation provided by the Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm. It is shown that the use of the SLAM algorithm is able to improve the estimated vehicle path, resulting in a higher fidelity model of the environment. The map complexity and the effects of noise in the sensing and localisation processes are reduced by fitting planes to regions representing flat surfaces. Results are shown for the approach applied to a mobile robot equipped with a pair of scanning laser range finders operating in an indoor environment.


The sphere gap in the first stage of an existing multistage surge generator has been replaced by two equal gaps in series by introducing a third sphere. By applying an impulse to the centre sphere when the gaps are charged nearly to the breakdown voltage, breakdown can be initiated at a desired instant. This tripping impulse is generated by a thyratron becoming ionized when a low voltage impulse is applied to its grid, and simultaneously to the sweep circuit of the oscillograph. On account of the inherent time delay in the ionization of a thyratron, the sweep circuit is initiated before the surge generator. A delay cable in the measuring circuit is thus rendered unnecessary. Visual or automatic methods of controlling the output voltage of the generator can be used.


Towards the end of August we were in the habit of visiting the Professor at Ilirska Bistrica, Villa del Nevoso, during the brief period between the two wars in which Italy's eastern border ran through that zone — the frontier with Yugoslavia, which is now the frontier between Slovenia and Croatia. The Professor is both the true lord and the faithful servant of Monte Nevoso, which rises above the Slovene town of Sneznik with its endless forests, its clearings where, at dawn, all of a sudden a buck or a wolf might appear, and the passing of its time engraved in the growth-rings of the trees which framed not only the forest paths but also the years of our lives. It was as if our visits to these forests were not just occasional periods of vacation, but rather an uninterrupted rhythm and continuity reflected in the growing trees, their coming to maturity, their


Background: There is few information on the long-term efficacy and safety of sirolimuseluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) compared to bare metal stents (BMS) in all-comer percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—patients complicated by renal insufficiency (RI). Objective: Our aim was to assess the 6-year clinical outcome of PCI-patients with RI treated exclusively with BMS, SES, or PES in our academic hospital. Methods: A total of 1382 patients, included in three cohorts of consecutive PCI-patients (BMS 5 392; SES 5 498; PES 5 492), were categorized by creatinine clearance calculated by the Cockroft–Gault formula (normal kidney function 90; mild RI 5 60–89; moderate RI < 60) and systematically followed for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Results: Mortality rates were significantly higher for patients with moderate RI compared to mild RI and normal kidney function at 6 years (Kaplan–Meier estimate: moderate RI (34%) vs. mild RI (12%), P < 0.001; moderate RI (34%) vs. normal kidney function (8%), P < 0.001). After multivariate Cox-regression analysis, SES and PES decreased the occurrence of target-vessel revascularization (TVR) and MACE at 6 years in patients with a normal creatinine clearance compared to BMS [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 5 0.48, 95% CI: 0.28–0.84; aHR 5 0.75, 95% CI: 0.57–0.97, respectively] with no significant effect on mortality. Safetyand efficacy end points were comparable for the three stent types in patients with mildand moderate renal function. Conclusion: Patients with a normal creatinine clearance had significant improvement in TVR and MACE rates after SESor PES implantation compared to BMS at 6 years. However, there was no superiority of both drug-eluting stents over BMS in safety and efficacy end points for patients with impaired renal function. VC 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Contributing Authors Ryan H. Blair Extension Area Specialist UT Extension Shawn Butler Research Associate Department of Plant Sciences Dalton McCurley Research Specialist Department of Plant Sciences J. Richard Buntin Ext Agent III & Director, Crockett Co UT Extension Philip W. Shelby Ext Agent III, Gibson Co UT Extension Jake Mallard Extension Agent II, Madison Co UT Extension Lindsay Griffin Extension Agent I, Haywood Co UT Extension


Differential privacy has gained a lot of attention in recent years as a general model for the protection of personal information when used and disclosed for secondary purposes. It has also been proposed as an appropriate model for protecting health data. In this paper we review the current literature on differential privacy and highlight important general limitations to the model and the proposed mechanisms. We then examine some practical challenges to the application of differential privacy to health data. The most severe limitation is the theoretical nature of the privacy parameter epsilon. It has implications on our ability to quantify the level of anonymization that would be guaranteed to patients, as well as assessing responsibilities when a privacy breach occurs. The review concludes by identifying the areas that researchers and practitioners need to address to increase the adoption of differential privacy for health data.


SUBTITLE: THIS IS THE SECOND OF THREE ARTICLES BEGUN IN OUR JULY ISSUE. HERE WE CONTINUE THE EXAMINATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY CONTINENTAL PORTS ARE PUTTING IN PLACE TO ATTRACT AND KEEP BUSINESS.


In vitro nickel (II) complex presents antimitotic effects. In this work, we have studied the in vivo seasonal effects of nickel (II), ligand and the complex [NiCl2(M5FTSC)2] in male Swiss mice. During spring, an intra peritoneal (i.p.) injection of NiCl2 in aqueous NaCl up to 1.0.10-2 mmol.kg-1 body weight (b.w.) killed 10% of the rodents after 6 days. Lethal dose 100% (LD100) was up 1.91.10-2 mmol.kg-1 b.w.; ligand was less toxic than Ni (II), while the complex was 25% lethal at 1.37.10-2 mmol.kg-1 b.w. In autumn, mice were less sensitive to NiCl2. The ligand and the complex, on the contrary, were more toxic. This leads us to the conclusion that, in vivo, chronotolerance of nickel (II), ligand and complex in aqueous solution, are quite different in spring and autumn seasons.


We study two-dimensional (2D) matter-wave solitons in spinor Bose–Einstein condensates under the action of the spin–orbit coupling and opposite signs of the self- and cross-interactions. Stable 2D two-component solitons of the mixed-mode type are found if the cross-interaction between the components is attractive, while the self-interaction is repulsive in each component. Stable solitons of the semi-vortex type are formed in the opposite case, under the action of competing self-attraction and cross-repulsion. The solitons exist with the total norm taking values below a collapse threshold. Further, in the case of the repulsive self-interaction and inter-component attraction, stable 2D self-trapped modes, which may be considered as quantum droplets (QDs), are created if the beyond-mean-field Lee–Huang–Yang terms are added to the self-repulsion in the underlying system of coupled Gross–Pitaevskii equations. Stable QDs of the mixed-mode type, of a large size with an anisotropic density profile, exist with arbitrarily large values of the norm, as the Lee–Huang–Yang terms eliminate the collapse. The effect of the spin–orbit coupling term on characteristics of the QDs is systematically studied. We also address the existence and stability of QDs in the case of SOC with mixed Rashba and Dresselhaus terms, which makes the density profile of the QD more isotropic. Thus, QDs in the spin-orbit-coupled binary Bose–Einstein condensate are for the first time studied in the present work.


A new optimization method for Demand Response (DR) using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) is developed and validated where load prediction is done using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The electrical load and climatological data of a residential area in Austin, Texas are used as the inputs of the ANN. Then, the outcomes with the day-ahead prices data are used to solve the load shifting and cost reduction problem. The results indicate that, the proposed model demonstrates the capability to optimize demand response and improve accuracy in load prediction, thereby reducing the cost and peak load.