The title coordination polymer [Eu(PCPA)3(H2O)]n (PCPA = p-chlorophenoxy- acetate) has been synthesized under hydrothermal condition, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and characterized by FT-IR, UV-VIS and fluorescent spectra. The crystal belongs to triclinic system, space group P1 with a = 7.8036(1), b = 12.7458(4), c = 14.0208(3) , α = 81.610(8), β = 79.406(8), γ = 77.567(7)o, V = 1330.40(5) 3, C24H20Cl3EuO10, Mr = 726.71, Z = 2, F(000) = 716, Dc = 1.814 g/cm3, λ(MoKα) = 0.71073 , μ(MoKα) = 2.713 mm-1, the final R = 0.0284 and wR = 0.0678 for 5529 observed reflections with I 2σ(I). The europium ions are located in a nine-coordinate environment. PCPA ions with two different coordination modes connect the metal ions to form 1D zigzag chains which are arranged to generate 2D supramolecular layers by intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The luminescence properties of the rare-earth ions are studied in this paper.


In this paper, we investigated the classification of discipline in medical education abroad. Comparative study between China and the other countries was done on the classification of discipline in basic medicine, clinical medicine, dental medicine, preventive medicine and pharmacy. In order to accommodate to the development of medical science and the need of cultivation of graduates, we should gradually modify the classification of discipline and the degree type conferred in medical graduate education.


Background: This study aimed to reveal changes in thyroid gland volume and functions in patients having undergone sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, the thyroid-s...


ABSTRACT In a youth-centred culture, where ageing is associated with physical and mental decline, investment in a youthful appearance promises access to socially valuable resources. The need for regular care for the self, primarily through consumption, constitutes part of the narrative of successful or positive ageing. Due to its emphasis on self-reliance and efforts to remain healthy, productive and youthful, the discourse of successful ageing has been seen as intersecting with a neoliberal rationality, or a shift of responsibility for risks associated with ageing from the state to the individual. While some authors criticise an emphasis on individual effort to maintain personal wellbeing for a lack of attention to structural factors, others view such an approach favourably as a way of transcending state paternalism. In this paper, I engage with the discourse of 'responsibilisation' drawing on the interviews with middle-aged, middle-class women from Moscow about their experiences of ageing. I employ the theoretical framework of 'governmentality' to demonstrate how the interviewed women's attempts to make sense of what it meant to age 'appropriately' within their milieus informed both their awareness of a need to improve and reinvent the self constantly through consumption in the context of post-Soviet Russian society, and their questioning of and resistance to this pressure.


This article is based on a conference paper delivered to the annual conference of the Assistant Librarians Group of the Library Association. Many of the audience were at the initial stages of developing CD-ROM applications in their libraries. Over the past ten years Dublin City University (hereafter DCU) library has faced many of the issues and challenges public libraries are facing today. This paper provides the background against which decisions as to whether to purchase CD-ROMs are made. It then examines practical issues such as finance, management and promotion of CD-ROM databases. DUC's increasing use of the Internet as a gateway to commercial databases, is also briefly explored.


Following the neonatal examination the 6–8 week 'GP check' forms the second part of selective surveillance for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in the UK. We aim to investigate the effectiveness of this 6–8 week examination for DDH. This is a observational study including all infants born in our region over 5 years. Early presentation was defined as diagnosis within 14 weeks of birth and late presentation after 14 weeks. Treatment record for early and late DDH as well as referrals for ultrasound (US) following the 6–8 week check were analysed. The attendance at the 6–8 week examination in those patients who went on to present with a late DDH was also analysed. 23112 live births, there were 141 confirmed cases of DDH. 400 referrals for ultrasound were received from GP; 6 of these had a positive finding of DDH. 27 patients presented after 14 weeks and were classified as late presentations. 25 of these patients had attended the 6–8 week examination and no abnormality had been identified. The sensitivity of the examination was 19.4%, its specificity was 98% and it had a positive predictive value of 1.5% For many years the 6–8 week 'check' has been thought of as a safety net for those children with DDH not identified as neonates, however we found that 4 out of every 5 children with DDH were not identified. It is essential efforts are made to impove detection as the long term consequences of late presentation can be life changing.


The growth hormone (GH) response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia and to arginine infusion has been evaluated in 60 children with growth retardation. These children have been classified into three groups:
 Group 1-9 children had peak serum growth hormone values of 7 mµg/ml or greater to both stimuli, a normal growth hormone response.
 Group 2-18 children had peak GH values of ≤ 3 mµg/ml to both stimuli, an abnormal response indicating growth hormone deficiency.
 Group 3-6 children had a blunted GH response (> 3 < 7 mµg/ml) to both stimuli; 8 showed a normal rise in serum GH following arginine infusion (> 7 mµg/ml) but exhibited no rise, or a minimal one, following insulin administration; 9 children had minimal increase in serum GH concentration following arginine infusion but showed a normal GH response to insulin administration (> 7mµg/ml).
 Children included in Group 3 represent a heterogenous population. In some patients with a blunted response to both stimuli, evidence of partial or less severe form of GH deficiency was found, whereas in 17 of 18 children exhibiting a disparate response the impaired growth was not attributable to growth hormone deficiency.
 The blood glucose at all sampling periods was significantly lower following insulin administration in patients in Group 2 than that observed for children in Group 1 and 3. The blood glucose was significantly lower at 90 and 120 minutes following arginine infusion in Group 2 compared to values for patients in Group 1 and 3.
 Changes in serum insulin in response to the infusion of arginine did not provide a useful index of discrimination among these groups.
 Administration of diethylstilbestrol, 10 mg/day times 2 days, prior to testing can modify the GH response to both hypoglycemia and arginine; it is a useful ancillary procedure in children with blunted or disparate responses.
 These studies suggest that two types of stimulation tests are necessary to establish the diagnosis of isolated GH deficiency with a high degree of probability.


An image database system with content capturing and fast image indexing abilities " , Proc. Srinivasan, " On-line images from the history of medicine (OLI): Creating a large searchable image database for distribution via WorldWide Web " , First [48] A. Rosenfeld, " Recognizing unexpected objects: a proposed approach " , Int. A construction of a new image database system which realizes fully automated keyword extraction, IEICE Trans. 8 In the context of MIS, the relevance and attentional concepts can be used for images archival, images retrieval , and for human-media interaction. For images ar-chival, these concepts allow to select important features, to rank them according to their pertinence, and to locate items of interest in the images. It is then possible to use these most important items as indexing keys for access-ing pictures. Regarding images retrieval, relevance and attentional mechanisms appear as general paradigms for exploratory data mining, that provide a framework for qualitative indexing and matching which can be used for QVE and possibly for QSD. Finally, regarding human media interaction, relevance could be used in two ways. First, at the input of complex conjunctive queries, users could be asked to provide a relevance factor together with each component of their request. Second, for presenting results to the user, relevance could be used to rank the images retrieved from the database with respect to the query. The results of the proposed technique have been described in the context of an artificial, still complex image database. Our current work consists of the integration of these concepts into an images archiving and retrieval system, applied to news photographs and to textile samples. We are also investigating learning techniques for automatic construction of object descriptions, aiming at precompiling appropriate indexing keys for efficient image retrieval. To conclude, computer vision offers a number of techniques that can be used in the context of pictorial information systems. More specifically, queries by means of visual examples need to heavily rely on pattern recognition and object matching methods. Future challenges are in the domain of automated determination of indexing keys from large data sets, and in the development of new interaction models that integrate computer vision methods.


This project investigates the magnetomechanical sensing behavior of iron-gallium alloys in response to applied bending loads in order to provide an experimental and analytic framework for implementing this material in novel sensor applications at the nanoscale. A series of experiments are conducted on millimeter sized cantilevered beams to verify that the material is mechanically sound as well as magnetically active in this loading configuration, with results showing a change in magnetic induction of as much as 0.3 T occurring at twice the frequency of beam vibration. These results agree well with an analytic system model based on nonlinear free energy terms. Initial work has begun on visualizing and characterizing arrays of iron-gallium nanowires, with an atomic force microscope providing preliminary images as well as force and deflection data.


Different from the established trans-endo-selective cyclization of alkyne-tethered electrophiles that involve an E/Z isomerization process, herein, the authors present a novel strategy to allow tra...


Short Answer Grading (SAG) is the task of scoring students' answers for applications such as examinations or e-learning. Most of the existing SAG systems predict scores based only on the answers, and critical evaluation criteria such as rubrics are ignored, which plays a crucial role in evaluating answers in real-world situations. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised method to train a neural SAG model. We extract keyphrases that are highly related to answers scores from rubrics. Weights to words of answers are calculated as attention labels instead of manually annotated attention labels, based on span-wise alignments between answers and keyphrases. Only answers with highly weighed words are used as attention supervision. We evaluate the proposed model on two analytical assessment tasks of analytic score prediction and justification identification . Analytic score prediction is the task of predicting the score of a given answer for a prompt, and Justification identification involves identifying a justification cue in a given student answer for each analytic score. Our experimental results demonstrate that both performance of grading and justification identification is improved by integrating attention semi-supervised training, especially in a low-resource setting.


Abstract : The Navy is constructing an automated manufacturing facility which incorporates a flexible manufacturing (CIM) technology. The facility, which is known as the RAMP PWA facility, will operate within the Navy Industrial Fund (NIF) system. The thesis conducts a comparative analysis of NIF cost accounting with activity-based cost (ABC) accounting in order to determine which cost accounting system more accurately accounts for the resources of the RAMP PWA facility, and which system reports a more precise estimate of product costs. The author concludes that an ABC system can more accurately account for the resources of an automated manufacturing facility, and that an ABC system reports a more precise estimate of product costs.


Neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) tests were compared for sensitivity and specificity, and complement fixation (CF) tests to adenovirus group antigen for sensitivity, in the detection of antibody in individuals with adenovirus isolations. Neutralization tests revealed the highest proportion of significant homotypic antibody increases (52%) followed by HI tests on Pseudomonas-filtrate-treated sera (48%), HI tests on untreated sera (34%) and HI tests on kaolintreated sera (30%). CF tests with adenovirus group antigen revealed significant antibody increases in only 38% of the patients, and most of these increases occurred in patients infected with adenovirus type 4, the viral type used for preparation of the antigen. In a number of patients homotypic neutralizing and HI antibody occurred independently of one another. An association was noted between age and production of homotypic neutralizing and HI antibody: antibody was absent in a higher proportion of sera from infants and young children than sera from young adults. Differences were noted in the frequency of occurrence in human sera of nonspecific HA inhibitor for the different adenovirus types, the highest proportion of sera showing inhibitors for adenovirus types 1, 2, 4 and 5, with few showing inhibitor for adenovirus types 3, 7, 10 and 11. Treatment of human sera with filtrates from a psychrophylic Pseudomonas sp. was found to be as effective as kaolin treatment for removal of nonspecific inhibitors of adenovirus hemagglutination, and it showed less tendency to remove specific antibody.


A major oil company operates a secondary recovery waterflood in Inglewood, California. The waterflood currently processes 250,000 bbls. per day of produced fluid. The major economic and operational problems associated with a secondary recovery waterflood are: 1) corrosion due to oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and bacteria (sulfate reducers and slime biomass), 2) plugging from deposits due to salts, sulfides, and biofilms. These problems lead to deterioration of water handling equipment, injection lines (surface and subsurface), and decreased water quality resulting in the plugging of injection wells. During the last 8 years the operator has used varying mechanical and chemical technology to solve these problems. From 1978 to 1982 traditional chemical programs were in effect. Over this time period there was a continuing decline in water quality, and a substantial increase in chemical and operational costs. It was determined at that time that the major reason for this was due to microbiological activity. With this in mind, the operator proceeded to test the effects of using Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide in one portion of their water handling facilities. Due to the success of the program it was applied field wide. Presently, the primary problems associated with bacteria have been arrested. Solvingmore » one corrosion problem can lead to the onset of another. The operator is now in the process of making a concentrated effort to eliminate the other synergistically related corrosive and plugging agents (O/sub 2/, CO/sub 2/, H/sub 2/S). A field history of the problems, findings, and solutions, are discussed along with an overview of our present direction.« less


This paper investigates the effect of political connections on the association between family firms and conservative financial reporting. While family firms have incentives to reduce agency and litigation-related costs by means of conservative reporting, firms with political connections tend to have opaque financial reporting, which enable them to engage in rent-seeking activities. Using data for Taiwanese listed firms between 1996 and 2012, the final sample observations were 13,877 firm-year observations from a population of 21,393 firm-year observations. We found that political connections weaken the positive relationship between family ownership and conservative financial reporting. This suggests that politically connected family firms make fewer demands for conservative financial reporting. This study contributes to the literature on how political connections affect the family owners' reporting incentives. Policy makers may consider political connections as an essential factor with respect to establishing governance practice in family firms.


We present an alternative method for viewing time-varying volumetric data. We consider such data as a four-dimensional data field, rather than considering space and time as separate entities. If we treat the data in this manner, we can apply high dimensional slicing and projection techniques to generate an image hyperplane. The user is provided with an intuitive user interface to specify arbitrary hyperplanes in 4D, which can be displayed with standard volume rendering techniques. From the volume specification, we are able to extract arbitrary hyperslices, combine slices together into a hyperprojection volume, or apply a 4D raycasting method to generate the same results. In combination with appropriate integration operators and transfer functions, we are able to extract and present different space-time features to the user.


OBJECTIVE To establish a method to ensure the product consistency through comparative studying on the vitro dissolution curve of the chemical composition of Vitamin C in the sugar-coated tablets and film-coated tablets of Vitamin C Yinqiao Tablets. METHODS Paddle method was used. 0. 5% sodium bisulfitesolution(p H =1. 5) was used as dissolution medium,which adjusted by phosphoric acid. Temperature was at 37℃ ± 0. 5℃. The speed was kept at 75r·min- 1. Coating layer shedding as a starting point of sampling time to examine the two specifications products cumulative dissolution in the same sampling point within 90 min. The HPLC conditions included that aminosilane key silica gel column(250 mm × 4mm,5μm),mobile phase of acetonitrile-0. 01mol·L- 1potassium dihydrogen phosphate(phosphoric acid adjusted the p H to 2. 4)(70∶ 30),detection wavelength was set at 246 nm,column temperature was 25℃,the flow rate was 1m L · min- 1,injection volume was 10μL. RESULTS Vitamin C Showed a good linear relationship within the range of 2. 10-210. 40μg·m L- 1,the average plus recoveries of the sugar-coated tablets and the film-coated tablets were 101. 75% and 100. 46% respectively. By comparing the similar factors,the vitamin C in vitro dissolution curve of the sugar-coated tablets and the film-coated tablet was similar. CONCLUSION The feasibility and reproducibility of this method are good. And inferred dissolution time varies of the both tables because of the different coating materials,which will lay the basis of theoretical data for the bioequivalence testing in the upcoming.


This article examines criminal behavior from a rational choice perspective, the set of behavioral principles underlying our legal institution. The authors use a subjective utility approach and specify experiential learning models of the formation of risk perceptions and rational choice models of theft and violence. They estimate the models using panel data on high risk youth from the Denver Youth Survey. Using random effects Tobit models of perceived risk and negative binomial models of counts of criminal acts, the authors find support for a rational choice model. Perceived risk follows a Bayesian updating model in which current risk perceptions are a function of prior risk perceptions plus new information based on experience with crime and arrest and observations of peers. Theft and violence are a function of the perceived risk of arrest, subjective psychic rewards (including excitement and social status), and perceived opportunities.


The paper includes: • A brief review of the global context; • A description of three living wage methodologies (developed by the Asia Floor Wage Alliance, Richard Anker, and the Center for Reflection, Education and Action) and several initiatives of trade union and labour rights organizations and academics that attempt to apply these methodologies; • Demands being put forward by international labour rights organizations on steps brands should take to achieve payment of a living wage; • What brands are currently doing in response to demands for a living wage; and • Where four multi-stakeholder initiatives stand on the living wage issue.


Graphs represent real world relationships, and graph embedding projects nodes in a graph to a latent space that can help simplify downstream tasks. Recent development of graph convolutions in deep learning significantly improves the performance of many learning tasks on graphs. Unfortunately, prior embedding methods either do not embed graphs with node features, or fail to produce high-quality embeddings for downstream learning tasks that result in large performance gap in comparison to direct learning on graphs.We present a versatile and effective embedding method, Conv2Vec, for embedding graphs with or without node features. It is based on graph convolutions with objective functions motivated by concepts and structures from classical graph algorithms. Conv2Vec produce high-quality embedding for both plain graphs and graphs with node features for downstream tasks.We evaluate the embeddings generated by Conv2Vec with a transductive node classification task. With the generated embeddings and very simple machine learning approaches, we are able to achieve accuracies similar to those achieved by direct learning with graph convolutions. Interestingly, if we strip the node features from the graph and thus learning an embedding has to rely entirely on the graph topology, node classification with our embedding significantly outperforms direct learning with various graph convolutions. This suggests that structures from classical graph algorithms may play an important role in learning on graphs.


Abstract The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is implementing a mandatory Medicaid managed Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) program that covers people age 21 and older who are fully eligibly for both Medicare and Medicaid, living in a nursing facility paid for by Medicaid, or in an aged or physical disability home and community based services (HCBS) waiver. The overall program goals are to: Enhance Opportunities for Community Living; Improve Service Coordination; Enhance Quality and Accountability; Advance Program and Innovation; and Increase Efficiency. The program will be administered by 3 managed care organizations (MCOs) that are obligated to coordinate with Medicare Advantage and D-SNP plans. This major policy change affects the traditional roles and responsibilities of the aging network by shifting the locus of control to insurance companies. This presentation will describe the policy change, the implications for the aging network, and the multi-method evaluation designed to assess the implementation and outcomes.


This article introduces the advantage of an on-line infrared fault monitoring positioning system applied in monitoring during route temperature test for explosion proof motor,based on the analysis of some problems arisen in practical situation of the infrared thermal imager in static state.


This paper describes the characteristics of journal management, and connecting with the practical work,analyzes the journal subscription, the present journals management and the outdated journals management, and points out that the library of independent college should innovate the management method and actively expand services mode to improve the utilization ratio of journal resources and provide better services for readers.


In the last couple of years, interest arose in the galectin family as a new molecular pathway involved in development of placental insufficiency syndromes, including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction (FGR). Increasing evidence report altered expression of galectin-1, galectin-3, galectin-9, galectin-13, and galectin-14 in preeclamptic placentas depending on gestational age. Recently, Menkhorst et al added galectin-7 to the list. The study of Menkhorst et al provided translational evidence for a causal role of galectin-7 in poor placentation leading to preeclamptic symptoms by integrating human in vitro and animal in vivo and in vitro research. (1) They reported increased galectin-7 in human chorionic villous samples in women that prospectively developed preterm preeclampsia, but not in samples from uncomplicated pregnancies or term preeclamptic pregnancies. Noteworthy, the preterm preeclamptic group consisted of only 3 samples. (2) They also demonstrated that galectin-7 diminished human trophoblast outgrowth in vitro. Again, samples size was 3 per group. Although this complementary in vitro data appears convincing, future human placental research with larger sample size are required to confirm these findings. (3) Lastly, their study showed that administration with galectin-7 during early gestation impaired placentation and resulted in the development of preeclamptic symptoms in mice. Administration occurred from E8-12 at maximal placentation in mice, but if galectin-7 has a causal role as suggested by the authors, the effect might have been more extensive when galectin-7 was administered even earlier when placentation starts. Galectin-7 could be a novel target to treat preeclampsia, and we look forward to studies testing these promising agents. While the key questions at which gestational age therapy should start and which group of patients to target apply for all new novel therapeutics, it seems to be especially relevant for therapies targeting galectin. Because of its suggested causal contribution in placental driven preeclampsia, one might argue that therapies targeting placental galectin expression or production might be more suitable to prevent early-onset (severe) preeclampsia when administration occurs during placentation. In this editorial commentary, we plead for adequate testing of galectin targeted therapy in which we believe that the road to translational success involves using early-onset placental insufficiency-induced preeclampsia and FGR as study group of interest, with early intervention when placentation is ongoing, and by using spontaneous animal models of early placental dysfunction. The search for a treatment is complicated by the complex pathophysiology of placental insufficiency syndromes. While the preeclamptic symptoms per definition present after 20 weeks of gestation as hypertension accompanied by maternal organ failure and FGR, the origin of the disease is believed to be driven by an undesirable interaction of maternal and placental constitutional factors. Placentation takes place around week 8 to 16 after conception and is hampered in preeclampsia by impaired trophoblast invasion and spiral artery remodeling (phase 1, Figure). The triggered placental release of anti-angiogenic factors and proinflammatory cytokines into the maternal circulation induces systemic endothelial dysfunction which eventually gives rise to the cardinal features of preeclampsia (phase 2). An arbitrary division of early-onset (<34 weeks of gestation) and late-onset (>34 weeks of gestation) preeclampsia and FGR established after observing different placental pathology between the 2 subgroups; in the early-onset group, more placental abnormalities were observed alongside a more severe phenotype with worse pregnancy outcomes. The placental driven pathology might, therefore, be more relevant to earlyonset preeclampsia, while in late-onset preeclampsia maternal constitutive factors are suggested to weigh in more heavily to the cause. An increased knowledge on altered placental factors contribute in identifying novel therapeutic options. However, testing these therapeutic options is complicated by the complex pathophysiology of placental insufficiency syndromes and the effectiveness might be masked by the large heterogeneity in phenotype of placental insufficiency syndromes. Galectins contain immunomodulatory and angiogenetic properties essential for healthy placentation and altered placental expression has been linked to preeclampsia and FGR. Galectin-1 is the most studied member of the family in relation to these syndromes. One study reported reduced expression of galectin-1 in placentas from preeclamptic women and inhibition of galectin-1 mediated angiogenesis resulted in preeclamptic symptoms and FGR restriction in a mouse model. Inconsistently, higher or no difference in galectin-1 expression The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the American Heart Association. From the University Medical Center Utrecht, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and the Department for Developmental Origins of Disease (DDOD), Utrecht, the Netherlands. Correspondence to Fieke Terstappen, Division Woman and Baby, Department of Obstetrics, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85090, Lundlaan 6, 3508 AB Utrecht, the Netherlands. Email firstname.lastname@example.com Galectin Family in Placental Insufficiency Syndromes Overcoming Translational Hurdles Towards a Therapy?


OBJECTIVE
Experimental inflammation induces degradation of glycocalyx. The authors hypothesized that inflammation is an important determinant of glycocalyx degradation in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB).

DESIGN
A prospective observational study.

SETTING
Operation theater and intensive care unit of a university hospital.

PARTICIPANTS
Two separate prospective patient cohorts.

INTERVENTIONS
Blood samples were collected at 5 perioperative time points in the trial cohort (30 patients) and only preoperatively in the preoperative cohort (35 patients). Plasma syndecan-1 (biomarker of glycocalyx degradation), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, and IL-10 were measured.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
In the trial cohort, preoperative ranges were as follows: 0.8-198 ng/mL for syndecan-1; 0-902 pg/mL for IL-6; 0-314.9 pg/mL for IL-8, and 0-2,909 pg/mL for IL-10. Seven out of 30 patients were outliers in terms of plasma concentrations of syndecan-1 and all cytokines preoperatively. The increase of syndecan-1 was 2.7-fold, and those of IL-6 and IL-8 were both 2.5-fold. The increase of IL-10 was modest. Plasma syndecan-1 correlated with all cytokines preoperatively (IL-6: R = 0.66, p < 0.001; IL-8: R = 0.67, p = 0.001; IL-10: R = 0.73, p < 0.001) as well as at 6 hours postoperatively (IL-6: R = 0.49, p = 0.006; IL-8: R = 0.43, p = 0.02; IL-10: R = 0.41, p = 0.03) and on the postoperative morning (IL-6: R = 0.57, p = 0.001; IL-8: R = 0.37, p = 0.06; IL-10: R = 0.51, p = 0.005) but not intraoperatively. The preoperative findings of the trial cohort could be confirmed in the preoperative cohort.

CONCLUSIONS
In patients undergoing cardiac surgery with CPB, inflammation in terms of proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 is associated with glycocalyx degradation measured as plasma syndecan-1 concentrations.


For smartphone service providers, it is of vital importance to recognize characteristics of customers. The process of recognizing these characteristics is generally referred to as user profile, which provides knowledge basis for business decisions, enables intelligent services, and brings unique competitiveness. As a basic component of user profile, bedtime could reflect lifestyle, health condition, and occupation of people. This paper presents a flexible algorithm named BTP (Bedtime Prediction), which is designed for predicting wake time and bedtime by analysing screen status of smartphone. BTP first collects screen status log data of user's smartphone and conducts preprocessing with a series of auxiliary user profiles. Then, it detects and records users' wake time and bedtime of one day by searching and combining major screen extinguish periods in the past 24 hours. Finally, BTP predicts future bedtime by matching current screen status sequence with all historical records. By applying BTP, most of night and morning scenario-based applications could provide more considerate services, rather than following fixed execution time like alarm clock. Experiments on practical applications prove that BTP can effectively predict wake time and bedtime without applying complicated machine learning algorithms or uploading data to server.


Fischeria brachycalyx, Gonolobus rothschuhii, Matelea pseudobarbata, and M. viridis are newly reported for the Panamanian flora. Matelea viridis (Moldenke) Spellman is a new combination based on Fischeria viridis Moldenke. Recent collections of plants from poorly known areas of Veraguas and Darien Provinces in Panama have added three species of Asclepiadaceae to the flora of the country. Further studies of the family have resulted in a new combination for one of the three, as well as the addition of a fourth species to the flora which was incorrectly assigned in the treatment of the family for the Flora of Panama (Spellman, 1975). 1. Fischeria brachycalyx L. 0. Williams, Fieldiana: Bot. 32: 43. 1968. TYPE:


In the framework of Porri's mechanism for the 1,2 and cis-1,4 diene polymerizations, a geometrical and nonbonded energy analysis on possible catalytic intermediates, which include a cyclopentadienyl group coordinated to the transition metal, is presented. Besides pre-insertion intermediates, post-insertion intermediates presenting a "back-biting" coordination of the growing chain are considered. The post-insertion minimum energy intermediates are structurally very close to the endo−endo pre-insertion intermediates (presenting endo coordinations for both the allyl group of the growing chain and diene monomer), independently of the kind of insertion (1,2 or cis-1,4) and of the diene (butadiene, 4-methyl-1,3-pentadiene or (Z)-pentadiene). In our hypothesis the energy differences between the considered post-insertion intermediates are close to those present in the transition states, and this assures the isospecificity and the syndiospecificity of the models for the cis-1,4 polymerization (of 4-monosubstituted...


Many people believe that identifying individuals who exhibit known risk factors for coronary heart disease is the easy part of reducing cardiovascular disease. It isn't hard to obtain a good brief history and the results of a few simple tests such as blood pressure, weight, serum lipids, and glucose. The difficulty lies in successfully referring individuals with positive results into ongoing care and assuring follow-up with appropriate education, decision making, and subsequent behavior change. Effective referral networks require planning, coordination, and follow-up. Furthermore, longterm effective management of identified risk factors requires decades of daily decisions and behaviors by patients as well as ongoing individualized support from health care providers, families, and friends. Occupational health nurses (OHNs) are in an ideal position to identify risk factors early, and to help employees change their behavior to reduce their cardiovascular risk. Employees and employers share the goals of smoking cessation, high blood pressure (HBP) control, serum cholesterol reduction, and blood sugar control. Additionally, OHNs can look further ahead and initiate efforts to prevent risk factors. Programs to promote nonsmoking, weight control, and exercise, for example, constitute efforts in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Much has been written about the role of OHNs in workplace health promotion programs. (Carnine, 1981; National Blood Pressure Program Coordinating Committee, 1983).The key components of this role are the same in all cardiovascular risk reduction programs. All nurses should be prepared to: • Educate to explain the importance of risk factors and the benefits of their early detection and control. • Screen using simple techniques to identify individuals at increased risk. • Refer individuals at risk to sources of information and care. • Followup at-risk individuals to confirm the presence of risk factors and entrance into long-term care. • Promote adherence to aid in achieving goals of therapy. This article discusses the components of follow-up and adherence promotion, both crucial steps in reducing morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease.


Abstract African immigrants are a fast-growing segment of the U.S. Black population, but the dementia care needs and resources of this population are not fully understood. We will describe the process of developing culturally informed instruments to collect data on dementia care needs and resources among African immigrants. Working together with a diverse project advisory board, a guide was developed and used to conduct community conversations about experiences with dementia/memory loss. Qualitative findings from these conversations were used to inform the development of a survey for quantitative data collection. Despite the challenges of conducting research during a global pandemic, having trusting relationships with a partnering community organization and project advisory board facilitated the successful development of instruments to conduct preliminary dementia care research in an underserved population. We anticipate that survey results will inform interventions that increase education, outreach, and access to dementia care and caregiving resources for this population.


On the assumption that the dislocation oscillates according to the harmonic law, the authors was found a general expression for the polarization components around the dislocation. The case of small dislocation oscillations is considered. It was assumed that the active ferroelectric axis coincides with an equilibrium position of the edge dislocation line. The amplitude of the polarization around the vibrating edge dislocation at the distance from the dislocation line in the two cases, corresponding local oscillations, is found. The laws of decreasing the modulus of the polarization amplitude at the distance from the dislocation line are determined.


Based on the propaganda posters and award-winning works of Chaumont Poster Festival during the 1990 s, it discussed the font design of them. It explored the technical background of poster works nowadays from the view of time. It studied the influence of digital technology, typesetting and typography to the poster works nowadays. According to the time of 1990 and 2000 s, it studied the change and tendency of the font design in the awardwinning poster works, it discussed the causes of them from the design concept and technical tools angle. Finally, it summarized and expected the future of font design and application.


The use of Deep Learning to predict what happens in the future becomes more popular because of great availability of data. This study proposes the power of Deep Learning to predict Students' Academic Performance (SAP). It is happened, students pass or fail at the end of the school period. By the time, it is already too late to help the students. The prediction of SAP in advance is needed to prevent students from failing. Feedforward Neural Network is used in this study to predict whether students can achieve certain scores within a specific range score. Data from students' activities are used to predict SAP. Raw data were collected from a course attended by 90 students. The input for this study was student's activities that were recorded in the log data from the Learning Management System. The way the data were collected, pre-processed and developed are explained. The result shows that students' activity from log data varied greatly and the formed pattern is weak. The training validation model's accuracy was still around 85% with the accuracy to predict is under 50%. Thus, our initial research results indicate that Deep Learning does not perform high accuracy for predicting Students' Academic Performance because of several reasons, among others, small sample of dataset, relevance of students' activities, and so forth. Regardless of that, the study reveals that with our dataset structure of students' activities, SAP can be predicted. Further study is to investigate more relevance students' activities, more dataset of students, and a longer period of study time.


Computed tomography supplies a three-dimensional vision of sedimentary geometries that are fabricated by microscopic and macroscopic biota. The biota alter sediment structure and properties in such a way that the altered sediment structure impacts acoustic determinations of idealized seafloor properties, which are based upon grain size and associated, yet textbook, geoacoustic properties. The presence of these alterations affects propagation by scattering acoustic energy at density discontinuities and non-planar surfaces (aka "seafloor roughness") both of which have a likely impacts: dampening of signal strength and increases in reverberation. The result is that the information sought about the seafloor is obscured; sediment properties, composition, strength, and potential for deformation and mobility are ambiguous and poorly constrained from available acoustic information in areas where biological activity significantly alters the sediment structure. Here, the three-dimensional geometry of the microbioti...


To study the roles of endothelin(ET-1),prostacyclin
(PGI2) and thromboxane (TXA2) in the pathogenesis of pregnancy induced hypertension
syndrome(PIHS). Plasma levels of ET-1,PGI2 and TXA2 were estimated by
radioimmunoassay(RIA) mothod in 55 patients with PIHS and 23 healthy pregnant women. The
plasma levels of ET-1 in patients with PIHS were significantly higher than those in healthy
pregnant women,rising with the aggravation of disease.The plasma levels of PGI2 in patients
with moderate and severe PIHS were significantly decreased as compared with those in healthy
pregnant women;whereas the plasma levels of TXA2 in these patients were higher than those in
healthy pregnant women.Both levels fluctuated to the decreasing or increasing side with the
deterioration of the patients respectively.There were a negative correlation between plasma
ET-1 and PGI2 and a positive correlation between plasma ET-1 and TXA2 in patients with
moderate and severe PIHS.The plasma levels of PGI2 were negatively correlate .Plasma
levels of ET-1,PGI2 and TXA2 could be used as reliable indicators for judging the severity of
PIHS.ET-1 may be a main predisposing cause of PIHS;We infer that it is an effective way to
supplement exogenous PGI2 in the treatment of PIHS according to the antagonistic action of
PGI2 towards ET-1.


The Multi-Stream Dependency Detection algorithm has been applied to a variety of classiication problems from the UC Irvine repository to assess performance and operating characteristics on \real world", rather than artiicial, data sets. Although MSDD was not designed to be a classiier, its performance on a few initial problems prompted further exploration. In this memo I describe the performance of MSDD on the various problems that have been tested to date, and compare that performance to other results published in the machine learning literature. The majority of the problems discussed herein were chosen from a list of thirteen presented in 3] as being a minimal representative set that covers several important features that distinguish problem domains. The MSDD algorithm was used with non-redundant child generation, left-to-right instantiation of wild-cards, and the S 2 heuristic in all cases. Real valued features in the data sets were binned into between ve and twenty equally sized bins. The size was chosen after brieey experimenting to see where the best accuracy was obtained. Unless otherwise noted, each data set was randomly distributed into a set containing 2=3 of the instances for training and another set containing the remaining 1=3 for testing. MSDD was run on ten diierent random splits resulting in a mean classiication accuracy. Breast Cancer This data set involves classifying breast cancer cases from the University of Wisconsin at Madison Hospital as either benign or malignant. Each training instance contains ten features in addition to the class label. Other results from literature 93.5% { two pairs of parallel hyperplanes (1 trial only) 95.9% { three pairs of parallel hyperplanes (1 trial only) 93.7% { 1 nearest neighbor Diabetes This data set involves identifying patients who show signs of the onset of diabetes based on eight features. The default accuracy is 65.1%.


this thesis makes an in-depth study on the adsorption properties of modified sepiolite to phosphorus, and confirms how the factors such as, phosphorus wastewater flow, phosphorus removal agent dosage, temperature, additives and other factors effect on the phosphorus adsorption thermodynamic equilibrium of modified sepiolite. With the increase of phosphorus removal agent of modified sepiolite, adsorption capacity of modified sepiolite phosphorus removal to PO43- ions in wastewater decreases; the removal rate increases with the increase removal agent; improving the acid modified temperature favors the adsorption of compound phosphorus removal to sepiolite; adsorption amount increases with the calcination temperature of sepiolite. This thesis describes the adsorption capacity of the modified sepiolite to phosphorus changes with temperature. According to the experimental data, adsorption isotherms at different temperature are presented in this thesis. And a theoretical foundation is provided for the industrial application of modified sepiolite phosphorus removal.


The title of this paper calls for discussion of a particular form of data in the study of a specified type of problem. Succinctly, the task assumed is that of directing attention to certain methodologic matter< regarding the use of longitudinal data* in the investigation of human morphologic growth processes. I t is a requirement of cflicient and fruitful scientific study that the gathering and analysis of data receive explicit and critical consideration in relation to the problem the data are intended to subserve. "Research is the scientific method of finding the answers to question^";^^ a scientist's first responsibility is "to know precisely what is to be investigated, to formulate the problem as accurately as p~ssible."'~ Primary next steps are those of "determining what data will need to be collected, tlie manner in which they will be collected, and the method by which they will be analyzed."1o The relevance of this association between the nature of the problem and the specifications of data collection and analysis warrants a little directed elaboration. Aiithropometric data amassed to obtain an estimate of a population mean (say one accurate within 2.0 mm. a t the 1 per cent level of confidence) do not necessitate measurement procedures of the order required to obtain like estimates for individuals a t tlie same confidence again, measurements made to represent morphologic status (e.g., the length of segment -1 a t age E.') call for less demanding reliability standards than measurements made for the purpose of registcring morphologic velocity (eg . , increase or decrease in the length of segment A between ages I' and Z ) . 5 2 Stated more generally, it is less difficult to reduce chance error within adequate bounds where the problem pertains directly to measurements (e.g., somatic trait description a t one ontogenetic age or stage) than where the problem necessitates data in the form of derived measures (such as size Lhanges and form indices)55 or time series (as for the study of morphologic trend and departures from trend in individuals) .48 With reference to individual organisms, data collected cross-sect ionally (each organism examined a t one age only) are useful solely for depicting state or status or stage attained. An advantage of the longitudinal method of data accumulation (each organism examined a t t m o or more ages) lies in the fact that individuals may be portrayed morc comprehensively, it., with respect lo status, short-term velocity or growth rate, and long-term trend or pat-


Context. The MHD instabilities can generate complex field topologies even if the initial field configuration is a very simple one. Aims. We consider the stability properties of magnetic configurations containing a toroidal and an axial field. In this paper, we concentrate mainly on the behavior of non-axisymmetric perturbations in axisymmetric magnetic configurations. Methods. The stability is treated by a linear analysis of ideal MHD equations. Results. In the presence of an axial field, it is shown that the instability can occur for a wide range of the azimuthal wavenumber m , and its growth rate increases with increasing m . At given m , the growth rate is at its maximum for perturbations with the axial wave-vector that makes the Alfven frequency approximately vanishing. We argue that the instability of magnetic configurations in the ideal MHD can typically be dominated by perturbations with very short azimuthal and axial wavelengths.


We generate simulated holograms for low energy electron point source (LEEPS) microscopy. For a given object (atomic cluster) we construct a number of different holograms by varying the position or ...


An examination of 56 inks with an argon-ion laser revealed the laser will sometimes stimulate infrared luminescence in inks which did not produce infrared luminescence under the video spectral comparator (VSC-1). This infrared luminescence was always at a higher range (usually 830 to 900 nm) than that found under the VSC-1. This indicates that laser-induced infrared luminescence may be a useful tool in differentiating between inks which otherwise appear similar.


Objectives: In this study, we present our experience in the insertion technique of peripherally inserted central catheters and catheter-related thrombosis. Patients and methods: In this single-center, retrospective study, 19 PICCs inserted in 18 palliative care patients (7 males, 11 females; median age 59 years; range, 24 to 89 years) at Gülhane Training and Research Hospital between January 2017 and December 2019 were analyzed. The main indications for PICCs were parenteral supportive treatments. All procedures were performed under strict aseptic conditions using real-time ultrasound imaging with f luoroscopy guidance. Results: The median dwell time of PICCs was 38 (range, 6 to 202) days. The PICC was left in situ for less than one month in five patients. Mortality and bloodstream infections were the most common causes of removing catheters which remained less than two months. Approximately two-thirds of our patients were on low-molecular-weight heparin, while their catheters were functioning. Conclusion: Appropriate techniques such as determining the appropriate catheter for the vessel to be catheterized, real-time ultrasound during cannulation, and f luoroscopy should be used to minimize the complication risks.


To maximize system throughput and guarantee the quality of service (QoS) of multimedia traffic in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems with smart antennas, a new packet scheduler is introduced to consider QoS requirements, packet location in the frame, and modulation scheme. In OFDM, several consecutive subcarriers are grouped as a frequency subband. Each subband in a frame can be reused by several users with smart antennas. In this paper, based on the best-fit algorithm proposed for TDMA and the physical features of OFDM, a new packet scheduler is proposed to allocate different BER-classified traffics into the frame. Adaptive modulation is also applied in the scheduler. When compared with existing schedulers, our scheduler achieves higher system capacity with much reduced complexity. The use of adaptive modulation further enhances the system capacity. Simulation results demonstrate that as the traffic load increases, the new scheduler has much better performance in system throughput, average delay, and packet loss rate


The illustrative audit reports issued by the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors during June 2012 imply that the nature of the directors' report, coupled with the absence of suitable criteria against which the report may be evaluated, has the effect of excluding the directors' report from the scope of the auditor's opinion on the full set of related financial statements. Based on an interpretive analysis of company law, International Standards on Auditing, and codes of corporate governance, we argue that this approach is conceptually flawed. Rather than add to the complexity of the audit report by introducing what amounts to a dual reporting system, the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors should focus on providing conceptual guidelines for the form and content of directors' reports on which, in terms of Company Law, auditors are required to express an opinion.


This article examines the analogy between film and memory through a consideration of Shona Illingworth's video and sound installation Balnakiel (2009). In particular, the article focuses on up-to-date psychological views of memory as a spatial as well as temporal construct and on the role of the point of view in memory retrieval. Central to the argument is the link between emotion and point of view as contingent on memory as a space that we inhabit. Sigmund Freud's concept of screen memory is revisited in the light of current memory models, drawing attention to the salience of memory perspective for emotionally problematic memories. Within this context, the cultural analogy of memory and film is indicative of the broader relevance of the moving image as a referent for the understanding of memory processes and the ways in which we affectively position ourselves in relation to emotionally disturbing memories. In Balnakiel, a work informed by these new perspectives, place and memory feature as contested sites of individual and collective recollection.


The research area of bio-inspired control methods for multi-legged robots and reptile robots has made significant development with the use of central pattern generators (CPGs) in recent years. However, there are still many problems to be solved to learn clearly the structure of CPG to adapt it to different frameworks and applications. One is that the exiting CPGs are almost only can be used to a special kind of robots. In this article, we present an improved method of constructing CPGs. The phase difference between the neurons which constitute the CPGs can be set to a random numeric number to fulfill different frameworks and applications. And also we use this kind of CPGs to successfully solve the problem which the quadruped robot can't lift it hind limbs from the ground during a walk gait locomotion.


We study compactoid and compact filters which generalize the concepts of convergent filters and compact sets. In particular, we investigate their properties in subregular and regular spaces, their localizations, and their countable variants. Several classical results follow (e.g., theorems of Tychonoff, Kuratowski, Choquet). More recent results on preservation of compactness (e.g., Smithson) and local compactness (e.g. Lambrinos) are extended and refined.


Several TeV sources γ-rays have been detected in the past decade, and others have been proposed. They can be divided into three main categories: galactic, extra-galactic, and exotic. Here I review the two former categories, which contain the sources which have been observed, with discussions of the source characteristics and the physical mechanisms by which γ-rays are produced. I also discuss recent developments regarding the use of the extra-galactic sources as probes of the intervening medium.


Different natural biological processes are possible because of the collaboration among simple living cells. Similarly, computerized systems, such as multiagent systems (MASs), rely on multiple interacting agents with simplified and reduced capability, to collectively solve difficult problems that are impossible for individual agents to solve on their own. This work highlights an autonomous tumor sensitization strategy in complex human vasculature, where target detection is achieved through the swarm coordination mechanism, with no prior knowledge of tumor location. We propose that small-scale biocompatible organisms, such as nanoparticles, can perform deterministic tasks following the simple principles of aggregation and migration. We aim to show through computational experiments that tumor-triggered biophysical gradients can be leveraged by nanoparticles to collectively move toward the potential tumor hypoxic regions. Although individual nanoparticles have no target-directed locomotion ability due to limited communication and computation capability, we demonstrate that once passive collaboration is achieved, they can successfully avoid obstacles and detect the tumor. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the overall targeting efficiency could improve considerably from 10% to 90% through passive collaboration among nanoparticles. Furthermore, with the introduction of noisy search space and mobile obstacles, the targeting performance would reduce by 25%. Such self-regulating particles can be used as homing agents for target amplification, and hence can assist in early cancer detection through contrast-enhanced medical imaging. We believe that our work will motivate self-dependent and noncentralized approach for magnification of tumor location.


Perpendicularly magnetized epitaxial FePt(001) films deposited on MgO (100) substrates have huge coercive forces of 48-54 kOe at room temperature for the thickness below about 300A. The AFM images show that the films with high coercivity have a granular structure and are mainly composed of small particles below 0.3μm in diameter. The MFM images suggest that each domain contains one particle or some few particles coupled by exchange interactions. So, the domain can behaves as a single-domain. The coercivity depends on the particle size and the degree of epitaxial growth.


The paper presents algorithm for automatic detection of moving person, utilizing signal from small pulse battlefield radar. The automation process presumes real signal analysis from radar coherent channel, signatures recognition for aimed specific group of targets, following signal preprocessing to enhance the most suitable expected signal parameters and reduce jamming compounds and final appropriate algorithm development with respect to specific application constrains. The analytic portion was realized on the real moving persons (equipped with corner reflector) measurement basis and further algorithm verification on real samples of moving persons.


The invention relates to a synthesis method of a Schiff base sensor molecule, and belongs to the technical field of anion detection. The sensor molecule has the advantages of highly selective colorimetric fluorescent binary channel identification of CN in water, short response time, and no influences of anions on the detection process. Determination results show that the naked eye detection limit and the fluorescent spectrum detection limit of the sensor molecule to CN in water are 2.0*10 mol/L and 3.42*10 mol/L respectively, and are far lower than the content standard (below 1.8muM) of normal drinking water, prescribed by World Health Organization.


A millimeter-wave sinusoidally-modulated leaky-wave antenna (LWA) based on open-stub loaded microstrip line is presented in this paper. The equivalent surface impedance of the guiding structure is varied according to the width of the stubs. The proposed antenna is studied based on a silicon substrate. A transition tapered section is used to match the designed antenna to the feeding microstrip line. The procedure allows for nearly independent control of the leakage and phase constants along the surface.


The room temperature physical and mechanical properties of silicon carbide fiber-reinforced reaction-bonded silicon nitride matrix composites (SiC/RBSN) were measured, and the composite microstructure was analyzed. The composites consist of nearly 24 vol% of aligned Hi-Nicalon SiC fiber yarns in a -30 vol% porous silicon nitride matrix. The fiber yarns were coated by chemical vapor deposition with a 0.8ktm layer of boron nitride (BN) followed by a0.2=ktm layer of SiC. In the as-fabricatedc0ndition, both 1-D and 2-D composites exhibited high strength and graceful failure, and showed improved properties when compared with unreinforced matrix of comparable density. No indication of reaction between the SiC fiber and BN coating was noticed, but the outer SiC layer reacted locally with the nitridation enhancing additive in the RBSN matrix. A comparison is made between the predicted and measured values of matrix cracking strength.


Using the dip and strike angles method of representing the geometry of yield line pattern in terms of the dip and strike angles of the deflected slab segments, the yield line analysis of reinforced concrete slabs had been successfully computerized. In this study, the dip and strike angles method is generalized for applications to slabs with any number of arbitrary-shaped openings subjected to point, line, patch and uniformly distributed loads. As before, the external work done by applied loads and the internal energy dissipation along yield lines are evaluated as functions of the dip and strike angles, but to allow for the presence of openings, the external work done and internal energy dissipation within the openings are discounted. Based on the principle of virtual work, the load factor is evaluated in terms of the dip and strike angles and the yield line pattern is determined by minimizing the load factor with respect to the dip and strike angles. Examples of slabs with openings under various boundary conditions and loading patterns are presented to illustrate the applicability, efficiency and accuracy of the generalized method.


Silver-hydroxyapatite (Ag-HA) nanocomposite coating on stainless steel (316L) sheets was prepared by electroless deposition. Several studies have analysed the influence of bath composition on the corrosion behaviour of Ag-HA bio-nanocomposite coating produced by electroless deposition. Therefore, the present study compared the influence of varying concentrations of HA nanoparticles (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) g/L on the mechanical (microhardness) and chemical (corrosion resistance and ion release) properties of the Ag-HA nanocomposite coating. The Ag-HA nanocomposite coating exhibited a remarkable increase in microhardness from 104.7 Hv to 139.9 Hv at 0.5 g/L HA nanoparticles and improved corrosion resistance, where the corrosion rate was enhanced for the coating from 5.954×10-1 mpy to 2.633×10-2 mpy in the presence of nano-HA. The ion release analysis of the element coating revealed that the nickel content was within the permissible limit in accordance with the amount of Ni permitted to exist inside the human body, and chromium was not found.


algebra See algebra. abstraction An abstraction of a concept C is a concept C ′ that includes all instances of C and that is constructed by taking as axioms certain assertions that are true of all instances of C. C may already be defined mathematically, in which case the abstraction is typically a legitimate generalization of C. In other cases, C may be a familiar concept or property that has not been given a mathematical definition. In that case, the mathematical definition may allow instances of the abstract version of C that were not originally thought of as being part of C.ion An abstraction of a concept C is a concept C ′ that includes all instances of C and that is constructed by taking as axioms certain assertions that are true of all instances of C. C may already be defined mathematically, in which case the abstraction is typically a legitimate generalization of C. In other cases, C may be a familiar concept or property that has not been given a mathematical definition. In that case, the mathematical definition may allow instances of the abstract version of C that were not originally thought of as being part of C. Example 1 The concept of "group" is historically an abstraction of the concept of the set of all symmetries of an object. The group axioms are all true assertions about symmetries when the binary operation is taken to be composition of symmetries. Example 2 The -δ definition of continuous function is historically an abstraction of the intuitive idea that mathematicians had about functions that there was no "break" in the output. This abstraction became the standard definition of "continuous", but allowed functions to be called continuous that were not contemplated before the definition was introduced. Other examples are given under model and in Remark 2 under free variable. See also the discussions under definition, generalization and representation. Citations: (31), (270). References: [Dreyfus, 1992], [Thompson, 1985].


An instrument has been developed with a balloon at its tip, which is useful for surgery within the vitreous cavity. Accurate inflation is controlled by a microsyringe. As the balloon is being deflated prior to removal from the vitreous cavity, its volume occupying space is replaced by air or saline injected through one of the barrels of a double barreled cannula.


The results of the final stage of the latest review of the Department of Employment's Leading Indicator of Employment (Indicator) are presented in this paper. This review was foreshadowed in Connolly and Lee (2008) and stated more specifically in Connolly, Lee and Stevens (2013). It has involved a broader consideration of alternative components, especially international series, than previous reviews. This broader consideration was needed in the light of the effects of the Global Recession and structural changes in the economy and the labour market (such as the shift from advertising jobs in newspapers to internet advertising). This final stage draws on previous stages of the Review (summarised in Labour Economics Section 2014) where the current components and alternative series were considered individually, leading to a shortlist of potential components. In the final stage, we tested combinations of the shortlisted individual series against each other and chose the preferred new Indicator. A number of alternative methods, ranging from the simple (equal weightings on each component) to the very sophisticated (Kalman Filtering, with time-varying parameters estimated econometrically for each component) were used to establish the weights on each component. Somewhat surprisingly, the weights for the preferred new Indicator were determined by the simplest method; namely, equal weighting. The preferred new Indicator is composed of five monthly series. The following two are components of the current Indicator: the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Leading Index of Economic Activity; and the Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment Index. The following two international series were added: the US Yield Difference; and the official (NBSC) Purchasing Managers Index for the Output of Manufacturing in China. Another domestic series, the NAB Forward Orders Index, has been added, but two existing components, the ANZ Newspaper Job Advertisements series and the Employment Outlook Index from the Dun and Bradstreet National Business Expectations Survey, have been removed. Note: This paper reflects the authors' views and does not necessarily represent those of Department of Employment or the Australian Government. Mr Ryland has retired since contributing to this paper. The authors would like to thank other members of the Labour Economics Section in the Department of Employment for their assistance with this review. They would also like to thank their discussant, Dr Tom Karmel, and other contributors to the discussion at the Australian Labour Market Research Workshop in Fremantle in November 2014 and other reviewers of earlier drafts of this paper.


Jiangsu coastal area is abundant in wetland resources and possesses wetland reserve of global relevancy. However, the wetland area has been shrinking with more and more human activities. In this paper, 5 ALOS AVNIR-2 images as well as an additional TM image acquired at low tide level were selected to carry out a research of Yancheng coastal wetland. Characteristics of subcategories and vegetation coverage were surveyed during filed work before a 2-tier decision tree method was adopted to distinguish different wetland categories. At last, the total area was classified as 8 major wetland categories with an overall accuracy of 97.16% as well as Kappa coefficient of 0.96. Only 2 sampling sites biased in the classification when 28 field recorded samples were compared and the result was satisfying.


Most histories of the socialist dictatorships of post-war Eastern Europe begin in 1945, with the end of the Second World War in Europe. Consequently, they focus narrowly on how, in a climate of post-war devastation and reconstruction, Communist parties supported by the Red Army were able to seize power. These histories concentrate on the processes of high politics and neglect the social context in which the dictatorships were formed. However, to place the dictatorships in this social context, it is necessary to recognise, as Jan T. Gross has argued, that 'the Nazi-instigated war and the Communist-driven revolution in East Central Europe constituted one integral period'. While the revolutionary governments of Hungary and Bulgaria were exceptional, they were emblematic of a desire on the part of traditionally subordinate groups for both greater participation in politics and an increased share of national wealth. Keywords: German occupation; Hungary; Jan T. Gross; political crisis; Second World War


The invention discloses a detection, control and alarm system for an in-cabinet temperature of a low-voltage switch cabinet. The system comprises a sensor, a maintainer, an A/D converter, a power supply detector, a decoder, a display, a parameter storage, an alarm, a controller, a D/A converter, a keyboard and a singlechip, wherein the sensor is connected with the maintainer; the maintainer and the A/D converter are connected with pins of the singlechip; the power supply detector is connected with the singlechip; the singlechip is connected with the decoder through the pins; the decoder is connected with the display; the singlechip is connected with the parameter storage, is connected with the alarm through the pins, is connected with the controller through the pins and is connected with the D/A converter through the pins; the D/A converter is connected with the controller; and the singlechip is connected with the keyboard through the pins and is connected with a resetter and a clock. The system takes the singlechip as a core to form a closed-loop control system which is integrated with temperature acquisition, processing, display and automatic control, and has the advantages of simplicity, convenience, economy and reliability.


INTRODUCTION Surrogates for impaired ventilation such as estimated dead-space fractions and the ventilatory ratio are independently associated with an increased risk of mortality in the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and small case series of COVID-19 related ARDS. METHODS This study aimed to quantify the dynamics and determine the prognostic value of surrogate markers of impaired ventilation in patients with COVID-19 related ARDS. The present study is a secondary analysis of the PRactice Of VENTilation in COVID-19 patients (PROVENT-COVID) in 22 intensive care unit hospitals in the Netherlands. Surrogates of impaired ventilation such as the estimated dead space fraction (by Harris-Benedict-VD/VT HB and direct method-VD/VT DIR), ventilatory ratio (VR), and end-tidal-to-arterial PCO2 ratio (PETCO2/PaCO2) were used. RESULTS 927 consecutive patients admitted with COVID-19 related ARDS were included in this study. Surrogates of impaired ventilation were significantly higher in non-survivors than survivors at baseline and during the following days of mechanical ventilation (p <0.001). As ARDS severity increased, mortality increased with successive tertiles for VD/VT HB and VD/VT DIR, and VR, and decreased with successive tertiles for PETCO2/PaCO2. Mortality over the first 28 days was higher in patients in the high group of dead space fraction by VD/VT HB (16.4% vs. 12.3%;p = 0.003), but similar in the groups considering the dead space fraction by VD/VT DIR (15.4% vs. 13.3%;p = 0.100), and VR (15.5% vs. 13.2%;p = 0.080) (Figure 2). After adjustment for a base risk model that included chronic comorbidities, ventilation and oxygenation parameters, none of the surrogates of impaired ventilation measured at the start of ventilation or the following days were significantly associated with 28-day mortality. CONCLUSION Surrogate markers for impaired ventilation are abnormal at the start of invasive ventilation in patients with COVID-19 related ARDS and worsen during consequent days. Ventilation impairment seems to be more extensive in non-survivors than in survivors, but they do not yield prognostic information when added to a baseline risk model. In the absence of bedside capnography, surrogates of impaired ventilation may serve as an important tool to assess the severity of COVID-19 related ARDS along with other variables such as oxygenation abnormalities and respiratory mechanics.


Detection of the nerve agent Sarin is investigated by using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy with magnesium oxide (MgO) as a preconcentrating medium. Magnesium hydroxide, produced from magnesium oxide and water, initially hydrolyzes the Sarin to isopropyl methylphosphonic acid (IMPA). The IMPA then reacts with magnesium hydroxide (a slightly soluble product of the addition of MgO to water) to form an insoluble salt. Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the Sarin/water solution indicates hydrolysis of the Sarin after 5 min of addition of the Nantek MgO and within 15 min after addition of the Aldrich MgO. Capillary electrophoresis analysis of the same Sarin/water solution shows that approximately 30% of the IMPA produced by the Nantek MgO hydrolysis of Sarin is not detected in solution, while most of the IMPA produced by the Aldrich MgO is detected. The diffuse reflectance infrared (IR) spectrum of the IMPA/MgO sample clearly indicates the presence of IMPA for both the Nantek MgO and Aldrich MgO samples. Well-resolved bands for methylphosphonic acid (MPA) are also evident for the Nantek MgO/Sarin sample, while less resolved, weaker bands due to MPA are seen for the Aldrich MgO/Sarin sample. These data suggest that a significant percentage of the Sarin is hydrolyzed to MPA by using the Nantek MgO. A detection limit of 98 ppb (Aldrich MgO) and 170 ppb (Nantek MgO) Sarin in water is calculated on the basis of the band heights and signal-to-noise ratio.


to peace ... should be believed; similar actions by others, of course, need to be condemned. This was a far cry from what independent India's first Prime Minister had spelt out as the cardinal principle of India's foreign policy and what India had professed to pursue since, viz pursuit of international peace, not through alignment with any major Power or group of Powers but through an independent approach to the conflict situation....


BACKGROUND
Thoracotomy is considered the standard surgical approach for the management of pulmonary metastases in osteosarcoma (OST). Several studies have identified the advantages of a thoracoscopic approach, however, the clinical significance of thoracotomy compared to thoracoscopy is yet to be evaluated in a randomized trial.

AIMS
The primary aim was to determine the survival outcomes in OST patients based on surgical approach for pulmonary metastasectomy (PM) and secondary aim was to assess the post-operative morbidities of OST PM through various surgical approaches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We conducted a single institution retrospective study to compare survival outcomes and surgical morbidity according to the surgical approach of the management of pulmonary metastases in patients with OST.

RESULTS
Sixty-one patients with OST underwent PM. Twenty-one patients were metastatic at diagnosis and underwent PM during primary treatment; nine had thoracotomy, six thoracoscopy, and six combined thoracoscopy with thoracotomy (CTT). Forty-three patients with first pulmonary relapse or progression underwent PM; 18 had thoracotomy, 16 thoracoscopy and nine CTT. There was no difference in survival between surgical approaches. There were significantly more postoperative morbidities associated with thoracotomy for initial PM (pain and postoperative chest tube placement), and for PM at first relapse (pneumothoraces, pain, Foley catheter use and prolonged hospitalizations).

CONCLUSION
Our study demonstrates that patients with OST pulmonary metastases have comparable poor outcomes despite varying surgical approaches for PM. There were significantly more postoperative morbidities associated with thoracotomy for PM. Surgical bias and other competing risks could not be assessed given the limitations of a retrospective study and may be addressed in a prospective trial evaluating surgical approach for PM in OST.


Case Presentation A 35-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with severe right inguinal pain. Her medical history was non-contributory and there was no known trauma or injury to the region. Amid concern for an incarcerated inguinal hernia, a computed tomography was obtained revealing a linear foreign body (FB) lateral to the femoral vessels. The FB was removed without complication at bedside and found to be a beading needle likely occultly lodged three days prior. Discussion Occult inguinal FBs are rare but can lead to deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism if in or near vessels. By nature of being occult, an absence of ingestion, insertion, or penetrative history should not preclude consideration of a FB etiology. Computed tomography imaging is crucial in determining the urgency of, and approach to, inguinal foreign body removal.


This paper presents the results of the rheological analysis of five chosen grades of steel: F320, UG-m, S235-c, ETZ1, B500SP. These steels are produced in industrial conditions and used for slabs and billets. In a metallurgical processes the viscosity parameter is an important indicator characterizing the behavior of liquid metal in the industrial aggregates. Due to the difficulty of the experiments only a small number of high temperature viscosity measurements are performed. Rheological analysis of selected iron solutions was conducted in the range of liquid and below-liquid point. Measurements were taken using a high temperature viscometer FRS1600 working in accordance with the concentric cylinder method. The acquired rheological characteristic allow to conclude that the investigated steels properties depend on the shear rate and temperature. The results will be used for numerical modeling of the steel casting process.


Photoelectric V-filter observations of the variable star BW Vulpeculae made during the period from 1974 through 1978 are discussed. Consideration is given to the variation of the position and duration of the stillstand on the rising branch of the light curve near the time at which the star's velocity has its maximum value. A quadratic ephemeris relation is calculated on the basis of known maxima from 1937 to 1978, and it is pointed out that the relation implies a period increase of 2.24 sec/century. Linear expressions for the ephemeris relation are discussed, and it is concluded that stellar evolution theory appears to favor a quadratic ephemeris for BW Vul, although it is not possible to exclude the possibility of two sudden period increases during the past 40 years.


This article presents the modeling procedure of a particular 3-D-printed iron material appropriate for low-cost production of cores of actuators, a trend which is recently popular in the research community, with direct interest for the relevant industry. At first, the characteristics of cores manufactured by a commercially available magnetic iron polylactic acid (PLA) filament with low mass and cost are determined by considering a simple magnetic circuit of toroidal core geometry. Next, a permanent magnet actuator prototype is constructed by using equally 3-D printing procedure to manufacture also the machine's casing and other individual parts by using a polyethylene terephthalate material. The motor's behavior is evaluated through finite element analysis (FEA) in conjunction with equivalent surface impedance technique, enabling efficient consideration of eddy current losses in high frequencies, and the obtained results are validated by measurements.


As a collaborative contribution to the emerging professionalization of ongoing dialogue, this article is slanted toward clearing the air regarding important communications in the field of student/personal/human development. We conclude that infectious verbosity is rampant, and have correspondingly sold out.


James Wilson, Yao Wu, Jianmei Xie, Dawn Johnson and HenkHuijser (Chapter 3) offer a case study of a research-based curriculum intervention at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. The authors outline both the benefits and challenges of the research-oriented opportunities afforded by the 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) initiative. Although these opportunities are voluntary and outside the formal curriculum, they reflect the principles of the Connected Curriculum framework. In particular SURF offers opportunities to student groups, allowing them to connect with staff and learn about the institution's research, to develop their research and critical thinking skills, and to share their research with a wider community, for example through a poster exhibition. Based at a joint UK–China research intensive university, located in Suzhou, China, the authors highlight the adaptability of research-based models to different institutional and national contexts.


A 6 year-old-girl developed decreased responsiveness 12 hours after surgical resection of a pilocytic astrocytoma by posterior fossa craniotomy. Computed tomography of the brain demonstrated the 'Mount Fuji sign' (Fig [1][1]). This sign refers to hypoattenuating subdural air that causes


The results of three related studies of turbulent jet mixing are presented and discussed. The major effort was the collection of mean-flow data at a much higher free stream Mach number than was previously available. The effects of initial swirl in the injectant were found to be minimal. Numerical predictions of the non-swirling experimental case obtained using an eddy viscosity approximation are found to be in reasonable agreement with the data. Lastly, an approximate analysis of the decay of the swirling velocity is developed. This analysis is based upon an eddy viscosity model for transport in the circumferential direction adapted from wing-tip vortex work.


In this paper we describe the fabrication and frequency characterization of different structures intended for the lateral excitation of shear modes in AlN c-axis-oriented films, which are at the same time designed to minimize the excitation of longitudinal modes. Laterally excited resonators were built on partially metallic (SiO2, W) and insulating (SiOC, Si3N4) acoustic mirrors built on silicon substrates, and on insulating mirrors (SiO2, TaOx) built on insulating glass plates. TiOx seed layers were used to stimulate the growth of highly c-axis oriented AlN films, which was confirmed by XRD and SAW measurements. Coplanar Mo electrodes of different geometries were defined on top of the AlN films to excite the shear modes. All the structures analyzed displayed a clear longitudinal mode, corresponding to an acoustic velocity of 11000 m/s, but a null or extremely weak shear response corresponding to a sound velocity of around 6350 m/s. The simulation of the frequency response based on Mason's model confirms that the shear resonance is extremely weak. The observed longitudinal modes are attributed either to the field applied between the electrodes and a conductive plane (metallic layer or Si substrate) or to the electric field parallel to the c-axis in the edges of the electrodes or in tilted grains. The low excitation of shear modes is attributed to the very low values of electric field strength parallel to the surface.


The transcription factor STAT6 is strongly expressed in various tumours and is most highly expressed in malignant lymphomas and pancreatic, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers. STAT6 expression in colorectal cancer is associated with an increased malignancy, poor prognosis and poor survival rates. Colorectal cancer has an incidence of approximately 1,361,000 patients per annum worldwide and approximately 60% of those cancers show STAT6 expression. Techniques aimed at reducing or blocking STAT6 expression may be useful in treating colorectal cancers. Celixir's four proprietary STAT6 specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) sequences were tested in vitro using the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line, HT-29. The four sequences were introduced individually and in combination into HT-29 cells at different concentrations (10 to 200 nM). Decreases in STAT6 mRNA and protein levels were analysed to confirm the transfection was successful. STAT6 knockdown effects were measured by analysing cell proliferation and apoptosis. Results showed that 100nM siRNA concentration was the most effective and all four individual sequences knocked-down STAT6 mRNA and protein by more than 50%. Although all individual sequences were capable of significantly inhibiting cell proliferation, STAT6.1 and STAT6.4 were the best. STAT6 silencing also significantly induced late and total apoptotic events. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that STAT6 siRNA sequences are capable of inhibiting the proliferation, and inducing late apoptosis, of HT-29 colon cancer cells and, in some instances, halving the number of cancer cells. These experiments will be repeated using xenografts of STAT6-expressing colon cancer cells in immunocompromised mice and the STAT6 siRNA sequences will be tested in other cancers in which STAT6 is expressed. The STAT6 siRNA sequences therefore represent a potential treatment for the most serious colorectal cancers and a wide variety of STAT6-expressing cancers.


Irreversible reactions of poly(methyl methacrylate) radicals generated from the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and structures of the produced stable polymer radicals in the frozen state have been investigated by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR). The stable polymer radicals were produced through disproportionation and addition reactions of poly(MMA) radicals. The structure of stable polymer radicals was also determined by the simulation of the ESR spectrum.


Science mapping allows modeling and visualization presenting the evolution of the scientific research structure. The main objective of the study is to map the scientometric profile of the different fields of research of Mexican science in the Web of Science (WoS), during the period 2007-2016; using scatter plots and artificial neural networks. The technique of analysis and visualization (scatter plots) in the study allowed to identify the degree of correlation between the indicators. The ViBlioSOM methodology was used to automatically identify the scientometric profile in terms of impact, collaboration and excellence for 22 fields of research in Mexican science. MULTIDISCIPLINARY and SPACE SCIENCE were identified as fields that had atypical values, therefore, they stand out as peculiar profiles regarding the scientist of impact, collaboration and excellence.


Brazil has great variability, being one of the centers of origin of the genus Passiflora. Passion fruit has a multiple and diversified uses, being little explored as an ornamental plant in the country. The objective of this work was to characterize four passion fruit genotypes (two hybrid materials from the experimental field of passion fruit breeding program of the University of Brasilia, and two passion fruit cultivars - BRS Sertao Forte and BRS Mel do Cerrado, both of them from Brazil), based on official and validated morphoagronomic descriptors for the identification of morphological aspects and ornamental potential, under field conditions, in the Distrito Federal, Brazil. The experiment consisted of a randomized block design, with four treatments, four replications, and six plants per plot. Plants were analyzed weekly regarding the characteristics of the branches, leaf blade, petiole, and flowers, with 24 measurements of each structure in the four treatments, which were recorded using a digital camera. Flowers presented pronounced size and color, colored branches, and leaves of varying sizes and shapes. All materials studied showed commercial ornamental potential to be explored as new options for ornamental climbing plants.


Abstract The modification of membrane oxygenators to minimize protein adsorption onto the surface is often accompanied by the loss of membrane performance. This study aims to explore polyethersulfone (PES) as a new material for membrane oxygenator applications and to assess its potentials. Accordingly, different modification techniques are applied to improve surface properties of PES membranes. To achieve this goal, two separate modification methods including incorporation of TiO2 into the membrane matrix as well as grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) through oxygen plasma treatment are developed and the effects are examined. The results reveal that protein adsorption to the nanocomposite membrane containing 0.50 wt. % TiO2 and the grafted membrane decreased by 47 and 31%, respectively. In terms of performance, permeability and oxygen transfer rate of all modified membranes exceeded 808 GPU and 2.7 × 10−4 mol·m−2·s−1, respectively. Contact angle analysis revealed signs of hydrophilicity enhancement of membranes after modifications. The findings suggest that upon proper modifications, membranes based on PES could be considered as promising candidates for membrane oxygenator applications and deserves further investigations.


From aspects of history, aesthetics and religion, the paper probes into the culture point of sight——reserve or
openness which is of typical significance in the eastern and western civilization. There is no superior or inferior culture difference, but it is valuable to be compatible with each other and complement each other to embellish the world civilization. In intercultural communications, the strategies such as respect, understanding and transference will help us span the culture gap optimistically.


For the universities' business system, to realize secure storage of historical data and long-term retention, saving high-end storage, online database backup pressure relief. A record-level data archiving method was proposed based on oracle dual database structure. This method included three aspects: related works, related technologies and strategy on data archive. For universities' business system, analysis of some problems need to concern and solution when the data archive, included four aspects: business analysis, storage analysis, data analysis and technical analysis. Finally, effectiveness of this method was validated by an application example in Tsinghua University. Index Terms—information flow, data management, data archiving, hierarchical storage management


Glen Whelan (2012) attempts to advance what he refers to as a "critical research agenda" for the "political perspective on corporate social responsibility (CSR)." Although I think his is a worthy attempt to build a political conception of the business firm and could represent a great intellectual journey, I make some remarks about the meaning and scope of this research agenda. My argument is simple: Rawlsian egalitarianism provides resources for a political theory of the business firm, but one that leads us in different directions than Whelan's political CSR. IN A RECENT paper, Glen Whelan (2012) attempts to advance what he refers to as a "critical research agenda" for the "political perspective on corporate social responsibility (CSR)." He uses the notion of political CSR to label recent works on corporate citizenship, the "political conception of corporate responsibility" and the idea of "corporations as governments" (Whelan 2012: 709). This fits well with recent scholarship in which the general call for more "corporate Business Ethics Journal Review SCHOLARLY COMMENTS ON ACADEMIC BUSINESS ETHICS businessethicsjournalreview.com ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Discuss this commentary at http://bejr.co/2013-0103x 1 Université Catholique de Lille. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com Cite as: Bus Ethics J Rev 1(3) (2013): 14–21 Edited by Chris MacDonald & Alexei Marcoux citizenship" in business circles has clearly become a more ambitious call for a political theory of the business firm. But what does it mean exactly to adopt such a "political perspective"? Why do we need a political conception of the business firm? In which directions should it lead business ethics scholars? Despite the growing literature, answers to these questions remain relatively unexplored.2 In particular, it seems to lead quite often to a simple reaffirmation of the CSR agenda. Whelan makes then a valuable contribution here by suggesting new directions to advance a better understanding of what he terms "political CSR." He makes four interesting claims: (a) the transformation of corporations (especially multinationals ones) into political actors should not be viewed as a necessary consequence of globalization but as one possible form of globalization; (b) the critical research program should take more seriously the profit imperative of MNCs (at least Western ones); (c) political CSR implies a need for new political conceptions of corporate governance; and (d) both Rawlsian and Habermassian accounts of political CSR are unsatisfactory. To be clear, I think the attempt to build a political conception of the business firm is a worthy one and could represent a great intellectual journey. Nonetheless, I would like to make a couple of remarks about the meaning and scope of this research agenda. In order to do so, I would like to focus here on claim (d), and even more precisely on Rawls. My argument is simple: Rawlsian egalitarianism can provide resources for a political theory of the business firm, but one that leads us in different directions than Whelan's political CSR.


In this article, we propose a novel decomposition method by applying disentangled representation for visible and infrared image fusion (DRF). According to the imaging principle, we perform the decomposition depending on the source of information in the visible and infrared images. More concretely, we disentangle the images into the scene- and sensor modality (attribute)-related representations through the corresponding encoders, respectively. In this way, the unique information defined by the attribute-related representation is closer to the information captured by each type of sensor individually. Thus, the problem of inappropriate extraction of unique information can be alleviated. Then, different strategies are applied for the fusion of these different types of representations. Finally, the fused representations are fed into the pretrained generator to generate the fusion result. The qualitative and quantitative experiments on the publicly available TNO and RoadScene data sets demonstrate the comparable performance of our DRF over the state of the art in terms of both visual effect and quantitative metrics.


Comparison of Fibrinogen Levels at Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Acute Exacerbation With COPD Stable Novrin, E.N. Keliat, Alwinsyah Abidin, Pulmonology and Allergy-Immunology Division Internal Medicine Department Faculty of Medicine University of North Sumatera H. Adam Malik General Hospital Medan Background. COPD acute exacerbation and COPD stable led to an increase of airways and systemic inflammation that triggers the release of several proinflammatory cytokines into the blood circulation. This inflammatory process stimulates the liver to produce acute phase proteins such as CRP and fibrinogen. Increased levels of fibrinogen in patients with COPD showed the risk for hospitalization did increase to 70% and any increase in fibrinogen levels 1 g/l increase the risk of death 4 times in patients with COPD. Objective. To assess whether there are differences in the levels of fibrinogen in acute exacerbations of COPD and stable COPD. Materials and Methods. This is a cross sectional descriptive analytic study. Subjects admitted into the emergency room with acute exacerbations of COPD who fits the inclusion criteria were inquired for ; smoking or exposure to air pollution, previous exacerbation history, other diseases, BMI examination, leucocyte level, serum fibrinogen level during acute COPD exacerbations and stable COPD, Chest X-Ray, and spirometry. Result. From the 45 research subjects, 35 men (77.8%) and 10 women (22.2%), Based on BMI 6 subjects were underweight, 27 subjects normoweight, 12 subjects overweight, spirometry test results based on the GOLD criteria as follows: GOLD 1 1 subject (2.2%), GOLD 2 20 subjects (44.4%), GOLD 3 17 subjects (37.8%), GOLD 4 7 subjects (15.6%). Serum fibrinogen level in acute exacerbation of COPD mean and SD 426.49 ± 39.79 mg / dl compared with stable COPD with a mean and SD 283.22 ± 24.28 mg / dl significantly increased with p = 0.0001 . Universitas Sumatera Utara Conclusion. Serum fibrinogen level will be elevated in acute exacerbations of COPD compared to stable COPD. Serum level of fibrinogen may be a useful biomarker to indicate the severity of COPD exacerbations.


Botanical characteristics and genetic model of the sterility of the S 29 watermelon male sterile material were studied.The results showed that the labastrums and the anther of staminate flower of the material were no difference comparing with these of other materials in early stage.As developing,staminate flower kept closure and folded and would get wilt gradually.Very few staminate flower may blossom but no effective pollen went out.The sterility of the material was stable in different environments but the inheritance was unstable due to the sterility was caused by the chromosome translocation.The material has a good potentials to utilize because of its good agronomic characteristics.