This study examines the effect of workforce diversity on the competitiveness of Nigerian bottling company in South-East, Nigeria. The study adopted descriptive survey research design. The population of the study was 816, from which a sample size of 197 was determined using Bill Godden formula at 5% error tolerance and 95% level of confidence. The sources of data were primary and secondary. Primary data were collected through structured questionnaire while secondary data were gotten from statistical bulletins, electronic journals, theses and dissertation repositories. The primary instrument for data collection was designed on a 5-point Likert scale in line with the objectives of the study. A total of 197 copies of questionnaire were distributed to respondents, out of which 190 copies were correctly filled and returned. Validity of the instrument was carried-out using content validity, and this was done by five management experts from both the academia and the food and beverages industry. The reliability of the instrument was tested using internal consistency test which makes use of Cronbach alpha as a test statistic, and the result yielded 0.833. The hypotheses were tested using Pearson product moment correlation coefficient. The study found out that there was a significant positive relationship between ethnic diversity and workforce innovativeness (r = 0.835, p<.05). The study also revealed that there was a significant positive relationship between age diversity and adaption to changes (r = 0.855, p<.05). In conclusion, workforce diversity has a significant positive effect on the competitiveness of firms. On the basis of its findings, the study recommended that firms should adopt some degrees of workforce diversity dimensions in order to enhance their competitiveness.


BACKGROUND
Financial hardship among adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer who receive gonadotoxic treatments may be exacerbated by the use of fertility services. This study examined whether AYA women with cancer who used fertility preservation had increased financial hardship.

METHODS
AYA women with cancer in North Carolina and California completed a survey in 2018-2019. Cancer-related financial hardship was compared between women who cryopreserved oocytes or embryos for fertility preservation after cancer diagnosis (n = 65) and women who received gonadotoxic treatment and reported discussing fertility with their provider, but did not use fertility preservation (n = 491). Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS
Women were a median age of 33 years at diagnosis and 7 years from diagnosis at the time of survey. Women who used fertility preservation were primarily ages 25 to 34 years at diagnosis (65%), non-Hispanic White (72%), and had at least a Bachelor's degree (85%). In adjusted analysis, use of fertility preservation was associated with 1.50 times the prevalence of material financial hardship (95% CI: 1.08-2.09). The magnitude of hardship was also substantially higher among women who used fertility preservation: 12% reported debt of ≥$25,000 versus 5% in the referent group.

CONCLUSIONS
This study provides new evidence that cryopreserving oocytes or embryos after cancer diagnosis for future family building is associated with increased financial vulnerability.

IMPACT
More legislation that mandates insurance coverage to mitigate hardships stemming from iatrogenic infertility could improve access to fertility preservation for young women with cancer.


Three key issues that impact the smooth transition from care to independent living are discussed. These include the absence of a clear plan for care leaving, the quality and relevance of the transition plan, and inadequate post care support, particularly for those who leave care at the age of 15 or 16.


Objectives:We aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effects of linagliptin in an in vitro 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) Parkinson's disease model. Methods: 6-OHDA (200 μM) were administered to the SH-SY5Y cells for 24 h to induce Parkinson's disease model in vitro. Cells were treated with linagliptin (1, 10, 50 and 100 nM) 30 minutes before 6-OHDA administration. Cell viability was examined by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) analysis. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) analyses were conducted to assess oxidative stress. Apoptosis was evaluated with Caspase-3 mRNA expression levels. Results: It was observed that 6-OHDA elevated LDH levels and cell death. Oxidative stress was exaggerated with increased ROS and MDA levels and substantially apoptosis was proven with increased Caspase-3 levels in SH-SY5Y cells. Pretreatment with linagliptin alleviated oxidative stress and apoptosis. Conclusions: Given its neuroprotective role as well as its effects on oxidative stress and apoptosis, linagliptin may be a drug candidate in Parkinson's disease.


The fracturing sequence could affect the stress disturbance, which is main factor of the formation of a complex fracture network. The characteristics of inter-fracture interference under different fracturing sequences needs to be studied. We carried out the hydraulic fracturing experiment with multiple fracture points under three-dimensional stress conditions. A numerical model of multi-fracture hydraulic fracturing using the extended finite element method is established based on the experimental results, which was used to study the effect of fracturing methods under the conditions of different fracture spacing and initial horizontal stress. The results show that :(1) A lot of branch fractures are generated near the main fracture due to subsequent fracture cyclic compression, being perpendicular to the primary fracture. Meanwhile, the stress interference could lead to the activation and coalescence of natural micro-fractures. (2) When the fracture spacing exceeds 25m, and the original horizontal stress difference exceeds 6 MPa, the complex fracture network is more easily formed by alternate fracturing. (3) The average interference pressure will increase with the initial horizontal stress difference, while its rate is less than the increase of initial horizontal stress difference. The higher original horizontal stress would activate less natural micro-fractures. (4) The average interference stress generated by alternating fracturing is higher than that generated by sequential fracturing, ranging from 0.70 MPa to 1.90 MPa. The alternating fracturing is more benefit to form complex network of fractures, with the increase of the initial horizontal stress difference and fracture spacing, comparing with sequential fracturing. This research could guild the optimization of hydraulic fracturing in field application.


We read with great interest the study by Pinter et al., providing strong evidence for treatment using sorafenid of Child-Pugh class B patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, we consider that it is improper to exclude clinical cirrhosis stage from the multivariate analysis. The patients who belong to ChildPugh class B are not all compensated, because gastrointestinal bleeding is not included in the definition of the Child-Pugh score, and we often find that the patients who belong to Child-Pugh class B are decompensated in our clinical practice. It is especially essential to assess prognostic variables separately for the different cirrhosis stages, because of the significant survival differences between patients with compensated cirrhosis and those with decompensated cirrhosis. Accordingly, Child-Pugh class is not always consistent with hepatic compensation. Moreover, multikinase inhibitors, including sorafenib, can cause bleeding because anti-VEGF agents are associated with an increased risk of bleeding. 6 In the published studies, gastrointestinal bleeding, as one of the reasons that prevent the treatment of sorafenib for HCC, was observed in patients with poor liver function (Table 1). Thus, it is necessary to include the cirrhosis stage into multivariate analysis to analyse the prognostic factors in HCC patients treated with sorafenib more exactly. Furthermore, this study failed to include the tumour-related factors in the prognostic analysis. However, a systematic review has shown that the five most common independent predictors of death in HCC are portal vein thrombosis, tumour size, a-fetoprotein Child-Pugh class and bilirubin in the prognostic studies, and it is suggested that tumour-related factors would be more important in the compensated patients whereas both liverand tumour-related factors would be important in the decompensated patients. In addition, Baek et al. found that the presence of ascites, portal venous thrombosis, tumour size and number, performance status and baseline levels of a-fetoprotein, albumin and bilirubin were significantly related to the overall survival in advanced HCC patients treated with sorafenib. Therefore, the tumour-related factors should also be included in the prognostic analysis.


A nonlinear competition model has been set up to research the relationship between green space and urban construction land.Different scenes of change state were carried out to simulate the tendency of green space.The result indicates that there exists complex nonlinear relationship between green space and urban construction land and the growth rate of urban construction land should decrease half compared with before scenes.In order to harmonize the relationship between human and nature,it suggests that the change rate of green space should rise and should not continue to decrease in future land plan.Nonlinear competition model is useful tool to research the inner mechanism between green space and urban construction land.


Synthetic turf field installations have increased over recent years due to the increased usage and durability during adverse weather conditions compared to natural grass (Elvidge et al., 2022). However, there is ongoing debate about the impact that a synthetic surface has on injury rates (Gould et al., 2022). Excessive and repetitive loads are believed to be a cause of overuse injuries (McGhie & Ettema, 2013). Tibial acceleration is a strong indicator of loadrates (Tenforde et al., 2020).


There is an error in Fig 1 Please see the corrected Fig 1 here. open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


Self-expansion theory proposes that close others are included in the self as a source of self-expansion. Using data from 78 students confronted with relationship breakup, this study examined inclusion of the former partner in the self and its role in breakup-related grief. Inclusion of other in the self (IOS) was assessed using the IOS Scale and a reaction-time task in which participants made "me/not me" decisions for traits that were the same or different for self and ex-partner. The reaction-time task replicated earlier findings that close relationships result in confusion between traits of self and other. Furthermore, findings showed that direct/explicit IOS (tapped with the IOS Scale) but not indirect/implicit IOS (tapped with the reaction-time task) was associated with breakup-related grief.


Immunization of human beings with formalinized preparations of the virus of influenza A has been tried extensively. Earlier experiments were inconclusive or negative (1-3), but more recent studies (4-6) have indicated partial protection against infection amounting to a reduction of incidence by about one-half. The discovery of strains of virus (influenza B) not antigenically related to the type A virus (9, 10) made necessary the development of a vaccine against influenza B. Experiments on immunization nith a formalinized allantoic fluid culture of this virus were therefore undertaken. The effectiveness of the vaccine cannot be adequately determined until an epidemic of influenza B occurs among the groups inoculated, but some indication of its antigenicity may be obtained from a comparison of the antibody response of vaccinated individuals with tile antibody response resulting from infection of another group durinog an epidemnic of influenza B.


Natural and man-made disasters make the headline many times a year. Crisis images depicting extent of event and intensity of damage are frequently displayed to emphasize the impact of the disaster on the local population. These maps are more and more often generated from raw images acquired by spaceborne sensors. Very high space resolution images are huge and require very careful analysis by numerous teams of trained photo-interpreter in order to provide meaningful maps in a timely manner. This paper describes the acquisition process and image analysis steps currently required to create crisis maps for events for which the International Charter "Space & Major Disasters" is activated. We answer the question "how can image processing time be reduced for faster disaster mapping?" by proposing a semi-automated building detection process.


The genetic divergence among 30 bush bean cultivars was estimated using D2 and canonical analyses. Altogether, 8 clusters were formed. Geographical isolation has not contributed towards genetic divergence in French bean. The characters pod length, pod breadth, number of branches and plant height had contributed 82% of variation towards total divergence.


A brief description of recent research and tests to determine how fresh agricultural products stand up to container transport inside the United States, and outside, towards European and Asian markets. A diagram shows the main characteristics of a container arranged for intermodal transport of packed fruit and vegetables.


Corisider a parabolic stochastic partial differential equation of the type ), 0 < t < T, x G G where A is a partial differential operator, θ (t) is a positive valued function with θ (t) G C'([0, oo)] for some m > l and W (t, x) is a cylindrical Brownian motion in Z/2 (G), G being a bounded domain in R with the boundary dG s a C°°-manifold of dimension (d — 1) and locally G is totally on one side of dG. We obtain an estimator for the function θ(ί) based on the Fourier coefikients w t (^)> l < i ^ N of the random field li(£,a;) observed at discrete times and study its asymptotic properties.


Background. The specific needs of some universities (attending several campuses), as well as the demands of adapting to the EHEA ( in order to achieve better coordination among universities in joint programmes and projects) could be efficiently solved by using Information and Communication Technologies and distance learning tools. In this context, the efficiency of such solutions is a relevant question. Aims. The evaluation of the relative efficacy, in terms of academic performance, of videoconferencing in the teaching of accounting at university level.


We studied the expression of insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) and its receptor in sural nerves from 8 diabetic patients divided into insulin‐treated (IT) and non–insulin‐treated (NIT) groups, compared with 5 patients with axonal neuropathies and 4 control patients (undergoing biopsies for diagnostic purposes). Insulin‐like growth factor I mRNA levels did not differ in diabetic cases compared with control subjects. In sural nerves from IT patients and axonal neuropathies, IGF‐I expression was higher than in NIT subjects and diagnostic controls. Changes in IGF‐I receptor mRNA levels paralleled those of the ligand. Insulin‐like growth factor I immunoreactivity was higher in nerves undergoing axonal degeneration and higher in IT than NIT diabetic patients and diagnostic controls. These findings suggest that insulin treatment increases IGF‐I expression in diabetic nerves. Our data do not support the hypothesis of an absolute IGF‐I deficiency in human diabetic neuropathy. A Schwann cell's incapacity to increase IGF‐I expression after severe nerve damage, as happens in axonal neuropathies, may be a cofactor in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Muscle Nerve 24: 622–629, 2001.


A 65-year-old man with drug-resistant paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) and atrial flutter was referred to our center for catheter ablation. He had no structural heart disease, no history of angina, and normal anatomy on preprocedural cardiac computed tomography. The starting rhythm was sinus rhythm and the procedure was performed under moderate sedation with dexmetridine. After the achievement of pulmonary vein isolation using a 28-mm second-generation cryoballoon (Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA), all catheters were withdrawn from the left atrium. Then, cavotricuspid isthmus linear ablation was started using an 8-mm tip cryocatheter (Freezor MAX, Medtronic) with each application for 2 minutes. Ablation was begun at the tricuspid edge of the isthmus during pacing from low lateral right atrium. Ten seconds after the start of the cryo-application at the inferior vena cava (IVC) edge (the 3rd application for IVC line), progressive


There are important issues before us at the IPS. The decriminalization of same gender sex is a stance we need to take without delay. There is also the curious case of our profession suddenly not being recognized as the right one to certify what clearly is in our realm: specific learning disability. Then, there is the long battle over the impracticalities in the legislation concerning our profession. These along with some other issues will need urgent attention, which with your active support I shall work on.


Several benign and malignant skin tumors were analyzed for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA. By hybridization with different HPV DNA probes under non‐stringent conditions (Tm −40° C), two tumors were found to contain HPV‐specific DNA sequences in high copy numbers: (1) a keratoacanthoma from a patient who also suffered from a basalioma; (2) a superficial spreading malignant melanoma of an immunosuppressed patient. For further analysis of these DNA sequences genomic libraries from both tumour DNAs were constructed and, out of these, 4 different HPV DNA types have been cloned. By cross‐hybridization experiments and restriction map analysis HPV 9 DNA was identified in the keratoacanthoma whereas HPV 17a DNA could be cloned from the malignant melanoma. From each tumor one additional HPV‐type not identical to other known HPV‐types was cloned. These isolates are closely related to HPV 9, 15, 17, 22 and 23. A physical map of both HPV DNAs was constructed. Size (7.8 kbp), co‐linear alignment to HPV 16, cross‐hybridization with other HPV‐types under conditions of low stringency and monomic episomal state of the HPV molecules indicate that these two DNA probes represent new HPV types that have been tentatively designated as HPV 37 (keratoacanthoma) and HPV 38 (malignant melanoma). None of these two HPV types could be found in any other of 231 tumor DNAs originating from different tissues.


This dissertation examines the effectiveness of interventions related to family planning and the uptake of HIV-related preventive services among women in low-income settings. Women in low-income settings and living with HIV face many barriers to care, including limited access to services for family planning and HIV-related preventive care. At the same time, national, regional, and global efforts are looking for interventions to help control rapid population growth, create an HIV-free generation, and provide adequate preventive care for those living with HIV. This dissertation cuts across these issues and can help to inform debate and policies to address these issues. This dissertation comprises three discrete papers. Paper 1 (chapter 1) examines the effectiveness of a national scale-up of community-based distribution of family planning services on contraceptive use in Malawi's rural areas during the period 2005-2016. The national-scale up of the intervention followed the success of a pilot of a similar intervention implemented in the period 1999-2004. As in the pilot, the scaled-up program distributed condoms and oral contraceptives and provided family planning education. Further, because education and income are important determinants of individual contraceptive use, the paper also examines whether the effectiveness of the national scale CBDs varies over these dimensions. The paper uses the Malawi Demographic and Health Surveys. The study finds that the intervention increased contraceptive use by 6.8 percentage points and the effects were greater among uneducated and low-income women. Paper 2 (chapter 2) conducts a cost-effectiveness analysis of a trial of cash incentives aimed at increasing the uptake of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of


Objective To evaluate the preventive and therapeutic effects of artemisinin and artesunate on hypertrophic scar in rabbit ears.Methods Full-thickness wounds to cartilage were created in New Zealand white rabbit cars to establish animal models of hypertrophic scar.Cream was prepared with artemisinin or artesunate.A total of 96 hypertrophic scars were divided into 4 groups to receive the treatment with artemisinin cream.artesunate cream.cream vehicle(vehicle control)or no treatment(blank control)28 days after wounds were created.After 28-day treatment,animals were scarified,scars were incised and examined with HE-staining and VG-staining.Hypertrophy index.numerical density of fibroblasts and area density of collagen fibers were calculated.Results Compared with vehicle and blank controls,the scars were softer and flatter,the volume of fibroblasts decreased,and collagen fibers appeared to be more regulated and sparse in artemisiIlin or artesunate cream-treated groups.The Hypertrophy index.numerical density of fibroblasts.area density of collagen fibers were(1.452±0.27),(3638.245±463.0)cells/mm2,(32.29±6.9)%in artemisinin cream-treated group,respectively,(1.445±0.24),(3585.016±638.9)cells/mm2,(34.74±8.27)%in artesunate cream-treated group,respectively.All the three parameters were significantly reduced in artemisinin and artesunate groups than in blank and vehicle control groups(all P<0.0 1).but no significant difference was found between artemisinin and artesunate groups (P>0.05).Conclusion Artemisinin and artestmate cream has a reliable efficacy in the prevention and treatment of hypertrophic scar in animal models.

Key words:
Artemisinin; Artesunate; Cicatrix; Models,animal


As mobile services get more complex through the development of wireless communication technologies and the convergence of voice, text, images, and movies, it is bard to figure out the factors affecting customers' intentions to adopt a new service. Based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this paper has examined determinants of users' acceptance of the next-generation mobile services (NGMS) in Korea, which is one of the most important sources of global competitiveness of Korean IT firms in the near future. To do so, we augmented TAM with several constructs such as self-efficacy, compatibility, ubiquity, tele-presence, job relevance and service cost from other theories. The results of this study indicated the significance of the constructs used in the augmented TAM for the users' intention to adopt the NGMS.


Background and aims: Faecal bile acid elimination greatly contributes to cholesterol homeostasis. Synthesised from cholesterol in the liver, bile acids are actively reclaimed in the ileum by the apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT). Although the expression level of ASBT affects body cholesterol balance, the impact of cholesterol on ASBT gene expression remains unclear. In this study, the effect of cholesterol on ASBT expression and ileal bile acid uptake was explored in vivo and in vitro. Methods: ASBT gene expression was assessed by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and northern or western blotting, or both, in mice subjected to a 2% cholesterol diet for two weeks, in mouse ileal explants, or in human enterocyte-like Caco-2 cells cultured in sterol enriched or depleted media. Bile acid uptake was determined by measuring [3H]-taurocholic acid influx into in situ isolated ileal loops from mice or into differentiated Caco-2 cells. Molecular analysis of mouse and human ASBT promoters was undertaken with reporter assays, site directed mutagenesis, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Results: In mice, cholesterol enriched diet triggered a downregulation of ASBT expression (mRNA and protein), a fall in ileal bile acid uptake, and a rise in the faecal excretion of bile acids. This effect was direct as it was reproduced ex vivo using mouse ileal explants and in vitro in differentiated Caco-2 cells. Conclusions: This regulation, which involves an original partnership between SREBP-2 and HNF-1α transcription factors, affects ileal bile acid recycling and thus might participate in the maintenance of body cholesterol homeostasis.


In 1988, theArchivespublished an editorial describing the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) since its founding in 1966 and the organization's "increasing involvement in important issues."1That involvement continues in the program of the 1989 annual meeting chaired by President Steven M. Podos, MD, and in organizational changes now under way. The AUPO began its February 1989 meeting at Captiva Island, Fla, with a special conference on the selection and evaluation of resident physicians. Educational aspects were addressed by Michael J. Gordon, PhD, of the Division of Research in Medical Education of the University of Washington, Seattle, and legal perspectives were provided by Steve Milam, JD, general counsel to the University of Washington Health Sciences Center and University Hospitals, Seattle. Other program topics displayed the spectrum of interests of the membership. Special presentations on fund raising by professional consultants and by AUPO members reflected the realization


A new method for model order reduction with eigenvalue preservation is presented in this paper. The new technique is formulated based on the system state matrix transformation which preserves the system eigenvalues and is accomplished using an artificial neural network training. A linear matrix inequality (LMI) numerical algorithm technique is used to obtain the complete system transformation. Model order reduction is then obtained utilizing the singular perturbation method. Simulation results show that the LMIbased transformed reduced model order is superior to other reduction methods.


Ixora plants are typical tropical flowering shrubs with bright colors and long florescence.It is critical to accumulate biomass for plants vegetative growth at the stage of seedling.In this paper,measurement and statistical analysis were carried out on the morphological characteristics and biomass accumulation of 5species of Ixoraplants during their seedling growth.The results showed that there was a significant correlation(p0.01)between the root length and underground biomass,the aboveground biomass and underground biomass.Thereinto,the biomasses of different organs of different varieties within the same the plant species and same ages were different.However,the growth of different varieties and forma had higher consistency.I.coccinea var.coccinea and I.coccinea var.coccineaf.lutea having a large rootshoot ratio grew rapidly,but the specific leaf area of I.coccinea var.bandhuca was larger,so the ability of capturing light was stronger,and the barren resistance of I.chinensis,I.coccinea var.coccineaand I.williamsii'Sunkist'was higher,which was conducive to the growth of the plant in poor environments.The article provides a useful reference data for the selection,configuration and fertilizer management of Ixora plants.


We investigate the distribution, mean value, variance and some limiting properties of an urn model of white and red balls under random multiple drawing (either with or without replacement) when the number of white and red balls added follows a schedule that depends on the number of white balls chosen in each drawing.


Disruption of the gene that encodes the HAT GCN5 leads to embryonic lethality at 10.5 d.p.c. To address GCN5 functions at later developmental stages or in specific tissue differentiation, we created a conditional GCN5 allele in which a key portion of the coding sequence is flanked by site‐specific loxP recombination sites. The floxed sequence can be removed at specific developmental stages or tissues after introducing Cre recombinase. The phenotype of the embryo will help us to define GCN5 functions at specific embryonic time points and in specific tissues. Two ES cell heterozygous clones 2G2 and 2D10 which carry the conditional GCN5 allele have been injected into blastocysts to generate chimeric mice and germline transmission GCN5 flox(neo)/+ mice have been screened from both clone 2G2 and clone 2D10, respectively. Genetic data indicate that the neomycin cassette which is inserted into the second intron of GCN5 causes a hypomorphic mutation. This mutation provides us a new model to investigate GCN5 functions in murine embryogenesis. Preliminary data show that there are anterior homeotic transformation and exencephaly phenotypes in both GCN5flox(neo)/flox(neo)embryos and GCN5 flox(neo)/− embryos. All GCN5 flox(neo)/ − embryos have anterior homeotic transformation while just a fraction of GCN5 flox(neo)/flox(neo) embryos have this phenotype. some GCN5 flox(neo)/flox(neo)embryos and GCN5flox(neo)/ −embryos exhibit an exencephaly phenotype due to an early neural tube closure defect. Taken together, these data suggest that GCN5 plays an important role in anterior‐posterior patterning and neural tube closure in a dose dependent manner.


In light of the current operation of the supercritical steam turbine units,this paper proposes the fault diagnosis system based on association rules.This system integrates various thermal parameters,operation adjustment parameters and vibration parameters together for the first time;adopts Apriori algorithm to reorganize the historical information and empirical examples;applies data mining technique of association rules to present the relationship among vibration sign,thermal parameters and fault type in terms of confidence and support of association rules.This research provides guidance for the association rule mining of the designated turbine units.


AngioSeal (AS) and VasoSeal (VS) are collagen‐based arterial closure devices utilized to achieve earlier hemostasis and ambulation in diagnostic and interventional percutaneous procedures. To our knowledge, there has been no randomized studies comparing these two devices as approved for use in the United States. One hundred fifty‐seven patients were randomized to receive either the 8 Fr AS (n = 79) or VS (n = 78) closure device. Data on 95 patients who had coronary angiography (49 AS, 46 VS) and 55 patients who underwent angioplasty (28 AS, 27 VS) were completed. Heparin was not administered during the coronary angiogram procedure. The activated clotting time was kept at approximately 300 sec during angioplasty. Patients on coumadin or GP IIb/IIIa platelet inhibitors were not included in this study. The time unit interval to achieve hemostasis in this study was based on the time the AS tension spring was left over the common femoral artery following collagen deployment as per the manufacturer's instructions (20 min). Time to hemostasis, time to ambulation, and major and minor complications were prospectively recorded. Two‐tailed t‐test and chi‐square analysis were performed on continuous and dichotomous variables, respectively. For the angiogram‐only subgroup, time (min) to hemostasis (20.51 ± 4.36 vs. 18.59 ± 11.77; P = 0.30) and ambulation (145.71 ± 124 vs. 109.89 ± 60.37; P = 0.075) were not statistically different for the AS and VS, respectively. Similarly, for the angioplasty subgroup, time (min) to hemostasis (24.23 ± 12.70 vs. 19.57 ± 2.27; P = 0.077) and ambulation (607.32 ± 344.22 vs. 486.48 ± 200.37; P = 0.12) were not statistically different for both AS and VS, respectively. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences in deployment failure, major, minor, or total complication rates between the two devices. In the absence of GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors, VS and the 8 Fr AS devices have statistically similar time to hemostasis and ambulation as well as device failures and complication rates following coronary angiography and angioplasty. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;55:421–425. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The codes, which are the expression of the systematization and rationalization of the law, have continued to evolve both substantially as well as formally once the changes in the collective consciousness come to be. In the plan of its organization we can notice the great guiding lines which the political, economic and religious elements have left. Thus, the "described" juridical reality of the code must transpose the social reality as precisely as possible. Nowadays, the beneficial effect of codification is almost unanimously discussed because of how profoundly the legislative crisis was felt, a crisis determined by the dispersion of laws which no longer matched the old supports, the multiplicity and excessive specialization of norms, the periods of transition to the social, political and economic level, which were clearly felt on a juridical level. The evolution of facts has brought several changes and diversified the framework of codifying the law. Thus, even though there are legislative works which now serve as true examples of "the art of codification", time does not spare them and it leaves its mark on them. New boarders are thus opened for the process of codification. The diversity of examples of codification has increased as we have observed, both formally as well as structurally. Key-words: the Code, the legislative modernization, tradition, the social reality, the law.


Based on their formation mechanisms, Dirac points in three-dimensional systems can be classified as accidental or essential. The former can be further distinguished into type-I and type-II, depending on whether the Dirac cone spectrum is completely tipped over along certain direction. Here, we predict the coexistence of all three kinds of Dirac points in the low-energy band structure of CaAgBi-family materials with a stuffed Wurtzite structure. Two pairs of accidental Dirac points reside on the rotational axis, with one pair being type-I and the other pair type-II; while another essential Dirac point is pinned at the high symmetry point on the Brillouin zone boundary. Due to broken inversion symmetry, the band degeneracy around accidental Dirac points is completely lifted except along the rotational axis, which may enable the splitting of chiral carriers at a ballistic p-n junction with a double negative refraction effect. We clarify their symmetry protections, and find both the Dirac-cone and Fermi arc topological surface states.


Abstract Two naturally occurring lignanolides, isolated from the tropical climbing shrub Ipomoea cairica, (-)-arctigen in and (-)-trachelogen in , were found to inhibit strongly replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1; strain HTLV-III B) in vitro. At a concentration of 0.5 (μм , (-)-arctigenin and (-)-trachelogenin inhibited the expression of HIV-1 proteins p 17 and p24 by 80 -90 % and 60 -70 % , respectively. The reverse transcriptase activity in the culture fluids was reduced by 80 -90 % when the cells (HTLV-III B/H 9) were cultivated in the presence of 0.5 μм (-)-arctigen in or 1 μм (-)-trachelogenin . At the same concentrations, the formation of syncytia in the HTLV-III B/H 9-Jurkat cell system was inhibited by the compounds by more than 80%. A series of other lignan type compounds displayed no anti-HIV activity. Studying the molecular mechanism of action of (-)-arctigenin and (-)-trachelogenin we found that both compounds are efficient inhibitors of the nuclear matrix-associated DNA topoisomerase II activity, particularly of the enzyme from HIV -1-infected cells. Our results suggest that both compounds prevent the increase of topoisomerase II activity, involved in virus replication, after infection of cells with HIV -1.


The invention discloses a method for registering IMS user public ID in IP multimedia subsystem and the latent registering method thereof. And the method for registering IMS user public ID comprises the steps of: setting sharing attribute elements of IMS user public ID to indicate the IMS user public ID to share all or part of IMS user private IDs of subscriber; the user device of a subscriber cured with a first IMS user private ID initiates a first IMS user private ID registering request to kernel network; the kernel network related component agrees or refuses the user device to register the first IMS user private ID according to the original related IMS user private ID of the first IMS user public ID and the sharing attribute elements; the kernel network related component returns an agreeing response and the user device completes registering. And the invention meets the requirements of users for partial sharing and saves network resources and improves quality of service (QoS).


E article is devoted to questions of technological support of the development of the reflexive component of professional and creative self-development of future teachers.


Introduction/Objective. POAG treatment should be individually tailored to
 the disease severity and type, effectiveness and secondary side effects of
 the medications used. This research aimed to assess the direct medical
 costs and the cost effectiveness associated with pharmacotherapy in visually
 impaired people with primary open-angle glaucoma according to disease
 severity. Methods. This scientific study is designed as an observational
 cross-sectional study with a quantitative analytical approach and was
 conducted in the period from July 2020 to June 2021 on the territory of
 North Macedonia. The study included 157 patients with binocular POAG in the
 early, moderate and advanced clinical stage, up to the age of 67, with
 changes in visual acuity and work ability. During the assessment of the
 effects of pharmacotherapy were analyzed the types, mutual correlations and
 effectiveness of the most commonly prescribed antiglaucomatous medications
 and the cost benefit from their administration. Direct medical costs are
 calculated according to disease severity in the last 12 months using
 real-time data of public interest. Results. The beta blockers due to their
 affordable price and availability are the dominant option with high-cost
 benefit for primary treatment of POAG. Antiglaucoma medications and
 diagnostic procedures are major components of direct medical treatment
 costs. Conclusion. Pharmacotherapy is the dominant alternative compared to
 other types of treatment because it is safer and is associated with greater
 effictiveness and lower direct medical costs.


We have previously reported on a research-based framework developed by Professors Gene Dalton and Paul Thompson called the Four Stages Model to help faculty understand how their careers in academia will grow and develop. Building upon this framework, we have modified development tools traditionally used in industry for use in academia. These tools include a multirater feedback instrument, a development guide based on the Four Stages Model and the results of the feedback instrument, a development plan form, and a type of an annual stewardship interview, referred to as a development discussion. We advocate the use of the development tools for use in both pre- and post-tenure review. The tools find particular relevance for those who have reached a point in their career where they need help in renewed motivation or to find new ways to make contributions to their institutions and/or fields of technical expertise.


Grazing system influences plant population sexual reproduction to some degree on Stipa grandis steppe and has an various effects on different palatable plants.Suitable grazing on Stipa grandis steppe can apparently decrease reproductive shoot number,seed number per unit,and its viability.Comparing RG(rotational grazing)and CG (continual grazing),RG increases Cleistogenes squarrosa population reproductive shoot number,seed rain and its viability;CG increases Stipa grandis population reproductive shoot number,seed rain and its viability.


The intrinsic relationship between deterministic system and stochastic system is profoundly revealed by the probability density evolution method (PDEM) with introduction of physical law into the stochastic system. On this basis, stochastic dynamic stability analysis of single-layer dome structures under stochastic seismic excitation is firstly studied via incorporating an energetic physical criterion for identification of dynamic instability of dome structures into PDEM, which yields to sample stability (stable reliability). However, dynamic instability is not identical to structural failure definitely, where strength failure can be experienced not only in the stable structure but also when the structure is out of dynamic stability. It is practically feasible to decouple the stochastic dynamic response of dome structures to be a stable one and an unstable one according to the generalized density evolution equation (GDEE). Consequently, the global failure probability can be investigated separately based on the corresponding independent stochastic response. For unstable failure probability assessment, the failure probability is the unstable probability if the dome's failure is attributed to instability, whereas inverse absorbing is firstly implemented to get rid of the stochastic response before instability and a complementary process is filled in the safe domain immediately to finally assess the probability of strength failure after dynamic instability.


Evaluation of conduction over a linear ablation lesion at the anterior mitral annulus can be time‐consuming and difficult during ongoing radiofrequency application. The purpose of this study was to validate conduction time from the beginning of the p wave and from the coronary sinus ostium to the left atrial appendage (LAA) as a new method of conduction block surveillance.


We have synthesized and evaluated nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of azo dye attached
novel NLO polymers with high optical nonlinearity and/or high thermal stability. An azo-dye attached
NLO polymer with a furan derivative as an acceptor was synthesized. The second order NLO
susceptibility (χ(2)
 33) at 1.3 μm fundamental wavelength was more than two times larger than that of the
NLO polymer with dicyanovinyl (DCV) acceptor and the same azobenzene structure. A χ
 (2)
 33 of
43pm/V was obtained.
Polymethacrylic acid reacted with a typical azo dye, Disperse Red 1 dye (DR-1), in its side-chain
was also synthesized using a new approach, i.e., via intermediate reaction of the acid and N,N'-
dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. Glass transition temperatures Tg of 170°C were obtained for the dye attached
polymethacrylic acid with the DR- 1 contents of 29 mol%. A χ
 (2)
 33 of 53pm/V at 1.3 μm was obtained.
This polymer can be further improved to have more stablility by heat treatment. Through this treatment,
the methacryl imide structure was formed and the polymer has Tg of 165°C. This imidized polymer
exhibited a χ
 (2)
 33 of 45 pm/V at 1.3 μm and maintained about 90% of its initial value after 230 hours or
more at 100°C.
Novel NLO polyarylethers where electron-withdrawing groups for NLO activity were introduced
into the polymers by post-functionalization were developed. These NLO polyarylethers have high Tgs,
typically higher than 200°C. A 100 mol% DR-1 dye containing NLO polymer with the fluorene
structure has very low optical propagation loss of 0.42dB/cm at 1.3 μm wavelength and shows low
polarized light dependence of the refractive indices. The polymer has χ
 (2)
 33 of about 57pm/V at 1.3|um
fundamental wavelength and the nonlinearity was maintained at 100°C for more than 200 hrs
Key words: second order nonlinear optics, nonlinear optical polymers, thermal stability,
furan derivative, polymethacrylic acid, azo dye, imidization, polyarylether


Personality is one of the primary ways that people are distinguished from one another on the basis of their unique tendencies and behavioral patterns. Decades of empirical research have yielded five primary personality traits which have consistently emerged, becoming known as the Five Factor Model (FFM). In particular, the FFM has been widely used in the employee selection realm. However, there have been mixed reviews as to how well the FFM of personality accomplishes that objective, with some research drawing into question the strength of the relationship between personality and job performance. The purpose of the current investigation is to address these gaps by exploring how a unique personality instrument, developed for commercial applications, may add value for predicting job performance. Archival and anonymous data was collected from the Company for the purpose of investigating the psychometric properties of the proprietary personality selection instrument. The study employed two sets of data, one was a random sample of 10,000 cases for conducting factor analytics and the other was a data set of 1,986 matched cases for investigating reliability. Hypotheses were tested using multiple statistical techniques, such as confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), exploratory factor analysis (EFA), test-retest reliability, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson correlations. Results indicated that the proposed factor structure of the Personality Instrument in which the 15 narrow facets are represented by three broad factors could not be supported (χ2 [3897] = 94548.14, p < .001; GFI = .704; CFI = .433; RMSEA = .048) through CFA. Multiple alternative models were also tested, such as a single-factor model of personality (χ2 [3900] = 96837.26, p < THE PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A PERSONALITY SELECTION TOOL x .001; GFI = .694; CFI = .418; RMSEA = .049), the theoretical model poor (χ2 [3910] = 102,525.28, p < .001; GFI = .692; CFI = .383; RMSEA = .050), and also a multitrait multimethod approach (χ2 [3710] = 56336.08, p < .001; GFI = .863; CFI = .671; RMSEA = .038), each of which fell short of showing even moderate model fit to the data. The results of the test-retest reliability analyses showed statistically significant positive relationships between Time 1 and Time 2 Personality Instrument scores (r (905) = .79, p < .01), when administered between 0 and 12 weeks apart, and thus supporting the stability of the Personality Instrument. Compared to testretest reliability coefficients when taken between 0 and 12 weeks, the test-retest reliability for cases in which the Personality Instrument was taken between 13 weeks and 52 weeks was still statistically significant and positive (r (480) = .67, p < .01), yet a smaller positive relationship as presumed. Test-retest reliability proved to be a better estimate of stability compared to Cronbach's alpha, which ranged from as low as .05 for Tolerance for Ambiguity to as high as .58 for Affiliative. Lastly, the results investigating as to whether contextualized items within the same substantive facet correlate more so with each other than do generically-worded items. THE PSYCHOMETRIC EVALUATION OF A PERSONALITY INSTRUMENT 1


The essay examines contemporary uses of 'independence' and 'inclusion' within and around the disability rights movement. The concepts are often positioned as self-evidently positive or as the obvious goals towards which disability and other movements should be striving. Through an examination of the World Bank's appropriation of these concepts, and of the social model of disability more generally, the essay argues for always understanding the concepts structuring the disability movement, including seemingly-sacrosanct concepts such as independence, as historical and contingent. The essay considers both how World Bank rhetorics of independence and inclusion mask the deeper dependencies generated by global capitalism and how, in a different context, dependency theory in disability studies provides us with limited but crucial tools for critiquing those rhetorics.


Each child has their own pattern of behaviour. Stephanie Thornton asks: How can we use reward and punishment to help a child fit in?


The heterodyne laser interferometer has been widely used in precise measurement field. However, the accuracy is limited by the nonlinearity error caused from incomplete laser sources and nonideal optical components. In this paper, we propose the Dual-EKF which estimates states and weights simultaneously to improve the resolution of heterodyne laser interferometer. As a proof, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method through experimental results.


13 C spin lattice relaxation times (T 1 ) of glyceryl trivalerate have been measured as a function of concentration in CDCl 3 solutions. The T 1 values indicate that there is a gradient in the rate of rotational motions around the C-C bonds in the hydrocarbon chains, the rate increasing towards the methyl groups. Examination of T 1 values as a function of concentration suggests that glyceryl trivalerate does not aggregate in CDCl 3 solutions, unlike other lipids with long hydrocarbon chains. It is concluded that the length of the hydrocarbon chain plays a dominant role in determining the aggregation behaviour of lipids in solution.


Interactive rendering of trimmed NURBS models is of great importance for CAD systems. For this the model needs to be transformed into a polygonal representation. This transformation can be either performed in a preprocessing step, at the cost of losing the capability to edit the surfaces, or on the fly during rendering. Since the number of frames per second is usually critical, efficient on the fly tessellation of trimmed NURBS surfaces is very important for interactive rendering and editing of such models. In this paper we present an efficient – with respect to both runtime and to the number of generated triangles – tessellation algorithm for trimmed NURBS surfaces that is capable of guaranteeing a specified geometric approximation error. When affordable by the subsequent steps in the pipeline, an approximate error of the tessellation can also be used leading to fewer triangles.


Background: The purpose of Blood Transfusion Organization is preparation of safe blood and blood products. Confidential Self exclusion system as a screening method which the donors can exclude their donated blood because they think it has the risk factor for the transmission of infection diseases. This study assessed the efficacy of Self Exclusion System on diagnosis of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV among the blood donors in Kurdistan Province in the two years. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out using serologic results of donors who used confidential self exclusion compared with usual donors. The information was obtained from the data bank of Kurdistan blood transfusion blood transfusion center from March 2011 to March 2013. Data analysis was performed using Chi-square test by SPSS 12 statistical software. Results: Self exclusion was chosen in 740 (1%) of 73841 donations, the prevalence of Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV in CSE donors were significantly higher than usual donors ( 0.13%, 0.94% and 0.94% compared whit 0.42%, 0.1% and 0.01% Respectively) Conclusion: The results obtained from this study showed that self exclusion used in blood bank was effective in reducing the transmission of infectious disease through window-period units. Therefore this method improved blood donation safety. Keyword: Self exclusion, Blood donation, Kurdistan province D ow nl oa de d fr om z an ko .m uk .a c. ir at 1 2: 07 + 04 30 o n S at ur da y A ug us t 3 rd 2 01 9


Objective: Family is like a school where parents teach the lessons of humanity and morality, which are the foundation of human happiness, to their children. Moral development is an essential part of children's understanding of moral rules and principles. The lack of moral development, along with anxiety, and depression exposes children to antisocial and suicidal behaviors. Moral development is associated with parenting styles and attachment. This study aims to investigate the relationship between parenting styles and moral development of preschool children mediated by children's attachment. Materials & Methods: This descriptive correlational study was conducted on 128 children (64 girls and 64 boys) selected from 8 preschools in Tehran Province, Iran, in 2020 using a cluster sampling technique. The study data were collected using three questionnaires: Baumrind Parenting Styles Questionnaire (PSQ), the Kinship Center Attachment Questionnaire (KCAQ), and Lotfabadi Moral Development Questionnaire (MDQ). The first two tools were completed by mothers of children, while the MDQ was completed by children. The Kolmogorov-Simonov test, correlation test (Enter method), analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis in SPSS v. 21. Results: The regression analysis results showed that parenting styles had a significant relationship with moral development (R=0.74, Adjusted R2=0.54, P=0.000). Also, attachment had a significant association with moral development (R=0.71, Adjusted R2=0.49, P=0.000). With one unit change in permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative parenting styles, the moral development of preschool children can be predicted by 43.5%, 19%, and 37.6%, respectively. Moreover, with one unit change in positive adjustment/development, negative behavior, emotional reactivity, and distancing from caregiver support dimensions of attachment, the moral development of preschool children can be predicted by 33.6%, 38.4%, -26.4%, and -11.4%, respectively. Also, the results of the Sobel test showed that the attachment variable was the mediator of the relationship of parenting styles with moral development (z=2.29>1.96). Conclusion: The moral development of children is related to permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative parenting styles. Besides, children's attachment can mediate the relationship between parenting styles and moral development. More planning and follow-up are needed to improve the moral development of preschool children. When parents are consistent in their parenting styles, they provide their children with assertive and trusting behaviors. They should listen to their children and promote dialogue with them. Their discipline should be accompanied by warmness, logic, and flexibility and give their children the freedom to some extent. This treatment can help children develop their social behavior.


One of the biggest challenges that software developers face is to make an accurate estimate of the project effort. Radial basis function neural networks have been used to software effort estimation in this work using NASA dataset. This paper evaluates and compares radial basis function versus a regression model. The results show that radial basis function neural network have obtained less Mean Square Error than the regression method.


This short article presents a discussion of the underlying conditions under which natural evolution of life occurs and how these natural conditions may be extremely difficult to implement in artificial life (ALife) systems. In particular, the Darwinian concept of adaptation via natural selection may not have a complete or functional macro-level description that could be used to build any evolutionary environment that is defined at the agent-environment interaction level. Here we are specifically addressing open-ended evolution (Ruiz-Mirazo et al., 2004) in artificial systems (Standish, 2003; Nolfi, 2012; Mouret and Doncieux, 2012). One of the goals of ALife is to generate systems capable of sustained evolution of life-like complexity. Such systems, although artificial, could then be considered to produce real life of a kind (Pattee, 1987; Ray, 1993), as opposed to being just simulations of life. For evolutionary computing applications aimed at solving particular problems, a well-defined goal that is separate from survival in and of itself can be formalized into a selection criterion and used to evolve solutions (Oduguwa et al., 2005). However, in the case of open-ended evolution, many researchers now accept that agent-level definitions of fitness are unsuitable to drive differential selection and replication (Lynch, 2007; McShea, 1991; Lehman and Stanley, 2011). This includes even the most unbiased and high-level implicit fitness criteria in which replication is seemingly made to be a direct result of agent interaction with the environment (see for example Yaeger, 1994). Interestingly, concerns about the adequacy of neo-Darwinian and Darwinian theory to fully describe the evolution of life have come from several ALife researchers, often after attempting to implement evolving systems (Mitchell and Forrest, 1994; Lehman and Stanley, 2011; Watson, 2012; Nolfi, 2012). Ray, for example, indicates that there is something "oddly self-referential" about evolution (Ray, 1993). Dawkins describes how his views of natural biological evolution changed after playing around with ALife simulations (Dawkins, 2003). An underlying tenet of science is that all observable natural phenomena result from a fundamental set of physical laws and that physical law is essentially unchanging (Feynman, 1967; Zilsel et al., 2003). Such a set of laws, although not yet fully elucidated by physicists, is presumed to exist. If this were not the case, some fundamental cornerstones of science such as repeatability of experiments, as well as a host of epistemological underpinnings, would not hold. A consequence of the existence of such a set of elemental physical laws is that fundamental driving forces producing change in natural evolution result from or reflect the topology of a static space defined solely by unchanging physical law (Ray, 1993). In this sense (and noting that physics is thought to have an intrinsic stochastic aspect), evolution can be described as a random walk on a static manifold, one of extremely high dimensionality. The only fundamental nonrandom "force" driving change in nature is imparted by the underlying topology of this static extremely low-level and high-dimensional landscape. Furthermore, this low-level view of the universe is not mediated by a replication cycle per se. The discussion above implies that a system defined only in terms of a suitable set of elemental rules might in theory support open-ended evolution, and that our natural universe is an example of such a system. This raises the possibility that high-level representations (including the differential survival and replication paradigm upon which Darwinian evolution is based), while describing evolution sufficiently to generate simulations, might not fully functionally specify evolution to the degree needed to generate artificial realizations of evolution. (See Pattee (1987) for a discussion of the distinction between simulation and realization.) Below, we loosely summarize an argument that implies that high-level descriptions of complex systems are likely to be functionally incomplete. When complex systems with a high level of granularity are converted to lower levels of resolution, information is usually lost, even if overall patterns are seemingly more evident (Katsoulakis and Trashorras, 2006). Hence, if the behavior of a complex system is fully described (but not over-specified) at one level, it is in fact not likely to be fully described at a reduced level of resolution. The implication is that macrolevel traits in biological systems, being essentially extremely low-resolution views of matter/energy configurations, do not contain sufficient information to fully predict replication efficiency distributions (as generalizations of adaptive fitness landscapes (Wright, 1932) might have suggested). Relating variation in macro-level traits to replication efficiency would then not fully define the underlying forces driving evolution, not even in theory. In this case, the


The main purpose of this research is examining the effects of audit opinion, management changes, KAP size, firm size and financial distress to auditor changes. Some former research about auditor changes show different result each other. Because of that, it is important to do repetitively research to verificate the theory about auditor changes. This research is using data of go public company in Indonesia in the period 2008–2011. The researcher uses purposive sampling and get total sample are 104 research data. The data is examined with logistic regressin in SPSS 19 software to examine the effect of audit opinion, management changes, KAP size, firm size and financial distress to auditor changes. Result of this research show that management changes has significant effect on auditor changes. However management changes has the opposite direction with the research hypothesis that can not support the hypothesis, while other factors like audit opinion, KAP size, firm size and financial distress do not have significant effect on auditor changes. Keywords: Auditor changes, audit opinion, management changes, KAP size, firm size and financial distress


This case history details the failure analysis process used to locate and identify the root cause of elevated currents on functional very large scale integration (VLSI) devices. The process stresses the use of non-destructive tools to correctly characterize the problem and recommend a solution. It was found that while emission microscopy can easily locate areas where an oxide has shorted, it is not well suited for identifying precursers to early breakdown. Tunneling current microscopy was found to have the capability to identify weak areas in oxides without altering the cause of the weakness. 17 refs., 8 figs.


Associative memory with fractal connections was studied. We show numerically that the fractal neural network has a higher capability than randomly connected neural network for fractal pattern and fractally localized patterns, but not for random patterns. We discuss this result from a theoreti cal standpoint. Recent studies of artificial neural networks have been partly motivated by their resemblance to biological neural systems. However, relatively little knowledge has been obtained concerning network structure and coding principles in biological neural systems. Therefore most studies on associative memory, for instance, concern ful lyl) or randomly connected networks 2 )-4) as their structures. It is known that the human brain has 10 10 neurons, and each neuron has 10 3 to 10 4 connections with other neurons. Even if localized brain function is considered, neither fully connected nor randomly connected structures are biologically plausible. Neuro-physiological studies have revealed recently that the branching pattern of dendrites has fractal properties in various parts of the mammalian brain. 5 )-7) On the other hand, it is


The article describes the results and the methodology for determining the initial presence of wares containing cellulose in the Vyatichi funeral ceremony in the Middle Ages in the natural zone of the southern taiga, Moscow region. Cellulose is a high molecular weight polymer. Cellulose (in other words – fiber) contains up to half of all the organic carbon of the biosphere, therefore, the prevalence of various microorganisms utilizing cellulose is quite high. In addition, the prevalence of this trophic group of microorganisms significantly complicates the diagnosis in archaeological contexts, since it's necessary to understand the total number of these microorganisms on different depths in certain soil types and certain climatic zones. To overcome this difficulty, we conducted a two-month experiment to determine the rates of decomposition of the added cellulose substrate by soils from the adjacent structures of cremated burials using method, providing results comparable with published data. For the first time, there was made an attempt to identify soils of cremated burials with an increased content of cellulose, by analogy to microbiological methods of identifying keratin-containing substrates of ancient burials. The presence of cellulolytic microorganisms was identified by counting of colony forming units after planting on a solid nutrient environment – soil agar enriched in carboxymethyl cellulose. The object of the experiments was soil samples from medieval burials with cremations. Comparisons were made with the background soil of the same age as cremations (XII century), which have been developing according to the zonal type on the kurgan mound nearby to cremated burials. Three sites with maxima activity were revealed, according to the archaeological context. The article continues the cycle of experimental planting of trophic groups of microorganisms for the purpose of indicating substances that entered the soil at different periods of time, from antiquity to the Middle Ages, and have been utilized by microorganisms up to nowadays.


AbstractThis research will explain how taste can be formed and developed from a musical arts community called Pusat Olah Seni Surabaya (POSS), where this community always holds practices in musical arts in the Balai Pemuda area. By using Pierre Bourdieu's aesthetic taste, which is formed through the aspects of habitus, capital, and the realm contained in this phenomenon, the researcher sees that this POSS activity is an attempt to build a taste for music orchestration as a form of resistance from the lower class to upper-class culture.Keywords: Habitus; Capital; Domain; Taste; Subculture


The Mulberry Cogeneration Facility is notable in thepower industry. Among the features that make this 120 MWfacility stand apart from other power plants are zero dischargewastewater system, an inlet air chilling system, and an exten-sive Distributed Control System (DCS) for overall plant opera-tion, along with a 25 ppm NO x dry emission limit on gas fuel forthe first 3 years and 15 ppm thereafter.The Mulberry Cogeneration Facility is owned by Polk PowerPartners Ltd. (Central and South West Energy of Dallas and ARKEnergy of Laguna Hills, California). The Plant is operated by CSWEnergy. Central and South West Services acted as the EPC contractor,and retained Black & Veatch to provide engineering and procurementservices, construction liaison, and start-up support .The facility , located near Bartow, Florida, consists of a singlecombustion turbine/heat recovery steam generator (HRSG)/steam tur-bine combined cycle. It provides electric power to nearby Tampa Elec-tric and Florida Power Corporation, and up to 25,000 lb/h of processsteam to an adjacent steam host facility that was also developed by thepartnership . The Mulberry Cogeneration Facility began commercialoperation on August 10, 1994.


We define the mass ratio (q) of a binary as the ratio q = m2 / mi < 1. The distribution function of the q's is given by what we call the mass ratio function (MRF). The determination of the MRF for contact binaries (CB) is one of the major problems which need to be sol ved, when we wish to obtain a better knowledge about their formation and evolution. In a previous study (Van 't Veer, 1978) we determined from the best information available for 27 W UMa stars, taking into account observational selection effects, the MRF of solar type CB's. This func tion which is displayed in fig 1 shows a gradual increase of the obser ved number of CB's towards the lower mass ratios. We call this function the actually observed or actual mass ratio function (AMRF). It repre sents the observed result produced by now existing CB's formed at diffe rent epochs with possibly different q's, and, different physical and dyna mical evolution since their formation. Clearly, for our understanding of CB's it is much more interesting to know the distribution function of the q's at the moment of formation. We call this function the initial mass ratio function (IMRF); it represents the mass ratio distribution func tion of CB's at the very beginning of their existence. It is the aim of this paper to investigate the IMRF by using our results concerning the AMRF and the dynamical evolution of solar type CB's studied earlier in a theoretical paper (Van 't Veer, 1979).


Are various techniques are described for enhanced support of the spliced stream and adapt based on the clean random access (CRA) picture. Instead of using a flag in the slice header to indicate that the picture is a broken link is present, a separate network abstraction layer (NAL) unit type may be used to indicate the presence of a broken link picture. In some implementations, the first separate the NAL unit type is broken link, while the second separate NAL unit types that may be used to indicate the presence of a picture having a leading picture shows the presence of a broken link, a picture that does not have a leading picture. In some implementations, the third distinct type of the NAL unit may be used to indicate the presence of a broken link, a picture having the picture reading decodable.


[Authors are asked to send off-prints of articles in learned journals on subjects relevant to this section. Offprints of articles in books on other publications will not be reported on here since they constiute part of a volume that can be made the subject-matter of a review.]

Dieckmann, H. (Berlin): 'Das Lieblingsmarchen der Kindheit als therapeutisher Faktor in der Analyse' ('The favourite fairy-tale of childhood as a therapeutic factor in analysis')

Dieckmann, H. (Berlin). 'Uber das Bewusstsein der Frau im 20. Jahrhundert' ('On women's consciousness in the twentieth centuary')

Dr Lorenzo, Silvia (Rome). 'Il metodo dell'immaginazione attiva nella pratica della Psicologia Analitica' ('Active imagination as a method in the practice of analytical psychology')

Fierz, H. (Zurich). 'Utbildningen i psykoterapi i Schweiz' ('Training in psychotherapy in Switzerland')

Marshak, M. D. (London). 'A psychological approach to mythology II.'

Scott, R. D. and Ainsworth, P. L. (London). 'The Shadow of the ancestor: a historical factor in the transmission of schizophrenia'

Biasch, Hans: 'Die Psychologie innerhalb der Vielfalt der Wissenschaften' ('The place of psychology within the multiplicity of the sciences')

Kerenyi, Karl: 'Hegel e gli Dei della Grecia' ('Hegel and the Greek gods')

Ziegler, Alfred J.: 'Die abendlandische Aggressivitat' ('Aggression in Western countries')


. For a homotopy class [ u ] of maps between a closed Riemannian manifold M and a general manifold N , we want to find a Dirac-harmonic map with map component in the given homotopy class. Most known results require the index to be nontrivial. When the index is trivial, the few known results are all constructive and produce uncoupled solutions. In this paper, we define a new quantity. As a byproduct of proving the homotopy invariance of this new quantity, we find a new simple proof for the fact that all Dirac-harmonic spheres in surfaces are uncoupled. More importantly, by using the homotopy invariance of this new quantity, we prove the existence of Dirac-harmonic maps from manifolds in the trivial index case. In particular, when the domain is a closed Riemann surface, we prove the short-time existence of the α -Dirac-harmonic map flow in the trivial index case. Together with the density of the minimal kernel, we get an existence result for Dirac-harmonic maps from closed Riemann surfaces to K¨ahler manifolds, which extends the previous result of the first and third authors. This establishes a general existence theory for Dirac-harmonic maps in the context of trivial index.


Based on the study on characteristics of vertical development and lateral distribution of Triassic in North China, and with the analysis of lithological characteristics, changes of strata thickness, strata contact relationships, as well as the research about the denuded thickness of strata, the influence of the Indosinian movement exerted on the sedimentation of North China during Triassic was analysed, and the original sedimentary pattern in North China during this period was studied and discussed. The research shows that there was a large-scale sedimentary basin inside the North China Plate during Early and Middle Triassic. It inherited the structural pattern and sedimentary characteristics of the Late Hercynian, and mottled sediments of fluvial-lacustrine facies developed. Beginning from the Late Triassic and caused by the Indosinian orogeny, the strata in the east of North China were uplifted and the Lower and Middle Triassic were denuded. In some areas, the Paleozoic was also denuded, and the intermountain basins were developed only in restricted areas. There still was a basin with sediments of fluvial-lacustrine facies under warm and humid climate in the southeast of North China, but its scale became smaller.


As a new type of composite structure,research on slab transverse temperature stress caused by sunshine temperature difference of the box-girder with corrugated steel webs is necessary for its structural particularity.An equivalent calculate method of transverse framework is put forward base on the equivalence of out-plane bending stiffness.Temperature self-restrained stress and inferior stress of the top roof is calculated under temperature gradient based on the existing design codes and then compared with the same type concrete box girder.The result shows that the box-girder with corrugated steel webs is less sensitive to temperature gradient;it has certain advantages to prevent longitudinal cracks on top roof of box girder.The conclusions of the paper offer reference for the design of the box-girder bridge with corrugated steel under transverse force.


1.
Extensive diamond mining occurs on land and in the sea on the west coasts of South Africa and Namibia, raising fears that diamond-mining activities may impact commercial rock-lobster fisheries and benthic communities. To explore this possibility, the effects of the diamond-mining fines-discharge on intertidal and subtidal rocky-shore communities and on the population structure of the rock lobster Jasus lalandii were assessed at Elizabeth Bay.

2.
Sampling over six years at sites covering a range of wave exposures compared impacted sites with comparable reference sites never exposed to the fines. Percentage cover and densities of benthic organisms were recorded on both intertidal and subtidal reefs. Rock-lobster abundance was estimated from counts and catch-per-unit-effort, and their length frequencies and sex ratios compared in impacted and reference areas.

3.
The deposition of fines had no effect at wave-exposed sites, but did impact intertidal and subtidal communities at sheltered localities where fines accumulated because wave action was insufficient to disperse them. Reductions of grazers, proliferation of algae and increased dominance by filter-feeders were recorded at the impacted sites and persisted throughout the monitoring programme. Differences in community structure associated with different levels of wave exposure were, however, greater than those produced by depositing fines. The detected effects of fines-deposits on the benthos were local and likely to be reversible after cessation of mining.

4.
The fines-deposit had no detectable effects on the sex-ratio, size or abundance of rock lobsters, indicating that there is no conflict between the deposition of fines and the fishery for rock lobsters, although substantial inter-site variability makes it difficult to regard the results as definitive.

Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Today, the link between concepts of education and diversity are far away in schools in Chile, and even more so in the country's educational policies, which only interests the concept of inclusion as a more segregating than inclusive concept. Three years after it was promulgated by President Michelle Bachelet, on Tuesday, March 1 of this year, the School Inclusion Law begins to be officially applied. Doubts, criticisms and marked differences persist from different sectors towards the new regulations that in principle intends to end the profit, selection and co-payment in subsidized private education establishments and not to the integration and inclusion of students with SEN as a focus principal.


In this work, the initiation and propagation behaviors of naturally initiated small crack in a polycrystalline Ni-base superalloy under the several kinds of thermos-mechanical fatigue (TMF) conditions. The effect of phase angle between temperature and strain cycles in TMF loading on the initiation and propagation behavior of small crack was discussed. The experimental results revealed that the initiation and propagation morphologies of fatigue small crack were affected on the phase angle; the crack initiation mode was changed from the intergranular mode to the transgranular mode with the increasing of the phase angle in this study. On the other hand, when the crack growth rates of naturally initiated small crack are correlated with fatigue J-integral range, the effect of the phase angle on the small crack growth rates became negligible even if the crack propagation mode depended on it.


Objective To investigate the role of Janus kinese 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2-STAT3) pathway in reduction of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury by sufentanil postconditioning in dogs.Methods Twenty-four healthy dogs of either sex,weighing 10-15 kg,were randomly divided into 4 groups (n =6 each):sham operation group (group S); I/R group; sufentanil postconditioning group (group PO) and sufentanil postconditioning + specific JAK2 inhibitor AG490 group (group AG).In groups I/R,PO and AG,myocardial I/R was produced by occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min followed by 120 min reperfusion.In groups PO and AG,sufentanil 0.6 μg/kg was infused intravenously over 5 min before reperfusion and in addition in group AG,AG490 1 mg/kg was injected intravenously before sufentanil infusion.Myocardial specimens were taken at the end of 120 min reperfusion for microscopic examination and determination of the expression of caspase-3 and p-STAT3 by immuno-histochemistry and myocardial cell apoptosis index (AI) by TUNEL.Results AI and the expression of caspase-3 and p-STAT3 were significantly higher in groups I/R,PO and AG than in group S ( P < 0.05).Compared with group I/R,AI and the expression of caspase-3 were significantly decreased in groups PO and AG,the expression of p-STAT3 was significantly increased in group PO,and the expression of p-STAT3 was significantly decreased in group AG ( P < 0.05).AI and the expression of caspase-3 were significantly higher and the expression of p-STAT3 was significantly lower in group AG than in group PO (P < 0.05).The pathologic changes were significantly attenuated in group PO compared with groups I/R and AG.Conclusion JAK2-STAT3 pathway is involved in reduction of myocardial I/R injury by sufentanil postconditioning in dogs.

Key words:
Janus kinase 2;  STAT3 transcription factor;  Sufentanil;  Myocardial reperfusion injury; Postconditioning


Thank you for having invited me to talk on the life and works of Raimon Panikkar. It is an honour and at the same time a challenge; for Panikkar is ad mittedly a daunting figure. His thought covers various disciplines, like phi losophy, religion, science, politics, etc. and geographical regions like Asia, Europe, America, and so on. It extends to various centuries of human thought, and tries to present them all in a synthetic manner often making use of neo logisms. The depth, extent and complexity of Panikkar's thought offers a chal lenge to anyone who intends to present it adequately to an audience. Hence, the scope of this talk is modest: it offers an introduction to Panikkar's intu itions, indicates some of its central aspects and signals the sources wherefrom the basic notions originate. Although interest in Panikkar has been steadily increasing, and his thought has been presented from various perspectives, it does not constitute a system. In his own words, it aims at an integration of reality, allowing no thing to be left aside. Hence the interest in 'collecting the leftovers' -in gath ering up the fragments-, that remain of human experience over millennia so that nothing be lost1. In order to do some justice to the multifarious nature of Panikkar's thought I shall be proposing an anthropological perspective. This for two reasons: first of all, it enables us to relate easily with his pattern of thought and second it would serve as an adequate introduction to most of the topics dealt with during the more than half a century of scholarship. Let me hence indicate the outline of this talk.


ABSTRACT A field trial was conducted to study the dissipation of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole on okra following application of Nativo (tebuconazole 50% + trifloxystrobin 25% WG) at 350 and 700 g ha−1. The estimation of trifloxystrobin and CGA 321113 residues was carried on gas–liquid chromatograph equipped with electron capture detector and that of tebuconazole on gas chromatograph–mass spectrometry. Average initial deposits of tebuconazole in okra were found to be 0.75 and 1.45 mg kg−1, whereas trifloxystrobin was found to be 0.28 and 0.61 mg kg−1 following the application of Nativo at 350 and 700 g ha−1, respectively. Residues of tebuconazole dissipated below limit of quantification of 0.05 mg kg−1 after 7 and 10 days and of trifloxystrobin after 5 days of last application at recommended and double of the recommended dosages, respectively. For risk assessment studies, theoretical maximum residue contributions (TMRC) were calculated and compared with maximum permissible intake (MPI). It was observed that TMRC values were below MPI in zero day samples at both recommended and double of the recommended dosages. Therefore, the waiting period of 1 day should be observed for safe consumption of okra treated with tebuconazole and trifloxystrobin.


Summary Objectives: The objective of our study was to find out whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be detected on ECGs recorded during sleep. Methods: We have analyzed 70 eight-hour single-channel ECG recordings taken at polysomnographia. The 70 data sets were annotated for definition of regular sleep and phases with sleep apnea. From the 70 data sets, 35 have been used as a learning set. Our analysis is based on spectral components of heart rate variability. Frequency analysis was performed using Fourier and wavelet transformation with appropriate application of the Hilbert transform. Classification is based on four frequency bands: ULF band (0-0.013 Hz), VLF band (0.013-0.0375 Hz), LF band (0.0375-0.06 Hz) and the HF band (0.17-0.28 Hz). Linear discriminant functions were applied using mainly spectral components derived from the records. Classification of cases was based on three variables. Results: For the Testing Set, a sensitivity (Se) for apnea of 92.3% at a specificity (Sp) of 94.6% was achieved. For the minutes allocation on the Learning Set Se was 90.8% at Sp 92.7%. Conclusion: ECG analysis is useful for the detection of sleep apnea and may help to differentiate causes of cardiac arrhythmias.


Hiroshi Yoshiba Integrated Manufacturing Technology Laboratory, Technology Development Center Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. Presented at the 14 International Coating Science and Technology Symposium, September 7-10, 2008, Marina del Rey, California Introduction Micro− and nano−sized particles are used in coatings for various applications. The properties of some coating films depend critically the features of the particulate microstructure, such as the packing, orientation and binder distribution. Unique functions are possible when monodisperse particles assemble into a crystalline packing or are distributed in a uniform packing. Currently, there are no efficient coating processes that can provide fine control of the microstructure of particulate coatings. Experiment In this research, we studied the effect of blade coating on the microstructure of coatings prepared from dispersions of monodisperse particles with diameter of 100 μm by experiment and numerical simulation. Results showed that the structure could be controlled by the gap, the content of water and the speed of the blade. In the case of gaps of 400 ~ 700μm, closed packed


Abstract This study aimed to analyze the accuracy of two methods for detecting halitosis, the organoleptic assessment by a trained professional (OA) with volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) measurement via Halimeter® (Interscan Corporation) and information obtained from a close person (ICP). Methodolody Participants were patients and companions who visited a university hospital over one year period to perform digestive endoscopy. A total of 138 participants were included in the VSC test, whose 115 were also included in the ICP test. ROC curves were constructed to establish the best VSC cut-off points. Results The prevalence of halitosis was 12% (95%CI: 7% to 18%) and 9% (95%CI 3% to 14%) for the OA and ICP, respectively. At the cut-off point >80 parts per billion (ppb) VSC, the prevalence of halitosis was 18% (95%CI: 12% to 25%). At the cut-off point >65 ppb VSC, sensitivity and specificity were 94% and 76%, respectively. At the cut-off point >140 ppb, sensitivity was 47% and specificity 96%. For the ICP, sensitivity was 14% and specificity 92%. Conclusions VSC presents high sensitivity at the cut-off point of >65 ppb and high specificity at the cut-off point of >140 ppb. ICP had high specificity, but low sensitivity. The OA can express either occasional or chronic bad breath, whereas the ICP can be a potential instrument to detect chronic halitosis.


OBJECTIVE:To study the antitumor effects of the combination of pingyangmycin(PYM) and monoclonal antibody(mAb)3G11 directed against type Ⅳ collagenase.METHODS: Immunoreactivity of mAb 3G11 to type Ⅳ collagenase and various tumor cells was determined by ELISA and the cytotoxicity of PYM and PYM plus 3G11 was examined by MTT assay.Antitumor effects in vivo were evaluated by using subcutaneously transplanted hepatoma 22 tumor model in mice.RESULTS: mAb 3G11 showed immunoreactivity to type Ⅳ collagenase,mouse hepatoma 22(H22) cells,human hepatoma HepG2 cells,and human prostatic carcinoma DU145 cells.As compared with free PYM,PYM plus 3G11 showed stronger cytotoxicity to these tumor cells.Synergetic effect was found at a certain dose range.When administered intravenously(iv×6,every other day),PYM(10 mg/kg) plus 3G11(60 mg/kg) inhibited the subcutaneous growth of hepatoma 22 in mice by 85.4%,whereas free PYM at 10 mg/kg and mAb 3G11 at 60 mg/kg used separately inhibited tumor growth by 70.0% and 49.6%,respectively.CONCLUSIONS: PYM in combination with mAb 3G11 shows much stronger antitumor effects than equivalent doses of free PYM or mAb 3G11.The combination might be potentially useful in cancer therapy.


We investigate the behavior of the solutions of a mixed problem for the Laplace equation in a domain Ω. On a part of the boundary ∂Ω, we consider a Neumann condition, whereas in another part, we consider a nonlinear Robin condition, which depends on a positive parameter δ in such a way that for δ = 0 it degenerates into a Neumann condition. For δ small and positive, we prove that the boundary value problem has a solution u(δ,·). We describe what happens to u(δ,·) as δ→0 by means of representation formulas in terms of real analytic maps. Then, we confine ourselves to the linear case, and we compute explicitly the power series expansion of the solution.


In the present study, we aimed to investigate the neuromodulatory role played by hypothalamic brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the regulation of acute cardiovascular and feeding responses to melanocortin‐4 receptor (MC4R) activation. In vitro, a selective MC4R agonist, MK1, stimulated BDNF release from isolated rat hypothalami and this effect was blocked by preincubation with the MC3/4R antagonist SHU‐9119. In vivo, peripheral administration of MK1 decreased food intake in rats and this effect was blocked by pretreatment with an anti‐BDNF antibody administered into the third ventricle. When anorexia was induced with the cannabinoid‐1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist AM251, the anti‐BDNF antibody did not prevent the reduction in food intake. Peripheral administration of MK1 also increased mean arterial pressure, heart rate and body temperature. These effects were prevented by pretreatment with the anti‐BDNF antibody whereas the intracerebroventricular administration of BDNF caused changes similar to those of MK1. These findings demonstrate for the first time that activation of MC4R leads to an acute release of BDNF in the hypothalamus. This release is a prerequisite for MC4R‐induced effects on appetite, body temperature and cardiovascular function. By contrast, CB1R antagonist‐mediated anorexia is independent of the MC4R/BDNF pathway. Overall, these results show that BDNF is an important downstream mediator of the MC4R pathway.


This chapter studies Toronto's attendant services. In attendant services, workers had considerable labor market security through relatively high wages, benefits, and job protection. Managers did not willingly support workers' security but rather the union pushed them to do so. This security coincided with limited flexibility at the labor market level in that consumers had little influence over which attendant helped them on a given shift. Nevertheless, attendants and consumers alike gave many examples of bargaining for flexibility and security at the intimate level. Interviews with consumers, attendants, union activists, disability activists, and employers support the claim that, overall, attendant services included a process of collective negotiation marked by representative and participatory democracy for both groups and an outcome of compromises.


The history, present status, future potential, and philosophical implications of the bootstrap approach. to particle physics are discussed in a wide-ranging conversation with its originator and main advocate, Geoffrey Chew.


Dr. A. DE KLEJN : " It must be remembered that in the condition described the whole central nervous system may be involved in the tumour formation. In another case of von Recklinghausen's disease the patient came into the neurological clinic deaf and blind, and with symptoms due to lesions in the medulla oblongata. An X-ray examination of the skull was made, and showed no typical disturbances. In that case no skiagrams were taken of the petrous bone. At the post-mortem examination two large acoustic tumours were found. In all cases of central nerve deafness skiagrams should be taken, not only of the whole skull, but also—and especially—of the petrous bone."


A data accuracy oriented method was developed in this study to deploy fixed and mobile traffic sensors. Two approaches: a multi-objective optimal method and a simulation method, for optimizing the location and the number of single-type sensors were first introduced. Several schemes of combing the fixed and mobile sensors along a freeway in terms of sensor number and data accuracy were then analyzed. By adopting the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of segment average speed as a criterion to evaluate these combination schemes, the optimal multi-type sensor combination scheme was determined. An illustrative example on a freeway section of State Route 78 was given to clarify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results indicated that the proposed method is effective and also feasible in solving multi-sensor combination problem; sensors can be arranged in an optimized manner to avoid redundancy by the proposed method. The result also indicated that the combination of fixed and mobile sensors is superior to deploying single type sensor along a freeway.


Asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways with underlying inflammation and oxidative stress. Malondialdehyde (MDA) - the lipid peroxidation product- level increases in inflammatory diseases and used as a common oxidative stress marker. Albumin and bilirubin are components of antioxidant defense system. The aim of this study are, Evaluating oxidative stress as a component of asthma process by measuring MDA (as an oxidative marker), albumin and bilirubin (as biomarkers of antioxidant defense system) in asthmatic patients. Thirty seven asthmatic patients (20


Recent advances in epithelial ovarian cancer research have led to a shift in treatment strategy from the traditional 'organ-centric' to a personalized tumor biology-based approach. Nevertheless, we are still far behind an individualized approach for cytoreductive surgery in advanced ovarian cancer; the gold standard of primary treatment in combination with systemic agents. The impact of tumor biology on treatment sequence is still understudied. It is obvious, that response to platinum-based therapy is crucial for the success of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. While high-grade serous and endometrioid tumors are commonly characterized by an excellent response, other subtypes are considered poor responders or even resistant to platinum. Undoubtedly, neoadjuvant chemotherapy may filter poor responders, but to date, we still do not have appropriate alternatives to platinum-based chemotherapy in the neoadjuvant and first-line setting and 'adjusting' systemic treatment in cases of poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy remains elusive. Primary cytoreduction is still considered the gold standard for fit patients with operable tumor dissemination patterns, especially for those ovarian cancer subtypes that show poor response to platinum. Of note, even in high-grade serous ovarian cancer, approximately 20% of tumors are platinum resistant and the benefit of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in this subgroup is limited. Interestingly, these tumors are associated with the mesenchymal molecular subtype, which in turn correlates with high risk for residual disease after cytoreductive surgery and is characterized by the worst survival outcome among high-grade ovarian cancers. This leads to the question, how to best tailor surgical radicality at the onset of patients' presentation to avoid associated morbidity and with a moderate benefit. Here, we give an overview of recent advances of interaction between tumor biology and surgery in ovarian cancer.


We discuss several open problems in Diophantine approximation. Among them there are famous Littlewood's and Zaremba's conjectures as well as some new and not so famous problems.


Objective To analyze registered features of patients with active tuberculosis in Tianshan District of Urumqi during 2009—2013, to provide basis for improving tuberculosis management and propose scientific and effective control measures. Methods Relevant data from various reports on tuberculosis control projects, registration books and tuberculosis management system were analyzed. Results Out of the registered 1 595 cases with active tuberculosis patients, 679 cases were smear-positive patients, accounting for 42.57%. The cases were more in the male than in the female, and mainly concentrated on the age group of 20 to 30 years old. Cases of Han nationality accounted for 43.39% and 56.61% were minority, with the dominance of Uygur patients. Conclusions Control and prevention of tuberculosis should be reinforced and focused on the key groups.


Objective To determine whether JNK signaling pathway is involved in high glucose(HG)-induced proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts(CFs) in rats.Methods Rat CFs were cultured in DMEM(NG: 5.5 mmol/L D-glucose;HG: 12,18,25 mmol/L D-glucose;OSM: 5.5 mmol/L D-glucose + 19.5 mmol/L mannitol) for indicated time periods(0,12,24,48 h).Meanwhile,rat CFs were cultured in DMEM(25 mmol/L D-glucose) with SP600125(10,20 μmol/L),a JNK inhibitor,for 48 h.Proliferation was measured by MTT.The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),total JNK and phosphorylation of JNK were detected by Western blot.C-JUN mRNA expression was assessed by RT-PCR.Results Treatment of CFs with HG significantly increased phosphorylation of JNK in time-and glucose concentration-dependent manner.Compared with NG group,exposure of CFs to HG(25 mmol/L) significantly promoted the proliferation of CFs(0.44±0.02 vs 0.31±0.02,P0.01),and upregulated C-JUN mRNA expression and PCNA levels.SP600125 significantly suppressed HG-induced the proliferation of CFs and the activity of JNK in a dose-dependent manner.Conclusion HG stimulates the proliferation of CFs partially through JNK pathway activation.


To explore the intentions of Australian emergency nurses to remain in or leave emergency nursing after the first year of the SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) pandemic.


The coaxial powder feeding system of laser rapid shaping is designed in order to finish the FGM manufacturing by laser.In the system,pneumatic dispatch of negative pressure is adopted,feeding powers of real-time changing proportion and coaxial ejecting are realized to produce metal FGM.Feeding powers of real-time changing proportion,powder uniform mixing and coaxial ejecting are studied,formulas for real-time distribution of powder are deduced and the experiments are made.The results show that the powder feeding of the system is stable and uniform,and convergence of the nozzle is good.


Xinmin Society was an influential,progressive league of youths,which was established by Mao Zedong and other men in the period of May 4~(th) Movement.It had passed on the contemporary youths a plenty of spiritual wealth as following: innovating with keen determination in the new environment;not following the beaten track,exploring in the knowledge;sticking to the doctrine of seeking the truth;emphasizing the practices;restraining oneself and cultivating one's moral character.Its important enlightenment to the contemporary young men are:bearing in mind the consciousness of serving the country as one's own duties;raising the consciousness of the mission and responsibility of contributing to the country;reinforcing the consciousness of reform and opening-up on ground of the country but with an eye to the world;developing the spirit of working hard and exploring fearlessly;Forming a good habit of doing more practical things with less empty talk.