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4,509,700 | at the surface of the native starch granules and present a model to explain the existing processes. | 249433621 |
4,509,701 | Strengthening the Effectiveness of National, State, and Local Efforts to Improve HPV Vaccination Coverage in the United States: Recommendations From the National Vaccine Advisory Committee In February 2018, recognizing the suboptimal rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in the United States, the assistant secretary for health of the US Department of Health and Human Services charged the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) with providing recommendations on how to strengthen the effectiveness of national, state, and local efforts to improve HPV vaccination coverage rates. In the same month, the NVAC established the HPV Vaccination Implementation Working Group and assigned it to develop these recommendations. The working group sought advice from federal and nonfederal partners. This NVAC report recommends ways to improve HPV vaccination coverage rates by focusing on 4 areas of activity: (1) identifying additional national partners, (2) guiding coalition building for states, (3) engaging integrated health care delivery networks, and (4) addressing provider needs in rural areas. | 51952171 |
4,509,702 | Multilayer dielectric elastomer actuators with ion implanted electrodes We present the design, fabrication process and characterization of multilayer miniaturized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based dielectric elastomer diaphragm actuators. The conductive stretchable electrodes are obtained by lowenergy metal ion implantation. To increase force, decrease the required voltage, and avoid dielectric breakdown, we present here a technique to fabricate multilayer devices with embedded electrodes with complex shapes. By implanting electrodes on a partially cured PDMS film, then casting on it the next layer of PDMS, it is possible to have the compliant electrodes "molded" inside PDMS. Using custom shadow masks allows defining electrodes of any shape or size, we report sizes down to 0.1 mm. The minimal distance between independent electrodes inside the PDMS is limited solely by the breakdown voltage of PDMS and can be also as small as 0.1 mm. Using this approach, we have fabricated miniature compact devices consisting of several independent dielectric elastomer actuators on a single PDMS film. Applying different voltages to the separate actuators allows to achieve complicated movements of the whole device, e.g. to act as a 3-DOF parallel manipulator. A distinctive feature of the multi-layer actuators is that they attain similar strain with lower voltage than the single-layer actuators of the same thickness. We report on a 3 mm diameter 2-axis beam steering device combining three actuators. | 16676771 |
4,509,703 | Recursive optical flow estimation-adaptive filtering approach This paper presents a new approach towards the problem of recursive optical flow estimation from image sequences based on the differential framework proposed by Horn and Schunck (1981). We show that gain is achieved both from computational and accuracy points of view when treating the estimation task recursively. Incorporation of the temporal axis into the estimation process is done by combining a temporal smoothness assumption on the optical flow. RLS and LMS recursive optical flow estimation algorithms are derived and tested. | 120319521 |
4,509,704 | Unusual differential diagnosis of a swollen toe. We describe a 49-year-old woman presenting with a swollen toe. After a surgeon recommended amputation, further investigations resulted in the diagnosis of lymphocytoma cutis as a manifestation of Lyme disease at an unusual site. Although the distribution of cutaneous manifestations in Lyme disease varies geographically, rheumatologists should be familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease in all its forms. | 27129721 |
4,509,705 | Large group teaching and technology – don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. The Information Age brings to the teaching and learning environment new capabilities, new opportunities, new language, new work - and skills requirements, new roles and last but not least, a new generation of learners. Teaching in the information age requires that you apply and use technology in an attempt to accommodate these new requirements. Gone are the days that you only talk-and-chalk or flip slides on the overhead projector. But, beware of teaching with all the bells-and-whistles and failing to facilitate real learning. In this presentation I would like to share my experiences of teaching large, culturally diverse groups using technology but sticking to the sound principles of teaching and learning. | 110401671 |
4,509,706 | Bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis: progress studies of lung function after cessation of exposure to the provoking antigen. Lung function and immunologic studies have been performed in 9 patients with bird breeder's hypersensitivity pneumonitis at the time of diagnosis and at intervals from 8 to 30 months after they ceased exposure to the provoking antigen. All 9 patients had evidence of small airway obstruction at the time of diagnosis. Complete recovery of lung function occurred in 4 patients. The other 5 all had evidence of interstitial damage; 3 of them had progressive increase in the degree of airway obstruction, and one had progressive loss of elastic recoil. The patients were nonsmokers, and these progressive changes could not be explained by occult exposure to antigen because the tests of immunologic sensitivity to relevant avian antigens became negative. Neither the nature or degree of lung function abnormality nor the form of clinical presentation was related to the development of residual damage. The period of exposure to antigen after symptoms developed and the age of the patient appeared to be the most important factors determining recovery of lung function. | 25067521 |
4,509,707 | Bacterial Calcium Transport: Energy-Dependent Calcium Uptake by Membrane Vesicles from Bacillus megaterium Membrane vesicles capable of energy-dependent calcium uptake have been prepared from Bacillus megaterium cells in log-phase growth or when undergoing sporulation. The uptake is dependent on the calcium concentration and appears saturable in vesicles from cells in log-phase growth. Both ascorbate and phenazine methosulfate are needed as a source of electrons for the energy-dependent increase in calcium uptake. Addition of 8 mM sodium cyanide inhibited the energy-dependent uptake. If this calcium uptake mechanism is a component of the sporulation-specific calcium accumulation process, the latter's functional expression would appear to be inhibited during log-phase growth. | 34994071 |
4,509,708 | Synthesis of thin diamond films on Si substrate by the means of near surface glow discharge CVD In this paper, nanocrystalline diamond films had been synthesized by near surface glow discharge chemical vapor deposition on single-crystalline (100) silicon substrates when methane and hydrogen acted as input gases. The characters of the diamond films had been identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman Spectrum and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The analytic results show that the high quality nanocrystalline diamond film of (111) orientation had been deposited on single-crystalline (100) silicon substrate at temperature of approximately 850°C. Simultaneously, the studies of the influence of gas pressure and CH4 concentration in feeding gas on the diamond growth were made. | 137531221 |
4,509,709 | Natural history of TCDD-induced liver lesions in rats as observed by transmission electron microscopy during a 32-week period after a single intraperitoneal injection. Forty-two male rats were injected with a single intraperitoneal dose of TCDD in acetone and corn oil and sacrificed after 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, and 32 weeks, to study the long-term effects of a single injection. The liver lesions become progressively worse up to the 16th week and appear thereafter to slowly regress. | 33654471 |
4,509,710 | Gold Nanoparticle Based Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Spectroscopy of Cancerous and Normal Nasopharyngeal Tissues under Near-Infrared Laser Excitation The capabilities of using gold nanoparticle based near-infrared surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to obtain biochemical information with high spatial resolution from human nasopharyngeal tissue were presented in this paper. The gold nanoparticles used have a mean diameter of 43 nm with a standard deviation of 6 nm. The SERS bands of nasopharyngeal tissue were assigned to known molecular vibrations of nucleic acids, amino acids, proteins, and metabolites. We also observed the blinking phenomenon at the tissue level when measuring the nasopharyngeal tissue SERS spectra, most frequently in signal intensity but also occasionally in peak positions. This phenomenon is excitation light intensity dependent. This work demonstrated great potential for using SERS imaging for distinguishing cancerous and normal nasopharyngeal tissues on frozen sections without using any dye labeling or other chemical species as functionalized binding sites. | 34605371 |
4,509,711 | Nitric Oxide Agents and Apomorphine-Induced Rat Behaviors Background: Nitric oxide (NO) may alter dopamine release in the brain. Activation of D2-dopamine receptors may suppress NO synthase, and inhibition of NO synthase prevents behaviors induced by psychostimulants. We have investigated the modulatory actions of the precursor of NO synthesis (L-arginine) and the broad-spectrum NO synthesis inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on apomorphine-induced behaviors in the rat. Methods: Apomorphine was injected subcutaneously, and behaviors induced by the drug were examined in the presence or absence of intracerebroventricular administration of L-arginine and L-NAME. Results: Our data indicate that L-arginine or L-NAME treatment decreased licking and yawning, but not penile erection induced by apomorphine. Conclusion: Apomorphine-induced behaviors may be modulated by NO levels. | 30208421 |
4,509,712 | Alcohol and drug use among gang members: experiences of adolescents who attend school. BACKGROUND Problems related to gangs have been noted in large cities and in many schools across the United States. This study examined the patterns of alcohol, drug use, and related exposures among male and female high school students who were gang members. METHODS Analyses were based on the Youth Violence Survey, conducted in 2004, and administered to over 80% of eligible public school students in grades 7, 9, 11, and 12 (N = 4131) in a high-risk, urban school district. The self-administered survey, completed during a class period, included measures of alcohol and drug use and related exposures. Tests of associations were determined using chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS In this study, 8.8% of students reported gang membership. Students who initiated alcohol use prior to age 13 (OR = 4.90; 95% CI: 3.65-6.58), who drank alcohol 3 or more times per week (OR = 9.57; 95% CI: 6.09-15.03) and who used drugs 3 or more times per week (OR = 6.51; 95% CI: 4.59-9.25) were more likely to report gang membership than students who did not report alcohol or drug use. Boys were more likely than girls to report alcohol-related fighting and drug selling. DISCUSSION Gang members were significantly more likely than non-gang members to have initiated alcohol early, to have reported a high prevalence of alcohol use, to have engaged in alcohol-related physical fighting, peer drinking, drug use, drug selling, peer drug selling, and having seen drug deals in their | 9213371 |
4,509,713 | neighborhood. Schools may serve as a critically important source for intervention and prevention efforts for gang members, especially those in 7th grade, who still attend school. | 9213371 |
4,509,714 | Social Context and Music Learning he effect of social context on learning has become an issue of growing importance in education. Social context influences how teachers teach and how children learn. Cogni tive psychologists have shown that children spontaneously develop particular informal concepts outside of school that can often be related to academic knowledge obtained in school. This informal knowledge can serve as a scaffold or underpinning for what is taught in school (Vygotsky, 1978). Rogoff and Lave (1984) also believe that people are able to transfer existing knowledge, learned in informal (nonschool) settings, to formal school settings. | 142760621 |
4,509,715 | Electrochemical quartz crystal impedance study of redox hydrogel mediators for amperometric enzyme electrodes. Quartz crystal impedance around the resonant frequency at 10 MHz of a composite quartz crystal resonator has been studied simultaneously with cyclic voltammetry. A modified quartz crystal with a redox hydrogel (poly(allylamine)-ferrocene cross-linked with glucose oxidase) and immersed in liquid electrolyte was used. Impedance parameters (R(f) and X(L)((f))) of the surface redox gel film were obtained by fitting the resonator transfer function |V(o)/V(i)| vs ω to a BVD equivalent circuit and analyzed with the multiple nonpiezoelectric layer model of Martin. Two limiting hydrogel layers of the same composition were studied while oxidizing and reducing the ferrocene/ferricenium moieties attached to the swollen polymer backbone: thin and thick redox hydrogel films. For the thin films, the Sauerbrey approximation was valid. The mass/thickness and film viscosity changes that resulted from the anion and water exchange were evaluated while redox switching the polymer on the assumption of negligible storage modulus G' and a density of 1. For thick gel layers, on the other hand, the penetration depth of the acoustic wave was far less than the film thickness, and a liquid-like behavior was apparent. Film storage modulus and film loss modulus were simultaneously evaluated with the cyclic voltammetry. | 24073371 |
4,509,716 | Field-dependent tilt and birefringence of electroclinic liquid crystals: theory and experiment. An unresolved issue in the theory of liquid crystals is the molecular basis of the electroclinic effect in the smectic-A phase. Recent x-ray scattering experiments suggest that, in a class of siloxane-containing liquid crystals, an electric field changes a state of disordered molecular tilt in random directions into a state of ordered tilt in one direction. To investigate this issue, we measure the optical tilt and birefringence of these liquid crystals as functions of field and temperature, and we develop a theory for the distribution of molecular orientations under a field. A comparison of theory and experiment confirms that these materials have a disordered distribution of molecular tilt directions that is aligned by an electric field, giving a large electroclinic effect. It also shows that the effective dipole moment, a key parameter in the theory, scales as a power law near the smectic-A--smectic-C transition. | 15848371 |
4,509,717 | Examining Acoustic and Kinematic Measures of Articulatory Working Space: Effects of Speech Intensity. Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of speech intensity on acoustic and kinematic vowel space measures and conduct a preliminary examination of the relationship between kinematic and acoustic vowel space metrics calculated from continuously sampled lingual marker and formant traces. Method Young adult speakers produced 3 repetitions of 2 different sentences at 3 different loudness levels. Lingual kinematic and acoustic signals were collected and analyzed. Acoustic and kinematic variants of several vowel space metrics were calculated from the formant frequencies and the position of 2 lingual markers. Traditional metrics included triangular vowel space area and the vowel articulation index. Acoustic and kinematic variants of sentence-level metrics based on the articulatory-acoustic vowel space and the vowel space hull area were also calculated. Results Both acoustic and kinematic variants of the sentence-level metrics significantly increased with an increase in loudness, whereas no statistically significant differences in traditional vowel-point metrics were observed for either the kinematic or acoustic variants across the 3 loudness conditions. In addition, moderate-to-strong relationships between the acoustic and kinematic variants of the sentence-level vowel space metrics were observed for the majority of participants. Conclusions These data suggest that both kinematic and acoustic vowel space metrics that reflect the dynamic contributions of both consonant and vowel segments are sensitive to within-speaker changes in articulation associated with manipulations of speech intensity. | 14027371 |
4,509,718 | Engineering Shapes and Sizes of Molecular Crystals to Achieve Versatile Photomechanical Behaviors. Photomechanical molecular crystals, which can directly convert light energy to mechanical energy and do mechanical work at different scales, are promising for future photoactuators. However, one of the bottlenecks in this area is how to harness the crystal shapes and sizes to achieve desired photomechanical motions and behaviors for versatile functionalities. To date, numerous techniques and strategies have been explored and developed to overcome this obstacle. In this perspective, we will summarize the progress recently made on the crystal shape and size engineering platform. Then we briefly touch on possible applications of photomechanical molecular crystals by introducing some built photoresponsive implementations. Finally, we will identify some fundamental challenges and suggestions for future applications. | 248101121 |
4,509,719 | BRANCHED POLYESTERS FROM GERMYLATED AND FATTY COMPOUNDS Here we report the synthesis of news branched polyesters derived from the trans-esterification reactions at moderate temperatures (140-190°C), either from polyglycols with different molecular weights and monomers such as germylated fatty tri-esters, or from dimethyl terephtalate and germylated fatty tri-alcohol. The structure of the resulting polymers was determined by elemental analysis, FTIR, and 13 C CP MAS NMR, and their thermal properties by thermogravimetry analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. 13 C CP MAS NMR analysis indicates that the characteristic signals due to the methoxy groups of the germylated fatty tri-ester and the C H 2 OH group of germylated fatty tri-alcohol completely disappeared. This suggests that the trans-esterification process reached a nearly complete conversion. All germylated branched polyesters are insoluble in classic organic solvents due to their polydimensional structure. Thermal properties of these new materials showed that they do not present any cristallinity phase, and undergo thermal decomposition above 300°C. | 45004571 |
4,509,720 | Conjunctival Kaposi's sarcoma in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. A patient with confirmed acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma was seen in the Eye Clinic, Kenyatta National Hospital, and was found to have involvement of the conjunctiva and lids, confirmed by biopsy. He also had retinal haemorrhages and cotton-wool spots. Kaposi's sarcoma of the conjunctiva may be confused with a subconjunctival haemorrhage. | 19044021 |
4,509,721 | PREDICTION OF YOUTH DEPRESSION RISK CLUSTERS IN THAILAND DURING COVID-19 Youth depression is a silent threat threatening students around the world. Therefore, the purpose of the research was (1) to cluster students' risk of adolescent depression during COVID-19 and (2) to compare the predictive cluster to the standard depression rating scale. The samples used in the analysis were 687 samples from three institutions with two levels of education. It was 470 samples (68.41%) from Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University (RMU) at the university level, 33 samples (4.80%) from Mahasarakham University (MSU) at the university level, and 184 samples (26.78%) from Phadungnaree School (PS) at the high school level. The research tool is a data mining analysis technique. It consists of k-Means clustering and k-Determination. The results of the data mining analysis showed that the cluster analyzed by data mining was a little dissimilar from the normal process. It discovered that there were 120 different data samples (17.47%). Therefore, it can be concluded that the models studied by the researchers are consistent with the 5th Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Dsm5). For future work, the researchers aim to develop forecasting prototypes and develop mobile applications to facilitate further work. | 246372921 |
4,509,722 | Wide range of disease onset in a family with Alzheimer disease and a His163Tyr mutation in the presenilin-1 gene. OBJECTIVES To describe clinical and genealogical data of a Swedish family with a His163Tyr mutation in the presenilin-1 gene (PS1) and to study the Alzheimer disease (AD) penetrance in this family. DESIGN Interviews with relatives, studies of medical records, analysis of pedigree, physician examination of the affected individuals, and comparison with other families affected by AD with PS1 mutations. SETTING Large university-affiliated hospital. PATIENTS AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS Individuals with a His163Tyr mutation in PS1 and their relatives. RESULTS A study of this family with a history of very early AD onset (mean age, 47 years) has been previously published, but an investigation of the extended family revealed a new pattern of onset, with a mean age at onset of 54 years (range, 44-65 years). In general, families with AD show a tight cluster of age at onset with high penetrance of the disease. However, in this family, an individual whose child carries the PS1 mutation died at age 67 years free from cognitive symptoms, indicating a very late age at onset or nonpenetration of the disease. No association between age at onset and disease duration was found. Furthermore, the disease duration did not differ between those having an early onset compared with those having a late onset. The earliest clinical manifestations were deficits in memory function and disorientation in time and place. Myoclonic jerks and epileptic seizures were common symptoms later in the disease. CONCLUSION The large | 28905371 |
4,509,723 | range in age at onset in this family with a uniform genetic basis for the disease, a His163Tyr mutation in PS1, supports the existence of other unknown genetic or environmental factors of importance for the expression of the AD phenotype. | 28905371 |
4,509,724 | Management of newly diagnosed transplant ineligible multiple myeloma Abstract Multiple myeloma (MM) is a chronically managed blood cancer with a median age of 69 years at the time of diagnosis. Although high dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) remains a standard of care for eligible patients, more than half of the newly diagnosed MM patients are deemed ineligible due to comorbidities or complications of the disease by itself. In this setting, where ASCT is deemed inappropriate, patients could still achieve durable and deep responses if given the appropriate treatment plan. The key concepts of optimizing induction and maintenance strategies while minimizing side-effects are discussed in this review, especially in the context of employing novel agent combinations. It is important to understand the balance between safety and efficacy for each regimen, utilizing maintenance strategy and the best supportive care measures (bone health, infection prevention, and treatment, pain management, etc.). Here, we examine the evidence behind each of those principles and review results from clinical trials for transplant-ineligible (TI) MM. | 220370571 |
4,509,725 | Impedance Matched Compact ZIGZAG Multiband Inverted-F Antenna for WI-FI, Mobile Wimax, Bluetooth and WLAN Operations in Portable Devices Multiband loaded inverted-F antennas suitable to be applied in a portable device as an internal antenna having high gain property for mobile WiMAX , Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and WLAN operations are presented. Numerical simulation is carried out using method of moments in Numerical Electromagnetic Code (NEC-2). The proposed dual inverted-F antenna is suitable for 3.5/5 GHz and compact triple band inverted-F antenna is for 2.4/3.5/5.2 GHz operations. Total areas occupied by the antennas are 24mm×37mm and 29mm×37mm in case of dual IFA and triple IFA respectively. The antennas contain an incredibly high peak gain of 7.72 dBi at 5 GHz band and the gain variations at all frequency bands are less than 1 dBi . In addition, the antennas have satisfactory radiation characteristics at all the frequency bands. Due to compact area occupied, the proposed antennas are promising to be embedded within the different portable devices. | 62603671 |
4,509,726 | An integrated modelling environment for the computer-based embodiment of engineering systems with standard components Abstract In today's competitive global manufacturing industries, standard components play an important role in the commercial success of any product or machine system. The consideration of standard components during the early stages of the new product introduction process is therefore particularly important. However, the ability of the designer to explore different configurations and combinations of standard components is severely frustrated by the analytically intensive and time-consuming aspects of not only embodying a concept but also dealing with standard components and their associated mechanisms for design and selection. This paper presents the application of an integrated modelling environment for the computer-based embodiment of a machine system. The role of such an approach in the design process is discussed and the elements of the modelling environment are summarized. The processes of constructing and embodying a machine system are described and an industrial case study is presented. This case study is used to demonstrate the capabilities and potential of the new approach for supporting the embodiment and evaluation of alternative system configurations. | 109518321 |
4,509,727 | PREDICTION OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON CONTENT BY SPECTROSCOPY AT EUROPEAN SCALE USING A LOCAL PARTIAL LEAST SQUARE REGRESSION APPROACH Due to the large spatial variation of soil organic carbon (SOC) content, assessing the current state of SOC for large areas is costly and time consuming. Visible and Near Infrared Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (Vis-NIR DRS) is a fast and cheap tool for measuring SOC based on empirical equations and spectral libraries. While the approach has been demonstrated to yield accurate predictions for databases containing samples belonging to soils with similar characteristics such as mineralogy, texture, iron and CaCO3 content, spectroscopic calibrations have been less successful when applied to large and diverse soil spectral libraries. About 20,000 samples collected all over the European Union were analyzed for physical and chemical properties, and scanned with a Vis-NIR spectrometer in a single laboratory. We implemented a modified local partial least square regression approach that, in addition to the spectra, uses other soil covariates (geographical coordinates, texture) for predicting the SOC content. The results showed good prediction ability for mineral soils under cropland (RMSE = 3.6 g C kg) and grassland (RMSE = 7.2 g C kg). Predictions of mineral soils under woodland (RMSE = 11.9 g C kg) and organic soils (RMSE= 51.1 g C kg ) were less accurate. The best results were obtained when sand content was used as covariate. | 40899771 |
4,509,728 | Velopharyngeal Closure Pattern Exerted by Contraction of the Pharyngeal Constrictor Muscle in Dogs Objective: This study was performed to investigate aspects of velopharyngeal closure demonstrated by movements of the parapharyngeal wall under various physiological conditions and especially the stimulation of several intrapneumonal receptors. Materials and Methods: Fifteen mongrel dogs were anesthetized and a nasopharyngeal fiberscope was inserted from the oronasal fistula at the center of the hard palate, with the tip fixed around the choana. Mechanical and chemical stimulation was applied, and ongoing velopharyngeal movements were observed. In each case examined, the muscle nerve located under the bilateral levator veli palatini (LVP) was severed. Results: Two different closure patterns were recognized between rebreathing and deglutition. Chemical stimulation of the pulmonary irritant receptor and type-J receptor induced a sphincteric tight closure of the velopharynx but only a weak inward movement of the lateral pharyngeal wall at lung inflation. Conclusion: The movements of the parapharyngeal wall, mainly represented by the pharyngeal constrictor muscle’s contraction, are facilitated as a sphincteric velopharyngeal closure under reflexive movements such as deglutition or gagging. | 208151171 |
4,509,729 | Taxation and Dividend Policy: The Muting Effect of Agency Issues and Shareholder Conflicts Using proprietary data on the entire spectrum of ownership structure and exact tax status of investors and firms, we examine how dividend taxation affects payout. Utilizing an exogenous shock to dividend taxation, we show that absent any frictions, dividend taxation has a large impact on payout. As agency issues and shareholder conflicts increase, owners’ tax preferences have significantly smaller impact on payout. Three mechanisms reduce the dividend-tax sensitivity: Coordination among owners, heterogeneity in tax preferences, and diverging objectives between managers and owners. Altogether, taxation has a first-order impact on payout, but agency issues and shareholder conflicts mute its impact substantially.Received June 20, 2016; editorial decision January 24, 2017 by Editor Francesca Cornelli. | 18020621 |
4,509,730 | Transcription profile analysis reveals that OBP-1F mRNA is downregulated in the olfactory mucosa following food deprivation. Neuroanatomical data show that olfactory mucosa (OM) is a possible place for interactions between nutrition and smell. A combination of differential display mRNA analysis together with a macroarray screening was developed to identify transcripts that are differentially expressed in rat OM following food deprivation. Using this method, backed on a stringent statistical analysis, we identified molecules that fell into several Gene Ontology terms including cellular and physiological process, signal transduction, and binding. Among the 15 most differentially expressed molecules, only one was upregulated, but 14 were downregulated in the fasted state among which was, unexpectedly, odorant-binding protein 1F (OBP-1F). Because of its potential relevance to olfactory physiology, we focused our further analysis on OBP-1F using in situ hybridization, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis. OBP-1F was highlighted in the lateral nasal glands, but its expression (mRNA and protein) did not change following food deprivation. Only the minor fraction of OBP-1F mRNA expressed by the OM itself was downregulated following 48 h fasting. Altogether, our results suggest that the fine transcriptional control of OBP-1F in the OM following food deprivation could be efficient only at the local level, close to its site of secretion to participate in the perireceptor events of the olfactory signal reception. | 14090621 |
4,509,731 | Variability of the subtropical highs, African easterly jet and easterly wave intensities over North Africa and Arabian Peninsula in late summer The North African climate is analysed for August during a 32‐year period using the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) global data set to investigate the intensity variability at 600 mb of the subtropical highs, Africa easterly jet (AEJ) with two embedded local wind maxima, and African easterly waves over North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The variability of these synoptic weather systems is higher in East Africa. The most noticeable variability of intensity occurred with easterly waves. Maintenance of easterly waves from the Arabian Peninsula into East Africa is dependent on strong zonal gradients from the AEJ through shear vorticity. These zonal gradients were induced by the strengthening of the subtropical highs and the presence of a westerly jet in Central Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. During positive ENSO periods, these systems are generally weaker while in negative periods are stronger. The focus of this research is to investigate the role of the Arabian High and eastern local wind maximum (LWME) on complementing the Saharan High and western local wind maximum (LWMW). It is found that an intense local wind maximum in East Africa helps maintain the easterly waves and their westward propagation from the Arabian Peninsula. | 128938521 |
4,509,732 | [Utilization and management of Trichiurus japonicus resources in East China Sea based on Beverton-Holt model]. In this paper, the population structure of Trichiurus japonicus in East China Sea was analyzed based on the data of its age composition and anus length in 2002-2004, and the rational utilization of T. japonicus resources in the Sea was approached by using the catch (in mass) per recruit theory of Beverton-Holt model. The results revealed that: (1) there was a miniaturization trend of the T. japonicus population in East China Sea. The range of age composition changed from 0-6 year in the late 1950's to 0-4 year in the early 21st century, and the population was dominated by the group of 0-1 year now. The percentage of 2-year old T. japonicus decreased from 12.84% in the late 1950s' to 6.91% in the early 21st century, and that of 3-year old T. japonicus decreased from 4.92% in the late 1950s' to 0.57% in the early 21st century; (2) the exploitation rate of T. japonicus in the period of 2000-2003 was 0.864, which was beyond of the optimum exploitation rate of 0.51, suggesting that the T. japonicus in East China Sea was under over-fishing; and (3) to enhance the age value at first capture (t(c)) was the best measure of increasing the catch (in mass) per recruit of T. japonicus. The age at recruitment (t(r)) and the t(c) of T. japonicus in East China Sea was 0. 25 and 0.5 at present, respectively. If the t(c) changed from 0.5 to 1, the | 36464971 |
4,509,733 | unit catch would be increased by 55.38%, and if the t(c) changed to 1.5, 2 or 2.75, it would be increased by 100.81%, 130.52% or 145.23%, respectively. It was suggested that due to the difficulties in greatly reducing catching intensity, it could be available to properly increase the to value while decrease the catching intensity to protect the T. japonicus resources in East China Sea and realize their sustainable use. | 36464971 |
4,509,734 | Foreign language teacher education in psycho-pedagogical research The unprecedented growth in the quantity, as well as quality of publications on language teacher education supported by the domain’s increasing experiential background opens up new avenues for enhancing the effectiveness of foreign language teacher education in Ukraine. Hence, the present paper aims at analyzing and singling out recurrent research themes, defining the mainstream approaches of the field of language teacher education, which constitute the emerging theoretical foundations of the field’s knowledge base. The review of the state-of-the-art publications has enabled the specification of the following research areas, pertinent to foreign language teacher education: language teacher cognition, the knowledge base of language teachers, language teacher identity, reflection, language teacher research and action research, language teacher professionalism, the role of teacher education, effectiveness of teaching, expertise, competence, teacher development and some others. The analysis of research suggests overall proliferation of the number of studies on the problem of language teacher education during the past 30˗40 years. Nevertheless, the comparison of the volume of studies highlighting general aspects of teacher education to those specifically related to foreign/second language teacher education reveals the quantitative advantage of the former. More efforts are needed at elaborating language teacher focused issues which stem from the nature of foreign language as a discipline, the socio-cultural role of language teachers and the role of foreign language in particular. Further limitations of the field-related research base, include: 1) a rather small proportion of empirical studies, necessary to provide informed answers for important questions of language teacher education; 2) | 210492651 |
4,509,735 | the majority of available empirical studies are small-scale and contextually limited, which excludes the possibility of generalizations; 3) the field’s overall reliance on traditions, intuition and practical experience, with little regard for theoretical foundations; 4) paucity of research that present systematic complex generalizations of the field’s knowledge base; | 210492651 |
4,509,736 | Acute Type A Aortic Dissection and Successful Surgical Repair in a Woman at 21 Weeks Gestational Pregnancy With Maternal and Fetal Survival: A Case Report. Type A aortic dissection during pregnancy is a rare, catastrophic event that is associated with high maternal and fetal mortality. We report the successful management of acute type A aortic dissection in a woman at 21 weeks gestation. The patient underwent aortic valve and aortic root replacement utilizing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest complicated by the need for coronary artery bypass grafting due to a kinked/thrombosed right coronary artery. The patient’s postoperative recovery and remaining gestation were otherwise uncomplicated, and included a vaginal delivery of a healthy baby at 39 weeks gestation. | 45576001 |
4,509,737 | The Making of Pro-Life Activists: How Social Movement Mobilization Works . By Ziad W. Munson. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2009. 248p. $60.00 cloth, $22.50 paper. workers; (3) the Opportunities Industrial Centers (OIC), Sullivan’s training program for inner-city African Americans that sought to combat the problem of skills mismatch in a community dealing with increasingly chronic unemployment; (4) the OIC-Progress Movement, Sullivan’s effort at creating community-controlled capitalist enterprises, which depended on technology transfer and subcontracts from better-established companies and on military contracts; (5) the Philadelphia Plans—affirmative action programs mainly targeting the construction trades and their unions—that, while opening up a few jobs to African Americans, also exacerbated tensions in the liberal coalition; and (6) the Johnson-era Model Cities program, which, when coupled in the early 1970s with PIDC, provided the kinds of federally funded, locally driven programming that, if generalized and implemented earlier, could have put the problem of jobs at the forefront of urban policy. Federalism and its sometimes-ironic effects on the problem of jobs is a leitmotif of the book. McKee highlights the importance of federal funding in urban economic development, whether in the form of tax subsidies or programmatic grants. He argues that federal funding, rather than federal mandates, was most effective in aiding local liberals. For example, he indicates that the Great Society’s funding was crucial to the successes of OIC, but that its emphasis on community participation actually undercut the potential of comprehensive planning that had begun to show promise for tying together Philadelphia’s problems of deindustrialization and economic segregation by | 145672501 |
4,509,738 | prompting local struggles for control. McKee skillfully probes the fragility of postwar liberalism and its coalition, indicating differences and contradictions between commercial and social Keynesian strategies and between a laborand racial-justice liberalisms. Both sets of tensions were real, and clashes between these visions extended—as did all the issues in this book—far beyond Philadelphia. He also probes the relationship between radicalism and militancy on one hand, and moderate liberalism on the other. McKee approvingly cites Leon Sullivan’s brand of “build, Baby, build” black power, which sought pragmatic solutions and business partners rather than transformations in social and political power. Nevertheless, in spite of his reliance on Sullivan’s autobiography in several key chapters of the book, McKee is forthright in his assessment of Sullivan’s failures and those of the other efforts he studies. Though McKee clearly prefers moderate styles, militants still supply moderates with a radical flank effect that they needed to remain moderate and, often, to win the day. The Problem of Jobs can be difficult going. The level of detail is impressive, but the prose might have been enlivened with more summary statements or a stronger authorial voice. The organization of the book as a series of temporally overlapping case studies can get confusing, as the reader is forced to circle back several times and piece together what is happening in Philadelphia and when. Further, McKee often tries to cast an optimistic light on policies that only forestalled the worst effects of deindustrialization. Though this trains our focus on the real potential immanent in some liberal | 145672501 |
4,509,739 | policy interventions, it also tends to magnify the larger contradictions of urban liberalism under a rapidly globalizing postwar capitalism, and thus begs the question of whether liberals’ failure to embrace more radical positions interfered with more transformative politics. McKee does not think so. But in his concluding assessment that a “political culture that is fundamentally conservative” is the main obstacle to liberal solutions to poverty and urban problems (pp. 288–89), he risks mistaking the lessons of his own research. Liberalism was beset by its own contradictory stances toward capitalism, its own factions, its own indecision about federalism, and its own hesitancy about race. These weakened its political power in the face of conservative opposition, whether this came from chambers of commerce in the early 1960s or from federal disinvestment in the 1980s. McKee never defines conservative political culture, and so cannot clinch the case. But these are mainly arguments I have with the book, rather than criticisms of its quality, and even these also indicate the book’s strengths. McKee’s careful case studies and historical reconstructions put The Problem of Jobs in the company of some of the finest recent work in urban and policy history, adding each genre’s strengths to the other. The Problem of Jobs will be important in any assessment of liberal policy successes and failures, and of liberalism’s future prospects. It should be featured prominently in any graduate course on economic development, urban policy, and race and public policy. The book’s combination of historical rigor with sober political argument should provoke further research | 145672501 |
4,509,740 | on other cities’ experiences, and further dispute about what lessons we should draw from them. | 145672501 |
4,509,741 | Fractional-statistics gas in the boson representation. We investigate the ground state of a fractional-statistics gas, treating the particles as bosons tied to fictitious fluxes, i.e., employing the boson representation. Calculations of the electromagnetic response function, based on the Feynman perturbation scheme with the Bogoliubov approximation, show that the ground state exhibits superconductivity with a phonon mode. The result is in quantitative agreement with that obtained in the hydrodynamic analysis by Wen and Zee, and in qualitative agreement with the results of calculations in the fermion representation. | 29449201 |
4,509,742 | WIS : A well-being index based health care system in smart home In this paper, we present a health care system which can diagnose chronic diseases such as metabolic syndrome. In case of chronic invalids health information has to be check periodically, causing major inconvenience to the patient. In this paper, we propose an automatic diagnostic method for detecting metabolic syndrome, by utilizing a collaborative community computing approach in conjunction with a well-being index. | 11217451 |
4,509,743 | Mitral valve replacement in children: mortality, morbidity, and haemodynamic status up to medium term follow up OBJECTIVE To investigate the outcome of mechanical mitral valve replacement in children after up to 11 years of follow up. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of case records. Operative survivors underwent echocardiographic studies to define current haemodynamic status and prosthetic valve function. SETTING Tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS All 54 children who underwent mitral valve replacement between January 1987 and December 1997. RESULTS 30 day mortality was 20.3% and was associated with small valve size and supra-annular position. The actuarial freedom from the following events at five years (70% confidence interval (CI)) was: death, including 30 day mortality and transplantation, 68% (70% CI 62% to 75%); bleeding, 89% (70% CI 84% to 94%); non-structural valve dysfunction and reoperation, 92% (70% CI 87% to 97%). The incidence of endocarditis and thromboembolism was low and there was no structural valve failure. Event-free survival was 52% (70% CI 45% to 60%). Low weight, young age, and small valve size increased the chance of death or reoperation. On echocardiography, left ventricular dilatation and wall motion abnormalities were often observed. A high mean gradient over the prosthesis was associated with small valve size but not with length of follow up. CONCLUSIONS With the use of mechanical prostheses for mitral valve replacement in children, the problem of structural valve failure is no longer an issue. However, the procedure is still associated with a high complication rate, both at surgery and during follow up, and should therefore be reserved for | 9269751 |
4,509,744 | patients in whom valve repair is not technically feasible. | 9269751 |
4,509,745 | A mechanism of cell death involving an adenylyl cyclase/PKA signaling pathway is induced by the Cry1Ab toxin of Bacillus thuringiensis. Many pathogenic organisms and their toxins target host cell receptors, the consequence of which is altered signaling events that lead to aberrant activity or cell death. A significant body of literature describes various molecular and cellular aspects of toxins associated with bacterial invasion, colonization, and host cell disruption. However, there is little information on the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with the insecticidal action of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry toxins. Recently, we reported that the Cry1Ab toxin produced by Bt kills insect cells by activating a Mg(2+)-dependent cytotoxic event upon binding of the toxin to its receptor BT-R(1). Here we show that binding of Cry toxin to BT-R(1) provokes cell death by activating a previously undescribed signaling pathway involving stimulation of G protein (G(alphas)) and adenylyl cyclase, increased cAMP levels, and activation of protein kinase A. Induction of the adenylyl cyclase/protein kinase A pathway is manifested by sequential cytological changes that include membrane blebbing, appearance of ghost nuclei, cell swelling, and lysis. The discovery of a toxin-induced cell death pathway specifically linked to BT-R(1) in insect cells should provide insights into how insects evolve resistance to Bt and into the development of new, safer insecticides. | 28395451 |
4,509,746 | The influence of lower face vertical proportion on facial attractiveness. This study investigated the influence of changing lower face vertical proportion on the attractiveness ratings scored by lay people.Ninety-two social science students rated the attractiveness of a series of silhouettes with normal, reduced or increased lower face proportions. The random sequences of 10 images included an image with the Eastman normal lower face height relative to total face height [lower anterior face height/total anterior face height (LAFH/TAFH) of 55 per cent], and images with LAFH/TAFH increased or decreased by up to four standard deviations (SD) from the Eastman norm. All the images had a skeletal Class I antero-posterior (AP) relationship. A duplicate image in each sequence assessed repeatability. The participants scored each image using a 10 point numerical scale and also indicated whether they would seek treatment if the image was their own profile. The profile image with normal vertical facial proportions was rated by the lay people as the most attractive. Attractiveness scores reduced as the vertical facial proportions diverged from the normal value. Images with a reduced lower face proportion were rated as significantly more attractive than the corresponding images with an increased lower face proportion. Images with a reduced lower face proportion were also significantly less likely to be judged as needing treatment than the corresponding images with an increased lower face proportion. | 9968901 |
4,509,747 | Advances in the development of gene therapy, noncoding RNA, and exosome‐based treatments for tendinopathy Tendinopathy is a common musculoskeletal disorder characterized by chronic low‐grade inflammation and tissue degeneration. Tendons have poor innate healing ability and there is currently no cure for tendinopathy. Studies elucidating mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of tendinopathy and mechanisms mediating the genesis of tendons during development have provided novel targets and strategies to enhance tendon healing and repair. This review summarizes the current understanding and treatments for tendinopathy. The review also highlights recent advances in gene therapy, the potential of noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs, and exosomes, which are nanometer‐sized extracellular vesicles secreted from cells, for the treatment of tendinopathy. | 219330501 |
4,509,748 | Ultrafast computed tomography in management of post-bentall aortic root pseudoaneurysm repair. A giant pseudoaneurysm adjacent to the sternum was diagnosed in a patient who had undergone aortic root replacement with use of the Bentall operation 10 years earlier. Electron-beam computed tomography showed that the right coronary artery, which could not be seen on angiography, originated from the pseudoaneurysm itself. At reoperation, we found that both coronary ostia were detached and that the right coronary ostium was totally detached. The source of the right coronary artery blood flow was the pseudoaneurysm itself The defect at the left coronary artery attachment site was repaired primarily. A vein graft was interposed between the ostium of the right coronary artery and the native aorta, distal to the graft anastomosis. | 13515301 |
4,509,749 | Substitution Urethroplasty for Anterior Urethral Strictures: Buccal versus Lingual Mucosal Graft Aim: To compare the results of substitution urethroplasty and donor site morbidity between buccal mucosal graft (BMG) and lingual mucosal graft (LMG). Patients and Methods: Patients who underwent single-stage dorsal onlay free oral mucosal graft substitution urethroplasty by Barbagli’s technique between January 2004 and August 2008 were included in this study. Patients who underwent buccal (cheek, lip) mucosal graft urethroplasty were included in group I and those who underwent LMG urethroplasty (tongue) were included in group II. All patients underwent complete evaluation of the stricture including inspection of the oral cavity. Exclusion criteria were stricture length <3 cm and complex strictures which required a multistage procedure. Results: The results of urethroplasty were similar in both groups in terms of blood loss, duration of postoperative hospitalization, complications encountered at urethroplasty site, mean postoperative Qmax and mean postoperative AUA symptom score. Early slurring of speech complications was seen in group II, but not in group I. The long-term complications of persistent oral discomfort, perioral numbness and tightness of the mouth were seen only in group I. Conclusion: LMG urethroplasty is a good substitute for BMG urethroplasty with equally good results of urethroplasty with lower donor site morbidity. | 45820051 |
4,509,750 | Hybrid architectures for intelligent robotic systems Hybrid architectures, based on combinations of analogic, symbolic, and neural methods, are well suited for real-time applications in advanced robotics. Real-time industrial applications are mainly based on the correction of preplanned programs. So far, the planning and control modules of these kind of applications are often unable to react and/or classify un-expected events. The approach described attempts to integrate the sensor-based analogic method and the neural method into a multiple-level architecture that operates on an analogic world model, so that the action planning can be performed in a smart, reactive way. Given the task, the system builds the world model of the scenario. The reasoning and planning modules act both at the strategic as well as reactive levels, and the activated sensor-based motor strategies handle the sensorial data inputs and drive the robot controller module in the execution of the stream of motor commands. The interaction between the different levels is mainly based on the idea of maintaining and updating in real-time the world model, so that each module can locally operate on specific parts of the whole world model.<<ETX>> | 62368351 |
4,509,751 | Impact of fluoroquinolones on human microbiota. Focus on the emergence of antibiotic resistance. The aggregate of microorganisms residing on the surface of the skin, in the oropharynx and in the GI tract, known as the human microbiota, play a major role as natural reservoirs for bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Fluoroquinolones (FQ) are among the most prescribed antibiotics and a major increase in FQ resistance is occurring worldwide. High concentrations of FQ are found in microbial ecosystems explaining their profound effect on the clinically relevant bacteria that compose them. Yet, because of different local pharmacokinetics, distinct selective pressures occur in the different microbiota. Here we review the qualitative and quantitative impact of FQ on the three main human microbiota and their consequences, particularly in terms of emergence of antibiotic resistance. Finally, we review potential actions that could decrease the impact of FQs on microbiota. | 13277901 |
4,509,752 | Islam and World History: The Ventures of Marshall Hodgson In Islam and World History: The Ventures of Marshall Hodgson, editors Edmund Burke III and Robert J. Mankin have provided a valuable service to the scholarly community by bringing together a series of insightful essays that place the creation of Hodgson’s posthumous masterwork, The Venture of Islam, into a broader historical and intellectual context. Perhaps most importantly, this slim but comprehensive volume adds greatly to our understanding of Marshall Hodgson himself, a historian who famously argued for the importance of recognizing the scholarly pre-commitments of academics, by providing a remarkable biographical context in which to consider the deeper implications of his work. To download full review, click on PDF. | 211390601 |
4,509,753 | A new fiber optic accelerometer with push-pull structure using 3×3 coupler In this paper, we propose a new type of push-pull structure fiber optic accelerometer based on 3×3 coupler for the first time and carried out measurements of its responsivity and cross-axis sensitivity. With specific algorithm, the phase signal of the sensor can be extracted without complicated modulation and demodulation. Experiments show that the responsivity of the accelerometer is larger than 40dB (0dB ref 1rad/g) within the frequency band from 10Hz to 800Hz, which agrees well with the theoretical analysis. In addition, the cross-axis sensitivity can be optimized as low as about −30dB due to the push-pull structure. The results reported here indicate that this type of fiber optic accelerometer can be applied in vibration sensing such as micro seismic monitoring. | 10732751 |
4,509,754 | Do Profit Margins Expand for High Growth Firms? It is common in business analyses to invoke different efficiencies generated by scale. Growth is associated with declining average costs/sales and rising profit margins. Factors cited include the relatively fixed nature of some costs, increased bargaining power, and network effects. We investigate how different cost lines evolve for a sample of US firms after their IPO. To our surprise, costs/sales do not generally decline and margins do not increase, even during the early years when growth is highest. We observe similar results for other samples of domestic and overseas firms, both public and private. We explore possible explanations for our results and discuss implications, especially for cost allocation and financial projections. | 213693101 |
4,509,755 | Difficult airway management – novel use for the theatre register Sir, A 63-year-old patient was admitted for a right radical nephrectomy. The patient underwent an awake tracheostomy prior to surgery because of a failed intubation on a previous ear, nose and throat (ENT) list. Pre-operatively, the proposed anaesthetic technique and problems were fully explained to the patient. Gaseous anaesthesia was induced with sevoflurane and suxamethonium after confirmation of easy ventilation with bag and mask. With a single pillow under the occiput, the laryngoscopy was grade 4 using the Cormack and Lehane classification. Doubling the pillow did not improve the intubation conditions. Finally, a hardbound, 7-cm-thick, theatre register and double pillows were placed under the occiput (Fig. 1). This raised the patient’s head, with the chin rising well above the chest. The laryngoscopic view was now grade 2. The trachea was intubated successfully. The patient had an uneventful surgical procedure. Post-operatively, the patient was easily extubated when fully awake, and discharged home after 6 days. The incidence of failed intubation ranges from 0.05 to 0.35%, and is more common in obstetric patients (1). Siyam and Benhamou (2) have demonstrated that patients with a history of obstructive sleep apnoea have a higher incidence of difficult airway relative to controls. One of the fundamental bedrocks for successful laryngoscopy and intubation is the correct positioning of the patient’s head. The ‘sniffing’ position, which is the standard head position for laryngoscopy, did not appear to have any advantage over simple head extension for tracheal intubation in a study by Adnet et | 42253201 |
4,509,756 | al. (3). A recent snapshot survey from Bristol also questioned the advantage of the ‘sniffing the morning air’ position (4). Various techniques have been tried and recommended to improve the intubation conditions. Head elevated laryngoscopy positioning (HELP) to improve laryngeal exposure involves laryngoscopy with the head lying flat on the table with atlantooccipital extension, with progressive elevation of the head to increase neck flexion and the laryngoscopic angle. This position improved the laryngeal view in patients with direct difficult laryngoscopy (5). External laryngeal pressure and elevation of the head improved the laryngoscopic view from grade 3 to grade 2 in 19 of 21 patients (6). Brodsky et al. (7) successfully intubated 99 of 100 morbidly obese patients in the ramped position. The patients were positioned such that the external auditory meatus and sternal notch were in the same horizontal line. Seventy-five per cent of patients had a grade 1 laryngoscopic view in this position. Collins et al. (8) compared the ‘‘sniffing’’ and ramped positions for the intubation of morbidly obese patients, and showed that the patients in the ramped position had better laryngeal exposure. Our patient had a history of failed intubation. We altered the head position from standard ‘‘sniffing’’ to partially ramped, and then to the ramped position, utilizing a 7-cm-thick hardbound register and double pillows under the occiput. This ensured that the chin was above the chest. This improved the laryngoscopic view from grade 4 to grade 2 and facilitated easy intubation. Although the line joining the external auditory meatus and the sternal notch | 42253201 |
4,509,757 | was not in the same plane, we were able to achieve a better laryngoscopic view with elevation of the head using the theatre register (Fig. 1). This improved the ‘sterno-meatal angle’ from 218 to 88. Various airway devices and techniques have been recommended in the difficult airway society guidelines to secure the airway in an anticipated difficult airway situation (9). This case emphasizes the importance of positioning during laryngoscopy. In cases of anticipated or unanticipated difficult intubation, a variety of aids should be available on the difficult intubation trolley, including a firm 5–10-cm wedge (in our case, the theatre register). It is important to note that the airway assessment and management are not always intuitive or predictable. With the increased use of non-intubating anaesthetic techniques (10), the intubation experience of anaesthetists is decreasing. Failed intubation drills and simulations should be more commonly practised to overcome these problems. | 42253201 |
4,509,758 | An Assessment of the East Asian Debacle This paper evaluates the policy choices and factors that have contributed to the Asian crisis. It is argued that the interaction between relatively closed and weak banking systems and liberalized financial flows played a major role in the crisis. The prospect of an IMF bailout is also likely to have induced risky capital inflows to Asia, as data on Taiwan suggests. The appropriate policy response is not to impose sweeping controls, as is often being recommended, but to partially restrict capital inflows while simultaneously freeing up limited outflows by domestic residents, and also exposing the banking and financial services sector to more external competition. | 167439851 |
4,509,759 | The Lingering Conflict: Israel, the Arabs, and the Middle East, 1948-2011 THE LINGERING CONFLICT: ISRAEL, THE ARABS, AND THE MIDDLE EAST, 1948-2011 Itamar Rabinovich Washington, DC, Brookings Institution Press, 2011 308 pages, hardcover, $32.95Itamar Rabinovich's new book builds upon his previous work, Waging Peace: Israel and the Arabs, 1 948-2003. But the professor emeritus of Middle Eastern history at (and former president of) Tel Aviv University chose not merely to update his earlier volume, but to reflect new realities since 2004. Thus, the current volume reflects what he calls "harsher realities": a decline of the peace process with consequent festering of the conflict, and a broadening of the arena with two Muslim but non-Arab regional actors - Iran and Turkey - becoming more prominent in Mideast politics as well as influencing Arab-Israeli affairs.Of the book's ten chapters, seven are chronological narrative, starting with brief background from 1948 through 1991, but focusing in greater depth from the onset of the Madrid process in 1991-92 through the Arab Spring of last year. However, two chapters are analytical, where, on the basis of his historical groundwork already laid, substantive issues are discussed, such as the web of relationships among the Arab states and Israel, concepts of peace and normalization, and a critique of the present Netanyahu government. These latter chapters greatly enrich Rabinovich's narrative.Rabinovich was Israel's chief negotiator with Syria in the early 1990s and Israeli ambassador to the United States from 1993-96. His firsthand diplomatic experiences provide an insider's account to the Oslo Accords of 1993 and their | 142359151 |
4,509,760 | aftermath (which would subsequently see Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's assassination and the rise of the first Netanyahu government), and gave him a unique perspective to assess later developments in the peace process.Superb narratives of the Oslo Accords and the 2000 Camp David peace process already exist, some written by key participants themselves.1 What is particularly valuable in Rabinovich's new book is his analysis of the first Netanyahu government (1996-99) in light of its later iteration, as well as of the Olmert administration (2006-09) and current Netanyahu government (2009-present).Rabinovich titles his chapter on the first Netanyahu administration "Years of Stagnation." At best the prime minister was a prevaricating leader. For example, Netanyahu signed the Wye agreement in 1998 (transferring control of 13 percent of the West Bank to the Palestinians), seemingly committing himself to the Oslo process. Yet, Rabinovich says, "It was difficult to know whether Netanyahu's rhetoric after signing the [Wye] memorandum was reflecting a lingering resistance in an ideological leader who had journeyed from the right wing to the pragmatic center, or was a political tactic designed to keep together his reluctant cabinet and uneasy coalition." Rabinovich presents insight into Netanyahu's thinking from the latter's published work prior to becoming prime minister. In Netanyahu's A Place Among the Nations: Israel and the World ( 1993)^ he notes the Israeli leader believed that "in the absence of democracy in the Arab world, Israel could not hope for a Western European or North American type of peace. Peace. . .could be made and kept in the Middle | 142359151 |
4,509,761 | East only from a position of strength. . .predicated on a bedrock of security and deterrence." He goes on to describe Netanyahu's presumption about land for peace: "A Palestinian state in the West Bank would present a mortal danger to Israel, and. . .there was already a Palestinian state - Jordan." Netanyahu, in his early writings, could only conceive of limited autonomy for Palestinians in the West Bank, with limited interference from the Israeli government. Even then, he did not envision a contiguous area of Palestinian self-rule, but four self-managing Arab counties with a majority of the Arab population. Finally, perhaps after twenty years of cooling off, Netanyahu, Rabinovich writes, surmised a final settlement could be discussed that might offer Israeli citizenship to those Palestinians who did not want to retain Jordanian citizenship. … | 142359151 |
4,509,762 | Three-axis force sensor with fiber Bragg grating Haptic feedback is critical for many surgical tasks, and it replicates force reflections at the surgical site. To meet the force reflection requirements, we propose a force sensor with an optical fiber Bragg grating (FBG) for robotic surgery. The force sensor can calculate three directional forces of an instrument from the strain of three FBGs, even under electromagnetic interference. A flexible ring-shape structure connects an instrument tip and fiber strain gages to sense three directional force. And a stopper mechanism is added in the structure to avoid plastic deformation under unexpected large force on the instrument tip. The proposed sensor is experimentally verified to have a sensing range from −12 N to 12 N, and its sensitivity was less than 0.06 N. | 26315001 |
4,509,763 | Use of topical steroid therapy in the management of nonnecrotizing anterior scleritis. BACKGROUND Nonnecrotizing anterior scleritis may be treated with a variety of therapies, including topical steroid therapy, systemic therapy with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and systemic steroid therapy. This study was carried out to determine the efficacy of topical steroid therapy in treating diffuse and nodular scleritis. METHODS A phase I/II descriptive study was conducted. Thirty-two consecutive patients with nonnecrotizing anterior scleritis referred to a tertiary care ophthalmology cornea and uveitis practice in Ottawa were enrolled between September 1995 and February 1997. The patients received 1% prednisolone acetate, administered topically every 2 hours for at least 2 weeks. The drug was tapered off thereafter based on the clinical response. A successful treatment outcome was defined as resolution of scleritis without the need for systemic steroid or NSAID therapy by 2 months after initial presentation. RESULTS The 2-month success rate was 47%. Of the 17 patients in whom treatment failed, 5 (29%) still had some evidence of scleritis at 2 months despite systemic treatment with steroids. There was no difference between the two groups in the rate of first recurrence of scleritis (log-rank test). INTERPRETATION Although topical steroid therapy failed in over half of the patients, a significant number were spared systemic steroid therapy with its potential side effects. Despite the moderately high failure rate, topical steroid therapy could be considered as first-line treatment for nonnecrotizing anterior scleritis, especially in cases in which the likelihood of complications from systemic steroid or NSAID therapy is high. | 19856901 |
4,509,764 | The Jacobson radical of the group algebra of a finite group Let K be a field of characteristicp # 0 and G a finite group such thatp I o(G). Suppose G is a Frobenius group with a Sylowp-subgroup P as a complement. Then we have proved that JK(G)= n JK(Px)K(G). xEG We have given an example to show that equality does not hold in general. 0. Introduction. Let G be a finite group and K a field of characteristic p #7 0. If p t o(G) then JK(G) = 0 and if p Io(G) then JK(G) #& 0 [2, Theorem 1.4.1]. If G is a p-group then [2, Theorem 2.3.2] JK(G) = w(K(G)), the augmentation ideal of K(G). More generally [5, Theorem 16.6], if G is a group having unique Sylow p-subgroup P, then JK(G) = w(K(P))K(G). So one asks the following question: Is JK(G) = n JK(P)K(G) where P ranges over Sylowp-subgroups of G? We prove (Theorem 1 and Corollary 1) this to be the case for a group G having a normal subgroup Go such that p I (G: Go) and that Go is a Frobenius group having a Sylow p-subgroup P as its complement subgroup. An example due to Passman shows that this equality is false in general. 1. Definitions and preliminaries. A finite group G is said to be a Frobenius group with complement H if H is a subgroup of G such that (1) {e) c H c G and (2) xHx' n H = (e) for every x E G | 119845651 |
4,509,765 | H. A finite group G is a Frobenius group iff G is isomorphic to a transitive permutation group such that subgroup fixing any of the letters is nontrivial and each permutation #& e fixes at most one letter [1, Chapter 2, p. 37], [4, p. 57]. The most important fact regarding these groups is the following: N = {x E GIC(x) n H =0) U {e} = (Gn xHx-) U {e} x EG Received by the editors April 28, 1978. AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 16A26, 16A46. | 119845651 |
4,509,766 | Perceptions of young adults as to the future of health care in the 21st century. This study assessed the perceptions of the need for and quality of future health care programs of those who will be major users of medical services in the 21st century. Findings indicated that most recognize the importance of having medical coverage. While copayment costs were most important in health plan selection, less personal factors (e.g., ease of obtaining appointments) were more important than the plan's quality reputations and its physicians. Finally, few respondents thought the quality of physicians and hospitals would improve. Even fewer believed the range of services covered would be better, access to care would be easier to obtain, or that service would be more personalized. They also expect the costs of health care to escalate, and costs to have more impact on the availability of medical services. | 33124501 |
4,509,767 | On the Shallow-Light Steiner Tree Problem Let G = (V, E) be a given graph with nonnegative integral edge cost and delay, S ⊆ V be a terminal set and r ∈ S be the selected root. The shallow-light Steiner tree (SLST) problem is to compute a minimum cost tree spanning the terminals of S, such that the delay between r and every other terminal is bounded by a given delay constraint D ∈ ℤ<sub>0</sub><sup>+</sup>. It is known that the SLST problem is NP-hard and unless NP ⊆ DTIME(n<sup>log log n</sup>) there exists no approximation algorithm with ratio (1, γ log2 n) for some fixed γ > 0 [12]. Nevertheless, under the same assumption it admits no approximation ratio better than (1, γ log<sup>2</sup> n) for some fixed γ > 0 even when D = 2 [2]. This paper first gives an exact algorithm with time complexity O(3<sup>t</sup>nD + 2<sup>t</sup>n<sup>2</sup>D<sup>2</sup> + n<sup>3</sup>D<sup>3</sup>), where n and t are the numbers of vertices and terminals of the given graph respectively. This is a pseudo polynomial time parameterized algorithm with respect to the parameterization “number of terminals”. Later, this algorithm is improved to a parameterized approximation algorithm with a time complexity O(3<sup>t</sup> n<sup>2</sup>/∈ + 2<sup>t</sup> n<sup>4</sup>/∈<sup>2</sup> + n<sup>6</sup>/∈<sup>3</sup> ) and a bifactor approximation ratio (1 + ∈, 1). That is, for any small real number ∈ > 0, the algorithm computes a Steiner tree with delay and cost bounded by (1 + ∈)D and the optimum cost respectively. | 16444901 |
4,509,768 | Pulsed Doppler echocardiography in the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in COPD. We used pulsed Doppler echocardiography to examine the systolic ejection flow from the right ventricle in 66 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Adequate recordings were obtained in 60 patients, in conjunction with right heart catheterization. Patients without pulmonary artery hypertension at rest (mean pulmonary artery pressure less than 20 mm Hg) underwent an exercise test which identified a group with PAH during exercise (MPAP greater than 30 mm Hg). The patients were divided into four groups: group 1, or control group: 17 healthy nonsmokers without normal respiratory function data; group 2: COPD without PAH (n = 12); group 3: PAH during exercise (n = 26); group 4: PAH at rest (n = 22). Analysis of Doppler data included time to peak velocity, right ventricular pre-ejection period, and ejection period. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography was a simple and reliable method of detecting PAH. Latent PAH, revealed by the exercise test, was accompanied by significant changes in Doppler findings, confirming the sensitivity of the method. | 28815551 |
4,509,769 | Bandwidth Enhancement of Microstrip Antennas with Metamaterial Bilayered Substrates Cavity resonator is introduced into microstrip structure. By eliminating the frequency parameter of cavity modes, microstrip antennas with metamaterial bilayered substrates are demonstrated the bandwidth enhancement. Lossy effects on the performance of the antennas are also considered. Finally, for less intricate antenna realization, single negative metamaterial-based microstrip antennas are designed with the same scheme and also achieve greatly enhanced bandwidth. | 120298201 |
4,509,770 | Updated meta-analysis of the MMPI-2 symptom validity scale (FBS): verified utility in forensic practice Clinical research interest in the symptom reporting validity scale currently known as the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) Symptom Validity Scale (FBS) has continued to be strong, with multiple new publications annually in peer-reviewed journals that publish psychological and neuropsychological assessment research. Related to this growth in relevant literature, the present study was conducted to update the Nelson, Sweet, and Demakis (2006b) FBS meta-analysis. A total of 83 FBS studies (43 new studies) were identified, and 32 (38.5%) met inclusion criteria. Analyses were conducted on a pooled sample of 2218 over-reporting and 3123 comparison participants. Large omnibus effect sizes were observed for FBS, Obvious-Subtle (O-S), and the Dissimulation Scale-Revised (Dsr2) scales. Moderate effect sizes were observed for the following scales: Back Infrequency (Fb), Gough's F-K, Infrequency (F), Infrequency Psychopathology (Fp), and Dissimulation (Ds2). Moderator analyses illustrate that relative to the F-family scales, FBS exhibited larger effect sizes when (1) effort is known to be insufficient and (2) evaluation is conducted in the context of traumatic brain injury. Overall, current results summarize an extensive literature that continues to support use of FBS in forensic neuropsychology practice. | 1322751 |
4,509,771 | Mental health services utilization among women experiencing intimate partner violence. OBJECTIVE To examine the patient and provider characteristics associated with utilization of mental health services (MHS) among women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study among 6870 women aged 18 to 65 years with first IPV identification between May 2004 and December 2009 in Kaiser Permanente Northern California. METHODS Utilization of MHS within 60 days after first IPV identification was determined. Multivariate generalized estimating equation logistic regression models that controlled for patient and provider characteristics were used to determine predictors of utilization. RESULTS Thirty-seven percent of women utilized MHS. In multivariate generalized estimating equation models, the strongest predictor of utilization was electronic referral (odds ratio [OR], 4.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.66-5.28). Odds of utilization were lower among black (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89), Latina (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.95), and Spanish-speaking (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89) patients and were higher among those with prior posttraumatic stress disorder (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.17-3.44) or depression (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.17-1.57). Emergency department identification of IPV was associated with lower odds of MHS utilization (OR, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.37-0.59), while older provider identification of IPV was associated with higher odds of MHS utilization (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.07-1.65). CONCLUSIONS Additional training for providers, particularly those who are younger or are practicing in emergency departments, may be needed to increase rates of MHS utilization among patients affected by IPV. Addressing language barriers to care and cultural appropriateness may improve MHS utilization. | 29759951 |
4,509,772 | Structure and toughening mechanical properties of multi principal component high entropy alloy At present, the strength and toughening degree of the multi-principal element high entropy alloy are not high, and the plastic deformation capacity is poor. In order to solve this problem, the structure and mechanical properties of the multi-element high entropy alloy were studied. The micro-structure and strengthening mechanism of the alloy were studied. By establishing a reliable random solid solution model and using the first principle to calculate the phase structure, thermodynamics, and elastic properties of the alloy, theoretical guidance is provided for the design and development of new high entropy alloy. The high entropy alloy system with high specific strength and high tensile plasticity was prepared, and its strengthening and toughening mechanism was studied. The experimental results show that with the increase of Zr content, the fracture strength of multi-component high entropy alloy first increases and then decreases. When it reaches a fixed value, the comprehensive mechanical properties of the alloy are the best. Compared with the two literature methods, the tensile strength of this method is 250 MPa, and the work hardening after yielding makes the alloy have higher strength and better plastic deformation ability. | 241864001 |
4,509,773 | Severe fungal infections in intensive therapy. BACKGROUND Identification of pathogens in severe fungal infections, by positive cultures, is usually difficult, delays appropriate therapy, and impairs treatment. Despite progress in biologic sciences, the diagnosis of candidiasis still poses a challenge. Early symptoms are not specific, and cultures are usually negative. Molecular methods are rarely used in clinical practice. Common empiric therapy of suspected fungal infection is based on examination, history, and analysis of risk factors. The aim of the study was to analyse fungal infections in ITU and to find factors which may help in their recognition. METHODS In this retrospective study, the medical histories of ITU patients were analysed. Patients were divided into two groups: I - suspected and II - confirmed, fungal infections. The factors considered were: age, gender, suspected source of fungal infection, co-existing bacterial infection, Candida Score, laboratory tests taken on the day of fungal infection diagnosis (leukocyte count, platelets, and CRP), duration of hospitalisation, declarations of infection from departments, and results of treatment. RESULTS Statistically significant differences between the groups were found in Candida Scores, duration of hospitalisation and departments of infection. The Candida Scores were higher among those patients in whom infections were already suspected. In this group, the duration of hospitalization was shorter, and infections frequently developed during hospitalisation in the ITU. CONCLUSION The analysis of infections and Candida Scores helped to initiate prompt antifungal therapy and to reduce the duration of hospitalisation. Infection markers that were routinely used in the ITU were not specific, did not allow identification of | 11974051 |
4,509,774 | patients with fungal infection. | 11974051 |
4,509,775 | Let’s meet at Baiae: a journey of 2000 years to the edge of Europe Since Antiquity, seaside resorts have figured among the most popular sites of leisure and tourism on the European continent. In many ways these sites clearly expressed and supported converging trends in European culture and society. Spa resorts brought together visitors from a range of nationalities in a shared culture of health, pleasure and recreation. This contribution aims to explore how the Mediterranean spa resort of Baiae in the Bay of Naples functioned as a significant cultural setting where visitors and local actors shaped, experienced, discussed and shared cultural values in a changing world throughout the ages. | 191899001 |
4,509,776 | Simultaneous Measurements by Advanced SAR and Radar Altimeter on Potential Improvement of Ocean Wave Model Assimilation Simultaneous measurements of significant wave height (SWH) obtained from two independent active microwave sensors of Radar Altimeter 2 (RA-2) and Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) onboard the ENVIronmental SATellite (ENVISAT) are used for a global verification of ocean wave models (WAMs). In the present study, SWH is retrieved from ASAR wave mode data using the empirical algorithm called C-band WAVE algorithm for ENVISAT, which is capable of representing total SWH irrespective of the cutoff of SAR. Comparisons of two radar measurements with the reanalyses ERA-Interim model (with assimilation of RA-2 measurements) and the German operational WAM (Deutscher Wetterdienst Global Sea wave Model, without assimilation before 2008) show that both WAMs agree well with ASAR and RA-2 measurements. However, the discrepancies of agreement indicate to which extent that the assimilation of RA-2 measurements can improve the performance of WAMs. Moreover, differences in the comparisons of ASAR and RA-2 measurements with the same WAM of ERA-Interim reveal that, although assimilation of RA-2 significantly improves the accuracy of model on grids near the RA-2 tracks, the improvement decreases along with the increase of distance between model grids and RA-2 tracks. | 4790401 |
4,509,777 | Energy-Efficient Bus Encoding Techniques for Next-Generation PAM-4 DRAM Interfaces In this paper, we introduce effective bus data en-coding schemes for next-generation interfaces of DRAM with an analysis of their energy and lane efficiency characteristics. The Pulse-Amplitude-Modulation-4 (PAM-4) signaling technique has recently been adopted to memory interfaces due to their increased per-pin data-rate requirements. However, as the power consumption profile of PAM-4 symbols differs from that of NRZ symbols, the conventional Dynamic Bus Inversion (DBI) encoding fails to achieve an expected reduction of termination power. Therefore, this paper proposes data encoding schemes applicable to the PAM-4 memory links and compares their performances in terms of the termination energy with experimental results. We evaluate the proposed approaches by applying data encoding to DRAM memory access traces obtained from executing benchmarks on ARM/x86 ISA-based processors, including caches, simulated on the gem5 architecture simulator. The experimental results show that our advanced encoding algorithms enable us to achieve doubled data rate with minimal power consumption overhead. | 254913951 |
4,509,778 | Protective effect of aminophylline against cigarette smoke extract-induced apoptosis in human lung fibroblasts (MRC-5 cells). Cigarette smoking is the principal cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), especially emphysema, which is characterized by alveolar wall destruction and airspace enlargement. Apoptosis of lung structural cells is involved in the pathogenesis of COPD. Xanthine derivatives (aminophylline or theophylline) have been used for the treatment of COPD as a bronchodilator. But the effects of xanthine derivatives on apoptosis of the lung structural cells remain poorly understood, even though it is known that theophylline protects against ultraviolet irradiation-induced cell death in corneal epithelial cells. This study was designed to determine whether aminophylline would protect against cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced apoptosis in lung fibroblasts. We demonstrated that aminophylline protected against apoptosis of MRC-5 cells at a relatively lower therapeutic range (10 μg/ml), resulting in a significant increase in cell viability occurring at 20% concentration after 8-hr exposure. Annexin staining decreased from 68 ± 4% of the control to 12 ± 2% of aminophylline (10 μg/ml) pre-treatment after 20% CSE exposure for 12 hr (p < 0.05). Aminophylline decreased caspase 3 and 8 activities and nuclear condensation or fragmentation in MRC-5 cells after exposure to 20% CSE for 12 hr compared with control and high levels of aminophylline (>50 μg/ml) pre-treatment. These findings suggest that aminophylline protected apoptosis of MRC-5 cells through the inactivation of caspases 3 and 8 and could be an effective agent to reduce cigarette smoking-induced lung structural cell apoptosis. | 6658751 |
4,509,779 | Going critical: the problem of problematizing knowledge in education studies This paper raises the issue of what it is to be ‘critical’ in education studies and in social theory more generally. It argues that this idea has for a long time been associated with forms of social constructionism and sociological reductionism. These understand the idea that knowledge is social in terms of reducing it to the experiences and interests of the groups whose perspective knowledge is held to represent. In this way knowledge is conflated with knowing. This approach has the consistent problem of collapsing into a relativism that denies of possibility of objectivity in knowledge or an epistemologically independent basis for knowledge claims. This paper offers an alternative view based in critical realism that attempts to provide non‐relativist, though fallible, grounds for knowledge claims that restore a sense of autonomy to fields of knowledge production by understanding the sociality of knowledge in terms of emergent materialism. In this manner, the argument provides an alternative to both social constructionism and to Bourdieu's relationalism. | 144111051 |
4,509,780 | Launch fly balls for better batting statistics: Applicability of “fly-ball revolution” to Japan’s professional baseball league ABSTRACT “Fly-ball revolution” in Major League Baseball (MLB), spotlighting an underlining tenet that batters should aim for big fly balls rather than grounders, has attracted interest from countless players around the world. Its applicability, however, is not clear for players of different physical abilities or teams with different game strategies from MLB’s. This paper aims to test a hypothesis that hitting fly balls do not result in better batting statistics than hitting grounders in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). From radar-tracking outputs collected in the official games, the speed, launch angle, and batting results of all batted balls in play were extracted (n = 39,469). In-play batting average (IPBA) and slugging percentage (IPSP) were compared between fly balls and grounders. The results showed the better batting statistics for fly balls (IPBA = 0.381 ± 0.018; IPSP = 0.730 ± 0.079) than grounders (IPBA = 0.267 ± 0.010; IPSP = 0.285 ± 0.010). Thus, our hypothesis was rejected. The balls launched at 10°−20°, called line drives, resulted in higher IPBA over the typical speed range (120 − 150 km/h), suggesting that NPB players whose ball speed was typical should aim for line drives, rather than high fly balls by accepting the tenet. | 249005501 |
4,509,781 | Statistical analysis of clinical, immunological and nutritional factors in pediatric cryptosporidiosis in the Philippines. A statistical analysis of clinical, nutritional, and immunological data gathered in a previous study suggest that nutritional factors, and in particular, iron status, appeared to be of significance in mounting an effective immune response to Cryptosporidium infection in young children. The primary protective mechanism seemed to be cell-mediated; humoral immunity was intact in all the study subjects, however, CMI was initially impaired but improved over six weeks. | 23453951 |
4,509,782 | Adding thymoglobuline to the conventional immunosuppressant regimen in kidney transplantation: A cost-benefit analysis. BACKGROUND Thymoglobuline (TG), is used for both induction and rejection therapy in kidney transplantation (TX). This study was conducted to compare between adding TG or not to the conventional drugs to evaluate the rate of rejections, infections and costs. METHODS In two groups of patients, each of 45 cases; group A received conventional drugs (cyclosporine, mycophenolate and prednisolone) and in group B, TG was added; both groups were then compared. TG was administered for 5 doses (1.5 mg/kg/d for the first 3 days and 1 mg/kg/d for the last 2 days. Suspicious signs of rejection (fever, graft tenderness, graft enlargement and increase in length and depth), creatinine rise, diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid scan (DTPA) results and urinary tract infections (UTI) with counts > 10(5) CFU/ml were recorded. The duration of the first hospitalization, the CMV incidence of infection in the first 6 months and their costs were finally compared. RESULTS There was no difference for age, duration of hospitalization and CMV infection between the two groups. UTI occurred more frequently in TG group (p=0.049). Creatinine rise, suspicious signs of rejection occurred more frequently in TG group (p<0.05). Creatinine rise and suspicious signs of rejection occurred more frequently in conventional group (p=0.020, p<0.000, respectively). The need for additional steroid pulses was more frequent in conventional group (p<0.000). The total costs of TG, ganciclovir, antibiotics and steroid pulses in both groups were similar. CONCLUSION The results show that the posttransplantation problems (signs of rejection, rise | 19988851 |
4,509,783 | of creatinine, graft losses and delayed graft function) occurred rarely in TG group. The incidence of infection and the cost of both regimens were similar. We strongly recommend this protocol as induction therapy. | 19988851 |
4,509,784 | Genetic Variations of Echinococcus granulosus Isolated from Sheep and Cows by Using Fingerprint DNA Method in Iraq The fingerprinting DNA method which depends on the unique pattern in this study was employed to detect the hydatid cyst of Echinococcus granulosus and to determine the genetic variation among their strains in different intermediate hosts (cows and sheep). The unique pattern represents the number of amplified bands and their molecular weights with specialized sequences to one sample which different from the other samples. Five hydatitd cysts samples from cows and sheep were collected, genetic analysis for isolated DNA was done using PCR technique and Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA reaction(RAPD) depending on (4) random primers, and the results showed: 1-Ability of OPF-13 primer to find fingerprinting for DNA of hydatid cysts collected from cows with (3) unique patterns and from sheep with (5) unique patterns. 2- Ability of OPF-06 primer to found (4) unique patterns for cows and (2) unique patterns for sheep. 3-Ability of OPF-19 primer to find fingerprinting for DNA of hydatid cysts collected from cows (5) unique patterns and (4) unique patterns for sheep. 4-OPF-16 was unable to find the finger prints of DNA isolated from cows and sheep Keywords : Hydatid cyst. OPF Primer .PCR. RAPD. | 90971701 |
4,509,785 | Evaluation of students' knowledge as a contribution to dengue control programs. This study describes a survey (n=700) carried out in 14 elementary schools in the municipality of Caxias, State of Maranhão, Brazil. The survey was conducted between July and December 2007 in schools from seven neighborhoods on the outskirts of the western part of the municipality, where for the past three years high densities of immature Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been recorded. The students' knowledge of dengue, its vector, and disease prevention was evaluated by targeted questionnaires. The students with the most comprehensive knowledge were found in schools in the Trizidela neighborhood, which has better social and urban conditions than the other neighborhoods. Moreover, educational campaigns are necessary to reinforce behavioral changes of the population, because the existence of breeding sites in the areas examined was mentioned, especially in the Tamarineiro neighborhood. The survey can be used to assist with new educational activities of local teams working with dengue control. | 8512001 |
4,509,786 | The Well�?Being of Elderly Survivors after Natural Disasters: Measuring the Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 had a devastating impact on the northeastern part of Japan. In a quasi-experimental situation, using panel data collected six months after the earthquake from the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), this study examines the causal effects of the disaster on both the economic and psychological well-being of elderly survivors affected by the earthquake and tsunami. The results show that the subjective well-being of female survivors in their 60s and of those who had high financial assets significantly dropped. However, people in the other age and gender brackets did not exhibit a significant diminishment in their life satisfaction in the aftermath of the earthquake. These latter results may be due partially to the early economic recovery experienced in the surveyed city six months after the earthquake. | 18781001 |
4,509,787 | FIRST MEASUREMENT OF INTERFERENCE FRAGMENTATION ON A TRANSVERSELY POLARIZED HYDROGEN TARGET The HERMES experiment has measured for the first time single target‐spin asymmetries in semi‐inclusive two‐pion production using a transversely polarized hydrogen target. These asymmetries are related to the product of two unknowns, the transversity distribution function and the interference fragmentation function. In the invariant mass range 0.51 GeV < Mπ+π− < 0.97 GeV the measured asymmetry deviates significantly from zero, indicating that two‐pion semi‐inclusive deep‐inelastic scattering can be used to probe transversity. | 102089101 |
4,509,788 | Generating structured fields at microwave frequencies “Structured light” is an emerging research field aiming at obtaining unusual amplitude and phase distributions of an optical beam, with potential applications ranging from manipulation of microscopic particles to communications or imaging systems. Typically confined to optical frequencies, it has recently been extended to microwaves but limited to the generation of an electromagnetic field with orbital angular momentum. In this contribution, we extend the possibility of generating structured fields at microwave frequencies to the case of an electromagnetic field with a Möbius strip polarization state. In particular, by using the cavity model, we analytically show that the required phase and amplitude patterns can be obtained by superimposing the radiated fields generated by different modes of a patch antenna. | 44817651 |
4,509,789 | Parallel Bayesian Model Learning Solving a finite Markov Decision Process using techniques from dynamic programming such as value or policy iteration require a complete model of the environmental dynamics. The distribution of rewards, transition probabilities, states and actions all need to be fully observable, discrete and complete. For many problem domains a complete model containing a full representation of the environmental dynamics may not be readily available. Bayesian model learning is a technique devised for approximating aspects of the environment in the absence of a complete environmental model. Building on observations through interactions within the environment, an agent can build up an approximation of the required missing model. However this approach can often require extensive experience in order to build up an accurate representation of the true values. To address this issue this paper proposes a method for parallelising a Bayesian model learning technique aimed at reducing the time it takes to approximate the missing model. We demonstrate the technique on learning next state transition probabilities without prior knowledge. The approach is general enough for approximating any probabilistically driven component of the model. The solution involves multiple agents learning in parallel on the same task. Agents share probability density estimates amongst each other in an effort to speed up convergence to the true values. | 18578401 |
4,509,790 | THE FUTURE OF MANAGEMENT By Bill Breen and If you do not know Gary Hamel or Bill Breen you should. Gary Hamel is a graduate of the School of Business at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. For this reason it is not a surprise that he was also the graduation speaker at Andrews in May of 2008. What may be more surprising to some of our readers is that he is also one of the world’s most renowned management experts. The Wall Street Journal of May 5, 2008, listed him as #1, ahead of New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and Microsoft chairman Bill Gates. Hamel hones his theories as Visiting Professor of Strategic and International Management at the London Business School, as the director of the Management Innovation Lab and as an international consultant to a wide variety of organizations and corporations. Bill Breen is the founding senior editor of Fast Company, the must-read magazine for many leaders trying to stay in touch with new ideas in leadership, strategy, innovation, and design. The Future of Management shifts a paradigm-changing innovation focus on management itself. For many people innovation means, above all, new products. The current pace of product innovation is overwhelming. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in 2005 alone there were 1.6 million new patent applications worldwide (WIPO Report, 2007). Products not even in existence a few years ago are now shaping the way we live, work, and think. My iPod allows me to carry a collection of music and audio | 16340001 |
4,509,791 | books with me at all times. My laptop gives me access to my aggregated academic work for the last 20 plus years. The Internet allows me instant access to the work of others and to inexhaustible resources that used to be locked up in physical libraries. But as I am writing this paragraph, my son smiles about my glowing admiration of the innovations of yesterday. He has a second generation iPhone. Do I have to explain more? Innovation can also mean new ways of structuring work. A few days ago I participated in the meeting of “Quantum Leap,” a virtual learning group of global leaders in the Andrews University Leadership Program. The eight participants were scattered across three continents, from Hong Kong to Mumbai (India), from Berrien Springs (Michigan) to Berlin (Germany), and from sunny Loma Linda (California) to the plains of Alberta, | 16340001 |
4,509,792 | The Murky Waters of Nurse Practitioners and Medicare Claims. In this issue of Medical Care, Dr Fraze et al1 address the evolving nature of care provided by nurse practitioners (NPs). Most notably, they use a large sample of 2017 Medicare claims to compare the clinical complexity of NP and physician (MD) attributed beneficiaries. Their findings inform the debate among researchers and academics on the optimal use of NPs. Are NPs best used for routine health maintenance of low-risk patients, allowing higher risk patients to shift to physician care? Or, is it better to assign NPs and physicians similarly complex panels? Fraze and colleagues provide largescale evidence on what NPs are already doing. This is particularly relevant in light of the most recent report from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC),2 which describes the increasing severity of the primary care physician shortage and recommends further research on the capacity of the NP workforce to meet the growing needs. To my knowledge, this is the largest claims-based study comparing the complexity of NPand MD-attributed patients. Prior studies used a range of data sources, mainly focused in primary care. Morgan et al3 used data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (2006–2010) and the Veterans Administration (2005–2010),4 and found that NPs treated less complex primary care patients than MDs in both studies. Loresto et al5 analyzed self-reported health measures from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (2007–2013) to find no difference in the medical complexity of NP and MD primary care patients. Others found comparable comorbidity in primary care | 221723251 |
4,509,793 | MD and NP cohorts using 2007–2010 and 2012–2013 Medicare claims.6,7 The Fraze et al study updates these prior findings with a large sample of national 2017 Medicare claims to specifically examine complexity while controlling for other factors. The study also analyzes overall trends and finds an increase in visits to NPs between 2012 and 2017 and that practices owned by health systems are more likely to employ NPs. The most valuable contribution, though, is that NPs may be caring for more complex patients than previously thought. There are, however, some important caveats to their conclusion. Most importantly, the absence of NP specialty designation in claims data is problematic to comparisons across clinician types within primary care. Only about half of all NPs practice in primary care,8 but the single specialty code for NPs in claims does not readily identify which NPs are practicing in primary care. This becomes an issue when attributing patients to providers. Fraze and colleagues determined a relationship between patient and clinician based on the plurality of ambulatory care. Under these conditions, we cannot assume the NP is a primary care provider, but rather is the usual source of care or predominant provider. Making this distinction is essential to the accurate interpretation of the final results. The attribution method is also important to consider. Fraze and colleagues adopted the attribution method used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Medicare Shared Savings Program to assign patients to Accountable Care Organizations. In this method, specialist physicians are allowed to be the usual source | 221723251 |
4,509,794 | of care if there is no predominant generalist physician. In other words, if a beneficiary never saw a generalist physician, they could be attributed to the specialist who provided most of their care. Because NPs do not have specialty designations, this 2-stage approach is not possible for NP beneficiaries. Some beneficiaries were attributed to a specialist NP without first scanning for a generalist predominant provider. The attribution method, then, generates cohorts that are a mix of specialty and primary care, with likely a disproportionate amount of specialty care in the NP cohort relative to the MD cohort. | 221723251 |
4,509,795 | Application of Exponential Jensen Picture Fuzzy Divergence Measure in Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making A divergence measure plays a crucial part in discriminating two probability distributions and drawing inferences constructed on such discrimination. The intention of this study is to propose such a divergence measure based on Jensen inequality and exponential entropy in the settings of probability theory. Further, the idea has been generalized to fuzzy sets to familiarize a novel picture fuzzy divergence measure. Besides proposing the validity, some of its key properties are also deliberated. Finally, two illustrative examples are solved based on the proposed picture fuzzy divergence measure which shows the expediency and effectiveness of the proposed approach. | 88505371 |
4,509,796 | Scattering Length of Thermal and Relativistic Charged Particles in Aperiodic Magnetic Fluctuations We derive an expression for the scattering length λ of ionized particles in an initially unmagnetized plasma (B0 = 0). If λ is small compared to the dimension of the physical system L, the particles will be scattered effectively, which leads to an isotropization of the particle distribution in the physical system. We discuss two applications, nonrelativistic particles in the interstellar medium and highly relativistic particles in the jets of active galactic nuclei. As λ strongly grows with the particle velocity, the ratio λ/L is only small below a critical velocity which is calculated for different cosmic systems. | 119998671 |
4,509,797 | Prevalence and risk factors for allergic rhinitis in bakers in Douala, Cameroon Objective To determine the prevalence and risk factors of allergic rhinitis among bakers in Douala. Design A cross-sectional study; the logistic regression model was use to find the risk factors of allergic rhinitis. Setting The study was conducted in 42 bakeries randomly selected among a total of 151 bakeries in the city of Douala. Participants All bakers who consented to participate in the study between 1 May and 31 July 2013. Outcome measures Allergic rhinitis was the outcome of interest. It was defined as the presence of the following symptoms: itchy nose, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction and sneezing. Results During the study period, a total of 273 bakers were invited and 229 finally agreed to participate in this study. Males were the most represented gender with 222 (96.9%) participants. The mean age of the participants was 36.29±8.9 years. Smoking was found in 55 participants (24.5%). The symptoms of allergic rhinitis were observed in 24.5% of participants. Work related nasal symptoms were present in 15% of participants. Sensitisation to wheat flour and α-amylase was found in 16.6% and 8.3% of participants, respectively. The Prick test was positive for mites in 12.2% of participants. After multivariate analysis, sensitisation to flour (OR 3.95, 95% CI 1.85 to 8.47) and storage mites (OR 3.44, 95% CI 1.45 to 8.18) were the factors independently associated with symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Conclusions Allergic rhinitis is frequent among bakers in Cameroon. Implementation of preventive measures against inhalation of airborne allergens in bakeries | 21604371 |
4,509,798 | and clinical monitoring of bakers sensitised to wheat flour and mites could help to reduce the prevalence of allergic rhinitis among bakers. | 21604371 |
4,509,799 | [The range of pathogen variation due to discussion of different hypotheses of plaque]. The paper reviews the hypotheses that explain the mechanism of plague enzooty in natural foci, which are based on a concept of a wide range of plague microbial variability. A comparative analysis of the parameters of variability in the experimentally obtained plague microbial strains and "atypical" natural isolates of the causative agent has led to the conclusion that the mechanism of adaptive variability is due to a phenotypic change in ontogenesis that reflects the philogenetic pathway of the adaptability of a plague microbe to constantly changing living conditions in the ecological niche assimilated by the causative agent. | 3261621 |
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