In these notes we consider trigonometric solutions to the YB equation related to the quantum affine group U q ( so(N )). Corresponding scattering matrix has both limits mentioned above. In one limit it tends to the rational one and coincides with the exact S−matrix for the O(N ) sigma-model [5] . On the other hand the same S-matrix degenerates to the identity matrix in another limit. The main result of this paper is the construction of the Lagrangian theory whose perturbative expansion describes the vicinity of this free point.

In one limit it tends to the rational one and coincides with the exact S−matrix for the O(N ) sigma-model.


The deformed sigma model can be studied within RG approach [6] . One can use this approach to compare with the data obtained from the Bethe Anzatz method from scattering theory. The agreement of both methods is another justification of the duality. One can study the short distance behavior within this approach and compute classical version of reflection amplitudes and compare them to the limit of exact expressions.

The deformed sigma model can be studied within RG approach.


Swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) has emerged in the last decade as the leading technique for the acquisition of images with a high sensitivity and fast imaging rate [8] . The key enabling technology in this method lies in the frequency tunable light source used as the imaging probe. This light source produces a periodic variation in the output wavelength, which changes the output wavelength over a large bandwidth while remaining spectrally narrow over any short time period. By frequency modulating the probing light in such a manner it is possible to perform a spectral interferometry measurement in order to reconstruct the reflectivity profile of the desired sample, for example biological tissue. With spectral discrimination of the light performed in the temporal domain only a single detector is required, while the imaging rate is determined by the repetition rate of the wavelength sweep. In this configuration, single axial scan imaging rates ranging from several hundred kilohertz up to Megahertz are possible.

Swept source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) has emerged in the last decade as the leading technique for the acquisition of images with a high sensitivity and fast imaging rate.


VCSEL devices are suited to imaging applications for a number of reasons. By incorporating the top dielectric mirror of the device with a MEMs based actuator the cavity length of the device, and thus the emission wavelength, can be rapidly varied. A VCSEL micro-cavity can be engineered to only support a single cavity mode within the bandwidth of the gain region, ensuring highly coherent single wavelength emission across a bandwidth of 100 nm or more [15] , [16] . These three properties (wide bandwidth, high coherence, and fast tuning) are important elements in the formation of high resolution, real-time volumetric images.

A VCSEL micro-cavity can be engineered to only support a single cavity mode within the bandwidth of the gain region, ensuring highly coherent single wavelength emission across a bandwidth of 100 nm or more.


However, the prevalence of malnutrition in Vietnam still remains high. Prevalence of underweight among children under five in 2005 was 25.2% [3] . There is also an especially high prevalence of underweight children located in remote rural areas with the rates of 35.8% in the Central Highlands, 32.8% in the Northwest, 31.7% in the North Central region and 29.8% in the Northeast regions. Additionally, within each region, and even within the same province, the prevalence of malnutrition varies across cities, towns, and rural areas, as well as among ethnic groups. The problem of malnutrition in children less than 5 years old was also popular in surrounding countries of Vietnam. In Lao PDR, the rate of stunting was found to be 48%, wasting rate was 10% and underweight rate was 44% in a study published in 1996 [4] . Another study about malnutrition among ethnic children in China in 1995 showed that stunting rate was 51% and underweight rate was 18.9% [5] .

Prevalence of underweight among children under five in 2005 was 25.2%.

In Lao PDR, the rate of stunting was found to be 48%, wasting rate was 10% and underweight rate was 44% in a study published in 1996.

Another study about malnutrition among ethnic children in China in 1995 showed that stunting rate was 51% and underweight rate was 18.9%.


In summary, identifying gene environment interactions and modifiable risk factors interacting with the genes in the OCM is a valuable measure in cancer prevention [50] . Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the gene-environmental factors affecting the risks of BC in a diverse sample. In this study, we used three phases of data analyses: data visualization and identification, data reduction, and model building to validate the predictive models [51] [52] [53] [54] . We used the ensemble method and generalized regression (GR) models to cross-validate the prediction results [55] [56] [57] [58] .

In summary, identifying gene environment interactions and modifiable risk factors interacting with the genes in the OCM is a valuable measure in cancer prevention.

In this study, we used three phases of data analyses: data visualization and identification, data reduction, and model building to validate the predictive models.

We used the ensemble method and generalized regression (GR) models to cross-validate the prediction results.


However, significant differences in mean power in the concentric phase of unstable compared with stable resistance exercises were only found when lifting heavier weights ( 60% 1rM) [13] . Video analysis showed that concentric muscle action did not occur immediately after the eccentric phase as participants had to stabilize their own body on the unstable support surface [13] . It HUMAN MOVEMENT was hypothesized that most of the stored energy dissipates and is lost as heat and the stretch reflex fails to be activated. However, whether this effect is indeed due to the compromised ability to reuse elastic energy during countermovement (CM) resistance exercise on unstable surface needs to be proven. This effect was assumed to be evident only during CM resistance exercises performed throughout the full range of motion (rOM). Verification of this hypothesis was performed by comparing mean power during concentric-only and CM bench press with different ranges of motion on stable and unstable surfaces.

However, significant differences in mean power in the concentric phase of unstable compared with stable resistance exercises were only found when lifting heavier weights ( 60% 1rM).

Video analysis showed that concentric muscle action did not occur immediately after the eccentric phase as participants had to stabilize their own body on the unstable support surface.


Concept comprehension is a group of changes in the behavior of students who are affected by the intellectual capability that includes several levels; remembering (C1), understanding (C2) apply (C3), analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creates (C6) (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) . Every student has different levels of ability in understanding concepts, even if they learn the same material and from the same lecturer. This difference results in the various skill levels among students, which can create misconception toward the concept that is being learned. In fact, the acid-base and argentometric titrations have been learned by students in high school and Basic Chemistry course. However, it does not guarantee that there will not be misconceptions. Thus, conducting a test using multiple choices with reasons was done to identify whether there was any misconception among students. The eighteen questions given were categorized into two different groups, as can be seen in Table 3 .

Concept comprehension is a group of changes in the behavior of students who are affected by the intellectual capability that includes several levels; remembering (C1), understanding (C2) apply (C3), analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creates (C6).


In the literature, the behavior of the lac operon is generally modeled by using ordinary differential equations (ODEs) derived from enzyme kinetics [3, 4, 7, 8] . The delay-time ordinary differential equation systems and stochastic models are also presented in the literature [4] . In the deterministic models, the reaction rates are expressed as the time derivatives of molecule concentrations. The resulting systems of ODEs defining the lac operon become nonlinear, or more precisely rational functions of molecule concentrations when MichaelisMenten and/or Hill approaches are used to model enzyme kinetics [3, 4, [6] [7] [8] [9] . Although they are nonlinear, ODE models are quite efficient for numerical and also theoretical analyses. The stochastic models that are introduced for low molecule concentrations are derived usually either by choosing reaction rates as random variables in terms of the numbers of molecules or by introducing a noise term to the ODE models [9] . The stochastic models suffer from high computational costs; however, they can be preferred especially for modeling the interactions involving small numbers of molecules and the spontaneous transitions between the induced and uninduced states.

In the literature, the behavior of the lac operon is generally modeled by using ordinary differential equations (ODEs) derived from enzyme kinetics.

The delay-time ordinary differential equation systems and stochastic models are also presented in the literature.

The resulting systems of ODEs defining the lac operon become nonlinear, or more precisely rational functions of molecule concentrations when MichaelisMenten and/or Hill approaches are used to model enzyme kinetics.

The stochastic models that are introduced for low molecule concentrations are derived usually either by choosing reaction rates as random variables in terms of the numbers of molecules or by introducing a noise term to the ODE models.


Lung transplantation (LTx) is an established therapeutic option for selected patients experiencing end-stage lung disease when all other therapeutic options have been exhausted. Donor organ shortage and high early mortality as a result of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) still remain as major limitations and challenges in this field [1] [2] [3] . As a consequence of these difficulties, a number of different strategies have been used to increase the organ availability. Among these are extended-criteria organ donors, adoption of donor management protocols, livingrelated lobar transplantation, surgical downsizing of donor lungs, ex vivo lung perfusion and donation after circulatory determined death (DCD) [4] [5] [6] [7] .

Donor organ shortage and high early mortality as a result of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) still remain as major limitations and challenges in this field.

Among these are extended-criteria organ donors, adoption of donor management protocols, livingrelated lobar transplantation, surgical downsizing of donor lungs, ex vivo lung perfusion and donation after circulatory determined death (DCD).


Heat shock proteins (HSP) are overexpressed in a broad range of human tumors and play crucial roles in tumor invasion, metastasis, cell proliferation, differentiation and death (for a review see ref [1] ). In the past years HSP have attracted much attention as tumorspecific recognition structures for natural killer (NK) cells (summarized in refs [2, 3] ). HSP are highly conserved proteins inhabiting nearly all subcellular compartments. Environmental stress as well as differentiation, proliferation, and maturation result in an increased HSP synthesis [4, 5] . Depending on their location, HSP either exert immune activation as danger signals in cancer immunity or protect cells from lethal damage induced by exogenous stress stimuli. Intracellularly, HSP function as molecular chaperones supporting folding and transport of a great variety of polypeptides and proteins under both, physiological conditions and following chemical or physical stress stimuli [6] . Hsp70, the major stress-inducible heat shock protein, is able to protect cells from a wide range of apoptotic and necrotic stimuli [7, 8] . This cell survival results from the inhibitory function of Hsp70 on lysosomal membrane permeabilization [9] . In contrast, extracellular or plasma membrane-bound HSP combined with pro-inflammatory cytokines have been found to elicit a potent anti-cancer immune response mediated either by the adaptive or innate immune system [10] . This review will focus briefly on the immunological roles of extracellular and membrane-bound HSP acting as potent stimulators of an immune response against cancer. We further present experimental evidence for the anti-tumoral activity of IL-2/TKD-activated NK cells in animal models. In a phase I clinical trial the adoptive transfer of ex vivo stimulated autologous NK cells in patients with progressive colorectal and non-small cell lung carcinoma, refractory to standard therapy, was found to be safe, feasible and well tolerated. Our data might thus have future clinical implications with respect to the development of an NK cell-based immunological approach as an adjuvant therapy for patients with progressive tumor disease and a high risk for developing distant metastases.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are overexpressed in a broad range of human tumors and play crucial roles in tumor invasion, metastasis, cell proliferation, differentiation and death (for a review see ref).

In the past years HSP have attracted much attention as tumorspecific recognition structures for natural killer (NK) cells (summarized in refs).

Environmental stress as well as differentiation, proliferation, and maturation result in an increased HSP synthesis.

Intracellularly, HSP function as molecular chaperones supporting folding and transport of a great variety of polypeptides and proteins under both, physiological conditions and following chemical or physical stress stimuli.

Hsp70, the major stress-inducible heat shock protein, is able to protect cells from a wide range of apoptotic and necrotic stimuli.

This cell survival results from the inhibitory function of Hsp70 on lysosomal membrane permeabilization.

In contrast, extracellular or plasma membrane-bound HSP combined with pro-inflammatory cytokines have been found to elicit a potent anti-cancer immune response mediated either by the adaptive or innate immune system.


In the last Model (4), where the Principles of ethical values is added as an independent variable, R2 increased by 0.023 (the variance explained increased by 2.3%), and this increase is statistically significant (p < 0.0005). As such, the addition of the Principles of ethical values to the prediction of the Aggregate of virtues (Model 4) resulted in a statistically significant increase in R2 of 0.023 and F(1.220) = 50.757, p < 0.0005. The importance of this topic pertains to the recent changes in the Egyptian labour market which occupy a tremendous space not only in the Egyptian social discourse but also in various international social media outlets. The Egyptian labour market in which men used to have superiority, authority and domination has lately witnessed an increasing active partici-pation of Egyptian women, especially with an increasing number of success stories of Egyptian female managers, entrepreneurs and executives in both public and private organisations (Mousa & Abdelgaffar, 2017) . It is obvious that masculinity-oriented tendency, uncertain work environment, changing job roles, and social class discrimination that many Egyptians face did not curb Egyptian women from penetrating the labour market there.

The Egyptian labour market in which men used to have superiority, authority and domination has lately witnessed an increasing active partici-pation of Egyptian women, especially with an increasing number of success stories of Egyptian female managers, entrepreneurs and executives in both public and private organisations.


To our knowledge, this study is among the first to use objective and continuous measures of sedentary behavior and glucose levels in a group of adults with T2DM over multiple days. Our findings add to the literature about the relationship between time spent sedentary and time spent in hyperglycemia. These findings are of special interest because recent evidence suggests that patients with T2DM are more sedentary than their nondiabetic age-and sex-matched counterparts (Cichosz et al., 2013) . For patients with T2DM, our findings offer considerable possibilities for the development of individualized interventions aimed at decreasing the amount of time spent in hyperglycemia by reducing sedentary time.

These findings are of special interest because recent evidence suggests that patients with T2DM are more sedentary than their nondiabetic age-and sex-matched counterparts.


In this paper a thorough performance analysis of dualhop wireless communications systems with fixed gain relays is presented. A novel closed form expression for the moments of the end-to-end output SNR is derived. Based on this formula, the outage performance and the average error probability for binary coherent and non-coherent modulation schemes are studied, using the well-known moment-generating function (MGF) approach [14] . The proposed method for the evaluation of the MGF is based on the Pade approximants theory. Moreover, an alternative integral representation for the outage probability of the considered system is presented. A new closedform expression is derived for the gain of previously proposed semi-blind relays. These formulae are used in numerical and computer simulations results, to verify the correctness of the presented mathematical analysis. Our results incorporate similar others available in the open technical literature, such as those for Nakagami-m fading channels.

Based on this formula, the outage performance and the average error probability for binary coherent and non-coherent modulation schemes are studied, using the well-known moment-generating function (MGF) approach.


Our identification strategy relies on 'medium-run' identification. It might appear that the natural identification of the sentiment shock would make use of a 'long-run' restriction, namely that it has no long-run impact on output or forecasts. We prefer the method here as several papers have emphasized that long-run restrictions are problematic in VARs of finite order, where the coefficient estimates are biased (Faust and Leeper, 1997) . Medium-run identification has shown better behavior in finite samples (Francis et al., 2014) .

We prefer the method here as several papers have emphasized that long-run restrictions are problematic in VARs of finite order, where the coefficient estimates are biased.

Medium-run identification has shown better behavior in finite samples.


The surprise TFP innovation signals a deviation in TFP from trend of about 0.8%. The effects of the shock die out slowly, with TFP decreasing but staying significantly above trend for 12 quarters. The responses of other domestic variables to this shock are consistent with other empirical investigations (Basu, Fernald, and Kimball, 2006; Barsky and Sims, 2011) . Output increases temporarily before falling below trend after two years. Consumption stays constant on impact, and declines with output.

The responses of other domestic variables to this shock are consistent with other empirical investigations.


Specifications using observable behavior let us describe objects in an abstract way, describing properties by extracting information from the history. Furthermore, we can model object behavior in a constructive graphical way with trace patterns. From such graphical specifications, the step to implementation in a state-based guarded command language is straightforward. Much work has been done on developing useful graphical specification notations, for instance with Statecharts, Petri nets, and UML, and on their formalization. Interestingly, there is also work on graphical representations of formal notations, an example being Actor specification diagrams [47] . Our trace patterns try to visualize behavior and could perhaps be expressed graphically in a similar way.

Interestingly, there is also work on graphical representations of formal notations, an example being Actor specification diagrams.


The breakthrough is a recent work by Berman and Berndtsson [1] . They first proved that Mabuchi's functional is weakly convex(without continuity) along any C 1,1 geodesic. Their beautiful idea is based on the Bergman kernel approximation and the subharmonicity of log-Bergman kernels first due to Yamaguchi. Later they improved this work and proved the continuity.

The breakthrough is a recent work by Berman and Berndtsson.


We have examined the particle count rate modulation observed upstream of the bow shock by the Cluster-CIS experiment. Previous studies on particle modulation observed upstream of the bow shock suggested possibilities of particle wave-trapping resulting from a very coherent interaction between waves and particles (Fuselier et al., 1986c; Meziane et al., 2001; Mazelle et al., 2003) . We have conducted detailed analyses on both protons and the associated waves that are responsible for the count rate modulations.

Previous studies on particle modulation observed upstream of the bow shock suggested possibilities of particle wave-trapping resulting from a very coherent interaction between waves and particles.


There are many worldwide researchers conducting studies to develop efficient methods to improve operational performance (OP). As competition move from organizations to supply chains, the term of supply chain management (SCM) has become popular. The implementation of SCM practices is considered as a base for improvement of OP (Li et al., 2005) .

The implementation of SCM practices is considered as a base for improvement of OP.


Second, the practice of supplier management is both directly related to OP and indirectly through the relationship with process control and improvement. Nowadays, buying quality materials at a reasonable price becomes more and more difficult. To increase the effectiveness of purchasing, supplier management plays an extremely important role (Yeung, 2008; Easton and Jarrell, 1998) . Different from the traditional view, many suppliers are chosen to have the cheapest price. Supplier management practice relies on a few suppliers and develops the long-term relationship with them. As a result, firm will have the stable supply, reduce the variance in price and processes as well as improve OP. The study also confirms the relation of top management support to supplier management. It means that supplier management is a mediating factor in the relationship between top management support and OP. By selecting qualified suppliers and providing the best conditions for them to participate in daily activities, top management helps to increase efficiency of supplier management that will result in improving OP.

To increase the effectiveness of purchasing, supplier management plays an extremely important role.


Upon arrival, pilots were given the instructions and consent and demographics forms. Once in the flight simulator, the experimenter reviewed the flight simulator controls and displays with the pilot, and each pilot was given the opportunity to practice flying the simulator and responding to sample terrain, traffic, and weather alerts in both the integrated and separate display conditions. The pilot sat in the left seat and had the role of pilot flying and the experimenter was the first officer. The experimenter instructed the pilot that his tasks were to fly to the specifications given to him at the beginning of each of the 12 scenarios and to respond to any alerts. Tasks included flying to target airspeed, heading, and altitudes. Their responses to the alerts were measured along with their response times. The pilots were instructed to first respond to the alert by announcing the category type. The experimenter recorded their response. The experimenter also manually recorded when they had resolved the situation. The pilots worked under high workload conditions given that they hand-flew an unfamiliar aircraft with manual throttles in a mountainous area, usually under poor visibility conditions. The only available information was the out-the-window view of the environment, a primary flight display (PFD) with heading, airspeed, altitude, radio altitude, attitude direction indicator (ADI), and the main ANCOA displays, the Message Alerting and External Situation Awareness (MAESA) display and the 3D aural display. At the conclusion of each scenario, pilots were given a short post-scenario questionnaire and the NASA-TLX workload rating scale (Hart & Staveland, 1988) . At the end of the experiment, subjects were given a postexperiment questionnaire and debriefed. The entire experiment was videotaped and lasted about 3.5 -4 hours per subject.

At the conclusion of each scenario, pilots were given a short post-scenario questionnaire and the NASA-TLX workload rating scale.


In comparison to the types of materials, oxides appear to have the longest stable time. Due to the abundance of the hydroxyl group on their surface, oxide is well suited to be modified by both surfactant and silane [115, 125, 130] . In existing reports, there was only one non-oxide nanoparticle additive suspended for more than 1 month [24] . This was made possible by adding surfactant to modify the precursors of WS 2 nanoparticles with oleyamin. This may suggest that the difficulty in forming a stable dispersion with non-oxide particles can be solved with suitable surface modification methods.

Due to the abundance of the hydroxyl group on their surface, oxide is well suited to be modified by both surfactant and silane.

In existing reports, there was only one non-oxide nanoparticle additive suspended for more than 1 month.


In recent years, the demand for wood resources has gradually increased, but natural forestry is protected in China [1] . Therefore, people need an alternative to wood. Bamboo has the characteristics of fast growth, high yield, and good mechanical properties [2, 3] . Therefore, bamboo can be used instead of wood in some fields. Due to the unique appearance of bamboo, its products are already being used by people as decorative materials in buildings; however, the flammability of bamboo leads to its limited use in indoor environments. Thus, flame-retardant bamboo material is important.

In recent years, the demand for wood resources has gradually increased, but natural forestry is protected in China.

Bamboo has the characteristics of fast growth, high yield, and good mechanical properties.


Our study has a number of strengths and limitations. Strengths include the large sample size, multiple measures of body size, and the laboratory techniques for arsenic speciation, characterized by low limits of detection. Similar to other studies on arsenic metabolism, we are limited by the absence of data on arsenic species intake and routes of exposure. However, it is likely that the primary arsenic exposure for our population is inorganic arsenic from drinking water and that MMA and DMA observed in urine are mainly from metabolized inorganic arsenic [49] . The lack of data on arsenic species concentrations within the body, for instance in blood or adipose tissue, also limits pharmacokinetic inferences. This is a cross-sectional study, and the direction of the association is uncertain. Study designs with longitudinal data might enable evaluating the direction of the association and the impact of changes in body mass index in arsenic metabolism. Genetic advances characterizing arsenic metabolism could potentially enable Mendelian randomization studies of arsenic metabolism and adiposity [69] . Unmeasured confounding is possible. However, since these are large-magnitude associations, the unmeasured variables would need to be highly aliased with body size and with arsenic metabolite proportions to explain the observed associations. Fat-soluble chemicals for instance are strongly related to adiposity, but their relationship to arsenic metabolism is unknown.

However, it is likely that the primary arsenic exposure for our population is inorganic arsenic from drinking water and that MMA and DMA observed in urine are mainly from metabolized inorganic arsenic.

Genetic advances characterizing arsenic metabolism could potentially enable Mendelian randomization studies of arsenic metabolism and adiposity.

Unmeasured confounding is possible.


Although non-significant, we detected an increase in the number of households by 152 over the last two decades and a decline in the number of herds by 75 after Cordyceps collection (Table 1 ). The increase in household numbers and decline in herd numbers may not necessarily be due to legalization but can be attributed to two other possible reasons. Firstly, the increase in household numbers is probably attributable to the customary practice of traditional rural families in Bhutan of dividing land between the family members, with each generation inheriting consecutively smaller patches of land (Wangchuk et al. 2014) . The new houses built on inherited land results in the increase in number of households over the years. Secondly, informal discussions revealed that, due to better economic opportunities elsewhere and increasing difficulty in yak farming, there are cases of some herding families giving up yak farming and migrating to urban areas in the recent years. The herds were often sold to fellow herders, which might explain the consequent decline in the total number of herds without a decline in overall yak numbers, while individual herd sizes may have increased.

Firstly, the increase in household numbers is probably attributable to the customary practice of traditional rural families in Bhutan of dividing land between the family members, with each generation inheriting consecutively smaller patches of land.


Because of the importance of precipitation to the mechanical properties, it is not surprising that considerable work has been performed to model it in terms of pertinent nucleation, growth, and coarsening phenomena . A number of efforts have focused on γ-γ′ superalloys in particular, primarily for the isothermal heat treatment of alloys with 2, 3, or 4 components [25] [26] [27] [28] [29] . Several investigations have also examined the more complex case of continuous cooling of multi-component commercial alloys [30] [31] [32] [33] [34] [35] [36] . Furthermore, classical deterministic analyses of precipitation have been complemented by more-detailed statistical treatments such as those based on the phasefield method, e.g., references [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] . Although computationally more intensive, these approaches are often used to quantify those conditions under which precipitates evolve from a spheroidal to a cuboidal shape as they grow large. Thus, they can provide better quantitative predictions of the size of large precipitates than classical analyses that assume spheroidal growth only.

A number of efforts have focused on γ-γ′ superalloys in particular, primarily for the isothermal heat treatment of alloys with 2, 3, or 4 components.

Several investigations have also examined the more complex case of continuous cooling of multi-component commercial alloys.

Furthermore, classical deterministic analyses of precipitation have been complemented by more-detailed statistical treatments such as those based on the phasefield method, e.g., references.


The principal strengthening precipitates in nickel-base superalloys consist of the ordered fcc gamma-prime (γ′) and ordered body-centered tetragonal (bct) gammadouble-prime (γ″) phases [1] [2] [3] . The former are commonly found in all three types of alloys (IM, PM, IC) and have a composition of Ni 3 X, in which X = Al, Ti, Ta, and Nb. The latter precipitates are most common in IM materials such superalloy 718 and have a composition of Ni 3 Nb. Alloy 718 often has additional, coarser Ni 3 Nb delta (δ) precipitates (with an orthorhombic crystal structure) that form at higher temperatures and are used primarily to control the size of the γ grains.

The principal strengthening precipitates in nickel-base superalloys consist of the ordered fcc gamma-prime (γ′) and ordered body-centered tetragonal (bct) gammadouble-prime (γ″) phases.


In the REACH Registry, all major CV event rates increased with the number of vascular disease, ranging from 12.6% for patients with single, 21.1% for patients with double, and 26.3% for patients with triple vascular disease during 1-year follow up [6] . Furthermore, among patients with atherothrombosis, those with a prior history of myocardial infarction or stroke at baseline had the higher rate of subsequent ischemic events (18.3%) than those with a stable CAD, CVD, or PAD at baseline (12.2%) during 4-year follow up [7] . In the present study, in Taiwanese patients with atherothrombotic disease, we consistently found the subsequent adverse CV events including ACS, all stroke, vascular procedures, and in hospital mortality were progressively increased as the increase of atherothrombotic disease score.

In the REACH Registry, all major CV event rates increased with the number of vascular disease, ranging from 12.6% for patients with single, 21.1% for patients with double, and 26.3% for patients with triple vascular disease during 1-year follow up.

Furthermore, among patients with atherothrombosis, those with a prior history of myocardial infarction or stroke at baseline had the higher rate of subsequent ischemic events (18.3%) than those with a stable CAD, CVD, or PAD at baseline (12.2%) during 4-year follow up.


The existing mathematical models of biogas produce differ in a set of state variables that are taken into account during their calculation and in the type and order of equations on which they are based [5] , [7] , [9] , [12] . The simplest models are based on algebraic equations that allow predicting the dynamics of methane producing. However, these simple models do not always give an adequate prediction because their equations are based on empirical relationships under specific conditions. Model prediction becomes meaningless outside of these conditions. More complex models are based on Cauchy problems for systems of ordinary differential equations and on initial-boundary value problems for differential equations in partial derivatives. The latter describe not only the dynamics of the number of substances but also their spatial distribution. These complex models are based on fundamental studies of biochemical reactions and contain more state variables, so their forecast is adequate in wide limits of changing conditions of the process. However, despite their universality, the application field of complex models is limited. This is due to the fact that the problem of their identification is very complex and is solved only under laboratory conditions, so the mentioned models require to be updated for modelling industrial processes characterised by significant uncertainty [5] .

The existing mathematical models of biogas produce differ in a set of state variables that are taken into account during their calculation and in the type and order of equations on which they are based.

This is due to the fact that the problem of their identification is very complex and is solved only under laboratory conditions, so the mentioned models require to be updated for modelling industrial processes characterised by significant uncertainty.


With an increase in the amounts of organic waste, the methods of their processing should be studied. Today about 140 thousand hectares of land area in Ukraine are occupied by landfills, which hold more than 38 billion tons of solid waste. Only 3 % of such waste is utilised or processed [2] .

Only 3 % of such waste is utilised or processed.


Because rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome are higher in shift workers than in those who only work during the day, shift workers are often referred to as an 'at risk' group [2] . This is confirmed by our recent systematic review, which found that the risks of cardiovascular events and coronary heart disease mortality were 17 and 26% higher, respectively, in shift workers than in non-shift workers [3] . Furthermore, there was a dose-response relationship, with a 7% increased risk of cardiovascular disease for every additional 5 years of shift work [3] . Data from a prospective cohort study of 74,862 nurses also show that cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality are significantly higher in nurses who have worked night shifts for more than 5 years, than in those who never worked night shifts [4] .

Because rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome are higher in shift workers than in those who only work during the day, shift workers are often referred to as an 'at risk' group.

This is confirmed by our recent systematic review, which found that the risks of cardiovascular events and coronary heart disease mortality were 17 and 26% higher, respectively, in shift workers than in non-shift workers.

Furthermore, there was a dose-response relationship, with a 7% increased risk of cardiovascular disease for every additional 5 years of shift work.

Data from a prospective cohort study of 74,862 nurses also show that cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality are significantly higher in nurses who have worked night shifts for more than 5 years, than in those who never worked night shifts.


Recently advances in smart microsensors and microelectronics contributed to the development of devices with reduced size and low energy consumption. This development encouraged researchers to innovate in the field of energy sources in order to overcome the use of batteries. Given that the technological evolutions of batteries were relatively slow during the last decade, use of piezoelectric devices as energy harvesters (EHs) has progressively attracted attention of researchers. Indeed, many studies indicate the feasibility of using piezoelectric materials as power sources at different scales [1] [2] [3] .

Indeed, many studies indicate the feasibility of using piezoelectric materials as power sources at different scales.


The utilization of raw glycerol as a feedstock for the establishment of bio-refineries can represent an alternative and "environmentally friendly" strategy, aiming to improve the economics of biodiesel industry, as well as to confront with the ongoing increment of glycerol waste streams. Raw glycerol constitutes a versatile carbon source with many possible applications in industrial microbial cultivations, due to its low cost and its wide availability [3] . Therefore, the development of technological processes to convert low priced glycerol into higher value products constitutes an excellent opportunity to add value to the production of biodiesel [4] .

Raw glycerol constitutes a versatile carbon source with many possible applications in industrial microbial cultivations, due to its low cost and its wide availability.

Therefore, the development of technological processes to convert low priced glycerol into higher value products constitutes an excellent opportunity to add value to the production of biodiesel.


The potentiality of crude glycerol valorization without the need of additional treatment and purification steps is considered as a major challenge in order to confront the disposal of tremendous quantities of biodiesel-derived glycerol wastes globally [5] . However, although utilization of raw glycerol in the culture medium without prior purification offers a remarkable advantage against the traditional use of pure glycerol as substrate, only few reports have appeared in the literature on the use of this substrate as carbon source [6] . The raw glycerol obtained from biodiesel synthesis usually presents 55-90% of purity. The rest of the raw glycerol consists of unconverted triglycerides, unconverted methanol or ethanol, biodiesel, soaps and contamination [7] .

The potentiality of crude glycerol valorization without the need of additional treatment and purification steps is considered as a major challenge in order to confront the disposal of tremendous quantities of biodiesel-derived glycerol wastes globally.

However, although utilization of raw glycerol in the culture medium without prior purification offers a remarkable advantage against the traditional use of pure glycerol as substrate, only few reports have appeared in the literature on the use of this substrate as carbon source.

The rest of the raw glycerol consists of unconverted triglycerides, unconverted methanol or ethanol, biodiesel, soaps and contamination.


On the other hand, microorganisms have the ability to upgrade low protein organic materials (as waste materials or relatively simple carbohydrates) to high protein food, and this has exploited on by industry [8] . Four types of microorganisms are used to produce biomass: bacteria, yeasts, fungi and algae. Yeasts were the first microorganisms known, the best studied and generally best accepted by consumers [9] . Yeast biomass can be used for protein supplementation of a staple diet by replacing costly conventional sources like soymeal and fishmeal to alleviate the problem of protein scarcity. Moreover, the bioconversion of agricultural and industrial wastes to protein-rich food has an additional benefit of making the final product cheaper [10] . Yeast biomass has many applications in food and feed industries as it has high content of protein, high percentage of essential amino acids and other nutrients [11] . Yeasts are important as a raw material for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, in addition to being an excellent source of nutrients, mainly proteins, vitamins of the B complex and essential minerals [12] .

On the other hand, microorganisms have the ability to upgrade low protein organic materials (as waste materials or relatively simple carbohydrates) to high protein food, and this has exploited on by industry.

Yeasts were the first microorganisms known, the best studied and generally best accepted by consumers.

Moreover, the bioconversion of agricultural and industrial wastes to protein-rich food has an additional benefit of making the final product cheaper.

Yeast biomass has many applications in food and feed industries as it has high content of protein, high percentage of essential amino acids and other nutrients.

Yeasts are important as a raw material for the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, in addition to being an excellent source of nutrients, mainly proteins, vitamins of the B complex and essential minerals.


If G = G m is a torus, we take the absolute logarithmic Weil height to be the canonical height on G. If G is an elliptic curve, the canonical height on G is understood to be the Néron-Tate height h : G(Q) → [0, ∞). For the definitions and basic properties of these heights, we refer to Bombieri and Gubler's book [9] . Our Néron-Tate height is twice the height used by Silverman in §9, Chapter VIII [30] . The canonical height is well-defined modulo torsion, i.e. it factors through to a mapping G(Q)/G(Q) tors → [0, ∞). We observe that the group G(Q)/G(Q) tors is divisible and torsion free. Thus it carries the structure of a Q-vector space. If G = G m , then the canonical height is a norm on this vector space. In the case of an elliptic curve, its square root h 1/2 is one.

For the definitions and basic properties of these heights, we refer to Bombieri and Gubler's book.

Our Néron-Tate height is twice the height used by Silverman in §9, Chapter VIII.


The fields K ab , Q (d) and Q tr have the Bogomolov property relative to G [3] , [5] , [8] , [10] , [7] , [28] , [34] . It is an open question, posed in more general form by Amoroso, David, and Zannier [2, Problem 1.4], whether (K (d) ) ab has the Bogomolov property with respect to G. Recently, the second-named author established another class of fields having the Bogomolov property [15] . If G is an elliptic curve defined over Q then the field generated over Q by G(Q) tors has the Bogomolov property with respect to the torus and G.

The fields K ab , Q (d) and Q tr have the Bogomolov property relative to G.

It is an open question, posed in more general form by Amoroso, David, and Zannier [2, Problem 1.4], whether (K (d) ) ab has the Bogomolov property with respect to G. Recently, the second-named author established another class of fields having the Bogomolov property.


In the non-CM case the curve E has supersingular reduction at infinitely many primes by a theorem of Elkies [13] . In the CM case we have infinitely many admissible primes by more classical results. In both cases we obtain a sequence of points with small Néron-Tate height which are sufficient for Theorem 1.2.

In the non-CM case the curve E has supersingular reduction at infinitely many primes by a theorem of Elkies.


The study has several limitations. First, we relied on a simple, one-armed prospective design, because randomization was not possible due to structural reasons. To validate the explorative finding that the matching procedure (matching treatment condition to syndrome profile) is appropriate, future studies will need a control condition in which patients are randomly matched to treatment conditions. Second, many patients were lost to follow-up. Although we found that most data were missing at random, this is a source of potential bias. Possibly, high rates of comorbidity might have contributed to dropout rates. Third, although the quality of assessments was highly prioritized at study planning (i.e., we chose clinical interviews and validated psychometric assessments), over the course of the study, DSM-5 criteria defining IGD and an international consensus on how to assess these criteria were published (Petry et al., 2014) . Because at that time, more than 50% of our patients were already enrolled, we decided to keep the assessment battery as originally envisaged. We measured several aspects of IUD pathology; however, IGD was not assessed precisely. A methodological limitation concerns the fact that the KPC and the AICA-S were only assessed at two observations. This limits the applicability of HLM to random-intercept-fixed-slope models. Furthermore, the follow-up period of 6 months is relatively short. Therefore, predictions about long-term effects of the IDCT treatment cannot be made. Finally, we do not have any information about therapeutic processes and their effects on outcome, i.e., the number of sessions, the models of treatment, or the psychotherapy techniques used, because only referral was standardized within the IDCT but not the treatment itself. Future trials should use a randomized controlled design to assess treatment effectiveness, standardize the treatment conditions, control for comorbidities, e.g., by implementing a SCID module, and assess IGD as recommended by the international consensus.

The study has several limitations.

Third, although the quality of assessments was highly prioritized at study planning (i.e., we chose clinical interviews and validated psychometric assessments), over the course of the study, DSM-5 criteria defining IGD and an international consensus on how to assess these criteria were published.


Although conclusions with regard to causation are limited, constipation is prevalent in patients with SMI and associated with a decreased quality of life. In addition, constipation may lead to severe complications and SMI patients usually face delay in diagnosis and treatment of somatic comorbidity [6, 7] . Thus, the burden of constipation makes early recognition and treatment of constipation of clinical importance. This study shows the importance of alertness on constipation in all elderly SMI patients. Possible solutions on reducing the incidence and complications of constipation could be creating more awareness and thereby earlier recognition of constipation and stimulating healthier lifestyle. Treatment options of constipation include lifestyle modifications, the use of laxatives, and cessation/dose-reduction of contributing medication [9] .

In addition, constipation may lead to severe complications and SMI patients usually face delay in diagnosis and treatment of somatic comorbidity.

Treatment options of constipation include lifestyle modifications, the use of laxatives, and cessation/dose-reduction of contributing medication.


Over the past decade, numerous RAM-efficient mapping schemes have been proposed, as captured by a recent survey [14] . Flash-resident page-associative schemes, particularly DFTL and LazyFTL, have been acknowledged as the most efficient among the schemes [6, 13, 14] . Such schemes store a page-associative mapping table in flash, and cache frequently accessed entries in the available RAM.

Over the past decade, numerous RAM-efficient mapping schemes have been proposed, as captured by a recent survey.

Flash-resident page-associative schemes, particularly DFTL and LazyFTL, have been acknowledged as the most efficient among the schemes.


Scheduling with runtime metrics such as the runtime speedup of parallel applications in multiprogrammed workloads has been investigated in related work [8, 9] . Our algorithms also use runtime metrics to improve scheduling decisions, however they focus on memory bandwidth consumption, a specific aspect of system performance, with a farther goal of maximizing system throughput. This paper is organized as follows: Section 2 outlines the software and hardware configuration of our experimental platform. In Section 3 we present experimental results which indicate that cache affinity is not as important as bus bandwidth consumption for the performance of multiprogrammed SMPs. Section 4 introduces B 2 ARR and B 2 ADSS, two bus bandwidth-aware scheduling algorithms. In Section 5 we provide experimental evidence on the efficiency of the new algorithms. Finally, Section 6 concludes the paper.

Scheduling with runtime metrics such as the runtime speedup of parallel applications in multiprogrammed workloads has been investigated in related work.

Finally, Section 6 concludes the paper.


The infraorbital foramen (IOF) is situated bilaterally on the maxillary bone. This foramen is directed inferormedially and through it passes the nerve and vessels of the same name. The infraorbital nerve is the continuation of the maxillary nerve. It then breaks into branches that supply the skin of the upper cheek, the mucosa of the maxillary sinus, the maxillary incisor, canine, and premolar teeth and adjacent upper gingivae, the skin and conjunctiva of the inferior eyelid, part of the nose, and the skin and mucosa of the upper lip [1] .

It then breaks into branches that supply the skin of the upper cheek, the mucosa of the maxillary sinus, the maxillary incisor, canine, and premolar teeth and adjacent upper gingivae, the skin and conjunctiva of the inferior eyelid, part of the nose, and the skin and mucosa of the upper lip.


There may be an accessory branch of the infraorbital nerve that passes through the accessory infra-orbital foramen [3] . Knowledge regarding this accessory foramen is scare. The foramen should be taken care of during various interventions in this region.

There may be an accessory branch of the infraorbital nerve that passes through the accessory infra-orbital foramen.


Infraorbital nerve block is a well-recognized regional anaesthetic technique which can provide intraoperative and postoperative pain relief in nasal endoscopic surgeries and also in oral and dental surgeries. The block may also be used to help diagnose neuralgia arising from the second division of the trigeminal nerve. The technique for infraorbital nerve blockade is most commonly performed as it exits the infraorbital foramen just below the inferior orbital rim. The techniques may be associated with the nerve trauma or with hematoma resulting from damage to the infraorbital vessels [2] . There is a need Kopal Saini . DESCRIPTIVE AND TOPOGRAPHIC ANATOMY OF INFRAORBITAL FORAMEN AND ITS CLINICAL IMPLICATION IN NERVE BLOCK to develop a technique based upon easily identifiable landmarks palpated through the skin that can be effectively used to target the infraorbital foramen during nerve block.

The techniques may be associated with the nerve trauma or with hematoma resulting from damage to the infraorbital vessels.

There is a need Kopal Saini .


Biopolymers are hydrocarbon-polymers produced by a wide variety of living organisms, including plants and microorganisms that vary considerably in chemical composition, the majority of which have not been thoroughly characterized. The most common applications of biopolymers are for medical and food purposes (Van de Velde and Kiekens 2002) . Meanwhile, in the field of civil construction, exopolysaccharides (e.g., welan gum and curdlan) have been used as water-retention agents or super-plasticizers in concrete or dry-mix mortar according to their water adsorption or pseudo-plasticity characteristic (Khayat and Yahia 1997) .

The most common applications of biopolymers are for medical and food purposes.

Meanwhile, in the field of civil construction, exopolysaccharides (e.g., welan gum and curdlan) have been used as water-retention agents or super-plasticizers in concrete or dry-mix mortar according to their water adsorption or pseudo-plasticity characteristic.


For geotechnical engineering purposes, biopolymers have been used as soil-stabilizing additives to control or reduce the soil erosion of farmlands (Orts et al. 2007) . Generally, the presence of biopolymers affects the adsorption behavior between pore fluids and solids in soil (Sposito 1989) . However, detailed understanding of the interactions between soils and biopolymers is still far from clear. Thus, in this study, geotechnical behaviors of a commercially refined biopolymer (i.e., beta-1,3/1,6-glucan) treated residual soil are explored through various laboratory approaches.

For geotechnical engineering purposes, biopolymers have been used as soil-stabilizing additives to control or reduce the soil erosion of farmlands.

Generally, the presence of biopolymers affects the adsorption behavior between pore fluids and solids in soil.


The aforementioned behavior of soils generally appears by a sequence of microscopic processes (i.e., (1) inoculation and attachment of microbes; (2) bacterial growth and accumulation of biomass; (3) biofilm formation on soil mineral surfaces; (4) synthesis of by-products such as biopolymers or excrement; and (5) interaction between soil particles and bio-products) (Baveye et al. 1992) . However, the growth, multiplication, accumulation, and biopolymer synthesis processes of soil microbes are irregular (in time, quantity, and quality) and sensitive to environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture content, nutrients, gaseous concentrations, pore sizes) (Mitchell and Santamarina 2005) . Thus, direct application of biopolymers can become an alternative approach for consistent quality control and ensured reliability of soils, regardless of environmental conditions and time.

The aforementioned behavior of soils generally appears by a sequence of microscopic processes (i.e., (1) inoculation and attachment of microbes; (2) bacterial growth and accumulation of biomass; (3) biofilm formation on soil mineral surfaces; (4) synthesis of by-products such as biopolymers or excrement; and (5) interaction between soil particles and bio-products).

However, the growth, multiplication, accumulation, and biopolymer synthesis processes of soil microbes are irregular (in time, quantity, and quality) and sensitive to environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, moisture content, nutrients, gaseous concentrations, pore sizes).


Procedural imitation, the copying of novel acts on objects, is seen from the age of 6 months (Barr, Dowden, & Hayne, 1996) . Infants fromthe age of 9 months imitate parts of action sequences on objects (Elsner, Hauf, & Aschersleben, 2007) . From the age of 1 year they imitate familiar and novel two-and three-act sequences on objects (Bauer & Mandler, 1992) . Ten-month-olds imitate acts with an appropriate object, e.g., drinking from a cup (Uzˇgiris, 1981) . From the age of 14 months, children imitate novel and seemingly irrational acts with objects, substituted acts such as touching a box with the head instead of the hands to switch on a light (Meltzoff, 1988) .

Procedural imitation, the copying of novel acts on objects, is seen from the age of 6 months.

Infants fromthe age of 9 months imitate parts of action sequences on objects.

From the age of 1 year they imitate familiar and novel two-and three-act sequences on objects.

Ten-month-olds imitate acts with an appropriate object, e.g., drinking from a cup.

From the age of 14 months, children imitate novel and seemingly irrational acts with objects, substituted acts such as touching a box with the head instead of the hands to switch on a light.


This study is the first to describe the development and validation of a multidimensional measure of imitation aptitude in preschool children. Although research findings of behavioural studies in children and results of neuroscience and brain imaging studies in adults revealed a multidimensional nature of imitation, existing imitation instruments for children do not take this in account. To overcome this shortcoming, models of imitation from adult studies were used as theoretical framework for the construction of the Preschool Imitation and Praxis Scale (PIPS). The methodology of manipulating task characteristics allowed the implementation of different underlying processes of imitation (Petreska et al., 2007) . The 10 task categories of the PIPS were generated by systematically manipulating: (1) the action types which were classified as gestural, facial and procedural and which were an indication of the nature of the effect of the action, external versus internal, as well as an indication of the underlying visual monitoring on the hand or objects in transparent versus opaque actions; (2) the representational level of the actions which was an indication of two distinctive routes of imitation, in particular the direct perception-action conversion route for non-meaningful and non-goal directed actions and the indirect, semantic-mediated route for meaningful and goal directed actions; (3) the temporal organisation of the actions, in particular single versus sequences of actions.

The methodology of manipulating task characteristics allowed the implementation of different underlying processes of imitation.


Imitation is the capacity of an individual to replicate an observed behaviour. It involves the ability to transform perceptual information into a motor copy of it (Prinz, 2002) . A more restrictive description of ‗true' imitation requires that a novel action is learned by observing someone else performing it, and in addition to novelty, it requires a means/ends structure (Tomasello, Carpenter, Call, Behne, & Moll, 2005) . In young children, imitation is central to learn social behaviour and skilled acts or praxis (Masur, 2006) . Imitation avoids time-consuming trialand-error learning. In reproducing the exact and detailed features of the demonstrator's actions, children are likely to successfully complete the intended actions, even with a limited understanding of their purpose. Moreover, faithful copying can be used to disentangle the goal of an action to be imitated when it is not completely clear to the observer or to learn about initially opaque aspects of causality (Lyons, Young, & Keil, 2007) . Accumulating evidence from behavioural studies in typically developing children suggests that imitation is not a onedimensional, but a polymorphous phenomenon. Imitation can have many forms depending on distinct action types. Neonates imitate facial movements, in particular tongue protrusion, and simple gestures (Meltzoff & Moore, 1977) . Infants become capable of imitating meaningful communicative gestures by the age of 10 months (Masur, 2006) .

It involves the ability to transform perceptual information into a motor copy of it.

A more restrictive description of ‗true' imitation requires that a novel action is learned by observing someone else performing it, and in addition to novelty, it requires a means/ends structure.

In young children, imitation is central to learn social behaviour and skilled acts or praxis.

Moreover, faithful copying can be used to disentangle the goal of an action to be imitated when it is not completely clear to the observer or to learn about initially opaque aspects of causality.

Neonates imitate facial movements, in particular tongue protrusion, and simple gestures.

Infants become capable of imitating meaningful communicative gestures by the age of 10 months.


Promax rotation with Kaiser normalisation was used, because some action characteristics were common in some task categories. In EFA, factor loadings are generally considered to be meaningful when they exceed .30 or .40 (Field, 2005) . To determine inclusion in a dimension, a score above .35 on a primary loading of items after rotation was used as cut off. To verify the robustness of the obtained conclusions two alternative analyses have been performed. A second EFA was conducted with a reduced set of tasks. Since the present study includes a large standardisation sample, it provides withinsample replication opportunities. The sensitivity analysis was also done by repeating the same procedure in a random sample of 50% out of the 498 children.

In EFA, factor loadings are generally considered to be meaningful when they exceed .30 or .40.


These results can readily be checked by direct verification of the recurrence (3)- (6) . We conclude by noting that there exist expansions of the solutions of the Heun equation in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric functions the form of which differs from those applied in expansion (3) [23] [24] [25] . It can be checked that similar explicit solutions of the corresponding three-term recurrence relations can be constructed for these expansions as well.

These results can readily be checked by direct verification of the recurrence (3).

We conclude by noting that there exist expansions of the solutions of the Heun equation in terms of the Gauss hypergeometric functions the form of which differs from those applied in expansion (3).


High-strength bolting is the main type of fixed connection for the structural parts of computerized numerical control (CNC) machines. The dynamic and static characteristics of their joint parts are the key factors influencing the accuracy and reliability of heavy CNC machine tools. Studies on the influence of the joint part on the overall performance of the machine tool have shown that it reduces the integral rigidity and increases the damping [1] . About 30 to 50 % of the rigidity of the machine tool depends on the stiffness of the joint part, while more than 90 % of the damping of the machine tool is also due to the joint part.

Studies on the influence of the joint part on the overall performance of the machine tool have shown that it reduces the integral rigidity and increases the damping.


The effect of globalization is also included in the list of causes that seem to play a key role in the spread of allergic reactions. In fact, not only populations migrate but also foods. A classic example is the allergy to kiwifruit. Some decades ago, this allergy was absent in geographical areas such as Europe and USA because no one ever ate kiwifruit at that time. Now many people eat this fruit and lots of kiwifruit allergies have been described [11] . These aspects may strongly affect the widespread proliferation of food allergies.

Now many people eat this fruit and lots of kiwifruit allergies have been described.


Treatment of raw water will result in a decrease in microbial load, with many distribution systems later experiencing an increase in bacterial numbers with distance away from the point of treatment. The deterioration in water quality occurs either because of regrowth of microorganisms in biofilms, which are formed on interior surfaces of water pipes, or because of back siphonage of contaminated water. Biological activity in biofilms is controlled by nutrient content of water, temperature and residual chlorine (Gatel et al. 2000) .

Biological activity in biofilms is controlled by nutrient content of water, temperature and residual chlorine.


Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human need and, therefore, a basic right. Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people and it is an affront to human dignity (Craun et al. 2002) . The purpose of a water supply distribution system is to deliver safe potable water which is also adequate in quantity and acceptable in terms of taste, odour, and appearance.

Contaminated water jeopardizes both the physical and social health of all people and it is an affront to human dignity.


Cytotoxicity analysis in NIH-3T3 cells with polymer extracts allows an evaluation of the ability of viable cells to reduce the tetrazolium salt into formazan via mitochondrial metabolic activity. Absorbance values measured considering formazan salt reduction are directly related to cell viability [32, 33] . Table 1 shows the average percentage of cell viability at different times of culture with the polymer extract.

Absorbance values measured considering formazan salt reduction are directly related to cell viability.


The poly(DL-lactic acid) is amorphous, while the poly(Llactic acid) and poly(D-lactic acid) are semicrystalline. The glass transition temperature ( ) is within the range of 50 to 80 ∘ C while the melting temperature ( ) can vary from 130 to 180 ∘ C [24] . It was found that the sterilization process had caused a shift to lower temperatures of , attributed to the absorption International Journal of Polymer Science of water by the PLA in the hygienization and sterilization process. Figure 4 shows the DSC thermograms and the values of the PLA films after implantation in rats.

The glass transition temperature ( ) is within the range of 50 to 80 ∘ C while the melting temperature ( ) can vary from 130 to 180 ∘ C.


In FTIR analysis of PLA samples after implantation in rats with different exposure times (Figure 2) , one can observe the appearance of a band (from 14 days after exposure), although it is of lower intensity in the region 3200 cm −1 due to hydrolysis of the films. Every material implanted in vivo has been affected by the surrounding environment. Water is the main component of body fluids and directly influences the degradation mechanism [27] . In DSC analysis, only the first heating run was performed for each sample because the aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of the treatments and periods in vivo under PLA. Such effects could not be observed in the second heating event, due to destruction of thermal history of the material.

Water is the main component of body fluids and directly influences the degradation mechanism.


It has been shown that postmenopausal women had statistically significantly higher implant failure in the maxilla compared to premenopausal women and men older than 50 (13.6% of failure vs. 6.3 and 7.6%) [12] . However, if the osteoporotic women had received oestrogen supplementation, their implant failure rate was lower than in postmenopausal women without hormone replacement treatment (13.6 vs. 8.1%) [12] . No difference was observed for implant placed in the mandible [12] .

It has been shown that postmenopausal women had statistically significantly higher implant failure in the maxilla compared to premenopausal women and men older than 50 (13.6% of failure vs. 6.3 and 7.6%).

However, if the osteoporotic women had received oestrogen supplementation, their implant failure rate was lower than in postmenopausal women without hormone replacement treatment (13.6 vs. 8.1%).

No difference was observed for implant placed in the mandible.


Another reason that may explain the improved performance of the implant with incorporated Mg is that the presence of Mg 2+ in cell culture media has been reported to promote the direct adhesion of cell pseudopodia to substrates, probably via an integrin-mediated mechanism [38] . Mg ions are more effective than any other divalent cations (calcium, strontium and barium) in inducing cell attachment and spreading to different substrates [39] . This was confirmed in a study in which polished titanium plates were hydrothermally treated with MgCl 2 solution, and gingival epithelial cells and fibroblastic cells were cultured on them to test for cellular adhesion [40] . In the study, it was shown that the Mg groups displayed a much stronger attachment of fibroblastic cells, but not of epithelial cells, to the titanium substrate compared to untreated and to CaCl 2 -treated titanium plates [40] . The fibroblasts showed higher development of actin filament, more lamellopodia and higher signal of cytoplasmic vinculin, which is a sign of attachment [40] . Similarly in the current study, we could observe flattened fibroblastic-like cells on the surfaces of the Mg-treated implants as soon as day 1 and it was possible to notice a slight increase of attachment for the Mg-loaded surfaces, although the differences were not statistically significant. Especially in those cases with reduced bone volume and consequent risk of implant micromotion, the promotion of cell adhesion and spreading may be beneficial for rapid osseointegration, decreasing the risk of implant loosening.

Another reason that may explain the improved performance of the implant with incorporated Mg is that the presence of Mg 2+ in cell culture media has been reported to promote the direct adhesion of cell pseudopodia to substrates, probably via an integrin-mediated mechanism.

Mg ions are more effective than any other divalent cations (calcium, strontium and barium) in inducing cell attachment and spreading to different substrates.

This was confirmed in a study in which polished titanium plates were hydrothermally treated with MgCl 2 solution, and gingival epithelial cells and fibroblastic cells were cultured on them to test for cellular adhesion.

In the study, it was shown that the Mg groups displayed a much stronger attachment of fibroblastic cells, but not of epithelial cells, to the titanium substrate compared to untreated and to CaCl 2 -treated titanium plates.

The fibroblasts showed higher development of actin filament, more lamellopodia and higher signal of cytoplasmic vinculin, which is a sign of attachment.


The first mention of MVCC appeared in Reed's 1979 dissertation [38] . After that, researchers focused on understanding the theory and performance of MVCC in single-core disk-based DBMSs [9, 11, 13] . We highlight the more recent research efforts.

The first mention of MVCC appeared in Reed's 1979 dissertation.

After that, researchers focused on understanding the theory and performance of MVCC in single-core disk-based DBMSs.


As in other major world areas, settled, agricultural populations had a more dramatic impact on their environment than earlier pre-ceramic peoples and established a radically new trajectory of dynamic human-environment interaction and cultural change [29] . In the transitional forest region of the southern Amazon, Arawak speakers were often distributed in forested riverine areas, which enabled them to carry out their forest agriculture and fishing economies. The expansion of Arawak speaking peoples into the transitional tropical forests of the southern headwater basins, initiated a trajectory of change in bio-cultural systems associated with the colonization and development of settled agricultural populations. In several areas of the southern Amazon periphery, specifically, Arawak peoples developed into large, populous regional polities, although most regions also were characterized by substantial cultural pluralism. Environmental influences intensified with time, ultimately leading to highly anthropogenic and even engineered pre-Columbian landscapes.

As in other major world areas, settled, agricultural populations had a more dramatic impact on their environment than earlier pre-ceramic peoples and established a radically new trajectory of dynamic human-environment interaction and cultural change.


It has also been demonstrated that heat-related mortality is likely underreported due to the nature of identifying heat-related death and the lack of surveillance [11] . For example, a medical examiner performing an autopsy may identify a decedent's cause of death to be from a myocardial infarction. Another medical examiner may identify the same conditions from another decedent as being a myocardial infarction catalyzed by hyperthermia. Local individual level conditions play an important role. For example, some individuals living in high risk areas may have adequate protection from the extreme heat, such as air conditioning. Further, some vulnerable individuals may still have a very strong social network where friends or relatives can provide assistance when needed. The lack of social networks in elderly individuals has been shown to be a major contributor to heat-related death [48, 49] . This type of individual level preparedness is impossible to measure without extensive person-to-person interviews.

It has also been demonstrated that heat-related mortality is likely underreported due to the nature of identifying heat-related death and the lack of surveillance.

The lack of social networks in elderly individuals has been shown to be a major contributor to heat-related death.


The population of the world continues to increase by 80 million people a year, and 70% of these people live in riceconsuming countries. On the other hand, the rate of rice production is slowing down. It was predicted that there will be a shortage of rice by 2020 (Khush 1999) . In the 1960s, a quantum jump in rice production, namely the "Green Revolution in Rice," occurred as a result of the improvement of plant height, as exemplified by IR8 which was a semi-dwarf characterized by lodging resistance, nitrogen responsiveness and erect leaves (Chang and Li 1980) . In order to provide enough rice for the increasing population, further expansion of the world rice production is required (Khush 1999) . One of the newer strategies that led to a dramatic increase in rice production was a further modification of the plant type (Khush 1995) . A breakthrough in rice production could be attained by increasing the total biomass and raising the harvest index to around 0.6 from 0.5, the current index of modern high-yielding varieties. Thus, IRRI proposed a new plant type (NPT) characterized by a reduction in the tiller number, an increase in the number of grains per panicle and straw stiffness. Since NPT varieties do not generate unproductive tillers, the harvest index increases. Furthermore, the regulation of the tiller number is important because solar energy and mineral nutrients are used more efficiently due to the elimination of unproductive tillers.

It was predicted that there will be a shortage of rice by 2020.

In the 1960s, a quantum jump in rice production, namely the "Green Revolution in Rice," occurred as a result of the improvement of plant height, as exemplified by IR8 which was a semi-dwarf characterized by lodging resistance, nitrogen responsiveness and erect leaves.

In order to provide enough rice for the increasing population, further expansion of the world rice production is required.

One of the newer strategies that led to a dramatic increase in rice production was a further modification of the plant type.


Referring to mass content of ZrO 2 nanoparticles, e.g. 0.05 g, 0.1 g, 0.2 g, and 0.4 g, respectively, the size distributions of ZrO 2 nanofibers originating from those conditions are shown in Figure 6 . The sizes of nanofibers increased linearly, which might be affected by the mass of particle additions in the suspension because the size of incorporation influenced the fibers directly (Bezemer et al., 2006) . Of course, the content of the nanoparticles should not be too big, otherwise the spinning property of the suspension would be destroyed.

The sizes of nanofibers increased linearly, which might be affected by the mass of particle additions in the suspension because the size of incorporation influenced the fibers directly.


Participants were recruited via online methods, primarily through social networking sites and emails, which were sent to university and community LGBT centers around the United States. A total of 603 participants logged in to participate in the current study, with 73% completing all study measures. To determine whether any participants completed the study more than once, we screened IP addresses to identify any duplicate IP addresses, per recommendations from prior scholars (Kraut et al., 2004) . There were four instances of repeated IP addresses-in two entries, the participant stopped after completing the demographic questionnaire but completed the full survey at the second try. Thus, responses to the first survey were deleted. In the two remaining entries of duplicate IP addresses, the responses to the demographic questionnaire, as well as to items on the survey measures, differed between cases. Thus, data from all entries were retained. Because many computers are shared (e.g., roommates, libraries, families), it is common practice to retain responses where the demographic information provided by participants differs (Gosling, Vazire, Srivastava, & John, 2004) . Only participants who completed the entirety of the survey were included in the final data set, which resulted in the deletion of 161 additional cases. Therefore, the final data set was composed of data from 442 participants.

To determine whether any participants completed the study more than once, we screened IP addresses to identify any duplicate IP addresses, per recommendations from prior scholars.

Because many computers are shared (e.g., roommates, libraries, families), it is common practice to retain responses where the demographic information provided by participants differs.


In principle, then, the magnetostatics of a permanently polarized body should be considered solved if and when the demagnetization tensor for the given body has been determined. Once this is done, the practically important case of placing the magnetized body in an external field can be solved by simple superposition of the fields. The tensor on its part is fully specified if its eigenvalues have been determined. There is an additional general circumstance of great value, namely that the trace of the demagnetization tensor is unity in suitable units (Brown 1960; Moskowitz & Della Torre 1966) . Thus, without any loss of generality, one needs to calculate only two eigenvalues of the demagnetization tensor.

There is an additional general circumstance of great value, namely that the trace of the demagnetization tensor is unity in suitable units.


Some other methods allow for scatterer localization by identifying their supports according to the value of a suitable indicator function [11] [12] [13] . These methods are algorithmically based on linear procedures hence are computationally effective. Moreover, they do not rely on simplified scattering models.

Some other methods allow for scatterer localization by identifying their supports according to the value of a suitable indicator function.


Population genetics has become a well-established tool to infer population dynamics, gene flow, and movement pathways (Abdelkrim et al. 2005; Piertney et al. 2016; Richardson et al. 2017) . In this study, we investigated how these parameters vary in different landscape contexts, namely one urban and two rural municipalities from eastern France. We also examined the distribution of Vkorc1 variants within the sampled populations. Our results highlight the importance of upstream genetic investigation in the planning of rat control programmes. Finally, we present our recommendations for improving the rat population management scheme of the studied region and more generally, we highlight some sociological and scientific limitations which could be better addressed in future rat control campaigns and associated research.

Population genetics has become a well-established tool to infer population dynamics, gene flow, and movement pathways.


Moreover, the patient option to choose a mode of non -invasive (less -invasive) non -surgical 'expectant management' and treatment with acupuncture maybe found its justification in the ongoing controversy on the surgical treatment of endometriomas: whether to operate them or not? Accepted guidelines say that the surgical removal of endometriomas is not an absolute necessity in all cases of infertility before starting with infertility treatments [11] . The laparoscopic cystectomy procedure strips the cyst wall -the portion of the cyst containing the endometrial tissue. The benefits of this procedure include decreased recurrence rates, a significant reduction in pelvic pain and increase in spontaneous pregnancy rates following surgery, due to decreased ovarian inflammation which can lower follicular density. However, the main controversy associated with cystectomy is that it damages or removes healthy ovarian cortex and follicles, leading to a decrease in ovarian reserve following the procedure. In a meta-analysis comparing eight studies of ovarian endometrioma surgical treatment, the patients who had either unilateral or bilateral cystectomy had significantly lower AFC and AMH levels following the surgery than before it. Ovarian failure, a serious risk associated with cystectomy, has been reported after bilateral endometrioma cystectomy, with rates ranging from 2.3 to 3.03%. In addition to potentially removing healthy cortex, inflammation after surgery could further damage the cortex or decrease vascularisation. The damage caused by scar tissue may reduce the volume of the healthy ovary, and scar tissue may interfere with oocyte retrieval later on [12] . Furthermore, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology ESHRE recommend laparoscopic surgery only in the treatment of endometriomas that are more than 4 cm in diameter, which is not a case in our patient. Many studies show that there is the difference in fertilisation/implantation/clinical pregnancy rates between patients with and without the presence of ovarian endometriosis [13] . But non -surgical 'expectant' management is also an optional potential treatment plan, as recent literature suggests that ovarian endometriomas do not negatively affect IVF/spontaneous pregnancy outcomes. However, much more research is needed to establish how ovarian endometriosis management affects infertility treatments and gross perinatal outcomes [11] [13] .

Accepted guidelines say that the surgical removal of endometriomas is not an absolute necessity in all cases of infertility before starting with infertility treatments.

The damage caused by scar tissue may reduce the volume of the healthy ovary, and scar tissue may interfere with oocyte retrieval later on.

Many studies show that there is the difference in fertilisation/implantation/clinical pregnancy rates between patients with and without the presence of ovarian endometriosis.

However, much more research is needed to establish how ovarian endometriosis management affects infertility treatments and gross perinatal outcomes.


In recent decades, the frequency of biological invasions has increased to an unprecedented level, stimulating a multitude of research projects in population biology and community ecology (Hänfling and Kollmann, 2002) . The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida Murray, a nest parasite of honeybees, Apis mellifera L., constitutes a recent example of such an invasive species in populations of European host subspecies. Here we summarize the literature on the biology and the current distribution of the small hive beetle. We will concentrate on examining the more proximate aspects of the biology of the beetle and the host that may contribute to the invasion process. This is particularly important because successful and sustainable control efforts require a detailed understanding of the invasion dynamics and of the biology of an invasive species.

In recent decades, the frequency of biological invasions has increased to an unprecedented level, stimulating a multitude of research projects in population biology and community ecology.


Intelligent environment is a very attractive and active research domain due to both the exciting research challenges and the importance and breadth of possible applications. The central task of the intelligent environment research is to design systems that automatically capture and develop awareness of the events and activities taking place in these spaces through sensor networks [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] . The awareness may include where a person is, what the person is doing, when the event happens, and who the person is. Such spaces can be indoor, outdoor, or mobile, and can be physically contiguous or otherwise. An important requirement of them is to let the humans do their activities naturally. In other words, we do not require humans to adapt to the environments but would like the environments to adapt to the humans. This design guideline places some challenging requirements on the computer vision algorithms, especially for face detection and face recognition algorithms.

The central task of the intelligent environment research is to design systems that automatically capture and develop awareness of the events and activities taking place in these spaces through sensor networks.


There is a great potential for Pangasius hypophthalmus in Bangladesh. It is very much demandable in local markets because of its lower market price. The vast majority of poor people consume P. hypophthalmus as this fish is delicious and tasty due to its high fat content. Moreover, the climate, water and soil conditions of Bangladesh have proved totally suitable for P. hypophthalmus production and it is one of the most suitable catfishes for rearing in ponds [1] . Pangasius culture has proved itself as a profitable enterprise due to year round production, quick growth and high productivity. In addition, it can be stocked at a much higher density in ponds compared to other cultivable species [2] .

Moreover, the climate, water and soil conditions of Bangladesh have proved totally suitable for P. hypophthalmus production and it is one of the most suitable catfishes for rearing in ponds.

In addition, it can be stocked at a much higher density in ponds compared to other cultivable species.


Even if an upper-level trough is correctly predicted to produce widespread severe weather, it can be problematic to determine the predominant type of severe weather likely to result (Johns and Hart 1993) . It is well established that the midtropospheric ascent forced by shortwave troughs and attendant jet streaks, albeit too weak to be proximately responsible for the severe deep moist convection itself, is associated with the development of conditions that ultimately lead to severe storm outbreaks. However, aside from forcing upward vertical motion and despite evidence that the large-scale flow is a controlling factor in many of these events, the extent to which upper-tropospheric troughs promote the emergence of vertical shear and buoyancy distributions conducive to intense convective outbreaks is not clear. It is similarly difficult to determine the relative importance of large-scale and subsynoptic-scale processes in a given scenario (Doswell 1987) .

Even if an upper-level trough is correctly predicted to produce widespread severe weather, it can be problematic to determine the predominant type of severe weather likely to result.

It is similarly difficult to determine the relative importance of large-scale and subsynoptic-scale processes in a given scenario.


In this paper, although 1,960 QTLs for yield and yield-related traits of B. napus were collected from published documents, only 1,237 QTLs were found to have primer sequences. By in silico mapping, just 736 QTLs were integrated onto the maps, with an integration efficiency of only 59.5 %. What are the reasons for this? Firstly, differences between the sequenced reference genomes and the genomes used to map QTLs may have caused inconsistency in some markers. During the process of in silico mapping, we used the reference genome sequences of B. rapa and B. oleracea to perform BLASTN analysis; however, the collected QTLs were derived from B. napus. If the B. napus genome is released in the future, this problem may be resolved. Secondly, SSRs are one of most mutable tracts in genomes (Lin and Kussell 2012) . Hence, SSR mutations may have resulted in mismatches between primers and target sites, inducing the failure of integration of some QTLs in B. napus.

What are the reasons for this?

Secondly, SSRs are one of most mutable tracts in genomes.


An alternative to a weather station is the use of solar radiation predicting models. This requires the correlation of some climatic and meteorological parameters with the global solar radiation. One advantage of this approach is that some of the meteorological parameters, for example, ambient temperature can easily be measured in most places. Many researchers across the globe have predicted global solar radiation with high accuracy using data from sunshine duration, relative humidity, cloud cover and ambient temperature (Glover and McCulloch, 1958; Ododo et al., 1996; DeMiguel et al., 1994; Ibrahim, 1985; Ahmad and Ulfat, 2004; Fariba et al., 2013; Hacer and Harun, 2012) .

Many researchers across the globe have predicted global solar radiation with high accuracy using data from sunshine duration, relative humidity, cloud cover and ambient temperature.


Although researchers have tried to find correlations between biomass development and the observed biodegradation in the BAC filters Pellet Softening under varying operating conditions, no clear correlations have been found [14, 22] . This underlines the complexity of the processes taking place in the BAC filters. BAC filters are frequently used in the production of drinking water for the removal of organic micro pollutants and organic matter, especially when produced from (humic rich) surface water. Differences in feed water quality are the result of pre-treatment steps (coagulation/flocculation, ozonation and phosphate addition), commonly applied in the production of drinking water. These long term effects of changes in feed water quality were investigated and compared to previously published research. However, to the best of our knowledge, the immediate responses of BAC filters, which have been in operation for multiple years, to rapid changes in feed water quality have not been studied previously. A malfunction of one of the pre-treatment steps might affect the feed water quality into the BAC filters, therefore being representative for possible events taking place in common drinking water treatment trains. Investigating the immediate responses of BAC filters to changes in water quality is an important step towards understanding the ability of BAC filters to produce a stable drinking water quality under varying conditions and was the main objective of the presented study.

Although researchers have tried to find correlations between biomass development and the observed biodegradation in the BAC filters Pellet Softening under varying operating conditions, no clear correlations have been found.


With identical cognitive resources and processes underlying output production, it is not surprising that ELF interactants experience little difficulty in understanding each other. It is likely that the knowledge representations and the corresponding cognitive processes are parallel in both productive and receptive modalities except for the order in which the memory networks become engaged. Clearly, while the direction of the activation is from the declarative memory system to working memory with a view to processing the information on its way out as output, the direction is from working memory to the declarative system in the case of input processing. With lexicalization characterizing the type of control processes underlying linguistic tasks in the second language, it is likely that there will be a propensity on the part of the ELF user for lexical-semantic connectedness, often at the expense of dealing with grammatical constituents. This, in fact, appears to be the case, as suggested by a number of research findings. For example, input is parsed not in an automatised manner as in the native language, but through a focus on nonstructural information (Papadopoulou, 2005) . Similarly, foreign-accented speech, which is known to hamper ENL speakers' input comprehension, does not affect ELF interactants' intelligibility among themselves (Munro, Derwing & Morton, 2006) . Even highly proficient ELF users find other ELF users' output more intelligible than that of ENL speakers (Pickering, 2006) .

For example, input is parsed not in an automatised manner as in the native language, but through a focus on nonstructural information.

Similarly, foreign-accented speech, which is known to hamper ENL speakers' input comprehension, does not affect ELF interactants' intelligibility among themselves.

Even highly proficient ELF users find other ELF users' output more intelligible than that of ENL speakers.


Two types of cation-bearing ligands that have been designed for incorporation into ruthenium-core complexes are considered here. These monodentate cationic ligands are shown in Figure 1 , derived from 4,4 -bipyridyl (a), and nicotinic acid (b). Of the unsubstituted bipyridyls readily available, the 4,4bipyridyl is the most conveniently alkylated and results in a monoquaternary salt with the cationic site most fortuitously placed for DNA interaction when complexed with ruthenium. However, alkylation of this material is not as facile as might be anticipated by extension from the chemistry of simple pyridine derivatives. In our hands the only simple alkyl halide that could be used efficiently for the generation of a monoquaternary salt was the 1-bromohexane, which provided the desired salt in low (37.3%), albeit workable, yield after 21 hours of reflux in ethyl acetate. Other simple alkyl groups could be used to generate monoalkylated 4,4bipyridyl derivatives, but in yields too small for efficient use. Prior efforts of our laboratory have indicated that ethyl acetate is a favorable medium for monoalkylation of species bearing several potentially reactive sites, this capability owing to the low solubility of the monoalkylated materials in that solvent [8] [9] [10] . Further investigation of the solvent systems used is required to perform other related alkylations efficiently.

Prior efforts of our laboratory have indicated that ethyl acetate is a favorable medium for monoalkylation of species bearing several potentially reactive sites, this capability owing to the low solubility of the monoalkylated materials in that solvent.


All patients with SMCP presented symptomatic complaints at time of diagnosis. A hypernasal speech was the primary symptom in 65% of the children, often combined with articulation problems. This corresponds to the literature [1] [2] [3] [4] . Thirty-nine percent of the children with SMCP suffered also from conductive hearing loss, as opposed to 5% of normal children [30] . This percentage agrees with reported results of conductive hearing loss in 45% of the patients with SMCP [4] . Besides abnormalities in speech and hearing were swallowing problems other common complaints at time of diagnosis, especially in younger children. In retrospect, many of the children above 2 years of age had swallowing problems when they were younger for which primary care clinicians were consulted. In the majority of the cases, little or no attention was given to these swallowing problems. This suggests it is thought that these swallowing problems were innocent and would improve over time. In fact, the swallowing problems probably were consequences of VPI by a submucous cleft of the palate. If we see children with a bifid uvula with mild problems in speech, hearing and/or swallowing which are difficult to interpret, it is important to be alert to the existence of SMCP and to examine the patients as a patient with SMCP.

This corresponds to the literature.

Thirty-nine percent of the children with SMCP suffered also from conductive hearing loss, as opposed to 5% of normal children.

This percentage agrees with reported results of conductive hearing loss in 45% of the patients with SMCP.


Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos represent a unique messenger for a wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological phenomena [1] [2] [3] . Being charge-neutral, neutrinos are not deflected by galactic magnetic fields, while being weakly interacting implies that they are not attenuated e.g. by dust. Therefore, neutrinos point directly to their original source of production, offering crucial information which would be not available from other messengers such as electromagnetic waves or cosmic rays. This potential is illustrated by the recent report of the detection of UHE neutrinos from the same direction as a known Blazar [4] .

Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos represent a unique messenger for a wide variety of astrophysical and cosmological phenomena.

This potential is illustrated by the recent report of the detection of UHE neutrinos from the same direction as a known Blazar.


The advertisement which was overwhelmingly popular with both males and females was Advertisement 1 (sexy/non-offensive). Advertisement 1 did clearly make use of a sexual appeal, portraying a sexually attractive woman (including the use of camera focus, camera angle and background music); supporting this, the respondents did use words such as 'beautiful', 'sexy', 'sensual' and 'sex appeal' in reference to the advertisement. However, the advertisement was less sexually overt with regard to behaviour or innuendo. It is important to note that the woman in this advertisement had more of her body exposed than the woman in Advertisement 3 (sexist/objectifying) -this is consistent with the study that found that it was sexism rather than nudity that offends women (Waller, 1999) . Responses to Advertisement 1 suggest that the mere presence of a sexually attractive female stereotype does not provoke dislike of an advertisement among women.

It is important to note that the woman in this advertisement had more of her body exposed than the woman in Advertisement 3 (sexist/objectifying) -this is consistent with the study that found that it was sexism rather than nudity that offends women.