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To extend two previous surveys of specific decision support system (DSS) applications over the period (January 1971-December 1994), we have conducted a follow-up survey covering the period between 1995 and 2001. A total of 210 published applications are identified. To examine the development pattern of a specific DSS over time, we analysed and summarized the survey results according to (1) the area of application, (2) the year of publication in each area of application, (3) the distribution of underlying tools in DSSs, (4) a classification based on Alter's taxonomy, and (5) the management level (operational, tactical, or strategic) for which the DSS was designed. Keywords: decision support systems; applications; survey

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the patterns of visiting commercial areas have changed due to numerous factors, including the risk of infection and the government's state of emergency. This study investigated human mobility changes in commercial areas of 21 cities in Japan by applying time-series clustering of mobile big data during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, the analysis revealed that the human mobility changes were found to be area-specific and were classified into five patterns according to population change captured by mobile data: decreased cluster, slightly decreased cluster, no change cluster, slightly increased cluster, and increased cluster. There were some commercial areas, which were visited by more people, compared with the pre-COVID-19 period. Second, the increased clusters revealed a high proportion of commercial facilities that provide essential services. This finding suggests that the local-scale commercial areas were essential for supporting everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, human mobility in commercial areas was temporarily altered, but ultimately returned to the pre-COVID-19 level. Overall, the proposed method and results provide basic information for resilient urban structures in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng marc, a by-product of the extraction of fresh ginseng, is known to have bioactive compounds, but is frequently discarded as agriculture waste. The objectives of our study were to assess the antioxidative activity of fermented ginseng marc extract using Lactobacillus plantarum KCCM 11613P and to evaluate antibacterial activity of fermented milk with added ginseng marc extract during fermentation. After 24 h of fermentation of ginseng marc extract, the viable cell number was increased to 7.7 ± 0.1 log cfu/mL, and the pH and total titratable acidity were 4.2 ± 0.4 and 0.6% lactic acid, respectively. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents of fermented ginseng marc extract increased by 32.4 and 23.3%, respectively. Higher antioxidative activity of fermented ginseng marc extract was obtained in the β-carotene bleaching, ferric-reducing ability of plasma, and ferric thiocyanate assays than the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy assay. However, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazy scavenging effect decreased due to lowered pH. During production of fermented milk with ginseng, inhibition rate of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were 9.7 and 2.3%, respectively. The present study shows the possibilities of Lactobacillus plantarum KCCM 11613P used as a fermentation strain and ginseng marc used as a functional supplement in milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four transition metals, namely cobalt, iron, manganese, and nickel, were separately combined with lanthanum metal to synthesize LaMO (M = Co, Fe, Mn, and Ni) perovskites using a sol-gel method. Electrodes for zinc-air rechargeable batteries were prepared with these perovskites and evaluated in terms of their morphology, crystal structure, electric conductivity, surface area, and particle size distribution. The electrochemical properties of the perovskites were characterized as catalysts of bifunctional electrodes for Hgen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline solution. Additionally, partially substituted LaNi(M1, M2, or M3)O ( x = 0.25 or 0.5, and M1, 2, 3 = Co, Fe, Mn) perovskites were synthesized to evaluate the effect of partial substitution of a metal in the Ni site, and improved physical and electrochemical properties were obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a cylindrical shaped-reflector antenna which is spatially fed by an off-set linear feed array to form complex beam patterns. The linear feed array consists of twelve microstrip patch elements and forms a flat-topped beam pattern with a beam-width of ±45° in the azimuth plane. The vertical curve on the cylindrical reflector with the linear feed array is shaped to form a cosecant beam pattern within the range of -5° to -25° in the elevation plane. By using the proposed design procedure to form complex beam patterns, a hybrid antenna with a cylindrical reflector aperture of 140 cm x 50 cm is designed to be operated within the IMT 2000 service band, and a prototype antenna is also fabricated. Its electrical performance is measured and compared with simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-p-methoxycinnamic acid (MCA) is one of the main active constituents of Scrophularia buergeriana Miquel and has hepatoprotective, anti-amnestic, and neuroprotective activities. For studying in vitro production of MCA, we established a hairy root culture of S. buergeriana by infecting leaf explants with Agrobacterium rhizogenes R1000, and tested the growth and MCA production of these cultures using different strengths of media and concentrations of auxins. Hairy roots grown in half-strength MS medium showed the highest levels of growth (10.3 g/l) as well as MCA production (0.83 mg/100 g dry weight). Hairy root culture with the treatment of 0.5 mg/l IBA produced the highest amount of dry weight (11.8 g/l) and MCA (1.26 mg/100 g dry weight) production. These results demonstrate that the hairy root culture of S. buergeriana is a valuable alternative approach for the production of MCA. .

V razpravi skušamo proučiti značilnosti prehoda ruskega čto iz vprašalnega zaimka v členek, ugotoviti odločilne mehanizme tega procesa ter v posameznih fazah analizirati spremembe pomena, slovničnih in skladenjskih značilnosti in diskurzivne vloge. Vprašalni zaimek v končni fazi pridobi status členka, a gre skozi vmesni fazi zaimka členka in členka zaimka s prestrukturiranjem, subjektivizacijo, pragmatično inferenco iz metonimije in inferenco iz metafore. Vmesne faze prehoda zaimka čto v členek vsebujejo posebnosti na slovnični, skladenjski in diskurzivni ravnini. Sprememba besednovrstnosti ruskega čto iz vprašalnega zaimka v členek je posledica gramatikalizacije.

Abstract Background Cinnamon bark is one of the most popular herbal ingredients in traditional oriental medicine and possesses diverse pharmacological activities including anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-cancer properties. The goal of this study is to investigate the in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effect of cinnamon water extract (CWE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and its underlying intracellular mechanisms. Methods CWE was orally administrated to mice for 6 days prior to intraperitoneal injection of LPS. Serum levels of TNF-α and interleukin (IL)-6 were determined 1 hour after LPS stimulation. Peritoneal macrophages from thioglycollate-injected mice were isolated and assayed for viability, cytokine expression and signaling molecules upon LPS stimulation. CWE was further fractioned according to molecular size, and the levels of total polyphenols and biological activities of each fraction were measured. Results The oral administration of CWE to mice significantly decreased the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6. CWE treatment in vitro decreased the mRNA expression of TNF-α. CWE blocked the LPS-induced degradation of IκBα as well as the activation of JNK, p38 and ERK1/2. Furthermore, size-based fractionation of CWE showed that the observed inhibitory effect of CWE in vitro occurred in the fraction containing the highest level of total polyphenols. Conclusions Treatment with CWE decreased LPS-induced TNF-α in serum. In vitro inhibition of TNF-α gene by CWE may occur via the modulation of IκBα degradation and JNK, p38, and ERK1/2 activation. Our results also indicate that the observed anti-inflammatory action of CWE may originate from the presence of polyphenols.

Abstract Background In folk medicine, the aerial part of Crytotaenia japonica Hassk. (CJ), is applied for treatment of the common cold, cough, urinary problems, pneumonia, and skin rashes. In this paper, the in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of CJ methanol extract was tested using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory models. Methods We measured nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and inflammatory cytokine levels from LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages. Also, several cellular signaling molecules which regulate the expressions of these inflammatory markers were examined. Finally, we tested whether oral administration of CJ methanol extract might affect the serum cytokine levels in LPS-injected mice. Results CJ methanol extract reduced NO release via iNOS protein inhibition. The extract was also shown to decrease the secretions of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-12. Analysis of signaling molecules showed that CJ inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT1, p38, JNK and ERK1/2 as well as IκBα degradation. Finally, CJ decreased the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-injected mice. Conclusions Our results demonstrated the anti-inflammatory activity of CJ methanol extract and its possible underlying mechanisms that involve modulation of IκBα, MAPK, and STAT1 activities.

Abstract Background Oxidative stress is imperative for its morbidity towards diabetic complications, where abnormal metabolic milieu as a result of hyperglycemia, leads to the onset of several complications. A biological antioxidant capable of inhibiting oxidative stress mediated diabetic progressions; during hyperglycemia is still the need of the era. The current study was performed to study the effect of biologically synthesized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to control the hyperglycemic conditions in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. Results The profound control of AuNPs over the anti oxidant enzymes such as GSH, SOD, Catalase and GPx in diabetic mice to normal, by inhibition of lipid peroxidation and ROS generation during hyperglycemia evidence their anti-oxidant effect during hyperglycemia. The AuNPs exhibited an insistent control over the blood glucose level, lipids and serum biochemical profiles in diabetic mice near to the control mice provokes their effective role in controlling and increasing the organ functions for better utilization of blood glucose. Histopathological and hematological studies revealed the non-toxic and protective effect of the gold nanoparticles over the vital organs when administered at dosage of 2.5 mg/kilogram.body.weight/day. ICP-MS analysis revealed the biodistribution of gold nanoparticles in the vital organs showing accumulation of AuNPs in the spleen comparatively greater than other organs. Conclusion The results obtained disclose the effectual role of AuNPs as an anti-oxidative agent, by inhibiting the formation of ROS, scavenging free radicals; thus increasing the anti-oxidant defense enzymes and creating a sustained control over hyperglycemic conditions which consequently evoke the potential of AuNPs as an economic therapeutic remedy in diabetic treatments and its complications.

Abstract The aim of this study is to determine the effects of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NP) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-induced vascular permeability, and to detect the underlying signaling mechanisms involved in endothelial cells. Porcine retinal endothelial cells (PRECs) were exposed to VEGF, IL-1β and Ag-NP at different combinations and endothelial cell permeability was analyzed by measuring the flux of RITC-dextran across the PRECs monolayer. We found that VEGF and IL-1β increase flux of dextran across a PRECs monolayer, and Ag-NP block solute flux induced by both VEGF and IL-1β. To explore the signalling pathway involved VEGF- and IL-1β-induced endothelial alteration, PRECs were treated with Src inhibitor PP2 prior to VEGF and IL-1β treatment, and the effects were recorded. Further, to clarify the possible involvement of the Src pathways in endothelial cell permeability, plasmid encoding dominant negative(DN) and constitutively active(CA) form of Src kinases were transfected into PRECs, 24 h prior to VEGF and IL-1β exposure and the effects were recorded. Overexpression of DN Src blocked both VEGF-and IL-1β-induced permeability, while overexpression of CA Src rescues the inhibitory action of Ag-NP in the presence or absence of VEGF and IL-1β. Further, an in vitro kinase assay was performed to identify the presence of the Src phosphorylation at Y419. We report that VEGF and IL-1β-stimulate endothelial permeability via Src dependent pathway by increasing the Src phosphorylation and Ag-NP block the VEGF-and IL-1β-induced Src phosphorylation at Y419. These results demonstrate that Ag-NP may inhibit the VEGF-and IL-1β-induced permeability through inactivation of Src kinase pathway and this pathway may represent a potential therapeutic target to inhibit the ocular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

Dual roles of calsequestrin (CSQ-1) being the Ca2+ donor and Ca2+ acceptor make it an excellent Ca2+-buffering protein within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). We have isolated and characterized a calsequestrin (csq-1)-null mutant in Caenorhabditis elegans. To our surprise, this mutant csq-1(jh109) showed no gross defects in muscle development or function but, however, is highly sensitive to perturbation of Ca2+ homeostasis. By taking advantage of the viable null mutant, we investigated the domains of CSQ-1 that are important for polymerization and cellular localization, and required for its correct buffering functions. In transgenic animals rescued with various CSQ-1 constructs, the in vivo patterns of polymerization and localization of several mutated calsequestrins were observed to correlate with the structure-function relationship. Our results suggest that polymerization of CSQ-1 is essential but not sufficient for correct cellular localization and function of CSQ-1. In addition, direct interaction between CSQ-1 and the ryanodine receptor (RyR) was found for the first time, suggesting that the cellular localization of CSQ-1 in C. elegans is indeed modulated by RyR through a physical interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling electron density in two-dimensional semiconductors is crucial for both comprehensive understanding of fundamental material properties and their technological applications. However, conventional electrostatic doping methods exhibit limitations, particularly in addressing electric field-induced drift and subsequent diffusion of electrons, which restrict nanoscale doping. Here, we present a tip-induced nanospectroscopic electric pulse modulator to dynamically control nanoscale electron density, thereby facilitating precise measurement of nano-optoelectronic behaviors within a MoS 2 monolayer. The tip-induced electric pulse enables nanoscale modulation of electron distribution as a function of electric pulse width. We simultaneously investigate spatially altering photoluminescence quantum yield at the nanoscale region. We model the extent of electron depletion region, confirming a minimum doping region with a radius of ∼265 nanometers for a 30-nanosecond pulse width. Our approach paves the way for engineering local electron density and in situ nano-optical characterization in two-dimensional materials, enabling an in-depth understanding of doping-dependent nano-optoelectronic phenomena.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has been extensively applied to detect complex analytes due to its ability to enhance the fingerprint signals of molecules around nanostructured metallic surfaces. Thus, it is essential to design SERS-active nanostructures with abundant electromagnetic hotspots in a probed volume according to the dimensions of the analytes, as the analytes must be located in their hotspots for maximum signal enhancement. Herein, we demonstrate a simple method for detecting robust SERS signals from multi-scaled bioanalytes, regardless of their dimensions in the liquid state, through a photothermally driven co-assembly with colloidal plasmonic nanoparticles as signal enhancers. Under resonant light illumination, plasmonic nanoparticles and analytes in the solution quickly assemble at the focused surface area by convective movements induced by the photothermal heating of the plasmonic nanoparticles without any surface modification. Such collective assemblies of plasmonic nanoparticles and analytes were optimized by varying the optical density and surface charge of the nanoparticles, the viscosity of the solvent, and the light illumination time to maximize the SERS signals. Using these light-induced co-assemblies, the intrinsic SERS signals of small biomolecules can be detected down to nanomolar concentrations based on their fingerprint spectra. Furthermore, large-sized biomarkers, such as viruses and exosomes, were successfully detected without labels, and the complexity of the collected spectra was statistically analyzed using t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding combined with support vector machine (t-SNE + SVM). The proposed method is expected to provide a robust and convenient method to sensitively detect biologically and environmentally relevant analytes at multiple scales in liquid samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An array of thiophene-based π-conjugated linkers in covalently linked pentacene dimers allow us to access diverse quantum interference (QI), modulating nonadiabatic coupling (NAC) in the singlet fission (SF) process. Simulations show that structural isomerism in terms of S atom orientation substantially alters NAC with relatively marginal impacts on energies. Extended curly arrow rules (ECARs) reveal sensitive dependence of QI on SF linker topologies and connectivity, categorizing regimes of constructive, destructive, and previously unrealized in SF research, shifted destructive QI. Drastic NAC changes in terms of S atom orientation are rationalized based on the nature of QI. Our results from nonequilibrium Green's function calculation using density functional theory corroborate the classification of QI regimes based on ECARs. Moreover, we found that the extent of charge resonance contribution in electronic states relevant to multiexciton formation and the appearance of optically allowed charge transfer excitation strongly depends on the operative QI regime. Notably, the magnitude of NAC effectively captures this influence. Our findings show that QI can rationalize and semi-quantitatively correlate with NAC for the multiexciton formation step in the SF process., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

High-speed electrical control of nano-optoelectronic properties in two-dimensional semiconductors is a building block for the development of excitonic devices, allowing the seamless integration of nano-electronics and -photonics. Here, we demonstrate a high-speed electrical modulation of nanoscale exciton behaviors in a MoS 2 monolayer at room temperature through a quantum tunneling nanoplasmonic cavity. Electrical control of tunneling electrons between Au tip and MoS 2 monolayer facilitates the dynamic switching of neutral exciton- and trion-dominant states at the nanoscale. Through tip-induced spectroscopic analysis, we locally characterize the modified recombination dynamics, resulting in a significant change in the photoluminescence quantum yield. Furthermore, by obtaining a time-resolved second-order correlation function, we demonstrate that this electrically-driven nanoscale exciton-trion interconversion achieves a modulation frequency of up to 8 MHz. Our approach provides a versatile platform for dynamically manipulating nano-optoelectronic properties in the form of transformable excitonic quasiparticles, including valley polarization, recombination, and transport dynamics., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The propagation test of lithium-ion battery pack was conducted in an environment of air and insulating oil. The test results showed the difference in the phenomenon in which fire propagation to surrounding cells, when a cell composing a battery pack is thermal runaway in two environments. The temperature of the cells in the battery pack was measured during propagation test. A cycle test was also conducted to check whether there was an abnormality in cell performance immersed in insulating oil. The residual capacity and internal resistance, insulation resistance data of the cell are presented in the two environments., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objective: The traditional freehand placement of an external ventricular drain (EVD) relies on empirical craniometric landmarks to guide the craniostomy and subsequent passage of the EVD catheter. The diameter and trajectory of the craniostomy physically limit the possible trajectories that can be achieved during the passage of the catheter. In this study, the authors implemented a mixed reality-guided craniostomy procedure to evaluate the benefit of an optimally drilled craniostomy to the accurate placement of the catheter., Methods: Optical marker-based tracking using an OptiTrack system was used to register the brain ventricular hologram and drilling guidance for craniostomy using a HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset. A patient-specific 3D-printed skull phantom embedded with intracranial camera sensors was developed to automatically calculate the EVD accuracy for evaluation. User trials consisted of one blind and one mixed reality-assisted craniostomy followed by a routine, unguided EVD catheter placement for each of two different drill bit sizes., Results: A total of 49 participants were included in the study (mean age 23.4 years, 59.2% female). The mean distance from the catheter target improved from 18.6 ± 12.5 mm to 12.7 ± 11.3 mm (p = 0.0008) using mixed reality guidance for trials with a large drill bit and from 19.3 ± 12.7 mm to 10.1 ± 8.4 mm with a small drill bit (p < 0.0001). Accuracy using mixed reality was improved using a smaller diameter drill bit compared with a larger bit (p = 0.039). Overall, the majority of the participants were positive about the helpfulness of mixed reality guidance and the overall mixed reality experience., Conclusions: Appropriate indications and use cases for the application of mixed reality guidance to neurosurgical procedures remain an area of active inquiry. While prior studies have demonstrated the benefit of mixed reality-guided catheter placement using predrilled craniostomies, the authors demonstrate that real-time quantitative and visual feedback of a mixed reality-guided craniostomy procedure can independently improve procedural accuracy and represents an important tool for trainee education and eventual clinical implementation.

In this study, PFOA removal and defluorination were examined during vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolysis in the presence of sulfite and sulfite/iodide conditions. PFOA (24 μM) degradation rate constant (k obs ) and defluorination amount in VUV photolysis, and VUV/sulfite, and VUV/sulfite/iodide reactions under nitrogen-purging condition were 5.50 × 10 -3 , 7.26 × 10 -2 , 1.60 × 10 -1 min -1 , and 34.6, 72.7, 73.9% in 6 h, respectively. When tert-butanol (t-BuOH), NO 2 - , and NO 3 - ions were added as radical scavengers, hydrated electrons (e aq - ) was confirmed as the main species responsible for degrading PFOA and mediating defluorination in VUV-based reactions. While, during VUV photolysis, short-chain perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs), such as PFHpA, PFHxA, PFPeA, and PFBA, were mainly produced as transformation products (TPs) by the chain-shortening mechanism, additional 14 and 15 TPs were identified in the VUV/sulfite and VUV/sulfite/iodide reactions by LC-QTOF/MS, respectively. The main degradation mechanisms in these reactions are H-F exchange (e.g., TP395 (m/z = 394.9739) and TP377 (m/z = 376.9838)), •SO 3 - -F exchange (TP474, m/z = 474.9323), carbon double bond formation by defluorination (e.g., TP392 (m/z = 392.9455), TP410 (m/z = 410.9355), and TP436 (m/z = 436.9347)), and H-F exchange followed by hydration reaction (TP393, m/z = 392.9773), respectively. PFOA degradation pathways were proposed for these VUV-based reactions based on the identified TPs, their time profiles, and the density functional theory (DFT). Finally, the toxicity of PFOA and its TPs produced during three reactions were assessed using ECOSAR simulation., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Odorant molecules interact with odorant receptors (ORs) lining the pores on the surface of the sensilla on an insect's antennae and maxillary palps. This interaction triggers an electrical signal that is transmitted to the insect's nervous system, thereby influencing its behavior. Orco, an OR coreceptor, is crucial for olfactory transduction, as it possesses a conserved sequence across the insect lineage. In this study, we focused on 2,4-di- tert -butylphenol (DTBP), a single substance present in acetic acid bacteria culture media. We applied DTBP to oocytes expressing various Drosophila melanogaster odor receptors and performed electrophysiology experiments. After confirming the activation of DTBP on the receptor, the binding site was confirmed through point mutations. Our findings confirmed that DTBP interacts with the insect Orco subunit. The 2-heptanone, octanol, and 2-hexanol were not activated for the Orco homomeric channel, but DTBP was activated, and the EC 50 value was 13.4 ± 3.0 μM. Point mutations were performed and among them, when the W146 residue changed to alanine, the E max value was changed from 1.0 ± 0 in the wild type to 0.0 ± 0 in the mutant type, and all activity was decreased. Specifically, DTBP interacted with the W146 residue of the Orco subunit, and the activation manner was concentration-dependent and voltage-independent. This molecular-level analysis provides the basis for novel strategies to minimize pest damage. DTBP, with its specific binding to the Orco subunit, shows promise as a potential pest controller that can exclusively target insects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

The development of quantum dot (QD)-based modular bioprobe that has a compact size and enable a facile conjugation of various biofunctional groups is in high demand. To address this, we surface engineered QDs with zwitterion polymer ligands to have an inherent compact size and derivatized them sequentially with the recombinant proteins SpyCatcher/SpyTag (SC/ST) to use their protein ligation system. SC/ST spontaneously form one complex through the isopeptide bond between them. SC-conjugated QDs (QD-SC) were used as base building blocks. Then, ST-biomolecules were added for modular biofunctionalization. We synthesized compact sized (∼15 nm) QD-SC-ST-affibody (antibody-mimicking small protein for tumor detection) conjugates, which showed successful cell-receptor targeting. The target cell-receptor could be easily tuned by changing the type of ST-affibody. We also demonstrated that anti-human-chorionic-gonadotropin mouse IgG 1 antibodies can be labeled on the QD surface by mixing QD-SC with the ST-MG1Nb (mouse-IgG 1 -specific protein). The immunoassay performance of the antibody-labeled QDs was evaluated using a pregnancy test kit, displaying equivalent detection sensitivity to a commercially available kit. This study proposed an innovative strategy for QD biofunctionalization in a modular manner, which can be expanded to a diverse range of colloidal particle derivatization., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)