Though many hearing impairment genes have been identified, only a few of these genes have been screened in population studies. For this study, 168 Pakistani families with autosomal recessive hearing impairment not due to mutations in the GJB2 (Cx26) gene underwent a genome scan. Two‐point and multipoint parametric linkage analyses were carried out. Twelve families had two‐point or multipoint LOD scores of 1.4 or greater within the transmembrane cochlear expressed gene 1 (TMC1) region and were subjected to further screening with direct DNA sequencing. Five novel putatively functional non‐synonymous sequence variants, c.830A>G (p.Y277C), c.1114G>A (p.V372M), c.1334G>A (p.R445H), c.2004T>G (p.S668R), and c.2035G>A (p.E679K), were found to segregate within seven families, but were not observed in 234 Pakistani control chromosomes. The variants c.830A>G (p.Y277C), c.1114G>A (p.V372M), and c.1334G>A (p.R445H) occurred at highly conserved regions and were predicted to lie within hydrophobic transmembrane domains, while non‐synonymous variants c.2004T>G (p.S668R) and c.2035G>A (p.E679K) occurred in extracellular regions that were not highly conserved. There is evidence that the c.2004T>G (p.S668R) variant may have occurred at a phosphorylation site. One family has the known splice site mutation c.536 ‐8T>A. The prevalence of non‐syndromic hearing impairment due to TMC1 in this Pakistani population is 4.4% (95%CI: 1.9, 8.6%). The TMC1 protein might have an important function in K+ channels of inner hair cells, which would be consistent with the hypothetical structure of protein domains in which sequence variants were identified. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The aim of image restoration is to obtain a best possible estimate of an original image from a recorded version of the image. The effectiveness of restoration procedure requires the extent and the accuracy of the knowledge concerning the degradation process. If the degradation is unknown, it has to be estimated from the degraded image itself. In this paper, a new two-phase blind restoration algorithm is proposed. In the first phase of the algorithm, estimated power spectra of subimages of the original image is determined from the degraded image. In the second phase, a blind restoration algorithm is employed to obtain a restored image using estimated power spectra obtained in phase 1. Experimental results are presented to illustrate the proposed algorithm.<<ETX>>


We present a novel framework for the study of a large class of nonlinear stochastic partial differential equations (PDEs), which is inspired by the algebraic approach to quantum field theory. The main merit is that, by realizing random fields within a suitable algebra of functional-valued distributions, we are able to use techniques proper of microlocal analysis which allow us to discuss renormalization and its associated freedom without resorting to any regularization scheme and to the subtraction of infinities. As an example of the effectiveness of the approach we apply it to the perturbative analysis of the stochastic [Formula: see text] model.


One hundred and twenty-six years ago, Congress established Yellowstone as this country's first national park.[1] By 1916, thirty-seven national parks had been established, and in that same year, Congress created the National Park Service to supervise and maintain these parks.[2] Congress mandated that the Park Service preserve each park's scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife for both present and future generations.[3] Since 1916, the national park system has grown to include over 376 units.[4] The National Park Service's holdings are remarkably diverse and include wilderness preserves, wild rivers, seashores, archaeological ruins, and historic sites.[5]


Electric power plants with thousands of flowmeters measure the flow rates in their major processes. The circulating water (CW) pump system, which locates in the intake structure providing a continuous supply of turbine-condenser cooling water, does rarely have flowmeters due to its pipe size exceeding almost one meter, where profile factors can hardly be determined for these large pipes and high flow rate because of the difficulty of factory tests. Conventional flowmeters such as time-of-flight (TOF) ultrasonic flowmeters are sometimes used but cannot achieve the high accuracy of flow rate measurements for large pipes. Instead of installing any flowmeters, plant operators usually estimate the flow rates to evaluate the cooling performance of the condenser with the Q-H design curve of the pump. However, this Q-H curve often drifts due to the deterioration of pump itself. In order to achieve the high accurate flow measurement, the measurement of a flow profile should be required to eliminate a profile factor. We have conducted fields test using an ultrasonic pulse-Doppler flowmetering system to measure the flow profile of CW cooling pump flow for the case of a pipe diameter of 1.7m, where the flow rate was around 270 m 3 /min. Instantaneous flow profile is widely fluctuating by almost double of the average velocity due to the turbulence of pipe flow and pulsation of CW discharge. Next step of the application of the ultrasonic pulse-Doppler system is to measure the flow rate of nuclear feed water system, with a temperature of 220 degrees C and the pressure of 7.5MPa.


Background: Normal conjunctival flora have important role in the healthy functioning of eye like maintenance of surface homeostasis and prevention and/or causation of ocular infection. Objective of this study is to investigate the conjunctival aerobic bacterial flora in diabetic patients and nondiabetic subjects with regard to the management of diabetes which is assessed by glycated hemoglobin levels. Materials and Methods: A prospective study carried out to compare the conjunctiva microflora in 50 diabetes mellitus type II and age matched 50 non-diabetic healthy individuals. Swab was taken from all the participants by rubbing sterile cotton swab to inferior palpebral conjunctiva. Bacterial culture processed using blood agar, chocolate agar, eosin methylene-blue lactose sucrose agar and sabouraud dextrose agar. The bacterial flora identified using microbiology procedure. Results: The rate of bacterial isolate determined as 40% and 34% in diabetes mellitus type II and nondiabetic healthy subjects. In these diabetic group, 30% positive for Staphylococcus aureus, 20% for Escherichia coli, 10% for Klebsiella pneumonia, 10% for coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and 30% for more than one bacteria. In non-diabetic group, 52.9% positive for Staphylococcus aureus, 23.5% for coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS), 5.8% for Klebsiella pneumoniae and 17.6% for more than one bacteria. There was no statistical significant difference observed in isolated bacteria in diabetic and nondiabetic groups. Gram negative bacterial colonization observed high in diabetic individuals (diabetic group, χ2= 0.156, p = 0.815 and in healthy non-diabetic group, χ2= 4.95, p = 0.035). Conclusion: Bacterial isolates were lower in diabetics younger than 40 years of age compared with older than 60 years of age. The conjunctival bacterial flora in diabetics differ from non-diabetic subjects. This should be considered preoperatively and postoperatively, for prophylactic and postoperative treatment should be administered accordingly to the diabetic patients. © This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.


Hi Ron and Erik, I want to congratulate you on your first issue of interactions. It's very entertaining and informative. I have not finished it yet, but I already see more articles about future trends of interaction design. I think this is great. I would highly appreciate it if each article had a small summary at the beginning (like a newspaper) or at the end (like a research paper), so that the reader could easily determine whether it's worth reading an article. A lot of the authors in the current issue have included a summary somewhere in the text, but not all of them, and not in a structured way. I think it would be great if you could outline your vision and goals for interactions in the next issue. In the spirit of interaction design: What is the goal of the magazine? What is the target audience (e.g. researchers or professionals, maybe a persona)? Thank you for taking the time to read through my feedback. I'm already looking forward to the next issue of interactions! Andreas Bossard http://swissusability.tumblr.com Feedback to Blogpsot


For the study of Shenfu coal water mixture(CWM)dynamic stability,this paper designed and developed CWM wheel type experiment rig which could detect the dynamic stability of CWM in pipeline long time transportation.Through the experimental study,the concentration of CWM in the pipe and the variation law between viscosity and shear rate could by found.The relevant dynamic stability parameters which were suitable for pipeline transportation of coal water slurry were proposed according to the test results.It was suggested that for the CWM concentration of about 60%,if the average rate pipeline transportation was at about 0.8m/s,and the apparent viscosity was below 700mPa·s,the properties of coal water slurry could be more suitable for pipeline longer transportation of Shenfu coal water mixture.


Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is usually diagnosed by a specialist through the analysis of fundus images of the eye. Deep learning has been used to perform binary classification of the disease; however, to the best of our knowledge this is the first work that performs a multi-class classification to differentiate between active or inactive OT lesions which gives more information to the clinician when making the diagnosis. Using a predictive model to differentiate healthy eyes from others with different type of lesions can be useful to save time, help diagnose atypical cases and assist specialists with less experience. In this work, we investigate the application of a deep learning model to perform multi-class image classification of eye fundus images. A pretrained residual neural network is fine tuned on a dataset of samples collected at the Hospital de Cl\'inicas and Hospital General Pediátrico Acosta Nu medical centers from Asunci\'on, Paraguay. The proposed model results are highly promising, scoring sensitivity and specificity rates equal to 91% and 98% respectively. In order to replicate the results and continue researching this area an open data set of images of the eye fundus labeled by ophthalmologists is also published as part of this work.


During the past few decades, unalloyed titanium has been extensively used as a material of dental implant-supported restorations but it cause gingival discoloration and unnatural appearance of the surrounding soft tissue. Currently, yttrium oxide partially-stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP) is a ceramic of special interest because of its superior mechanical properties. This study was carried out with four one piece zirconium implants embedded on a standard acrylic resin mandibular edentulous model, the abutment of zirconium implant was classified into two designs and then laboratory test was applied with proposed biting force (sensor (BS) and a bidirectional transmit-receive module. Our study concluded that the use of one piece Zirconium implant with box or parallel shape abutment head in implant supported over-denture without a need of cement, screws or plastics or metal housing for attachment in other types of implant had a superior results and easier maintenance and repair of the prosthesis if any complications occur.


UK awarding bodies increasingly use technology to distribute digital copies of students' examination scripts to examiners for marking. This process allows senior examiners (team leaders) to remotely monitor and feedback on the marking quality of examiners under their supervision throughout the marking period. The objective of this study was to gain an overview of team leader monitoring behaviours in the context of ongoing, situated decision making. This overview included specific analysis of the types of feedback behaviours employed by team leaders as well as the motivations behind their use. A second objective was to gain an understanding of the effects of any feedback on recipient examiners. The study identified that all team leaders proceeded through three distinct stages of monitoring. The study was also able to identify some variation in behaviours between the different team leaders, particularly in the extent to which feedback was dialogic in character, and this had apparent effects on the examiners who received the feedback.


For over 50 years, scientists have compiled and evaluated experimental results and combined these with theoretical results with the goal of obtaining the best values for the quantities related to radioactive decay. Based on initial discussions that began in 1991, a new international collaboration, the Decay Data Evaluation Project, DDEP, made up of six evaluators from four countries was formed in 1995 with the objective of evaluating nuclear and atomic data for radionculides of importance in various applications. This collaboration has now been expanded to ten evaluators from six countries (France, Germany, Russia, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States). The DDEP has selected the nuclides to be evaluated, the methodology to be used, and a review process. This Project has published the results for the evaluations of 29 nuclides, 15 more evaluations have been completed, and 28 more are currently being evaluated. In order to provide quick and easy access to the data, a database and the relevant software has been developed in parallel with the evaluation work. The results of the DDEP are available on a CD-ROM Nucléide. It is expected that these results will become an authoritative and widely accepted set of decay data.


Abstract This article explores the distinctions among European peoples' character established in Kant's anthropology and their connection with his politics. These aspects are neglected relative to the analysis of race between Europeans and non-Europeans, but Kant's anthropological works portray the people of Mediterranean Europe as not capable of civilization because of the dominance of passion in their faculty of desire, which he ties to 'Oriental' influences in blood or government. Kant then superimposes this racialized anthropology over the historical geopolitics of Europe, obscuring the indebtedness of Northern European trade dominance to Mediterranean historical tactics and financial wealth. By relegating the Mediterranean to the margins and dismissing contentious commercial exchange in the region as mere violence spearheaded by North African corsairs, Kant gives us an elitist cosmopolitanism unable to cope with hierarchy and inequality, diminishing its potential for egalitarian global projects today.


model (r 2 =0.99; n=753) well. No differences in growth were found between sexes. Total annual in stantaneous mortality (Zl esti mated from maximum age and from a catch curve of Chesapeake Bay commercial catches ranged from 0.55 to 0.63. Our results do not indicate the existence of a group of larger, older Atlantic croaker in Chesapeake Bay com pared with more southern waters and suggest that the hypothesis of a basically different population dynamics pattern for this species north and south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, should be reevalu ated.


Yi Kwang-su (1892-1950), the pioneering leader of modern Korean literature, played up the efficacy of the edifying and civilizing function of literature. Beginning with his early critical writings published in the late 1900s, Yi emphatically and ceaselessly reiterated this social mission or service of literary undertakings. Especially, in consideration of Korea's political predicament as a Japanese colony, Yi saw the purpose of his own writing as alerting the most critical issues of his society to the masses in order to enhance their social awareness and self-knowledge. He even asserted that the true value of literary production lies in achieving such didactic and practical objectives. Yi's first full-length novel, Muj?ng (The Heartless), was an extension of his literary aspirations and its fictional exemplification. Serialized in Maeil shinbo from January to June of 1917, Muj?ng captivated the attention of its readers, mostly the youth of Yi's generation, amidst the outcry of the elders of contemporary Korean society, and became an instantaneous bestseller. The unparalleled fervor and massive following Muj?ng generated among the young largely stems from the author's revolutionary re-visioning of traditional concepts of women and gender relationships. Consistent with Yi's insistence on the uplifting and inspiring influence of literature, Muj?ng communicates new modes of thinking and behavior for the young of contemporary Korea in the areas of gender identity and male-female relationships. The novel executes this task by highlighting through the personal change and growth of the novel's heroine the need for a self-awakening of Korean women regarding their centuries-old oppression by their own patriarchal society and advocates gender parity to be achieved through women's education and activities in the areas beyond the confines of marriage, family, and domesticity. Ultimately, Muj?ng propagates the idea that ideal gender relationships and women's true self-identities can be actualized only when they are sublimated for public or communal causes.


This study aims to determine the scientific communication skills of students of SMA 6 Yogyakarta through learning Problem Based Learning assisted Edmodo. The sampling technique is through cluster random sampling, that is 2 classes randomly selected from the entire population, class X MIPA 6 as experiment classes and class X MIPA 8 as an implementation class using the same learning. Experiment classes given by the researchers themselves while the implementation class given by the subject teacher of physics at school. Each class was given learning one and the result is known that scientific communication skills of learners in experiment classes get good enough category and scientific communication skills of learners in the implementation class to get a good category.


The current research aims to identify the impact of ambidextrous leadership behaviors on organizational energy in Al-Faris Company. The descriptive analytical method was used as a research approach. Adept leadership includes two dimensions (open leadership behaviors and closed leadership behaviors), and organizational energy includes three dimensions (emotional energy, physical energy, and cognitive energy ). The research sample included all the administrative leaders (General Manager, Associate General manager, Department Manager, Division Official  ) in AL-Faris Company / the Iraqi Ministry of Industry. The researcher distributed (74) valid questionnaires after retrieving (53) questionnaires, and the research relied on the statistical package (SPSS). The results indicated that there is a strong effect and a high correlation between the research variables. The most important dimensions of ambidextrous leadership behaviors are open leadership behaviors, which have a high impact on organizational energy. However, there is a weakness in the involvement of individuals in decision-making and the advertising side AL-Faris Company


The arrhythmogenic right ventricular disease (ARVC) is a heartmuscle disease, which causes arrhythmias, heart failure
 and sudden cardiac death. It is characterized by an electric instability of
 the right ventricular myocard and fibrofatty replacement (KIES et al., 2006). Still we have
 little knowledge about the etiology and the molecular base and the disease
 can be difficult to diagnose. Mutations in several protein
 genes, which play a role in intercellular junctions
 have been described to be responsible for a major proportion of ARVC cases. A
 change in the gene of the cytoskeletal protein plakoglobin results in the naxos
 disease, a special type of ARVC. It is present in desmosomes
 as well as in adherens junctions. In
 this study heterozygous plakoglobin deficient mice
 were used. The genetic inactivation of this gene in those animals leads to
 ARVC-like changes such as a right ventricular dilatation after physical
 exercise due to a dysfunction of the intercalated discs. Wildtype and plakoglobin
 deficient mice were subjected to physical exercise and a special
 pharmacological treatment in order to further investigate the impact of plakoglobin deficiency in mice as well as a new possible
 prophylactic therapy of a combination of several drugs known to decrease the
 preload in the cardiac system. Examinations including electro- and echocardiographic studies as well as enhanced β-adrenergic stimulation (Isoprenaline) were conducted before and after endurance
 training and drug application in treated mice and control groups.
 The given combination of drugs applied in the drinking water in this study
 contained nitrates (9 hours during the night), molsidomine
 (15 hours during the night), and furosemide (24
 hours) and has not been described in previous reports. All
 untreated mutant mice developed a distinct right ventricular myopathy due to the physical training while wildtype mice as well as treated plakoglobin
 deficient animals showed no signs of pathological changes of the heart. In
 all treated mutant animals the combined medication could prevent the
 development of the right ventricular dilatation, as observed in the untreated
 mutant mice. Furthermore, no side effects were detected. With these former
 mentioned results, the basis is given for a new possible prophylactic ARVC
 therapy which seems to have the potential to prevent the development of
 pathological changes in high risk patient groups.


To judge patients' awareness of previous and current occupational therapy, 89 patients attending the clinics of two neurologists were interviewed by an occupational therapist. Information given by the patient on prior and continuing contact with domiciliary occupational therapists was then verified by questionnaires to the community-based therapists. Both sets of responses were collated and compared. Patients were also sent questionnaires 3 months after being seen at the clinic, in which they were asked if they remembered seeing the therapist at the clinic. Of 75 patients who had been seen previously by a domiciliary occupational therapist, 24 were unaware of the contact; of 31 patients who had some form of intervention in progress, 14 did not report any of this work; and of 80 patients surveyed after 3 months, 10 did not remember seeing the therapist at the clinic. Possible reasons for this lack of awareness are discussed and suggestions made as to how it might be improved.


This communication reports the successful fabrication and the comparative study of Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films of nonamphiphilic phenanthrene derivative, 1, 10 phenanthroline (bathophenanthroline) (BATH), when incorporated to a long chain fatty acid viz. heptadecanoic acid and stearic acid. Measurements of compressibility modulus from the surface pressure versus area per molecule isotherm indicate that the mixed film of BATH and SA is harder than that with HA. The plot of area per molecule versus mole fraction is the indication of some repulsive interactions between binary components of the mixed monolayer which facilitates the formation of aggregates. UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy and steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy confirms the formation of microcrystalline aggregates in the mixed LB films. Scanning electron microscopic study supports this observation. The dependence of various LB parameters in the mixed films such as mole fraction, number of layers and surface pressure of lifting have also been investigated in the light of electronic absorption spectroscopy.


Newly deposited Glossina morsitans morsitans larvae were chilled over ice and inoculated with 1 μl of either virus suspension derived from Glossina pallidipes salivary gland homogenate or sterile tsetse physiological saline. They were allowed to pupariate and then maintained at 25°C, 70% r.h. until soon after emergence when their salivary glands were examined for enlargement and presence of virus particles. Teneral G. m. morsitans which received the virus inoculum (n = 135) as larvae all became infected as revealed by gross hypertrophy of their salivary glands and ultrastructural manifestation of virus particles within the glandular epithelial cells and lumina. In the control group, which received the tsetse physiological saline (n = 91), only 1.1% of the flies showed the salivary gland enlargement, a level equivalent to the prevalence of virus infection normally detectable in the G. morsitans colony. This technique opens the way for testing the biocontrol potential of this virus. The DNA virus from G. pallidipes is clearly infective to G. morsitans morsitans, suggesting that the hypertrophied, chalky-white salivary glands, reported in various Glossina spp., are a manifestation of infection by one and the same virus.RésuméLes larves de Glossina morsitans morsitans nouvelement déposées étaient refroidies sur la glace et inoculées avec 1 μl soit d'une suspension de virus provenant d'homogenat de glandes salivaires de Glossina pallidipes ou d'une solution physiologique sterile de tsétsé. Les larves se sont transformées en pupes puis maintenues à une temperature de 25°C et une humidité relative de 70% jusqu'à l'emergence lorsque leur glandes salivaires étaient examinées pour la présence des virus. Tous les 135 jeunes G. m. morsitans provenant des larves ayant été inoculées par des virus ont subit l'infection comme révélé par l'hypertrophie des glandes salivaires et la manifestation ultrastructurale des particules des virus au niveau des cellules épitheliales glandulaires et du lumen. Quant aux mouches tsétsé qui n'ont reçu que la solution physiologique (et utilisés comme contrôle), seulement 1, 1% de 91 jeune G. m. morsitans ont montré l'agrandissement des glandes salivaires, un niveau équivalent à l'incidence de l'infection du virus normalement rencontrée dans la colonie de G. morsitans. Le succès de cette technique ouvre une voie pour tester, l'utilisation de ce virus comme agent potentiel dans la lutte biologique. Le virus ADN provenant de G. pallidipes sans doute infecte G. m. morsitans. Ceci suggère que les glandes salivaires hypertrophiées observées chez différentes espèces de Glossines sont des manifestations d'infection causées par le même virus.


The aim of this study is developing a valid and reliable curriculum efficacy perception scale for teachers working with gifted students. Viewing the difference between variables of teachers'gender, field of study, age, seniority in the profession and seniority of working with gifted. The research was carried out with 350 teachers for Exploratory Factor Analysis, 382 for Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and 283 teachers for the analysis of the scale according to variables. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis conducted in the study, it was concluded that 35 items in the scale were gathered under three factors. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis, three factors explained 66.70% of the total variance for the whole scale. The value of the Cronbach Alpha (α) for the whole scale was highly reliable with .972. The findings of the research show that the scale of "Curriculum Efficacy Perception of Teachers Working with Gifted" is valid and reliable. The scale was applied to 283 teachers and viewed in accordance with the variables. It has been revealed that the scale dimensions of the teachers do not differ according to gender, field of study, age, seniority in the profession. However it differs for the subdimensions of seniority of working with gifted.


From the standpoint of the requirements for the development of innovative strategies for sustainable socio-economic systems approach to the mission statement of strategy. Figure. 1, j. 11.


A. N. Vedensky was born on December 6, 1931 in a family of employees. Relatives and family members of A.N. Vedensky, by their merits to the motherland had a significant impact on his development as a doctor and teacher. He excellently graduated from the paramedic school in Bobruisk and the First Medical Institute of Leningrad named after Academician I. P. Pavlov. After graduation, the Institute sent him to Velikiye Luki, Pskov region, where he worked in regional and city hospitals, at an ambulance substation. In 1960, he entered and went to study at the postgraduate course of the Institute of Blood Transfusion (LPIK) in Leningrad.


In order to spread Moso bamboo seedling,techniques of Moso bamboo seedling nursery and its afforestation were introduced in this paper,including seeds managements,seedling nursery,seedling growth,digging,afforestation and tending.


Use error due to user interface design defects is a major concern in many safety critical domains, for example avionics and health care. Early detection of latent user interface problems can be fac...


The non-linear property of magnetics poses challenges for their loss modelling in power electronics due to lacking full physical models. As a practical approach for their loss estimation, the manufacturers can pre-measure the losses in standalone rigs and distribute the "loss maps" as interpolated look-up tables/curves for the end users. However, with more factors discovered that impact the losses, e.g., DC bias and load conditions, the dimensions of the loss maps cannot be solved by conventional surface/curve fitting methods. This paper addresses this problem by applying the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). For both inductors and transformers, Neural Network-aided loss maps (NNALMs) are designed and evaluated with comparisons against conventional loss maps to reveal the limitations of the latter caused by physically intercoupled input variables. The NNALMs not only show superior accuracy throughout the whole datasets, but also enable the loss maps to expand the dimensions to account for more factors (e.g., load conditions in transformers) and generate multiple outputs (e.g., both the winding loss and core loss). The ANN-aided loss maps can be distributed as digitized datasheets of standardized magnetics, enabling rapid, accurate and user-friendly loss estimations for power electronics engineers.


A 28V 32 Ah cell Li/MnO2 and a 28V NiMH battery systems for the Deorbit Propulsion Stage (DPS) and the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) are developed in Friwo-Silforkraft, Germany with the following objectives and approach: Provide safe battery designs for lowest volume and cost, and within schedule; Take advantage of less complex requests for V201 vs OPS CRV to simplify design and reduce cost; Use only existing commercial cell designs as building blocks for larger battery; Derive battery designs from the ASTRO-SPAS design which is the largest lithium battery design with Shuttle flight experience; Place maximum amount of battery energy on DPS; DPS battery is non rechargeable; and CRV batteries are rechargeable. This paper contains the following sections: a brief introduction on CRV requirements, CRV advantages over Soyuz, and X-38 programs; Battery objectives and approach; Battery requirements and groundrules (performance, on-orbit operation, etc); Design trades, solutions, redundancy plan, and margins; Envelope, size, and mass; Interfaces (structural, electrical & thermal); and Deviation from OPS CRV.


Abstract : The financial services industry the complex web of organizations and firms that deal with the management of money serves as the foundation for U.S. industry and the broader economy. Through efficient and orderly allocation of capital within the U.S. economy, the financial markets seek to maximize return, thereby boosting the national wealth that underpins U.S. military, economic, and diplomatic strength. With the rise of competing financial markets in a globalized world, the challenge for U.S. policymakers is to create conditions for both investors and corporations to thrive in U.S. capital markets. Thus, future U.S. competitiveness depends on the ability to generate and attract capital, optimize regulatory practices, and properly manage risk. Although the U.S. financial services industry profits today from the liquidity generated by massive foreign capital inflows, the global U.S. economic position is steadily weakening. The United States has become the preeminent net debtor nation, investing more than it is saving, and guzzling resources from other economies to satisfy its consumption desires. While record levels of U.S. household debt have contributed to today's economic growth, that growth may have been achieved at the cost of jeopardizing the nation's economic future. Increased household debt, coupled with reduced savings, could limit the amount of capital available for more productive uses and increase U.S. reliance on foreign investment. In the face of concerns about U.S. debt accumulation, the attractiveness and credibility of the U.S. financial market may eventually deteriorate to a critical point. Aging global populations and rising energy costs will soak up liquidity throughout the world, exacerbating the capital crunch for U.S. financial markets.


In this paper we will briefly present the tools of budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis that are used by successful companies to manage ongoing money capital. Our goal is to give you an overview and enough information to begin using these concepts in your business. Financial Management employs the tools of budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis to better manage the annual money capital available to business. These tools are very simple to use - it is just a matter of setting standards and consistently using them.


The aggressive behavior is one kind of misbehaviors, which happens frequently on the pupils. This article discusses the development characteristics、gender and grade difference of high-grade student's aggressive behavior in the elementary school by the questionnaire survey and the interview method. The result shows:(1)In the type of attack, there are significant differences between boys and girls, the girls' direct attack level is obviously lower than that of boys. There's no significant gender differences in the type of relational attack;(2)In terms of direct attack, there's a significant difference between the fifth and sixth grades, but no significant differences between the fourth and sixth grades, and between the fourth and fifth grades. There's no significant in grade difference relational attack, but the relational attack level rises with the grade elevating. At the same time, this article further analyzes the causes of pupil's aggressive behavior and offers some prevention countermeasures.


Methods. Fifteen patients undergoing surgery for scoliosis were anaesthetized with remifentanil and propofol without nitrous oxide or neuromuscular blocking agents (BIS<60). tcMEP were elicited by transcranial electric multipulse stimulation of the motor cortex and recording of compound action potentials from the anterior tibialis muscle. tcMEP were obtained before surgery with propofol target values set from 4 to 8 mg litre, and then during surgery. Arterial propofol concentrations were measured for each tcMEP recording.


The parameters of a capacitively coupled plasma source operating in Xe/Ar mixtures have been studied using particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo methods. The plasma density, ion energy distributions (IEDs) for different sorts of ions, ion current densities, energy delivered by ions to the electrodes and other parameters of a Xe/Ar plasma are systematically investigated as a function of the Xe/(Ar + Xe) mixing ratio. It is shown that the addition of xenon to an argon discharge increases the plasma density, changes the electron energy distribution and lowers the electron temperature. Both single and dual frequency plasma issues are addressed. The dependence of the IED on the observation position in the sheath is also investigated. Computational results are compared with available experimental data.


Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, MS 575 is the Parker Register, the master copy of the catalogue of books in the library of Matthew Parker (1504-75), Archbishop of Canterbury and former Master of the College.1 The books came to the college at the archbishop's death under the terms of a quadripartite indenture, signed by himself, the college and two other Cambridge colleges, Gonville and Caius and Trinity Hall. These two colleges also have texts of the catalogue, and the three served as check lists in the annual audit of books that the Parker bequest stipulated. The Corpus copy, as was natural enough, came in for rougher handling than the other two, and in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century the college had it rebound in rough calf. The Caius (MS 710/743) and Trinity Hall (MS 29) copies retain the original Lambeth bindings with Parker's arms stamped on the cover. There is also a catalogue of the Parker books, in Lambeth Palace Library MS 723, to be considered, but that, as will be seen, is of a different nature from the others. CCCC 575 was rebacked a few years ago, but unfortunately the then librarian missed the opportunity of collating it while it was unsewn. It is hard now to be sure of the collation since several sheets have had their folds


The management of Dione juno juno (Cramer, 1779) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) larvae in passion fruit has been done almost exclusively with synthetic insecticides. The development of alternative methods is desirable to reduce problems caused by the exclusive use of chemical control. Vegetable oil from cotton seeds (Gossypium hirsutum L.), castor bean (Ricinus communis L) oil, and neem (Azaditachta indica A. Juss) were tested against larvae of D. juno juno, to evaluate mortality of larvae and deformities in adult insects. Treatments included spray solutions with 2.0% of oils (emulsified with detergent). Detergent (1.0%) and distilled water were used as controls. Experiments were conducted for second, third and fifth instar larvae. Evaluations were performed one and five days after treatment. In the three instars tested, neem oil showed higher percentage of mortality (83. 73 and 64% respectively) than other treatments. Castor bean and cotton oils are more efficient on second and third larval instar. Spraying of either oil determined deformation in adults. These deformations were more drastic in the insects which larvae were treated with cotton seed oil than neem and castor bean oil.


The paucity of information on mites prompted me to do research in this field. In the taxonomic study of mites, in this case chiggers, conducted by the writer at Wyandotte High School, Kansas City, Kansas, it was necessary to select a mounting medium. Two mounting media were used; Permount, a synthetic resin, and polyvinyl alchohal (PVA). Permount was the first medium used; a switch to PVA was made later because of


Organochlorine pesticides(OCPs) in suspended solids and sediments of the Yangtze River were determined by gas chromatography with electron capture detector.The results indicated that OCPs in suspended solids followed the order of DDTsHCBHCHs while in sediments followed the order of DDTsHCBHCHs.The distribution features of OCPs in suspended solids and sediments of the Yangtze River were similar among the investigated sampling stations.The results obtained by GC\|ECD showed that they were consistent with those analyzed by GC\|MS and HRGC\|HRMS method.


METHODS for designing simple saturable-reactor magnetic amplifiers and predicting their performance on the basis of observed phenomena have been known for some time. However, the literature in the field is still lacking a complete analysis of saturable-reactor circuitry on the oasis of the mechanics of operation. This analysis utilizes the volt-second approach developed by R. A. Ramey1 to analyze completely the simple series saturable-reactor circuit in both its transient and steady states.


High time resolution astronomical and remote sensing applications have been addressed with microchannel plate based imaging, photon time tagging detector sealed tube schemes. These are being realized with the advent of cross strip readout techniques with high performance encoding electronics and atomic layer deposited (ALD) microchannel plate technologies. Sealed tube devices up to 20 cm square have now been successfully implemented with sub nanosecond timing and imaging. The objective is to provide sensors with large areas (25 cm to 400 cm) with spatial resolutions of <20 μm FWHM and timing resolutions of <100 ps for dynamic imaging. New high efficiency photocathodes for the visible regime are discussed, which also allow response down below 150nm for UV sensing. Borosilicate MCPs are providing high performance, and when processed with ALD techniques are providing order of magnitude lifetime improvements and enhanced photocathode stability. New developments include UV/visible photocathodes, ALD MCPs, and high resolution cross strip anodes for 100 mm detectors. Tests with 50 mm format cross strip readouts suitable for Planacon devices show spatial resolutions better than 20 μm FWHM, with good image linearity while using low gain (~10). Current cross strip encoding electronics can accommodate event rates of >5 MHz and event timing accuracy of ~100 ps. High-performance ASIC versions of these electronics are in development with better event rate, power and mass suitable for spaceflight instruments.


To increase the combined laser power of incoherent fiber laser beam combination needs to increase the grating diffraction efficency.Though theoretic analysis and numerical simulations,it has been proved that the precise control of deviation angles of central laser beam and combining beam plays an important role in increasing the diffraction efficiency,higher diffraction efficiency correspond to larger grating period and smaller grating thickness.For central wavelength 1060nm,the grating period should be chosen as 200~400mm-1,and corresponding grating thickness as 2~4mm.


Quantitative interpretation of seismic data for reservoir rock and fluid properties commonly relies on deterministic rock physics relations and may often neglect statistical variability or spatial correlation. Geostatistical methods, on the other hand, take into account spatial dependence but results are often obtained without properly formalizing rock physics relations between seismic measurements and rock and fluid properties. This paper presents a strategy for integrating deterministic rock physics relations and spatial, statistical representations within a Bayesian framework.

Data from the turbidite Glitne Field in the North Sea (Figure 1) provide an example for the approach. Because the reservoir is very heterogeneous, merging statistics with rock physics is particularly worthwhile to improve seismic reservoir prediction. Figure 1.
The location of Glitne Field in the North Sea and the top Heimdal horizon as illustrated by reflection times. Available data are AVO seismic attributes, well observations, two-way seismic traveltimes, and cap-rock properties.

The focus is on describing the spatial probability distribution of reservoir facies and fluid saturation along the seismic horizon representing the top Heimdal Formation (Figure 1), which is capped by Lista Formation at approximately 2000 m. Available data include AVO attributes (zero-offset reflectivity and AVO gradient) extracted from 3-D prestack seismic data and log-based analysis of facies and fluid saturation in four wells. Figure 2 shows zero-offset reflectivity (top, left) and AVO gradient (bottom, left) along the horizon (with the facies and fluid observations in the four wells indicated), a plot of zero-offset reflectivity versus AVO gradient (top, right), and a well log from the area (bottom, right). Two-way seismic traveltimes to the horizon of interest and cap-rock properties (density, P - and S -wave velocity) from well logs are also available (Figure 1). A 245 × 505 grid, each block being 12.5 × 12.5 m2, covers the domain of interest. This …


The flow past a circular cylinder in the presence of two counter-rotating control cylinders is analytically investigated. It is shown that vortex formation behind a circular cylinder can be suppressed by introducing two small counter-rotating circular cylinders. However, choosing an appropriate position and optimal circulation strength for the control cylinders is central to achieving optimal control cylinder design. Solving the complete Navier–Stokes (NS) equations can be time consuming if we approach parameterizing the position and circulation strength of the control cylinders. Instead, reduced-order models can be employed to save the computational expenditure associated with solving the complete NS models. To this end, a Föppl model is employed to investigate the influence of position of the control cylinders on the flow separation from the main circular cylinder. Conformal mapping techniques are used to investigate the flow features, from which the optimum value of circulation was found based on pressure distribution and drag forces. Analytical solutions are complemented through finite volume-based viscous flow calculations.


Background: Breastfed and bottle-fed children's growth is not on the same pattern. This study was conducted to find out the effect of breast and bottle feeding on pre-pubertal children. Methods: This comparative study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, University of Health Sciences, Lahore. The study was conducted during the period from Oct 2013 to Apr 2015. A total number of 90 male pre-pubertal children were included in this study. Only male children were included to avoid bias of sex. Participants were selected from the school children of the locality around the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore. They belonged to middle socioeconomic group. Their age range was 8–10 years, on the basis of history taken from parents of children. Participants were divided into two groups. Group-I, It included 45 male children having exclusive breastfeeding during the first year after birth. Group-II, It included 45 male children having exclusive bottle feeding during the first year after birth. Results: The median (Q1–Q3) weights were 27 Kg (25–29) and 25 Kg (22–29) in breastfed and bottle-fed groups respectively. The difference was considered significant with p=0.017. The median (Q1–Q3) heights were 133 Cm (130–137) and 130 Cm (122–136) in breastfed group and bottle-fed group respectively. The breastfed group children had significantly greater height (p=0.030) as compared with the bottle-fed group children. Conclusion: Breastfeeding has a positive effect on Height and weight of pre-pubertal children.
Pak J Physiol 2017;13(3):15–7


To facilitate instrument management at university, we propose an instrument management system in this paper. This new type of equipment management is expected to replace traditional management methods. Although at university the degree of computer information is rather high, the current instrument management methods are very outdated. Even in some universities, related personnel still adopt very primitive method to manage the teaching equipment. However, with experiment science developing and more and more focus on instrument utilization in the teaching process, the amount of teaching instrument grows exponentially, which imposes a new challenge to the traditional methods of teaching instrument. To cope with this problem, we first conduct some research on this problem. Then, based on this research, an online teaching instrument system is implemented, which nearly covers all the needs of the system requirement.


Many studies have identified the reproductive benefits of cooperative behaviors, yet few have identified the mechanisms that underlie these behaviors. Mechanistic studies can inform our understanding of why some individuals are more or less cooperative, as well as identify the physiological constraints imposed upon the evolution of reproductive traits. Male wire-tailed manakins (Pipra filicauda) exhibit cooperative courtship behaviors and more cooperative territory holders have been shown to exhibit higher reproductive success. To begin to understand the proximate basis of cooperative display behaviors, we conducted both an observational study and an experimental study. Because coordinated courtship displays underlie this form of cooperation, our study also examined both the hormonal and social drivers of individual variation in courtship behavior more broadly (e.g., courtship display rates). Our observational study revealed that males with higher testosterone levels performed fewer cooperative display bouts. In addition, our experimental study demonstrated that the proportion of a male's courtship displays that were cooperative decreased after being administered a testosterone-filled hormone implant. We found no relationship between an individual's courtship display effort (i.e., display rate and time spent performing courtship displays) and circulating testosterone in either study. However, more cooperative males spent a greater proportion of time performing courtship displays than did less cooperative males, suggesting that testosterone may indirectly mediate courtship display behaviors by influencing a territory holder's cooperative behavior. Overall, both our observational and experimental results suggest that reduced cooperative behavior is a cost of maintaining high levels of testosterone for territory-holding males.


George M. Foster. Traditional Societies and Technological Change, 2nd ed. New York: Harper & Row, 1973. vii + 286 pp. Bibliography and index. $3.95 (paper).


A study was made of taxonomic relationships of the grasses Bouteloua hirsuta and B. pectinata as they occur together in north-central and central Texas. Population analyses showed marked differences between the species in several morphological characters, most significant of which are length of the longest basal leaf, inflorescence length, number of inflorescence branches, and anther length. The two species basically are diploid (2n=20) but a large proportion of the Texas plants referable to B. pectinata are aneuploid. Swarms of presumably hybrid plants of highly variable morphological aspect and aneuploid chromosome number usually occur where the two species grow together. INTRODUCTION. Bouteloua hirstua Lag., the well known "hairy grama" of rangelands, is frequent throughout most of the True Prairie, Mixed Prairie, Coastal Prairie, and Desert Plains Grassland of North America. It is a common grass of the central plateau of Mexico, pres- ent as far south as Oaxaca. The closely related B. pectinata Featherly is a relatively tall, coarse, long-lived perennial of limestone and caliche hills of southern Oklahoma, prairie areas of northeastern Texas, and the Edwards Plateau of Texas. Both Hitchcock (1935) and Chase (1951) reduced B. pectinata to complete synonymy under B. hirsuta but Cory (1936) gave varietal recognition to the entity as B hirsuta var. pectinata (Featherly) Cory. Preliminary studies of B. hirsuta and B. pectinata provided evidence to indicate that the basic stock of both species is diploid, with 2n = 20 chromosomes. Diploid plants of B. hirsuta occur on a wide variety of sites, both within the range of B. pectinata and in other regions. Usu- ally associated with the diploids are aneuploid plants with widely


This paper reports the required conditions for fabricating Mg-Al alloy foams starting from metallic powders, where CaCO3 was selected as the blowing agent. The molar ratio of Al varied from 0 to 50%. Mg-Al alloy foams with porosity of 30%~80% and pore size around 0.5~2.0 mm were prepared successfully. The process to make foams includes two main procedures, i.e. foamable precursor preparation and foaming procedure. The effects of the three main parameters, i.e. compaction degree, Al addition, foaming temperature on the foaming results were discussed. Finally, the compressive behaviors of Mg alloy foams were investigated.


This paper presents an 8-pole microstrip bandpass filter. A cul-de-sac coupling arrangement is employed in the design. The microstrip filter is achieved using a dual-layer structure with aperture couplings between the layers. The filter employed only one cross-coupling between resonators but exhibits 3 finite real frequency transmission zeros. A circuit model and its microstrip layout will be presented together with its circuit model and electromagnetic simulated results. A fabricate filter and its measured results will also be presented in this paper.


The effect of subvocalisation on reading speed and comprehension is briefly reviewed. Reading speed is slowed by subvocalisation but comprehension and retention of complex material is improved. In this single case study the activities of the laryngeal and mylohyoid muscles were recorded during reading and other activities. Through electromyographic biofeedback the patient learnt to reduce muscle tension and to discontinue the long term habit of subvocalisation.


The authors describe how, in the original paper, "Chemical-moisture barrier cable-concept and practice" (see ibid., vol. 31, no. 6, p. 1390-7, 1995), Figure 3 was omitted and Figure 5 was printed incorrectly. The missing and corrected figures are shown in this paper.


PURPOSE: A light emitting device is provided to reduce color deviation created between a vertical side and a side of an LED chip by including a wavelength conversion layer. CONSTITUTION: A wavelength conversion layer(13) is formed into a sheet type including wavelength conversion materials(13a). The wavelength conversion layer comprises a first side(131), a second side(132), and a third side(133) interlinking the first side and the second side. The first side is adhered to the upper side of an LED chip through a bonding layer(12). The area of the first side is similar or smaller than the area of the upper side of the LED chip. The second side shifts the color of light emitted from the side of the LED chip.


This article notes the tremendous significance of communication skills for public administrators with the authors examining the attention that has been given to teaching these skills in MPA programs. The authors hold that basic communication skills are the essential building blocks on which more advanced skills (i.e., qualitative skills and computer skills) are constructed. This article considers the various skills of communication that are most essential to public administrators and the manner in which courses addressing these skills are handled in MPA curriculum. In concluding the article, the authors offer several options for teaching communication skills to students of the discipline. Copyright 1989 by The Policy Studies Organization.


Introduction Women continue to lag behind in the most prestigious positions in American law schools and they are not well represented on many of the nation's more prestigious law faculties. This is despite the fact that there are sufficient women in the tenure-track pipeline. (1) Statistics collected by the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) ... demonstrate that while women have made continuous progress on law school faculties, they still occupy a disproportionate percentage of the lower-paying, lower-status jobs. From academic year 1998-99 to academic year 2007-08, the percentage of women law school deans rose from 10.4% to 19.8%. The proportion of full professors grew from 20% to 29.3% of the population. Unfortunately, however, women represent 61.3% of lecturers and 65.4% of instructors. In contrast, men represent the vast majority of high-paying and high-prestige positions, 80.2% of deans, 70.7% of full professors, but a minority of low-paying and low-prestige positions, 38.7% of lecturers and 34.6% of instructors. (2) Law schools are parts of a larger academic whole--the university. The university is a place where teachers and students gather to create, share, and transmit knowledge. Universities were constructed around gendered norms where men taught other men, few of whom were primary caregivers for others. Not surprisingly, the slow progress of women in legal academia mirrors that of women in American universities generally. The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has concluded that "women have made remarkable strides in academia" in the last twenty years, but that "[d]espite these gains, women remain underrepresented at the highest echelons of higher education.... On average, compared to men, women earn less, hold lower-ranking positions, and are less likely to have tenure." (3) In order to understand the resistance to women ascending to positions of prestige and authority in modern academia, one must look briefly to the origins of the modern university and its monastic heritage. In addition, one must look to the criteria for tenure at most American universities and law schools which include a tripartite model of teaching, scholarship, and service. Most law schools give greater de facto weight to scholarship in evaluating merit. However, women faculty tend to do a disproportionate amount of the institutional service. Finally, one must look to cultural gender norms among students whose evaluations of women faculty reflect differing expectations in terms of being accessible to student needs. 1. The Marginal Role of Women as Scholars in the University Universities first arose in Europe during the later Middle Ages (c. 1150-1500). The universitas was a corporation or guild of masters (professors) and scholars (students). Western civilization was developing rapidly at the time. The birth of this new and uniquely Western institution resulted from a combination of powerful societal trends. Briefly, these trends were the revival of mercantilism, growth of cities and the urban middle class, and bureaucratization, along with the 12th-century intellectual renaissance. As European society became more complex, the universal Roman church, secular governments, and municipalities required educated priests, administrators, lawyers, physicians, and clerks for business. Fulfilling this social demand were the universities, which were clearly oriented toward teaching and the learned professions. (4) The golden age of learning in philosophy, rhetoric, and law developed by the Greeks and the Romans was followed by the Dark Ages in which "[t]he barbarian invasions destroyed the schools of the Roman Empire[,] ... the darkest [period] in the intellectual history of Europe." (5) The resulting intellectual drought "gave rise to the monastic and Cathedral schools which served the needs of the church. …


Analogies have always had an important place in the reconstruction of past cultures by archaeologists. However, archaeologists and philosophers have objected on various grounds to the importance granted to analogy. Heider proposed the use of multiple analogies--analogies incorporating several sources--as a way of overcoming these objections. However, the merits and even the meaning of this proposal have not been explored adequately. This article presents an examination of instances of multiple analogies in the archaeological literature in order to motivate an adequate account of them in terms of the Multiconstraint theory of analogy, and in order to examine their role in archaeological inference. This article does not end the debate over analogies once and for all, but it does bring some needed clarity to this issue of central importance to the philosophy of archaeology.


T his paper examined resource endowment and chieftaincy tussle in Angalabiri Community in Sagbama Local Government Area in Bayelsa State by focusing on the causes, impacts and the solution strategies. The study employed the Marxian theory of dialectical materialism as theoretical framework. The descriptive research design was utilized, while both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were adopted. Data was collected from both primary and secondary sources. The questionnaire was the main source of primary data, while textbooks, articles and internet materials were the sources of secondary data. A sample size of 125 respondents was selected for the study. The findings revealed that there were some resource endowment based causes of conflict in Angalabiri; that there were causes of chieftaincy dispute in the community; that the chieftaincy tussle negatively impacted on the socio-political development of the community; and during the duration of the dispute, the community folks adopted various coping solution strategies. The study, therefore, recommended that reducing the resource benefits attached to the chieftaincy stool, organizing sensitization programs, and government intervention in regulating standards for the chieftaincy institution and equitable resource distribution were necessary to reduce the keen tussle over chieftaincy title and control of resource in the community.


The invention discloses an online advertisement audience sorting method based on transfer learning and aims at sorting audiences according to potential correlation of Internet audiences about an advertisement, so that a long-tail advertiser with insufficient budget can put the advertisement through buying a fixed number of front sorting user positions. According to the method, a history behavior domain and a preference domain of the advertisement of a user are in different characteristic spaces, and the relation between the history behavior domain and the preference domain of the advertisement of the user is established through defining a correlation transfer matrix, so that the influence of history behavior information of the non-correlated users on advertisement preference is reduced, and thus an improved correlation computational algorithm TransferBM25 based on transfer learning is realized. On the basis, through four steps of preprocessing, feature extraction, model training and effect evaluation on the advertisement history data, a final audient sorting model is obtained, and the advertisement audiences are sorted according to the model, so that after being sorted, the users with the front sorting positions have higher advertisement click probability.


totakeadvantage ofanddesign aneffective scheme. Asa result, thebrute-force approach isfollowed, typically impleProbabilistic flooding (parameterized byaforwardingmented through resource wasteful approaches suchasfloodprobability) hasfrequently beenconsidered inthepast, as ing, [14], [9], [8], [10]. ameansoflimiting thelarge message overhead associated Traditional flooding that traverses allnetwork links and withtraditional (full) flooding approaches that areusedto reaches allnetwork nodes, isnotanefficient approach as disseminate globally information inunstructured peer-to-itrequires anumberofmessages equal tothenumberof peerandother networks. A keychallenge inusing proba- network links. Inviewofthetypically large size ofpeerbilisticflooding isthedetermination oftheforwardingprobto-peer networks interms ofnodes andlinks, itisclear that ability sothat global network outreach isachieved while traditional flooding wouldnotbeeffective forsuchenvikeeping themessage overhead aslowaspossible. ronments. However, flooding isfrequently considered for Byshowing that aprobabilistic flooding network gener- comparison purposes andinorder toestablish therelative atedbyapplying probabilistic flooding toaconnected ran- efficiency ofalternative schemes. domgraphnetwork canbebounded byproperly parame- Manyvariations oftraditional flooding havebeenproterized random graph networks andinvoking random graph posedforservice discovery inunstructured environments. theory results, bounds onthevalue oftheforwarding prob- InGnutella, [14], aTTL(Time-To-Live) value isusedto ability arederived guaranteeing global network outreachrestrict message flooding toasmall number ofhopsaround withhigh probability, while significantly reducing themes- thenodethat hasinitiated thesearching process (this node sageoverhead. Bounds ontheaverage number ofmessages will bereferred toastheinitiator node). Thisapproach -aswellasasymptotic expressions -andontheaverage maybescalable forsmall values ofTTLbutatthesame timerequired tocomplete network outreach arealsode- timeitsignificantly reduces theprobability oflocating the rived, illustrating thebenefits oftheproperly parameterized requested node(s) ofinterest inlarge peer-to-peer networks. probabilistic flooding scheme.


A dynamical system of non-linear ordinary differential equations which describes the Dengue-Chikungunya infectious process is reported. In this model it is considered the presence of two viruses transmitted by the same vector. Taking into account this fact, we have determined the epidemic threshold, basic reproduction number, using the next generation matrix. The simulations of the differential equations system are carried out with the MATLAB software.


The method and the formal-technical language of documentary filmmaking have expanded so much that the traditional divide between documentary and fiction cannot be reasonably held. Animation has also claimed its place among the possible devices of a documentary film. Consequently, a documentary no longer wears its 'truthfulness' on its sleeve. The cues of documentary that were used historically, like archival footage or talking heads, are eclipsed by cognitively engaging interactive camera work provoking viewer's identification. The dilemma that a would-be documentary filmmaker is necessarily confronted with is between perceptual realism and representational realism. An image cannot show the 'original': it can only declare it in a meta-communication about the image. In the history of film the self-referential 'dead-end' of the 'ontological' image is expressed by a camera filming the 'eye' of another camera. The self-referentiality of documentary filmmaking also entails that documenting is necessarily gappy...


With the ongoing push for wireless systems to accommodate more users and support higher data rates more efficient modulation schemes have been created that are more advanced than simple FM and AM modulation used for radio broadcasting. These modulation schemes, such as orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), suffer from high peak to average power ratios. Standard Class A and Class AB amplifiers cannot simultaneously achieve good linearity and efficiency, and therefore there has been an increase in the development of new topologies to combat this issue. Common features to these circuits is power combining of two or more separate transistors. In this work, we consider various ways of two-source power combining and identify four topologies of interest. We notice that linear power-efficient amplifiers reported to date are based upon two of the identified combining strategies. We believe that no amplifiers have been reported that leverage the other two alternatives. This work produces a fully-functional amplifier based on one of these alternatives. The prototypes are intended to serve as concept verification of the architecture and hence are implemented at lower (1 MHz) frequencies. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. Vladimir Prodanov for providing the opportunity to work on this exciting and possibly very influential power combining technique. Professor Prodanov's ongoing support proved vital in completing this research successfully. I would also like to thank Dr. Tina Smilkstein and Dr. Dennis Derickson for being a part of my thesis committee, and providing the assistance needed to complete this program. Lastly, I would like to thank my father Rudi, my mother Lorena, and my brother Josh, for their support throughout the years. Without the ongoing support, emotionally and financially, none of this would have been possible.


Tensile deformation curves of flat samples of commercially pure aluminum 1070 have been produced. The features of the evolution of distributions of deformation fields on the surface of the samples at a macroscopic scale level under uniaxial tension deformation have been studied using the Vic-3D digital optical system. Formation of chaotically located tension and compression deformation zones has been revealed at the transitional stage of the dependence α = f(χ). Upon reaching stresses above the elastic limit, when passing to stage III, small deformation zones merge into larger ones in the distribution patterns of longitudinal eyy relative deformations on the sample surface. It has been established that individual plastic deformation zones are localized into macrobands when the plastic deformation reaches above 1.3% averaged over the entire sample. These macro bands completely intersect the entire gauge length of the sample and are directed at an angle of ∼30° to the longitudinal tension axis of the sample.


The finite element method is used to numerically simulate the large strain behaviour of thin rolled aluminium alloy sheets under planar simple shear. The numerical analyses are performed on both macroscopic and mesoscopic' levels. In the macroscopic calculation, each material point is represented by an aggregate of single crystals, and the Taylor-type polycrystal plasticity model gives the constitutive response at an integration point. In the mesoscopic study, a material point or a polycrystal is represented by an 'unit-cell' in which an element of the finite element mesh represents a single crystal, and the constitutive response at an integration point is given by the single crystal constitutive model. Numerical results are compared with experimental data found in the literature. The differences in predicted numerical results between the macroscopic and mesoscopic approaches are discussed.


Objective: Pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized by neutrophilic infitration. Our aim was to evaluate the demographic and clinical features of patients with pyoderma gangrenosum and to review the literature findings about pyoderma gangrenosum. Material and Methods: Patients diagnosed with pyoderma gangrenosum between 1980-2009 years were retrospectively evaluated. Response was determined as complete improvement of the lesion with therapy. Results: The study included 25 patients (15 female, 10 male) with a mean age of 42 years. Mean disease duration was 2.7 years. The most common variant (84%) was ulcerative variant. 6 patients (24%) had a history of trauma that preceded the onset of lesions, and 10 patients (40%) had recurrent attacks. Multiple lesions (≥2) were observed in 12 patients (48%). Inflammatory bowel disease was present in 4 patients (16%). Other associated diseases included acute myeloid leukemia, vasculitis, aganglionic megacolon, incomplete Behçet's disease, and Takayasu arteritis and diabetes mellitus. The most common lesion localization was the lower extremities (72%). Majority (88%) of the patients were treated with systemic immunosupressive agents, the most common immunsupressive agent used was systemic corticosteroids (n=18, 72%), and of those 88.8% (n=16) responded to the treatment. Conclusion: Pyoderma gangrenosum was primarily seen in adults with a slight female predominance, had a predilection for the lower extremities and ulcerative variant was the most common clinical type. Forty-four percent of patients had associated systemic disease of which the inflammatory bowel disease was the most common. Systemic corticosteroids were the mainstay of systemic therapy.


The article sets the requirements for the formulation of the content of professionally oriented tasks, solved with the help of mathematical methods on the basis of specialized software. Special professional competences of the technician-programmer in the field of application of mathematical methods in the course of solution of professionally oriented tasks with the help of of specialized software are presented.


AFTER the biological chemists had determined the structure of natural estrogens,androgens and progesterone, their efforts were directed, with surprising JL JJL. success, to synthesizing these hormones as well as to the development and investigation of chemical compounds of stronger potency, particularly those absorbed through the intestinal tract. In addition, numerous laboratories have been busy in attempts to purify the gonadotropic factors whose chemical structure is still unknown, and if possible, to separate the follicle stimulating from the luteinizing factors as well as to determine whether or not these reactions are due to separate and distinct entities. We have been engaged in studying the clinical effect of some of these compounds, with control of the changes in hormone excretions resulting from such therapy. Stilbestrol is a synthetic substancewhich has strong estrogenic action. It has but a faint structural resemblance to the natural estrogens. Synthesized and prepared by Dodds and his group (...


Surface electromyography is the technique for measuring levels of muscle activity. When a muscle contracts, electrical activity generated as action potentials propagate along the muscle fibers. There are two types of Surface EMG (SEMG)-Static scanning SEMG and Dynamic SEMG. In Dynamic SEMG, electrodes are attached to the skin and muscle activity is measured and graphed as the patient moves through various ranges of motion. The authors in this paper discuss the use of EMG for analyzing different phases of walk by acquiring the surface EMG from Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles of the leg .with the subjects walking at two self selected pace- fast and slow. These surface EMG signals picked up during the muscle activity are interfaced with a PC system via Biometrics EMG acquisition system. The acquired signals were processed and analyzed using filtering techniques. The results showed a marked variation in the RMS amplitude levels and median frequency of EMG as the subject's walking pace changed.


The kinetics of chlorination of CoO and CuO were studied using thermogravimetric technique. The kinetic results were analyzed by a suitable computer solftware involving various kinetic laws of gas-soild reaction to find the mechanism and activation energy and have further been substantiated by reduced time plot analysis. The mixed mechanisms of chlorination-contracting geometry and diffusion control-were observed for CuO whereas chlorination of CoO showed single diffusion control. The activation energies of chlorination of copper oxide and cobalt oxide are respectively 6.5 and 95 k.J mol - 1 .


Criticism (especially international criticism) has been quick in labelling the recent success and international recognition of several Romanian fi lms directed by a young generation of fi lmmakers (Mungiu, Puiu, Porumboiu) as the Romanian "New Wave." I am interested not in questioning the appropriateness of the syntagm but in analysing several of these fi lms as they circle around and about "authority." I will apply the syntagm "Romanian New Wave" as a tool of analysis, as an umbrella term underlying that which is common to the different directors as opposed to the numerous differences that (naturally) are there as well. My intention is not to uncover a common theoretical platform of these directors (criticism agrees that there is no such thing) but a certain 'Romanian worldview' as it emerges from the preoccupations of a generation of fi lmmakers, a view broken into small pieces (as against monolithic representations) easier to analyse but which always affect and refl ect back at the viewer. The originality and the international appeal of these fi lms rest on their capacity of revealing the mechanisms at work in giving and taking authority/power with a sensitivity and a realism ripened and fi nely tuned by the experience and the legacy of a totalitarian political and social system. Towards an understanding of the "Romanian New Wave" Criticism (especially international criticism) has been quick in labelling the recent success and international recognition of several Romanian fi lms directed by a young generation of fi lmmakers (Mungiu, Puiu, Porumboiu to name just a few) as the Romanian "New Wave." The category is generally disliked by Romanian critics and fi lmmakers alike who consider that these directors and their fi lms ACTA UNIV. SAPIENTIAE, FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES, 4 (2011) 115–129


The development of an autostereoscopic display based upon temporally multiplexing is described. The advent of high framerate spatial light modulators, high performance graphical processing units and high bandwidth data buses render such a design viable.


We greatly appreciate the letter (1) regarding our publication describing the development, implementation and impact of an automated Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) for Sepsis at our institution (2). We used established criteria for severe sepsis as predictors in our algorithm to expedite the derivation, validation and implementation of the EWRS. This resulted in implementation across a multi-hospital healthcare system within one year from the date that vital signs first became available in our electronic health record (EHR). Although the ability of our model as a predictive classifier was fair, its clinical utility was robust. With a positive likelihood ratio >5 and screen positive rate <5%, the model enabled the timely identification and care of patients at risk for sepsis, improved sepsis documentation, and potentially reduced mortality, thereby supporting the notion that simple classifiers can compete with more complex algorithms (3).

Although the original model implemented could have been improved using other variables and approaches, we were concerned at the time about the diminishing returns of additional complexity, particularly when deploying the model in a production environment with high demands. We thus favored simplicity at all stages, with the knowledge that complexity could be added once the clinical feasibility of the system was established.

More recently, we have applied machine learning algorithms to leverage "big data" available from our EHR, using random forest models to predict hospital readmissions (4) and improve sepsis predictions (in an initiative labelled EWRS 2.0). As Drs. Bhattacharjee and Edelson suggest, these methods can have advantages over using more manual regression approaches to select predictors, a particularly cumbersome process when an acutely ill inpatient can generate hundreds of variables and >1,000 data points daily (5). Yet, although machine learning algorithms can theoretically be constructed using all variables in real-time, from an implementation perspective, it can be difficult to continuously collect and maintain such a complete information set for each patient. Therefore, we strive to develop models using subsets of predictors without sacrificing performance.

What we've learned is that the development of highly accurate predictive algorithms using these approaches is often less complex than the technical and administrative aspects of implementing these algorithms into practice. To address these challenges, we are currently developing an open platform to allow researchers and data scientists to tap into the wealth of data available in the EHR and other connected devices in order to build, test, and deploy novel intelligent predictive solutions. Our goal in developing this platform is to accelerate the development and deployment of innovative solutions. Once in production, algorithm performance can then be improved iteratively as more data (in terms of volume and velocity) become available through technological advances such as streaming health data from wearables and other connected devices.

With the implementation of EWRS 1.0, we thus set the stage for the development of high performance predictive models, as well as the implementation of these models into practice, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality and value of care we provide.


Research on South African street children has pointed to an apparent paradox in terms of vulnerability and resilience, requiring a closer examination of how street children make meaning of their lives as well as the contexts in which these meanings are constructed. This study makes use of a variety of data, including drawings, stories and spontaneous drama to access commonly manifested themes and patterns of interaction among a small group of ex-street children attending a voluntary, non-formal learning centre in Cape Town. Over four months of participant observation, consistent themes and patterns of interaction were identified and interpreted in terms of shortterm adaptation and/or longer-term protection or risk within the overall context. The most consistent tendencies towards resilience involved themes of autonomy and the power to control events, both closely related to themes and patterns of peer group solidarity. Within the context, tendencies towards risk were closely integrated with the above. Combined with a general suspicion and wariness of adults, the drive for autonomy, in particular, was in conflict with signs of underlying insecurity and tended to undermine the development of relationships with potentially caring adults.


Influence of Pulverized Locust Bean Husks on the Strength and Durability Characteristics of Lateritic Bricks is the first edition that is appropriate for researchers intending to investigate into durability properties of soil bricks stabilised with agro waste materials. This book gives researchers and students a thorough understanding of the aspect of experimental design on pulverized locust bean husk (PLBH) as stabilising agent for soil bricks. It covers the chemical composition of PLBH, literature review on agro waste materials used as soil stabilising agent and characteristics of soil bricks stabilised with PLBH with reference to building codes, recognised testing and American Society for testing Materials. This book is an excellent material for all civil engineers, structural engineers, researchers and students at degree levels. It is a valuable reference book for practicing engineers in the field.


The main purpose of this research was to investigate the ability of Oleander plant (Al Defla) tissues to adsorb Methylene Blue (MB) dye from polluted water. The experiments were carried out through batch-adsorption technique to investigate the influence of the following experimental parameters on adsorption process namely, adsorbent quantity, MB initial concentration, adsorbent particles size, ionic strength, pH and temperature. The observation indicated an ability of the plant tissues to adsorb MB from water. Adsorption of Methylene Blue was increased on increasing the temperature, pH, adsorbent amount and the initial dye concentration factors. While it decreases with increase of salt concentration and increase of the adsorbent particles size. Plant fruit clusters are more likely to adsorb MB dye from water than leaves. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to model the adsorption data, which was fitted with these models. The isotherms parameters indicated that the adsorption was monolayer physical process.


OBJECTIVE To observe the change of airway hyperresponsiveness after the Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections and take effective intervention measures so as to improve the prognosis of the patients.METHODS A total of 120children with conformed M.pneumoniaeinfections,who were treated in the department of pediatrics and hospitalized from Oct 2011to Apr 2012,were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into four groups, with 30cases in each;the control group was given the symptomatic therapy including azithromycin and supplements,antifebrile,cough and phlegm,the group A was treated with additional budesonide on the basis of treatment of the control group,the group B was treated with montelukast sodium tablets on the basis of the treatment of the control group,and the group C was treated with the intravenous infusion of fat-soluble vitamins I on the basis of the treatment of the group A;the lung function and the airway responsiveness of all the subjects were determined on the day at the end of three treatment courses of azithromycin,and the change of airway responsiveness and the clinical efficacy were observed and compared between the four groups.RESULTS Three treatment courses later,the rate of improvement of airway hyperresponsiveness was 96.67%in the group C,73.33%in the group A,76.67%in the group B,30.00%in the control group,which was significantly higher in the group C than in other three groups,and the improvement of the control group was significantly lower than that of other three groups;the difference between the group A and the group B was not significant.The total effective rate of treatment was 33.34%in the control group,70.00%in the group A,73.34%in the group B,93.33%in the group C;the difference between the four groups was significant except for the difference between the group A and the group B;the clinical efficacy of the group C was the best,the control group the poorest.CONCLUSIONFor the children with M.pneumoniaeinfection,the combination use of azithromycin,non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,leukotriene antagonists,and airway epithelial cells repair agent may reduce the airway hyperresponsiveness and improve the lung function so as to improve the clinical therapeutic effect and prognosis.


The aim of our study is to identify the origins, rise and subsequent marginalisation of the Samoobrona (Self-defence) movement within the interplay of Polish political forces known as "postcommunist". Founded in 1992 by a group of financially over-extended farmers who combined into a single entity two legally distinct organisations, one a farming union and the other a political party, the Samoobrona movement became known in the nineties through the "radicalism" of its members during the farming demonstrations which shook Poland. From 2000 on, it took up a position as a central player on the Polish political scene, totalising more than 10% of the vote at various elections and even entering the administration for a time, before being once again marginalized after the early parliamentary elections in 2007. In this research, we break with the commonly held view of populism as an exception, to show that the study of the path of the Samoobrona movement should be placed within the normal social science spectrum of politics. If we examine the development conditions of a political group within the context of a revision of the political competition rules, it is possible to see the "successes" and "failures" of the Samoobrona movement as the relatively unlikely results of the clashes and faltering processes of the definition and justification of a representational offer which presents both an original option and a rallying force. The double organisation of the movement, at once party-political and trade-union based, allows those who created it to operate simultaneously on various fields of interaction. In this, from 2000 on, the twofold origin plays a decisive role in the recognition of the leaders of Samoobrona as inevitable competitors for the definition and the representation of social interests as well as contenders for positions of political power. At the same time, it prevents their being seen as legitimate players on the political scene, stops the group becoming institutionalised, and finally means they cannot last in the political and institutional arena.


Abstract : A staphylococcus epidemic which concerned seven patients is described, which occurred at a surgical ward. A Staph. aureus with the lysis form 81 (RTD) was discovered to be the source of the epidemic. The epidemic had been started, almost certainly, by a patient who came to the ward with a furunculosis.


Cinnamomum glanduliferum (Wall.) Meisn from Lauraceae, commonly referred to as 'Nepal camphor tree' or 'false camphor tree', is mainly known for its spice qualities and aromaticity. The pleasant aroma mainly develops due to the presence of valuable phytoconstituents in the form of terpenes and volatile hydrocarbons conferring the plant species a camphor substitute. Bulk of studied researches on C. glanduliferum segregated and not well documented. This study however attempted to congregate the fragmented data based on the ethnomedicinal, pharmacological and biochemical properties along with the other miscellaneous data. Results authenticated sparse documentation on the ethnomedicinal, pharmacological and biochemical properties of C. glanduliferum thus pointed to the untapped information on the various potentials of the plant. Exploring its sustainable utilization, pharmacological, biochemical and nutraceutical potentials are recommended.


Chicken Swarm Optimization (CSO) Algorithm is comparably a new bio-inspired algorithm which erstwhile applied to numerous complex optimization scenarios. CSO is based upon impersonating the hierarchical order as well as behavior in flocks of chicken roosters, hens and chicks. The aim of the present study is to apply CSO on clustering routing protocol to optimize the energy constraints of wireless sensor networks (WSN). Based on the simulation results, a number of prominent trends have been commented upon. The simulation results reveal a decrement in energy consumption in the sensor nodes, which may lead to a promising outcome. This new energy proficient clustering mechanism espouses the network life-time. The comparison with other clustering hierarchical protocol i.e. LEACH is also presented to confirm the efficacy of CSO based clustering protocol.


In 1940, at Great Neck, Long Island, Mr. Calmer Forsander found a waterworn glacial cobble with a crudely executed face on one side in an old stone wall bordering his property. Mr. Forsander knew that I had excavated the Baker Hill site, located about three hundred yards west of his house, and brought the find to my attention. The specimen is roughly egg-shaped and is composed of a crystalline material which appears to be indurated sandstone (Fig. 24). It measures approximately IS inches in length, 11 inches in width, and 10 inches in thickness. On one of the broader sides is a face, pecked and ground into the surface. The workmanship is crude and resembles that found on the pitted hammer stones common in the region.


Landform mapping near the Athabasca valley was fundamental to determining whether the Late Wisconsinan Laurentide and Cordilleran Ice Sheets (LIS, CIS) coalesced. In this paper we examine the detailed landform record using new LiDAR digital elevation and hillshade models of the area of confluence and eventual desuturing of these ice sheets. This work reveals an earlier more extensive Cordilleran advance before coalescence with the LIS. When the ice sheets coalesced, the flow pattern was dominated by ice flow along the mountain front, with Cordilleran ice flowing out of major trunk valleys but Laurentide ice flowing into the Foothills up smaller valleys. This flow pattern implies that when the ice sheets coalesced the CIS was already waning, or at least was not at its maximum. Deglaciation was interrupted by several re‐advances, probably related to the destabilizing effect of proglacial lakes along the ice margin.


I n this issue of the Journal, Liu et al. [1] report a study from Taiwan, which indicates that angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) reduce the risk of pneumonia in patients who have had a stroke. The purported mechanismbehind this effect is thatACEIs, by stimulating the cough reflex, prevent aspiration into the lungs of content from theupper gastrointestinal tract. Pneumonia is a frequent and potentially serious adverse event following stroke, and ACEIs are relevant drugs for a large proportion of these patients, for a number of indications. If these drugs can be found to have an effect on the risk of pneumonia this might have implications for the choice of drugs in patients who have had a stroke, for indications like hypertension [2]. The interest in this question is expressed in the high number of studies on the same topic, including a secondary analysis of the Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS) [3]. The results of these studies are somewhat conflicting, but several studies indicate that at least in elderly people who have had a stroke, and particularly in Asian populations, ACEIs have a protective effect against pneumonia, and, based on these studies, the Japanese Society of Hypertension has suggested that ACEIs should be the choice of treatment for patients with hypertension that repeatedly develop aspiration pneumonia [4]. The study presented by Liu et al. used a case crossover design to ascertain the effect of ACEIs on the risk of pneumonia. Cases were identified in a large and comprehensive Taiwanese database of hospitalized patients, and drug exposure immediately prior to the pneumonia (case period) was compared with drug exposure at earlier times, when patients were known not to have pneumonia (control periods). This design allows each patient to serve as his/her own control, which avoids many important sources of bias that can arise when different people are


We built a system to automatically detect laughter from acoustic features of audio. To implement the system, we trained a neural network on four classes of features: mel frequency cepstral coeffiencts (MFCCs), fundamental frequency, rms frequency, and ac peak. We used the ICSI Meeting Recorder corpus to train and test our system. The combined system of MFCCs and ac peak features performed best, with an equal error rate (EER) of 8.15%.


A low damage dry etch technology suitable for in situ processing was developed for the fabrication of ZnSe-based nanostructures. Thermally assisted electron cyclotron resonance etching combines plasma etching at low ion energies with process temperatures between 80°C and 210°C. Due to a variation of the process parameters, i.e., plasma power and sample temperature, a transition from partially physical to prevailing chemical etch properties is obtained. Therefore an accurate control of etch profile, surface morphology, and etch rate is possible. Optically active CdZnSe/ZnSe quantum wires with lateral sizes down to 20 nm were realized, indicating a significantly reduced influence of optically inactive layers compared to conventionally dry etched nanostructures. In narrow wires, a systematic blue shift of the photoluminescence signal with decreasing wire width clearly demonstrates lateral carrier confinement effects.


One goal of the Polarimetric Cloud Analysis and Seeding Test (POLCAST) project is to determine if North Dakota clouds created by surface-base convection are suitable for treatment with hygroscopic flares to enhance surface rainfall amounts. The suitability evaluation examines the processes involved in the hygroscopic seeding conceptual model to determine how supportive North Dakota's environment is to conducting an effective rain enhancement program. POLCAST field measurements are used to determine if important environmental factors support an increase in cloud precipitation efficiency from hygroscopic seeding. Current scientific theories and modeling results indicate that the most important environmental factors are cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) concentrations, droplet size distribution, and cloud base temperature and height. North Dakota's high CCN concentration supports the conclusion that releasing large hygroscopic particles at cloud base produces more collector droplets which increases precipitation efficiency. North Dakota's cloud base temperatures and several kilometer thick clouds indicates that ice phase hydrometeors are important in the precipitation formation process. Hence, increases in precipitation efficiency is not a simple warm rain process but involves more graupel production in the cold cloud region. North Dakota's low cloud base heights indicate that increases in precipitation would increase rain at the surface. All environmental factors examined indicate North Dakota's suitability for conducting hygroscopic seeding to enhance precipitation; however, some cloud processes are impossible to fully evaluate with the current POLCAST data set. A complete aerosol/cloud physics data set would provide a valuable resource for further understanding physical processes and help in constructing a more accurate regional precipitation forecast model. Development, validation, and use of a precipitation forecast model with a known uncertainty would be an effective method for determining precipitation increases from hygroscopic seeding.


Significance RNA regulation occurs at many levels including processing to mature forms, subcellular localization, and translation. RNA-binding proteins are crucial to direct and regulate these processes. Pumilio/feminization of XX and XO animals (fem)-3 mRNA-binding factor (PUF) proteins are RNA-binding proteins formed from eight α-helical repeats [Pumilio (PUM) repeats] that recognize specific mRNA sequences. Previous structural studies revealed characteristic curved structures and sequence specificity unique to these classical PUF proteins. We show here that PUM repeats also form different folds with 11 PUM repeats. Moreover, these proteins, exemplified by human Puf-A and yeast Puf6 proteins, recognize double-stranded RNA or DNA without sequence specificity. Interestingly, Puf-A and Puf6 PUM repeats lack specificity for RNA bases yet use residues at conserved positions on topologically equivalent protein surfaces for new nucleic acid recognition modes. Pumilio/feminization of XX and XO animals (fem)-3 mRNA-binding factor (PUF) proteins bind sequence specifically to mRNA targets using a single-stranded RNA-binding domain comprising eight Pumilio (PUM) repeats. PUM repeats have now been identified in proteins that function in pre-rRNA processing, including human Puf-A and yeast Puf6. This is a role not previously ascribed to PUF proteins. Here we present crystal structures of human Puf-A that reveal a class of nucleic acid-binding proteins with 11 PUM repeats arranged in an "L"-like shape. In contrast to classical PUF proteins, Puf-A forms sequence-independent interactions with DNA or RNA, mediated by conserved basic residues. We demonstrate that equivalent basic residues in yeast Puf6 are important for RNA binding, pre-rRNA processing, and mRNA localization. Thus, PUM repeats can be assembled into alternative folds that bind to structured nucleic acids in addition to forming canonical eight-repeat crescent-shaped RNA-binding domains found in classical PUF proteins.