Conventional high-level synthesis (HLS) algorithms are very conservative when dealing with read-after-write (RAW) dependences, the execution of one operation is allowed once all its predecessors have been calculated. However, in the execution of arithmetic operations, some bits are required later than others, and some bits are produced earlier than others. This paper proposes a presynthesis optimization algorithm that relaxes RAW dependences, taking advantage of this feature for a more efficient HLS of data flow graphs formed by additions, multiplications, and logic operations. The presented preprocessor analyzes the critical path at bit granularity and splits the arithmetic operations into subword fragments. These fragments become the input to any regular HLS tool to speed up circuit execution times through scheduling in different cycles of the fragments obtained from the same original operation. This way, the execution of one operation may begin before the calculus of its predecessors has been completed. This becomes feasible when the execution of the predecessor has begun in the selected cycle or in a previous one, and even if it will finish in a posterior cycle. The experimental results that were carried out show that implementations obtained from the optimized specification are, on the average, 70% faster, with only slight variations in the data path area.


A collaborative project between researchers, regional natural resource management organisations and landholders set out to explore three questions about the relationships between biodiversity and land use in Australia's mixed-farming landscapes: (1) the extent to which farm-scale measures of biodiversity were related to agricultural production; (2) the influence of the type and intensity of agricultural production on native biodiversity on farms; and (3) the relative influence of site and farming system on selected measures of biodiversity. Four land-use types on 47 mixed farms across nine regions, derived from several of Australia's 56 natural resource management regions, were surveyed in autumn and spring 2006 and 2007. Surveys of birds, surface invertebrates (beetles, ants, spiders), vegetation and soils were undertaken on four land classes on each farm; crop, 'rotation' (break crop/pasture phase), perennial pasture and remnant vegetation. Data were collected by participating regional staff, using a standard protocol, which were sent to a central collection point for collation, analysis and interpretation. Species richness, functional diversity and vegetation structure were assessed. This introductory paper focuses on results relating to species richness, which for most taxa was greater in remnant vegetation than other land-use classes and declined along a disturbance gradient (remnant, pasture, rotation, crop). Properties with a greater proportion of perennial pastures recorded higher species richness than properties that were dominated by crop. Properties that recorded high wheat yields (t/ha) also recorded lower species richness for spiders and birds. The presence of insectivorous birds and beneficial invertebrates (spiders, beetles and ants) in all land-use classes suggests the potential to apply integrated pest management approaches to mixed-farming systems across the country. Site and system features were found to be important determinants of biodiversity, with their relative importance varying with the scale of investigation and the taxa. At the landscape scale, bird species richness was correlated with the amount of remnant vegetation within a 5-km radius of the farm boundary, and with the condition of native vegetation on the farm. The average size of remnant vegetation patches was 5 ha or less on nearly half of the properties surveyed. At the farm scale, ant speciesrichnesswascorrelatedwithsitefeatures,whilebeetleswerecorrelatedwithmanagement/systemfeaturessuchasthe presence and fertility of perennial pastures. Analysesatthefunctionalgrouplevelwillprovidemoredetailedinformationonrelationshipsbetweendifferentland-use types. Further experimental work needs to be undertaken to qualify the suggested impact of land management practices on different taxa, while repeated surveys will allow for the collation of datasets over time, from which population dynamics may be determined.


We unify slice sampling and Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (HMC) sampling, demonstrating their connection via the Hamiltonian-Jacobi equation from Hamiltonian mechanics. This insight enables extension of HMC and slice sampling to a broader family of samplers, called Monomial Gamma Samplers (MGS). We provide a theoretical analysis of the mixing performance of such samplers, proving that in the limit of a single parameter, the MGS draws decorrelated samples from the desired target distribution. We further show that as this parameter tends toward this limit, performance gains are achieved at a cost of increasing numerical difficulty and some practical convergence issues. Our theoretical results are validated with synthetic data and real-world applications.


Among various coatings for industrial and engineering applications, vitreous enamel ones have advantages of chemical inertness, high temperature stability and superior mechanical properties with reference to abrasion or impact as a comparison to other coating materials applied by thermal spraying. The enamelled composite, due to its internal composition, functionalization and architecture can be considered as a functionally graded composite material. In the present work, a first systematic characterization of the mechanical behaviour of enamelled steel sheets is presented. Tests were performed under four-point bending load with displacement control and acoustic emission monitoring. The mechanical response of tested materials was used to determine some key elastic parameters (e.g. Young Modulus), and the First Crack Failure parameter. Moreover, the mechanical performance of tested coated specimens was also related and discussed with reference to microstructure, surface characteristics, and residual strains in the coated structure.


Statistics reveal that young men from working class communities are over-represented amongst victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles, suicides, crime, school suspensions, expulsions and academic underachievement. Despite a new political context of peacebuilding the relationship between violence and personal safety continues to be critical to marginalized young men's everyday lives and experiences. Drawing upon primary research from a five year longitudinal study and previous studies carried out by the Centre for Young Men's Studies, this article provides a critical analysis of young men born after the 1994 ceasefires, capturing their sense of alienation, perceived normality of violence, unwelcomed interactions with paramilitary members and restrictive notions of masculinity. These factors combined with attitudes of suspicion and distrust surrounding the role of the police leaves young men feeling confused about law and youth justice. This article argues the need for a more relevant school curriculum informed by, and aimed specifically at, engaging young men through a youth work methodology addressing the themes of youth justice, violence and masculinity. The authors acknowledge that whilst addressing the behaviour of certain young men can be very challenging, there is a need for those working with young men to more proactively engage young men through a 'Balanced Approach' of collaborative working between formal, informal and non-formal education.


The essay lays the sociological grounds in understanding the phenomenon of cyberculture in the age of information and communication technology. The frame of the paper is limited to constructivist and critical studies found in books and other journals. This essay particularly examines the debate on defining Internet culture and the many possible worlds and spaces it occupy in the lives of Internet users. It describes the beginning of research on the Internet and thus explains the dearth of materials in other paradigms. The paper recommends exploring other domains of interrogating the Internet as it evolves and matures through the years.


Superplastic large deformation problems always meet handicaps associated with severe mesh distortion and iterative remeshing when traditional mesh-based numerical approaches are used. To eliminate these difficulties, meshless simulation of element free Galerkin method (EFGM) for rigid-viscoplastic(RVP) model and incompressible materials is built upon the Moving Least Squares (MLS) approximation and modified Markov variational principles. Also, a numerical quadrature that aligns integration cells with the local supports of shape functions is presented to compute integrations involved in the objective functions. Satisfying results of a superplastic upsetting example with very large compression ratio demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy for the meshfree method to simulate superplastic large deformation process.


In the last decade, our ability to store data has grown at a greater rate than our ability to process that data via existing methods. This has given rise to an entire industry focused on developing new approaches to large-scale data-intensive computing that is commonly referred to as big data .The scientific community has seen a similar growth in the sizes of the datasets that they must analyze in order to advance their respective fields. Unfortunately, the unique characteristics of scientific data and computations are sufficiently distinct from those that garner the focus of the larger big data community that the direct application of existing systems is not feasible. The absence of a suitable platform for scalable data-intensive scientific computing has already become a hindrance to some scientific communities and the negative impact on research will only increase as datasets continue to grow. In response to this clear and present need, we present our research into designing and building a distributed computing platform appropriate for researchers in a variety of fields that are continually evolving their approaches to processing scientific data. Our work extends Hadoop, an existing open source system based on the research described in the seminal 2004 MapReduce paper, in order to benefit from the existing state of the art. We first identify the barriers to executing common scientific computations over data residing in domain-specific file formats. Once those issues are addressed, we then consider how the unique properties of scientific data and computations can be leveraged to improve the system. The resulting alterations are then evaluated, both in terms of their impact to the MapReduce design as well as their impact on the performance characteristics of the system. The culmination of our work is a viable platform for scientific computing that has been utilized and validated by external researchers.


Generations of commentators have examined (and critiqued) standing doctrine. The fiercest clash has turned on the question of "injury"—specifically, what type of grievance is sufficient to merit court consideration. Defining "injury" is no easy task, and in recent years, substantial inquiry has focused on just what harms should qualify an individual as "injured." Subjective fear? Lost aesthetic enjoyment? Increased risk of death? Increased risk of genetic crop contamination? Long-term hazards of climate change? And so on. Surely, these debates are of great importance. Yet up to this point, judges and scholars have almost all assumed an "injury binary": either an individual has received a hurt sufficient to qualify for standing, or she has not. This Note rejects this binary, and instead argues for a third path: "fractional injury." A fractional injury is one that, if manifest in a lone individual, would be insufficient to grant standing. Should multiple individuals experience this injury and band together as a group to demand relief, however, then their collective grievance would be sufficient to merit standing. The upshot of this approach would be a class of injuries for which "fractional standing" – the standing of the united fractions—would be recognized. This Note offers the first systematic exploration—and defense—of fractional stand-ing. After briefly reviewing existing standing doctrine, the Note proceeds to illuminate the current "standing binary" and identify courts and commentators who have already gestured toward a notion of "fractional standing." Here, I highlight several real-world cases, such as the D.C. Circuit's prominent ruling in Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) v. E.P.A and the Supreme Court's decision in Clapper v. Amnesty International. Ultimately, though, my aim is less descriptive than normative, and so the balance of the Note argues that, irrespective of their current status, fractional injuries should be recognized going forward. Specifically, I argue that fractional standing would vindicate the core purposes of standing doctrine's injury requirement—ensuring effective legal advocacy, dispensing constitutional justice, marshaling scarce resources, and preserving separate powers. I also assess and respond to several important objections.


Background Information leaflets are widely used to increase awareness and knowledge of disease. Limited research has, to date, been undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of these information resources. This pilot study sought to determine whether information leaflets developed specifically for staff working with substance mis-users improved knowledge of tuberculosis (TB). Method Staffs working with individuals affected by substance mis-use were recruited between January and May 2008. All participants were subjectively allocated by their line manager either to receive the TB-specific leaflet or a control leaflet providing information on mental health. Level of knowledge of TB was assessed using questionnaires before and after the intervention and data analysed using McNemar's exact test for matched pairs. Results The control group showed no evidence of a change in knowledge of TB, whereas the TB questionnaire group demonstrated a significant increase in knowledge including TB being curable (81% correct before to 100% correct after), length of treatment required (42% before to 73% after), need to support direct observation (18% to 62%) and persistent fever being a symptom (56% to 87%). Among key workers, who have a central role in implementing a care plan, 88% reported never receiving any TB awareness-raising intervention prior to this study, despite 11% of all respondents having TB diagnosed among their clients. Conclusion Further randomized controlled trials are required to confirm the observed increase in short-term gain in knowledge and to investigate whether knowledge gain leads to change in health status.


In this dissertation, the spectroscopic properties of thulium doped tellurite and thulium doped germanate glass are characterized. Absorption and emission spectra, lifetime, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermo-gravimetric analysis are utilized to characterize the thulium doped tellurite bulk glass samples. JuddOflet theory, Fuchtbauer-ladenburg theory, Kushida's model, Burshtein's hopping model, Miyakawa's non-resonant energy transfer model are employed in ab-initio calculation of cross relaxation energy transfer. The fundamental mechanism of cross relaxation energy transfer is examined through ab-initio calculation and self-calibrating spectroscopy. Thulium doped tellurite glass microspheres are fabricated by spin casting technique. Single mode 2-mm laser is demonstrated from tellurite microsphere with high thulium doping concentration. General laser condition for self-terminating transition is discussed and concluded. Demonstration of 1.5-mm laser is achieved from a self-terminating transition of thulium doped in tellurite microsphere through a cooperative lasing technique. Highly efficient 1.9 micron fiber laser is demonstrated in thulium doped germanate fiber laser. The slope efficiency of the fiber laser is 58%, which indicates a quantum efficiency of 1.79. Single frequency laser operation at 1.9 micron has been successfully accomplished. A fiber based Fabry-Perot interferometer is utilized as a scanning filter to examine the single frequency operation. 4 W laser output has been achieved from a 40 cm long Tm-doped germanate double cladding fiber laser.


Recent studies indicate that oscillations between functional states (ex: ictal, post-ictal) in epilepsy are due to fluctuations in neuronal network firing patterns. However, current epilepsy models are often limited to non-mechanistically identifying the most likely anti-epileptic drug candidates. Therefore, expanding research to the network level is a promising way to examine the mechanisms underlying mental pathologies and possibly assess better ways to treat them. Microtechnology, which allows for control of the local microenvironment, is a reliable way to study whole networks, but is rarely applied to neurological disease. The objective of this project is to combine microtechnology with standard neuroscience techniques in an effort to create a platform for high throughput testing of anti-epileptic drugs. To achieve this, we create "epileptic" neuronal networks in vitro, characterize network morphology and phenotypic connectivity, and evaluate network activity modulation due to genetic manipulations related to epilepsy. This project focuses on the gene SCN1a, which codes for the voltage gated sodium channel Nav1.1. Mutations in SCN1a are linked to Generalized Epilepsy with Febrile Seizures Plus. The central hypothesis is that mutations in SCN1a affect activity properties of individual neurons, thus impacting recurrent activity in small networks, and that examining these networks may provide insight into pathways involved in seizure propagation.


Individual archaeological sites can sometimes show a complex morphology. One such site is the Roman quarries located one kilometre northwest of the Roman fortress at Udhruh, in the hinterland of Petra. In archaeology there are various platforms such as balloons, kites and unmanned aerial vehicles (uav's) from which low altitude aerial photographs can be taken that have been proven to work. All with their specific advantages above others in different circumstances. By designing a very distinct setup for the kite and optimizing the workflow accordingly, an effective and steady platform for the camera was created. The Quarries were photographed from the air and the images then provided enough material to accurately create a 3D model of the site.


Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have played a vital role in the economies of developing countries. However, empirical studies on some crucial aspects of MNE involment in these economies appear to be inadequate. One such aspect is their financing pattern. This paper attempts to shed some light on this aspect through an analysis of balance sheet data of a sample of MNE affiliates operating in the manufacturing sector of Sri Lanka. The findings do not support the generally held view that MNEs gear themselves more highly than local firms and that they make use of a greater degree of domestic commercial bank credit. Further, the study reveals that the direct financial contributions of parent companies to equity capital of their affiliates are very small, indicating a low level of direct foreign inflow of capital into the host country.


To understand trends in individual responses to medication, one can take a purely data-driven machine learning approach, or alternatively apply pharmacokinetics combined with mixed-effects statistical modelling. To take advantage of the predictive power of machine learning and the explanatory power of pharmacokinetics, a latent variable mixture model for learning clusters of pharmacokinetic models is proposed and demonstrated on a clinical data set. The proposed strategy automatically constructs different population models that are not based on prior knowledge or experimental design, but result naturally as mixture component models of the global latent variable mixture model. The parameter of the underlying multi-compartment ordinary differential equation model are analyzed via identifiability analysis on the observable measurements, which reveals the model is structurally locally identifiable. Further approximation with a perturbation technique enables efficient training of the proposed probabilistic latent variable mixture clustering technique using Estimation Maximization. MiWoCI Workshop 2018 Machine Learning Reports 5 Evaluation of Galaxy classification schemes with GMLVQ + feature learning for galaxy characterization: possible directions & open questions Aleke Nolte University of Groningen, Groningen, NL Abstract In Astronomy, automatic classification of galaxies is becoming increasingly important as astronomic surveys are generating more and more data. Yet, galaxy classification is not a well defined problem: Classification schemes are numerous and are commonly hand-designed, thereby possibly underling human cognitive biases. Building on work previously presented at ESANN, we investigate with the help of prototype-based methods how well a particular galaxy classification scheme is supported by the data. While our previous dataset contained only a handful of features, our current analysis is based on a variety of galaxy descriptors derived from photometric and spectroscopic observations. However, a potential problem of some of the galaxy descriptors is that they are based on historically grown model-assumptions which have been developed on the basis of bright and clearly-visible nearby galaxies, and may therefore not adequately describe fainter, or more distant galaxies. To explore possible alternative descriptors, we intend to also present ideas and open questions on feature learning for galaxy characterization, if time allows. MiWoCI Workshop 2018In Astronomy, automatic classification of galaxies is becoming increasingly important as astronomic surveys are generating more and more data. Yet, galaxy classification is not a well defined problem: Classification schemes are numerous and are commonly hand-designed, thereby possibly underling human cognitive biases. Building on work previously presented at ESANN, we investigate with the help of prototype-based methods how well a particular galaxy classification scheme is supported by the data. While our previous dataset contained only a handful of features, our current analysis is based on a variety of galaxy descriptors derived from photometric and spectroscopic observations. However, a potential problem of some of the galaxy descriptors is that they are based on historically grown model-assumptions which have been developed on the basis of bright and clearly-visible nearby galaxies, and may therefore not adequately describe fainter, or more distant galaxies. To explore possible alternative descriptors, we intend to also present ideas and open questions on feature learning for galaxy characterization, if time allows. MiWoCI Workshop 2018 6 Machine Learning Reports Learning Vector Quantization and its privacy


Introduction Physicians will have a pivotal role in ensuring appropriate delivery of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). The study's objective was to explore Belgian physicians' self-perceived knowledge of and attitudes towards providing PrEP and to examine factors associated with their willingness to prescribe PrEP. Methods We conducted an online survey (available in Dutch, French and English) among Belgian healthcare providers from March to June 2016. It was disseminated by spreading a web-link through physician organisations, e-mail lists and professional associations' websites. Bivariate analyses were used to examine differences between HIV clinicians and family physicians (FPs) regarding sociodemographic characteristics, experience with HIV and PrEP, and PrEP knowledge and attitudes. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to explore factors associated with physicians' willingness to prescribe PrEP in the future. Results On a total of 381 completed questionnaires, 269 (71%) were from FPs, 39 (10%) from HIV clinicians and 73 (19%) from other healthcare providers. About 56% of all respondents agreed that PrEP is an effective preventive measure to reduce HIV infections in Belgium. Twelve physicians had already prescribed PrEP. Compared with FPs, HIV clinicians were more likely to report higher self-perceived knowledge of PrEP (OR: 15.9; 95% CI: 4.8–52.7) to perceive the application of PrEP as cost-effective (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: 1.6–6.8). HIV clinicians were also more willing to prescribe PrEP in the future (OR: 2.49; 95% CI: 1.14–5.45) than FPs. Self-perceived knowledge of and attitudes towards PrEP remained independently associated with the willingness to prescribe when controlling for potential confounders (such as age, gender or experience with HIV). Conclusion HIV clinicians were better prepared and more willing to prescribe PrEP than FPs. With the likely forthcoming approval of PrEP in Belgium, awareness and knowledge of PrEP among FPs should be improved to ensure appropriate delivery outside of HIV specialised settings.


In this paper, it is attempted to study the capacity of blast furnace to stabilize cr(VI)-contaminated soils. The slag samples are incorporated with soils in different proportions and the resulted leachate is tested using batch and column experiments to simulate static and dynamic flows. furthermore, the mechanism by which the chro-mium in the soil is reduced by the iron slag is discussed. The study demonstrated that blast furnace slag can effectively stabilize cr(VI)-contaminated soils.


Motile and morphological cellular processes require a spatially and temporally coordinated branched actin network that is controlled by the activity of various regulatory proteins including the Arp2/3 complex, profilin, cofilin and tropomyosin. We have previously reported that myosin 1b regulates the density of the actin network in the growth cone. Using in vitro F-actin gliding assays and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy we show in this report that this molecular motor flattens the Arp2/3-dependent actin branches up to breaking them and reduces the probability to form new branches. This experiment reveals that myosin 1b can produce force sufficient enough to break up the Arp2/3-mediated actin junction. Together with the former in vivo studies, this work emphasizes the essential role played by myosins in the architecture and in the dynamics of actin networks in different cellular regions. Short summary Using in vitro F-actin gliding assays and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy we show that myosin flattens the Arp2/3-dependent actin branches up to breaking them and reduces the probability to form new branches


We study the design of taxes aimed at limiting externalities in markets characterized by differentiated products and imperfect competition. In such settings policy must balance distortions from externalities with those associated with the exercise of market power; the optimal tax rate depends on the nature of external harms, how the degree of market power among externality generating products compares with non-taxed alternatives, and how consumers switch across these products. We apply the framework to taxation of sugar sweetened beverages. We use detailed data on the UK market for drinks to estimate consumer demand and oligopoly pricing for the differentiated products in the market. We show the welfare maximizing tax rate leads to welfare improvements over 2.5 times as large as that associated with policy that ignores distortions associated with the exercise of market power.


In-vitro treatment of preimplantation mouse embryos with spermine and spermidine biosynthesis inhibitor, methylglyoxal-bis-(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), arrested embryo development at the 8-cell or morula stage. In addition, the embryo DNA synthetic rate, as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, was strongly inhibited. The inhibition of blastocyst formation and DNA synthesis by MGBG was readily reversible by an exogenous supply of spermine and/or spermidine to the culture medium. DL-alpha-Methylornithine or DL-alpha-difluoromethylornithine (alpha-DFMO), inhibitors of putrescine biosynthesis, had no effect on embryos cultured for 1 or 2 days, but on the 3rd day embryo DNA synthesis was significantly depressed in the presence of alpha-DFMO. These observations suggest that, during early development of the preimplantation mouse embryo, spermine and spermidine are involved in regulation of embryo growth and DNA synthesis. They may also indicate a role of putrescine at a later stage of mouse embryo development.


Abstract A new way of reducing the order of linear system transfer functions is presented. It guarantees stability in the approximation of stable systems and differs from existing stability-preserving methods by taking into account whole system parameter information when obtaining the approximate poles, not just that of the system poles. It uses a bilinear transformation in the process, which renders the method more flexible than traditional techniques. Examples are given to highlight the advantages of the new approach.


Through my work, I explored the application of texture and materials as a means to identify specific functions. I show how texture and material selections that specifically engage the sense of touch can aid in effective environments for the elderly. By means of this study, I demonstrated how the sensory perception of the elderly is utilized in designing productive environments for the senior population in regards to the sense of touch. The interior design of senior living environments can greatly enhance the retirement experience for the elderly population. With the information I have gained through my research and work will reflect in my future design projects. I also wish to share this enlightenment with others in my field of study.


Pathophysiological hypoxia is an important modulator of gene expression in solid tumors and other pathologic conditions. We observed that transcriptional activation of the c-jun proto-oncogene in hypoxic tumor cells correlates with phosphorylation of the ATF2 transcription factor. This finding suggested that hypoxic signals transmitted to c-jun involve protein kinases that target AP-1 complexes (c-Jun and ATF2) that bind to its promoter region. Stress-inducible protein kinases capable of activating c-jun expression include stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p38 members of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) superfamily of signaling molecules. To investigate the potential role of MAPKs in the regulation of c-jun by tumor hypoxia, we focused on the activation SAPK/JNKs in SiHa human squamous carcinoma cells. Here, we describe the transient activation of SAPK/JNKs by tumor-like hypoxia, and the concurrent transcriptional activation of MKP-1, a stress-inducible member of the MAPK phosphatase (MKP) family of dual specificity protein-tyrosine phosphatases. MKP-1 antagonizes SAPK/JNK activation in response to diverse environmental stresses. Together, these findings identify MKP-1 as a hypoxia-responsive gene and suggest a critical role in the regulation of SAPK/JNK activity in the tumor microenvironment.


This paper brings up a long standing question in the study of Ezekiel and his (or, the book's) relationship to Jeremiah. The silence between the prophets is but a key opening the door to a large hall filled with a great variety of historical and literarytextual connections. Having reexamined the long list of suggested parallel phrases and passages (from R. Smend [1880] to R. Kasher [2004]) from the methodological standpoint of intertextuality and allusion, the study reveals the complicated relationships between the books in their different layers. Beyond points of agreement, one profound issue of disagreement is highlighted, which leads to the suggestion that the silence between Ezekiel and Jeremiah covers over a great ideological disagreement between the two contemporary prophets of YHWH. Hence, the silence between the prophets and their books is a highly eloquent one.


PURPOSE
To evaluate tumor response, pharmacodynamic effects, and safety of a combination of lomeguatrib (LM), an O6-methylguanine DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) inactivator, and temozolomide (TMZ), TMZ alone, and LM/TMZ after disease progression on TMZ alone in patients with advanced melanoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Patients with unresectable stage III or IV cutaneous melanoma who had no prior systemic chemotherapy were randomly assigned to receive either 40 to 80 mg LM and 125 mg/m2 TMZ or 200 mg/m2 TMZ on days 1 through 5 of each 28-day treatment cycle. Drugs were administered orally for up to six cycles of treatment. Patients on TMZ alone were offered LM/TMZ at progression, if fit enough to receive treatment.

RESULTS
One hundred four patients were enrolled, with 52 in each trial arm. Twenty-seven TMZ-treated patients received LM/TMZ after progression on TMZ. Unexpectedly, analysis of tumor biopsies showed rapid recovery of MGMT after LM/TMZ with 40 mg/d LM. Therefore, doses of LM were escalated to 60 then 80 mg/d. Tumor response rates were 13.5% with LM/TMZ and 17.3% with TMZ alone. No patient responded to LM/TMZ having progressed through TMZ. Median time to disease progression was 65.5 days for LM/TMZ and 68 days for TMZ. All treatments were well tolerated, although hematologic and gastrointestinal adverse events were common. A higher incidence of hematological adverse events was observed in the LM/TMZ combination arm.

CONCLUSION
The efficacy of LM and TMZ in the current dosing schedule is similar to that of TMZ alone. To maintain MGMT depletion in tumor dosing of LM needs to be continued beyond that of TMZ.


A study was carried out to test the hypothesis that chronic inflammation is associated with increased sensitivity or contractility of human airway smooth muscle. Bronchiolar strips from 30 patients, 12 of whom had chronic bronchitis, were examined in the organ bath for their responses to histamine, methacholine, and leukotriene (LT) C4. The same airways were also studied histologically and small airway disease was quantified by subjective grading of the degree of inflammatory cell infiltration, smooth muscle hypertrophy, fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia. The degree of small airway disease varied widely among patients both with and without chronic bronchitis. Multiple regression analysis failed to show increased sensitivity (-log EC50) to histamine, methacholine, or LTC4 in relation to small airway disease. In contrast, the only significant correlations found were between a decreased -log EC50 to histamine and methacholine and an increased small airway disease score. Contractile responses (Tmax) to histamine and methacholine in peripheral airways tended to be higher in patients with chronic bronchitis than in those without. Tmax was not related to small airway disease scores. These results suggest that chronic airway inflammation does not cause in vitro hyperresponsiveness of human small airway smooth muscle.


By adopting heat-stew steel slag(HSSS) as a contrast, this research studied the gas quenching steel slag(GQSS) grindability using fractal theory and grinding power index. The results showed that the two kinds of steel slag had a good fractal characteristic, and the smaller fractal dimension was, the better grindability would be. Studied on the fractal dimension and grinding time of the two kinds of steel slag as well as their specific surface areas, a conclusion drawn that with the extending of grinding time, the fractal dimension of them would be continuously increased. However, within the same grinding time, GQSS not only have a relevant good distributed particle structural and a smaller fractal dimension, but also have a better linear relation between specific surface areas and fractal dimension. By determining the grinding power index, the correctness of using fractal theory to study GQSS can be proved. Meanwhile, the result also shows that GQSS has a better grindability.


Kinetics of phase growth in multiphase Cu-Sn and Ni-Sn systems and effect of third substitutive component (Ni or Cu respectively) were studied experimentally in temperature range 160-220oC and analyzed theoretically. Kinetic equations for calculation of diffusion coefficients in growing competitive phases were obtained. It was found that the substitutive components accelerated phase growth lowering the values of diffusion activation energy and pre-exponential factor. As a result the growth rates of competitive phases Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn in Cu-Sn system changed with substitutive Ni so, that only one (CuNi)6Sn5 phase survived whereas (CuNi)3Sn phase was suppressed. Obtained results are discussed in terms of higher disordering caused by substitutive components in ternary phases as compared with binary ones.


An Acoustical Analysis of the American English /l, r/ Contrast as Produced by Adult Japanese Learners of English Incorporating Word Position and Task Type Braden Paul Chase Department of Linguistics and English Language, BYU Master of Arts Adult Japanese learners of English (JLEs) are often stereotyped as being unable to produce or perceive the English phonemes /l/ and /r/. This study analyzed acoustic samples of /l/ and /r/ obtained from intermediate-level Japanese speakers in two variable contexts: word positions (initial/final) and task type (controlled/free). These tokens were subjected to acoustic analysis which is one way of comparing oral productions of native and non-native English speakers. Previous research has identified a lowered third formant (F3) as the hallmark of an American English /r/ as produced by a native speaker, independent of word position or task type. The results indicate that participants can produce appropriate and statistically significant differences (p<.001) between these two phonemes across word position and task type. Other findings indicate that neither task type nor word position had a significant effect on F3 values. These results indicate that Japanese speakers of English may have the ability to distinguish /l/ from /r/ without specialized pronunciation training, but these differences are less dramatic as identified by F3 frequency values that those produced by native English speakers when producing these contrasting phonemes. In most tokens, however, large effect sizes remained between JLE productions and NES standards.


Objective— To evaluate the practicability and efficacy of a structured treatment and teaching program for non-insulin-treated type II diabetic patients in routine primary health care. Research Design and Methods— All physicians (n = 139) and their office staffs in Hamburg, Germany, who had participated in a special training course from 1 April 1991 to 31 December 1991 were contacted for a standardized interview. A random sample of 17 of these offices was selected for office visits during which the documented data of all patients who had received the standardized treatment and teaching in the same period were collected and evaluated. Results— The program was well received by the physicians, and the data collected on 179 patients (5.1 mo median after the intervention) demonstrated the efficacy of the program at the treatment level: reduction of body weight (mean 2.8 kg, P < 0.0001) and HbA1c levels (from 8.11 ± 1.68 to 7.47 ± 1.64%, P < 0.0001) was substantial. The individual prescribed volume of oral antidiabetic agents was ∼50% lower after patient attendance of the program (significant decrease from 1.41 ± 1.42 to 0.76 ± 1.11 tablets/patient/day, P < 0.0001). The proportion of patients treated with oral antidiabetic drugs decreased from 63 to 42% (P < 0.0001). Conclusions— Subsequent to the introduction of nationwide remuneration of outpatient education for type II diabetic patients by office-based physicians, a relevant improvement was observed in the quality of care, comparable with the effects of the program in a previous prospective controlled trial.


As the test data continues to grow quickly, test cost also increased. For the sake of decreasing the test cost, this study presents a new compression for large circuit, which is based on multiple scan-chains and unknown structure. The proposed method is targeted at intellectual property cores and system-on-a-chip. The authors consider the shift-in power and compression ratio in low-cost automatic test equipment (ATE) environment. A new compression architecture with fixed length for running ones is proposed. For the proposed method, the ATE has no repeated function and synchronisation signal. In the results, when the complexity of very large-scale integrated circuit is growing up, the number of input pins for testing is very low. The average compression ratio of our method is 63% for MinTest and TetraMAX on ISCAS'89 benchmarks. The average of peak/weight transition count shift-in turns to 3x/6.6x for MinTest and 2.3x/5.6x for TetraMAX, after comparing selective scan slice and the proposed method. The average of hardware overhead is 6% for MinTest and 6.5% for TetraMAX.


Background: Type I diabetes is a global public health concern that affects young people of reproductive age and can damage oocytes, reducing their maturation rate and blocking embryonic development. Understanding the effects of type I diabetes on oocytes is important to facilitate the maintenance of reproductive capacity in female diabetic patients. Methods: To analyze the effects of type I diabetes on mammalian oocytes, protein profile changes in mice with streptozotocin-induced type I diabetes were investigated using proteomic tools; non-diabetic mouse oocytes were used as controls. Immunofluorescence analysis for the spindle and mitochondria of oocytes. Results: We found that type I diabetes severely disturbed the metabolic processes of mouse oocytes. We also observed significant changes in levels of histone H1, H2A/B, and H3 variants in diabetic oocytes (fold change: > 0.4 or < -0.4), with the potential to block activation of the zygotic genome and affect early embryo development. Furthermore, diabetic oocytes exhibited higher abnormal spindle formation and spatial remodeling of mitochondria than observed in the controls. Conclusion: Our results indicate that type I diabetes disrupts metabolic processes, spindle formation, mitochondria distribution and modulates epigenetic code in oocytes. Such effects could have a major impact on the reproductive dynamics of female patients with type I diabetes.


One of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development's most popular programs is the funding for public water and sewer infrastructure projects in rural communities. This article reviews the water and sewer infrastructure projects funded in the state of Oklahoma between 1990 and 2000 and evaluates their impact on different measures of economic growth over both the short (one to 10 years) and long (10 to 20 years) term. Evaluation techniques include multivariate regression and average treatment effects. Results suggest that although most economic growth measures (population, income levels, and poverty levels) are not impacted by the program, housing values do show a statistically significant increase in communities receiving water or sewer infrastructure funding over the long term.


Industrial automation robotics is essential in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the overall productivity according to science writer elaborated that in the field of robotics has several branches, at least there are 3 branches of disciplines in the design of a robotic system which is the science of electricity (electronics, mechanics and programming techniques). In this moment I had the opportunity to elevate the field of programming in creating a robotic system with a particular function. The author focuses on the field of programming the robot to be designed. Topics raised design of a robot is a robot that iron welding spot welding robots. Because this discussion is only limited to the design of a prototype simulation spot welding robots, robots who built a miniature robot with props spot welding using materials or stationery ink and not the actual use of welding tools. Realization of welding robot design is a robotic arm with four degrees of freedom of movement (4 DOF) driven by 4 DC motors and stepper motors as a writer programmers to design programs to control robots built there are 2 programs which programs and program motor control transmitter or the remote control signal sender. The program is designed with Assembly language after compilation downloaded into the controller IC that is remote and motor control.


The first part of this article provides an overview of the most dominant private and public law approaches that have been attempted in the courts by plaintiffs seeking redress for historical wrongs and outlines why these approaches have been unsuccessful. It also defines the notion of historical wrongs and provides background on the two historical wrongs used as a case study in this paper – Aboriginal residential schools and sexual sterilization in Alberta. In the second part, I turn to discuss the phenomenon of creating compensation schemes as an alternative to traditional court action. Two illustrative examples are the outcry surrounding the introduction of a statute to compensate the victims of sterilization in Alberta and the continuing challenges related to the Aboriginal school resolution process established by the federal government. An examination of the compensation schemes that emerged in these two contexts as well as the process of their emergence provide valuable insight into some of the tensions that can occur when systems of compensation for victims of historical wrongs are designed. I argue that these tensions may be addressed by fostering continuous dialogue between the government and the victims and through independent oversight. Finally, I offer some observations on the ways in which compensatory schemes for historical wrongs expand our traditional conceptions of administrative justice.


A methodology for evaluating and predicting component lives in creep-fatigue interaction region was investigated for Waspaloy. A unified viscoplasticity constitutive equation including multi-back stresses was used to describe cyclic material behaviors. Also, a continuum damage model coupling with the creep-fatigue damage rules was established based on the analysis of creep and low cycle fatigue behavior. Multi-axial fatigue and creep equivalent stress concepts were employed to predict three dimensional component lives. Notched cyclic tests under various stress conditions in the creep-fatigue interaction region were carried out to validate the life prediction methodology with FEM simulation based on the continuum damage model. The comparison of experimental data and prediction results indicates that the continuum damage model is a powerful approach for the prediction of component lives.


Considerable data on the pathophysiology, epidemiology, and treatment of dyslipidemia‐induced coronary heart disease (CHD) have accumulated in recent years. These data have been assessed and incorporated into the guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on the Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel [ATP] III). A major focus of the new guidelines is the assessment of the near‐term (i.e., 10‐yr) risk of experiencing a CHD event and matching the intensity of treatment to this risk. Patients with diabetes and those with a greater than 20% 10‐year risk of experiencing a CHD event have been elevated to the risk level of CHD equivalent. The ATP III guidelines also modify several lipid and lipoprotein classifications. A low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) level below 100 mg/dl is now considered optimum for all individuals. In addition, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglyceride cutoff points have been modified to reflect more accurately the risk associated with abnormalities in these lipoproteins. As with the previous guidelines, the primary target of therapy remains LDL. Therapeutic lifestyle changes consisting of diet, weight reduction, and increased physical activity should be included in all treatment regimens. Based on their potent LDL‐lowering properties and their proven ability to decrease mortality in a variety of patient populations, statins are generally the first choice for pharmacologic therapy. A secondary target of therapy includes non‐HDL goals for patients with high triglyceride levels and the metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by abdominal obesity, elevated triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, and insulin resistance. Management of these secondary targets includes weight reduction and increased physical activity, and treatment of the lipid and nonlipid risk factors. Overall, ATP III represents an aggressive approach to treating dyslipidemia, greatly extending the number of individuals who qualify for treatment.


Heterogeneous network computing allows the development of a single complex application using a distributed network of machines; these machines may differ in terms of CPU and memory capacity and/or architecture and specialized functions. We present a modeling technique, based on generalized stochastic Petri nets (GSPNs), for the performance analysis of applications targeted to this class of systems (heterogeneous applications). We illustrate the use of the proposed technique by modeling and analyzing the CASA 3D-REACT heterogeneous application.


The September 11 terrorist attacks demonstrated that the technical competence, available resources, level of preparation and suicidal determination of contemporary terrorist groups like al Qaeda have greatly increased over the last decade. This article will consider the likelihood that sophisticated terrorist groups could successfully launch sabotage attacks against nuclear research reactors and cause radiological releases that threaten nearby populated neighborhoods. While the theft by terrorists of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from research reactors to make relatively simple gun-type nuclear explosives has been a concern for some time, the sabotage threat to research reactors—a threat which is independent of fuel enrichment—has not been widely addressed. Nuclear regulators should reassess the level of physical protection that research reactor operators provide in light of the increased terrorist threat.


Three-dimensional full-wave electromagnetic analysis of a travelling-wave heterojunction phototransistor (HPT) is presented. Employing the finite-difference time-domain method and run on a fast, parallel processing machine the simulation herein allowed, for the first time to our knowledge, the simultaneous investigation of the optical and electrical characteristics of the travelling-wave structure. Snapshots of the field propagation inside the device provide valuable insight into its passive behaviour and conclusively demonstrate the velocity mismatch between the optical wave and the photogenerated electrical signal. Numerical results are presented for the device's output characteristic impedance, photocurrent and effective refractive indices of the optical and electrical signal that quantify the difference in the velocities of the two waves. Moreover, results obtained from the method's initial test in the simulation of an asymmetric planar optical waveguide, similar to the one integrated within the HPT's structure, compare very favourably with the theory.


The skeletons of chondrichthyans (sharks, skates, rays, and chimeras) are composed entirely of cartilage, yet must still provide the skeletal support that bone does in other vertebrates. There is also an incredible range of diversity in the morphology of the cartilaginous skeleton of the feeding apparatus in Chondrichthyans. The goal of this research is to provide insight into the morphological evolution and biomechanical function of the cranial skeleton in chondrichthyans. Feeding style changes can occur with morphological changes in the skeletal elements of the shark feeding apparatus. In chapter one, to increase our understanding of how the feeding skeletal morphology has evolved with the of feeding style of sharks, the length, width, and angles of the elements of the feeding apparatus are measured in four species (white-spotted bamboo, Chiloscyllium plagiosum; spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias; sandbar, Carcharhinus plumbeus; and dusky smoothhound, Mustelus canis). These species encompass a wide phylogenetic range, and include suction and bite feeders as well as two different orientations of the hyomandibula, the major jaw supporting element. A principle components analysis is used to identify relationships among the skeletal elements by species, and linear regressions are then used to test the effect of hyomandibula length on the other morphological variables. Strong relationships were discovered between the length of the hyomandibula and the lengths of all other skeletal elements and the angle of the hyomandibula. The bite feeders have longer elements and appear to maximize the size of the oral cavity, allowing larger prey to be swallowed. Suction feeders have shorter elements, which restrict the size of the oral cavity and mouth opening, but can concentrate suction forces. Based on the strong relationship between hyomandibula length and angle on feeding morphology, the mechanical properties of the hyomandibular cartilages in the same four shark species is investigated in chapter two. Young's modulus, a measure of stiffness, and Poisson's ratio, a measure of three-dimensional shape change, of the hyomandibular cartilages are compared. While Poisson's ratio is similar among the species, Young's modulus increases with mineralization and is larger in the suction feeders. Though sharks have a cartilaginous skeleton, some species have higher mineralization of elements that are under higher stress.


As part of a larger study comparing work-related fatal injury of workers in Australia, New Zealand and the United States, an assessment was made of the similarities and differences between the three countries in identifying fatal incidents as work-related or not. The researchers in each country independently classified 333 brief scenarios, describing a variety of fatal incidents, into one of nine categories related to work: worker, bystander, commuter, volunteer, student, suicide, other, unknown and none of the above. Complete agreement with the classification was moderate (62%), but agreement when classifying scenarios as working, not working or unknown was much higher (full agreement for 80% of scenarios; Kappa =0.71). Only 5% of scenarios were classified differently by all three countries. Other main findings of the study were that there is variation between countries in the interpretation of what is and what is not work-related, and variation in the amount or type of information required to make a definitive classification. Common circumstances described in the scenarios for which there was some disagreement in classification included domestic violence incidents at work, volunteer workers, business trips, social functions connected to work, hobby farmers and some possible bystander incidents that occurred on farms or on the road. The results suggest that, even without the use of standard definitions, comparisons between the datasets of the countries involved in this study can be made with reasonable confidence. However, they also emphasise the importance of minimising ambiguity in the definitions used, and of understanding the manner in which the definitions are applied, when comparing results between studies.


Some new transition metal complexes of ciprofloxacin-imine derived from ciprofloxacin and o-phenylenediamine were synthesized and characterized on the basis of melting point, magnetic moment, conductance measurements, elemental analysis, infrared, UV/Vis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectra as well as thermal analyses. The data indicate that the ligand acts as tetradentate chelate bound to the metal ions through the deprotonated carboxylate and the azomethine group. The ligand as well as their metal complexes was also evaluated for their antibacterial activity against several bacterial strains such as Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis , Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and also, fungicidal activity aganist Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus were tested. It was found that the metal complexes are more antibacterial as compared to uncomplexes ligand and no antifungal activity observed for ligand and their complexes. Also, this study showed that the ciprofloxacin-imine is more antibacterial as compared to ciprofloxacin alone. KEY WORDS : Shiff base, Metal complexes, TG, IR, Mass spectra Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2015 , 29(2), 259-274 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v29i2.9


A study was conducted in the rehabilitation of degraded forestland in the Bukit Kinta Forest Reserve, Perak, Peninsular Malaysia with two main objectives: (1) to assess the growth performance of two indigenous dipterocarp species, Shorea pauciflora (King) and S. macroptera (Dyer) planted under various line planting widths and gap planting openings and (2) to examine soil fertility status and site quality of the study area using two indices; Soil Fertility Index (SFI) and Soil Evaluation Factor (SEF), which are commonly used for estimating soil fertility of secondary forest in humid tropical regions. The survival rate of the two species was not affected by line planting width and gap planting opening. However, its effect on the tree growth was very clear probably due to preference of light intensity under the canopy, which in turn can be controlled by line planting widths and gap planting openings. Principal component analysis categorized the soil properties into three principal components which explained 70% of the total variation. The First Component Score (PC1) was related to cation retention capacity with a high contribution of soil organic matter. The linear regression analysis indicated that there were positive correlations between PC1 score and the proposed SFI and SEF for both soil depths (p < 0.01). The SFI and SEF were also highly correlated with height, dbh (diameter at breast height) and tree volume, while PC1 score was only correlated with dbh and tree volume for the surface soils. This shows that the SFI and SEF can be used as indices to predict soil fertility and site quality of rehabilitated degraded forestland.


Greta Gaard writes that "[t]he pervasive availability of cows' milk today—from grocery stores to gas stations—is a historically unprecedented product of industrialization, urbanization, culture, and economics." To these factors, I would add colonialism and international law; the latter understood broadly to include the rules considered binding between states and nations, transnational law, legal transplants, international food aid, and international trade law. Until the end of the Nineteenth Century, the majority of the world population neither raised animals for their milk nor consumed animal milk. Humans are unique in the mammalian realm in that they drink the milk of other species, including beyond infancy. With the European conquest of the New World and other territories starting in the Sixteenth Century, dairying began to spread worldwide—settlers did not set out to colonize lands and people alone; they brought with them their flora, fauna, and other forms of life, including lactating animals such as cows and sheep.


A cold hardiness evaluation of 57 cultivars and species of grevillea (Grevillea) was conducted from 2011 to 2014 in Aurora, OR, to assess landscape suitability in the Pacific Northwest United States. Plants were established using irrigation in 2011, but they received no supplemental water, mineral nutrients, or pruning from 2012 to 2014. Plants were evaluated for injury in Mar. 2012 and Jan. 2014 after winter cold events with minimum temperatures of −4 and −13 °C, respectively. Damage, at least on some level, occurred on most selections following their first winter after planting in 2011. During Winter 2013, further damage to, or death of, 33 grevillea cultivars or species occurred. The grevillea that exhibited the least cold damage and the most promise for landscape use and further evaluation in the Pacific Northwest United States were 'Poorinda Elegance' hybrid grevillea, southern grevillea (G. australis), cultivars of juniper-leaf grevillea (G. juniperina) including Lava Cascade and Molonglo, and oval-leaf grevillea (G. miqueliana), all of which exhibited minor foliage damage.


This paper discusses experimental design for the case that (i) we are given a distribution of covariates from a pre-selected random sample, and (ii) we are interested in the average treatment effect (ATE) of some binary treatment. We show that in general there is a unique optimal non-random treatment assignment if there are continuous covariates. We argue that experimenters should choose this assignment. The optimal assignment minimizes the risk (e.g., expected squared error) of treatment effects estimators. We provide explicit expressions for the risk, and discuss algorithms which minimize it. The objective of controlled trials is to have treatment groups which are similar a priori (balanced), so we can ``compare apples with apples.'' The expressions for risk derived in this paper provide an operationalization of the notion of balance. The intuition for our non-randomization result is similar to the reasons for not using randomized estimators - adding noise can never decrease risk. The formal setup we consider is decision-theoretic and nonparametric. In simulations and an application to project STAR we find that optimal designs have mean squared errors of up to 20% less than randomized designs and up to 14% less than stratified designs..


The chemical and isotope (11B/10B, 87Sr/86Sr, 18O/16O, 2H/H, 13C/12C, 14C, and 3He/3H) compositions of groundwater from the upper aquifer system of the Salinas Valley in coastal central California were investigated in order to delineate the origin and processes of groundwater contamination in this complex system. The Salinas Valley has a relatively deep, confined "400‐foot" aquifer, overlain by a "180‐foot" aquifer and a shallower perched aquifer, all made up of alluvial sand, gravel and clay deposits. Groundwater from the aquifers have different 14C ages: fossil (14C = 21.3 percent modern carbon (pmc) for the 400‐foot aquifer and modern (14C = 72.2–98.2 pmc) for the 180‐foot aquifer. Fresh groundwater in all aquifers is recharged naturally and artificially through the Salinas River. The two modes of recharge can be distinguished chemically. We identified several different saline components with distinguishable chemical and isotopic fingerprints. (1) Saltwater intrusion in the northern basin has C1 concentrations up to 1700 mg/L, a Na/Cl ratio less than seawater, a marine Br/Cl ratio, a Ca/Cl ratio greater than seawater, δ11B between +17 and +38‰ and 87Sr/86Sr between 0.7088 and 0.7096. Excess dissolved Ca, relative to the expected concentration for simple dilution of seawater, correlates with 87Sr/86Sr ratios, suggesting base exchange reaction with clay materials. (2) Agriculture return flow is high in NO3 and SO4, with a 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7082,δ11B =19‰and δ13C between −23 and −17‰. The 3H–3He ages (5–17 years) and 14C data suggest vertical infiltration rates of irrigation water of 3–10 m/yr. (3) Nonmarine saline water in the southern part of the valley has high total dissolved solids up to 3800 mg/L, high SO4, Na/Cl ratio >1, δ11B between +24 and +30‰, and 87Sr/86Sr = 0.70852. This groundwater may have acquired its geochemical signature from leaching of sedimentary rocks associated with the Coast Range marine deposits of Mesozoic to early Cenozoic age. The combination of different geochemical and isotopic fingerprints enables us to delineate the impact of salt sources in different areas of the valley and to reconstruct the origin of the SO4‐enriched NO3‐depleted saline plume that is located west of the city of Salinas. We suggest that the latter is derived from a mixture of different natural saline waters rather than from anthropogenic contamination.


Abstract This study aimed to assess the accuracy and factors influencing blood alcohol concentration self-estimation during voluntary breath testing. It also aimed to assess whether intended drinking behaviour changed after reviewing blood alcohol concentration and factors influencing this. A total of 462 Australian music festival patrons aged 18–40 years completed a survey exploring factors likely to affect estimation accuracy and provided an estimation of their blood alcohol concentration. A breathalyser reading was taken and participants were asked whether reviewing this reading changed their drinking intentions. Most respondents (58.4%) were accurate within 0.02% range, while 11.4% underestimated and 29.1% overestimated. Machine-read blood alcohol concentration was the most significant estimation accuracy predictor. Reviewing their readings changed the intention to drink in one-third of participants, indicating that voluntary breath testing may influence future drinking behaviour. Underestimation was associated with intention to drink less, whilst completing the survey earlier and <1 h since last drink was associated with intention to drink more.


Objective. To determine the effect of short-term creatine supplementation plus a protein-carbohydrate formula on high-intensity exercise performance and recovery.
Design. A repeated-measures, experimental study, employing a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, group comparison design was used.
Interventions. Thirty active but not sprint-trained male subjects were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: creatine plus protein-carbohydrate formula (CRF); creatine only (CRE); and control (CON). All groups were exposed to the same high-intensity sprint exercise programme, 3 times per week for 30 days.
Main outcome measures. Dependant variables included total repeat sprint distance, fatigue index, perceived muscle pain, and blood lactate, urea, creatine kinase, and cortisol concentrations.
Results. All groups significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased total sprint distance and decreased blood urea concentrations. There were no significant changes in blood lactate or cortisol
concentrations in any group. CRF showed significant decreases (p ≤ 0.05) in fatigue index, muscle pain, and creatine kinase concentration. However, no significant differences
were found between groups.
Conclusion. Short-term creatine supplementation with or without protein-carbohydrate supplementation does not appear to enhance performance or recovery significantly over high-intensity exercise training alone in non-sprint-trained individuals. A longer trial period may be required to evaluate effect on recovery more conclusively. In addition, the prime importance of physical conditioning, and in particular task-specific exercise training, in stimulating performance and recovery adaptations is highlighted. South African Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 18 (4) 2006: pp. 136-140


The article deals with studies of the serotoninergic system activity in different tissues of half-migratory fish--the Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus caspicus) and carpbream (Abramis brama orientalis)--and migratory fish--shemaya (Chalcalburnus chalcoides) caught in fresh and brackish waters, as well as in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) tissues under effect of brackish water in model experiments. Using indirect solid-phase ELISA-test, the serotoninergic system activity was evaluated by measuring in the tissues of the studied fish the serotonin-modulated anticonsolidation protein (SMAP) which is in linear relationship with serotonin level. There was found a significant elevation of the SMAP levels in the brain of the Caspian roach, carpbream, shemaya, and the common carp under effect of increased water sainity. The revealed increase of the SMAP content in brains of the Caspian roach, carpbream, shemaya, and the common carp under action of increased water salinity reflects the corresponding elevated activity of the serotoninergic system and indicates involvement of adaptive readjustments in the animals' body.


This paper presents an approach to support the top-down development of knowledge based systems. We propose to use predefined knowledge elements for eliciting, structuring, and formalizing the knowledge. The predefined elements are arranged in a library. We differentiate between three types of reusable knowledge elements: generic problem solving methods (PSMs), generic concept taxonomies and template forms from which rule templates are generated in accordance to the concrete application. The generic PSMs as well as the generic concept taxonomies of our library is described informally and formally so that they can be used at the one hand as guidelines for elicitation and on the other hand as basis for the formalization which has to be modified according to the application. For integrating the principle of reuse we propose different tools that support the usage of the predefined methods. concepts and template forms from the library. The paper gives an overview of our library components as well as of our reuse principles. Moreover, the tools supporting the top-down knowledge acquisition are introduced.<<ETX>>


The effects of bandpass limiters on M th phase tracking systems in the presence of multiple sinusoidal interferences and additive Gaussian noise are considered. We derive general expressions for the ratio of the output to the input SNR (the SNR ratio) for an M th-power tracking loop with and without a bandpass limiter. The numerical calculations for the squaring limited and fourth-power limited PLL's in the presence of multiple sinusoidal interferences and noise are carried out, and the results are compared to those for similar loops without limiters. It is found that sinusoidal interference causes the limit of the SNR ratio for infinite carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR) to be no longer consistent with that for only Gaussian noise. The SNR ratio is degraded more as the carrier-to-interference ratio (CIR) decreases and the number of sinusoidal interferences increases. Furthermore, it is found that for the fourth-power PLL, the limiter does not always enhance the output SNR at moderate to strong input SNR's in the presence of sinusoidal interference.


Throughout sport psychology literature, the relationship between identity and sport has been explored; however, research on how athletes come to develop certain identities has been lacking, particularly in aggressive sports, such as hockey. The proposed study will explore how competitive male ice hockey players construct their identities through sport participation. Framed within a social constructionist paradigm, and guided by narrative theory, this study addresses the intersectionality of multiple identities such as masculinity, race, and social class. Participants will include six to eight players from three competitive hockey teams in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Unstructured, conversational interviews will take place with each participant, asking them questions pertaining to their experiences in sport, with injury, and as a hockey player. Interpretative thematic analysis will be completed to identify common themes, as well as differences between the narratives. In line with narrative theory, keeping the integrity of the participants' stories will be the focus of data analysis. Based on previous literature, anticipated findings include identities of athletes being shaped by their early sporting experiences, the culture of sport, and idealized masculine values. The goal of the proposed study is to provide insight into the way sociocultural processes are used for forming identities, while also leading a path of new research into identity formation and the impact of sport culture. The results of this study will be important for facilitating a better understanding of how athlete identities are shaped both negatively and positively and their implications for individuals both in and out of sport.Acknowledgments: Kelly D. Harding, PhD; Amanda Schweinbenz, PhD, Jennifer Johnson, PhD


This thesis demonstrates that the small micro-controller present in ultrasonic flow meters can detect error inducing flow pulsations. The implemented code is provided in the appendices. The application targets the district heating industry where the use of ultrasonic flow meters is growing more and more common as they are accurate, non-intrusive and low cost. District heating companies desire accurate and low cost flow measurement. An underestimation of the flow rate leads to a loss of income and the total cost of measuring, the reading, maintenance and installation represents a relatively large part of the total cost. Recently, in competitive market, micro-controllers have become inexpensive and those are capable of doing complex computations. In this thesis, as part of self-diagnosis techniques, the detection of the pulsating flow is implemented on an 8-bit ATMEL AVR micro-controller. It saves a huge installation cost and is economically beneficial for an industry. Serial communication and data conversion are also implemented to receive velocity input data. The work shows that even with an 8-bit micro-controller flow pulsations are detectable.


The reactions of 1-Amino-pyrimidine derivatives (1) and some 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds (2) were realized in the presence of p-toluensulfonic acid catalyst to give convenient enamine (3) and/or imine derivatives (4). In the same way, the enamine (5) and/or imine derivatives (6) were synthesized using (1) and 1,3-indanedione which is one of the different 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds. The molecular structures of all the prepared compounds were determined by 1 H-nmr, 13 C-nmr, i.r. spectra and elemental analyses, and were drawn by taking imine-enamine tautomerism into account.


Glycoprotein IV (gIV) of bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1), a homolog of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D, represents a major component of the viral envelope and a dominant immunogen. To analyze the functional role of gIV during BHV-1 replication, cell line BUIV3-7, which constitutively expresses gIV, was constructed and used for the isolation of gIV- BHV-1 mutant 80-221, in which the gIV gene was replaced by a lacZ expression cassette. On complementing gIV-expressing cells, the gIV- BHV-1 replicated normally but was unable to form plaques and infectious progeny on noncomplementing cells. Further analysis showed that gIV is essential for BHV-1 entry into target cells, whereas viral gene expression, DNA replication, and envelopment appear unchanged in both noncomplementing and complementing cells infected with phenotypically complemented gIV- BHV-1. The block in entry could be overcome by polyethylene glycol-induced membrane fusion. After passaging of gIV- BHV-1 on complementing cells, a rescued variant, BHV-1res, was isolated and shown to underexpress gIV in comparison with its wild-type parent. Comparison of the penetration kinetics of BHV-1 wild type, phenotypically complemented gIV- BHV-1, and BHV-1res indicated that penetration efficiency correlated with the amount of gIV present in virus particles. In conclusion, we show that gIV of BHV-1 is an essential component of the virion involved in virus entry and that the amount of gIV in the viral envelope modulates the penetration efficiency of the virus.


SUMMARY
Two methods were developed to demonstrate a small fraction (10-4) of phage-sensitive cells in a phage-resistant population with a high degree of accuracy, using the plexiglass phage titration method (Horvath & Alfoldi, 1954).
Phage-sensitivity was transferable by DNA isolated from Bacillus subtilis 168 M trp
+
phs (SPO-1 phage-sensitive) to the recipient strain of 168 M trp phr (SPO-1 phage-resistant) in transformation experiments. The number of 168 M trp
+
phs transformants was a function of the concentration of the transforming DNA. The trp
+ and phs characters are not linked. The competence curves for the number of 168 M trp
+
phr and 168 M trp
+
phs transformants were similar. The phenotypic lag was found to be 5 hr 30 min. The maximum frequency of 168 M trp
+
phs cells among the transformants was 2 to 5%.


INTRODUCTION
previous studies have suggested that smoking, living alone and having a high body mass index may increase risk of developing dementia whereas a normal body mass index, having received education and moderate alcohol consumption may decrease risk. Dementia risk also increases with age and is thought to be higher in hypertensives.

METHOD
we used data collected in the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial (HYVET), and cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline and annually. Participants with a fall in MMSE to <24 or with a fall of 3 points in any 1 year were investigated further. The association of baseline sociodemographic, medical and lifestyle factors with incident dementia or decline in MMSE scores was assessed by regression models.

RESULTS
incident dementia occurred in 263 of 3,336 participants over a mean follow-up of 2 years. In multivariate analyses, being underweight, BMI < 18.5 (HR 1.90, 95% CI 1.06-3.39) or obese, BMI >30 (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.24-2.72), increased risk of incident dementia as did piracetam use (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.60-4.63). Receiving formal education was associated with a reduced risk (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45-0.78). There was no association with smoking, alcohol and gender. Similar results were found when examining mean annual change in the MMSE score.

DISCUSSION
our results for BMI and education agree with those from other studies. The increased risk associated with piracetam may reflect awareness of memory problems before any diagnosis of dementia has been made. Trial participants may be healthier than the general population and further studies in the general population are required.


Capturing data about manual processes and manual machining steps is important in manufacturing for better traceability, optimization, and better planning. Current manufacturing research focuses on sensor-based recognition of manual activities across multiple tools or power tools, but little on recognition within a versatile power tool type. Due to the strong influence of operator skill on process performance and consistency as well as many disturbance variables, activity recognition is a challenge in manual grinding. It is unclear how accurately manual activities can be recognized within one handheld grinder type across diverse trials. Therefore, this paper investigates how manual activities can be recognized in diverse trials within an angle grinder type in a leave-one-trial-out cross-validation in comparison to classical cross-validation to identify the effect of diverse trials with four different classifies. An experimental study was conducted to collect measurement data with data loggers attached to two angle grinders, four manual activities with different abrasive tools, and three operators. Results show very good accuracies (97.68 %) with cross-validation and worse accuracies (70.48 %) with leave-one-trial-out cross-validation for the ensemble learning classifier. This means that recognition of the four chosen manual activities within an angle grinder is feasible but depends on how much the trial deviates from the reference training data. For further research on activity recognition in manual manufacturing, we propose the explicit consideration and evaluation of disturbance variables and diversity in data collection for the training of machine learning models.


A solvothermal method to synthesize barium titanate nanoparticles is employed. In this method many raw materials such as oleic acid, surfactant, sodium hydroxide, alkali barium acetate, alcohol, tetrabutyl titanate are used. When the samples are collected, oleic acid which has mush an account will cover the whole particles. To make the samples cleaner, nitric acid is used to transition oleic acid to elaidic acid which is lighter than water then it will float up to be removed. In the progress to wash off the oleic acid the particles were found to reunite unusually: bigger and cubic particles are formed and the shape seems like single crystal but they are reunitions indeed, we used HTEM to prove this. It means self–assembling might happen through the progress, the spontaneous polarization orient, polarity of molecules will affect this progess.


Glutathione S-transferase omega 1 and omega 2 (GSTO1 and GSTO2) catalyze monomethyl arsenate reduction, the rate-limiting reaction in arsenic biotransformation. As a step toward pharmacogenomic studies of these phase II enzymes, we resequenced human GSTO1 and GSTO2 using DNA samples from four ethnic groups. We identified 31 and 66 polymorphisms in GSTO1 and GSTO2, respectively, with four nonsynonymous-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms (cSNPs) in each gene. There were striking variations among ethnic groups in polymorphism frequencies and types. Expression constructs were created for all eight nonsynonymous cSNPs, as well as a deletion of codon 155 in GSTO1, and those constructs were used to transfect COS-1 cells. Quantitative Western blot analysis, after correction for transfection efficiency, showed a reduction in protein level of greater than 50% for the GSTO1 Tyr32 variant allozyme compared with wild type (WT), whereas levels for the Asp140, Lys208, Val236, and codon 155 deletion variant constructs were similar to that of the WT. For GSTO2, the Tyr130 and Ile158 variant allozymes showed 50 and 84% reductions in levels of expression, respectively, compared with WT, whereas the Ile41 and Asp142 allozymes displayed levels similar to that of WT GSTO2. Rabbit reticulocyte lysate degradation studies showed that the GSTO1 Tyr32 and the GSTO2 Tyr130, Ile158, and Asp142/Ile158 variant allozymes were degraded more rapidly than were their respective WT allozymes. These observations raise the possibility of functionally significant pharmacogenomic variation in the expression and function of GSTO1 and GSTO2.


Networks-on-chip (NoCs) are emerging as a key on-chip communication architecture for multiprocessor systems-on-chip (MPSoCs). Optical communication technologies are introduced to NoCs in order to empower ultra-high bandwidth with low power consumption. However, in existing optical NoCs, communication locality is poorly supported, and the importance of floorplanning is overlooked. These significantly limit the power efficiency and performance of optical NoCs. In this work, we address these issues and propose a torus-based hierarchical hybrid optical-electronic NoC, called THOE. THOE takes advantage of both electrical and optical routers and interconnects in a hierarchical manner. It employs several new techniques including floorplan optimization, an adaptive power control mechanism, low-latency control protocols, and hybrid optical-electrical routers with a low-power optical switching fabric. Both of the unfolded and folded torus topologies are explored for THOE. Based on a set of real MPSoC applications, we compared THOE with a typical torus-based optical NoC as well as a torus-based electronic NoC in 45nm on a 256-core MPSoC, using a SystemC-based cycle-accurate NoC simulator. Compared with the matched electronic torus-based NoC, THOE achieves 2.46X performance and 1.51X network switching capacity utilization, with 84% less energy consumption. Compared with the optical torus-based NoC, THOE achieves 4.71X performance and 3.05X network switching capacity utilization, while reducing 99% of energy consumption. Besides real MPSoC applications, a uniform traffic pattern is also used to show the average packet delay and network throughput of THOE. Regarding hardware cost, THOE reduces 75% of laser sources and half of optical receivers compared with the optical torus-based NoC.


Despite the growing interest in the organization and regulation of media industries, there is relatively little public discussion of the material processes through which media policy is developed. At a time of considerable change in the global media environment, new actors and new paradigms are emerging that are set to shift the balance of power between public and private interests in the policy-making process. This article focuses on some core challenges to the pluralist conception of public policy-making that still dominates today and considers whether key aspects of UK and American media policy-making can be said to be competitive, accessible, transparent or rational. Based on interviews with a wide range of 'stakeholders', the article assesses the power dynamics that underlie media policy-making and argues that the process is skewed by the taken-for-granted domination of market ideology.


The vibration strength under allowable value leads to the failure of compressor blade of certain aeroengine. In order to solve the problem, laser shock processing on blade was studied. First, the processed part of blade as well as the laser shock processing (LSP) parameters was established. Second, the influence of LSP and tumbling to the vibrate fatigue capability of blades were researched according to the application of the project. Third, the strengthening mechanism of LSP on improving the fatigue performance of the blade was studied. The results show that, LSP is consistently dependable and can prolong the vibration fatigue life of the blade efficiently. LSP can be placed after tumbling or directly replace it during the manufacturing of blade. The grain refinement, higher hardness and compressive residual stress are the three main reasons that enhance the fatigue capability of blade.


We propose to implement a quantized thermal machine based on a mixture of two atomic species. One atomic species implements the working medium and the other implements two (cold and hot) baths. We show that such a setup can be employed for the refrigeration of a large bosonic cloud starting above and ending below the condensation threshold. We analyze its operation in a regime conforming to the quantized Otto cycle and discuss the prospects for continuous-cycle operation, addressing the experimental as well as theoretical limitations. Beyond its applicative significance, this setup has a potential for the study of fundamental questions of quantum thermodynamics.


Discrimination is a supervised problem in statistics and machine learning that begins with data from a finite number of groups. The goal is to partition the data-space into some number of regions, and assign a group to each region so that observations there are most likely to belong to the assigned group. The most popular tool for discrimination is called discriminant analysis. Unsupervised discrimination, commonly known as clustering, also begins with data from groups, but now we do not necessarily know how many groups, nor do we get to know which group each observation belongs to. Our goal when doing clustering is still to partition the data-space into regions and assign groups to those regions, however we do not have any a priori information with which to assign these groups. Common tools for clustering include the k-means algorithm and model-based clustering using either the expectation maximization (EM) or classification expectation maximization (CEM) algorithms (of which k-means is a special case). Tools designed for clustering can also be used to do discrimination. We investigate this possibility, along with a method proposed by Yang (2013) for smoothing the transition between these problems. We use two simulations to investigate the performance of discriminant analysis and both versions of model-based clustering with various parameter settings across various datasets. These settings include using Yang's method for modifying clustering tools to handle discrimination. Results are presented along with recommendations for data analysis when doing discrimination or clustering. Specifically, we investigate what assumptions to make about the groups' sizes and shapes, as well as which method to use (discriminant analysis or the EM or CEM algorithms) and whether or not to apply Yang's pre-processing procedure.


While the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter GAT1 exclusively transports GABA, GAT2, −3, and −4 also transport β-alanine. Cross-mutations in the external loops IV, V, and VI among the various GABA transporters were performed by site-directed mutagenesis. The affinity of GABA transport as well as inhibitor sensitivity of the modified transporters was analyzed. Kinetic analysis revealed that a cross-mutation in which loop IV of GAT1 was modified to resemble GAT4 resulted in increased affinity to GABA from Km = 8.7 to 2.0 μM without changing the Vmax. A cross-mutation in loop VI, which swapped the amino acid sequence of GAT2 for GAT1, decreased the affinity to GABA (Km, 35 μM). These results suggest that loops IV and VI contribute to the binding affinity of GABA transporters. A substitution of three amino acids in loop V of GAT1 by the corresponding sequence of GAT3 resulted in β-alanine sensitivity of its GABA uptake activity. These three amino acids in loop V seem to participate in the β-alanine binding domain of GAT3. It is suggested that those three external loops (IV, V, and VI) form a pocket in which the substrate binds to the GABA transporters.


Since 2005, Deutsches Arzteblatt has required authors of scientific articles to submit a declaration of conflicts of interest. We publish this information together with the article itself, even when the author has stated that no conflicting interests are present. Our readers have welcomed this change, and most authors, too, are in favor of communicating conflicts of interest transparently.

Nonetheless, we are still regularly confronted with misunderstandings and inquiries on the subject. We have therefore decided to explain in detail here what, exactly, the medical-scientific editorial office (under the heading "Medicine") considers to be an authorial conflict of interest; what our experience in this matter has been over the past three years; and what inferences a reader should—and should not—draw from the declared presence of such a conflict. First of all, though, a few words are in order about the scientific background of the discussion of conflicts of interest.


We use the averaged variational principle introduced in a recent article on graph spectra [7] to obtain upper bounds for sums of eigenvalues of several partial differential operators of interest in geometric analysis, which are analogues of Kr{\"o}ger 's bound for Neumann spectra of Laplacians on Euclidean domains [12]. Among the operators we consider are the Laplace-Beltrami operator on compact subdomains of manifolds. These estimates become more explicit and asymptotically sharp when the manifold is conformal to homogeneous spaces (here extending a result of Strichartz [21] with a simplified proof). In addition we obtain results for the Witten Laplacian on the same sorts of domains and for Schr{\"o}dinger operators with confining potentials on infinite Euclidean domains. Our bounds have the sharp asymptotic form expected from the Weyl law or classical phase-space analysis. Similarly sharp bounds for the trace of the heat kernel follow as corollaries.


Abstract Recent works on France's informal projection of power have begun remapping French imperialism during the nineteenth century. More studies in this vein could broaden our understanding of informal empire as an analytical category by decentring it from its roots in British imperial studies. This article argues that between 1815 and 1830, French diplomats remoulded the Regency of Tunisia into an informal imperial periphery. Although they lacked the military and economic leverage of their British counterparts, French consuls coerced the Tunisian rulers into submission by wielding threats and treaties. This strategy unfolded in three stages. First, the consuls used rumours of a possible invasion in order to impose a new vision of international law and dismantle the corsair system in the Regency. Second, they claimed French territorial sovereignty over a part of the Tunisian coast by appealing to the international legal norms enshrined in the existing treaties. And, third, the Tunisian ruler accepted most consular demands following the French invasion of Algeria in 1830. Tunisia's entrance into the French imperial orbit in turn led French diplomats to seek the establishment of French economic ascendency in Tunisia during the early 1830s.


Observers of Silicon Valley's computer cluster report that employees move rapidly between competing firms, but evidence supporting this claim is scarce. Job-hopping is important in computer clusters because it facilitates the reallocation of talent and resources toward firms with superior innovations. Using new data on labor mobility, we find higher rates of job-hopping for college-educated men in Silicon Valley's computer industry than in computer clusters located out of the state. Mobility rates in other California computer clusters are similar to Silicon Valley's, suggesting some role for features of California law that make noncompete agreements unenforceable. Consistent with our model of innovation, mobility rates outside computer industries are no higher in California than elsewhere.


The Jarzynski equality and the fluctuation theorem relate equilibrium free energy differences to nonequilibrium measurements of the work. These relations extend to single-molecule experiments that have probed the finite-time thermodynamics of proteins and nucleic acids. The effects of experimental error and instrument noise have not been considered previously. Here, we present a Bayesian formalism for estimating free energy changes from nonequilibrium work measurements that compensates for instrument noise and combines data from multiple driving protocols. We reanalyze a recent set of experiments in which a single RNA hairpin is unfolded and refolded using optical tweezers at three different rates. Interestingly, the fastest and farthest-from-equilibrium measurements contain the least instrumental noise and, therefore, provide a more accurate estimate of the free energies than a few slow, more noisy, near-equilibrium measurements. The methods we propose here will extend the scope of single-molecule experiments; they can be used in the analysis of data from measurements with atomic force microscopy, optical, and magnetic tweezers.


The emergence of traffic and subsequently traffic congestion in urban road networks are increasing worldwide with the growing number of vehicles, which results in excess delays, and reduced safety. The aim of this paper is to use many GIS functions (network analyst, shortest path) in evaluating traffic congestions point during working day hours according to roads directions. The study area is a residential area of Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. A geo-database is designed that includes the road network with their directions that located in Jeddah city. Several GIS functions are used in this paper including network analyst and overlay analysis using ArcGIS 10.2. The priority results are utilized in evaluating congestion points according to roads direction, which can help planner in reassigning roads directions to mitigate congestion points at all parts of Jeddah city..


1. Spirochœta gallinarum can be cultivated in suitable artificial media for many successive generations and probably for indefinite periods. The presence of fresh tissue and a certain amount of oxygen seems to be essential for its growth. No perceptible odor is produced in the cultures. 2. The maximum growth of Spirochœta gallinarum is reached on about the fifth day, but the phase of degeneration commences slowly and gradually, so that in this respect the gallinarum differs from the duttoni, kochi, obermeieri, or novyi, whose cultures are characterized by sudden onset of degeneration soon after the maximum growth is attained. 3. No rod formation resembling bacilli arises in the course of multiplication of Spirochœta gallinarum in cultures. Many round or oval bodies appear in old cultures, but no infection of animals or formation of spiral forms from these granules has been produced. The granules are probably the degeneration products derived from the periblast of the spirochœtœ. 4. Cultures of Spirochœta gallinarum, either old or young, do not contain a form which passes through a Berkefeld filter (V) that infects chickens or grows into spirochætæ. 5. Spirochœta gallinarum remains virulent for chickens after being in cultures for at least thirteen generations, but it may become avirulent under certain cultural conditions. The inoculation of chickens with the attenuated culture renders the birds refractory to the subsequent infection with a virulent strain. 6. When the spirochætæ are cultivated in the media containing rabbit kidney instead of chicken muscle, the individual specimens are somewhat thicker, but otherwise typical. 7. Spirochœta gallinarum multiplies in culture by transverse division. No positive evidence of a longitudinal division has been obtained.


Wave pipelining is an attractive technique used in high-speed computer systems to speed-up pipeline rate without partitioning a system into pipeline stages. Although recent implemetations have reported very high-speed operation rates, a real evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of wave pipelining requires a comparative study with other techniques, in particular the understanding of the trade-offs between conventional and wave pipelining is very important. This study is an attempt to provide approximate models which can be used as first-order tools for comparative study or sensitivity analysis of conventional and wave pipelined systems with different overheads. The models presented here are for subsystem-level pipelines. The product Latency x Cycle-Time is used as a measure of performance and is evaluated as a function of all the parameters of a design, such as the propagation delay of the combinational logic, the data skew resulting from the difference between maximum and minimum propagation delays through various logic paths, rise and fall time, the setup time, hold time, and propagation delay through registers, and the uncontrollable clock skew. In this way, an analytical basis is provided for a comparison between different approaches and for optimizations.