Actinomycetes are prolific producers of pharmacologically important compounds accounting for about 70% of the naturally derived antibiotics that are currently in clinical use. In this study, we report on the isolation of Streptomyces sp. strains from Mediterranean sponges, on their secondary metabolite production and on their screening for anti-infective activities. Bioassay-guided isolation and purification yielded three previously known compounds namely, cyclic depsipeptide valinomycin, indolocarbazole alkaloid staurosporine and butenolide. This is the first report of the isolation of valinomycin from a marine source. These compounds exhibited novel anti-parasitic activities specifically against Leishmania major (valinomycin IC50 < 0.11 μM; staurosporine IC50 5.30 μM) and Trypanosoma brucei brucei (valinomycin IC50 0.0032 μM; staurosporine IC50 0.022 μM; butenolide IC50 31.77 μM). These results underscore the potential of marine actinomycetes to produce bioactive compounds as well as the re-evaluation of previously known compounds for novel anti-infective activities.


PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES
To examine differences in nursing care received by patients with breast cancer enrolled in clinical trials and those not enrolled in clinical trials.

DESIGN
Retrospective review of clinic charts.

SETTING
Oncology outpatient department of a tertiary-care hospital.

SAMPLE
90 women with early stage breast cancer. The mean age of the women was 53 years. More than half of the women (51 of 90) were treated in a clinical trial.

METHODS
Retrospective chart review of all the nurse-patient clinic encounters for a six-month period from date of cancer diagnosis. The content of each encounter was coded using a modified version of the Nursing Action Classification System.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES
Nursing interventions (i.e., assessment, medical scheduling, psychosocial scheduling, reassurance, and teaching) and phone calls.

FINDINGS
Women enrolled in clinical trials had more phone interactions with nursing staff (p = 0.003) and received teaching (p < 0.001) and reassurance (p = 0.005) from nursing staff more often than women not enrolled in clinical trials. Controlling for age and stage of disease, teaching (p < 0.001), and reassurance (p = 0.10) were the primary differences in nursing care between the patients enrolled in clinical trials and those not enrolled.

CONCLUSION
Differences in nursing care received exist between patients with breast cancer enrolled in clinical trials and those not enrolled.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE
Both teaching and reassurance are important components of caring for patients with cancer and are associated with treatment compliance. If the results of this study are confirmed, measures must be employed to ensure that all patients receive optimal care.


Manufacturing grid (MG) is the application of grid technology in networked manufacturing. Ontology has been considered as an important theoretical basis in many areas such as information integration, semantic web and knowledge management. The descriptions on manufacturing tasks are usually vague, incomplete and inconsistent in industry. MG task model and its semantic description method are the foundation and guarantee of quality of service (QoS) in MG. The MG task model is presented. The combination of ontology with MG study, in terms of analyzing basic classes in MG, and basic ontology classes, requirement model of service capacity of MG task are proposed. According to the description model of service capacity, the semantic description method for MG tasks is put forward.


Abstract The calculated >1-MeV pressure vessel fluence is used to determine the fracture toughness and integrity of the reactor pressure vessel. It is therefore of the utmost importance to ensure that the fluence prediction is accurate and unbiased. In practice, this assurance is provided by comparing the predictions of the calculational methodology with an extensive set of accurate benchmarks. A benchmarking database is used to provide an estimate of the overall average measurement-to-calculation (M/C) bias in the calculations (). This average  is used as an ad-hoc multiplicative adjustment to the calculations to correct for the observed calculational bias. However, this average only provides a well-defined and valid adjustment of the fluence if the M/C data are homogeneous; i.e., the data are statistically independent and there is no correlation between subsets of M/C data. Typically, the identification of correlations between the errors in the database M/C values is difficult because the correlation is of the same magnitude as the random errors in the M/C data and varies substantially over the database. In this paper, an evaluation of a reactor dosimetry benchmark database is performed to determine the statistical validity of the  adjustment to the calculated pressure vessel fluence. Physical mechanisms that could potentially introduce a correlation between the subsets of M/C ratios are identified and included in a multiple regression analysis of the M/C data. Rigorous statistical criteria are used to evaluate the homogeneity of the M/C data and determine the validity of the  adjustment. For the database evaluated, the M/C data are found to be strongly correlated with dosimeter response threshold energy and dosimeter location (e.g., cavity versus in-vessel). It is shown that because of the inhomogeneity in the M/C data, for this database, the benchmark data do not provide a valid basis for adjusting the pressure vessel fluence. The statistical criteria and methods employed in this analysis are generic and may be applied in benchmarking applications where the M/C comparisons are used to determine an adjustment of the calculations.


This article is based on the interviews of nine young, socially disadvantaged fathers from the UK. Young fathers are more likely to experience socioeconomic deprivation and disrupted pathways towards parenthood, which affect their participation in socially accepted trajectories of 'father involvement'. Whilst this has received some attention in research, studies have largely neglected to examine the lived experiences of such fathers directly. The current article aims to address this gap, building upon the limited body of research that exists exploring the impact of socioeconomic and relational barriers on father involvement. In this study, three interrelated themes demonstrate the cyclical nature of generational disadvantage, reduced socioeconomic circumstances and disrupted relationships, providing a different perspective on the decreased levels of involvement exhibited by young fathers in prior research. The findings also enlighten our understanding of how these fathers can be better supported in policy and practice, thereby contributing to current academic debate.


Tumor tissue characterization can play an important role in the diagnosis and design of effective treatment strategies. In order to gather and combine the necessary tissue information, multi-modal imaging is used to derive a number of parameters indicative of tissue properties. The exploration and analysis of relationships between parameters and, especially, of differences among distinct intra-tumor regions is particularly interesting for clinical researchers to individualize tumor treatment. However, due to high data dimensionality and complexity, the current clinical workflow is time demanding and does not provide the necessary intra-tumor insight. We implemented a new application for the exploration of the relationships between parameters and heterogeneity within tumors. In our approach, we employ a well-known dimensionality reduction technique [5] to map the high-dimensional space of tissue properties into a 2D information space that can be interactively explored with integrated information visualization techniques. We conducted several usage scenarios with real-patient data, of which we present a case of advanced cervical cancer. First indications show that our application introduces new features and functionalities that are not available within the current clinical approach.


Recent advances in next-generation DNA sequencing technologies have made possible the development of high-throughput SNP genotyping platforms that allow for the simultaneous interrogation of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Such resources have the potential to facilitate the rapid development of high-density genetic maps, and to enable genome-wide association studies as well as molecular breeding approaches in a variety of taxa. Herein, we describe the development of a SNP genotyping resource for use in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). This work involved the development of a reference transcriptome assembly for sunflower, the discovery of thousands of high quality SNPs based on the generation and analysis of ca. 6 Gb of transcriptome re-sequencing data derived from multiple genotypes, the selection of 10,640 SNPs for inclusion in the genotyping array, and the use of the resulting array to screen a diverse panel of sunflower accessions as well as related wild species. The results of this work revealed a high frequency of polymorphic SNPs and relatively high level of cross-species transferability. Indeed, greater than 95% of successful SNP assays revealed polymorphism, and more than 90% of these assays could be successfully transferred to related wild species. Analysis of the polymorphism data revealed patterns of genetic differentiation that were largely congruent with the evolutionary history of sunflower, though the large number of markers allowed for finer resolution than has previously been possible.


Typical Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) deployments use more nodes than needed to accurately sense the phenomena of interest. This redundancy can be leveraged by switching-on only a subset of nodes at any time instant (node-scheduling) and putting the remaining nodes sleep. This effectively extends the network lifetime. In addition to sensing coverage, node-scheduling schemes must also ensure that (i) the network stays connected, and (ii) the time needed to wake-up the complete protocol stack after sleeping is minimized. We present Sleeping Beauty, a highly-efficient data collection protocol that aids node-scheduling schemes in both aspects. Sleeping Beauty uses a slotted and tightly synchronized communication primitive, where a node keeps its radio off for most of the time, except in the slots when it needs to participate for successful communication. Further, an efficient neighbor-discovery mechanism is included that provides partial, but sufficient topology information (potential parents) to avoid network partitions. Furthermore, Sleeping Beauty employs a novel, yet simple clock-offset estimation technique that maintains highly-accurate time synchronization over long radio-off periods (i.e., less than 500 us deviation even after 45, min of sleeping). This minimizes time wasted in resynchronizing the network in between data collection rounds. Through experiments on two different testbeds, we verified that Sleeping Beauty decreases the duty cycle up to a factor of 3 compared to state-of-the-art techniques, while achieving similar delivery ratios.


A numerical modelling method for the analysis of solder joint damage and crack propagation has been described in this paper. The method is based on the disturbed state concept. Under cyclic thermal-mechanical loading conditions, the level of damage that occurs in solder joints is assumed to be a simple monotonic scalar function of the accumulated equivalent plastic strain. The increase of damage leads to crack initiation and propagation. By tracking the evolution of the damage level in solder joints, crack propagation path and rate can be simulated using Finite Element Analysis method. The discussions are focused on issues in the implementation of the method. The technique of speeding up the simulation and the mesh dependency issues are analysed. As an example of the application of this method, crack propagation in solder joints of power electronics modules under cyclic thermal-mechanical loading conditions has been analyzed and the predicted cracked area size after 3000 loading cycles is consistent with experimental results.


A benefit-eligible staff member's position, or an equivalent, is held for a combined total of 26 weeks of any medical leave (182 days) during any 12-month period. If you return to full duty within this 26 week period, you are entitled to your job upon returning to work. Once this 26 week period has elapsed, your department is no longer required to hold your position, and it may be filled at the department's discretion.


In this research an innovative acoustic emission sensing system has been developed intended for structural fatigue crack monitoring. The innovation lies in analog pre-processing of the detected acoustic emissions for signal enveloping, thus relying on cheap high bandwidth components. The technique is based on heterodyning the amplified acoustic emission signal with a carrier signal of a chosen frequency. Next, the signal is filtered and the signal envelope is obtained by phase shifting the signal by π/2 creating an analytic signal that is digitally sampled. This results in need of low sampling rate digital acquisition equipment giving relatively small amounts of data to be processed and stored, considerably reducing the system cost. This is particularly suitable for applications involving large or complex structures to be monitored, where a multitude of sensors are needed. The system was built and tested on aluminum test coupons during tension-tension fatigue. The envelope signal is filtered for background noise through thresholding based on statistical knowledge of the noise distribution. The accumulation of acoustic activity shows promising results with an early period of high acoustic activity during settling of the material that asymptotically converges at a certain level. At the next stage, there is no activity until a certain point is reached where a sudden ramp up of AE is detected close to the end of the experiment. Through extensometer measurement, the change in coupon length at this point in time strongly indicates that the ramp up of AE activity is due to crack initiation and propagation.


During the last forty years, enzyme-base biosensors have had great success in the detection and quantification of various biologically-relevant molecules. However, native enzymes can sometimes be costly, delicate to manipulate or simply absent for a particular analyte. Hence, artificial or synthetic enzymes could be a useful alternative to natural proteins for the conception of new biosensors, since they can be, a priori, designed in their entirety, as well as more robust, available, chemically malleable and cheap, in comparison with their natural analogues. In this Perspective, we will provide a snapshot of this emerging research field.


The differential operation known as Lie derivation was introduced by W. Slebodzinski in 1931, and since then it has been used by numerous investigators in applications in pure and applied mathematics and also in physics. A recent monograph by Kentaro Yano (2) devoted to the theory and application of Lie derivatives gives some idea of the wide range of its uses. However, in this monograph, as indeed in other treatments of the subject, the Lie derivative of a tensor field is defined by means of a formula involving partial derivatives of the given tensor field. It is then proved that the Lie derivative is a differential invariant, i.e. it is independent of a transformation from one allowable coordinate system to another. Sometimes some geometrical motivation is given in explanation of the formula, but this is seldom very satisfying.


As other fields of law, competition law is put to the test by new technologies in general and algorithmic market activity in particular. This article takes a holistic approach by looking at areas of law, namely financial regulation and data protection, which have already put in place rules and procedures to deal with issues arising from algorithms. Before making the bridge and assessing whether the application of regulatory tools from these areas might be fruitful for competition law as well, the article discusses some recent competition cases involving algorithmic market activity. It concludes with policy recommendations.


The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying period for teachers. Teachers had to adapt to unexpected conditions, teaching in unprecedented ways. As a result, teachers' levels of stress and burnout have been high throughout the pandemic, raising concerns about a potential increase in teacher turnover and future teacher shortages. We use administrative data for the state of Arkansas to document the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on teachers' mobility and attrition during the years 2018-19 to 2021-2022. We find stable turnover rates during the first year of the pandemic (2020-2021) but an increase in teacher mobility and attrition in the second year (2021-2022). Teacher mobility and attrition increased by 2 percentage points (10% relative increase) this second year but with heterogeneous effects across regions and depending on the teacher and school characteristics. Our results raise concerns about increased strain in areas already experiencing teacher shortages and a potential reduction in the diversity of the Arkansas teacher labor force.


ABSTRACT Current standards for light environments are based on technical requirements, e.g. luminance, uniformity, and illuminance, and do not necessarily describe all parts of the light experience to ensure visual comfort from a user perspective. Including experience-related requirements would most likely yield better lighting comfort. To do that, new methods for specifying and measuring the user experience are needed. This paper describes a pilot study exploring a new method to analytically assess perceived lighting properties by using a trained human panel and thus make human assessments more objective. The methodology is built on established sensory methods, where the human senses are used in product assessments, traditionally applied within e.g. the food, packaging, and car industries. An analytical panel comprising eight persons fulfilling specific selection criteria were recruited and trained to assess lighting products in a multi-sensory laboratory. The results show that the panelists were able to assess lighting by distinguishing between attributes and products. Significant differences were identified between the different luminaires, both in terms of sensory and physical properties, e.g. readability and glare. Conclusively, analytical sensory methods can be applied to lighting to assess luminaires in a non-subjective way. Physical and sensory attributes do not, however, always co-vary, which shows that data from physical and sensory measuring methods provide complementary information about light quality. This knowledge may in turn be applied in tools supporting the communication between different professions in lighting design and procurement to promote light environments that are both energy efficient and desirable from an end-user perspective.


Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world; almost two-thirds of gastric cancer cases and deaths occur in less developed regions. The molecular and cellular events during development of gastric cancer remain unclear. Herein, we examined the expression of ER-α36, an ER-α variant, in established gastric cancer cell lines and specimens from 22 gastric cancer patients. RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry methods were used to assess expression levels of ER-α36. ER-α36 localization in gastric cancer cells was determined with an immunofluorenscence assay. Both mRNA and protein of ER-α36 were detected in all established gastric cancer cell lines examined. Higher levels of ER-α36 mRNA were expressed in 17 of 22 (77.27%) tumor specimens examined compared to the paired normal tissues (p<0.05). ER-α36 protein was expressed mainly on the plasma membrane and in the cytoplasm of the established gastric cancer cells. ER-α36 expression is highly correlated with lymph node metastasis in human gastric cancer (P<0.05). The estrogen receptor variant ER-α36 is highly expressed in human gastric cancer. ER-α36 expression may be used as a predictive marker for lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer.


In this work, we describe a new strategy for designing photoluminescent Cu(I) complexes. At its core are simple cyclophane inspired N-donor ligands featuring intramolecular interactions between aromatic units within a single molecule. Variation of the steric bulk inflicted a change in intramolecular stacking distances that in turn affected the emission colour of copper(I) complexes tunable in a 0.5 eV range from green to red. As the interactions driving emission are confined to the single molecule, no intermolecular aggregation is required to enable photoluminescence in solution, pristine crystals, or solution-cast polymer films. A crystallographic study provides a link between the spatial proximity of the aromatic rings of the ligands (ranging from 3.349 to 3.731 A) and the enhancement of emission efficiency, which increases dramatically from 0.02 to 0.78 at 296 K as the ring spacing contracts. Photophysical and theoretical analyses confirm the involvement of intramolecular interactions in the formation of the emissive state and describe the observed phenomena at the molecular level.


Surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) is capable of identifying molecular fingerprints by resonant detection of infrared vibrational modes through the coupling with plasmonic modes of metallic nanostructures. However, SEIRA for on-chip gas sensing is still not very successful due to the intrinsically weak light-matter interaction between photons and gas molecules and the technical challenges in accumulating sufficient gas species in the vicinity of the spatially localized enhanced electric field, namely, the "hot-spots", generated through plasmonics. In this paper, we present a suspended silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanomembrane device by integrating plasmonic nanopatch gold antennas with metal-organic framework (MOF), which can largely adsorb carbon dioxide (CO2) through its nanoporous structure. Unlike conventional SEIRA sensing relying on highly localized hot-spots of plasmonic nanoantennas or nanoparticles, the device reported in this paper engineered the coupled surface plasmon polaritons in the metal-Si3N4 and metal-MOF interfaces to achieve strong optical field enhancement across the entire MOF film. We successfully demonstrated on-chip gas sensing of CO2 with more than 1800× enhancement factors by combining the concentration effect from the 2.7 μm MOF thin film and the optical field enhancement of the plasmonic nanopatch antennas.


ABSTRACT The beliefs of pre-service teachers in initial teacher education (ITE) in Catalonia about plurilingualism and teaching in diverse classrooms are analysed and tensions in their discourse are observed. Following the analysis of discourse in interaction (e.g. Heller [2005]. Discourse and interaction. In D. Schiffrin, D. Tannen, & H. E. Hamilton (Eds.), The handbook of discourse analysis (pp. 250–264). Blackwell Publishers Ltd), we analyse data from an individual reflection task and subsequent focus group discussion in which pre-service teachers discuss their ideas about linguistically sensitive teaching. Our findings suggest that pre-service teachers have very positive ideas regarding being plurilingual speakers. However, when positioning themselves as teachers, the feelings they express about linguistic diversity in schools become negative. These ideas are linked to ideological constructions that circulate, for example, in European institutional discourses about multi/plurilingualism and in neoliberal conceptions of languages and learning. We suggest that more spaces for discussion and reflection are needed in ITE in order to promote linguistically sensitive teaching among future practitioners.


ABSTRACT Introduction Identifying patients at risk for chronic musculoskeletal pain can inform evaluation and treatment decisions. The ability of physical therapists to assess patients' risk for chronic pain without use of validated tools has been questioned. The Ӧrebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire (OMPQ) is used to determine risk for chronic pain. Methods The aim of this pragmatic study was to prospectively quantify the agreement between physical therapists' assessment of patients' risk for chronic symptoms compared to the OMPQ. Patients were asked to complete the OMPQ during the initial visit. Physical therapists, blinded to OMPQ risk classification, carried out their usual patient assessment procedures. The physical therapists rated patients as either high or low risk for chronic pain based on their clinical assessment. Agreement between therapist and OMPQ was determined using Cohen's Kappa (κ) and screening accuracy compared clinician risk to the OMPQ risk classification (reference standard) by way of contingency table analysis. Results Ninety-six (96) patients' risk classifications and 15 corresponding physical therapists' risk estimates were available for analysis. The OMPQ identified a 47% prevalence for high risk of chronic pain. Agreement (κ and 95% confidence interval) between physical therapist rating and OMPQ was slight, κ = 0.272 (0.033–0.421), p = .026. Therapists' sensitivity and specificity (95% CI) for determining risk classifications were 60.0% (44.3–74.3) and 62.8% (48.1–75.6), respectively. The positive and negative likelihood ratios (95% CI) were 1.61 (1.05–2.47) and 0.64 (0.42–0.97). Discussion The use of validated self-report questionnaires are recommended to supplement clinician prognosis for patients at risk of chronic musculoskeletal pain.


The development of surface high-speed machining has put forward higher demands for uniform cutting load and smooth cutting tool path. Most current tool-path planning methods are based on constant scallop height, but they have the disadvantage of path point redundancy during the path discretization process. To overcome the problem, a tool path generation method of equal approximation error in each step for free-form surface is presented based on geodesic principle and curvature judgment. In this method, the NURBS curve is employed to realize smooth transition for adjacent two tool paths in high-speed machining. A certain angle of inclination of flat-end milling cutter during multi-axis machining improves the machining efficiency. Because of the advantage of this machining condition, the cutter location point generation algorithm during the machining condition is given by the method. The method is verified and simulated by C++. Experiment results proved that it can obtain uniform cutting load and continuous smooth cutting tool path during surface high-speed machining by the proposed method.


Objective: To examine the effects of the monoaminergic stabilizer (−)-OSU6162 on mental fatigue in patients with traumatic brain injury. Setting: Single-center Neurorehabilitation Clinic. Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants: Sixty-four subjects with traumatic brain injury were randomized to treatment (n = 33) and placebo (n = 31). Main Measures: The effects of (−)-OSU6162 at a dose of 15 mg twice a day were evaluated using self-assessment scales and neuropsychological tests measuring mental fatigue. Results: No difference between groups was observed on any scale at baseline. At follow-up, both groups showed significant improvement on the Fatigue Severity Scale and the Mental Fatigue Scale (both Ps < .01). Similarly, the performance of both groups increased significantly on many neuropsychological tests. However, no significant between-group difference in changes on these scales was observed before or after adjustment for confounders except for one neuropsychological test favoring the control group. Sensitivity analyses showed significantly greater changes in levels of prolactin and folic acid and heart rate (all Ps < .05) in the treatment group. The mean plasma concentration after 4 weeks of treatment was 0.14 (range, 0.01–0.32) µM, which was lower than expected. Interpretation: Treatment with (−)-OSU6162 had no significant effect on mental fatigue in patients with traumatic brain injury compared with placebo.


. The 157nm F 2 -laser drives strong and precisely controllable interactions with fused silica, the most widely used material for bulk optics, optical fibers, and planar optical circuits. A diffractive optical element (DOE) breaks apart wavefronts and redirects segmented beamlets through phase control for novel beam steering and shaping applications. This paper shows that precise excisions of 10-30 nm depth are available from the F 2 laser for the generation of efficient DOEs for the visible and ultraviolet spectrum. F 2 -laser radiation was applied with beam homogenization optics and high-precision computer-controlled motion stages to shape up to 16-level, 256 (cid:3)(cid:117)(cid:3) 256 pixel DOE devices on bulk glasses, with distinguishable level-to- level spacing of ~100 nm and surface roughness of ~13 nm. The 1 st order diffraction efficiency was ~35%. The farfield pattern when illuminated with a HeNe laser was found to agree with simulations based on an iterative Fourier transform algorithm. Future improvements in the laser micromachining process and possible directions are also offered.


The article aims to re-purpose evaluation to learn about social justice by anchoring evaluation in normative dimensions. This article demonstrates the ways in which evaluation with an establishment orientation can limit the scope for dialogue and neglect narratives that contest the status quo. It explains how a more participatory approach that engages with the standpoints of marginalised participants can enhance the potential to learn about social justice. An ethical commitment to social justice does not mean a rejection of rigour in evidence-based evaluation. Relating Fraser's critical theory of participatory parity to the regulative ideal of evaluation creates a foundation to systematically foreground explanations about how an intervention has delivered social justice.


The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic acid and bacterial inoculant on conservation characteristics and protein fractions as defined by the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System of barley, wheat, rye, triticale, and oat silages ensiled at their booting or dough stage of maturity. The cereal crops were not treated or were treated with bacteria (L. buchneri, L. plantarum, E. faecium) or organic acid (formic acid, propionic acid, sodium formate) and ensiled in 1.0-L anaerobic jars for 45 days. Bacterial inoculant improved the fermentation profile for all cereal silages and increased the dry matter (DM) recovery at both maturity stages. The benefit of bacteria inclusion in the silage was more pronounced when applied at dough stages. Organic acid also improved the fermentation profile for all cereal silages, but it was less effective than the bacteria at both booting and dough stages of maturity. The reduction (P < 0.001) in in vitro DM digestibility was not as sharp as the decrease in crude protein (CP). Protein A fraction and digestible CP were higher (P < 0.001) at the booting stage, while all B fractions and C fraction were higher (P < 0.001) in cereal silages ensiled at the dough stage. It was concluded that additives, in particular bacterial inoculant, can improve fermentation and protein quality at both stages examined.


Knowledge management (KM) addresses the critical issues of organizational adaptation, survival and competence in a rapidly evolving environment. KM embodies organizational processes that seek a synergistic combination of the data and information processing capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to improve ICT. In that role, knowledge management has the capacity to improve quality management and avoid or minimize losses and weaknesses that result from poor performance as well as increase the competitive level of the company and inability to maximize its survival potential in the global marketplace. To achieve quality, all parties including the clients, company consultants, contractors, entrepreneurs, suppliers, and governing bodies (i.e. all involved stakeholders) must encourage collaboration and commitment to quality. Design‐based organizations have to be quality driven to support healthy growth in today's competitive market. In the march towards globalization (i.e. the one world community) as well as local industries comprising many companies, their design‐based organizations need to have superior quality management and knowledge management capabilities to anticipate changes. Intelligence and knowledge is a form of strategic capital, which can be cultivated, created, stored, managed, retrieved and measured to give competitive advantage. To anticipate the needs of the marketplace, a new system that is called quality value model (QVM) is proposed. QVM is a combination of communication and information technologies (ICT) as well as creative and innovative capabilities of human beings to meet challenges and to develop high‐quality products. Quality is a reflection of the properties in a product that customers use to value and evaluate its economic worth. Furthermore, the mathematical technique within QVM calculates input‐factor changes within the product. This enables companies to be more responsive and aids prediction in respect to change and the management of decision uncertainty.


Building intelligent systems with human level competence is the ultimate grand challenge for science and technology in general, and especially for cognitive developmental robotics. This paper proposes a new approach to the design of cognitive skills in a robot able to interact with, and communicate about, the surrounding physical world and manipulate objects in an adaptive manner. The work is based on robotic simulation experiments showing that a humanoid robot (iCub platform) is able to acquire behavioral, cognitive, and linguistic skills through individual and social learning. The robot is able to learn to handle and manipulate objects autonomously, to understand basic instructions, and to adapt its abilities to changes in internal and environmental conditions.


Bitcoin, also known as a decentralized virtual currency (DVC), is regulated differently in the People's Republic of China (PRC), Canada, and the United States, and represents a vastly underdeveloped area of the law. No country has currently backed Bitcoin. Launched in 2009, and founded by Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin is a "decentralized peer-to-peer virtual currency." Other virtual currencies include Litecoin, Namecoin, Auroracoin, Peercoin, and Dogecoin – about 500 varieties in total – but research here primarily focuses on Bitcoin. A comparative analysis helps discern how these respective countries classify Bitcoin (e.g., a virtual object, currency, or potential security), and how these jurisdictions regulate, or intend to regulate, DVCs. Bitcoin is identified as a "currency," throughout the paper, but the classification is heavily contested. Questions for analyses include: are there appropriate existing legal frameworks to regulate Bitcoin? What securities regulation challenges does Bitcoin pose? What are the consumer and investor protection concerns associated with Bitcoin compared to traditional financial exchanges? What are the cross-jurisdictional challenges of virtual currency transactions that operate over the Internet (e.g., money laundering, or fraudulent activities)? Research incorporates securities commission reports, social and political commentary from secondary sources, and relevant jurisprudence and legislation. Findings help situate the current climate of Bitcoin globally, and assess how its regulation differs relative to technological, economic, social, financial, and political forces.


The effects of T. occidentalis seed oil on some female reproductive indices were investigated in Wistar rats. The study was divided into two phases: (estrous cycle and pregnancy). Animals were grouped into four: group A received distilled water (control), groups B, C and D received 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg bw of T. occidentalis seed oil respectively. The pattern of estrous cycle was determined for three weeks before and during the treatment. Thereafter, each group was sub- divided into two. The sub-group-1 rats were mated with male breeders, the litter size and birth weight of their offsprings was determined. Sub-group-2 rats were sacrificed and histology of organs and serum levels of LH, FSH and estrogen were assayed. There was no significant difference between the pre-treatment and post-treatment estrous cycle length. However, there was a significant decrease in the frequency of diestrus phase during treatment in all the experimental groups when compared with pre-treatment period but there was no significant difference in the diestrus phase when compared with the control group. Serum estrogen concentration was significantly reduced in the group that was treated with 800 mg/kg bw of T. occidentalis seed oil. Histology of the ovary and uterus in the experimental groups were similar to that of the control group. Birth weight of pups was significantly increased in the group treated with 600 mg/kg bw of T. occidentalis seed oil when compared with the control group. The results of this study suggest that T. occidentalis seed oil does not alter estrous cycle in Wistar rats.


The relationship between medical science and the mass media is always delicate, and occasionally difficult, but only very rarely does it degenerate into a war of words. At present, however, a war of words is precisely what is being waged between John Maddox, the editor of Nature, and Andrew Neil, the editor of the Sunday Times, over the Sunday Times's coverage of AIDS. Rumblings of discontent within the scientific community were brought to a head by Maddox in the 9 December issue of Nature. In an editorial entitled New-style abuse of press freedom Maddox accused the most profitable newspaper in Britain of so consistently misrepresenting the role of HIV in the causation of AIDS that Nature plans to monitor its future treatment of this issue, if only to save readers the trouble of buying it (Nature 1993;366:493).

The response of the Sunday Times was swift and strong. On 12 December the newspaper published two full pages - including a reprint of the entire Nature editorial - under the blood red headline: AIDS: why we won't be silenced. According to science correspondent Neville Hodgkinson, his newspaper had been subjected to a wave of extraordinary attacks in recent weeks over its attempts to widen discussion of one of the most crucial medical and scientific issues of our time: the cause of AIDS. Hodgkinson went on to rehearse a series of doubts about the generally accepted view of the relationship between HIV and AIDS within what he termed the science establishment and …


Objective To summarize current options for postgraduate third-year programs in family medicine in Canada and compile current controversies about the expanding number of programs available and the trend toward subspecialization in family medicine.

Design A literature search was conducted by the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region Library research staff for Canadian family medicine fellowships and residency programs using MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature from the beginning of 2005 to September 1, 2011. All available websites for programs offering third-year options were reviewed.

Setting Canadian family medicine residency programs.

Methods A list of current third-year residency programs was generated from the Canadian Post-MD Education Registry. In addition, the current Canadian Resident Matching Service website was reviewed, along with every program-specific website, for current third-year programs offered.

Main findings More than 30 different options for third-year residency programs are available, including a number of community-influenced and resident-directed enhanced-skills programs. In 2010 to 2011 there were 237 postgraduate third-year family medicine residents compared with 128 in 2010 to 2011, an increase of 109 positions.

Conclusion Controversies over the benefits to the patient population, the practice patterns of third-year residency graduates, and the influence of a subspecialty trend against a stated goal of comprehensive family medicine continue to exist, while the number of available third-year residency options continues to expand.


This research investigated expertise in hazardous substance risk assessment (HSRA). Competent pro-active risk assessment is needed to prevent occupational ill-health caused by hazardous substance exposure occurring in the future. In recent years there has been a strong demand for HSRA expertise and a shortage of expert practitioners. The discipline of Occupational Hygiene was identified as the key repository of knowledge and skills for HSRA and one objective of this research was to develop a method to elicit this expertise from experienced occupational hygienists. In the study of generic expertise, many methods of knowledge elicitation (KE) have been investigated, since this has been relevant to the development of 'expert systems' (thinking computers). Here, knowledge needed to be elicited from human experts, and this stage was often a bottleneck in system development, since experts could not explain the basis of their expertise. At an intermediate stage, information collected was used to structure a basic model of hazardous substance risk assessment activity (HSRA Model B) and this formed the basis of tape transcript analysis in the main study with derivation of a 'classification' and a 'performance matrix'. The study aimed to elicit the expertise of occupational hygienists and compare their performance with other health and safety professionals (occupational health physicians, occupational health nurses, health and safety practitioners and trainee health and safety inspectors), as evaluated using the matrix. As a group, the hygienists performed best in the exercise, and this group were particularly good at process elicitation and at recommending specific control measures, although the other groups also performed well in selected aspects of the matrix and the work provided useful findings and insights. From the research, two models of HSRA have been derived, an HSRA aid, together with a novel videotape KE technique and interesting research findings. The implications of this are discussed with respect to future training of HS professionals and wider application of the videotape KE method.


As traditional sources of competitive advantage shrink, firms seek new ones. One such source of competitive advantage is product design because of its effects on customer experience. To understand the role and impact of product design on customer experience, we propose an integrated, customer-based framework for product design that we call the total product design concept (TPDC). We define a product's TPDC as consisting of three elements, namely functionality, aesthetics, and meaning, each of which arises from more elemental product characteristics. We elaborate on the structure of a product's TPDC, its three elements, and the links between those elements and customers' experience with a product. We provide an illustrative application of the TPDC using data from the U.S. auto market. The findings from that application support the proposed three-dimensional view of the TPDC, and demonstrate heterogeneity both in the TPDC's structure and its effects on customer satisfaction. For all three segments, functionality enhances customer satisfaction. For the largest segment of customers, functionality is the most important factor, followed by aesthetics. For the other two segments, customer satisfaction is most influenced by the meaning element of TPDC. We discuss the implications of these findings for the auto industry in particular, and the potential use of the TPDC more generally.


The observation of Leptolyngbya growth on temperature 35 o C with initial pH variation had been done. The study was descriptive research. The study aimed to determine the best initial growth pH for Leptolyngbya HS (Hot Spring)-16 and HS-36. Leptolyngbya HS-16 was isolated from Pancar Mountain hotspring, while Leptolyngbya HS-36 was isolated from Maribaya hot spring.  The acidity (pH) of Pancar mountain and Maribaya hot spring was 7. Each strain was grown in Blue Green medium number 11 (BG-11) with variation initial pH (6, 7, 8 and 9) and incubated on 35 o C. Parameters was wet biomass weight of Leptolyngbya in each strain. Observation were made on 15 days with 11 sampling. From the observation, the average of wet biomass weight of Leptolyngbya HS-16 was obtained at pH 6 (0,0295 g/L), pH 7 (0,0404 g/L), pH 8 (0,03825 g/L), and pH 9 (0,02735 g/L), meanwhile Leptolyngbya HS-36 was obtained at pH 6 (0,02905 g/L), pH 7 (0,01995 g/L), pH 8 (0,05345 g/L) and pH 9 (0,05995 g/L) on the 15 th day. The results of 15 days observation showed that the best initial pH for growing Leptolyngbya HS-16 is 7, while Leptolyngbya HS-36 is 9. From this study it could be seen that Leptolyngbya HS-16 and HS-36 could be cultured with alkaline condition.


As in other parts of physics, we advocate the interaction approach: experiments ←→ (… are influenced and their importance is determined by … and vice versa) phenomenology ←→ low-energy effective (field) theory ←→ microscopic theory to probe the microscopic origin of gravity, Using the X-g phenomenological framework, we discuss the tests of equivalence principles. The only experimentally unconstrained degree of freedom is the axion freedom. It has effects on the long-range astrophysical/cosmological propagation of electromagnetic waves and can be tested/measured using the future generation of polarization measurement of cosmic background radiation.The verification or refutal of this axionic effect will be a crucial step for constructing an effective theory and probing the microscopic origin of gravity. The interaction of spin with gravity is another important clue for probing the microscopic origin of gravity. The interplay of experiments, phenomenology and effective theory are expounded. An ideal way to reveal the microscopic origin of gravity is to measure the gyrogravitational ratio of particles, Three potential experimental methods are considered.


Network traffic data collected for intrusion analysis is typically high-dimensional making it difficult to both analyze and visualize. Principal Component Analysis is used to reduce the dimensionality of the feature vectors extracted from the data to enable simpler analysis and visualization of the traffic. Principal Component Analysis is applied to selected network attacks from the DARPA 1998 intrusion detection data sets namely: Denial-of-Service and Network Probe attacks. A method for identifying an attack based on the generated statistics is proposed. Visualization of network activity and possible intrusions is achieved using Bi-plots, which provides a summary of the statistics.


4-Organoselenium-quinolines were synthesized via model multi-component Povarov (MCR) reactions between p-anisidine, ethyl glyoxylate and ethynyl(phenyl)selane, catalyzed by the Lewis acid Yb(OTf)3, with yields ranging from moderate to good. This method is advantageous in that there is no requirement for an oxidant and that the reaction has a wide scope. These 4-organoselenium-quinolines allowed access to 4-alkynyl-quinolines, which were synthesized via copper free Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions catalyzed by a new palladium catalyst that employs an oxazoline derivative as a ligand. A plausible mechanism was proposed based on HRMS studies.


Summary

Solutions are developed for the harmonic interior pressurization of idealized hemispherical lava domes to determine the evolution of instability with time. Integrated gas pressure distributions are evaluated to determine uplift on inclined planes of potential detachment that traverse the dome, and to evaluate the limit-equilibrium stability of blocks isolated by these planes. Average pressure distributions show an initial transient rise to peak dynamic gas pressures that corresponds to a harmonic steady state. Progress towards potential instability mirrors this rise, and oscillates with the harmonic steady state. The timing of pressurization of the dome lavas is modulated by a diffusive time. The magnitude of this pressurization is modulated by dome geometry and the magnitude and non-dimensional frequency of the interior inflation. Two distinct pressurization behaviours are apparent: the first, at high relative inflation frequencies, is where the dynamic steady state corresponds to static pressurization at the mean interior pressure; and the second, at low relative inflation frequencies, is where the dynamic state synchronously responds to the oscillating interior-pressure boundary condition, and peak uplift is proportional to the mean pressure plus the maximum harmonic overpressure. These two conditions are separated by a frequency shift, or change in fluid diffusivity, of only two orders of magnitude, and are significant because the destabilizing uplift force may increase by a factor of two, where all other parameters, except excitation frequency or diffusivity, remain fixed. These results are applied to stability evaluations of the lava dome at the Soufriere Hills volcano, to examine failure mechanisms potentially consistent with the observed delay in collapse. Linear models incorporating time-invariant strength and transport parameters are only able to represent collapse for interior gas pressures at the upper limit of observed magnitudes. Conversely, behaviours incorporating fatigue-weakening, or hysteretic permeability enhancement, of the dome rocks are able to approach failure for modest pressurization magnitudes, to match observed delays in collapse and potentially to explain why some domes collapse explosively whereas others do not.


Objectives To assess the safety of live attenuated herpes zoster vaccine live (ZVL) through cumulative analysis of near real-time, participant-based active surveillance from Australia's AusVaxSafety system. Design and setting ZVL was funded in Australia for adults aged 70 years from November 2016, with a time-limited catch up programme for those up to 79 years. This cohort study monitored safety in the first two programme years through active surveillance at 246 sentinel surveillance immunisation sites. Participants Adults aged 70–79 years vaccinated with ZVL who responded to an opt-out survey sent via automated short message service (SMS) 3 days following vaccination (n=17 458) or contributed supplementary data through a separate, opt-in online survey at 16 and 24 days following vaccination (n=346). Primary and secondary outcome measures Rates of overall and prespecified adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) by sex, concomitant vaccination and underlying medical condition. Signal detection methods (fast initial response cumulative summation and Bayesian updating analyses) were applied to reports of medical attendance. Results The median age of participants was 72 years; 53% were female. The response rate following automated SMS was high (73% within 7 days of vaccination). Females were more likely than males to report any adverse event within 7 days of vaccination (RR 2.07, 95% CI 1.86 to 2.31); injection site reaction was the most commonly reported (2.3%, n=377). Concomitant vaccination was not associated with higher adverse event rates (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.93 to 1.18). Rates of medical attendance were low (0.3%) with no safety signals identified. Supplementary opt-in survey data on later onset adverse events did not identify any difference in AEFI rates between those with and without underlying medical conditions. Conclusions ZVL has a very good safety profile in the first week after vaccination in older adults. Active, participant-based surveillance in this primary care cohort is an effective method to monitor vaccine safety among older adults and will be used as a key component of COVID-19 vaccine safety surveillance in Australia.


The late Precambrian Nama beds of the Naukluft Mountains in South West Africa show intense Alpine-type deformation. The crystalline basement underlying these rocks is little disturbed. Its upper surface is basin-shaped. The intensity of deformation in the overlying Nama beds increases upward to a practically undedormed unconformity which separates the Nama into two folded units. The unconformity is overlain by a strikingly uniform and little disturbed dolomite bed. Above this dolomite the intensity of deformation once more increases; it reaches its maximum in this upper deformed unit. The folds delineate a cascading movement from the topographically higher northern hinterland and form a great arc in front of the steepest slope of the basin, overriding the undeformed Nama beds of the southern foreland in a number of thrust sheets and nappes. These observations, based on detailed mapping from exceptionally favorable exposures, bring out a movement pattern which is plainly controlled by the shape of the basin. Such a pattern is best interpreted as due to plastic flow under the influence of gravity.


The oscillation of a triode can be characterized by plate-supply voltage, swing of plate voltage, peak plate current, and angle of current flow. For medium-size transmitters it is economical to draw as much output power as consistent with the ratings of the tube. A graph has been plotted with the swing of plate voltage and peak plate current as co-ordinates showing the output and necessary bias if the plate-supply voltage is held at the rated value and the angle of plate-current flow is chosen to produce just the rated dissipation. Grid resistor, grid current, and grid dissipation can be established from another graph. All data are given in ratios applicable to any type of tube.


Abstract Assessment of genotoxicity is a critical component of mode of action (MOA) analysis and carcinogen risk assessment due to its influence on quantitative risk extrapolation approaches. To date, clear guidance and expert consensus on the determination of a mutagenic MOA remains elusive, resulting in different estimates of carcinogenic risk for the same chemical among different stakeholders. Oral toxicity criteria for hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], for example, differ by orders of magnitude due largely to the interpretation of in vivo genotoxicity data. Herein, we review in vivo genotoxicity studies for Cr(VI) to inform the MOA for Cr(VI)-induced tumors observed in a two-year cancer bioassay in mice and rats exposed via drinking water. Overall, genotoxicity results in carcinogenic target tissues (viz., oral cavity and duodenum) are negative. Results in the intestine are consistent with imaging data indicating little to no chromium present in the crypt compartment following oral exposure. Positive genotoxicity results in nontarget tissues have been reported at high doses mostly following nonphysiological routes of exposure. Given the negative genotoxicity results in carcinogenic target organs from oral exposure to Cr(VI), there is scientific justification to support the use of nonlinear low-dose extrapolation methods in the derivation of oral toxicity criteria for Cr(VI). These results highlight important differences between genotoxicity testing for hazard identification purposes and quantitative risk assessment.


During T cell–dependent responses, B cells can either differentiate extrafollicularly into short-lived plasma cells or enter follicles to form germinal centers (GCs). Interactions with T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are required for GC formation and for selection of somatically mutated GC B cells. Interleukin (IL)-21 has been reported to play a role in Tfh cell formation and in B cell growth, survival, and isotype switching. To date, it is unclear whether the effect of IL-21 on GC formation is predominantly a consequence of this cytokine acting directly on the Tfh cells or if IL-21 directly influences GC B cells. We show that IL-21 acts in a B cell–intrinsic fashion to control GC B cell formation. Mixed bone marrow chimeras identified a significant B cell–autonomous effect of IL-21 receptor (R) signaling throughout all stages of the GC response. IL-21 deficiency profoundly impaired affinity maturation and reduced the proportion of IgG1+ GC B cells but did not affect formation of early memory B cells. IL-21R was required on GC B cells for maximal expression of Bcl-6. In contrast to the requirement for IL-21 in the follicular response to sheep red blood cells, a purely extrafollicular antibody response to Salmonella dominated by IgG2a was intact in the absence of IL-21.


Materials with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties have received increased attention recently due to their potential applications in light-emitting devices, chemo/biosensors and biomedical diagnostics. In general, AIE requires the forced aggregation of the AIEgens induced by the poor solvent or close arrangement of AIEgens covalently attached to polymer chains. Here, we report two coordination-enhanced fluorescent supramolecular complexes featuring hierarchically restricted intramolecular motions via the self-assembly of tetraphenylethylene (TPE)-based tetra-dentate (La) and bidentate (Lb) ligands and the cis-Pd(en)(NO3)2 (en = ethylenediamine) unit. While the free ligands are non-emissive in dilute solution and show typical AIE properties in both mixed solvent system and the solid state, the self-assembled complexes maintain their fluorescent nature in the solution state. In particular, the Pd4(La)2 complex shows remarkable 6-fold fluorescent enhancement over La in dilute solution. We anticipate that these kinds of coordination-enhanced emissive supramolecules will find applications in biomedical sensing or labeling.


Africa embarked on an ambitious and promising free trade area agreement. If applied fully, it can inject a magical potion into the lives of the African economies which currently seem doomed to economic ICU. The agreement is expected to induce intra-continental trade, industrialization, integration all mainly because of free movement of people and goods. Meaning, lowering border controls and checkpoints, but, here the free movement of people and goods can be problematic for the continent. As we all know, the availability of porous borders in the continent is one of the main causes of peace and security challenges of the continent. The article show the dilemma the continent will face to choose between security and economic advancement.

 Key words: African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), free movement, porous borders, dilemma.


Do workers in online labor markets feel guilt after behaving unethically? Recent laboratory studies with student participants have found that participants who made a financial gain from an unethical decision were more likely to subsequently engage in a prosocial behavior than participants who did not engage in that unethical decision. This inconsistency in preferences was attributed to guilt, whereby violations of a social norm induce a feeling of guilt that motivates a pro-social behavior. We find that these results do not hold in an online labor market setting, namely on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Instead, MTurk workers who chose to be truthful despite the loss of potential gains were also the ones who were more likely to subsequently donate to a charity. Our study may have important implications to understand whether prior research on pro-social and unethical behavior extends to real-life business settings.


Software that has been developed to automate and standardize comparison of 3D images is discussed. The major approaches to image registration are examined. The authors' registration and reconstruction software is described. Studies carried out to determine the relative accuracy of the present registration methods are reported. The main goal of the authors is to improve on commercial SPECT reconstruction algorithms and provide quantification accuracy sufficient for numerical assessment of tracer distribution.<<ETX>>


Due to the extreme damage seen in several recent earthquakes, several passive energy dissipation devices have been developed with different mechanisms of energy dissipation. Response spectra analysis across multiple earthquake suites is used to investigate the reductions in structural response and base shear forces to probabilistically assess the impact of these devices using suites of ground motions from the SAC project. Single-degree-of-freedom spectral analysis structures are used with nonlinear models of the sliding hinge joint (SHJ) and HF2V devices. Reduction factors are computed for each device compared to a linear, no-device structure. Force capacity for SHJ and HF2V devices are equivalent. Results are presented as 5th, 25th, median (50th), 75th and 95th percentile responses at each period (0.1-5.0s by 0.1s increments). Both devices show significant reductions in displacement at all spectral periods of 3060% (at median). Both increase base shear forces. However, SHJ systems show both a broader 5-95th percentile range, as well as larger increases in base shear due to their different velocity dependence in dissipating energy. The results provide initial design trade-off information in a probabilistic, performance-based framework for these devices.


A noisy environment dominated by low frequency noise can often be improved through the use of active noise control. This situation arises naturally in propeller aircraft where the propellers induce periodic low frequency noise inside the cabin. The overall interior sound pressure level inside a turboprop aircraft is typically rather high, and the passenger flight comfort could be improved considerably if this level was significantly reduced. This paper discusses the behaviour and robustness of a narrowband twin--reference feedforward active noise and vibration control system in a SAAB 340 mock-up. The resulting sound pressure level were recorded and is presented as the narrowband attenuation versus time. The spatial distribution of the sound pressure level is also presented. The results show that the twin-reference controller exhibits good performance with respect to attenuation and robustness for both stationary and non-stationary conditions.


Background: Telomeres shorten with each cell division and are essential for chromosomal stability. Short telomeres in surrogate tissues (e.g., blood cells) are associated with increased cancer risk in several case–control studies, but findings are inconsistent in prospective studies. Methods: We systematically reviewed studies published prior to August 30, 2010, on the association between telomere length (TL) in surrogate tissues and cancer. There were 27 reports on 13 cancers and/or incident cancer investigating this association. The majority, 16, were retrospective case–control studies, 11 were prospective studies. Meta-analyses were conducted to determine ORs and 95% CIs for these studies. Results: Studies on bladder, esophageal, gastric, head and neck, ovarian, renal, and overall incident cancer found associations between short telomeres and these cancers. Non–Hodgkin lymphoma, breast, lung, and colorectal cancer reports were inconsistent. Single studies on endometrial, prostate, and skin cancers were null. In a random-effects meta-analysis, short TL was significantly associated with cancer in retrospective studies (pooled OR for the shortest TL quartile compared with the longest: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.75–4.8, P < 0.0001). The pooled OR for prospective studies was 1.16 (95% CI: 0.87–1.54, P = 0.32). All studies combined yielded a pooled OR of 1.96 (95% CI: 1.37–2.81, P = 0.0001) for the association of short TL and cancer. Conclusion and Impact: There is suggestive evidence that short surrogate tissue TL is associated with cancer; the strongest evidence exists for bladder, esophageal, gastric, and renal cancers. Additional prospective studies with consistent methodology are needed to confirm this hypothesis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 20(6); 1238–50. ©2011 AACR.


Recently it has been shown that so-called gap waveguides can be generated in the gap between parallel metal plates. The gap waveguides are formed by metal ridges or strips along which local waves propagate, and parallel plate modes are prohibited from propagating by providing one of the surfaces with a texture that generates an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC) or an electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) surface on both sides of the ridges or strips. The bandwidth of the gap waveguide is determined by the cut-off bandwidth of a parallel-plate waveguide where one surface has such a texture (and no ridges or strips). This paper studies the bandwidths (or stop bands) of such parallel-plate cut-offs when the AMC or EBG is realised by a metal pin surface, corrugations or a mushroom surface. It is shown that cut-off bandwidths of up to 4:1 are potentially available, and thereby similar bandwidths should be achievable also for gap waveguides.


According to a popular definition, you lie if you say something that you believe is false with the intent to deceive about what you say. However, there are two respects in which this definition fails to capture the phenomenon that is of interest to moral philosophers. First, this definition does not count as lies cases where you intend to deceive your audience about your believing what you say rather than about what you say. Second, it handles inconsistently cases where you say something because you know that your audience does not trust you and will likely conclude that you believe something else. I propose a new definition of lying that handles both doxastic misdirection cases and double bluffing cases correctly. Basically, you lie if you say something that you believe is false with the intention of deceiving someone about something on which you have invited him to trust you.


Organic carbon (OC) mineralization in freshwaters is dependent on oxygen availability near the sediments, which controls whether OC inputs will be buried or respired. However, oxygen dynamics in waterbodies are changing globally due to land use and climate, and the consequences of variable oxygen conditions for OC burial are unknown. We manipulated hypolimnetic oxygen availability in a whole‐reservoir experiment and used a mass balance OC model to quantify rates of OC burial. Throughout summer stratification, we observed that OC burial rates were tightly coupled to sediment oxygen concentrations: oxic conditions promoted the mineralization of "legacy" OC that had accumulated over years of sedimentation, resulting in negative OC burial. Moreover, our study demonstrates that fluctuating oxygen conditions can switch ecosystem‐scale OC burial in a reservoir between positive and negative rates. Consequently, changing oxygen availability in freshwaters globally will likely have large implications for the role of these ecosystems as OC sinks.


Abstract. The construction and management of a wind farm involve many disciplines.
It is hard for a single designer or developer to keep an overview of all the relevant concepts, models, and tools. Nevertheless, this is needed when performing integrated modeling or analysis. To help researchers keep this overview, we have created WESgraph (the Wind Energy System graph), a knowledge base for the wind farm domain, implemented as a graph database.
It currently contains 1222 concepts and 1725 relations between them.
This paper presents the structure of this graph database – content stored in nodes and the relationships between them – as a foundational ontology, which classifies the domain's concepts. This foundational ontology partitions the domain in two: a part describing physical aspects and a part describing mathematical and computational aspects. This paper also discusses a number of generally difficult cases that exist when adding content to such a knowledge base. This paper furthermore discusses the potential applications of WESgraph and illustrates its use for computation pathway discovery – the application that triggered its creation. It also contains a description of our practical experience with its design and use as well as our thoughts about the community use and management of this tool.


The present chapter deals with the characterization and description of phase transitions in metallic systems with characteristic size down to the nanometer range. In particular, the chapter focuses on the solid-to-liquid transition in nanometer-sized particles. After a short introduction to classical thermodynamics and to the way it copes with the general properties exhibited by nanometer-sized systems, a rapid overview of the state of the art in the field of the solid-to-liquid transition is given. The heterogeneous melting processes taking place in mesoscopic systems are discussed in terms of both classical thermodynamic and numerical simulation approaches. In the former case, attention is focused on the case of mesoscopic Sn particles, for which a relatively large amount of consistent experimental data exists as a consequence of previous calorimetric studies. In the latter case, the behavior of mesoscopic Cu particles is discussed.


In a previous work we have introduced the concept of a parameter-dependent connected component of gray-scale images that takes into account both the gray values of the pixels and the differences of the gray values of the neighboring pixels. This concept is a convenient tool to analyze or understand images at a higher level than the pixel level. In this paper, we describe an algorithm for finding the parameter-dependent components for a given image. We discuss different strategies used in the algorithm and analyze their effects through the experimental results. Since the proposed algorithm is independent of the formation of the images, it can be used for the analyzed of many types of images. The experimental results show that for some appropriate values of the parameters, the objects of an image may be represented by its parameter-dependent components reasonably well. Thus, the proposed algorithm provides us with the possibility of analyzing images further at the component level.


This report addresses the problem of minimizing the average execution time of an application, based on speculative FPGA configuration prefetch. Dynamically reconfigurable systems (like FPGAs) provide both the performance of hardware acceleration and the flexibility and adaptability that modern applications require. Unfortunately, one of their main drawbacks that significantly impacts performance is the high reconfiguration overhead. Configuration prefetching is one method to reduce this penalty by overlapping FPGA reconfigurations with useful computations. In order to make it effective and to avoid very high misprediction penalties, it is important to prefetch the configurations that provide the highest performance improvement, and to do this early enough to hide the reconfiguration overhead. In this report we propose a speculative approach that schedules prefetches at design time and simultaneously performs HW/SW partitioning, in order to minimize the expected execution time of an application. Our method prefetches and executes in hardware those configurations that provide the highest performance improvement. The algorithm takes into consideration profiling information (such as branch probabilities and execution time distributions), correlated with the application characteristics. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach compared to the previous state-of-art using extensive experiments, including real-life case studies.


BACKGROUND
Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) is now recognized as a precursor lesion from which lung adenocarcinomas arise and thus represents an ideal target for studying the early genetic and epigenetic alterations associated with lung tumorigenesis such as alterations of the Wnt pathway.

METHODS
We assessed the level of Wnt signaling activity in lung cancer cell lines by determining the level of active beta-catenin and determined the level of expression of Wnt antagonists APC, DKK1, DKK3, LKB1, SFRP1, 2, 4, 5, WIF1 and RUNX3 using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Using multiplex nested methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction, we analyzed promoter region methylation of these genes in resected lung tissue in the histopathologic sequence of glandular neoplasia (normal lung parenchyma, low-grade and high-grade AAH, adenocarcinoma).

RESULTS
The majority of non-small cell lung cancer cell lines (11 of 16, 69%) have evidence of active Wnt signaling and silencing of Wnt antagonists correlated with promoter hypermethylation. Promoter region methylation of Wnt antagonists was common in primary lung adenocarcinoma and there was a significant increase in the frequency of methylation for Wnt antagonist genes and the number of genes methylated with each stage of tumorigenesis (test for rend P <or= 0.01). Additionally, odds ratios for promoter hypermethylation of individual or multiple Wnt antagonist genes and adenocarcinomas were statistically significantly elevated and ranged between 3.64 and 48.17.

CONCLUSION
These results show that gene silencing of Wnt antagonists by promoter hypermethylation occurs during the earliest stages of glandular neoplasia of the lung and accumulates with progression toward malignancy.


Abstract. Arkona Basin (southwestern Baltic Sea) is a seasonally-hypoxic basin characterized by the presence of free methane gas in its youngest organic-rich muddy stratum. Through the use of reactive transport models, this study tracks the development of the methane geochemistry in Arkona Basin as this muddy sediment became deposited during the last 8 kyr. Four cores are modeled each pertaining to a unique geochemical scenario according to their respective contemporary geochemical profiles. Ultimately the thickness of the muddy sediment and the flux of particulate organic carbon are crucial in determining the advent of both methanogenesis and free methane gas, the timescales over which methanogenesis takes over as a dominant reaction pathway for organic matter degradation, and the timescales required for free methane gas to form.


Background

Current GOLD guidelines classify patients with COPD into groups (A–D) in terms of less or more symptoms and low or high risk. Long-acting muscarinic antagonists, such as aclidinium, are now recommended as first-choice option for Group B–D patients and as an alternative choice for Group A patients.

Aim

To assess the effect of aclidinium 400 µg twice daily (BID) on dyspnoea and health status in patients with COPD stratified by GOLD group.

Methods

Data from the placebo and aclidinium arms of three, 6-month, placebo-controlled studies evaluating aclidinium mono- or combination-therapy in patients with moderate-to-severe COPD were analysed. Breathlessness was assessed using the Transitional Dyspnoea Index (TDI) and health status using the St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Health status assessment was based on two studies due to a treatment interaction by study (p<0.05).

Results

In total, 1787 patients were included: baseline characteristics (mean ranges) age 62.4–63.9 years, mean FEV1 % predicted 54–57%, percentage of patients in each group was A: 7.9%, B: 48.4%, C: 3.1%, D: 40.6 %. At Week 24, aclidinium significantly improved TDI and SGRQ total scores vs placebo (overall and Groups A+C and B+D; see Table).

Conclusions

Aclidinium improved dyspnoea and health status regardless of GOLD Group.

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The objective of this research was to investigate the efficacy of Pediococcus acidlactici-based probiotic on broilers performance. One hundred and sixty male Ross broiler chicks were allocated in 2 experimental treatments for 6 weeks. The experimental birds received a corn-soybean meal basal diet that was supplemented as follows: "control," with no other additions; "PA," Pediococcus acidlactici. For broilers fed diet supplemented with PA, the results showed that body weight (BW) increased and feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased (P < 0.05) when compared to those of the control. Treatment of PA increased (P < 0.05) villus height in duodenum and ileum when compared with control. Broilers fed diet supplemented with PA also had lower (P < 0.05) coliforms number of the ileum and serum cholesterol level than that of the control. This study showed the beneficial effects of Pediococcus acidlactici-based probiotic on broilers performance.


In this article stable multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) aqueous suspension with a 1.0 wt.% concentration was obtained with a very small quantity of dispersant. Precursor of ceramics were synthesized in the suspension and densely deposited on the surface of MWNTs successfully by a simple and effective in-situ precipitation method. The most important advantage for the in-situ composite method is to make MWNTs homogeneously distributed in the matrix. The fully dense compacts were obtained by spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) the in-situ precipitated composite powders at temperature 200 oC lower than that of composite powders made from the traditional mixing method. Furthermore, the microstructure and the mechanical property of the composites are much better than that of traditional method. The in-situ precipitation could be a promising method to fabricate CNTs composites of ceramics matrix especially those hard to sinter.


The development of new alternative type of pozzolanics soil bricks using the locally available clay from Ratchaburi province were mixed with fly ash from Kanchanaburi province, where both source in western of Thailand, is the main purpose of this study. These are compared to the local clay cement bricks without the mixing of flyash in different proportions. In the present work, the physical properties of the specimens are presented namely, compressive strength, modulus of rupture, thermal conductivity and unit weight. Tests were also conducted to study the influence of time of curing on the increase in physical properties of the bricks. It was concluded that the addition of fly ash reduces the thermal conductivity and unit weight, while increases the water adsorption property of the specimen. The compressive and flexural strength are decreased when the ratio of fly ash is more than 30 percentages. However, when considering the various factors it can be said that, appropriately ingredient toward produce to commercial of the good pozzolanics soil bricks is portland cement constant was 5 percentages and 30 percentages of fly ash by weight basis of soil at water per total powder, W/P 0.3525. The compositions of fly ash more than 25 percentages by weight basis of soil and since up to 14 days of curing time proved to be economical mixtures for load bearing panels or brick type structural elements according to the Thai Industrial Standard(TIS) for structural clay load-bearing tile. Therefore, commercial development is highly promising.


The paper provides new evidence on the way that both the cash and ownership influence firms" market value in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) within the Eurozone (2000-2015). Based on corporate governance theory and critical analysis we use the dynamic panel data econometrics, in order to get consistent estimations of the impact of firms" cash and ownership upon either the return on equity or the Tobin"s Q ratio. It is confirmed the dominance of the ownership pattern on these determinants of firms" value. Actually, we have found an inverse-U-shape value-ownership relationship, while practically, there"s no-effect of cash on business efficiency. Unlike the previous studies, the findings support not only the interest alignment hypothesis, or the ownership could be a substitute for weak legal and institutional environment, but also the expropriation of outright majority ownership (large shareholder) against the minority one. In addition, the constantly changing optimal level of cash due to the unstable economic environment is a possible explanation of the insignificant cash variable. The estimated 40% of the equity as optimal level of ownership concentration maximizing market value of firms in the ASE could be useful for candidate investors.

JEL Classification: C58, G32, G34.


The binary deletion channel is the simplest point-to-point communication channel that models lack of synchronization. Input bits are deleted independently with probability d, and when they are not deleted, they are not affected by the channel. Despite significant effort, little is known about the capacity of this channel and even less about optimal coding schemes. In this paper, we develop a new systematic approach to this problem, by demonstrating that capacity can be computed in a series expansion for small deletion probability. We compute three leading terms of this expansion, and find an input distribution that achieves capacity up to this order. This constitutes the first optimal random coding result for the deletion channel. The key idea employed is the following: We understand perfectly the deletion channel with deletion probability d=0. It has capacity 1 and the optimal input distribution is iid Bernoulli (1/2). It is natural to expect that the channel with small deletion probabilities has a capacity that varies smoothly with d, and that the optimal input distribution is obtained by smoothly perturbing the iid Bernoulli (1/2) process. Our results show that this is indeed the case.


Healthcare delivery is a highly complex process involving a broad range of healthcare services, typically performed by a number of geographically distributed and organizationally disparate healthcare providers requiring increased collaboration and coordination of their activities in order to provide shared and integrated care. Under an IT-enabled, patient-centric model, health systems can integrate care delivery across the continuum of services, from prevention to follow-up, and also coordinate care across all settings. In particular, much potential can be realized if cooperation among disparate healthcare organizations is expressed in terms of cross-organizational healthcare processes, where information support is provided by means of PHR systems. This paper assumes a process-oriented PHR system and presents a security framework that addresses the authorization and access control issues arisen in these systems. The proposed framework ensures provision of tight, just-in-time permissions so that authorized users get access to specific objects according to the current context. These permissions are subject to continuous adjustments triggered by the changing context. Thus, the risk of compromising information integrity during task executions is reduced.


As the movement of population from the New Member States (NMS) of the EU to the older members is a relatively new flow, it is important to build up our knowledge of who is moving within Europe and how they are performing in their destinations. In this paper, we analyse the earnings of immigrants in Ireland from the NMS using a new large-scale dataset on employees in Ireland. In so doing, we add to the emerging strand in the literature on immigrant earnings that looks beyond average earnings differentials and considers variations in such differentials across the earnings and skills distributions. We do this partly by using quantile regressions and also by analyzing earnings differentials within educational categories. We find that the average earnings difference between immigrants from the NMS and natives is between 10 percent and 18 percent, depending on the controls used. However, the difference is found to be either non-existent or low for people with low skill levels and for people at the lower end of the earnings distribution. The difference is higher for those at the upper ends of the skills and earnings distributions. This suggests that the transferability of human capital is a crucial determinant of the immigrant-native earnings gap for NMS immigrants in Ireland.


ABSTRACT The Indian state of Kerala leads the demographic transition and characteristically showcases emigration of predominantly male adult children, leaving behind parents, spouses and children. When men emigrate, gendered contexts burden women, especially spouses and daughters-in-law, with caregiving duties including elder care. Employing the social exchange perspective and drawing on in-depth interviews of left-behind caregivers to older adults in emigrant households, we explore reciprocal motives, expectations and perceptions of burden. Findings resonate gendered expectations of care and social sanction that ensure women do much of the caregiving. Daughters-in-law sacrificed careers and endured separation from husbands to transition into caregiving roles, costs borne to effectuate their husband's filial role. Perceived non-reciprocity, unbalanced exchanges and unmet expectations increased perceptions of burden for caregivers. Temporary financial autonomy could hardly alleviate perceptions of burden among women caregivers who perceived emotional and functional support exchanges from husbands, older adults themselves or other family members as supportive.


This paper presents analytical methods to calculate the equivalent circuit parameters for large-scale brushless doubly fed machines (BDFMs) with magnetic wedges utilized for closing stator open slots. The use of magnetic wedges reduces the magnetizing currents in the machine, reflected in the values of magnetizing inductances, but also increases leakage fluxes affecting the value of series inductances in the equivalent circuit. Though such effects can be modeled by numerical models, the proposed analytical methods are particularly helpful in optimizing machine design, inverter rating, reactive power management, and grid low-voltage ride-through performance. The conventional analytical methods cannot be readily applied to the BDFM due to its complex magnetic field distribution; this paper presents analytical methods to calculate the magnetizing and leakage inductances for the BDFM with magnetic wedges used in the stator slots. The proposed methods are assessed by experimentally verified finite-element models for a 250 kW BDFM.


The thermomorphic fluorous phosphines P((CH(2))(m)()(CF(2))(7)CF(3))(3) (m = 2, 1a; m = 3, 1b) exhibit ca. 600-fold solubility increases in n-octane between -20 (1a = 0.104 mM) and 80 degrees C (63.4 mM) and 1500-fold solubility increases between -20 and 100 degrees C (151 mM). They catalyze conjugate additions of alcohols to methyl propiolate under homogeneous conditions in n-octane at 65 degrees C and can be recovered by simple cooling and precipitation and used again. This avoids the use of fluorous solvents during the reaction or workup, which are expensive and can leach in small amounts. Teflon shavings can be used to mechanically facilitate recycling, and (31)P NMR analyses indicate >97% phosphorus recovery (85.2% 1a, 12.2% other). (19)F NMR analyses show that 2.3% of the (CF(2))(7)CF(3) moieties of 1a leach, in some form, into the n-octane (value normalized to phosphorus). 1a similarly catalyzes additions in the absence of solvent. Yield data match or exceed those of reactions conducted under fluorous/organic liquid/liquid biphase conditions. The extra methylene groups render 1b more nucleophilic than 1a and, thus, a more active catalyst. The temperature dependence of the solubility of 1a is measured in additional solvents and compared to that of the nonfluorous phosphine PPh(3).


Decoupled computer architectures provide an effective means of exploiting instruction level parallelism. Self-timed micropipeline systems are inherently decoupled due to the elastic nature of the basic FIFO structure, and may be ideally suited for constructing decoupled computer architectures. Fred is a self-timed decoupled, pipelined computer architecture based on micropipelines. We present the architecture of Fred, with specific details on a micropipelined implementation that includes support for multiple functional units and out-of-order instruction completion due to the self-timed decoupling.


: The criticality of investigating the white blood cell (WBC) count cannot be underestimated, as white blood cells are an important component of the body's defence system. From helping to diagnose hidden infections to insinuating the presence of comorbidities like immunodeficiency, an accurate white blood cell count can contribute significantly to shape a physician's assessment. The manual process performed by the pathologists for the classification of WBCs is a time consuming and tedious task, which is further disadvantaged by a lack of accuracy. This study concentrates on the automatic detection and classification of WBC without data augmentation into four subtypes such as eosinophil, monocyte, lymphocyte and neutrophil based on images from three different datasets. The methodology adopted in this paper is transfer learning approach in which the features are extracted using ResNet50, DenseNet121, MobileNetv2, Inceptionv3 and Xception deep learning models.The extra trees classifier is used as an intermediate stage for selecting most predominant features, which reduce the execution time. When evaluating the performance on the basis of recall, precision, F-measure and accuracy parameters, the classification of ResNet50 features selected by extra trees classifier using multi-class support vector machine (SVM) provides the highest accuracy of 90.76% .


Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) is a frequent cause of nosocomial outbreaks. In the second half of 2015, a sharp increase in the incidence of VREfm was observed at our university medical center. ABSTRACT Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) is a frequent cause of nosocomial outbreaks. In the second half of 2015, a sharp increase in the incidence of VREfm was observed at our university medical center. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to analyze the first isolates of VREfm recovered from patients between 2010 and 2016 (n = 773) in order to decipher epidemiological change, outbreak dynamics, and possible transmission routes. VREfm isolates were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing followed by sequence type extraction and phylogenetic analysis. We examined epidemiological data, room occupancy data, and patient transferals and calculated an intensity score for patient-to-patient contact. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of 38 NGS clusters and 110 single clones. The increase of VREfm was caused mainly by the expansion of two newly introduced NGS clusters, comprising VanB-type strains determined by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) as sequence type 80 (ST80) and ST117. By combining phylogenetic information with epidemiological data, intrahospital transmission could be demonstrated, however to a lesser extent than initially expected based solely on epidemiological data. The outbreak clones were continuously imported from other hospitals, suggesting a change in the epidemiological situation at a regional scale. By tracking intrahospital patient transferals, two major axes could be identified that contributed to the spread of VREfm within the hospital. NGS-based outbreak analysis revealed a dramatic change in the local and regional epidemiology of VREfm, emphasizing the role of health care networks in the spread of VREfm.


Without any shadow of doubt, the theme of partition is one of the leading themes in Indo-Anglian fiction. There are number of Indian writers, males and females, Hindu as well as Muslims and even Sikh novelists who have contributed a great deal to the development of partition theme. Hindu novelists like Chaman Nahal, Manohar Malgonkar  and many more; Sikh novelists like Khushwant Singh, Raj Gil, H.S.Gill and K.S.Duggal whose contribution in noteworthy in the arena of partition fiction; and the contribution of Muslim novelists lie Attia Hussain is worthy of detailed consideration, all have their collective contribution in the field of partition theme.


Background: In India, childhood undernutrition and obesity both are major health concerns. Lung functions are affected in both thin and obese children. Body mass index (BMI)-for-age is a simple tool suggested by the World Health Organization for categorizing children and adolescents below 19 years. Aim: The aim of the study was to compare dynamic lung function parameters of overweight and thin boys with normal boys. Materials and Methods: One hundred and fifty school boys of age group 12–16 years were included as a convenience sample after screening 234 students. BMI-for-age chart developed by the World Health Organization was used to categorize participants into normal (n = 50), overweight (n = 50), and thinness (n = 50) group. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), FEV3, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), and forced expiratory flow (FEF) at the midportion of FVC (FEF25-75) were measured by MEDSPIROR. Unpaired t-test and Pearson correlation (r) were used according to the necessity. Results: Thin boys had lower FVC (P = 0.019), FEV1 (P = 0.048), FEV3 (P = 0.007), PEFR (P = 0.0002), and FEF25-75 (P = 0.003) compared to normal boys. Overweight boys showed significantly increased FVC (P = 0.019), FEV1 (P < 0.0001), and FEV3 (P = 0.0005) compared to normal boys. BMI of thin boys showed positive correlation with FVC (r = 0.49, P = 0.0003), FEV1(r = 0.40, P = 0.003), and FEV3 (r = 0.53, P < 0.0001). Correlation coefficients were not significant for BMI and dynamic lung function test parameters in normal and overweight boys. Conclusions: Thin boys have lower dynamic lung functions than normal boys. Increase in body weight may help in increasing their lung function status.


After a brief historical overview of the electronic instrument design profession, the changes resulting from CAD/CAE (computer-aided design/computer-aided engineering) techniques are assessed. A traditional design cycle is identified consisting of design, prototyping, rework, final engineering, and documentation. It is felt that this new instrument design technology will destroy this cycle of design, development, and engineering. In its most elementary form, CAD can be regarded as a drafting tool; however, when a CAD system is surrounded by logic and analog simulators, by features such as autoplacement of parts and autorouting of connections, and even by automatic fabrication and test equipment, CAD becomes a tool that revolutionizes the instrument engineering process. Conventional prototyping is replaced by simulation and the roles of engineers and technicians change radically. It is argued that the experience of present designers is a valuable resource that should not be lost and that industry and government laboratories must provide institutional mechanisms, such as granting sabbatical time, to permit design engineers to catch up with the advances in technology and to maintain this forefront knowledge. >


Universal learning network (ULN) is a framework for the modelling and control of nonlinear large-scale complex systems such as physical, social and economical systems. A generalized learning algorithm has been proposed for ULN, which can be used in a unified manner for almost all kinds of networks such as static/dynamic networks, layered/recurrent type networks, time delay neural networks and multibranch networks. But, as the signals transmitted through the ULN should be deterministic, the stochastic signals which are contaminated with noise can not be propagated through the ULN. In this paper, Probabilistic Universal Learning Network (PrULN) is presented, where a new learning algorithm to optimize the criterion function is defined on the stochastic dynamic systems. By using PrULN, the following are expected:(1) the generalization capability of the learning networks will be improved, (2) more sophisticated stochastic control will be obtained than the conventional stochastic control, (3) designing problems for the complex systems such as chaotic systems are expected to develop, whereas now the main research topics for the chaotic systems are only the analysis of the systems.


Objectives. The purpose of this study was to asses.¢ the prognostic significance of preinfarction angina after a first Q wave myocardial infarction. Patients with anterior or inferior myocardial infarction were compared. Background. The effect of preinfarction angina on prognosis after anterior and inferior myocardial infarction remains unclear. Methods. A total of 291 patients with a first Q wave anterior (n = 171) or inferior (u = 120) myocardial infarction were examined to assess the effect of preinfarction angina on shortand long-term prognosis. The relation between predischarge left ventricniographic findings and preinfarction angina was also examined. Results. The presence of preinfarction angina was associated with lower peak creatine kinase activity, a lower in-hospital incidence of sustained ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation and a lower incidence of pump failure, and cardiac mortality in patients with either anterior or inferior infarction. Among patients with anterior infarction, preinfarction angina was associated with a lower incidence of cardiac rupture and less need for readmission for heart failure within 1 year after the onset of infarction. In this subgroup it was also associated with a higher ejection fraction, a smaller end-diastolic volume and a lower incidence of aneurysm formation noted on ventriculography during convalescence. In patients with inferior infarction, these variables did not differ significantly in the presence or absence of preinfarction angina. Multivariate analysis confirmed that the presence of preinfarction angina was an independent predictor of development of ventricular anenrysm, late phase heart failure and I-year cardiac mortality. Conclusions. The presence of preinfarction angina has a favorable effect on infarct expansion and late phase left ventricular function, especially in patients with anterior myocardial infarction. The mechanisms responsible for this phenomenon are not known but may be secondary to limitations of infarct size through unidentified mechanisms other than collateralization (e.g., ischemic preconditioning). (J Am CoU Cardiol 1995;26:319-27)