The Sonogashira–Hagihara coupling reaction is utilized to fabricate ethynyl-linked phthalocyanine (Pc) 2D conjugated polymers (CPs), affording the unprecedented heterometallic compound Fe0.5Co0.5Pc-CP and homometallic analogues MPc-CPs (M = Fe, Co) for comparison. It is confirmed that Fe and Co ions are well-defined/distributed with one metal ion encircled by four neighboring ions of the second metal in close proximity in the heterometallic conjugated polymer. Compared to the homometallic analogues, the bimetallic polymer Fe0.5Co0.5Pc-CP is more highly efficient for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), indicating that the interaction of Fe and Co ions may provide a synergistic effect on the activity. Fe0.5Co0.5Pc-CP exhibits similar ORR catalytic activity and superior stability compared to commercial Pt/C in alkaline media. Density functional theory calculations reveal that a fast 2 × 2e− synergistic catalytic reaction pathway is essential for the excellent ORR in Fe0.5Co0.5Pc-CP.


The growing demands for improved fire safety, source material sustainability, environment friendliness, and asset life extension have driven the research and development efforts of natural/synthetic esters, less-flammable fluids. This contribution reports some investigations on commercially available ester fluids. Many comparisons are made to the quality test results of mineral oil, as this is something we are all familiar with. The stability under electrical stress and the stability to aging of the insulating fluids were investigated. The gassing performance characteristics of natural ester fluids are far superior to those of conventional mineral oil. A significant reduction in insulation aging rate was observed with synthetic ester fluids.


We present weak gravitational lensing analysis of 22 high-redshift (z ≳ 1) clusters based on Hubble Space Telescope images. Most clusters in our sample provide significant lensing signals and are well detected in their reconstructed two-dimensional mass maps. Combining the current results and our previous weak-lensing studies of five other high-z clusters, we compare gravitational lensing masses of these clusters with other observables. We revisit the question whether the presence of the most massive clusters in our sample is in tension with the current ΛCDM structure formation paradigm. We find that the lensing masses are tightly correlated with the gas temperatures and establish, for the first time, the lensing mass–temperature relation at z ≳ 1. For the power-law slope of the M–TX relation (M∝Tα), we obtain α = 1.54 ± 0.23. This is consistent with the theoretical self-similar prediction α = 3/2 and with the results previously reported in the literature for much lower redshift samples. However, our normalization is lower than the previous results by 20%–30%, indicating that the normalization in the M–TX relation might evolve. After correcting for Eddington bias and updating the discovery area with a more conservative choice, we find that the existence of the most massive clusters in our sample still provides a tension with the current ΛCDM model. The combined probability of finding the four most massive clusters in this sample after the marginalization over cosmological parameters is less than 1%.


QR-decomposition with M-algorithm (QRDM) achieves quasi-ML performance in multiple-input multiple- output (MIMO) multiplexing systems. Nevertheless, QRDM per- forms avoidable computations because of its systematic search strategy and its unawareness of the channel and noise conditions. Another drawback is that QRDM has a sequential nature which limits the capabilities of pipelining. In this paper, we propose semi-ML adaptive parallel QRDM (APQRDM) and iterative QRDM (AIQRDM) algorithms based on set grouping. Using the set grouping, the tree-search stage of QRDM algorithm is divided into partial detection phases (PDP). Therefore, when the tree- search stage of QRDM is divided into 4 PDPs, the APQRDM latency is one fourth of that of the QRDM, and the hardware requirements of AIQRDM is approximately one fourth of that of QRDM. Moreover, simulation results show that in 4 × 4 system and at Eb/N0 of 14 dB, APQRDM decreases the average computational complexity to approximately 43% of that of the conventional QRDM. Also, at Eb/N0 of 0dB, AIQRDM reduces the computational complexity to about 54% and the average number of metric comparisons to approximately 10% of those required by the conventional QRDM and AQRDM.


UN/CEFACTs modeling methodology (UMM) is a well accepted approach to define inter-organizational business processes. UMM models should be managed in a registry for two reasons: firstly, business partners supporting the process can find it and bind to it; and secondly, a model - or more important parts thereof - may be reused in another model of an inter-organizational process. Accordingly, registering one model as one object in a registry is not appropriate. Those parts of a model that may be reused must become registry objects themselves. Extracting parts of a model results in objects that are logically inter-related. Thus, a registry model taking care of these inter-relationships is needed. In this paper we present a so-called business collaboration registry model that sits on top of the ebRIM (ebXML registry information model) in order to manage UMM business collaboration models in an ebXML registry. Furthermore, we outline the registry management functions for maintaining models in the registry


In his medical treatise De vita (1498), Marsilio Ficino describes the force of medical talismans and their efficacy on humans against the background of a cosmological physiology. This article focuses on the question of how—according to Ficino—the powers of medical talismans were experienced by humans, by the living, sensible body (corpus animatum). Discussion of this question also leads to theoretical considerations about the efficacy of artifacts in the Renaissance.


Deciphering the dynamic changes of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is essential for understanding the immune response in COVID-19 patients. By comprehensively analyzing the laboratory findings of 1,850 patients, we describe the dynamic changes of the total antibody, spike protein (S)-, receptor-binding domain (RBD)-, and nucleoprotein (N)- specific IgM and IgG levels during SARS-CoV-2 infection and recovery. Our results indicate that the S-, RBD-, and N- specific IgG generation of severe/critical COVID-19 patients is one week later than mild/moderate cases, while the levels of these antibodies are 1.5-fold higher in severe/critical patients during hospitalization (P<0.01). The decrease of these IgG levels indicates the poor outcome of severe/critical patients. The RBD- and S-specific IgG levels are 2-fold higher in virus-free patients (P<0.05). Notably, we found that the patients who got re-infected had a low level of protective antibody on discharge. Therefore, our evidence proves that the dynamic changes of antibodies could provide an important reference for diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment, and shed new light on the precise management of COVID-19.


Energy generation with fossil fuels produces emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and releases toxic chemicals into the environment. Greenhouse gases produce global warming which can cause climate change and costly human displacements. Toxic chemicals released into the environment produce health problems and damage the ecosystems. With fossil fuels providing today over 85% of energy needs and the Earth's population projected to increase by several billion people and energy needs projected to double by the middle of this century, considerable pressure exists to develop sustainable energy supply services. This poses an enormous challenge to engineers, economists, and policy makers. The energy mix required to produce energy for humanity depends on the availability of energy resources, security of energy supply, climate change requirements, technological breakthroughs, financial conditions, and public acceptance. Population, standard of living, toxic and greenhouse gas emissions, thermodynamic limits imposed on biophysical processes, and economics and ethics of resource utilization produce some key sustainability indicators or attributes that need to be employed for guiding our path toward a sustainable energy future. Following a general discussion of indicators and frameworks of indicators, a small number of energy supply values or objectives are presented for the purpose of developing attributes that can measure the degree of accomplishment of these objectives. A systems approach is then employed to define indicators for generic energy supply services and a risk-based multi-criteria decision making procedure is presented for deciding which energy supply service option is most sustainable. The methodology can be applied locally, regionally, and globally, by both the energy services providers and energy policy makers.© 2011 ASME


Functional forms of biophysically-realistic neuron models are constrained by neurobiological and anatomical considerations, such as cell morphologies and the presence of known ion channels. Despite these constraints, neurons models still contain unknown static parameters which must be inferred from experiment. This inference task is most readily cast into the framework of state-space models, which systematically takes into account partial observability and measurement noise. Inferring only dynamical state variables such as membrane voltages is a well-studied problem, and has been approached with a wide range of techniques beginning with the well-known Kalman filter. Inferring both states and fixed parameters, on the other hand, is less straightforward. Here, we develop a method for joint parameter and state inference that combines traditional state space modeling with chaotic synchronization and optimal control. Our methods are tailored particularly to situations with considerable measurement noise, sparse observability, very nonlinear or chaotic dynamics, and highly uninformed priors. We illustrate our approach both in a canonical chaotic model and in a phenomenological neuron model, showing that many unknown parameters can be uncovered reliably and accurately from short and noisy observed time traces. Our method holds promise for estimation in larger-scale systems, given ongoing improvements in calcium reporters and genetically-encoded voltage indicators.


Periodic structures, such as photonic crystals and gratings, offer the ability to control light propagation and produce structural colors (not produced by pigments). Structural colors are quite widespread in nature, such as in opals and some animals. The abalone shells attract much attention due to its fracture resistant. In present work, we report on the microstructure of the surface area in where the iridescence color appears found in abalone shell shows a groove structure of blaze grating. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of its iridescent layer show layers of platelets. The abalone shell has a statistically regular arranged tile structure. This specific tile structure serves as a two-dimensional grating to cause the iridescence phenomenon. Unlike opals, the iridescence color of the abalone shells is not directional due to the two-dimensional arrangement of the reflection grating structure and the convex shape of the tiles.


The O-glycans in Jacalin-binding immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) were released by gas-phase hydrazinolysis and were fractionated by gel filtration and reversed-phase HPLC. Four peaks (P1 to P4) were obtained. There was a significant shift from Peak 2 (monosialylated Gal beta 1-3GalNAc) to Peak 4 (asialo-Gal beta 1-3GalNAc) in the IgA-nephropathy group compared with the negative control group (P < 0.05). One of the functions of the carbohydrate side chains is to stabilize the three-dimensional structure of the glycopeptides. In order to evaluate the stability of the Jacalin-binding IgA1 molecule, the increase in turbidity as a consequence of the increase of the aggregated IgA1 level under the condition of high temperature (63 degrees C) was observed. The increase in the turbidity was significantly higher in the IgA nephropathy group compared with the negative control group (21.7 vs. 5.9% at 150 min, P < 0.02). From a sample of IgA1 solution that had originated from a pooled normal serum, heat-tolerant (nonaggregated) and intolerant (aggregated) IgA1 molecules were separated by gel filtration. The heat-intolerant IgA1 had lower amounts of sialic acid (27.4 micrograms/mg IgA1) than the tolerant IgA1 (37.6 micrograms/mg IgA1). Further, the analysis of the O-glycans released from another IgA1 sample by the hydrazinolysis revealed that the ratio of the asialo-Gal beta 1-3GalNAc/total Gal beta 1-3GalNAc in the heat-in-tolerant IgA1 (27.2%) was increased compared with that in the heat-tolerant IgA1 (18.2%). From these results, it was suggested that unusual glycosylation on the hinge region of Jacalin-binding IgA1 induced an insufficient conformational stiffness to the hinge peptide, resulting in the aggregation of the IgA1 molecule in IgA nephropathy.


The online dating environment is full of uncertainties, and thus online daters use various searchable and experiential cues to determine whether online potential partners are in line with their expectations. Uncertainties caused by information asymmetry between dating parties are likely to influence their predicted outcome value judgment. To reduce the uncertainty of online mating, we propose a research model based on signalling theory to examine how two evaluative approach (the trait-evaluation and live-interaction approach) influence the level of online mate uncertainty and the predicted outcome value judgment of online daters. In addition, we also examine the moderating effect of perceived physical attractiveness on the relationship between online mates' levels of uncertainty and the perceived outcome value judgment. The contributions of two evaluative approach on online dating are also discussed in this study.


Aspects of Joint Attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Links to Sensory Processing, Social Competence, Maternal Attention, and Contextual Factors Andrew J. Dakopolos Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Given the heterogeneity of ASD it is important to understand individual differences within the disorder that are related to cognitive and language development, and how such differences may be related to differences in caregiver behavior or aspects of the social environment. Joint attention is an important component of early social communication and is considered to be a "core deficit" of ASD (Kasari, Freeman, Paparella, Wong, Kwon, & Gulsrud, 2005). Individual differences in joint attention during infancy have been shown to relate to language and cognitive development (Mundy, Block, Delgado, Pomares, Van Hecke, & Parlade, 2007; Nichols, Martin, & Fox, 2005). Therefore, joint attention serves an essential role in the study of child behavior within ASD across development. The present study consists of two manuscripts that explored how joint attention in children with ASD related to sensory responsiveness and social competence (Study 1), and how child joint attention related to mother attention and contextual factors (Study 2). Specifically, Study 1 investigated relations among children's sensory responses, dyadic orienting, joint attention, and their subsequent social competence with peers. Participants were 38 children (18 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 20 developmentally matched children with typical development) between the ages of 2.75 and 6.5 years. Observational coding was conducted to assess children's joint attention and dyadic orienting in a structured social communication task. Children's sensory responses and social competence were measured with parent report. Group differences were observed in children's joint attention, sensory responses, multisensory dyadic orienting, and social competence, with the ASD group showing significantly greater social impairment and sensory responses compared with their typical peers. Atypical sensory responses were negatively associated with individual differences on social competence subscales. Interaction effects were observed between diagnostic group and sensory responses with diagnostic group moderating the relation between sensory responses and both joint attention and social competence abilities. Study 2 investigated relations between child joint attention and mother attention during three social contexts (competing demands, teaching, and free play) among 44 children with ASD between the ages of 2.5 and 5.6 years, and their mothers. Observational coding was conducted to assess children's joint attention and mother's dyadic orienting. Children's expressive and receptive language was measured by teacher report. The rate of children's joint attention, and mothers' dyadic orienting differed depending on the context of their interaction. Children's joint attention, expressive and receptive language, age, and ASD severity, and mother dyadic orienting were related, and these relations differed by context. Child initiating joint attention (IJA) was also related to mother attention, and this relation was moderated by the child's expressive and receptive language. A temporal contingency was revealed for the association between child IJA and mother attention with a bi-directional association such that child IJA predicted subsequent mother attention, and mother attention predicted subsequent child IJA. When the sample was split by children's language ability (i.e., minimally-verbal and verbal groups) there was a group by receptive language, and a group by expressive language interaction on the contingency between child IJA and subsequent mother attention. Conclusion. The results from study 1 and study 2 suggest that individual differences in children with ASD, including their sensory responses and social competence, as well as mother attention and contextual factors are related to children's joint attention. When addressing theory and interventions for children with ASD, it is important to consider children's language and sensory sensitivities, the demands of the interactive context, and factors related to mother attention and approach to her child.


Using light emitting diodes (LED) for the purpose of simultaneous communication and illumination is known as visible light communication (VLC). Interference by ambient light sources is among the most critical challenges. Owing to the wideband VLC spectrum, the efficiency of wavelength-dependent optical filtering is limited, especially in the presence of sunlight. Multi-user VLC causes additional interference, since LEDs are characterized by a wide viewing angle. Although algorithm-based interference suppression is a feasible method, receiver saturation and especially noise enhancement are two challenges that can only by addressed effectively by filtering in the optical domain prior to the photodetector. In this publication, we propose the use of a liquid-crystal display (LCD) as receiver-side filter unit. The main advantage of this technology is the possibility to focus the field-of-view of the receiver on a specific light source and thereby suppress interference. Interference by ambient light, modulated interference and multi-aperture interference are introduced and signal-to-interference ratio improvements are derived using experimental results for a given LCD characteristic. By deriving the bit error rate for MIMO communications, the potential of the proposed interference reduction method is demonstrated.


While the majority of Ugandans live in energy poverty, contemporary architecture in the country is for the most part energy inefficient. Progress and development is shown through the inclusion of air-conditioners, while choices made in the construction of buildings ignore concerns about the wider environmental context in which architecture is situated. Although architects in Uganda are aware of sustainability and environmental issues and the need for strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, the ability to translate information into built form is limited by the fact that many have not been given the appropriate tools to apply this information in the local context. The introduction to environmental and sustainable issues for many architects in Uganda has been through the traditional mode, in which environmental issues were presented as 'add- on' courses, delivered by 'specialists', in independent lecture sessions, with little if any attempt made to integrate this knowledge into design projects. The design studio viewed as a place for aesthetic exploration, with technical and environmental issues regarded as an impediment to this. Introducing Sustainability and Environmental design into the curriculum as an integrated component in the design studio is an important strategy to enabling graduating architects to make decisions concerning sustainability and environmental design as part of the design process, rather than as an add on extra. Over the past three years, the School of the Built Environment at the Uganda Martyrs University has transformed its curriculum in an effort to make the architecture curriculum more responsive to environmental concerns. The new integrated curriculum sought to make sustainability and environmental design integral to the design studio in an effort to address growing environmental concerns in Uganda. This paper presents outcomes of these studios as well as reporting on feedback from students who have been through the programme.


As its name implies, a native XML repository supports storage and management of XML in the original hierarchical form rather than in some other representations. In this paper we present our approach for integrating native XML repositories into Edutella, a RDF-based E-learning P2P network, through mapping native XML database schemas onto the Edutella Common Data Model (ECDM) and further translating ECDM's internal query language Datalog into XPath, the local query language of native XML repositories. Due to the considerable incomparability between the ECDM and the XML data model, a generic integration approach for schema-agnostic native XML repositories is found to be unrealistic. Thus our investigations are focused on three schema-specific native XML repositories respectively based on the DCMES, LOM/IMS, and SCORM XML binding data schema. Since these three metadata sets are the most popularly applied learning resource metadata specifications in E-Learning, our integration approach satisfactorily addresses the current usage of Edutella in E-Learning despite that a generic integration approach for schema-agnostic native XML repositories has not been implemented.


In recent years, camera-equipped mobile devices have undergone significant evelopments due to increasing computational power as well as reduction of manufacturing unit costs. This has allowed for the development of new stateof- the-art applications, such as object analysis and detection. The focus of this thesis is the detection of visual markers which can be used in various applications such as positioning systems, object tracking and 'Augmented Reality'. More specifically, the work has been motivated by ongoing research in indoor positioning, where global satellite navigation systems are not reliable enough. The goal is to develop a new visual tag detector, that is both simple and reliable. In the report the necessary background for understanding the development of the detector, as well as a detailed analysis of the current detectors, will be presented. Moreover, through an analysis of the current available image processing tools, we will present the proposed detector. Finally, in order to give a better overview of the system developed, complexity and performance results are presented, ending with some conclusions and suggested further lines of work.


The hypothesis that visual perception and mental imagery are equivalent has never been explored in individuals with vision defects not preventing the visual perception of the world, such as refractive errors. Refractive error (i.e., myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism) is a condition where the refracting system of the eye fails to focus objects sharply on the retina. As a consequence refractive errors cause blurred vision. We subdivided 84 individuals according to their spherical equivalent refraction into Emmetropes (control individuals without refractive errors) and Ametropes (individuals with refractive errors). Participants performed a vividness task and completed a questionnaire that explored their cognitive style of thinking before their vision was checked by an ophthalmologist. Although results showed that Ametropes had less vivid mental images than Emmetropes this did not affect the development of their cognitive style of thinking; in fact, Ametropes were able to use both verbal and visual strategies to acquire and retrieve information. Present data are consistent with the hypothesis of equivalence between imagery and perception.


Aim Non-traumatic corneal perforations (CPerfs) may present with shallow/flat or formed anterior chamber (AC). This study uses anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) to ascertain these differences. Method The study included 14 eyes of 13 patients. They underwent high-resolution ASOCT scans at multiple time points, prior to and after cyanoacrylate glueing, between January 2016 and July 2018. A retrospective analysis of over 2500 ASOCT sections and AS photographs was conducted by two independent observers. The findings were correlated with clinical features and diagnoses. Result All patients had documented Seidel's positive sign at the outset. Two groups with distinctive features were identified. In group 1, 'formed' AC, there was hydration of the cornea with lamellar separation of the stroma, intrastromal pockets of fluid, epithelial bullae and an indirect communication between AC and the exterior. In group 2, 'flat' AC, the corneal hydration was less obvious, there were no pockets of intrastromal fluid, no epithelial bullae and a direct communication of the AC with the exterior. After glueing, the stromal hydration resolved, and healing occurred beneath the glue. The glue and corneal blood vessels consistently cast a dense shadow posteriorly on ASOCT. Conclusion ASOCT demonstrates that leaking CPerfs can be indirect or direct. The former is associated with a 'formed' AC and the latter with a very shallow/flat AC. The valvular nature of the communication in indirect perforations allows the AC to maintain its volume despite a continuous leak.


As part of the further development of the Swedish national freight model system (SAMGODS), we developed a stochastic logistics model in the form of a disaggregate random utility-based model of transport chain and shipment size choice, estimated on the Swedish Commodity Flow Survey (CFS) 2004-2005. Moving from the current deterministic logistics model within the SAMGODS model to a stochastic one, is important because it bases the model on a stronger empirical foundation. The deterministic model was not estimated on observed choice outcomes, but just postulates that the least cost solution will be chosen. We estimated logit models which explain the joint choice of shipment size (in discrete categories) and transport chain separately for sixteen different commodity types. A transport chain (e.g. truck-vessel-truck) is a sequence of modes used to transport a shipment between the locations of production and consumption. Transport cost, travel time and value density are some of the main determinants included in the models. It is important to note that by their very nature these probabilistic models account for the influence of omitted factors. A deterministic model effectively assumes that the stochastic component can be ignored – in other words, that the researcher has full knowledge of all the drivers of behaviour and that there is no randomness in actual behaviour. As a result of adding the stochastic component in the random utility model, the response functions (now expressed in the form of probabilities) become smooth instead of lumped at 0 and 1 as in a deterministic model. This in turn will address the problem of "overshooting" that is prevalent in a deterministic model when testing different scenarios or policies. For two of the commodity types (metal products and chemical products) for which we estimated a transport chain and shipment size choice model, we also implemented the model in the SAMGODS framework. The implementation takes place at the level of the annual firm-to-firm flows by commodity type between producing and consuming firms that are generated by the first steps of the SAMGODS model (PC flows between zones that have been allocated to individual firms at both ends). For every firm-to-firm flow, shipment size and transport chain choice probabilities are calculated and added over the firm-to-firm flows of the PC relation (sample enumeration, as used in several disaggregate transport models). From this, the aggregate OD matrices by mode can be derived straightforwardly, as well as results in terms of tonne-kilometres by mode. It was not possible to empirically model transshipment location choices, because they are not stated in the CFS. Therefore, the determination of the optimal transshipment points for each available chain type from the set of available locations is still done deterministically. The implemented models were applied to produce elasticities of demand expressed in tonne-kilometres for various changes in cost and time for road, rail and sea transport. These elasticities are compared to those for the same commodity types in the deterministic model and to the available literature. The elasticities clearly differ between the two models, they are usually smaller (in absolute values) in the stochastic model, as expected. In the paper, we report the basic differences between a stochastic and a deterministic logistics model, the estimation results for the sixteen commodities, the way the stochastic model was implemented within the SAMGODS model, the elasticities that we obtained for the implemented stochastic model and the comparison with elasticities from the deterministic model and the literature.


As a family physician who has experienced burnout, I appreciate the growing literature on this topic, but I have been puzzled by a gap in the dialogue. It reminds me of the intrigue I felt as a young doctor when I read about a condition called "diastolic heart failure." I had studied congestive heart failure (CHF) but never imagined a heart could fail due to hypertrophy of the very muscle fibers that made it strong. Later, I read with incredulity about a reversible form of CHF called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, or "broken heart syndrome." I posit that the burnout many doctors are suffering from is a reversible form of spiritual diastolic dysfunction. What does spirituality have to do with wellness? Drawing from data on 30,000 individuals, researchers recently found that those who reported four to five stressors (e.g., money worries, relationship strains, or caregiving roles) were five times more likely to report poor health than those who reported fewer stressors. In analyzing the data, they identified three stress "magnifiers" that correlate with poor health, low productivity, and high health care costs and three stress "buffers." The stress magnifiers were insomnia, feeling sad or anxious, and substance use. The stress buffers were peer support, exercise, and spirituality. Although all family physicians are comfortable talking about social support and exercise, relatively few of us discuss the value of spiritual health. Why is this? Albert Einstein said the intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind a faithful servant. Bob Samples added, "It is paradoxical that in the context of modern life we have begun to worship the servant and defile the divine." Could it be that family physicians' roughly 25 years of formal education – much of it devoted to reason, logic, and scientific method – have resulted in "left brain" diastolic dysfunction? We now mistrust and discount the "heart," "right brain," or "soft strengths" of intuition, creativity, spirituality, and even love. In response to a recent FPM article on burnout, one physician commented: "Sitting around the campfire singing 'Kumbaya' is well and good but will not change things in the long run. Someone needs to say 'the king has no clothes.'" Is it possible that we are the ones who have no clothes, that we are spiritually naked? Could this make us more vulnerable to burnout in a challenging environment? Our specialty courageously forged the path in psychosocial training. Perhaps we can also develop a more robust understanding of spirituality and wellness. I believe we will find that, analogous to our learnings in CHF, our hearts need to rest just as much as they need to work. Part of my recovery from burnout was a rigorous "spiritual cardiac rehab." I dedicated myself to rest, creativity, and spiritual practices, and I sought a healthier work environment. Now, I routinely ask my patients about their spirituality and talk to them about gratitude, mindfulness, service, prayer, and rest. And I lead a care team that believes the ancient truth that if we do everything right for our patients but have not love, it's worth nothing. Physician burnout is a complex dilemma. If we continue to look only at rational solutions, I fear we may miss the more beautiful and obvious solution. Maybe we would all do well to sit around that campfire singing, "Kumbaya" – "Come by here, my Lord; come by here."


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This article illustrates the successful application of principles established by the American Hospital Association (AHA) to foster hospital transformations (AHA Center for Healthcare Governance, 2012). We examined a small community hospital's successful transition from one emergency care center (ECC) physician group to another and the methods by which significant improvements in outcomes were achieved. The foundation of this transformation included a generative governance style at the board level, a shared governance model at the employee level, a renewed sense of employee and physician engagement, and a sense of individual accountability. Outcomes included improved communication, a more unified vision throughout the ECC (which led to improved efficiency and accountability among staff), improved metrics, and a positive impact on the community's perception of care. Press Ganey scores and ECC operational metrics demonstrated significant increases in patient satisfaction and decreases in wait times for seven operational metrics. These data serve as a proxy for the transformation's success. Structured interviews revealed an increase in employee satisfaction associated with the transition. The positive outcomes demonstrate the importance of the AHA-articulated governance principles. The AHA recommendations for a superior value-based care model closely align with the methods illustrated through Bristol Hospital's successful transformation. Other institutions can apply the lessons from this case study to drive positive change and improve patient care.


OBJECTIVE: Define critical points of change in the maternal care process, guide decision-making in this area, and support the strengthening of service delivery policies, with a view to achieving the Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health. METHODS: Retrospective descriptive study of a series of cases of maternal deaths recorded in Bucaramanga between 2004 and 2009. The study examined epidemiologic reporting cards, clinical histories, field visits, and the records of analysis committees. The road to survival (analysis of delays) and detection of critical links in care were used as the methods of analysis. The information obtained was triangulated. RESULTS: The 10 maternal deaths occurred in an urban area, and the women had received medical care from professionals at a health facility. The four types of delays-in recognizing the problem, in the timeliness of decisions and actions, in care/the logistics of referral, and in the quality of care-occurred with similar frequency in the 10 cases studied. The critical links in the prevention of maternal deaths were those related to deficiencies in the vertical and horizontal integration of the care process and the quality of care. CONCLUSIONS: Combining analysis methods made it possible to identify the deficiencies in care most related to maternal deaths. However, their use should be accompanied by other methods that make it possible to identify determinants that go beyond the context of service delivery. One documented lesson learned is the importance of the continuity and monitoring of interventions as a success factor in reducing maternal mortality.


Current approaches for utilization of resources in water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) sectors appear to be unsustainable and sub-optimal because of silo-based approaches that ignore interconnectedness across these interdependent sectors. A nexus approach that considers the interactions and interdependence among the sectors helps overcome weaknesses of silo-based approaches to better address synergies and trade-offs. This paper discusses the concept of the WEFE nexus-based approach for achieving water, energy, food, and environment security in India and presents a review of recent relevant literature. The paper critically reviews the key Indian government policies and programmes in the WEFE sector to assess the synergies and trade-offs among them. More than ≈ 40 programmes across WEFE sectors were studied to understand the efforts underway in these sectors to attain the respective policy goals. Although the implementation of the nexus concept will depend upon the enabling government policies and programmes, we find that discussions on these aspects are missing in the literature. Our review shows that the policies of different sectors give inadequate consideration to the impacts of decisions on the other related sectors. Although the various programmes are appreciably contributing to the policy goals and security for respective sectors, there are significant overlaps among the programmes which could positively or negatively impact other sector(s). There is a need to quantify the trade-offs by using an integrated approach including modeling with the WEFE nexus lens. The study also discusses the key challenges and barriers in implementing the nexus concept in India and how to overcome them.


: The structure and function of the intercorneocyte cement of the corneal layer of epidermis in mammals has been reviewed on the basis of the author's and published data. Two functions of the layer have been considered: a water-tight barrier and a desquamation. Chemical structure of the barrier has been characterized. Comparison of the barrier in water and terrestrial mammals suggest that the peculiarities of the barrier correlate with different pathways of keratinization. Factors that determine the adhesion have been described. The authors show the possibility to use natural models for studying the processes of keratinization and, in particular, functioning the intercellular compartment of the corneal layer.


Security protocols, such as IPSec and SSL, are being increasingly deployed in the context of networked embedded systems. The resource-constrained nature of embedded systems and, in particular, the modest capabilities of embedded processors make it challenging to achieve satisfactory performance while executing security protocols. A promising approach for improving performance in embedded systems is to use application-specific instruction set processors that are designed based on configurable and extensible processors. In this work, we perform a comprehensive performance analysis of the IPSec protocol on a state-of-the-art configurable and extensible embedded processor (Xtensa from Tensilica, Inc.). We present performance profiles of a lightweight embedded IPSec implementation running on the Xtensa processor, and examine in detail the various factors that contribute to the processing latencies, including cryptographic and protocol processing. In order to improve the efficiency of IPSec processing on embedded devices, we then study the impact of customizing an embedded processor by synergistically: (a) configuring architectural parameters, such as instruction and data cache sizes, processor-memory interface width, write buffers, etc.; and (b) extending the base instruction set of the processor using custom instructions for both cryptographic and protocol processing. Our experimental results demonstrate that upto 6X speedup in IPSec processing is possible over a popular embedded IPSec software implementation.


The article discusses current issues of distance learning in the field of urban development, identifies the main concepts of educational technologies used in training, and suggests possible solutions to problems, describes the issues presented in electronic form of training, conducts a comparative analysis of the main forms of education and compares trends and world experience in the field of informatization of education. The prerequisites for the emergence of distance education in the field of urban development are briefly described, certain patterns and problems of implementation are identified, current issues of implementation are described, and the feasibility of the effective use of this form of training in modern realities of society is compared. The general patterns of the emergence of needs in this type of service are determined. In addition to the problems associated with the introduction of this technology, the article analyzes issues related to the creation of their own teaching concepts and technologies that could saturate the demand in the educational services market. Priority problems in creating training software tools are identified. If the educational institution is budgetary, then in the conditions of the current socio-economic crisis, problems with its implementation may arise to implement this decision. According to the authors, for the successful implementation of new technologies it is necessary to place all potentially effective teaching methods for a special assessment by an expert group to assess the quality component of such teaching technologies.
It is concluded that it is necessary to consider issues related to the creation of national training technologies that could have qualitatively new information.


We measured the glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of a total of 24 non-diabetic volunteers and diabetic patients using a point-of-care (POC) analyser in three Cameroonian cities at different altitudes. Although 12 to 25% of duplicates had more than 0.5% (8 mmol/mol) difference across the sites, HbA1c values correlated significantly (r = 0.89-0.96). Further calibration studies against gold-standard measures are warranted.


This commentary reviews and comments on six major longitudinal studies from the United States, Great Britain and Finland, that test predictive models of drinking and problem drinking behavior across a developmental span of one to two generations. The large Ns, in two instances involving population samples, and the broad and study-overlapping variable domains make this collection of studies unique and of special interest vis-à-vis the issue of cross-study replicability of findings. Significant cross-study commonalities are noted, involving the strong cross-study replicability of an undercontrol/externalizing domain as both a childhood and adolescent predictor of problem drinking outcomes in early to middle adulthood, the relative autostability of heavy and problem use of alcohol over intervals of time as long as a generation, the utility of early drinking behavior as an index for later drinking outcomes, the relative parallelism (with some exceptions) of male and female findings, albeit with greater predictability of male over female drinking outcomes and the relatively tighter relational networks of drinking and other behavioral characteristics for males. This impressive group of quasi-replications also points the field to address several next-step questions, including: (i) the need to parse the undercontrol/externalizing domain to identify those subcomponential process characteristics that are causal to heavy and problem drinking outcomes; (ii) the need to develop models that will handle more effectively the uneven relationships of negative activity to drinking outcomes, in some instances operating protectively, in other instances operating as risk factors; (iii) the need for more carefully articulated, theoretically driven process models that will specify the ordering, developmental saliency and mediational properties of risk and protective factors as they come on line; and (iv) the need for more developmental testing of trait/context interaction models of problem drinking development.


Mixed silanes are often used as coupling agents in sizings for glass fibres. A technique has been developed which enables the preferential adsorption of a particular silane onto a model E-glass from a mixed aqueous silane solution to be probed. It is shown that γ-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) is preferentially adsorbed over γ-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPS) onto model E-glass fibres. High resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been employed to investigate the nature of silane deposits. Differentiation between the hydrolysed silane deposit and the model silica-based glass substrate was achieved by Si2p curve fitting. The extent of total silane adsorption onto model E-glass fibres was determined from the intensity of CSiO3 peak. In the case of APS/GPS mixed silanes, the N1s peak intensity provides the concentration of APS in the deposit. By comparing the relative intensities of the components in the Si2p3/2 and Si2p1/2 peaks for SiO4 and CSiO3 with the intensity of the N1s peak an assessment of differential adsorption proved possible.


A graduate course for teachers on Design, Engineering and Technology (DET) was designed to infuse DET concepts and activities into the teachers' own practice. Three teachers who took the course were studied in depth to document the impact of the course in helping them implement DET in their lessons. Data for this study consisted of open-ended pre and post surveys, seven reflection papers, a DET unit plan written by the participants and participant interviews. An emergent-theme qualitative data analysis revealed meaningful patterns of change as the data were organized, categorized, reduced, coordinated and verified. Four key themes were revealed through this process: Reflections on Practice; Changes in Practice; Intentions to Change Practice; Changes in Knowledge. The case studies showed the following changes that occurred in participants' own teaching activities. Alice, an elementary school teacher, changed her practice by using DET concepts through having her children design a desert tortoise habitat. Denise, who taught at a science centre, changed her practice by shifting from crafts-based to design-based activities. Dana, a high school honours chemistry teacher, changed her practice by having her students design and build a lab instrument (calorimeter) and design associated lab activities. The teachers reported that the course's sharing and interactive activities promoted their ability to change. These activities included: reading and discussing research on classroom applications of DET; discussing possible changes in their own practice; sharing successes and failures in developing and trying their own lessons; receiving feedback to refine their lessons over the semester. Overall, the course and its activities were a catalyst in transforming the teachers into a community of learners who supported one another as they infused DET into their practice.


The elephant grass has gained prominence as one of the main forage species used for biomass production. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify elephant grass genotypes with high energy biomass production potential by evaluating morpho-agronomic and biomass quality. The following traits were evaluated in this study: dry matter yield (DMY), percentage of whole-plant dry matter (%DM), percentage of neutral detergent fiber (%NDF), percentage of acid detergent fiber (%ADF); percentage of cellulose (%CEL), percentage of lignin (%LIG), percentage of carbon (%C), percentage of nitrogen (%N), and carbon: nitrogen ratio (C: N). Five different production ages were evaluated, and significant differences were observed for the variable DMY. The harvests performed at 20 and 24 weeks of age, provided the best response for biomass energy production (DMY) from elephant grass, averaging 20.50 and 23.77 t.ha−1. The genotypes that most stood out during the evaluation period at the five production ages were King Grass, Mole de Volta Grande, and Mercker 86 - Mexico. Genotypes Mole de Volta Grande and King Grass are the most suitable for elephant grass breeding programs aimed at biomass energy production in the conditions of Campos dos Goytacazes - RJ, Brazil.

 Key words: Bioenergy, biomass quality, carbon: nitrogen ratios, Pennisetum purpureum Shum, yield.


Mainly because of data limitations, the unitary model (dating back to Becker, among others) has been the common-used theoretical framework in microanalysis of the household labor supply. Because of its simplicity, the household members are assumed to allocate time and consumption in consensus, having the implication that it is the households, not the individuals themselves, that are the interesting economic agents. In this paper, I study the household decision to supply labor and test if the unitary model holds. What is subject to a test in this paper is the resulting symmetry of the Slutsky matrix, i.e., that the compensated cross-wage effects are equal. The test uses Swedish time-use data from 1984 and 1993. As empirical specification, I use the trans-log, thereby avoiding some of the restrictive assumptions about functional forms that can be found in other studies. Contrary to most other studies, the conclusion is that symmetry cannot be rejected. This suggests that observed household labor supply could be an outcome of the single-criterion model.


Various adjuvants have been used along with local anaesthetics for prolongation of analgesia post operatively in neuraxial blockade. The frequently used adjuvants are opioids, midazolam, neostigmine, ketamine etc. Neuraxial opioids bind to intrathecal opioid receptors and produce effective pain relief post operatively with minimal untoward effects. However, certain adverse effects like pruritis, post operative nausea and vomiting, urinary retention and respiratory depression have been observed with the use of majority of opioids. Nalbuphine is an opioid drug with mixed I¼ antagonist and Io agonist properties. Thus we conducted a prospective, randomized study to observe the effect of intrathecal nalbuphine on pain relief after lower limb and lower abdominal surgeries. Sixty patients of ASA grades I and II of either sex in the age group of 18-65 years were randomly allocated to one of the two groups. Group B (n = 30) received 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine intrathecally; group N (n = 30) received 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine + 0.8 mg nalbuphine (preservative free) intrathecally. The onset of sensory and motor blockade, highest level of sensory blockade, duration of motor blockade and analgesia, VAS score, hemodynamic and respiratory changes, side effects were recorded, tabulated, and analyzed. Onset of sensory and motor blockade was faster in group N. The VAS scores showed that post operative analgesia lasted significantly in patients in group N than in group B. No significant side effects were observed in either of the two groups. Thus we conclude that intrathecal nalbuphine improved the quality of intraoperative and postoperative analgesia, with minimal side effects.


The prediction of volcanic eruptions and the evaluation of associated risks remain a timely and unresolved issue. This paper presents a method to automatically classify seismic events linked to volcanic activity. As increased seismic activity is an indicator of volcanic unrest, automatic classification of volcano seismic events is of major interest for volcano monitoring. The proposed architecture is based on supervised classification, whereby a prediction model is built from an extensive data set of labeled observations. Relevant events should then be detected. Three steps are involved in the building of the prediction model: (i) signals preprocessing, (ii) representation of the signals in the feature space, and (iii) use of an automatic classifier to train the model. Our main contribution lies in the feature space where the seismic observations are represented by 102 features gathered from both acoustic and seismic fields. Ideally, observations are separable in the feature space, depending on their class. The architecture is tested on 109,609 seismic events that were recorded between June 2006 and September 2011 at Ubinas Volcano, Peru. Six main classes of signals are considered: long‐period events, volcanic tremors, volcano tectonic events, explosions, hybrid events, and tornillos. Our model reaches 93.5% ± 0.50% accuracy, thereby validating the presented architecture and the features used. Furthermore, we illustrate the limited influence of the learning algorithm used (i.e., random forest and support vector machines) by showing that the results remain accurate regardless of the algorithm selected for the training stage. The model is then used to analyze 6 years of data.


Abstract Youth violence is a growing challenge worldwide, particularly in countries that are experiencing extreme social disorganisation. This is exemplified in Honduras which has been one of the top five countries in the world for intentional homicides for over 20 years. While many studies have examined youth violence in urban cities, few have researched youth violence in rural zones. This study presents a case study using social disorganisation theory to investigate the perceptions of 40 youth in rural and peri-urban Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, regarding what drives violence and the potential solutions. Consistent with social disorganisation theory, our results demonstrate that youth view violence as an opportunity pathway resulting from economic deprivation, disruptions to the family and neighbourhood, lack of or poorly functioning external agencies and conflicting moral values. There are significant gender differences in the results, with young men pointing to several issues that challenge masculine hegemonic gender norms such as the desire for love and belonging, participation in education and the role of policing.


Abstract Topical emollients are known to provide symptomatic relief for atopic dermatitis. In hospitals, wet-wrap therapy has been shown to benefit children with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD), but the application of wet-wraps is tedious and time-consuming. Topical emollients have low residence time and often dry out easily. The aim of this work was to develop a hydrogel-gauze dressing that is not only easy to apply but also rehydrates and traps moisture to provide longer relief for AD patients. In this study, a prototype hydrogel-gauze dressing was developed with varying ratios of sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) and propylene glycol. The hydrogel-gauze dressings were assessed based on the moisture vapor transmission rate, moisture absorption, mechanical properties and storage stability over three months. Then, the efficacy of the hydrogel-gauze dressing was compared to topical emollients using transgenic NC/Nga mice with AD-like lesions. The NaCMC hydrogel-gauze dressings significantly lowered transepidermal water loss, and the animals displayed a faster recovery, which indicates that hydrogel-gauze dressings can trap moisture more effectively and accelerate AD healing. Hence, we propose that hydrogel-gauze dressings can potentially become an alternative to wet-wrap therapy due to the ease of application and the higher efficacy compared to topical products.


The phenomenal and explosive growth of the internet makes the need for proven, dependable approaches to interaction and interface design more important. Efficient and effective design methods are needed, complete with appropriate techniques and tools that support designers in developing and delivering usable systems. Knowledge and experience significantly contribute to producing better design products. Traditionally, design knowledge and experience is conveyed in the form of guidelines. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in design patterns as an effective way of capturing and communicating design knowledge.This thesis contributes to the ongoing debate concerning the benefits of patterns, as they are contrasted to another form of design guidance in the field of web design. The thesis investigates the effect of patterns and guidelines in the development of skills of students acting as novice designers. The aim is to empirically test how patterns and guidelines affect novice designers in creating and evaluating a web site. Its motivation is to advance the understanding of how novices employ and value patterns and guidelines after being introduced to usability issues with the help of these tools. Moreover, this study also highlighted participants' attitudes and preferences towards patterns and guidelines.Three experiments were conducted for the purposes of this research. Each experiment contributed significantly to the understanding of how the next experiment should be carried out, and the findings and lessons learned at each stage have extensively influenced the next stage. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to collect and analyze data. Detailed descriptions of the experimental procedures are provided and give insights into the use of patterns and guidelines by novices. The results indicate that patterns and guidelines can successfully communicate usability principles and knowledge to novice designers and can affect the design and evaluation skills of participants.The difference in the overall scores in the design task between the two groups, using subjective and objective metrics, is statistically significant with the patterns group performing better. Results from the design task and the interviews suggest that compound patterns are inferior to simple patterns and do not create a clear picture of all the usability issues involved to novice designers. There is no significant difference between the performances of the two groups in the evaluation task. However, if a comparison is made using difficult to identify errors the patterns group perform significantly better than the guidelines group.The overwhelming preference for a particular format in presenting guidance is patterns even by the participants trained with guidelines. Links to other patterns within the pattern collection and pattern names are not appreciated by participants, although guideline titles are considered to provide useful information and guidance. Patterns are considered by participants as better tools to introduce design principles to novices while guidelines are perceived as tools for more experienced designers. At the same time patterns are suggested as a useful pedagogic tool for teaching.Overall the study represents an important fist step towards comparing patterns with another similar tool for providing guidance to designers. Development of original experimental designs was required since no similar studies have been conducted. The work of this thesis can serve as a starting point for more thorough assessment of design patterns and their potential benefits in designing more usable interfaces and in education as a tool for knowledge transfer and training.


The use of design artefacts in research is a debatable topic which raises important questions about the different approaches to design research and legitimate ways of knowledge production. Research through design normally involves construction of a design artefact, which is at the core of the research process. This paper will outline some characteristics of artefacts that come out of such research practices, seeking to form a base for understanding the nature of research design artefacts and their evaluation. We will examine the process of translation from the research question into the design brief, into the prototype, back to the question, back to the prototype; until the design artefact is fit as a tool for research; or is (temporarily) discarded. The artefacts produced in this way do not necessarily serve a utilitarian purpose, but provide an explicit feedback about their use and the experience they invoke. In terms of design, they are like code with a lot of debugging print statements. They possibly never leave the studio and when they do, different levels of independence from the studio setting can be identified.


On the basis of analyzing the occurring mechanism of pile skin friction, pile-soil relative displacement difference function is introduced, and the differential equation which depicts the relationship between pile skin friction and depth is derived, then the calculating model of pile skin friction with depth is established under considering the displacement-interaction process. Field monitoring data are employed to verify the rationality and validity of the model proposed. Through the established model, influences, exerted by pile-soil relative displacement difference, on the pile skin friction distribution are discussed and divided into three stages: I. stage of linear increase; II. stage of nonlinear increase; III. stage of convergence. Filed testing data comparing and theoretical analysis results indicate that the method proposed can describe the transferring process as well as the distribution law of pile skin friction under taking the pile-soil interaction into account, the parameters related and needed can be easily obtained, and the model suggested in this paper is of value in pile theory and engineering.


One hundred and fifty-four patients with histologically verified non-alcoholic chronic liver disease were randomized to azathioprine or prednisone treatment. After a median of 91 months observation time, the cause of death was assessed retrospectively. Autopsy was performed in 82% of 71 deaths. In the azathioprine group 33% (13/39) died from malignant neoplasia, and in the prednisone group (13%) (4/32) (p = 0.08). Considering a possible fatal outcome as a consequence of treatment, this finding urges caution in the long-term application of azathioprine at the usual dose level.


This paper proposes a resource allocation and decoding strategy at the secondary system for underlay and interweave multi‐carrier cooperative cognitive radio. The objective is to maximise the sum rate of both primary and secondary systems, taking into account the interference threshold constraint and the fact that the primary receiver always considers interference as noise. The decoding method at the secondary receivers is either Successive Interference Cancellation or treating interference as noise, depending on their channel gains. The rationale for this strategy is the extension of the Han–Kobayashi capacity‐achieving strategy on the Gaussian interference channel to the studied cognitive scenario. The proposed resource allocation algorithm is composed of a subcarrier allocation procedure to avoid intercell interference between secondary cells and of an iterative power allocation algorithm that maximises the sum rate on the primary and secondary cells, respectively. The proposed algorithm achieves high data rate improvements for the secondary systems while maintaining a low degradation on the primary system's rate. It also benefits from multi‐user diversity and is robust to the distance variations. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Peptides are important compounds used in the development of functional biomaterials, functional foods and nutraceuticals. The functional and bioactive properties of peptides are directly linked to their structural features, including molecular size, presence or absence of charges, amino acid sequence, hydrophobicity, and hydrophilicity. The role of peptide structures in their bioactivities and functionalities is still emerging. Some bioactive peptides have undesirable taste, which can influence consumer interests in novel peptide-based food applications. In this review, we discussed the role of peptide hydrophobicity in their bioavailability, bioactivity, bitterness property, emulsion stability, aggregation and self-assembly for application in novel food formulations and nutraceutical/ drug delivery.


Vacancies and interstitials in semiconductors play a fundamental role in both high temperature diffusion and low temperature radiation and implantation damage. In Ge, a seri- ous contender material for high-speed electronics applications, vacancies have historically been believed to dominate most diffusion related phenomena such as self-diffusivity or impurity mi- gration. This is to be contrasted with silicon, where self-interstitials also play decisive roles, despite the similarities in the chemical nature of both materials. We report on density func- tional calculations of the formation and properties of vacancy-donor complexes in germanium. We predict that most vacancy-donor aggregates are deep acceptors, and together with their high solubilities, we conclude that they strongly contribute for inhibiting donor activation levels in germanium.


In Octopus and Sepia the inhalant water stream is sucked in to each side of the mantle cavity and passes into the centre of the corresponding gill. From here it runs counter-current to the blood vessels in the secondary gill lamellae and out into a common cavity created by expansion of the posterior part of the mantle. On exhalation the flow runs centrally, bypassing the gills and out through the funnel. This paper deals with the anatomy that ensures this pattern of flow, and with measurement of the P O O2 at various points in the mantle in normoxia and hypoxia. Utilization of oxygen from the respiratory stream is often better than 50% and the P O O2 of the exhalant water is regularly lower than the likely arterial P O O2 .


A mutual exclusion algorithm is called speed independent if its correctness does not depend on the relative speed of the components. Famous mutual exclusion protocols such as Dekker's, Peterson's and Lamport's bakery are meant to be speed independent. In this talk I argue that speed-independent mutual exclusion may not be implementable on standard hardware, depending on how we believe reading and writing to a memory location is really carried out. It can be implemented on electrical circuits, however. This builds on previous work showing that mutual exclusion cannot be accurately modelled in standard process algebras. 2012 ACM Subject Classification Theory of computation → Concurrency


Background: Data mining is known as a process of discovering and analysing large amounts of data in order to find meaningful rules and trends. In healthcare, data mining offers numerous opportunities to study the unknown patterns in a data set. These patterns can be used to diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of patients by physicians. The main objective of this study was to predict the level of serum ferritin in women with anemia and to specify the basic predictive factors of iron deficiency anemia using data mining techniques. Methods: In this research 690 patients and 22 variables have been studied in women population with anemia. These data include 11 laboratories and 11 clinical variables of patients related to the patients who have referred to the laboratory of Imam Hossein and Shohada-E- Haft Tir hospitals from April 2013 to April 2014. Decision tree technique has been used to build the model. Results: The accuracy of the decision tree with all the variables is 75%. Different com-binations of variables were examined in order to determine the best model to predict. Regarding the optimum obtained model of the decision tree, the RBC, MCH, MCHC, gastrointestinal cancer and gastrointestinal ulcer were identified as the most important predictive factors. The results indicate if the values of MCV, MCHC and MCH variables are normal and the value of RBC variable is lower than normal limitation, it is di-agnosed that the patient is likely 90% iron deficiency anemia. Conclusion: Regarding the simplicity and the low cost of the complete blood count examination, the model of decision tree was taken into consideration to diagnose iron deficiency anemia in patients. Also the impact of new factors such as gastrointestinal hemorrhoids, gastrointestinal surgeries, different gastrointestinal diseases and gastrointestinal ulcers are considered in this paper while the previous studies have been limited only to assess laboratory variables. The rules of the decision tree model can improve the process of diagnosing and treatment of the patients with iron deficiency anemia and reduce their costs. Abstract w


The history of the people of God is tightly dependant on receiving the Law, as, by fulfilling it, Israel remained within the realm of knowing God. The institution of the monarchy was obliged to stay faithful to the law of God in order for the State of Israel to remain within God's favour. In that context, the king had a duty to his people to remain faithful to God, as embracing idolatry would have been a danger to the very religious, social and political stability of Israel. The Christian perspective of the early 1 st century, marked by the political context of the rule of the Roman Empire, continues the Judaic paradigm as to the relation between the political and the religious authority, but adds certain nuances to it (Matt. 22:21;Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pet. 2:13-17). For this very reason, the  Leviathan  proposed by Thomas Hobbes does not have a correspondence in the Jewish-Christian world. The birth of a political system based on society voluntarily renouncing its most basic rights, established by God in the Torah, only for an utopian peace with civil security blatantly contradicts the politics revealed by the Scriptures: christian doctrine requires abiding by political power and not showing an obedience that precedes spiritual corruption. That is why, for a better cooperation between State and Church, we propose here the Thesis of Orthodox vision of Theocracy.


Pre-rRNA processing in eukaryotic cells requires participation of several snoRNPs. These include the highly conserved and abundant U3 snoRNP, which is essential for synthesis of 18S rRNA. Here we report the characterization of Rrp9p, a novel yeast U3 protein, identified via its homology to the human U3-55k protein. Epitope-tagged Rrp9p specifically precipitates U3 snoRNA, but Rrp9p is not required for the stable accumulation of this snoRNA. Genetic depletion of Rrp9p inhibits the early cleavages of the primary pre-rRNA transcript at A 0 , A 1 , and A 2 and, consequently, production of 18S, but not 25S and 5.8S, rRNA. The hU3-55k protein can partially complement a yeast rrp9null mutant, indicating that the function of this protein has been conserved. Immunoprecipitation of extracts from cells that coexpress epitope-tagged Rrp9p and various mutant forms of U3 snoRNA limits the region required for association of Rrp9p to the U3-specific box B/C motif. Box C is essential, whereas box B plays a supportive role.


I. Great Orme's Head. In Carboniferous Limestone, and the subdivisions into which it is divided in North Wales, were described in papers read before the British Association and the Liverpool Geological Society between the years 1870 and 1898. The most recent paper on 'The Carboniferous Limestone of the Vale of Clwyd,' is in the Proe. L'pool Geol. Soc. vol. viii, 1897-98. It contains a description of the subdivisions of the Limestone, including the Purple Sandstone, which consists of a series of sandstones and shales described by Mr. George Maw in 1865 as Permian, and more recently by Mr. Aubrey Strahan in 1890 as Coal Measures. The following table shows the subdivisions that occur in the Vale of Clwyd, and in two other areas previously described. The Purple Sandstone is shown to be on the horizon of the highest subdivision of the Carboniferous Limestone in Flintshire and Denbighshire:— The Great Orme's Head is a prominent headland on the seacoast of Caernarvonshire. It is separated from the mainland by an isthmus a mile in width and about 20 feet above Ordnance datum, and must have formed an island in post-Glacial times. Llandudno, the well-known watering-place, is situated on the southeast, and principally on the alluvial land. The Head is 2 miles in length from east to west, and 1 mile from north to south; it is bounded on the north and west by precipitous cliffs, which rise from the sea-level to an elevation of 200 or 300 feet. Along the southeastern side


The work described in this thesis aimed to investigate the characteristics and neural correlates of epilepsy and cognitive impairment in preterm children. From a large cohort of preterm children (born at gestational age <33 weeks), those who had developed epilepsy by age eight years were included in the study. Since the main hypothesis was that in those children with epilepsy and/or cognitive impairment additional undetected grey matter abnormalities are present, preterm control children without epilepsy from the same cohort were selected such that balance was achieved with respect to white matter abnormalities identified on neonatal cranial ultrasound. Conventional structural magnetic resonance (MR) imaging data were analysed qualitatively (visual inspection) for white and grey matter abnormalities. In addition, a quantitative MR imaging analysis method, voxel-based morphometry (VBM), was used for detection of more subtle grey matter abnormalities that may not be detected by purely visual analysis of MR images. Perinatal and neonatal data, data from neurological and psychometric assessments, from the medical history and data obtained from electroencephalography (EEG) were analysed and related to neuroimaging findings. Visual analysis of MR images identified brain abnormalities that had gone undetected on neonatal ultrasound. VBM analysis identified subtle grey matter abnormalities that had not been detected on visual analysis of MR images. VBM-detected grey matter abnormalities were associated with periventricular white matter reduction identified on visual inspection of MR images. The analyses provide evidence for epilepsy and/or cognitive impairment to be related to both reduction of periventricular white matter and subtle VBM-detected grey matter abnormalities. The data suggest that using combined information from visual inspection of MR images and VBM analysis of grey matter improves significantly the prediction of epilepsy and cognitive outcome compared to using findings from clinical variables alone. The data also indicate that in this study group, the extent of brain injury had a stronger effect on cognitive outcome than the presence of epilepsy.


Test results are presented for the rotordynamic coefficients of a hybrid bearing that is representative of bearings for liquid-rocket-engine turbopump applications. The bearing is tested in the following two degraded conditions: (a) one of five orifices plugged, and (b) a locally-enlarged clearance to simulate a worn condition. Test data are presented at 24600 rpm, with supply pressures of 4.0, 5.5, and 7.0 MPa, and eccentricity ratios from 0.1 to 0.5 in 0.1 increments.Overall, the results suggest that neither a single plugged orifice nor significant wear on the bearing land will "disable' a well designed hybrid bearing. These results do not speak to multiple plugged orifices and are not an endorsement for operations without filters to prevent plugging orifices.Copyright © 2000 by ASME


The south arm of the Mondego estuary, located in the central western Atlantic coast of Portugal, is almost silted up in the upstream area. So, the water circulation is mostly driven by tides and the tributary river Pranto discharges. Eutrophication has been taking place in this ecosystem during last twelve years, where macroalgae reach a luxuriant development covering a significant area of the intertidal muddy flat. A sampling program was carried out from June 1993 to June 1994. Available data on salinity profiles and on nutrients loading into the south arm were used in order to get a better understanding of the ongoing changes. River Pranto flow discharges, controlled by a sluice, were also monitored. Integral formulations are typically based on assumptions of steady state and well-mixed systems and thus cannot take into account the space and time variability of estuarine residence times, due to river discharge flow, tidal coefficients, discharge(s) location and time of release during the tidal cycle. This work presents the hydrodynamics modelling (2D-H) of this system in order to estimate the residence times variability and to assess their effect on the estuarine eutrophication vulnerability, contributing to better environmental management strategies selection.


Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an extraordinarily successful human pathogen, infecting one-third of the world's population and causing nearly two million deaths each year. In this article, current trends in worldwide tuberculosis (TB) incidence, prevalence, and mortality are discussed along with standard TB treatment regimens, characteristics of first-line and second-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. The global TB emergency has been further exacerbated by extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB strains that are resistant to our best antibiotics and very difficult to treat. This review also focuses on the emergence of XDR-TB strains, the global health impact, and existing treatment options and outcomes for XDR-TB disease. Finally, this review briefly describes new anti-tuberculosis drugs currently in Phase II clinical evaluations and the impetus for discovering new antibacterial compounds to target drug-resistant M. tuberculosis and improve tuberculosis therapy.


The process of fission and vesicle formation depends on the geometry of the membrane that will split. For instance, a flat surface finds it difficult to form vesicles because of the lack of curved regions where to start the process. Here we show that vesicle formation can be promoted by temperature, by using a membrane phase field model with Gaussian curvature. We find a phase transition between fluctuating and vesiculation phases that depends on temperature, spontaneous curvature, and the ratio between bending and Gaussian moduli. We analysed the energy dynamical behaviour of these processes and found that the main driving ingredient is the Gaussian energy term, although the curvature energy term usually helps with the process as well. We also found that the chemical potential can be used to investigate the temperature of the system. Finally we address how temperature changes the condition for spontaneous vesiculation for all geometries, making it happen in a wider range of values of the Gaussian modulus.


The support vector machine (SVM) is considered as one of the powerful algorithm in machine learning, so, it is has been widely used in remote sensing land cover classification field. However, this technique suffers from its sensitivity to the parameters setting and training set. For that, we propose in this research an interesting selection of parameters setting and a hybridization of K-means algorithm to SVM in order to filter an optimal training set. A proposed approach is experimented on Spot 5 images including variable objects like roads, vegetation, buildings..etc. The obtained results carried out that SVM hybridized to K-means approach significantly outperforms the SVM approach used alone, with higher classification accuracy, much fewer input training data and a low computational time.


The pervasive and dynamic influence of economic restructuring on political and social relations is highlighted in many aspects of Australian daily life. The effect of economic restructuring on already marginalised and disempowered groups in society is often overlooked Development of iron ore mines and associated new towns, railways and ports transformed the regional economy of Western Australia's Pilbara region in the 1960s and 1970s. For Aborigines in Roebourne, this restructuring represented a new phase in their relations with 'White Australia'. Interacting historical legacies, corporate strategies, government policies and economic processes further marginalised the region's Aboriginal population and linked the region to the global economy in ways which created significant barriers to the development of Aboriginal self-management strategies. This paper reviews this period with particular emphasis on the social impact of the iron ore 'boom' on local Aboriginal people. In the current climate of renewed economic and political crisis in Western Australia, this review provides a timely reminder that such processes occur in a broader context than is often recognised in regional planning processes.


Airborne particles are separated according to their electrical mobilities using a microfabricated corona ionizer and separator electrodes. Oleic acid particles with sizes ranging from 30 to 300 nm are used to characterize the device. They are generated using a TSI 3075 constant output atomizer. These particles are electrically charged by a microfabricated corona ionizer, and the resultant particle electrical mobility is a function of the size of the particle. A varying DC potential difference of 0-2 kV across the separator electrodes selects charged particles of various electrical mobilities. These separated particles are subsequently counted using a TSI 3025A condensation particle counter. The device demonstrated its ability to separate particles between 50 and 130 nm into five distinct size bins. The operational flow rate is 0.5 L/min, and the micropin-between-planes corona ionizer operates at 1.3 kV with 7 muA. The theoretical and experimental electrical mobilities of the particles are compared.


The aim of the article is to evaluate the development of risk management support in agriculture in the Czech Republic in the period 2001 – 2013. The article also tries to outline some possibilities for the future risk management scheme in the Czech Republic. Data provided by the Support and Guarantee Agricultural and Forestry Fund (PGRLF) and the Czech Insurance Association (ČAP) was described using descriptive statistical methods (mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation). The data sources for international comparison come from secondary sources made by the research centres for European Commission. Authors identify that risk management support in the Czech Republic after 2014 will not use EU funds from the Rural Development Programme. It will depend on national financial sources, either in the form of direct support (premium subsidies, ad hoc aids) or indirect support of prevention (disease fund, recovery fund). In order to eliminate unexpected need for ad hoc aid, it is highly desirable to establish and continuously contribute a fund for covering catastrophic risks which cannot be managed by farmers or insurance companies. Such fund should be eligible only for those applicants who continuously take risk management measures. JEL classification: Q10, Q14, G22


The California correctional system is undergoing a dramatic transformation under Assembly Bill 109 ("Realignment"), a law that shifted responsibility from the state to the counties for tens of thousands of offenders. To help manage this change, the state will distribute $4.4 billion to the counties by 2016-2017. While the legislation directs counties to use these funds for community-based programs, counties retain a substantial amount of spending discretion. Some are expanding offender treatment capacities, while others are shoring up enforcement and control apparatuses. In this report we examine counties' AB 109 spending reports and budgets to determine which counties emphasize enforcement and which emphasize treatment. We also identify counties that continue to emphasize prior orientations toward punishment and counties that have shifted their priorities in response to Realignment. We then apply quantitative and comparative methods to county budget data to identify political, economic, and criminal justice-related factors that may explain higher AB 109 spending on enforcement or higher spending on treatment, relative to other counties. In short, our analysis shows that counties that elect to allocate more AB 109 funds to enforcement and control generally appear to be responding to local criminal justice needs, including high crime rates, a shortage of law enforcement personnel, and a historic preference for using prison to punish drug offenders. Counties that favor a greater investment in offender treatment and services, meanwhile, are typified by strong electoral support for the Sheriff and relatively under-funded district attorneys and probation departments.


Due to the rapid developmental growth in preschool-aged children, more precise measurement of the effects of burns on child health outcomes is needed. Expanding upon the Shriners Hospitals for Children/American Burn Association Burn Outcome Questionnaire 0-4 (BOQ0-4), we developed a conceptual framework describing domains important in assessing recovery from burn injury among preschool-aged children (1-5 years). We developed a working conceptual framework based on the BOQ0-4, the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine's Model of Child Health, and the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health for Children and Youth. We iteratively refined our framework based on a literature review, focus groups, interviews, and expert consensus meetings. Data were qualitatively analyzed using methods informed by grounded theory. We reviewed 95 pediatric assessments, conducted two clinician focus groups and six parent interviews, and consulted with 23 clinician experts. Three child health outcome domains emerged from our analysis: symptoms, functioning, and family. The symptoms domain describes children's physiological perceptions of pain, skin-related discomfort, and fatigue. The functioning domain describes children's: physical functioning (gross and fine motor function), psychological functioning (internalizing, externalizing, and dysregulation behavior; trauma; toileting; resilience), communication and language development (receiving and producing meaning), and social functioning (connecting with family/peers, friendships, play). The family domain describes family psychological and routine functioning outcomes.


Deep neural network-based methods were proposed for face attribute manipulation. There still exist, however, two major issues, i.e., insufficient visual quality (or resolution) of the results and lack of user control. They limit the applicability of existing methods since users may have different editing preference on facial attributes. In this paper, we address these issues by proposing a semantic component model. The model decomposes a facial attribute into multiple semantic components, each corresponds to a specific face region. This not only allows for user control of edit strength on different parts based on their preference, but also makes it effective to remove unwanted edit effect. Further, each semantic component is composed of two fundamental elements, which determine the edit effect and region respectively. This property provides fine interactive control. As shown in experiments, our model not only produces high-quality results, but also allows effective user interaction.


A series of CuCe0.75Zr0.25Ox catalysts (CCZ) were synthesized based on the environmental‐friendly bacterial cellulose (BC) by using the sol‐gel method. The corresponding synthesis mechanism, physicochemical properties of the catalysts and catalytic performances for toluene oxidation were comprehensively studied. In the presence of BC without sugar, the CCZ−A synthesized by ethanol‐gel exhibits better catalytic activity than the CCZ−W synthesized by water‐gel, which may be due to the different roles of BC in different solvents. However, it is worth noting that the graft copolymerization between BC and active metal (Ce4+, Cu2+) is the same process in both water‐gel and ethanol‐gel. The activity of CCZ‐SW synthesized by water‐gel using BC with sugar is obviously higher than that of CCZ−W and CCZ−A. The temperature of complete degradation of toluene over CCZ‐SW is 205 °C, which is 35 °C lower than that of CCZ−W. The results from BET, Raman and H2‐TPR indicate that the larger the specific surface area, the more oxygen vacancies and better low‐temperature reducibility, that are mainly responsible for the excellent activity of CCZ‐SW. The existence of sugar in BC could hinder the agglomeration of active metal particles during the calcination process. Combined with the results of in situ DRIFT, the adsorbed toluene on the catalyst surface is oxidized into alkoxide, aldehydic and carboxylic acid species as intermediates before the complete oxidation into CO2 and H2O.1


ABSTRACT The author presents her encounters with venerated and Sacred Trees on field trips to India to affirmatively answer the question: Is it possible for the artist to change how we perceive the environment to the extent that people change the way they respond to and inhabit it? She argues that how we perceive and contemplate the land affects how we treat the land, and ultimately how we live within it. The paper goes beyond the economic or conservationist perspective, setting out the religious context with which the tree is perceived aesthetically in its natural environment. The practice of venerating the tree through decoration has, over time, effected cultural change in India. The tree is seen as a form that houses the sacred and thus is protected.


Event synopsis: The Ireland International Conference on Education (IICE) is biannual conference (April and October). The IICE-2015 will be held from the 20th to 22nd of April, 2015 in Dublin. The IICE is an international refereed conference dedicated to the advancement of the theory and practices in education. The IICE promotes collaborative excellence between academicians and professionals from Education.

The aim of IICE is to provide an opportunity for academicians and professionals from various educational fields with cross-disciplinary interests to bridge the knowledge gap, promote research esteem and the evolution of pedagogy. The IICE-2015 invites research papers that encompass conceptual analysis, design implementation and performance evaluation.


In the twenty-nine articles that constitute the result of the 1960s travel experience in the Soviet Union, which have so far appeared only on the third page of La Stampa, the cultural-literary operation of Guido Piovene is outlined, perfectly reflecting the programmatic intention to conduct a wide-ranging investigation into Soviet society in the early 1960s, providing a useful comparison with the condition of the western world and overcoming the appearance and conventionality of preconceived ideas (by the visitor) and prepackaged information (from part of the Soviet administrative system). In his reportage Piovene is able to activate the dynamic functions that constitute the main lines of his literary writing: the inclusion of the landscape in the narrative context and the deep internal investigation conducted on the characters, in a balance between inside and outside, between observation and analysis, between reality and dream. The result is a corpus of articles that constitute an important cultural document of that historical period but at the same time another great literary reportage by one of the most refined journalist-writers of the Italian twentieth century.


Actin oligomers are a significant structural component of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton. Rac1 and Rac2 GTPases regulate actin structures and have multiple overlapping as well as distinct roles in hematopoietic cells; therefore, we studied their role in red blood cells (RBCs). Conditional gene targeting with a loxP-flanked Rac1 gene allowed Crerecombinase-induced deletion of Rac1 on a Rac2 null genetic background. The Rac1(-/-);Rac2(-/-) mice developed microcytic anemia with a hemoglobin drop of about 20% and significant anisocytosis and poikilocytosis. Reticulocytes increased more than 2-fold. Rac1(-/-);Rac2(-/-) RBCs stained with rhodamine-phalloidin demonstrated F-actin meshwork gaps and aggregates under confocal microscopy. Transmission electron microscopy of the cytoskeleton demonstrated junctional aggregates and pronounced irregularity of the hexagonal spectrin scaffold. Ektacytometry confirmed that these cytoskeletal changes in Rac1(-/-);Rac2(-/-) erythrocytes were associated with significantly decreased cellular deformability. The composition of the cytoskeletal proteins was altered with an increased actin-to-spectrin ratio and increased phosphorylation (Ser724) of adducin, an F-actin capping protein. Actin and phosphorylated adducin of Rac1(-/-);Rac2(-/-) erythrocytes were more easily extractable by Triton X-100, indicating weaker association to the cytoskeleton. Thus, deficiency of Rac1 and Rac2 GTPases in mice alters actin assembly in RBCs and causes microcytic anemia with reticulocytosis, implicating Rac GTPases as dynamic regulators of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton organization.


In this work, we propose an approach for collecting completion usage logs from the users in an IDE and using them to train a machine learning based model for ranking completion candidates. We developed a set of features that describe completion candidates and their context, and deployed their anonymized collection in the Early Access Program of IntelliJ-based IDEs. We used the logs to collect a dataset of code completions from users, and employed it to train a ranking CatBoost model. Then, we evaluated it in two settings: on a held-out set of the collected completions and in a separate A/B test on two different groups of users in the IDE. Our evaluation shows that using a simple ranking model trained on the past user behavior logs significantly improved code completion experience. Compared to the default heuristics-based ranking, our model demonstrated a decrease in the number of typing actions necessary to perform the completion in the IDE from 2.073 to 1.832. The approach adheres to privacy requirements and legal constraints, since it does not require collecting personal information, performing all the necessary anonymization on the client's side. Importantly, it can be improved continuously: implementing new features, collecting new data, and evaluating new models - this way, we have been using it in production since the end of 2020.


In two respects Ludwig Boltzmann was a pioneer of quantum mechanics. First because in his statistical interpretation of the second law of thermodynamics he introduced the theory of probability into a fundamental law of physics and thus broke with the classical prejudice, that fundamental laws have to be strictly deterministic. Even Max Planck had not been ready to accept Boltzmann's statistical methods until 1900. With Boltzmann's pioneering work the probabilistic interpretation of quantum mechanics had already a precedent. In fact in a paper in 1897 Boltzmann had already suggested to Planck to use his statistical methods for the treatment of black body radiation. The second pioneering step towards quantum mechanics was Boltzmann's introduction of discrete energy levels. Boltzmann used this method already in his 1872 paper on the H-theorem. One may ask whether Boltzmann considered this procedure only as a mathematical device or whether he attributed physical significance to it. In this connection Ostwald reports that when he and Planck tried to convince Boltzmann of the superiority of purely thermodynamic methods over atomism at the Halle Conference in 1891 Boltzmann suddenly said: ``I see no reason why energy shouldn't also be regarded as divided atomically.'' Finally I would like to mention, that Boltzmann in his lectures on Natural Philosophy in 1903 already anticipated the equal treatment of space coordinates and time introduced in the theory of special relativity. Furthermore in the lectures by Boltzmann and his successor Fritz Hasen\"ohrl in Vienna the students learned already about noneuclidean geometry, so that they could immediately start to work when Einstein's general theory of relativity had been formulated.


In this correspondence, we study the statistical stability properties of pm -periodic binary sequences in terms of their linear complexity and k-error linear complexity, where p is n prime number and 2 is a primitive root modulo p2. We show that their linear complexity and k-error linear complexity take a value only from some specific ranges. We then present the minimum value k for which the k-error linear complexity is strictly less than the linear complexity in a new viewpoint different from the approach by Meidl. We also derive the distribution of pm-periodic binary sequences with specific k-error linear complexity. Finally, we get an explicit formula for the expectation value of the k-error linear complexity and give its lower and upper bounds, when k les [p/2].


Recently, multiple classifier systems (MCS) have been used for practical applications to improve classification accuracy. Self-generating neural networks (SGNN) are one of the suitable base-classifiers for MCS because of their simple setting and fast learning. However, the computation cost of the MCS increases in proportion to the number of SGNN. In this paper, we propose an efficient pruning method for the structure of the SGNN in the MCS. We compare the pruned MCS with two sampling methods. Experiments have been conducted to compare the pruned MCS with an unpruned MCS, the MCS based on C4.5, and k-nearest neighbor method. The results show that the pruned MCS can improve its classification accuracy as well as reducing the computation cost.