Accessibility to basic healthcare is an important one in terms of development towards building a healthy future. The MEDICAL ASSISTIVE ROBOT is a device used to provide correct medication at correct time with the right amount of dosage without the aid of nurse. The robot also act as path following robot so there is no need to reach the robot in order to take the pill instead of that robot will reach the patient, it also consist of an object detecting sensor(IR) to avoid the obstacle in the path. The device uses RFID card to link the patient id which hold all the data of the patients such as identity and their prescription etc.. A specially designed wheal like structure with N number of slots acts as pill storage space. The arduino microcontroller used to automate the whole process. Each slot of pill storage named to a particular tablet in terms of rotating angle of stepper motor. Suction pump used to pick the pill. The process starts when the user taps the RFID card. In this work the device is designed and manufactured in an efficient way. There are some other devices that perform similar function Ex: The Automatic pill dispenser, All time medication but this project deals with integration of the doctors prescription, which results in overcoming the manual error. The objective of this project is to reduce the avoidable medication errors in the absence of the doctor also help the older people who are poor in memory.


Leishmania parasites cause important human morbidity and mortality. Essential Leishmania genes escape genetic assessment by loss‐of‐function analyses due to lethal null mutant phenotypes, even though these genes and their products are biologically most significant and represent validated drug targets. Here we overcome this limitation using a facilitated null mutant approach applied for the functional genetic analysis of the MAP kinase LmaMPK4. This system relies on the episomal expression of the target gene from vector pXNG that expresses the Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene thus rendering transgenic parasites susceptible for negative selection using the antiviral drug ganciclovir. Using this system we establish the genetic proof of LmaMPK4 as essential kinase in promastigotes. LmaMPK4 structure/function analysis by plasmid shuffle allowed us to identify regulatory kinase sequence elements relevant for chemotherapeutic intervention. A partial null mutant, expressing an MPK4 derivative with altered ATP‐binding properties, showed defects in metacyclogenesis, establishing a first link of MPK4 function to parasite differentiation. The approaches presented here are broadly applicable to any essential gene in Leishmania thus overcoming major bottlenecks for their functional genetic analysis and their exploitation for structure‐informed drug development.


The production, consumption and foreign trade of pesticides are important sectors of the chemical industry in particular, and of the national economy as a whole. The pesticides sector has a positive impact on increasing crop yields and a negative effect on the environment as a pollutant hazardous to plants, humans, etc. To analyze the place and role of pesticides in the national economy, we gathered a large amount of data from sources including national and international statistical yearbooks (UN, FAO, OECD, Eurostat, National Statistical Yearbooks and Foreign Trade Statistical Yearbooks). The following pesticides data were compiled, handled and keyboarded into a PC: pesticides production 1966-1988, including production by types of pesticides (according to available data); pesticides consumption; and foreign trade (exports and imports of pesticides in value and volume).

The following data on territory, population and agricultural production were compiled, handled and used for suitable calculations and comparative analysis for the eight major producers and/or exporters of pesticides: Austria, Czechoslovakia, the FRG, the GDR, the Netherlands, Poland, the USA and the USSR (from 1966-1986): total territory; arable territory; total population; agricultural population; total cereal production; rye production; potato production; vegetable production; fruit production; total cereal yield; wheat yield; rye yield; and potato yield.

The validity of this information is determined by the data reliability taken from suitable sources. For instance, the population data in the FAO Production Yearbook were taken from the UN Demographic Yearbooks which give time series of estimates from national statistics. The data on pesticides production and consumption were compiled from National Statistics Yearbooks and National Foreign Trade Yearbooks which ensure their validity and reliability. Usually, pesticides volumes are very aggregated (in total or by large groups like herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and others), including the same components and, as a rule, are measured in identical units (thousand tons of active ingredients according to international classification), and are comparable for different countries.

With the compiled data for the period 1966-1986, the following analytical calculations were made along with a comparative analysis of eight East and West countries: share of main pesticide producers in the World and Europe; pesticides production per hectare of total and arable land; pesticides production per capita (of total and agricultural population); pesticides production per unit of agricultural production for the main agricultural products mentioned above; structure of pesticides production for the period 1966-1986 in the main pesticide-producing countries; pesticides consumption per hectare of total and arable land; pesticides consumption per capita of total and agricultural population; and pesticides consumption per unit of agricultural production for the main agricultural products mentioned above.

The following data on world foreign trade for over eighty countries over the period 1972-1986 were compiled, handled and keyboarded into a PC for analytical calculations: exports in value and volume; imports in value and volume; volumes of total exports by country; and volumes of total imports by country.

Data on world pesticides foreign trade used for calculations and comparative analysis over the period 1972-1986: share of pesticides exports in the total exports for each country; share of pesticides imports in total imports for each country; and dynamics of the pesticides export and import prices.

The results of this study suggest the following future research directions: increase in the number of countries studied in a comparative analysis; analysis of more detailed information on pesticides production and consumption (differentiated by types of pesticides, territories, plants, environmental impact, etc.); more relevant information on pesticides application efficiency based on a correlated analysis of crop yields with pesticides application by types, plants, territories, etc.; and pesticides hazard assessment, requiring more differentiated information on pesticides application norms for different plants, areas for plants, toxicity of specific pesticides in use, soil and water conditions, accumulation in plants, etc.


Water network partitioning represents one of the best methodologies for improving water balance and pressure control of a water distribution system in order to reduce water leakage. These techniques can be applied with greater effectiveness defining a smaller permanent network district, called a District Meter Area (DMA), achieved by the insertion of gate valves and flow meters. If the DMAs are isolated subsystems (sectors), such that each zone is fed by its water source (or water sources) by closing gate valves in the network pipes that link the DMAs, the process can be called water network sectorization (defining an isolated DMA (i-DMA)). The traditional criteria for the design of network DMAs and i-DMAs are based on empirical suggestions (number of properties, length of pipes, etc.) and on approaches such as 'trial and error', even if used together with hydraulic simulation software. Nevertheless these indications and procedures are very difficult to apply to large water supply systems because the insertion of gate valves modifies the original network layout and may worsen, also considerably, the hydraulic performance of the water network. Recently some techniques, based on graph theory principles that allow simplification of the network partitioning and sectorization, and to find optimal solutions heuristically, have been proposed in the literature. In this paper the sectorization problem has been examined comparing different techniques, proposed by the authors, using the same water networks and performance indices and testing different possible i-DMA layouts.


. . . . . . . . . . . . . study of the gene frequencies of CARD15/NOD2 gene variants has suggested that Finnish people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may have different variants from those predisposing to coeliac disease (CD) or IBD in Westerners. More research will be needed to locate the other gene polymorphisms. What the study has shown—despite low frequency in the genetically homogeneous Finnish population—is that heterozygposity for the three main variants R702W, G908R, and 1007fs overall is significantly higher for patients with CD than controls or patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) (8.7% v 3.5%). The 1007fs variant alone was more common in patients with CD than controls (4.8% v 1.7%) and more frequent in familial than sporadic CD (10.9% v 3.5%). Patients with CD had one or more of the variants (15.5%) more commonly than patients with UC (9.1%) or controls (6.7%). Among these CD patients the ileum was more often affected than among the other CD patients (90% v 73%) and their disease was more invasive or complicated by strictures (88% v 56%). Significant differences in treatment between these two groups were not to blame. The study screened patients and controls for the main CARD15 variants. There were 198 patients with sporadic CD; 46 probands with familial CD and 27 probands with CD from mixed IBD families; 99 unrelated patients with UC; and 300 unrelated healthy controls. The study was intended to determine any links between the main CARD15 variants and familial IBD or complex forms of CD in Finnish patients.


The setting of this case is the Recession of 1980. G. Wilson & Co. is a job shop that gets business by submitting the low bid. Robert Monroe, the controller, has been doing a trial run of direct costing. The case provides financial information for six months under both direct costing and absorption costing. The case can be used to illustrate the difference between absorption and direct costing, to show how direct costing and the contribution concept can be used in pricing, and to provide a vehicle for discussing cost allocation.


The mammalian brain appears to be inherently feminine and the action of testicular hormones during development is necessary for the differentiation of the masculine brain both in terms of functional potential and actual structure. Experimental evidence for this statement is reviewed in this discussion. Recent discoveries of marked structural sex differences in the central nervous system, such as the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area in the rat, offer model systems to investigate potential mechanisms by which gonadal hormones permanently modify neuronal differentiation. Although effects of these steroids on neurogenesis and neuronal migration and specification have not been conclusively eliminated, it is currently believed, but not proven, that the principle mechanism of steroid action is to maintain neuronal survival during a period of neuronal death. The structural models of the sexual differentiation of the central nervous system also provide the opportunity to identify sex differences in neurochemical distribution. Two examples in the rat brain are presented: the distribution of serotonin-immunoreactive fibers in the medial preoptic nucleus and of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive fibers and cells in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus. It is likely that sexual dimorphisms will be found to be characteristic of many neural and neurochemical systems. The final section of this review raises the possibility that the brain of the adult may, in response to steroid action, be morphologically plastic, and considers briefly the likelihood that the brain of the human species is also influenced during development by the hormonal environment.


The introduction of high-quality image generation models, particularly the StyleGAN family, provides a powerful tool to synthesize and manipulate images. However, existing models are built upon high-quality (HQ) data as desired outputs, making them unfit for in-the-wild low-quality (LQ) images, which are common inputs for manipulation. In this work, we bridge this gap by proposing a novel GAN structure that allows for generating images with controllable quality. The network can synthesize various image degradation and restore the sharp image via a quality control code. Our proposed QC-StyleGAN can directly edit LQ images without altering their quality by applying GAN inversion and manipulation techniques. It also provides for free an image restoration solution that can handle various degradations, including noise, blur, compression artifacts, and their mixtures. Finally, we demonstrate numerous other applications such as image degradation synthesis, transfer, and interpolation. The code is available at https://github.com/VinAIResearch/QC-StyleGAN.


Online scientific communities are bases that publish books, journals, and scientific papers, and help promote knowledge. The researchers use search engines to find the given information including scientific papers, an expert to collaborate with, and the publication venue, but in many cases due to search by keywords and lack of attention to the content, they do not achieve the desired results at the early stages. Online scientific communities can increase the system efficiency to respond to their users utilizing a customized search. In this paper, using a dataset including bibliographic information of user's publication, the publication venues, and other published papers provided as a way to find an expert in a particular context where experts are recommended to a user according to his records and preferences. In this way, a user request to find an expert is presented with keywords that represent a certain expertise and the system output will be a certain number of ranked suggestions for a specific user. Each suggestion is the name of an expert who has been identified appropriate to collaborate with the user. In evaluation using IEEE database, the proposed method reached an accuracy of 71.50 percent that seems to be an acceptable result.


Landfilling prevails in waste management options in Romania like others new EU members, being contrary to the concept of waste hierarchy promoted in recent years by EC. Waste disposal is done usually in non-compliant landfills and Government established a program to close these sites. This paper aims to analyse the transition from traditional waste management systems to an integrated system at national, regional and local scale. Assessment of landfills location based on buffer analysis (using GIS techniques) is made according to the proximity of five critical factors (CF) such as: residential area, industry & commercial units, agricultural lands, rivers & lakes, forest and protected areas, all these factors being sensitive to pollution. Thus, most of these old sites are badly or improperly located related to surroundings and only few have an acceptable location in the study area! Therefore, the proposed method can be a necessary tool in EIA studies of these environmental threats at regional scale.


SnS2 is a two-dimensional (2D) layered transition metal dichalcogenide that has been extensively investigated as an anode for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, it generally undergoes a large volume change during cycling, resulting in severe capacity loss. Composites of SnS2 with carbon-based nanomaterials could deliver improved cyclic stability and rate performance. However, there is considerable room for performance improvement. In the present work, highly interdigitated porous nano-architectures of ternary composites consisting of 2D nanomaterials of SnS2, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) were synthesized via a simple one-pot hydrothermal route. The synthesized ternary nanocomposites were characterized with high surface area, porous structure, and high pore volume. Due to the intimate face-to-face interactions offered by the 2D structured constituents, the obtained nanocomposites showed remarkably improved performances as anodes in LIBs. In particular, the galvanostatic charge–discharge performance depends on the amount of g-C3N4 in the nanocomposites. The composite containing 6.6 wt% g-C3N4 showed the best performance, attaining a specific capacity of 1248.4 mA h g 1 after 276 cycles with a coulombic efficiency of 99.9% at 100 mA g 1 along with an excellent rate performance. The outstanding performances of the composite anodes were attributed to the unique 3D porous structure, low charge transfer resistance, and high lithium ion diffusion coefficient, afforded by the synergistic effect of concurrent encompassing of rGO and g-C3N4 around the SnS2 platelets.


The response to venous pressure elevation is an important criterion for determining whether metabolic or myogenic mechanisms are involved in local vasoregulation. We studied the effects of venous pressure elevation on intestinal hemodynamics and oxygenation in 20 mixed-breed piglets, divided equally among 1-day-, 3-day-, 2-wk-, and 1-mo-old animals. A venous circuit was established between the superior mesenteric and jugular veins, which allowed measurement of superior mesenteric blood flow, venous pressure, capillary pressure, and arteriovenous oxygen difference at venous pressures between 0 and 20 mmHg. The resting intestinal oxygen uptake in 1-day-old piglets was significantly higher than in 2-wk-old and 1-mo-old piglets. The vascular response to venous pressure elevation in 1-day-old piglets was characterized by reductions in total and precapillary resistance and increased oxygen uptake, while older animals responded to venous pressure elevation with increases in total and precapillary vascular resistance and reductions in oxygen uptake. These results indicate that metabolic factors exert a dominant influence on the intestinal vasculature of the newborn, while myogenic factors predominate in older animals in response to venous pressure elevation.


The standard model of cosmology {Lambda}CDM assumes general relativity, flat space, and the presence of a positive cosmological constant. We relax these assumptions allowing spatial curvature, a time-dependent effective dark energy equation of state, as well as modifications of the Poisson equation for the lensing potential, and modifications of the growth of linear matter density perturbations in alternate combinations. Using six parameters characterizing these relations, we check {Lambda}CDM for consistency utilizing cosmic microwave background anisotropies, cross correlations thereof with high-redshift galaxies through the integrated Sachs-Wolfe effect, the Hubble constant, supernovae, and baryon acoustic oscillation distances, as well as the relation between weak gravitational lensing and galaxy flows. In all scenarios, we find consistency of the concordance model at the 95% confidence level. However, we emphasize that constraining supplementary background parameters and parametrizations of the growth of large-scale structure separately may lead to a priori exclusion of viable departures from the concordance model.


We analyze whether start-up rates in different industries systematically change with business cycle variables. Using a unique data set at the industry level, we mostly find correlations that are consistent with counter-cyclical influences of the business cycle on entries in both innovative and non-innovative industries. Entries into the large-scale industries, including the innovative part of manufacturing, are only influenced by changes in the cyclical component of unemployment, while entries into small-scale industries, like knowledge intensive services, are mostly influenced by changes in the cyclical component of GDP. Thus, our analysis suggests that favorable conditions in terms of high GDP might not be germane for start-ups. Given that both innovative and non-innovative businesses react counter-cyclically in 'regular' recessions, business formation may have a stabilizing effect on the economy.


Data fusion as a formal research area is referred to as multi‐sensor data fusion. The premise is that combined  data  from  multiple  sources  can  provide  more  meaningful,  accurate  and  reliable information than that provided by data from a single source. There are many application areas  in military and security as well as civilian domains. Multi‐sensor data  fusion as applied  to biometric authentication  is  termed multi‐modal  biometrics.  Though  based  on  similar  premises,  and  having many similarities to formal data fusion, multi‐modal biometrics has some differences  in relation to data fusion levels. The objective of the current study was to apply feature level fusion of fingerprint feature  and  keystroke  dynamics  data  for  authentication  purposes,  utilizing  Artificial  Neural Networks (ANNs) as a classifier. Data fusion was performed adopting the complementary paradigm, which  utilized  all  processed  data  from  both  sources.  Experimental  results  returned  a  false acceptance  rate  (FAR) of 0.0 and a worst  case  false  rejection  rate  (FRR) of 0.0004. This  shows a worst  case  performance  that  is  at  least  as  good  as  most  other  research  in  the  field.  The experimental  results  also  demonstrated  that  data  fusion  gave  a  better  outcome  than  either fingerprint or keystroke dynamics alone.


AbstractAging - a journey thru time and space.To be a human being is to age. Time is the the dimension that makes us experience aging. We count the time with instruments that we attach to our bodies and in the space that we inhibit. We all have to live with the reality of death. We make strategies for how to postpone it. To be healthy and young is what we all want. That is what media tells us. To get old is something we try to avoid. We want to be young all our life. Old people are marginalized in our society. The stigma about the elderly is profound. We have to work against the ageism and look at eachother as individual human beings, not as representations of a cetrain age. Aging is the base of my research, the physical and psychological transformations that are happening over a lifetime. The cells in our bodies are set on a clock, they can not get reproduced forever.Time is the foundation of our history and our future. Time is what makes us old and young. In modern society we have organised the human beings in different age categories. You share the history events with your cohorts, but that doesn t say anything about you as a person or that you are alike. I think that is a big misstake. In our dreams we can be any age and any place. Sleep makes up a third of our life and it is the only time spent unaware of time. I wish that age was something we didn t use as a discriminating tool but unfortunately it is and also the most common one. I want to give a medal to those who doesn t give in to ageism.I have created a series of jewelry and corpus that I hope will inbody some questions about aging and ageism that I think we need to be aware of.


Abstract The present article brings critical media research and science and technology studies (STS) into dialogue with approaches to digital literacy and digital competencies in educational contexts. In particular, it focuses on material aspects of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as technical infrastructure, economic conditions, ecological consequences, and code-based as well as embodied forms of impact, and argues that digital applications and devices have ambiguous and often contradictory affordances and effects that need to be addressed in academic literature and pedagogical practice. The main objective is to inform on-going debates on the nature and content of digital literacy and digital competence from a critical materialist vantage point, and to facilitate learning and teaching about, rather than with, digital technologies by highlighting salient issue areas in need of continued critical attention.


Ensuring continuity in the intergenerational transmission of language is a crucial element in the process of its maintenance (Fishman, 1991). The family has been identified as the bedrock of such social transmission thus raising questions about language choice which usually ignites emotional reactions especially in inter-ethnic marriages. This paper investigates the issue of language socialization and language choice in inter-ethnic marriages from a macro-sociolinguistic perspective involving the intersection of Efik-Ibibio, Igbo and Lokaa couples and children who are products of these unions, given that parents make decisions with regard to the family linguistic choices and children are the agents of socialization and change in language ecology and family dynamics. The study is rooted in Hyme's (1962) theory of ethnography of speaking which is concerned with the linguistic resources people use in context and the socially situated uses and meaning of language; what language to use in what place, to whom and upon what occasion etc and Giles' (1979) socio-psychological theory of accommodation which seeks to explain cognitive adjustments in the choice of language adopted by children. The study discovers that the motivation for indigenous language transmission is weaned as the family does not provide the bond to foster sufficient indigenous languages activities, therefore, children raised in inter-ethnic marriages are not balanced bilinguals. The study has implications for language shift and maintenance in Nigeria.


Let $G^{\times}_{+}$ be the graph on the vertex-set the positive integers ${\Bbb{N}}$, with $n$ joined to $m$ if $n\neq m$ and for some $x,y\in{\Bbb{N}}$ we have $x+y=n$ and $x\cdot y=m$. A pair of triangles sharing an edge ( i.e. , a $K_4$ with an edge deleted) and containing three consecutive numbers is called a $2$-fan, and three triangles on five numbers having one number in common and containing four consecutive numbers is called a $3$-fan. It will be shown that $G^{\times}_{+}$ contains $3$-fans, infinitely many $2$-fans and even arbitrarily large "bundles" of triangles sharing an edge. Finally, it will be shown that $\chi\big(G^{\times}_{+}\big)\ge 4$.


In 2019, the CEO and chairperson of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, called for corporate leaders to embrace corporate purpose and create value for stakeholders, and 181 CEOs of the Business Roundtable committed to lead their companies for the benefit of all stakeholders—customers, employees, suppliers, communities, and shareholders. The idea that corporations should engage in socially responsible business practices ("CSR") or initiatives relating to environmental, social, and governance matters ("ESG") is gaining prominence, but remains highly contested. Deeper examination reveals that these terms—CSR and ESG—each lack a singular meaning. From aligning shareholder and stakeholder interests for shared value and risk management, to going beyond compliance and profit-maximizing strategies, there is no consensus on what socially-responsible activity entails and the rationale for its pursuit.

This chapter aims to illuminate the landscape of CSR, ESG, and their connection to compliance. Varying usage and mixed empirical research reveals that CSR and ESG lack a clearly defined connection to compliance. This indeterminacy extends to (1) whether CSR and ESG are correlated with or refer to greater levels of legal compliance, as well as (2) what it means for a corporation to "comply" with CSR or ESG goals in light of the proliferation of standards and metrics pertaining to sustainability and social impact. Exploring these topics through the U.S. perspective reflects that the business world is in a state of flux regarding how companies take account of their impact on stakeholders and the environment, and laws are evolving on issues such as sustainability disclosures that could help us better understand existing practices.


This is the introduction and summary to the sixth phase of an ongoing project on Social Security Programs and Retirement Around the World. The first phase described the retirement incentives inherent in plan provisions and documented the strong relationship across countries between social security incentives to retire and the proportion of older persons out of the labor force. The second phase documented the large effects that changing plan provisions would have on the labor force participation of older workers. The third phase demonstrated the consequent fiscal implications that extending labor force participation would have on net program costs--reducing government social security benefit payments and increasing government tax revenues. The fourth phase presented analyses of the relationship between the labor force participation of older persons and the labor force participation of younger persons in twelve countries. We found no evidence that increasing the employment of older persons will reduce the employment opportunities of youth and no evidence that increasing the employment of older persons will increase the unemployment of youth. The fifth phase on "Historical Trends in Mortality and Health, Employment, and Disability Insurance Participation and Reforms" was intended to set the stage for this current phase. This sixth phase of the ongoing ISS project is particularly related to the fifth phase (Wise, 2012) and the second phase (Gruber and Wise, 2004) of the project. This volume continues the focus of the previous volume on DI programs while extending the methodology to study retirement behavior used in the second phase to focus in particular on the effects of the DI programs. The key question this volume seeks to address is: given health status, to what extent are differences in labor force participation across countries determined by the provisions of disability insurance programs?


Molecular Microbiology Laboratory, Second edition, is designed to teach essential principles and techniques of molecular biology and microbial ecology to upper-level undergraduates majoring in the life sciences and to develop students' scientific writing skills. A detailed lab preparation manual for instructors and teaching assistants accompanies the lab book and contains a general discussion of scientific writing and critical reading as well as detailed instructions for preparation and peer review of lab reports. Each experimental unit is accompanied by a number of additional writing exercises based upon primary journal articles. * Exposes students to the new molecular-based techniques * Provides faculty with an authoritative, accessible resource for teaching protocols * The only manual to incorporate writing exercises, presentation skills and tools for reading primary literature into the curriculum * Based on a successful course for which the author won a teaching award New to this Edition: - Presents a real-world study of bacterial populations in the environment in the final experiment - Provides an overview of molecular biology in a new review chapter - Demonstrates how to design an experiment and how to interpret the results - Covers grant proposal writing and how panels review proposals - Presents guidance on public speaking and preparing PowerPoint presentations - Includes tutorials on three widely used software packages


African American queer cinema was born as a reaction to the AIDS/HIV epidemic as well as the blatant homophobia that existed within the Black community in the 1980s. It began with the pioneering works of queer directors Isaac Julien and Marlon Riggs and continued during the new queer cinema movement in the 1990s, particularly including the works of lesbian queer director Cheryl Dunye. However, these works were infinitesimal compared to the queer works featuring primarily White lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) protagonists during that time. That trend continues today as evidenced by looking at the highest-grossing LGBTQ films of all times: very few included any African American characters in significant roles. However, from the 1980s to the 2020s, there have been a few Black queer films that have penetrated the mainstream market and received critical acclaim, such as The Color Purple (Spielberg, 1982), Set It Off (Gary, 1996), and Moonlight (Jenkins, 2016), which won the 2018 Academy Award for Best Picture. The documentary film genre has been the most influential in exposing audiences to the experiences and voices within the African American queer communities. Since many of these films are not available for viewing at mainstream theaters, Black queer cinema is primarily accessed via various cable, video streaming, and on-demand services, like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO.


The economic environment has unique features that have a considerable impact on the formation of economic management. Without a doubt, compliance management models, management skills, economic and financial environment have a profound effect on quality improvement in all areas of the economy. Among the factors that affect economic management include personal sense, cyberspace, economic policy, media, supply and demand, operating costs and other factors which are mentioned in the content. The results of this study showed that the patterns have a direct impact on improving the quality of economic management in the community, boost confidence, increase efficiency and enhance corporate social and personal motivations people.


Dietary fatty acids alter HDL cholesterol concentrations, presumably through mechanisms related to reverse cholesterol transport. The effect of dietary fats (coconut oil, butter, traditional stick margarine, soybean oil, canola oil) differing in fatty acid profile on this antiatherogenic process was assessed with respect to plasma lipids; exogenous and endogenous lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT), cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP), phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) activities; and LCAT, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and scavenger receptor B class-1 (SR-B1) mRNA abundance. Golden-Syrian hamsters were fed a nonpurified (6.25 g/100 g fat) diet containing an additional 10 g/100 g experimental fat and 0.1 g/100 g cholesterol for 6 wk. Canola and soybean oils significantly lowered serum HDL cholesterol concentrations relative to butter. Canola oil, relative to butter, resulted in higher exogenous LCAT activity, and both soybean and canola oils significantly increased hepatic apo A-I and SR-B1 mRNA abundance. Butter, relative to margarine, coconut and soybean oils, significantly increased serum non-HDL cholesterol concentrations. Endogenous and exogenous LCAT, CETP, and PLTP activities did not differ in hamsters fed margarine or saturated fat diets, despite lower hepatic LCAT, apo A-I, and SR-B1 mRNA abundance, suggesting that changes in available substrate and/or modification to the LCAT protein may have been involved in lipoprotein changes. These results suggest that lower HDL cholesterol concentrations, as a result of canola and soybean oil feeding, may not be detrimental due to increases in components involved in the reverse cholesterol transport process in these hamsters and may retard the progression of atherosclerosis.


Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the results from a cross-nationally comparative project analysing gender differences and inequalities at labour market entry. Women's relative gains in educational attainment and the expansion of the service sector suggest that gender inequalities in occupational returns are diminishing or even reversing. In assessing gender differences at labour market entry, we look at a phase of the life course when women's family roles are still of minor importance. Conceptually, we distinguish between horizontal segregation and inequalities in vertical outcomes. The project was based on 13 in-depth case studies contributed by a network of scholars analysing countries with different institutional, socio-economic and cultural settings. The findings demonstrate that occupational gender segregation is still relatively marked among recent cohorts, though it is slightly decreasing over time in several countries. In terms of vertical inequalities, the case studies consistently revealed that while women enter more prestigious jobs than men in most countries, there is a female disadvantage in economic returns among recent labour market entrants. In addition, we found mixed evidence on the variations of gender equality at labour market entry across countries with different institutional characteristics.


Bilateral coronal suture immobilization was performed in 9‐day‐old rabbits to simulate the brachycephaly deformity characteristic of coronal synostosis. Growth abnormalities were documented by serial radiographic cephalometry. A "corrective" linear craniectomy procedure was performed on the rabbits with an immobilized coronal suture at 60 days of age. The degree of amelioration of the induced abnormalities by the surgery in these animals was compared with a similar group of animals that had the same surgery plus supplemental implantation of a spring expansion device at the coronal suture craniectomy site. The mean marker separation at the coronal suture was significantly greater (5.61 mm ± 0.52 SE versus 2.53 mm ± 0.38 SE; p < 0.05) following spring expander implantation than with linear craniectomy alone. Similarly, induced anterior cranial base shortening and distortion of craniofacial cephalometrics were more significantly improved by the additional use of the spring expansion device.


Summary form only given. The anticipated presentation will cover the current status and future trends of millimeter-wave MMICs, including those using III-V compound (GaAs, InP, GaN, etc.) and Si-based (CMOS, SiGe HBT and BiCMOS) MMIC technologies. Millimeter-wave MMICs used to be applied to military and astronomy systems for long time and started to be utilized for civil applications in the decade, such as communications and automotive radars. The evolution of IC technologies has enabled the performance of Si-based MMICs over 100 GHz, even in standard bulk CMOS processes. This is believed to have a major impact in the future development of millimeter-wave systems. Since low-cost mass-production potential pushes forward the technology, a very high integration of circuit functions on a chip, such as RF, base-band circuitry, automatic-control for a steady operation, and maybe even the antenna, etc. should be included, and thus the system on chip (SOC) issues should be addressed, especially in MMW regime. Moreover, millimeter-wave packaging cost always dominated in the module development In order to simplify the assembly and reduced cost, the concept of system in package (SIP) has been proposed. This presentation will also survey the current technologies for SOC and SIP and discuss related issues and challenges.


The distinctive larval stage of eels (leptocephalus) facilitates dispersal through prolonged life in the open ocean. Leptocephali are abundant and diverse off North Carolina, yet data on distributions and biology are lacking. The water column (from surface to 1,293 m) was sampled in or near the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, and Cape Fear, North Carolina during summer through fall of 1999–2005, and leptocephali were collected by neuston net, plankton net, Tucker trawl, and dip net. Additional samples were collected nearly monthly from a transect across southern Onslow Bay, North Carolina (from surface to 91 m) from April 2000 to December 2001 by bongo and neuston nets, Methot frame trawl, and Tucker trawl. Overall, 584 tows were completed, and 224 of these yielded larval eels. The 1,295 eel leptocephali collected (combining all methods and areas) represented at least 63 species (nine families). Thirteen species were not known previously from the area. Dominant families for all areas were Congridae (44% of individuals, 11 species), Ophichthidae (30% of individuals, 27 species), and Muraenidae (22% of individuals, ten species). Nine taxa accounted for 70% of the overall leptocephalus catches (in order of decreasing abundance): Paraconger caudilimbatus (Poey), Gymnothorax ocellatus Agassiz complex, Ariosoma balearicum (Delaroche), Ophichthus gomesii (Castelnau), Callechelys muraena Jordan and Evermann, Letharchus aliculatus McCosker, Rhynchoconger flavus (Goode and Bean), Ophichthus cruentifer (Goode and Bean), Rhynchoconger gracilior (Ginsburg). The top three species represented 52% of the total eel larvae collected. Most leptocephali were collected at night (79%) and at depths > 45 m. Eighty percent of the eels collected in discrete depth Tucker trawls at night ranged from mean depths of 59–353 m. A substantial number (38% of discrete depth sample total) of larval eels were also collected at the surface (neuston net) at night. Daytime leptocephalus distributions were less clear partly due to low catches and lower Tucker trawl sampling effort. While net avoidance may account for some of the low daytime catches, an alternative explanation is that many species of larval eels occur during the day at depths > 350 m. Larvae of 21 taxa of typically shallow water eels were collected at depths > 350 m, but additional discrete depth diel sampling is needed to resolve leptocephalus vertical distributions. The North Carolina adult eel fauna (estuary to at least 2,000 m) consists of 51 species, 41% of which were represented in these collections. Many species of leptocephali collected are not yet known to have juveniles or adults established in the South Atlantic Bight or north of Cape Hatteras. Despite Gulf Stream transport and a prolonged larval stage, many of these eel leptocephali may not contribute to their respective populations. Communicated by J.P. Grassle, New Brunswick S. W. Ross (&) Æ T. L. Casazza Æ A. M. Quattrini Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 5600 Marvin K. Moss Lane, Wilmington NC 28409, USA e-mail: email@example.com K. J. Sulak Æ S. W. Ross Florida Integrated Science Center, Center for Aquatic Resource Studies, United States Geological Survey, 7920 Northwest 71st Street, Gainesville, FL 32653, USA Mar Biol (2007) 150:681–695 DOI 10.1007/s00227-006-0388-z 123 RESEARCH ARTICLE Anguilliform larvae collected off North Carolina Steve W. Ross Æ Tara L. Casazza Æ Andrea M. Quattrini Æ Kenneth J. Sulak Received: 17 February 2006 / Accepted: 18 May 2006 / Published online: 12 July 2006 Springer-Verlag 2006


The recent availability of large datasets in bio-medicine has inspired the development of representation learning methods for multiple healthcare applications. Despite advances in predictive performance, the clinical utility of such methods is limited when exposed to real-world data. This study develops model diagnostic measures to detect potential pitfalls before deployment without assuming access to external data. Specifically, we focus on modeling realistic data shifts in electrophysiological signals (EEGs) via data transforms and extend the conventional task-based evaluations with analyses of a) the model's latent space and b) predictive uncertainty under these transforms. We conduct experiments on multiple EEG feature encoders and two clinically relevant downstream tasks using publicly available large-scale clinical EEGs. Within this experimental setting, our results suggest that measures of latent space integrity and model uncertainty under the proposed data shifts may help anticipate performance degradation during deployment.


This chapter contends that the awkward positions implicit in applied theatre research and practice provide useful perspectives from which to re-examine relationships between theory, practice and research that underpin wider knowledge-making practices in theatre and performance and the epistemological and ontological assumptions that underpin those practices. Applied theatre's responsiveness to invitations to practice and research in diverse contexts and its commitment to effecting social change complicates any easy categorisation of 'method' of practice and research. The chapter argues that different ways of thinking and doing implicit in applied theatre research and practice may be profoundly reflective of a contemporary moment. This moment is characterised by the contestation of overarching political and/or philosophical explanatory frameworks and evidence of global upheaval that has made the search for responsive, embedded and ethical knowledge practices a pressing imperative. The first part of the chapter provides a philosophical and theoretical positioning using a discussion of two prevalent 'modes' of research in applied theatre, namely broadly conventional social science research and reflective practitioner/action research modes. The second part of the chapter explores three case studies that exhibit distinct approaches to applied theatre research but that overlap in very instructive ways in the methodological and epistemological challenges and questions they generated


Distribution System Operators (DSO) are required to operate and plan their networks so as to support a potential peak demand increase and the connection of additional loads and Distributed Generation (DG) units in the future. Huge investments may be required to reinforce the network capacity in order to ensure a reliable electricity supply even during periods of critical loading or congestions caused by maximum feed-in, which generally occur only a few hours a year. Active Demand (AD) encompasses a wide range of strategies and mechanisms aimed at allowing consumers to become active participants in electric power systems, by adjusting their electricity use in reaction to economic signals from the market, and to provide services to different electricity system agents, by making their electricity consumption either controllable or reactive to specific requests. The added value of AD for the electric system is a higher efficiency in the use of electricity that can be realized across the value chain of electricity supply at different levels. In particular, DSOs could take advantage of the load flexibility provided by AD by offering specific products for system services in order to operate networks more efficiently. As a consequence, the simultaneity of peak loads at critical times could be reduced, or activated demand could help in avoiding congestions that are caused by feed-in thus moderating the need for new investments in both cases. Due to a relatively scarce experience on AD, there is still great uncertainty about the magnitude of the impact that can be expected of AD in distribution grids. The quantification of these benefits is crucial for regulators and DSOs in order to evaluate the cost effectiveness of possible investments in these smart technologies and the design of network tariffs and network operation procedures that incorporate AD. This paper provides the results of the ADVANCED project in terms of quantitative analysis of the potential economic impact of AD on distribution grids and identification of the services that can be provided to ensure system performance and stability. ADVANCED is a research project co-funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n° 308923, that aims to shed light on ways to overcome the barriers hindering the mass deployment of AD in Europe. The studies developed in the project are based on real consumption data collected from European AD pilot experiences in combination with the VaasaETT database. The analysis within ADVANCED included three steps: First a scenario based report was compiled that based on a methodology developed by the consortium calculated the flexibilities that AD might offer on a general level. Afterwards a special DSO perspective was taken in order to find a fit between DSO's (expansion) needs and the possibilities of AD. Finally large-scale distribution planning tool was used to estimate the reinforcement needs to meet the local demand growth, a higher penetration of DG and the alterations in the shape of peak load patterns that are expected in a particular distribution network in a ten-year horizon. As a result, this analysis provides a quantitative scenario-based estimate of the impact of different forms of AD and other boundary conditions on the potential of AD to bring benefits to distribution networks as well as a deep view on how AD can support distribution grids in critical situations. Moreover it provides useful insights into the added value of AD for DSOs and the convenience of promoting and investing on certain types of AD services at distribution network local level.


Background & Objective: Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) is a plasma glycoprotein that regulates the action of steroid hormones on several levels. Since SHBG is one of the growth regulators of breast cancer cells, the aim of this study was to evaluate the association between polymorphisms E326K and the risk of breast cancer. Materials & Methods: This study was done as a case-control study on 79 patients with breast cancer and on 79 healthy women who had gone to Shohada-e Tajrish Hospital in Tehran. The average age of patients and control subjects were 48±8 and 43±6 years, respectively. After blood sampling and DNA extraction, genotyping of all samples were determined by PCR-RFLP method and the results were statistically analyzed using SPSS 19 software. Results: After counting the genotypes, their percentages in the cancerous specimens and control group were AA (56.9%), GG (35.4%), AG / GA (7.6%) and AA (12.6%), GG (77.2%), AG / GA (10.1%), respectively. In addition, according to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, in cancer patients, the frequency of allele A was 60.7% and the frequency of allele G was 39.2% and in control group the frequency of allele A was approximately 21.5% and the frequency of allele G was calculated 82.3%. Statistically, a significant correlation was observed between the homozygotes of the two groups (P-Value ˂0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that the E326K polymorphism in exon 8 of SHBG gene is associated with the risk of breast cancer and it may be a factor involved in it.


This paper examines the underlying factors that might shape firm's growth in the farming sector. In par-ticular, we investigate the effects of human capital and managerial capabilities on growth of Portuguese farming firms during 2003-2007. Relying on econometric models that control for survivorship bias, the results indicate that younger and top-educated employees are likely to foster farming firm's growth. On the other hand, the effect of managerial capabilities appears to be somewhat weak on firms without separation between ownership and management. The flexibility to hire specialised and multidisciplinary management teams with managerial capabilities appears to yield economic payoffs on the farming sector.


The nickel-based superalloy GH80A is a typical difficult-to-cut material. It has been used in a good many kinds of aeronautical key structures because of its high yield stress and anti-fatigue performance at high temperature. But selection of cutting parameters in actual machining process mainly depends on experience and lacks of scientific utterance. In this paper, finite element method (FEM) was introduced to study the chip formation process when machining nickel-based superalloy GH80A. By the way of lagrangian finite element approach and material failure, adiabatic shear band (ASB) and periodic fracture were simulated with the help of former researchers' studies on the material constitutive relation. Both the mechanism of adiabatic shearing phenomenon at primary shear zone and periodic crack in the free surface were analyzed, chip formations under different cutting parameters were got and compared carefully. The root cause of saw-tooth chip formation under different cutting speeds was discussed.


A leading theorist in urban politics, Clarence Stone redefined the field with his prize-winning book "Regime Politics" and is now acknowledged as the father of "regime analysis." Over the course of four decades, he has examined political power and leadership, race and politics, and the politics of social reform in urban settings through writings that have critiqued, debated, and recast large questions about democracy and inequality.This book collects ten classic articles and essays by Stone to create a succinct reader in urban politics. It encompasses theoretical work on urban political power; examinations of political leadership in community politics; considerations of race, class, and political power in Atlanta; and, writings on the politics of social reform and urban regeneration. These pieces provide a model for integrating empiricism with theory, offer Stone's own reflections on his theory, and demonstrate the evolution of his thought.The volume also features three new pieces. The editors' introduction provides an insightful assessment of the place of urban politics in political science and an overview of Stone's contributions to the field. Stone himself provides a brand new essay that paints a vision for a new urban agenda, using the regime concept as a base on which to build for the future. And Jennifer Hochschild's concluding chapter assesses Stone's work and lays out alternative perspectives, locating his scholarship within political science and pointing out its many strengths as well as some of its omissions.This collection reminds those interested in discourse about democracy, representation, inequality, justice, and power of the advantages that studying cities can bring to these important issues. It also serves to redirect urbanists to important foundational aspects of the urban regime framework and will stand as the legacy of the most influential theorist in his field.


As devices of motion analysis were introduced into botanical research in the late nineteenth century, Charles and Francis Darwin, Wilhelm Pfeffer, and investigators at the Marey Institute used a variety of techniques to visualize plant movements whose slowness rendered them otherwise imperceptible. These 'time-lapse' images provided novel visual records that initially were seen as providing evidence of an evolutionary link between the plant and animal kingdoms. While time-lapse plant growth images ultimately could not provide proof that plants are evolutionarily related to animals, time-lapse images did remain useful as a means to demonstrate the remarkable vitality of plants to students and lay audiences, and Oskar Messter's exhibition of a time-lapse plant growth film was the first of a long tradition of time-lapse plant growth films that circulated in popular culture.


Measurements of anisotropic flow coefficients ( v n ) and their cross-correlations using two- and multiparticle cumulant methods are reported in collisions of pp at 13 p -Pb at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair and Pb-Pb 5 02 TeV recorded with the ALICE detector. The multiplicity dependence of v n is studied in a very wide range from 20 to 3000 particles produced in the midrapidity region j η j < 0 . 8 for the transverse momentum range 0 . 2 < p T < 3 . 0 GeV =c . An ordering of the coefficients v 2 > v 3 > v 4 is found in pp and p -Pb collisions, similar to that seen in large collision systems, while a weak v 2 multiplicity dependence is observed relative to nucleus-nucleus collisions in the same multiplicity range. Using a novel subevent method, v 2 measured with four-particle cumulants is found to be compatible with that from six-particle cumulants in pp and p -Pb collisions. The magnitude of the correlation between v 2 n and v 2 m , evaluated with the symmetric cumulants SC ð m; n Þ is observed to be positive at all multiplicities for v 2 and v 4 , while for v 2 and v 3 it is negative and changes sign for multiplicities below 100, which may indicate a different v n fluctuation pattern in this multiplicity range. The observed long-range multiparticle azimuthal correlations in high multiplicity pp and p -Pb collisions can neither be described by PYTHIA 8 nor by impact-parameter-Glasma, MUSIC , and ultrarelativistic quantum molecular dynamics model calculations, and hence,


In the increasingly changing business world, solely adopting industry level analysis or firm level analysis might be inefficient to explain how certain company obtain sustainable competitive advantage and achieve success in market battle. In this case, to better understand the battle between Alibaba Group and Tencent in third-party payment industry, this dissertation conducts a conjunct analysis including both external and internal investigation. Results indicate that support infrastructure and specific organizational routine could be the most vital firm resources in generating Tencent's sustainable competitive advantages, and the intrinsically high user stickiness of instant message industry provides Tencent with a protective barrier to maintain its advantages as well. Further quantitative researches could help generalize these findings and figure out the most decisive factors among all exterior and interior aspects, which could facilitate efficient strategy planning.


Abstract Blanket neutronics experiments were conducted for the development of the water-cooled pebble bed type ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) using the Fusion Neutronics Source (FNS). Slab mockup assemblies based on the water-cooled pebble bed ITER TBM including water panels and/or a breeder pebble layer were irradiated by 14 MeV neutrons. After the irradiation, the amount of tritium produced in the diagnostic Li2CO3 pellets or breeder pebbles is measured by liquid scintillation counting method. The C/E ratios for the tritium production rate in those experiments are within 1 ± 0.05. A plan of the neutronics test on ITER-TBM and the neutronic diagnostics in the module are discussed. Micro fission chambers and compact activation foil transfer systems to be embedded in TBM are proposed for the neutron flux and neutron spectrum measurements, respectively.


Abstract Powertrain diagnosis has been demanded with growth & complexity of powertrain electronic control system and enforcement of law & regulation in the last decades. In regulation OBD II, requirement of misfire monitoring has been demanded much more strictly. A variety of diagnosis methods for misfire have been proposed and developed, however most of them either depend greatly on special or expensive sensors or suffer from the disturbance of vibration due to non-misfire reasons. One combination of Frequency Domain Analysis and Fuzzy Logic to perform the misfire diagnosis is proposed. It takes full advantage of property of frequency domain analysis and fuzzy logic, providing accurate and robust detection results, without adding additional hardware diagnosis instruments. Fast Fourier Transform is used to perform frequency domain analysis, which can abstract the specific frequency characteristics of misfire signals during overall engine crankshaft speed fluctuations directly and quickly, and fuzzy logic provides good trading off between significance and precision, which can reduce possible false misfire alarm caused by interruption of noise and disturbance of uneven road. The experiment on one four-cylinder engine proves that the method is effective.


Objective To determine contemporary trends in case fatality, discharge destination, and admission to long-term care after acute ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) using a large, population-based cohort. Methods We used linked administrative data to identify all emergency department visits and hospital admissions for first-ever ischemic stroke or ICH in Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2017. We calculated crude and age-/sex-standardized risk of death at 30 days and 1 year from stroke onset. We stratified crude trends by stroke type, age, and sex and used the Kendall τ-b correlation coefficient to evaluate the significance of trends. We determined trends in discharge home and to rehabilitation and admission to long-term care at 1 year. We used Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression models to assess whether trends in outcomes persisted after adjustment for baseline factors, estimated stroke severity, and use of life-sustaining care. Results There were 163,574 people with acute ischemic stroke or ICH across the study period. Between 2003 and 2017, age-/sex-standardized 30-day stroke case fatality decreased from 20.5% to 13.2% (7.3% absolute and 36% relative reduction) while that at 1 year decreased from 32.2% to 22.8% (9.3% absolute and 29% relative reduction). Findings were consistent across age, sex, and stroke type, and after adjustment for comorbid conditions, stroke severity, and use of life-sustaining care. There was a reduction in long-term care admission after ischemic stroke and an increase in discharge home or to rehabilitation for both stroke types. Conclusion We observed substantial reductions in acute stroke case fatality from 2003 to 2017 with a concurrent increase in discharge to home or rehabilitation and a decrease in long-term care admissions, suggesting continuous improvements in stroke systems of care.


In a paper, published in Science Advances today, the researchers demonstrate that for light from a source such as the Sun, random fluctuations of intensity give rise to correlations of twisted light beams. They showed the presence of these correlations by modifying a now classical experiment called Hanbury Brown Twiss (HBT) interferometry to focus on the angular information contained in light, the "twist" in the light. [11]


The global population of the Neotropical migrant Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) has declined steadily over the past fifty years. While factors influencing this decline have been well researched on the breeding grounds, little is known about the distribution and habitat requirements of this warbler on its stationary non-breeding range. Recent efforts to quantify the non-breeding habitat requirements of this warbler have focused on Colombia and Costa Rica, though the species ranges as far north as the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. To address the gap in knowledge from the northern portion of the non-breeding range, I conducted 80 serial point-count surveys targeting Goldenwinged Warblers at eight field sites in Honduras, Central America. I found that Goldenwinged Warblers occupy a greater variety of habitats than previously recognized, including pine-oak forest and semi-deciduous broadleaf forest. I also documented habitat associations that have not been observed in other parts of the non-breeding range with respect to elevation, rainfall, and spatial segregation by sex. These results demonstrate the need to consider the entire non-breeding range in conservation planning, as Goldenwinged Warbler habitat associations appear to vary regionally.


The uplift history of Tibet is crucial for understanding the geodynamic and paleoclimatologic evolution of Asia; however, it remains controversial whether Tibet attained its high elevation before or after India collided with Asia ∼50 m.y. ago. Here we use thermochronologic and cosmogenic nuclide data from a large bedrock peneplain in southern Tibet to shed light on the timing of the uplift. The studied peneplain, which was carved into Cretaceous granitoids and Jurassic metasediments, is located in the northern Lhasa block at an altitude of ∼5300 m. Thermal modeling based on (U-Th)/He ages of apatite and zircon, and apatite fission track data, indicate cooling and exhumation of the granitoids between ca. 70 and ca. 55 Ma, followed by a rapid decline in exhumation rate from ∼300 m/m.y. to ∼10 m/m.y. between ca. 55 and ca. 48 Ma. Since then, the peneplain has been a rather stable geomorphic feature, as indicated by low local and catchment-wide erosion rates of 6–11 m/m.y. and 11–16 m/m.y., respectively, which were derived from cosmogenic 10 Be concentrations in bedrock, grus, and stream sediment. The prolonged phase of erosion and planation that ended ca. 50 Ma removed 3–6 km of rock from the peneplain region, likely accomplished by laterally migrating rivers. The lack of equivalent sediments in the northern Lhasa block and the presence of a regional unconformity in the southern Lhasa block indicate that the rivers delivered this material to the ocean. This implies that erosion and peneplanation proceeded at low elevation until India9s collision with Asia induced crustal thickening, surface uplift, and long-term preservation of the peneplain.


CONTEXT: Aspergillus is present ubiquitously in the environment in the form of spores. Infection due to Aspergilli is uncommon in immunocompetent individuals, unless they possess any abnormalities or have undergone any treatment with corticosteroids in which pulmonary aspergillosis is the most common. In immunocompromised individuals, the infection by this fungus is in a higher extent of risk. AIM: A retrospective study was done and correlated with the antifungal susceptibility pattern of Aspergillus species. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 72 isolates of Aspergillus were collected and confirmed by conventional methods except Aspergillus tetrazonus was identified by DNA sequencing. Antifungal susceptibility testing (AFST) was performed by conventional broth microdilution according to the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute M38-A2 2008 to all the isolates. RESULTS: In our study, Aspergillus flavus was found to be the predominant followed by Aspergillus niger being the second most to be identified. AFST was performed for all the isolates, where they exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values within the range of 0.0078–2 μg/ml except Aspergillus terreus (4 μg/ml), which exhibited intrinsic resistance to Amphotericin B. CONCLUSION: Aspergillus infection can be treated easily, unless they become invasive. Therefore, antifungal therapy should be started early by determining the MIC values for the isolates, especially for the systemic infections and prevent from mortality.


In this paper we introduce a new extension of linear cryptanalysis that may reduce the complexity of attacks by conditioning linear approximations on other linear approximations. We show that the bias of some linear approximations may increase under such conditions, so that after discarding the known plaintexts that do not satisfy the conditions, the bias of the remaining known plaintexts increases. We show that this extension can lead to improvements of attacks, which may require fewer known plaintexts and time of analysis. We present several types of such conditions, including one that is especially useful for the analysis of Feistel ciphers. We exemplify the usage of such conditions for attacks by a careful application of our extension to Matsui's attack on the full 16-round DES, which succeeds to reduce the complexity of the best attack on DES to less than 242. We programmed a test implementation of our attack and verified our claimed results with a large number of runs. We also introduce a new type of approximations, to which we call scattered approximations, and discuss its applications.


INTRODUCTION
Limited information exists to describe physicians who return to practice after absences from patient care. The Center for Personalized Education for Physicians (CPEP) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides clinical competency assessment and educational programs for physicians, including those reentering practice. This article studies the medical licensure status, performance, and correlates between physician characteristics and performance on initial assessment.

METHODS
Sixty-two physicians who left practice voluntarily and without discipline or sanction and who were returning to practice in the same discipline as their previous practice participated in the CPEP reentry program. Physicians completed an objective clinical skills assessment including clinical interviews by specialty-matched board-certified physicians, simulated patient encounters, a documentation exercise, and a cognitive function screen. Physicians were rated from 1 (no or limited educational needs) to 4 (global, pervasive deficits). Performance scores were compared based on select physician characteristics.

RESULTS
Twenty-five (40.3%) participants were female; participants' average age was 53.7 years (female 48.1 years; male 57.5 years). Physicians left practice for family issues (30.6%), health issues (27.4%), retirement or nonmedical career change (17.7%), and change to medical administration (14.5%). Females were more likely than males to have left practice for child rearing (P < 0.0001). Approximately one-quarter (24.2%) of participants achieved a performance rating of 1 (best-performing group); 35.5% achieved a rating of 2; 33% achieved a rating of 3; 6.5% achieved a rating of 4 (worst-performing group). Years out of practice and increasing physician age predicted poorer performance (P = 0.0403, P = 0.0440). A large proportion of physicians presenting without an active license achieved active licensure; how many of these physicians actually returned to practice is not known.

DISCUSSION
Physicians who leave practice are a heterogeneous group. Most participants' performance warranted some formal education; few demonstrated global educational needs. The data from this study justify mandates that physicians demonstrate competence through an objective testing process prior to returning to practice. Emerging patterns regarding the performance of the reentering physician may help guide future policy.


A cDNA clone, pHLA-A, containing sequences specific for a human class I HLA antigen heavy chain, was isolated from a bank of clones made from partially purified HLA-ABC heavy chain mRNA from the human lymphoblastoid cell line Bristol 8 (HLA-A1, A2, B8, B16). The clone corresponded to sequence for the -COOH-terminal 117 amino acids of an HLA-ABC alpha-chain. It differed in at least 15 positions from the published HLA-B7 amino acid sequence but in only two residues when compared to the partial HLA-A2 protein sequence, and was identical to the HLA-A3 protein sequence derived from the nucleotide sequence of the gene. It also differed from some published human HLA-ABC sequences by the addition of three extra -COOH-terminal amino acids: cysteine-lysine-valine. The clone may correspond to either the HLA-A1 allele, for which independent sequence information is not available, or to HLA-A2, in which case there are possible explanations for the discrepancies. Comparison of the pHLA-A sequence with genomic HLA sequences suggests variations in splicing at the end of the protein coding region in some HLA-ABC heavy chain genes, and the use of alternative poly(A) addition sites.


We build a model where firm size is a source of labor market power. The key mechanism is that a granular employer can eliminate its own vacancies from a worker's outside option in the wage bargain. Hence, a granular employer does not compete with itself. We show how wages depend on employment concentration and then use the model to quantify the effects of granular market power. In Austrian micro-data, we find that granular market power depresses wages by about ten percent and can explain 40 percent of the observed decline in the labor share from 1997 to 2015. Mergers decrease competition for workers and reduce wages even at non-merging firms.


The location of large surface industrial zones along sea shores often competes with other coastal activities, such as recreational pursuits, fishing, nature reserves, etc. The construction of an artificial island in the sea, near the shore, is a solution to which it will perhaps be necessary to have recourse in the fairly near future. The design of such a project poses many problems particularly in respect of its impact on the environment. We present here the results of a study which examines this aspect. The problems are as follows : - influence of the island on the local wave climate, or swell, and consequent shoreline changes, - influence of the island on tidal currents and resulting evolution of the sandy sea bed, - dispersion of industrial effluents. The effect of the island on swell and on shore stability and the calculation of pollutant dispersion are approached by the use of mathematical models ; the effect of the island on tidal currents is analysed on a reduced scale physical model.


The thesis is divided into five sections:
(a) Trigonometric sums involving prime numbers and applications,
(b) Mean-values and Sign-changes of S(t)-- related to Riemann's Zeta function,
(c) Mean-values of strongly additive arithmetical functions,
(d) Combinatorial identities and sieves,
(e) A Goldbach-type problem.
Parts (b) and (c) are related by means of the techniques used but otherwise the sections are disjoint.
(a) We consider the question of finding upper bounds for sums like
∑_PSN▒〖e(ap2)〗
and using a method of Vaughan, we get estimates which are much better than those obtained by Vinogradov. We then consider two applications of these, namely, the distribution of the sequence (αp2) modulo one.
Of course we could have used the improved results to get improvements in estimates in various other problems involving p[superscript]2 but we do not do so.
We also obtain an estimate for the sum
∑_PSN▒〖(ap3)〗
and get improved estimates by the same method.
(b) Let N(T) denote the number of zeros of ς(s) - Riemann's Zeta function. It is well known that
N(T) = L(T) + S(T),
where
L(T) = 1/2π Tlog(T/2π)-T⁄(2π+7⁄(8+0 ((1)⁄(T))))but the finer behaviour of S(T) is not known. It is known that
S(t) ≪ log t ; ∫_o^t▒〖Slu)du〗 ≪ log t
so that S(T) has many changes of sign. In 1942, A. Selberg showed that the number of sign changes of Set) for t ∈ (O,T) exceeds
T (log T)1/3 exp(-A loglog T), (1)
but stated to Professor Halberstam in 1979 that one can improve the constant 1/3 in (1) to 1 – ∈. It can be shown easily that the upper bound for the number of changes of sign is log T.

We give a proof of Selberg's statement in (b), but in the process we do much more. Selberg showed that if k is a positive integer then
∫_T^(T+H)▒〖ls(t)l〖2k〗_dt 〗 = C CkH(loglog T) k ,{1+0( (loglogT)(-1)/2) } (2)
where TT 1⁄2< H ≤ T[superscript]2 and C[subscript]k is some explicit constant in k. We have found a simple technique which gives (2) with the constant k replaced by any non-negative real number. Using this type of result, I prove Selberg's statement, with
 (log T)-∈ replaced by
Exp (-A√loglogT (logloglogT) -□(1/2)).
(c) I use the" method for finding mean-values above to answer similar questions for a class of strongly additive arithemetical functions.
We say that f is strongly additive if
(1) f(mn) = f(m) = f(n), if m and n are coprime,
(2) f(p[superscript]a) = f(p) for all primes p and positive integer a.

(d) This section contains joint work with Professor Halberstam and is still in its infancy. We have found a general identity and a type of convolution which serves to be the starting point of most investigations in Prime Number Theory involving the local and the global sieves. The term global refers to sieve methods of Brun, Selberg, Rosser and many more. The term local refers to things like Selberg's formula in the elementary proof of the prime number theorem, Vaughan's identity and so on. We have shown that both methods stem from the same source and so leads to a unified approach to such research.

(e) I considered the question of solving the representation of an integer N in the form
N = P_(1^2 )+ P _(2^2 ) +K P[subscript] 3,
where the Pi's are prime numbers. This problem was motivated by Goldbach's Problem and is exceedingly difficult. So I looked into getting partial answers.
Let E(x) denote the numbers less than x not representable in the required form. Then there is a computable constant δ > 0
such that
E(x) ≪ X i- δ
To do this we use a method of Montgomery and Vaughan but the proof is long and technical, and we do not give it here.
We show by sieve methods that the following result holds true:
N = P_(1^2 ) + P _(2^2 ) +kP3P4P5.
We have been unable to replace the product of three primes by two.

Note: k is a constant depending on the residue class of N modulo 12.


Enhancing the efficiency of soil water removal on land already containing a subsurface drainage system typically involves installing new drain lines between the old ones. However, before this approach can be attempted, the older drainage pipes need to be located. In ongoing research, ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been successful in locating on average 72% of the total amount of drainage pipe present at thirteen test plots in southwest, central, and northwest Ohio. The effective use of GPR for drainage pipe detection requires careful consideration of computer processing procedures, equipment parameters, and site conditions, all of which were thoroughly investigated in this study. Application of a signal saturation correction filter along with a spreading and exponential compensation gain function were the computer processing steps most helpful for enhancing the drainage pipe response exhibited within GPR images of the soil profile. GPR amplitude maps that show the overall subsurface drainage pipe system required additional computer processing, which included 2-D migration, signal trace enveloping, and in some cases, a high frequency noise filter and a spatial background subtraction filter. Equipment parameter test results indicate that a 250 MHz antenna frequency worked best, and that data quality is good over a range of spatial sampling intervals and signal trace stacking. In regard to the site conditions present, shallow hydrology, soil texture, and drainage pipe orientation all substantially influence the GPR response. However, the fired clay or plastic material of which the drainage pipe is comprised does not appear to have much of an impact. The information supplied by this study can be employed to formulate guidelines that will enhance the potential of success for using ground penetrating radar in locating buried agricultural drainage pipe.


ABSTRACT:This photo essay, with accompanying text, examines overlooked gathering spaces used by lesbian and queer female-identified individuals in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens between the years 1925 and 2018. The 'façade portraits' of buildings illustrate the often ephemeral nature of the clandestine communities that once congregated within them. The vast majority of these extant sites no longer function as lesbian gathering places, having been closed by attrition, usurped by alternative community-making tools such as social media and dating apps, or forced to relocate due to market forces. The photos reflect the challenge of putting down spatial roots at a time when 21st-century freedoms would seem to allow the public, permanent presence of queer women as never before. In the face of this process of obsolescence, Shockey's photographs serve as a form of documentation and preservation of a once place-based heritage. The photo essay and accompanying text interrogate the meaning of these historic spaces regarding how they pertain to members of the lesbian and queer-female community in a digital era.


It is assumed among linguists that radical analyticity is a typological state that a language might develop into as the result of ordinary stepwise grammatical change. It is well-known that extensive second-language acquisition tends to make languages more, or even completely, analytic. Contact, however, is thought to be an alternate pathway towards analyticity. Diachronic theory has identified no mechanism via which a grammar would become completely analytic. While some affixes are worn away by phonetic erosion, inexorable processes of reconstitution operate at the same time, such as grammaticalization. The commonly cited case of Egyptian's inflectional "cycle" described by Hodge (1970) did not depict the language reaching anything approaching a completely analytic state. There is a growing awareness that the "natural" state of language, uninterrupted by adult acquisition, is one of heavy morphological complexity, while large-scale population movements often condition languages of a more moderate morphological complexity (McWhorter 2007; Trudgill 2011). Under this assumption, radically analytic languages are diachronically anomalous. In this presentation, I will propose a contact account for the radical analyticity of a certain few west African Niger-Congo languages and for the languages of Southeast Asia.


The project provides a rationale for a systematic view of the role of theological education in a life-long approach to priestly formation. In particular, it examines perceptions and proposals for action in relation to theological education in the context of the contemporary understanding of Roman Catholic priestly formation
and ministry. This contemporary understanding involves the concepts of collaboration and mission which should occur within an ecumenical dimension.

The project is divided into three parts. First, the priestly ministry is set within the changing context of theological, historical and social awareness in modem
England. The argument is presented that even in a secular context a residual interest in theological and religious questions increase in a society where clergy are generally
trusted and well respected. The conjunction between theological theory and actual ministerial practice is. then confronted. The argument presented here is that these two
realities must be seen in inter-relationship.

I argue next that priestly ministry ought to be contextualised within a particular society. I make, therefore, observations about the 'place' of the Roman
Catholic Church in English history and society and in relationship to the Church of England.

Secondly, I present my research concerning inter-activity which is discussed on three levels: between priests and other professionals: doctors, teachers and lawyers, the clergy acting in ecumenical partnership and between priests and the lay faithful of the Church. The emerging picture reveals considerable revaluation in other professions in which, particularly in the case of medicine and teaching the
clergy have an important role to play in terms of pastoral ministry and ethical focus. A complex series of inter-relationships emerge which demand on the part of priests, a
broad intellectual and pastoral vision of priestly ministry,

Thirdly, parts one and two provide the foundation for part three which offers the notion of the relationship between Jesus and his disciples as a paradigm for priestly ministry and formation. Various aspects of Gospel study are explored in the context of both initial and on-going formation. The purpose of this section is to give a clear Christological focus to priestly ministry.

The concluding chapter presents proposals for innovative action regarding an holistic approach to theological education which covers both initial and on-going
priestly formation. This action should enable the priest to present his own vocation and professionalism in a way that can be useful and supportive to other professionals
and apply the ancient faith in a contemporary context.


A test and demonstration facility for PV and PV hybrid systems and system components has been designed and installed at Dalarna University in Sweden. The facility allows studies of complete PV systems or single components in a range of 0.1-10 kW. The facility includes two grid-connected PV systems, a PV Hybrid off-grid system, three emulators and the necessary measurement and control equipment. Tests can be done manually or automatically through programmed test procedures controlled that will be implemented in Labview. The facility shall be used by researchers, professionals of the industry and engineering students.


Activating a receptor to excite a neuron Transmitting signals between nerve cells, occuring at structures known as synapses, is critical to processes such as learning and memory. Fast transmission occurs when glutamate is released from a presynaptic neuron and binds to ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) in the cell membrane of a postsynaptic neuron. The iGluR contains an ion channel that is transiently opened, to activate the postsynaptic neuron, but then closes rapidly. Chen et al. and Yelshanskaya et al. report crystal structures in a range of conformations that together provide insight into how glutamate binding causes the channel to open and how other molecules that bind to the receptor modulate this. The information could aid in the design of drugs to treat cognitive impairment or seizure disorders Science, this issue p. 1021 and p. 1070 X-ray structures provide insight into how an ion channel involved in activation of neurons is gated. Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediate most excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system and function by opening their ion channel in response to binding of agonist glutamate. Here, we report a structure of a homotetrameric rat GluA2 receptor in complex with partial agonist (S)-5-nitrowillardiine. Comparison of this structure with the closed-state structure in complex with competitive antagonist ZK 200775 suggests conformational changes that occur during iGluR gating. Guided by the structures, we engineered disulfide cross-links to probe domain interactions that are important for iGluR gating events. The combination of structural information, kinetic modeling, and biochemical and electrophysiological experiments provides insight into the mechanism of iGluR gating.


Adsorption isotherms of carboxylate type superplasticizers with different architectures have been measured on MgO considered as a non-reactive model powder. This system allowed us to study the influence of pH, electrolyte type, concentration and ionic strength on the adsorbed amount. On same MgO powder, we have measured the zeta potential variations by adding increasing amounts of superplasticizers. Most of the isotherms initially exhibit a linear section followed by a hyperbolic behavior which can be fitted by a function identical to the Langmuir equation. The slope of the linear part allowed us to define the affinity of the superplasticizers for MgO surfaces and with the asymptotic value of the hyperbolic function a plateau value for the adsorption. The results are discussed taking into consideration the molecular parameters of the superplasticizers, such as the molar mass, backbone chain and side chain lengths. The mechanisms of fixation of the superplasticizers at the surface are also discussed.


Our current understanding of credit rating agencies' influence on national sovereignty relies on a dichotomised and highly antagonistic view of the relationship between states and the global economy. This perspective is locked into the discursive confines of the structuralist-sceptics debate within the field of international political economy. CRAs are said to either erode state sovereignty or represent a manifestation of it. By abandoning the state-market, public-private and national-global dichotomies embedded within this debate, and the zero-sum mentality they are predicated upon, this thesis offers an alternative – "transformationalist" – perspective to view the power of CRAs and their influence on national sovereignty. Defying traditional categorization, CRAs' power is the result of a state-market, public-private confluence of interest and therefore has no determinative influence on national sovereignty. In the course of this analysis, a second assumption embedded within the study of CRAs' influence is criticised: the fixation on the "big three" rating agencies (Moody's, S&P and Fitch) and the neglect of the significance of the credit rating itself. Because the rating determination process is opaque, and the credit rating itself is a highly simplified expression of an intricately complex financial, economic and political reality, the causes of a sovereign rating change are often "up for debate". Governments, within certain degrees of interpretation, are able to embed their own domestic political interests into the "causes" of a rating change, thereby co-opting and co-constructing the power and expertise of CRAs. This can, when successful, enhance governments' internal sovereignty over domestic social forces and their external sovereignty as they "filter" the influence of a non-state actor. New Zealand's interaction with the CRAs throughout 2008 to 2012 illustrates how this dynamic occurs and its limitations. The thesis seeks to highlight the diversity and heterogeneity involved in the processes of globalization in general, and CRAs' influence in particular, and in doing so open up political space to consider possible forms of resistance.


Managing the risk of changing prices of gold is central to the business strategy of American Barrick Resources Corp., one of North America's largest and most successful gold-mining firms. The case contrasts this firm's hedging policies with those of its rivals that do not hedge and details the wide range of hedging products (gold loans, forwards, options, spot deferred contracts) used to manage price risk. In 1992 the management of American Barrick is pleasantly surprised by unexpected new gold finds, but this new production places demands on the firm's hedging program and tests the firm's commitment to hedging when prices of gold and of many hedging vehicles are unattractive.


This study asks a simple question that has significant implications for gender equality. After decades of increasing female participation in the labor market, advances in the labor legislation and persistent gender wage gaps, what are the effects of motherhood on labor force participation and wages in Latin America? The data presented in this report show that mothers with children under 7 years of age participate less in the labor market than those with no children, except for single mothers. Another interesting result is that female labor force participation generally increases with age and decreases with family responsibilities. In contrast to the evidence found in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Germany, where mothers earn lower wages than women with no children, the results for Latin America do not show a homogeneous impact of motherhood on wages. While in Peru there exists a penalty for mothers of children under 7, in Bolivia and Brazil there is a premium for being a mother. Ecuador shows no significant effects. This heterogeneity is further investigated by considering public and private sectors, educational levels and age groups. The study finds that wage penalties and premiums are not borne equally among all mothers.


There is an urgent need to understand the contextual factors that influence water vulnerability of households in the Arctic. To evaluate the existing knowledge of Arctic household water vulnerability, this paper presents the results of a narrative review with a systematic search. The review identified 112 documents, including peer-reviewed articles, reviews, book chapters, proceedings papers, and meeting abstracts. The documents were analyzed for the main factors affecting water vulnerability in Arctic households, which fell into two categories: biophysical factors and anthropogenic factors. Within the biophysical category, the majority of documents noted climate change impacts on freshwater supplies and water systems, followed by attention to extreme weather and the seasonality of water supplies. Within the anthropogenic category, the vast majority highlighted infrastructure as the primary issue affecting water access, followed by economic, governance, socio-cultural, and demographic factors. Through these diverse influencing factors, this review situates the discussion of household water vulnerability in the Arctic in a more nuanced light. The categories illuminate patterns between factors, which can worsen, assuage, or mitigate water vulnerability. The complex relationships between these factors influence the degree and nature of water vulnerability in Arctic households. In order to successfully address household water vulnerability in the Arctic, these factors and their dynamic relationships must be considered in freshwater policy and management frameworks.


A primary motivation of the Dialog State Tracking Challenge (DSTC) is to allow for direct comparisons between alternative approaches to dialog state tracking. While results from DSTC 1 mention performance limitations, an examination of the errors made by dialog state trackers was not discussed in depth. For the new challenge, DSTC 2, this paper describes several techniques for examining the errors made by the dialog state trackers in order to refine our understanding of the limitations of various approaches to the tracking process. The results indicate that no one approach is universally superior, and that different approaches yield different error type distributions. Furthermore, the results show that a pairwise comparative analysis of tracker performance is a useful tool for identifying dialogs where differential behavior is observed. These dialogs can provide a data source for a more careful analysis of the source of errors.


We use a Lagrangian stochastic micromixing model to predict the concentration fluctuations of a continuous release in a neutral boundary layer. We present the computational algorithm that implements the interaction by exchange with the conditional mean model and we compare the numerical solutions with the experimental values in order to evaluate the reliability of the model. The influence of the source size on the concentration probability density function in the near and far-field is discussed and some shortcomings of the model are pointed out.


The gendered nature of organizations limits women's opportunities for advancement. While women have made inroads into many male-dominated jobs, studies suggest they can be marginalized within masculine workplace cultures. In this paper, we examine the experiences of eleven women who have had successful careers in the male-dominated information technology field, to explore their perceptions of the barriers and opportunities women face. We find that our respondents have a tendency to downplay the significance of gender, even as they provide evidence that gender has shaped their careers. We argue that their reluctance to see how gender conditions women's careers, combined with the technical nature of their field, may have facilitated their success, even though these factors serve as barriers for other women, and prevent meaningful change.


1981, pp. 3-16. World Tourism Organization, Capitan Haya, 42, Madrid 20, Spain. This article presents an application of Guttman scales to the measurement of attitudes adopted by mayors of tourist communities in regard to the Massif planning and development projects which form the basis of a regional policy in respect to the French mountains. An analysis of the scales and the related graph reveals the existence of two very distinct subpopulations. The account given in the article describes the characteristics of these populations as well as their reactions.


In this work, a new technique to define cut-points in the discretization process of a continuous attribute is presented. This method is used as a prior step in a regression problem, considered as a learning problem in which the output variable can be either quantitative (continuous or discreet) or qualitative defined over an ordinal scale. The proposed method emphasizes the concept of location to determine discretization cut-points. In the case of continuous outputs, the method is based on the maximization of the difference between distributions by using intervalar distances. In the case of qualitative outputs, a qualitative distance is defined over a structure of absolute orders of magnitude. The main characteristics of the method presented are illustrated through three examples, two for continuous outputs and the last for a qualitative output.


Purpose: Flow cytometry and RT-PCR can detect occult Ewing sarcoma cells in the blood and bone marrow. These techniques were used to evaluate the prognostic significance of micrometastatic disease in Ewing sarcoma. Experimental Design: Newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma were enrolled on two prospective multicenter studies. In the flow cytometry cohort, patients were defined as "positive" for bone marrow micrometastatic disease if their CD99+/CD45− values were above the upper limit in 22 control patients. In the PCR cohort, RT-PCR on blood or bone marrow samples classified the patients as "positive" or "negative" for EWSR1/FLI1 translocations. The association between micrometastatic disease burden with clinical features and outcome was assessed. Coexpression of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) on detected tumor cells was performed in a subset of flow cytometry samples. Results: The median total bone marrow CD99+CD45− percent was 0.0012% (range 0%–1.10%) in the flow cytometry cohort, with 14 of 109 (12.8%) of Ewing sarcoma patients defined as "positive." In the PCR cohort, 19.6% (44/225) patients were "positive" for any EWSR1/FLI1 translocation in blood or bone marrow. There were no differences in baseline clinical features or event-free or overall survival between patients classified as "positive" versus "negative" by either method. CD99+CD45− cells had significantly higher IGF-1R expression compared with CD45+ hematopoietic cells (mean geometric mean fluorescence intensity 982.7 vs. 190.9; P < 0.001). Conclusions: The detection of micrometastatic disease at initial diagnosis by flow cytometry or RT-PCR is not associated with outcome in newly diagnosed patients with Ewing sarcoma. Flow cytometry provides a tool to characterize occult micrometastatic tumor cells for proteins of interest. Clin Cancer Res; 22(14); 3643–50. ©2016 AACR.