Over the last years affective computing has been strengthening its ties with the humanities, exploring and building understanding of people's responses to specific artistic multimedia stimuli. 'Aesthetic experience' is acknowledged to be the subjective part of some artistic exposure, namely, the inner affective state of a person exposed to some artistic object. In this work we describe ongoing research activities for studying the aesthetic experience of people when exposed to movie artistic stimuli. To do so, this work is focused on the definition of emotional and aesthetic highlights in movies and studies the people responses to them using physiological and behavioural signals, in a social setting. In order to examine the suitability of multimodal signals for detecting highlights we initially evaluate a supervised highlight detection system. Further, in order to provide an insight on the reactions of people, in a social setting, during emotional and aesthetic highlights, we study two unsupervised systems. Those systems are able to (a) measure the distance among the captured signals of multiple people using the dynamic time warping algorithm and (b) create a reaction profile for a group of people that would be indicative of whether that group reacts or not at a given time. The results indicate that the proposed systems are suitable for detecting highlights in movies and capturing some form of social interactions across different movie genres. Moreover, similar social interactions during exposure to emotional and some types of aesthetic highlights, such as those corresponding to technical or lightening choices of the director, can be observed. The utilisation of electrodermal activity measurements yields in better performances than those achieved when using acceleration measurements, whereas fusion of the modalities does not appear to be beneficial for the majority of the cases.


Christopher, Neil. Stories of the Amautalik: Fantastic Beings from Inuit Myths and Legends .  Trans.  Louise Flaherty.  Illus. Larry MacDougall.  Iqaluit, Nunavut: Inhabit Media, 2009. Print. The End Notes for this book tell us that in " the isolated hills, under the ice of the sea, and in the darkness of the deep ocean, strange beings wait for lone travelers or careless children to make a mistake" . An amautalik is one such strange creature.  These are the giant, disgusting ogresses of Inuit mythology who capture and eat children. This volume contains two stories, each of a different kind of amautalik.  The first has a basket of slimy driftwood on her back, lined with maggoty, rancid seaweed.  The second has a huge amauti (a coat with a pouch for carrying children). The two stories are similar. Both are cautionary tales, teaching children of the dangers of straying too far away from supervising adults.  In both stories, one of the children does not have parents present to protect them and has been bullied in the community.  In each case, the inattentive children are captured and taken away by the amautalik. In "The Hungry Amautalik and the Restless Children", the child who has been bullied uses the old knowledge of her shaman grandfather to gain freedom.  In "The Orphan and the Amautalik", the orphan outwits the amautalik, by pretending that his toe, poking out of his worn out boot is a monster that will eat her. The first story is much longer than the second and there are many more images of the first amautalik.   Larry MacDougall's somber paintings portray the ogress's glee while tying the children to a stake and her rage when she discovers that they are gone.  The second amautalik is more cadaverous-looking and frightening. This book is an English translation of the 2007 Inuktitut volume Amautaliup miksaanut unikkaat and is also available as an English/Inuktitut tumble book.  Originally these stories were told by elders to children, so the language would have been at a child's level.  However, this translation, although it is intended as children's literature, has a reading level of about Grade 10.  In spite of that, the book is still a valuable addition for school and public library collections. Highly recommended: 4 out of 4 stars Reviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.


This report presents the results of the development of a portal for open source software. The work is done in collaboration with Keymind Computing AS in context of the European ITEA project COSI. The purpose of this project is to develop a portal so that companies that got commodity software they want to go open source with can do so without loosing control of the development. The portal is built up using already existing tools to fulfill as many tasks as possible. The thesis also try to explain why making a portal for the release of open source by looking at the history of open source. Some of the focus here is on the development of the Open Source 2.0 which i identified by the growing interest among software companies to release their software under and open license.


In the digital era, written communication for children and youth is changing. As texts and media include complex intersections of print, image, sound, and other modalities, the ways in which writing is conceived is shifting. The evolution and impact of digital technologies follow a long history of invention, innovation, and change in written communication, with critiques of writing and communication technologies present in both historical and contemporary contexts. A new development in contemporary digital culture is the significant and widespread participation of children and youth in digital media and communication due to the ubiquity, affordances, and appeal of mobile digital devices. In the history of writing instruction, pedagogical approaches and perspectives have continued to evolve, with the teaching of writing at times positioned as subordinate to the teaching of reading, a pattern that has repeated into the digital era in which an emphasis on digital writing production and text creation has been similarly less of a focus than receptive consumption of media. Shifts in digital practice and the emergence of new devices for writing present both challenges and opportunities for the teaching of writing and the creation of texts in schools, with issues of digital resource provision and access to technology presenting hurdles for some teachers. Teacher awareness of the digital worlds, practices, and "funds of knowledge" that students are bringing to the writing classroom is vital to reimagining the writing classroom within contemporary digital culture. In the 21st century, writing instruction needs to be inclusive of the operational demands of writing as well as sociocultural and critical requirements, in addition to responding to fluid technoliteracy contexts and consideration of how "writing" itself is changing.


Arsenic contamination in groundwater and its effect on human health has been a growing concern over recent decades. Some of the most severe incidents occurred in South and Southeast Asia, including the Red River Delta, Vietnam. The highest concentration of arsenic found in the Red River delta was 810 μg/L, 16 times higher than the standard guidelines given by WHO for levels of arsenic concentration in groundwater (50 μg/L). However, the contamination levels were not uniform in the whole area. The arsenic levels might be affected by natural factors such as the characteristics of the aquifer, the chemical composition of groundwater and by human activities such as the exploitation of groundwater in the urban and industrial areas or irrigation in rural areas. Due to the complex mobilisation of arsenic in sediment and groundwater, questions remain about arsenic distribution, which are yet to be answered and are in need of further study.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31276/VJSTE.60(1).23


Today, sustainable cities/regions are playing an important role in sustainable development projects. The overall aim of the current paper is to demonstrate an Industrial Symbiosis development in the Handelo area of Norrkoping city in the Ostergotland county of Sweden. It is part of a research program called "Sustainable Norrkoping" focusing on developing links between the industrial and the urban part of the city. As analysis of the current situation is important for understanding the future development, the paper tries to map the current industrial symbiosis links and symbiotic network to identify potentials exist. To achieve this, paper gives a general view of how this area has been developed, constructed, and grown. The next stage is devoted to an inventory of different actors, stakeholders, and companies, their processes and relationships in the form of energy, materials and by-products exchanges, flows and streams into and out of the Handelo area considering the Handelo/Norrkoping as system boundaries. In addition, by describing different tools, elements and approaches of industrial symbiosis and considering and applying two main key tools as industrial inventories and input/output matching the paper also tries to show that whether the already industrial activities formed inside the Handelo fits for an industrial symbiosis development.


This thesis is divided in four independent parts related to four different research projects. Each chapter describes one of the multiple aspects covered by organic chemistry, such as the generation of functional interfaces, understanding of biological processes at the molecular level or synthesis of natural products and derivatives as potential new therapeutic agents. These four chapters include an introduction and a description of the state of research in the domain. The experimental procedures as well as spectroscopic data are grouped in a special section at the end of the thesis. The first chapter is related to the problem of biofouling, which is the non-specific adsorption of macromolecules and bacteria and higher organisms to surfaces. It is considered a fundamental problem in many domains, ranging from human medicine to marine technology. Inspired by the binding properties of the anachelin H chromophore to metal oxides, we designed and evaluated PEG-conjugates bearing the native anchoring moiety or simplified analogs in order to generate antifouling surfaces. We also attached the antibiotic vancomycin to the PEG chain, creating a natural product hybrid that displayed antibacterial properties when tested against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633. The activity was retained even after repeated exposure to the bacteria. Natural products represent a major source of new drugs, especially in the field of anti-infective and anticancer agents. Different modes of action are known for natural products having cytotoxic activity, such as tubulin stabilization, DNA-cleavage or cell-wall disruption. The second chapter presents the study of the anticancer antibiotic anguinomycin, which is belonging to the leptomycin family and was reported to selectively target tumor cells. The role of its polyketide side-chain has been evaluated. Simplified compounds, which merge for example the natural lactone warhead and a terpene, have been tested for inhibition of CRM/-mediated nuclear export. Moreover, one mode of action of another natural styryl lactone, goniothalamin, has been elucidated by comparison of its potency with regard to modified analogs. This study should enable the design of new analogs displaying improved potency and selectivity and overcoming the reported toxicity of the native leptomycin. In the third part we describe synthetic studies towards the total synthesis of sporolide A and B. These complex natural products were isolated from the marine actinomycete Salinispora tropica in 2005. Their unusual architecture is striking, and contains 22 out of the 24 carbons that are either sp2 hybridized or oxygenated, 7 rings and 10 stereogenic centers rendering them very challenging targets for total synthesis. From a biological point of view, these compounds did not show interesting activity, probably because their potency resides in an enediyne precursor. As a consequence, we designed a putative biomimetic approach that would allow to accesfs the enediyne precursor. The synthetic studies towards the chlorinated cyclopenta[a]indene ring feature a Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction, a Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation, enediyne formation via Wittig reaction and cerium mediated acetylide addition. The quinone acid fragment was obtained in 7 steps. The enantioselective transfer reduction was achieved using Ipc2BCl and the absolute configuration of the product was secured by X-ray analysis of its cinchonine salt. The fourth chapter describes the synthetic efforts towards the total synthesis ophiodilactone A and B, two tetrameric phenylpropanoids natural products isolated from the starfish (ophiuroid) Ophiocoma scolopendrina in 2009. They exhibit cytotoxicity against murine leukemia cells and could represent a new family of potential anticancer agents. Their syntheses are based on a two-directional approach followed by desymmetrization.


This article explores the functions and impact of the South African constitution in relation to the country's intelligence services. The constitution has proved to be a powerful instrument for transforming, controlling and constraining the services, safeguarding human rights and contributing to the management of political conflicts and crises. Yet the constitution's relevance for the intelligence community is also contested and contradictory. Paradoxically, the executive, parliament and the intelligence services believe that it is legitimate for the services to deviate from constitutional provisions because their mandate to identify and counter threats to national security is intended to protect the constitution. The article contributes to filling a gap in the literature on security sector reform, which is concerned with democratic governance but ignores the role of a constitution in regulating the security organizations and determining the nature of their governance arrangements. Intelligence agencies around the world have special powers that permit them to operate with a high level of secrecy and acquire confidential information through the use of intrusive measures. Politicians and intelligence officers can abuse these powers to manipulate the political process, infringe the rights of citizens and subvert democracy. While a constitution cannot eliminate these risks, it can establish an overarching vision, a set of principles and rules and a range of mechanisms for promoting intelligence transformation and adherence to democratic norms.


The public health spending in India has been hovering around 1% of gross domestic product (GDP), and it contributes only 28% of total health expenditure. Hence, out-of-pocket (OOP) payments continue to be the dominant source of health care financing in India. However, for providing protection from the economic effects of health shocks, last few years have seen a plethora of central and state government–sponsored private health insurance schemes for the deprived groups, particularly those working in the unorganized sector. The latest is the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayee Arogya Yojana (RGJAY), launched by the Government of Maharashtra in 2012. This study is an attempt to assess the extent to which RGJAY protects the families from making OOP expenditure while availing the tertiary care from the RGJAY accredited facilities. Both primary and secondary data were utilized for this study. Despite being enrolled in RGJAY, more than three fifths (63%) of the beneficiaries still incurred OOP payments for services when admitted in the hospital, and more worryingly, it was found that a significantly higher proportion of persons from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families (88.23%) reported paying for diagnostics, medications, or consumables. Furthermore, our study found that about a third of the beneficiaries experienced financial catastrophe if indirect expenditure is taken into consideration. This also implies that for the poor, ill-health has further deepened the existing poverty.


Previous research examining implicit affective responses to smoking cues has been inconsistent and generally did not differentiate between smoking groups or control for withdrawal. In the current study, the affect misattribution procedure was used to study differences in implicit affective responses to smoking cues between smoking groups. Undergraduate smokers were divided into non-daily (less than 5 cigarettes per day) and daily smokers (greater than five cigarettes per day). All participants refrained from smoking for 12 hours prior to the study, and half were allowed to smoke immediately prior to the study. In support of the hypotheses, results indicated that daily smokers responded more positively to smoking cues than to control cues, while non-daily smokers showed no preference towards smoking or control cues. Contrary to hypotheses, withdrawal did not affect AMP responses. This may have occurred because participants who were not allowed to smoke did not appear to experience withdrawal. The data suggest that implicit affective biases towards smoking cues may differ between smoking groups. Implications for smoking cessation techniques and directions for future research are discussed.


Over the last decades, cardiovascular disease has become the primary cause of death in the Western world, and this trend is expanding throughout the world. In particular, atherosclerosis and the subsequent vessel obliterations are the primary cause of ischemic disease (stroke and coronary heart disease). Excess calcium influx into the cells is one of the major pathophysiological mechanisms important for ischemic injury in the brain and heart in humans. The large-conductance calcium-activated K(+) channels (BK) are thus interesting candidates to protect against excess calcium influx and the events leading to ischemic injury. Indeed, the mitochondrial BK channels (mitoBK) have recently been shown to play a protective function against ischemia-reperfusion injury both in vitro and in animal models, although the exact mechanism of this protection is still under scrutiny. In addition, in both the plasma membrane and mitochondrial BK channel, the α-subunit itself is sensitive to hypoxia. This sensitivity is tissue specific and conferred by a highly conserved motif within an alternatively spliced cysteine-rich insert (STREX) in the intracellular C terminus of the channel. This review describes recent developments of the increasing relevance of BK channels in hypoxia and ischemia-reperfusion injury.


The present report is a review of an Australian case example of teaching psychoanalytic concepts with online assisted technologies. It is a first attempt to address a hiatus in the extant literature. A descriptive account of the hybrid teaching methodology that was employed is offered through a consideration of: students' online responses, the teacher-developer's reflections on his teaching experience, as well as formal and informal student feedback. Despite the anecdotal nature of the study, findings lend credence to the suggestion that the online medium has an enormous potential for teaching applied psychoanalysis. Specifically the cyber-classroom contributes to interactivity, situated learning, reflexivity and learning at different levels.


Proven techniques for using mental ray effectively If you're a busy artist seeking high-end results for your 3D, design, or architecture renders using mental ray, this is the perfect book for you. It distills the highly technical nature of rendering into easy-to-follow steps and tutorials that you can apply immediately to your own projects. The book uses 3ds Max and 3ds Max Design to show the integration with mental ray, but users of any 3D or CAD software can learn valuable techniques for incorporating mental ray into their pipelines. Takes you under the hood of mental ray, a stand-alone or bundled product that is often used with 3D or CAD software in the creation of movies, games, architectural renders, and television Focuses on only the most pertinent tools and techniques for busy professionals who need to quickly apply them on the job Provides compelling, practical tutorials so you can start incorporating mental ray into your own production pipelines Includes a DVD with step-by-step videos to help drive home concepts and techniques Learn effective mental ray techniques with this great guide, then keep this practical book at your workstation for reference while you work! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.


Long presented as a universal policy-recipe for social prosperity and economic growth, the promise of innovation seems to be increasingly in question, giving way to a new vision of progress in which society is advanced as a central enabler of technoeconomic development. Frameworks such as "Responsible" or "Mission-oriented" Innovation, for example, have become commonplace parlance and practice in the governance of the innovation–society nexus. In this paper, we study the dynamics by which this "social fix" to technoscience has gained legitimacy in institutions of global governance by investigating recent projects at two international organizations, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission, to mainstream "Responsible Innovation" frameworks and instruments across countries. Our analysis shows how the turn to societal participation in both organizations relies on a new deficit logic—a democratic deficit of innovation—that frames a lack of societal engagement in innovation governance as a major barrier to the uptake and dissemination of new technologies. These deficit politics enable global governance institutions to present "Responsible Innovation" frameworks as the solution and to claim authority over the coproduction of particular forms of democracy and innovation as intertwined pillars of a market-liberal international order.


The Netherlands is confronted with a major renewal challenge of ageing locks, weirs and bridges in its waterways. Infrastructure planners in western countries will therefore become occupied with the redevelopment instead of development of infrastructure networks. Whereas abundant policies and regulations are developed for the construction of new infrastructure and for the maintenance of existing infrastructure, policies and regulations for renewing infrastructure are relatively new. This dissertation examined how planners anticipate this renewal challenge and which novel policy directions are explored, specifically for the Dutch waterways. Current practice takes a technical approach, which leads to the replacement of assets one-by-one. The primary function of the object (often transport-related) is continued. Renewal is consequently seen as a clear task for the operator Rijkswaterstaat, without much involvement of other governments. Simultaneously, new practices are emerging, in which ageing assets are positioned in relation to a wider area. The transportation function is then combined with other functionalities, like recreation and energy generation. This merger of functions involves a wider array of governments (not just the operator), each with its own interests, budgets, and time horizons. Dominant parties observe few added value and call such co-operations hazardous. The dissertation concludes that, because of the engineering-driven view, redevelopment in the Dutch waterways leads to maintaining the existing. Transformation is harder to get off the ground, because the renewal challenge is until now predominantly framed as an operational matter. By positioning the renewal challenge more firmly as a policy challenge, renewal can become more than preservation.


When Pinault stepped into the top job at Kering (formerly PPR), in 2003, he faced a key question: Should he leave things as they had been under his father, who had built a conglomerate of eclectic businesses, or take them in a new direction? He felt that the company should become more international, more growth oriented, and more profitable- and that it should build on its ownership of Gucci Group to create a strong position in the global luxury market. Kering began a series of acquisitions that included Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, and Bottega Veneta, and helped its brands develop their own retail store networks. It set out to pair creative directors-who retained a high degree of control- with strong and complementary CEOs. And it introduced operational synergies, coordinating sourcing and creating two product development centers. The transformation of the business has made the company much smaller but far more focused. Since 2003, its profits have risen by about 40%. INSET: A FOCUS ON LUXURY.


The mechanisms of nonlinear pharmacokinetics after single- and multiple-dose treatments with a new calcium channel blocker, mibefradil, were studied. Four female, chronically instrumented dogs (22 +/- 2.1 kg) received a single i.v. dose (1 mg/kg), three single p.o. doses (1, 3 and 6 mg/kg) and a regimen of 3 mg/kg p.o. doses twice per day for 8 days; the order of treatment was randomized. Data on i.v. administration showed that hepatic clearance and systemic clearance values were similar (20.1 +/- 5.5 vs. 18.5 +/- 4.4 ml/min/kg, P > .05), suggesting that the liver is the main eliminating organ. The fraction of the administered dose absorbed from the gut after all p.o. treatments was approximately 60%, indicating that incomplete absorption and/or first-pass gut metabolism occurred. The fraction absorbed was not altered by dose or duration of treatment. The absolute bioavailability, however, was increased because of a dose- and duration of treatment-dependent reduction in hepatic elimination (absolute bioavailability changing from 0.25 +/- 0.18 at 1 mg/kg to 0.40 +/- 0.22 at 6 mg/kg and 0.48 +/- 0.14 after multiple dosing, P < .05). This change was mainly caused by a decrease of systemic clearance values from 15.6 +/- 9.7 to 9.0 +/- 1.3 and 7.0 +/- 3.5 ml/min/kg, respectively (P < .05). These data clearly indicate that the nonlinear pharmacokinetics of mibefradil after p.o. dosing are the result of an increase in bioavailability and a reduction in systemic clearance. Both changes are attributed to a reduction in the ability of the liver to eliminate the drug.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether the prevalence of gout and/or clinically significant hyperuricemia increased in a managed care population over 10 years.

METHODS
The study was a descriptive analysis utilizing an administrative claims database to ascertain 10-year trends in prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia. Prevalence rates were calculated cross-sectionally for each year (1990-99) and expressed/compared as rates per 1000 enrollees.

RESULTS
The prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia in the overall population increased by about 2 cases per 1000 enrollees over 10 years. In the > 75 year age group, rates increased from 21 per 1000 persons in 1990 to 41 per 1000 in 1999. In the 65-74 year age group, prevalence increased from between 21 and 24 per 1000 persons in the years 1990-92 to over 31 per 1000 during the years 1997-99. Prevalence rates in younger age groups (< 65 years) stayed consistently low during the years under study. There were sex differences in most age groups, with men having the greater burden of disease at every time point.

CONCLUSION
Prevalence of gout and/or hyperuricemia in the overall study population increased during the 10-year period. When stratified by age, there were increases in prevalence among groups over age 65 in both sexes. Although gout prevalence increased in both sexes over the 10-year period, men still had most of the burden of disease. In ages younger than 65, men had 4 times higher prevalence than women (4:1 ratio), but in the older age groups (> 65), the gender gap narrowed to 1 woman to every 3 men with gout and/or hyperuricemia (3:1 ratio).


Humans have altered the Earth's land surface since the Paleolithic mainly by clearing woody vegetation first to improve hunting and gathering opportunities, and later to provide agricultural cropland. In the Holocene, agriculture was established on nearly all continents and led to widespread modification of terrestrial ecosystems. To quantify the role that humans played in the global carbon cycle over the Holocene, we developed a new, annually resolved inventory of anthropogenic land cover change from 8000 years ago to the beginning of large-scale industrialization (ad 1850). This inventory is based on a simple relationship between population and land use observed in several European countries over preindustrial time. Using this data set, and an alternative scenario based on the HYDE 3.1 land use data base, we forced the LPJ dynamic global vegetation model in a series of continuous simulations to evaluate the impacts of humans on terrestrial carbon storage during the preindustrial Holocene. Our model setup allowed us to quantify the importance of land degradation caused by repeated episodes of land use followed by abandonment. By 3 ka BP, cumulative carbon emissions caused by anthropogenic land cover change in our new scenario ranged between 84 and 102 Pg, translating to c. 7 ppm of atmospheric CO2. By ad 1850, emissions were 325–357 Pg in the new scenario, in contrast to 137–189 Pg when driven by HYDE. Regional events that resulted in local emissions or uptake of carbon were often balanced by contrasting patterns in other parts of the world. While we cannot close the carbon budget in the current study, simulated cumulative anthropogenic emissions over the preindustrial Holocene are consistent with the ice core record of atmospheric δ13CO2 and support the hypothesis that anthropogenic activities led to the stabilization of atmospheric CO2 concentrations at a level that made the world substantially warmer than it otherwise would be.


Background: Most cranial vault remodeling for craniosynostosis is associated with substantial blood loss necessitating transfusion. The transfusion of over 25 ml/kg of red blood cells has long been considered an important safety threshold and has been proposed as a potential marker of health care quality, despite a lack of evidence. The authors sought to ascertain risk factors for transfusion in cranial vault remodeling and to quantify the effect of transfusion volume on postoperative complications. Methods: Patients who underwent complex cranial vault remodeling for craniosynostosis were identified from the Pediatric National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Multivariate regression models were used to identify independent risk factors for transfusion and to assess its impact on subsequent outcomes. Results: One thousand fifty-nine patients met inclusion criteria. Seven hundred seventy-seven patients (73.4 percent) required a transfusion and 520 patients (49.1 percent) required a transfusion in excess of 25 ml/kg. Neither transfusion nor transfusion volume in excess of 25 ml/kg had a significant effect on postoperative outcomes. Therefore, the authors sought to determine a more meaningful threshold. The top 20 percent of transfusion volumes were greater than or equal to 45.28 ml/kg. Recursive partitioning generated a threshold of 62.52 ml/kg, which independently predicted a greater number of complications and was associated with higher odds ratios than the quintile method. A threshold of 60 ml/kg was chosen for simplicity and was independently predictive of overall complications, medical complications, and increased length of stay. Conclusions: Transfusion is common in complex cranial vault remodeling. Currently described occurrence thresholds do not accurately convey postoperative risk. Transfusion in excess of 60 ml/kg significantly increases risk for complications and length of stay in cranial vault remodeling. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, III.


Feedback control has become a crucial tool in the research on magnetic confinement of plasmas for achieving controlled nuclear fusion. This thesis presents a novel plasma feedback control system that, for the first time, employs a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for microsecond-latency, real-time control computations. This novel application area for GPU computing is opened up by a new system architecture that is optimized for low-latency computations on less than kilobyte sized data samples as they occur in typical plasma control algorithms. In contrast to traditional GPU computing approaches that target complex, high-throughput computations with massive amounts of data, the architecture presented in this thesis uses the GPU as the primary processing unit rather than as an auxiliary of the CPU, and data is transferred from A-D/D-A converters directly into GPU memory using peer-to-peer PCI Express transfers. The described design has been implemented in a new, GPU-based control system for the High-Beta Tokamak – Extended Pulse (HBT-EP) device. The system is built from commodity hardware and uses an NVIDIA GeForce GPU and D-TACQ A-D/D-A converters providing a total of 96 input and 64 output channels. The system is able to run with sampling periods down to 4 μs and latencies down to 8 μs. The GPU provides a total processing power of 1.5 x 1012 floating point operations per second.
To illustrate the performance and versatility of both the general architecture and concrete implementation, a new control algorithm has been developed. The algorithm is designed for the control of multiple rotating magnetic perturbations in situations where the plasma equilibrium is not known exactly and features an adaptive system model: instead of requiring the rotation frequencies and growth rates embedded in the system model to be set a priori, the adaptive algorithm derives these parameters from the evolution of the perturbation amplitudes themselves. This results in non-linear control computations with high computational demands, but is handled easily by the GPU based system. Both digital processing latency and an arbitrary multi-pole response of amplifiers and control coils is fully taken into account for the generation of control signals. To separate sensor signals into perturbed and equilibrium components without knowledge of the equilibrium fields, a new separation method based on biorthogonal decomposition is introduced and used to derive a filter that performs the separation in real-time.
The control algorithm has been implemented and tested on the new, GPU-based feedback control system of the HBT-EP tokamak. In this instance, the algorithm was set up to control four rotating n = 1 perturbations at different poloidal angles. The perturbations were treated as coupled in frequency but independent in amplitude and phase, so that the system effectively controls a helical n = 1 perturbation with unknown poloidal spectrum. Depending on the plasma's edge safety factor and rotation frequency, the control system is shown to be able to suppress the amplitude of the dominant 8 kHz mode by up to 60% or amplify the saturated amplitude by a factor of up to two. Intermediate feedback phases combine suppression and amplification with a speed up or slow down of the mode rotation frequency. Increasing feedback gain results in the excitation of an additional, slowly rotating 1.4 kHz mode without further effects on the 8 kHz mode. The feedback performance is found to exceed previous results obtained with an FPGA- and Kalman-filter based control system without requiring any tuning of system model parameters.
Experimental results are compared with simulations based on a combination of the Boozer surface current model and the Fitzpatrick-Aydemir model. Within the subset of phenomena that can be represented by the model as well as determined experimentally, qualitative agreement is found.


Vaccines and gene therapy vectors could benefit from new insights into structure. Adenoviruses are a large group of DNA viruses with a distinguished experimental history, including contributions to the discovery of RNA splicing and the elucidation of central pathways in cell transformation (1). Some adenoviruses are human pathogens. They are also very much in vogue as potential vaccine and gene therapy vectors. Structure-based redesign of their cell-targeting and antigenic properties is therefore a desirable goal. Although the striking icosahedral shape of an adenovirus particle has made its image an icon in virology (see the figure), the complexity of its molecular organization has required that a picture of an intact virion be assembled by fitting high-resolution structures of the "major" components (the "hexon," "penton base," and "penton fiber") into lower-resolution images from cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) (2). Two papers in this issue will help to eliminate that requirement. On page 1071, Reddy et al. (3) report the crystal structure of a modified adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), in which short penton fibers from another serotype replace those of the wild-type Ad5. On page 1038, Zhou and colleagues (4) report a cryo-EM reconstruction of Ad5 with sufficient resolution to trace polypeptide chains in three of the "minor" proteins that hold hexons and pentons together, giving a more detailed view than hitherto possible of interactions that determine particle assembly.


Background and objectives: Dengue fever is a vector-borne disease caused by the mosquito Aedes sp. The disease has spread to new geographical areas in the past few decades threatening previously unexposed populations to its risks. Environmental factors and unplanned urbanization are the two important variables affecting the increasing incidence of dengue. India has seen many outbreaks of the disease in the last decade. The capital city of India, Delhi has witnessed the increasing number of dengue cases in the last couple of years. Most of the cases occur during the monsoon period starting from July and lasting up to September. This study was carried out to assess the effects of seasonal rainfall on the incidence of dengue cases in Delhi. Methods: Retrospective data from 2005-2015 for annual rainfall and dengue incidence was collected and Pearson's correlation coefficient was calculated as a measure of association between the variables. Results: An overall positive but very weak correlation was found between annual rainfall and dengue incidence. An analysis of pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon rainfall patterns also indicated a very weak correlation between dengue incidence and rainfall patterns of the city. Interpretation and Conclusion: Our analysis indicates that weather variables may not be an absolute predictor of disease incidence and other factors must also be considered for the control of vector population.


Robert Watt has provided an excellent précis of the main theme of my book, namely Kant's radical subjectivism, for which I am extremely thankful. I could not have written a more succinct summary that captures the essence, give or take a few details, of what I take to be Kant's metaphilosophical stance in the Transcendental Deduction (henceforth simply 'the Deduction'). So I'm not going to repeat here in my own words what Watt wrote. Rather, what I am going to do is respond to the lingering questions that Watt has, in particular, as to (1) how I see the issue of "epistemic humility" and how this ties in with my thesis of radical subjectivism, and (2) why I think objective validity is not a feature of intuitions, making my position on nonconceptualism vulnerable, in Watt's view, to being nothing more than a closet conceptualism. Another issue that Watt raises concerns what is probably the most controversial aspect of my reading of the Deduction: namely (3) the contentious claim, which I defended at length in my previous book (Schulting 2012, henceforth KDA), that the categories are all a priori derived from the principle of apperception. Despite Watt's serious reservations and Corey Dyck's and Andrew Stephenson's earlier misgivings, as well as Thomas Land's doubts about this claim (Dyck 2014; Stephenson 2014; Land 2018; cf. by contrast Quarfood 2014), I remain firmly committed to it as what is in my view the only way to explain the systematicity claim that Kant makes with respect to the two tables, as well as the only way to understand what I call the reciprocity claim that is central to the Deduction (following Henry Allison). I realise I'm perhaps a lone voice in this in current Kant scholarship, but I take comfort in the knowledge of being in the august company of Klaus Reich and Michael Wolff, who both defend the idea.


We demonstrate a powerful new tool for real-time single-shot imaging of ultrafast phase shifts based on multipulse interferometric frequency-resolved optical gating that can directly measure and display ultrafast-time-scale phase shifts without computation. In addition, this technique can, with the application of interferogram analysis and iterative phase-retrievial techniques, recover the intensity and phase of three pulses in a single shot and exhibits a linear sensitivity to the pulse field in the wings.


Kalant, H. (2015). Neurobiological research on addiction: What value has it added to the concept?.  The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4 (1), 53-59. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i1.196 The initial goal of neurobiological research on addiction was to identify the neural mechanisms involved in the mediation and expression of addictive behavior. More recently, however, it has attributed causal roles to these mechanisms, as illustrated by the definition of addiction as a brain disease caused by chronic exposure to a drug. This concept carries a number of implications that can be assessed experimentally and clinically. None of these implications is borne out by the currently available evidence. The interactions of neuronal systems involved in addiction are also involved in adaptation to experience and environmental change. Much of the neurobiological research to date has not differentiated between causes of addiction, neuronal mechanisms that are activated by them, and risk factors that contribute to individual vulnerability. It has largely ignored the important experiential and environmental influences known to affect the prevalence of addiction in different populations or different times, and it has so far directed much less attention to other forms of addiction-like behavior that do not involve drugs. These failures are not inherent in neurobiological research but require reorientation of objectives, including more emphasis on the study of mechanisms by which environment and experience, including drug experience, can determine whether genetic risk factors are expressed or remain dormant and can direct neuroadaptive mechanisms toward alternative outcomes.


Carbon Capture and Storage is a nascent technology developed with the intention of collecting carbon dioxide emissions from the flue gasses of point source producers, such as power stations or cement works. The carbon dioxide is then stored in underground geological reservoirs so that it does not reach the atmosphere, reducing the rate at which greenhouse gasses accumulate and influence climate change. However, as with all nascent technologies, the benefits of these developments and concepts must be weighed against the risks of serious and long-term environmental impact should an accidental release occur. The aim of this thesis is to study the potential for environmental damage caused by a release of carbon dioxide into the marine environment from a sub-seabed carbon dioxide reservoir generated through carbon capture and storage development. The quantification of the rate of change caused by such an accidental release of carbon dioxide will be studied, as will the rate at which natural conditions are re-established upon cessation of the release.


This spirited and challenging book presents dialogues between eminent art historians on current topics and dilemmas in the field. The essays consider world art of all periods, covering ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, preconquest Mexico and Peru, Islam, China, Japan, Renaissance and baroque Italy, 18th- and 19th-century France, and the United States in the 20th century and today. The authors propose new readings as they challenge traditional systems of classification; interpret monuments in terms of their interaction with their environments; redefine the Italian Renaissance in light of the new vernacular sensibility that emerged in the Trecento; view portraiture both in close detail and in social and historical perspective; and point to the need to reconcile historical coherence with complexity in museum displays. Contributors include Svetlana Alpers, Elizabeth Hill Boone, Philippe Bordes, Betsy M. Bryan, C. Jean Campbell, Joseph Connors, Charles Dempsey, Marian H. Feldman, Finbarr Barry Flood, Hal Foster, Marc Gotlieb, Ewa Lajer-Burcharth, Michael Leja, Yukio Lippit, Joanne Pillsbury, Louise Rice, David J. Roxburgh, Jeffrey Weiss, Mariet Westermann, and Wu Hung.


A comparison study was conducted in which 372 subjects, ages 3 through 10 years, were tested by using the Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test. The purpose of the study was to determine the generalizability of the original normative data for the test by using a larger sample and an expanding age range of subjects. A comparison of these data from the comparison study with the original normative data showed close agreement. No significant differences in vestibular responsivity were obtained for age, sex, or interaction. Test-retest reliability was comparable to that found for the original normative group. The results of the comparison study were consistent with the original normative data and suggest that they may be applied to subjects from 3 through 10 years of age.


In order to capture and reproduce sound all around the listener in a perceptually realistic way, a recording technique (microphone layout) and a reproduction system (loudspeaker layout) capable of accurate 360° imaging are required. In order to develop the reproduction system, binaural and loudspeaker-based localisation cues were investigated in a literature review. The necessary loudspeaker-based localisation cues to manipulate the location of a sound image were analysed, and these showed that the common 5.1 surround sound loudspeaker arrangement could produce stable images to the front of the listener but not to the side. An 8-channel loudspeaker configuration arranged as a regular octagon was therefore chosen based on attempting to recreate plausible interaural cues for all locations. The performance of this was compared to a 5.1 loudspeaker system in terms of localisation accuracy. It was shown that the octagonal loudspeaker configuration produces more stable and more accurate images all around the listener. The octagonal loudspeaker arrangement required new microphone techniques for optimum recording and reproduction. An overview of the current literature showed how localisation curves can be used to design microphone arrays, and the other physical and perceptual parameters that need to be considered in microphone array design. This showed that it is useful to derive localisation curves for the new loudspeaker configuration, as these can be used to optimise the microphone array's sound imaging accuracy. An experiment was therefore conducted to measure the localisation curves, and it showed that localisation curves are different for the loudspeaker pairs to the front, side or the rear of the listener. It also showed that to the side of the listener, interchannel time differences have little influence on the perceived location of the sound event. The derivation of these localisation curves enabled the development of a microphone array design tool that predicts the localisation profile of a microphone array as a function of its geometrical set-up and the directivities of the microphones. The predictions of this tool were evaluated by comparing sound image positions for recordings of ten sound sources with ten different microphone arrays. This showed that the error of prediction is small when the crosstalk due to the microphone array is low. A linear regression model was created and shown to reasonably model the error of prediction as a function of the crosstalk level and crosstalk delay.


Cities in developing countries experiencing rapid urbanization and population growth too often lack the financial resources and institutional capacity to provide needed municipal infrastructure for adequate solid waste management, despite citizens' demand for it. This paper uses a cross-sectional survey of 226 randomly selected households in Mekelle City, Ethiopia, to assess the current municipal sanitation fees and the willingness to pay (WTP) of residents for improved urban waste management, and suggests mechanisms for cost recovery. We used Tobit and probit models in the empirical analysis to determine the factors that influence households' WTP for improved solid waste management. Results reveal that residents' WTP for improved solid waste management is significantly related to income and awareness of environmental quality, among other factors. Study results reveal that the current city fee for sanitation is far below the WTP of the residents. The mean WTP we found can be a guide for municipal officials in setting a more appropriate fee that can finance improvements in city SWM, where all households receive collection services, waste is disposed of properly, and recycling and composting features are added.


The History Workshop movement, a grassroots coalition of radicalacademic, feminist, and labour historians founded at Ruskin College in the late 1960s under the guidance of Raphael Samuel, represents a powerful example of the fusion of political commitment with historical practice. However, outside of a handful of general commentaries, the history of the Workshop remains mostly unexplored. This article focuses on two central pillars of the Workshop's programme, the annual workshop gatherings held at Ruskin and the History Workshop Journal, in order to examine
how its socialist (and feminist) political aspirations were translated into democratic and radical historical forms. It argues that this connection between politics and history should not be simply understood in theoretical or ideological terms, but should also encompass the symbolic, aesthetic and emotional dimensions of historical practice. While critical attention is paid to the tensions and limits of the Workshop's project, the article suggests that it was precisely in the effort to negotiate the contradictions inherent in its own ideals that the relevance and productive use of the case of History Workshop endures.


The RISK of an event generally relates to its expected severity and the perceived probability of its occurrence. In RISK research, however, there is no standard measure for subjective probability estimates. In this study, we compared five commonly used measurement formats—two rating scales, a visual analog scale, and two numeric measures—in terms of their ability to assess subjective probability judgments when objective probabilities are available. We varied the probabilities (low vs. moderate) and severity (low vs. high) of the events to be judged as well as the presentation mode of objective probabilities (sequential presentation of singular events vs. graphical presentation of aggregated information). We employed two complementary goodness‐of‐fit criteria: the correlation between objective and subjective probabilities (sensitivity), and the root mean square deviations of subjective probabilities from objective values (accuracy). The numeric formats generally outperformed all other measures. The severity of events had no effect on the performance. Generally, a rise in probability led to decreases in performance. This effect, however, depended on how the objective probabilities were encoded: pictographs ensured perfect information, which improved goodness of fit for all formats and diminished this negative effect on the performance. Differences in performance between scales are thus caused only in part by characteristics of the scales themselves—they also depend on the process of encoding. Consequently, researchers should take the source of probability information into account before selecting a measure.


The physiological response of conifers to a deciduous overstory is unstudied in the cool temperate zone despite the widespread occurrence of the association. The object of this study is therefore to determine the degree that understory conifers are inhibited by a deciduous overstory, and to identify the factors responsible. Thus, three conifer species (Juniperus scopulorum, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Abies lasiocarpa) growing with and without a deciduous Populus canopy were contrasted in regards to environment, seasonal performance, and physiological response to environmental factors. Understory conifer stands were darker, and especially so when the overstory had leaves. Understory environments of P. menziesii and A. lasiocarpa were cooler and had lower vapor pressure deficits than open sites, but were similar in relative humidity and soil water. In contrast, understory sites of J. scopulorum had similar temperature, vapor pressure deficit, and soil water. Relative to conifers in the open, photosynthesis of understory conifers was reduced by roughly the same amount (~10%), regardless of photosynthetic rate. While at intermittent times photosynthesis was reduced by much greater amounts, the expected increase of summertime suppression (>10%) was not seen. Understory conifer suppression was not linked to any seasonally limited resource, such as light, water, or nutrients. The slight suppression over the year was due to an unidentified factor, perhaps the lower temperature of the understory environment (-2C), or seemingly unlikely, an allelopathic effect from Populus. In instantaneous measures, photosynthesis was better correlated with day of year and RH than light, VPD, or temperature. The correlated phenomena relate to season and precipitation rather than canopy condition under study. Slight photosynthetic inhibition of understory conifers is supported by similar observations of suppression in the diameter growth and one-year's twig growth.


BACKGROUND
Understanding the link between physical intimate partner violence (IPV) and contraception is key to preventing unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data from the Relationship Dynamics and Social Life study, a longitudinal study of a racially and socioeconomically diverse population-representative random sample of 18- to 19-year-old women residing in a Michigan county in 2008-2009 and followed weekly through 2011-2012, were used. Logistic regression models of contraceptive behaviors on temporally specific measures of physical violence victimization: recent, history in the current relationship, and history in prior relationships were conducted among 711 women.

RESULTS
Women who experienced physical IPV in their current relationship had lower odds of using contraception (odds ratio [OR], 0.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.28, 0.76 for recent; OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33, 0.83 for past). Condom use was lower among women who experienced past physical IPV in their current relationship (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.26, 0.73), while withdrawal use was higher (OR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.24, 3.19). Women who experienced physical IPV used condoms less consistently (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.13, 0.85 for recent; OR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.14, 0.52 for prior relationships).

CONCLUSIONS
Physical IPV victimization is a dynamic and strong predictor of contraceptive use, method type, and consistency of condom use.


In whole cells, the effects of several androgens and antiandrogens on the in the induction of DNA binding for the human wild-type androgen receptor (AR) and a mutant receptor ARL (LNCaP mutation; codon 868, Thr to Ala) were examined and related to the transcription activation ability of these receptors. To study DNA binding, an AR expression vector was cotransfected in Chinese hamster ovary cells with a promoter interference plasmid cytomegalovirus-(androgen-responsive element)3-luciferase, containing one or more androgen-responsive elements between the TATA box of the cytomegalovirus promoter and the start site of luciferase gene transcription. Expression levels of the AR are up-regulated by some agonists, but receptor expression levels are comparable for all antiandrogens studied. In the presence of androgens, the wild-type AR is able to reduce promoter activity of the cytomegalovirus-(androgen-responsive element)3-luciferase plasmid, indicating androgen-dependent DNA binding of the AR. The full antagonists hydroxyflutamide, ICI 176.334, and RU 23908 block AR binding to DNA. The antagonists cyproterone acetate and RU 38486 induce approximately 50% of the DNA binding found for androgens. In a transcription activation assay, the RU 38646-bound receptor was almost inactive, and the receptor complexed with cyproterone acetate showed partial agonistic activity. Interaction of the antagonists cyproterone acetate, hydroxyflutamide, and RU 23908 with the mutant receptor ARL resulted in both DNA-bound and a transcriptionally active receptor. In conclusion, transformation of the AR to a DNA-binding state in whole cells is blocked by several antiandrogens. Furthermore, studies with the antiandrogens cyproterone acetate and RU 38486 show that DNA binding alone is not sufficient to accomplish full transcriptional activity. Full activity requires additional changes, presumably in the protein structure of the receptor.


Obtaining continuous representations of structural data such as directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) has gained attention in machine learning and artificial intelligence. However, embedding complex DAGs in which both ancestors and descendants of nodes are exponentially increasing is difficult. Tackling in this problem, we develop Disk Embeddings, which is a framework for embedding DAGs into quasi-metric spaces. Existing state-of-the-art methods, Order Embeddings and Hyperbolic Entailment Cones, are instances of Disk Embedding in Euclidean space and spheres respectively. Furthermore, we propose a novel method Hyperbolic Disk Embeddings to handle exponential growth of relations. The results of our experiments show that our Disk Embedding models outperform existing methods especially in complex DAGs other than trees.


This study argues that the novels of Aldous Huxley written 1921-1939 reflect the influence of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species on the loss of faith and decline of traditional spiritual values representative of those times. An introduction places Huxley, his work and ideas, against the background of the late 19th century literary and scientific scene. It examines his position as a writer of popularity and influence in the years between the World Wars, in relation to his struggle to achieve a new perspective and sense of value. It also places Huxley in a critical context, suggesting that, while the decline in his literary reputation over the past 40 years reflects his weaknesses as a writer, his contribution to 20th century literature's revaluation of the role of man in an evolving universe, although generally overlooked, is significant.
The first chapter looks at the ways in which Huxley's first two novels, Crome Yellow (1921) and Antic Hay (1923), express his growing sense of the social and spiritual isolation of the individual in an evolving world, a world described by Darwin as 'an inextricable web of affinities'. This sense is brought about by his perception of the inadequacy of viewing the world in the traditional way, as a hierarchical ordering of creation with man at the apex, in God's image. The second chapter pursues this sense of isolation to its most extreme expression, the fear of death, found in the novels of the late twenties, Those Barren Leaves (1925) and Point Counter Point (1928). This fear, part of Huxley's rejection of the physical basis of human existence, is related to Darwin's influence on contemporary assumptions about mortality and change. It is seen to lead to a bleak and despairing interpretation of mankind's nature and destiny. Huxley's sense of the irreconcilable divisions in human existence is suggested to be a reflection of his divided sense of self: from it sprang a spiritual and philosophical impasse from which no positive or developing theme could emerge.
The third chapter examines the ways in which this impasse was gradually resolved in the novels of the thirties, Brave New World (1931) and Eyeless in Gaza (1935). A more positive outlook is seen to correspond to a growing acceptance of self as a physical and emotional being, as well as a rational and spiritual one. Darwin's unifying vision of the universe, and the optimism he expressed with his interpretation of evolution as 'progress towards perfection; are incorporated into Huxley's mature outlook. A sense of an inherent division in human existence remains, but is able to be placed in a wider perspective of universal harmony.


Science and technology on the scale of a nanometer--one billionth of a meter--is revolutionary. Nanotechnology refers to the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules, making it possible to build machines on the scale of human cells or create materials and structures from the bottom up with novel properties. Nanotechnology could change the way almost everything is designed and made, from wrist computers more powerful than any desktop computer available today to vaccines to objects not yet imagined. Nanotechnology research is a national priority and UT-Austin is at the forefront of this incredibly important frontier with its Center for Nano and Molecular Science and Technology. Join the Center's director, Dr. Paul Barbara, for an exploration of what nanotechnology is and can be and how researchers at the University of Texas are helping to shape our nanotechnology future


We report on a heterogeneously integrated InP/silicon-on-insulator (SOI) laser source realized through divinylsiloxane-bis-benzocyclobutene (DVS-BCB) wafer bonding. The hybrid lasers present several new features. The III-V waveguide has a width of only 1.7 μm, reducing the power consumption of the device. The silicon waveguide thickness is 400 nm, compatible with high-performance modulator designs and allowing efficient coupling to a standard 220-nm high index contrast silicon waveguide layer. In order to make the mode coupling efficient, both the III-V waveguide and silicon waveguide are tapered, with a tip width for the III-V waveguide of around 800 nm. These new features lead to good laser performance: a lasing threshold as low as 30 mA and an output power of more than 4 mW at room temperature in continuous-wave operation regime. Continuous wave lasing up to 70°C is obtained.


Hyssop is grown on plantations in Poland. The aim of present study was to investigate the morphological character of Hyssopus officinalis and chemical composition of essential oil from hyssop. The plants were cut in the middle of August. Hyssop plants achieved mean height of 41.8 cm and the diameter of 37.1 cm. Main components of hyssop essential oil were: cis-pinocamphone, trans-pinocamphone, β-pinene, elemol and germacrene D.


Background: Herpes encephalitis in children entails a significant risk of mortality and morbidity. The diagnosis of herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis has been markedly facilitated by the availability of assays that amplify viral DNA to detectable levels by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This study aimed to obtain the incidence of HSV encephalitis in Qena Governorate, Egypt, to highlight the role of different investigation studies in diagnosis and prognosis of herpetic encephalitis and to highlight the role of PCR in detection of HSV. Methods: This study was conducted on 50 patients suspected to have viral encephalitis. All were subjected to complete history and examination, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, electroencephalogram (EEG), CT brain and PCR amplification for HSV DNA by real-time PCR using SYBR Green I Dye as the detection signal. Results: Encephalitis was more detected in cases less than 1 year (52.2%), males, in rural (61.3%) and in lower socioeconomic state (55%) than others. Seizures (60%) and focal neurological findings (46%) were the most common presentations. HSV DNA was detected by PCR in CSF samples from 28 patients (56%). Conclusions: PCR may be one of the sensitive and specific investigative methods for laboratory diagnosis of HSV encephalitis. The incidence of HSV-induced encephalitis in children in Qena governorate was 56%. Int J Clin Pediatr. 2017;6(1-2):1-7 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/ijcp274w


Occupants control indoor environments to meet their individual needs for comfort. The control of window is the most common natural ventilation method influencing indoor environment as well as the energy use of the buildings to maintain a suitable environment. Therefore a better understanding of window control behaviour of the occupants has significant implication to enhance occupant comfort with minimal energy consumption. The objective of this study was to identify an appropriate algorithm and variables to develop a predictive model for window control. A longitudinal field measurement was performed for 10 months in 23 residential houses. Outdoor and indoor environmental conditions and window status were continuously monitored for the period. To identify an appropriate modelling algorithm, the logistic regression which is a traditional statistical method for binary data and three popular machine learning models, k-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) were applied and compared. The result of this study reveals that the machine learning algorithms outperforms the traditional statistical regression model. Another contribution of this study is that variables influencing occupants to control window were varied in each season and from person to person. Thus, these results show the improvement of prediction with the use of machine learning-based control system.


In this lively and approachable volume based on his popular blog series, Martin Weller demonstrates a rich history of innovation and effective implementation of ed tech across higher education. From Bulletin Board Systems to blockchain, Weller follows the trajectory of education by focusing each chapter on a technology, theory, or concept that has influenced each year since 1994. Calling for both caution and enthusiasm, Weller advocates for a critical and research-based approach to new technologies, particularly in light of disinformation, the impact of social media on politics, and data surveillance trends. A concise and necessary retrospective, this book will be valuable to educators, ed tech practitioners, and higher education administrators, as well as students.


Efficient management of energy resources is a challenging research area in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). Recent studies have revealed that clustering is an efficient topology control approach for organizing a network into a connected hierarchy which balances the traffic load of the sensor nodes and improves the overall scalability and the lifetime of WSNs. Inspired by the advantages of clustering techniques, we have three main contributions in this paper. First, we propose an energy efficient cluster formation algorithm called Active Node Cluster Formation (ANCF). The core aim to propose ANCF algorithm is to distribute heavy data traffic and high energy consumption load evenly in the network by offering unequal size of clusters in the network. The developed scheme appoints each cluster head (CH) near to the sink and sensing event while the remaining set of the cluster heads (CHs) are appointed in the middle of each cluster to achieve the highest level of energy efficiency in dense deployment. Second, we propose a lightweight sensing mechanism called Active Node Sensing Algorithm (ANSA). The key aim to propose the ANSA algorithm is to avoid high sensing overlapping data redundancy by appointing a set of active nodes in each cluster with satisfy coverage near to the event. Third, we propose an Active Node Routing Algorithm (ANRA) to address complex inter and intra cluster routing issues in highly dense deployment based on the node dominating values. Extensive experimental studies conducted through network simulator NCTUNs 6.0 reveal that our proposed scheme outperforms existing routing techniques in terms of energy efficiency, end-to-end delay and data redundancy, congestion management and setup robustness. & 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.


Polymeric photovoltaics have attracted considerable academic and industrial interest over the last few years because of their unique features. However, they still suffer from some drawbacks which have prevented so far massive industrial production. These drawbacks include high costs related to the preparation of active materials and high toxicity of organo-tin compounds usually involved in synthetic routes. In this context, we report the synthesis of one of the most promising polymers for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, PBDTTPD (poly[(benzo[1,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene)-alt-(4H-thieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6(5H)-dione)]), via Direct (Hetero)Arylation Polymerization (DHAP) in the presence, for the first time, of a low-cost Pd-catalyst [Pd(PPh3)4]. The outcome of the polymerization process is discussed in comparison with the synthesis of the same polymer via the Stille polycondensation. The photovoltaic performances of the polymer synthesized via DHAP are compared with those of the same polymer obtained via the Stille coupling and a commercially available PBDTTPD. The polymer synthesized by Pd(PPh3)4-catalyzed DHAP blended with PC71BM exhibits a power conversion efficiency up to 5.3%, higher than that of the Stille reference polymer, and comparable with that of the commercially available PBDTTPD, under the same processing conditions. These results confirm the potential of DHAP as a convenient alternative for the synthesis of D–A copolymers for plastic solar cells.


Plant pathogens such as rust fungi (Pucciniales) are of global economic and ecological importance. This means there is a critical need to reliably and cost‐effectively detect, identify, and monitor these fungi at large scales. We investigated and analyzed the causes of differences between next‐generation sequencing (NGS) metabarcoding approaches and traditional DNA cloning in the detection and quantification of recognized species of rust fungi from environmental samples. We found significant differences between observed and expected numbers of shared rust fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) among different methods. However, there was no significant difference in relative abundance of OTUs that all methods were capable of detecting. Differences among the methods were mainly driven by the method's ability to detect specific OTUs, likely caused by mismatches with the NGS metabarcoding primers to some Puccinia species. Furthermore, detection ability did not seem to be influenced by differences in sequence lengths among methods, the most appropriate bioinformatic pipeline used for each method, or the ability to detect rare species. Our findings are important to future metabarcoding studies, because they highlight the main sources of difference among methods, and rule out several mechanisms that could drive these differences. Furthermore, strong congruity among three fundamentally different and independent methods demonstrates the promising potential of NGS metabarcoding for tracking important taxa such as rust fungi from within larger NGS metabarcoding communities. Our results support the use of NGS metabarcoding for the large‐scale detection and quantification of rust fungi, but not for confirming the absence of species.


Listening to the sounds made by the lungs is a long-standing method that is still used to diagnose lung diseases. Many studies have been conducted on the automatic recognition of recorded sounds from the lungs. However, in these studies, respiratory cycles, i.e. inhalations followed by exhalations, were either monitored manually or by using multichannel signals of the sounds made by the lungs. In order to recognize sounds made by the lungs automatically, one must first use these sounds to determine the respiratory cycles. Our previous study was the first study presented in the literature in which the boundaries of respiratory cycles were determined based on single-channel sounds from the lungs. However, this method was not successful when ambient noise occurred and interfered with the sounds from the lungs. In the present study, a new method has been developed in which important changes were made to reduce or negate the effects of ambient noises. Our proposed new method includes a processing method that we developed to obtain respiratory cycles as smooth, repetitive patterns. Then the dynamic time-warping algorithm was used to determine the boundaries of the respiratory cycles, based on the similarity of the patterns. This new method was used to detect the seven sounds that are commonly made by the lung. As a result, the limits of the respiratory cycles were obtained with a mean absolute error of 56.51 ms. In addition, the method we developed has the potential to determine the boundaries of the patterns in signals that contain repetitive data, such as the sounds made by the lungs in this study.


We present a traffic monitoring prototype powered by a raspberry-pi that leverages on techniques such as the detection of signals as Bluetooth. Namely, signals spread by vehicles passing on the roadway are revealed by the battery powered boxes installed on the roadside.

The entire system is proudly powered by only free and open source softwares, at the probe side upon a healthy OS level orchestrated by the Debian OS runs the bluetooth inquiring tool while at the server side the traces are gathered and analyzed by a python back-end developed with the web2py web framework.

Given the growing and serious issue as the traffic jam and the continued reduction of the budget that municipalities have to deal with a sane and open source system for monitoring the traffic trends could be a starting point not only for cutting the expenditure down but also to develop an homogeneous monitoring infrastructure.

The aim of developing our prototype based on signals as bluetooth stems from an interest of proposing an open source solution in the field of monitoring vehicular traffic. Moreover the idea is that the same solution can be applied by different municipalities without any significant effort in customizing and adapting the source code for their particular requirements. Nowadays the bluetooth technology is available on several vehicular fleets, it is a matter of fact, it is widely used as the main in-car short range point-to-point communication standard for info-entertainment and phone headset. Its adoption in new vehicles is growing, as a result we expect that the number of cars monitored will increase in the following years. This positive growth can only strengthen the use of this technology. In particular, based on empirical tests carried out in the city of Bolzano, the number of cars detected are at least the 25% of the total traffic flow, with an average of 30%, and peak of 43%. This figures are proof that it is possible and worthwhile to predict the traffic trends with this approach. In addition, by detecting bluetooth signals the system is not only able to project an estimation of the total number of cars passing through the monitored area but also to compute the travel time that a vehicle took to pass through two different places monitored by the probes. Namely, the former is an estimation chart generated as a function of the percentage of cars equipped with bluetooth while the later can provide input data for the so called in the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) domain origin/destination matrix, which is used by traffic engineers to feed complex traffic simulation models that compute the traffic flows distribution over the entire road-network.


In the nineteen 60s and 70s, the University of Dar es salaam was recognised internationally as a great academic institution, and the site of anti-colonialist, anti-imperialist, socialist studies and activism. With the onslaught of neo-liberalism beginning with Structural Adjustment Programmes in Tanzania in the mid 80s, the university was one of its prime targets; subjected to numerous pressures designed to extinguish the flames of revolutionary scholarship and activism. The establishment in 2008 of the Mwalimu Nyerere Chair on Pan ? Africanism with Professor Issa Shivji as its first Chairman, and the annual Distinguished Nyerere Lectures Series inaugurating annual intellectual festivals was, in Professor Shivji?s introduction to this volume of collected lectures, ?the resurrection of radical Pan-Africanism at the University of Dar es salaam.? The impact of the festivals and the lectures went well beyond the university community, as substantial number of the participants at these lectures and debates were citizen intellectuals, not part of the university community. The calibre of the distinguished lecturers speaks for itself; there could be no better representation of progressive African intellectuals honouring the legacy of Mwalimu Nyerere, than Professors Wole Soyinka, Samir Amin, Bereket Habte Selassie, Micere Githae Mugo and Thandika Mkandawire whose lectures are published in this book.


We present a complete bottom-up implementation of an embedded LINPACK benchmark on iPad 2. We use a novel formulation of a recursive LU factorization that is recursive and parallel at the global scope. We be believe our new algorithm presents an alternative to existing linear algebra parallelization techniques such as master-worker and DAG-based approaches. We show a assembly API that allows us a much higher level of abstraction and provides rapid code development within the confines of mobile device SDK. We use performance modeling to help with the limitation of the device and the limited access to device from the development environment not geared for HPC application tuning.


Complex webs of global supply chains are rooted in low wage labor abroad. Transnational corporations (TNCs) – large global corporations that do not identify with a single country as its headquarters – have gained power over producers through these arrangements at the expense of the workers' rights and job security. We present the hypothesis that the flexibility and inherent lack of accountability of global supply chains combined with the constant pursuit of lowest production costs has the potential to destabilize countries inadvertently. Evidence supports the proposition that exploitative conditions at the bottom can threaten the physical security and political/economic stability of those at the top. This is tangibly evident in the garment industry, which is explored in depth in this article. Governments and corporations in developed countries must take a more proactive role guaranteeing the rights of workers throughout global supply chains to ensure long-term socioeconomic stability for all. Multitudes employed in sweatshop factories are plunged further into destitute poverty when the global economy wavers. The failure of subcontractors to comply with basic labor standards or fulfill their contracts to workers as well as the TNCs' lack of accountability for their supply chains has jeopardized the job security, well-being, and stability of fragile communities. Unfair labor practices perpetuated by U.S. corporations exacerbate global class polarization, domestically as well as abroad. A global crisis emerges on many levels; to apparel workers and their communities, to the financial and social stability of the producer countries, and potentially to U.S. national security interests. The global linkages of apparel supply chains provide a poignant example of how injustices anywhere can affect everyone everywhere, in negative ways that even the most ardent security-driven conservatives must recognize.


Honeywell Engines and Systems recently introduced an advanced technology program to reduce emissions from the Vericor line of gas turbine engines for industrial and marine applications. One of the key technologies being developed for this program is the active control of combustion pressure oscillations that are excited in gas-fired, low-emission combustion systems. The ability to reduce the risk of these pressure oscillations enables safe operation of the engine in regimes that minimize emissions. In the first phase of this program, the concept was developed and tested on the combustor of the engine in under a week using dSPACE Prototyper.


The current study presents a conceptual replication of Liang and Xue's (2010) test of their proposed Technology Threat Avoidance Theory (TTAT). Whereas the original study investigated individuals' spyware related threat perceptions, avoidance motivations, and behaviors; we applied the original study's research questions, hypotheses, and model to the more general context of malware. Results from a sample of 486 computer users revealed that safeguard effectiveness, safeguard cost, and self-efficacy are relatively robust predictors of avoidance motivation across varied settings. Perceived severity is a strong predictor of perceived threat, however the impact of this overall threat perception (along with its perceived susceptibility antecedent) may be less stable in predicting avoidance motivation under changing contextual/environmental circumstances. The results suggest that TTAT is a valid foundational framework for examining user behavior related to malicious software. Future research should investigate additional predictors of avoidance motivation such as risk propensity, distrust, and impulse control to improve the power of the model. Additionally, the current TTAT instrument offers several opportunities for enhanced measurement accuracy through item modifications, scale anchor revisions, and improvements in parsimony.


Drawing on studies on the economics of conflict, this paper reviews the literature on maritime and territorial disputes; and it examines an array of economic implications associated with territorial and maritime disputes. These include adverse effects on certain economic and development outcomes arising from possible armed confrontation, with some of these possibly lingering in the aftermath of conflict. There are also various economic disruptions and costs associated with these disputes, emphasizing how they also affect the livelihoods of resource users in the disputed areas. A clearer understanding of these economic links could help inform and motivate policymakers on mitigating the risks of conflict. Based on the review of evidence herein, the economic implications of conflict in terms of foregone average trade among the country pairs considered in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea (in 1985 dollars) – which differ in important ways but hint at some common channels of impact – could range from US$ 909.3 million to US$ 98.8 billion. More broadly, the impacts on a disrupted global production chain can easily amplify these results even further, affecting global growth prospects for many decades, according to experience.


Nine [Ru(Tp)(dppe)L] complexes, where Tp is hydrotris(pyrazol-1-yl)borate, dppe is ethylenebis(diphenylphosphine), and L is (4-nitrophenyl)cyanamide (NO(2)pcyd(-)), (2-chlorophenyl)cyanamide (2-Clpcyd(-)), (3-chlorophenyl)cyanamide (3-Clpcyd(-)), (2,4-dichlorophenyl)cyanamide (2,4-Cl(2)pcyd(-)), (2,3-dichlorophenyl)cyanamide (2,3-Cl(2)pcyd(-)), (2,5-dichlorophenyl)cyanamide (2,5-Cl(2)pcyd(-)), (2,4,5-trichlorophenyl)cyanamide (2,4,5-Cl(3)pcyd(-)), (2,3,5,6-tetrachlorophenyl)cyanamide (2,3,5,6-Cl(4)pcyd(-)), and (pentachlorophenyl)cyanamide (Cl(5)pcyd(-)), and the dinuclear complex [{Ru(Tp)(dppe)}(2)(μ-adpc)], where adpc(2-) is azo-4,4-diphenylcyanamide, have been prepared and characterized. The crystal structures of [Ru(Tp)(dppe)(Cl(5)pcyd)] and [{Ru(Tp)(dppe)}(2)(μ-adpc)] reveal the Ru(II) ion to occupy a pseudooctahedral coordination sphere in which the cyanamide ligand coordinates to Ru(II) by its terminal nitrogen atom. For both complexes, the cyanamide ligands are planar, indicating significant π mixing between the cyanamide and phenyl moieties as well as the azo group in the case of adpc(2-). The optical spectra of the nominally ruthenium(III) species [Ru(Tp)(dppe)L](+) were obtained through spectroelectrochemistry measurements and showed an intense near-IR absorption band. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations of these species revealed that oxidation of the ruthenium(II) species led to species where partial oxidation of the cyanamide ligand had occurred, indicative of noninnocent character for these ligands. The spin densities reveal that while the 3-Clpycd species has substantial Ru(II)(3-Clpycd(0)) character, the Cl(5)pycd species is a much more localized ruthenium(III) complex of the Cl(5)pycd monoanion. Some bond order and charge distribution data are derived for these ruthenium(III) species. The near-IR band is assigned as a quite complex mixture of d-d, 4d(π) to L(NCN) MLCT, and L(NCN) to Ru 4d LMCT with even a scorpionate ligand component. Spectroelectrochemistry was also performed on [{Ru(Tp)(dppe)}(2)(μ-adpc)] to generate the mixed-valence state. The intense intervalence transition that is observed in the near-IR is very similar to that previously reported for [{Ru(trpy)(bpy)}(2)(μ-adpc)](2+), where trpy is 2,2':6',2"-terpyridine and bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine, and by analogy identifies [{Ru(Tp)(dppe)}(2)(μ-adpc)](+) as a delocalized mixed-valence complex.


List of figures. List of plates. Foreword. Acknowledgements. 1. The NAS Handbook - why it was written. 2. Underwater archaeology. What is archaeology?. What is archaeology under water?. What is not archaeology under water?. Closely related and complementary approaches (ethnography and experimental archaeology). Further information. 3. Getting involved in underwater and foreshore archaeology. Further information. 4. Basic principles - making the most of the clues. The importance of underwater sites. Site types. The range of evidence on an archaeological site. Links between categories of evidence. Using the evidence. Dating. Environment and site-formation processes. The deterioration of wood. Culture and site-formation processes. Further information. 5. Project planning. The project design. Further information. 6. Safety on archaeological sites under water and on the foreshore. Risk assessments. Diving project plan. Codes of practice. Control of diving operations. Working under water. Potential diving problems and solutions. Safety during excavation. Inter-tidal site safety. Further information. 7. International and national laws relating to archaeology under water. Jurisdiction - where do the laws apply?. The regime in international waters. International salvage law. Underwater cultural heritage and salvage law. Ownership of underwater cultural heritage. Abandonment of ownership. National legislation. International conventions. Case studies. Further information. 8. Archaeological recording. The need for recording. Recording systems. Planning the recording: what to record. Recording information on site. Recording timbers. Recording contexts. Recording stratigraphy. Recording environmental evidence. Recording samples. Recording survey results. Recording plans and sections. Recording photographic results. Conservation records. Identifying archaeological material. Tags and labelling. Storing the information. Computing options and issues. Geographical information systems. Explaining, documenting and supervising the system. Further information. 9. Historical research. Types of evidence. Locating primary sources. The internet. Methods of research. Further information. 10. Photography. Photographic theory. Digital photography. Surface photography. Photographing finds. Underwater photography. Underwater photographic techniques. Digital darkroom. Mosaics - photo or video. Video cameras. Video technique. Video editing. Further information. 11. Position-fixing. Geographical coordinates. Accuracy. Methods of position-fixing. Equipment. Further information. 12. Underwater search methods. Positioning. Coverage. Safety. Diver search methods. 13. Geophysical and remote-sensing surveys. Search patterns, navigation and positioning. Acoustic systems. Bathymetric survey. Echo-sounders. Multibeam swath systems. Bottom-classification systems. Sidescan sonar. Sub-bottom profiling. Magnetometry. Integrated surveys. Submersibles: ROVs and AUVs. Aerial photography. Further information. 14. Underwater survey. Types of survey. An initial sketch. Planning. Setting up a baseline/control points. Installing survey points. The principles of survey. Offsets. Ties/trilateration. Survey using tape-measures, grids and drafting film. Vertical control (height/depth). Drawing/planning frames. Grid-frames. Processing measurements and drawing up the site-plan. Three-dimensional computer-based survey. Acoustic positioning systems. Positioning the site in the real world. Further information. 15. Destructive investigative techniques. Probing. Sampling. Excavation. Further information. 16. Archaeological conservation and first-aid for finds. Underwater burial environments. Materials degradation and post-excavation deterioration. Principal risks to finds during and after recovery. Principles and procedures for first-aid for underwater finds. Lifting, handling and transportation. Approaches to packing and storage. Sampling and analysis. Initial cleaning. Holding and pre-conservation treatment solutions. Record-keeping. X-radiography and facilities. Health and safety. Insurance. Checklists. Further information. 17. Site monitoring and protection. Monitoring. Protection. Further information. 18. Archaeological illustration. Basic drawing equipment. Drawing archaeological material. Recording 'by eye'. Recording decoration and surface detail. Recording constructional and other detail. Post-fieldwork photography and laser scanning. Presenting a range of complex information. Further information. 19. Post-fieldwork analysis and archiving. Handling material and keeping records. Post-fieldwork treatment of survey work. Specialist analysis. Interpretation and gathering supporting evidence from other sources. Producing an archaeological archive. Further information. 20. Presenting, publicizing and publishing archaeological work. The importance of publicizing (where and when). Identifying and satisfying an audience. Methods of presentation. Writing reports and publications. A significant achievement and contribution. Further information. Appendix 1: anchor recording. Stone anchors. Stock anchors. Further information. Appendix 2: guns. The importance of sea-bed recording. Identification of material. Classification by methods of loading. Classification by shape. Inscriptions and decoration. Projectiles, charges and tampions. Recording and illustrating guns. Further information. Appendix 3: NAS training programme. An introduction to foreshore and underwater archaeology. NAS Part I: certificate in foreshore and underwater archaeology. NAS Part II: intermediate certificate in foreshore and underwater archaeology. NAS Part III: advanced certificate in foreshore and underwater archaeology. NAS Part IV: diploma in foreshore and underwater archaeology. Further information. Glossary. References and further reading. Index


Agency theory predicts that corporate governance and external audit enhance the convergence of interests between shareholders and managers. The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate the effect of corporate governance and external audit on constraining earnings management practice in the UK.

In this thesis, earnings management is measured using the magnitude of discretionary accruals as estimated by the performance matched discretionary accruals (Kothari et al., 2005) model. A review of the corporate governance literature reveals sixteen attributes that can impact on shareholders' perception of earnings quality due to their role in enhancing financial reporting integrity. The corporate governance attributes are organized in four categories: 1) Board Composition; 2) Audit Committee Effectiveness; 3) Non-Executive Directors' (NEDs) Commitment; and 4) Ownership Structures. The external audit factors include auditor independence and audit quality.

Two models are constructed and a set of hypotheses are stated. These models are tested using a sample consisting of the top 350 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange. Firms in the financial, mining and regulated industries are excluded due to different accrual choices and valuation processes. The study covers the period of four financial years (2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006). Nineteen hypotheses are derived from both models. These hypotheses are tested using univariate and multivariate techniques to determine if corporate governance attributes and external auditor factors significantly constrain discretionary accruals.

The results reveal that board size and independence, audit committee independence and expertise, nomination committee independence, chairman independence, the level of NED fees and an independent and specialised external auditor are negatively associated with earnings management at significant levels.

The primary contribution to knowledge of this research is its extension of the literature on the role of corporate governance and the external auditor in constraining earnings management practice in the UK. This study's results are useable by stock market participants in their evaluation of corporate governance and the role of the external auditor in enhancing earnings quality. The findings will also assist regulators in defining effective corporate governance attributes and assessing the disclosure of corporate governance practices.


Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers detect a significantly high degree of polymorphism in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and are particularly suitable for evaluating genetic diversity among closely related cultivars. A total of 176 rice accessions originating from 19 countries in the Portuguese working germplasm collection and two standard rice varieties (IR36-indica and Nipponbare-japonica) were analyzed for DNA profile using 24 SSR loci covering two loci per chromosome. A total of 184 alleles were detected. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 3 to 16, with an average of 7.7, and the PIC value ranged from 0.179 to 0.894 with an average of 0.667. All the loci were polymorphic among the accessions and clearly distinguished the indica and japonica subspecies. At 20% similarity, cluster analysis of the 178 accessions revealed three major groups, japonica, basmati, and indica (Groups I, II, and III, respectively). The japonica group contained 87% of the accessions and showed a wide range of similarity values (0.21-0.92), revealing a high degree of diversity among the accessions. Many of the accessions included in this study are morphologically similar and lack pedigree information. Hence, identification of genetic distances among the accessions should improve their use in breeding programs. As a result of this study, genetically diverse parents can be identified, increasing the usefulness of germplasm collections by broadening the genetic base of rice varieties.


Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the common and specific microvascular complications of diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the anti-angiogenic effect of kaempferol and explore its underlying molecular mechanisms. The mRNA expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and placenta growth factor (PGF) and the concentrations of secreted VEGF and PGF were measured by qTR-PCR and ELISA assay, respectively. Human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) proliferation, migration, and sprouting were measured by CCK-8 and transwell, scratching wound, and tube formation assays, respectively. Protein levels were determined by western blot. High glucose (25 mM) increased the mRNA expression levels of VEGF and PGF as well as the concentrations of secreted VEGF and PGF in HRECs, which can be antagonized by kaempferol (25 µM). Kaempferol (5-25 µM) significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, migration distance and sprouting of HRECs under high glucose condition. The anti-angiogenic effect of kaempferol was mediated via downregulating the expression of PI3K and inhibiting the activation of Erk1/2, Src, and Akt1. This study indicates that kaempferol suppressed angiogenesis of HRECs via targeting VEGF and PGF to inhibit the activation of Src-Akt1-Erk1/2 signaling pathway. The results suggest that kaempferol may be a potential drug for better management of DR.


Abstract Physics-based ground-motion simulation requires the development of physically self-consistent source modeling tools to emulate the essential physics of earthquake rupture. Because of the high computational demand of full-dynamic rupture modeling, the kinematic description of earthquake source processes provides the most practical way of covering a wide range of rupture and wave propagation scenarios. We apply 2D spatial data analysis tools, commonly used in geostatistics, to characterizing earthquake rupture process and developing an effective source modeling tool for strong-motion prediction. The earthquake source process is described by key kinematic source parameters, such as static slip, rupture velocity, and slip duration. The heterogeneity of each source parameter is characterized with autocoherence while the linear dependency (coupling) between parameters is characterized with cross coherence. Both zero- and nonzero-offset spatial coherence can be considered in the form of cross coherence. We analyzed both synthetic and real dynamic rupture models to demonstrate the efficiency of these new techniques and found that many important features of earthquake rupture can be captured in this way, which may be difficult to analyze, or even detect by zero-offset coherence only. For instance, the correlation maximum between slip and rupture velocity can be shifted from the zero offset, that is, large slip may generate faster rupture velocity ahead of the current rupture front, which may be important for rupture directivity. We demonstrate that we can generate a number of realizations of earthquake source models to reproduce the target coherence using stochastic modeling techniques (e.g., sequential Gaussian simulation) once coherence structures in earthquake rupture are well understood. This type of coherence analysis may provide the potential for improved understanding of earthquake source characteristics and how they control the characteristics of near-fault strong ground motions.