The goal of this thesis was to evaluate the use of artificial transposon systems for the generation of recombinant cell pools and cell lines with Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells as the production host. Transposons are naturally occurring genetic elements present in the genome of most organisms. Several transposons of metazoan origin have been engineered to facilitate the integration of one or more recombinant genes (transgenes) into the genome of the host cell. In this thesis, three of the most commonly used transposons, piggyBac (PB), Tol2, and Sleeping Beauty (SB), were used for transgene delivery into CHO-DG44 cells. The transposon systems described here involves co-transfection of the host cells with a helper plasmid for the transient expression of the transposase, and a donor plasmid coding for the transgene and a gene for the selection, both positioned between two transposon repeat sequences that are required for DNA transposition. Through the optimization of various selection parameters we showed that PB-mediated cell pools can be generated with selection duration of as little as 5 days in the presence of puromycin. All three transposon systems, PB, Tol2, and SB, resulted in cell pools with similar volumetric TNFR:Fc productivities that were about 9 times higher than those generated by conventional plasmid transfection. Transposon-mediated cell pools had 10 - 12 transgene integrations per cell. However, we demonstrated that some the integration events occurred via DNA recombination rather than transposition. We also isolated clonal cell lines from cell pools. As expected, the average volumetric TNFR:Fc productivity of transposon-derived cell lines was higher than that of cell lines generated by conventional transfection. In 14-day fed-batch cultures, protein levels up to 900 mg/L and 1.5 g/L were obtained from transposon-mediated cell pools and cell lines, respectively. The stability over time of the volumetric productivity of cell pools was determined by maintaining the cells in culture for 3 months in the absence of selection. In general, the productivity decreased to 50 % its initial level over the first 7 weeks in culture and then remained constant for the following 5 weeks. In contrast, the volumetric protein yield from transposon-mediated cell lines remained constant for up to 4 months in the absence of selection. We also showed that the three transposon systems could be used for cell pool generation with CHO-K1 and CHO-S with similar volumetric productivities as observed with CHO-DG44 cells. Finally, we utilized the PB transposon system for generating cell pools co-expressing up to 4 different transgenes, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP), and the light and heavy chains of an IgG1 monoclonal antibody, by simultaneous transfection of all four transgenes. We showed that PB-mediated cell pools had increased volumetric productivity of each of the proteins compared to those generated by conventional co-transfection. The use of the PB transposon system increased the percentage of cells in the pools that were co-expressing all four proteins as compared to the results with cell pools generated by conventional transfection. In conclusion, the transfection of CHO cells with the PB, Tol2 or SB transposon system is a simple, efficient, and reproducible approach to the generation of cell pools and cell lines for the rapid production of recombinant proteins.


I discuss the role of group-velocity dispersion when a soliton propagates in a Raman-active medium. Using a modified beam-propagation method, I generate a pump soliton by inducing a phase shift of order π in an input Stokes seed. As the pulses propagate with different velocities because of the frequency dependence of the refractive index, pulse walk-off effects cause the soliton to decay and to break up. This gives rise to a new effect: the generation of a Stokes pulse whose width is comparable with the pump soliton width and whose height may be a factor of 2 larger than the maximum input pump field amplitude.


Latin America has a high diversity of Macrobrachium prawns, some of them with commercial interest. Among them, the cauque river prawn Macrobrachium americanum is a large prawn of the western coast with commercial value due to its size and taste, but it has been extensively subjected to fishery exploitation, leading to population decline. Cultivation is an option for commercial production and conservation. Some research focused on domestication has been performed. Here, we revise the status of that research and discuss possibilities for sustainable freshwater prawn aquaculture in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.


Feature Issue on High Availability in Optical NetworksAfter many years of research and industry efforts, ultralong-haul (ULH) technologies for DWDM transport are maturing, and carriers are deploying them for high capacity and capital savings. Unlike opaque optical networks, it is still uncertain how best to restore an all-optical ULH network after failure. This paper focuses on this issue and proposes a standby restoration scheme and its variants with different restoration speed and associated restoration cost. Our observations suggest that the proposed hot standby scheme would yield both faster restoration and cost efficiencies compared with other schemes.


The paper deals with the methodological approach to the identification of the sources of socio-cognitive vulnerability. The main attention is on large complex organisations whose mission is emergency/high-risk management. The paper gives a preliminary demonstration of how a systemic, unified computational methodological approach enables the redefinition and structuring of a complex problem involving ill-defined human, organisational and cultural factors into the form of computational models. The systemic socio-cognitive paradigms and the framework of the Top-down Object-based Goal-oriented Approach (TOGA) meta-theory have been presented and applied as a meta-ontological platform, basic formalisation and goal-oriented knowledge-ordering tool. In the case of human-caused threats and organisational crises, the methodology can be applied and used for the modelling of ill-defined vulnerabilities of human networks on individual, interorganisational and intraorganisational decision levels. Among others, it rigorously applies such key concepts as information, preferences, knowledge and their recursive Information, Preferences, Knowledge (IPK) architecture. Some top modelling results related to the recent, main natural and technological disasters illustrate the application of this approach.


At the heart of my pragmatic theory of truth and ontology is a
view of the relation between language and reality which I term internal
justification: a way of explaining how sentences may have truth-values
which we cannot discover without invoking the need for the mystery of
a correspondence relation. The epistemology upon which the theory depend~
is fallibilist and holistic (chapter 2); places heavy reliance on
modal idioms (chapter 4); and leads to the conclusion that current
versions of realism and anti-realism are deficient (chapter 5). Just
as my theory avoids the need for an epistemic 'given', it avoids the
need for a metaphysical 'given' or 'joints'. I offer a view of the
nature of philosophy and what it can properly achieve with respect to
ontological questions (chapter 3); since those views lead me to believe
that philosophical discussion about what exists should be restricted to
'entities' discussed in non-philosophical contexts, my views on how
we should understand claims made about the existence of middle-sized
physical objects (chapters 2 and 6), theoretical entities in science
(chapter 6), and abstract entities in mathematics (chapter 7), give
the thesis a schematic completeness. My theory leads me to a conception
of inquiry which defends the cognitive status of moral statements whilst
being critical of Kantian and utilitarian approaches to morality
(chapter 8). Chapter 1 explores the views of my closest philosophical
allies: William James and Nelson Goodman.


Although Zn metal has been regarded as the most promising anode for aqueous batteries, it persistently suffers from serious side reactions and dendrite growth in mild electrolyte. Spontaneous Zn corrosion and hydrogen evolution damage the shelf life and calendar life of Zn‐based batteries, severely affecting their industrial applications. Herein, a robust and homogeneous ZnS interphase is built in situ on the Zn surface by a vapor–solid strategy to enhance Zn reversibility. The thickness of the ZnS film is controlled via the treatment temperature, and the performance of the protected Zn electrode is optimized. The dense ZnS artificial layer obtained at 350 °C not only suppresses Zn corrosion by forming a physical barrier on the Zn surface, but also inhibits dendrite growth via guiding the Zn plating/stripping underneath the artificial layer. Accordingly, a side reaction‐free and dendrite‐free Zn electrode is developed, the effectiveness of which is also convincing in a MnO2/ZnS@Zn full‐cell with 87.6% capacity retention after 2500 cycles.


For the GAMMA10 tandem mirror, a 28 GHz 1 MW gyrotron has been developed. The output power was achieved 1 MW in short pulse test, and 0.54 MW / 2 s in long pulse test. Moreover, the temperature rise of sapphire single disk window installed in 28 GHz 1 MW gyrotron was measured. The temperature rise was 9 K at 0.45 MW / 2 s. On the basis of the results of the performance test, the designs of 28 GHz 1 MW gyrotron have been improved to enable the operation of 1.5 ~ 2.0 MW several sec. required in GAMMA10 and NSTX, and 0.4 MW CW required in QUEST.


The number and importance of private companies in the United States indicates that reliable quality of financial accounting reports (QFAR) of private companies that are useful for decision making is likely to be important for economic growth. Most previous research examining QFAR addressed earnings management among publicly-traded companies. This study extends prior literature by examining whether abnormal production of public and private companies is impacted by (i) assurance type (PCAOB-audit, GAAS-audit, and SSARS-Review), (ii) tax status (separately taxed versus pass-through entity) of private companies, and (iii) relative size. An audit of financial statements provides a high degree of assurance, whereas a review provides limited assurance. Due to data limitations with our private company sample, this study focuses on earnings management through abnormal production by manufacturing companies. When examining companies that just met the benchmark of prior years' earnings or zero earnings we found positive abnormal production for publicly traded companies and privately held audited-taxable companies, but not for other privately held companies. Not identified in previous studies, we find that abnormal production of similarly sized public companies and private companies differ. Our findings provide evidence relevant to the Big GAAP/Little GAAP debate and that one set of accounting standards may not satisfy all public and private company financial statement users. Also, results of this study support the recommendations of the Financial Accounting Foundation's Blue Ribbon Panel's Report for establishing a separate private company standards board to help ensure appropriate modifications to GAAP.


Andrew J. Majeske. Equity in English Renaissance Literature: Thomas More and Edmund Spenser. New York: Rontledge, 2006. ix + 217 pp. The author states the purpose of this revised dissertation early in his introduction: This book will establish a broad historical context for the English Renaissance understanding of the concept of equity, particularly the idea's derivation from the classical Greek concept of [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], in order to explain equity's various significations in More's Utopia and Spenser's The Faerie Queene. (1) This deceptively simple thesis addresses a tangle of legal and philosophical concepts that were drawn together, intertwined, and twisted over time into a Gordian knot of immense complexity. It takes over half the book just to trace the various concepts of equity before the literary texts are even introduced. More then gets the majority of what's left, while Spenser receives the last twenty-one pages. Then there are forty-eight pages of appendices which include excerpts on equity from the writings of Hobbes and Grotius, and a commentary by the author on Cicero's Verrine orations. Majeske begins by outlining the meanings of Greek [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] and Roman aequitas. The latter, he says, aimed at consistent application of the laws, that is, that a law would be applied the same way in several different cases. The goal was equality before the law. The Greek [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII], on the other hand, aimed to adapt the law to "distinguishing characteristics of specific cases in order to achieve a result fitting to the circumstances particular to each case" (3). Aequitas aimed to eliminate difference; [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] celebrated difference. The author claims that these "two contrasting visions of fairness" were both contained within the concept of equity (3). The author, however, claims that there is another, esoteric, meaning of [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] that signifies the "relation of the theoretically best possible commonwealth (utopia) to the best possible commonwealth actually achievable in practice" (5). The author proceeds to trace the history of the more common meanings of equity in English legal history. He points out that the English Common law was extremely strict and equity as accommodation to circumstances became the purview of jurisprudence. In England, the court of equity was the court of Chancery which, according to Majeske, began to see itself as an adversary to the Common Law. Around 1520, the Crown began to use Chancery to overrule the Common Law courts. Majeske argues that early modern England focused on the "flexible" dimension of equity, a dimension amenable to and developed by Christian scholasticism, and ignored the classical, esoteric meaning. Majeske derives the esoteric meaning from Aristotle's Ethics, citing the passage in which Aristotle refers to equitable persons as those who take less than they deserve. Majeske identifies these equitable persons as those whom Plato and Aristotle described as working to change a regime over generations, and whose goal was the state of perfect equality as in Plato's Republic, even though they were aware that this perfect equality was unachievable (8). Majeske spends pages 39-62 establishing the plausibility of this identification and so sets the stage for interpreting Utopia as a plea for [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] in this esoteric sense, that is, that while the perfect equality of communism is unachievable, it should be the goal at which one aims and the standard by which social change is judged. Majeske begins his commentary on Utopia with an analysis of Bude's letter to Thomas Lupset about Utopia. This letter is reproduced in the Yale edition and is usually read as praise of More's work. Majeske, however, points out that a passage in the center of the letter directly links the criticism of capital punishment for theft to Utopian communism. …


The Thabazimbi–Murchison Lineament is a prominent tectonic feature extending for approximately 500 km in a NNE–SSW direction across the Kaapvaal Craton. The lineament has a tectonic history of more than 2.5 Ga, because it appears to form and/or influence: the boundary between the Archaean granite/greenstone terrain of the Kaapvaal Craton and the southern margin of the high grade terrain of the Limpopo Mobile Belt; the northern margin of the Archaean-Proterozoic Transvaal Basin; the southern margin of the Mesoproterozoic Waterberg Basin; and has probably also influenced the emplacement of the Mesoproterozoic Bushveld Complex. Mesozoic Karoo basalts and sediments formed the Springbok Flats; these lavas erupted into half graben structures formed by the normal reactivation of the previously strike/slip Zebedelia Fault, part of the Thabazimbi-Murchison Relay System. The lineament is cut by a Mesozoic dyke swarm associated with the break up of Gondwana.


Thermal conductivity of paper coating structures can be regarded as an important property for many processes involving the application of thermal energy on coated papers. This work analyses the thermal conductivity of coatings in terms of their structure. A Monte Carlo simulation-based particle deposition was used to create idealised two-dimensional coating structures. They acted as a master template for the superimposed parameters of a Lumped Parameter Model for the calculation of thermal conductivity, in which pigment and binder are treated as separate solid phases within a fluid (air). Binder alone was initially assumed to provide the necessary thermal connectivity. Comparison of the numerically calculated conductivities with corresponding experimental 14th Fundamental Research Symposium, Oxford, September 2009 1255 Preferred citation: P. Gerstner, C.J. Ridgway, J. Paltakari and P.A.C. Gane. A structural analysis of the thermal conductivity of paper coatings: Application of particle deposition simulation to a lumped parameter model. In Advances in Pulp and Paper Research, Oxford 2009, Trans. of the XIVth Fund. Res. Symp. Oxford, 2009, (S.J. I'Anson, ed.), pp 1255–1292, FRC, Manchester, 2018. DOI: 10.15376/frc.2009.2.1255. results, obtained from ground calcium carbonate pigment structures, showed generally lower calculated conductivities and clear differences in the change of conductivity when increasing latex binder content. Two different mechanisms are suggested as the cause of this lack of correlation. Firstly, it is shown that both the simulation and the current Lumped Parameter Model do not account sufficiently for pigment connectivity. This is the reason for the underestimation, especially evident when no binder is present. The nature of pigment connectivity is related to polymer dispersant on the pigment surface and the surface crystallite planar structures, if present, mostly related to larger particles. Secondly, it is confirmed that surface and colloid chemistry factors cause binder to accumulate first at pigment nodal points, which causes a disruption of the pigment packing already at 6 w/w% binder. This creates inhomogeneity in the real coating structure which is not accounted for by the homogeneous assumption of the model. It could be shown that an introduced parameter of pigment connectivity becomes lower for the binder concentrations for which pigment disruption occurs. It is shown that the method is sensitive enough in respect to refinement of both pigment and latex connectivity factors to allow identification and parameterisation of the subtleties occurring in real colloidally interactive particulate systems that are reflected in the thermal conductivity response of the dried coating structure.


This paper examines the imbrication process in Lunda. It is widely acknowledged in the literature that imbrication in Bantu languages is mainly triggered by the perfective or past tense suffix (Bastin 1983). In Lunda, however, this morphophonological process is not only conditioned by the remote past tense inflectional suffix but also caused by derivational extensions that include the applicative, the causative, and to a lesser extent the reciprocal affix when they are attached to a large number of verb bases. Imbrication typically occurs with verb bases containing what is known as an extension, whether productive or frozen. Unlike many Bantu languages, this phenomenon always results in the deletion of the base final consonant and the consonant of the suffix survives. This segmental loss leads to either vowel coalescence between the two adjacent vowels or gliding


In complex dynamic worlds, reactive behaviour alone is inadequate for dealing with the diverse and unpredictable situations which may occur. To overcome this inadequacy, an agent in a dynamic world must exhibit goal directed behaviour, which is acquired through the execution of plans. However, completely specified plans are unsuitable in dynamic worlds for several reasons, and in particular the view that plans may be considered as executable programs i not suitable. We argue that an agent working in such situations must explicitly incorporate resource based abstractions in its plan representation. But, while executing such plans, a plan executor must, at any point during execution, be capable of recognising the current state of the word in order to execute an action in the plan. Since this task is difficult while an abstract action is executed, we suggest that plans be made progressively abstract into the future. We demonstrate that when an agent employs such a strategy, it faces the problem of how to generate its own abstractions in order to keep the plan simple and easy to maintain in a dynamic world. We present a methodology as to how an agent can generate simple abstractions in a small fire world, and we evaluate the performance of the agent in its ability to achieve its goals when the world changes unpredictably.


This paper describes a fiber design that incorporates a hole-assisted structure for suppressing stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS). The proposed hole-assisted fibers (HAFs) have a simple structure with a low relative index difference and/or a small core radius. We suppress the SBS by extending the optical field into the cladding region, which reduces the overlap between a lightwave and an acoustic wave both in the fundamental mode. The bending loss remains low because of the optical field confinement provided by the air holes. We discuss the impact of the core profile on the SBS gain spectrum and show numerically a 13.5 dB improvement in the SBS threshold with both a low SBS gain and a large effective area. Moreover, we show that we can realize SBS suppressed HAF with a low bending loss and almost the same mode field diameter as SSMF by designing the air hole structure. Finally, we experimentally confirm the SBS suppression effect by using the fabricated HAF.


Failures in mobile robot navigation are often caused by errors in localizing the robot relative to its environment. This paper explores the idea that these errors can be considerably reduced by planning paths taking the robot through positions where pertinent features of the environment can be sensed. It introduces the notion of a "Sensory Uncertainty Field" (SUF). For every possible robot configuration q, this field estimates the distribution of possible errors in the robot configuration that would be computed by a localization function matching the data given by the sensors against an environment model, if the robot was at q. A planner is proposed which uses a precomputed SUF to generate paths that minimize expected errors or any other criterion combining, say, path length and errors. This paper describes in detail the computation of a specific SUF for a mobile robot equipped with a classical line-striping camerahaser range sensor. It presents an implemented SUF-based motion planner for this robot and shows paths generated by this planner. Navigation experiments were conducted with mobile robots using paths generated by the SUF-based planner and other paths. The former paths were tracked with greater precision than the others. The final section of the paper discusses additional research issues related to SUF-based planning.


Enterprises experience opportunistic exploits targeted at vulnerable technology. Vulnerabilities in software-based applications, service systems, enterprise platforms, and supply chains are discovered and disclosed on an alarmingly regular basis. A necessary enterprise risk management task concerns identifying and patching vulnerabilities. Yet it is a costly affair to develop and deploy patches to alleviate risk and prevent damage from exploit attacks. Given the limited resources available, technology producers and users must identify priorities for such tasks. When not overlooked, vulnerability-patching tasks often are prioritized based on vulnerability disclosure dates, thus vulnerabilities disclosed earlier usually have patches developed and deployed earlier. We suggest priorities also should focus on time-dependent likelihoods of exploits getting published. We analyze data on software exploits to identify factors associated with the duration between a vulnerability discovery date and the date when an exploit is publicly available, a time window for patching before exploit attack levels may escalate. Actively prioritizing vulnerability patching based on likelihoods of exploit publication may help lessen losses due to exploit attacks. Technology managers might apply the insights to better estimate relative risk levels, and better prioritize protection efforts toward vulnerabilities having higher risk of earlier exploitation.


The University of Florida Center for Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Generic Drugs have collaborated on a research project to develop a mechanism‐ and risk‐based strategy that systematically investigates postmarketing reports of therapeutic inequivalence following the switch between brand and generic drug products. In this study we developed and qualified a physiologically based pharmacokinetic model to systematically investigate the influence of drug‐ and formulation‐related properties on the oral absorption and bioequivalence of modified‐release products using metoprolol as an example. Our findings show that the properties of the release‐controlling polymer are the critical attributes for in vitro dissolution, in vivo absorption, and systemic exposure (ie, pharmacokinetics) and, thus, the bioequivalence of metoprolol extended‐release products rather than the properties of the drug itself. Differences in dissolution rate can result in significant differences in maximum plasma concentration but not in area under the concentration‐time curve.


The ideal 3D scaffold for biological applications has not yet been designed. Our aim is to better match the scaffold performance through fine control of the fabrication process. Here, we applied electro-hydrodynamic jet (E-jet) 3D printing technology using poly-(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) solution to construct scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. We fabricated different scaffolds of 1 : 1, 1 : 2 and 1 : 3 aspect ratios and tested the biological compatibility of the 2D and 3D printed scaffolds with fibroblasts. The scaffolds were used to culture fibroblasts, the main cellular components of loose connective tissue. The results show that the E-jet printed scaffolds could guide and improve cell growth. These scaffolds were able to support cellular alignment and proliferation. The cell angle was consistent with the longitudinal direction of the scaffolds, potentially enhancing the wound healing performance. Thus, the potential of this flexible technology for the 3D printing of scaffolds for the engineering of tissues is extensive.


The Pliensbachian-Toarcian (Early Jurassic) fossil record is an archive of natural data of benthic community response to global warming and marine long-term hypoxia and anoxia. In the early Toarcian mean temperatures increased by the same order of magnitude as that predicted for the near future; laminated, organic-rich, black shales were deposited in many shallow water epicontinental basins; and a biotic crisis occurred in the marine realm, with the extinction of approximately 5% of families and 26% of genera. High-resolution quantitative abundance data of benthic invertebrates were collected from the Cleveland Basin (North Yorkshire, UK), and analysed with multivariate statistical methods to detect how the fauna responded to environmental changes during the early Toarcian. Twelve biofacies were identified. Their changes through time closely resemble the pattern of faunal degradation and recovery observed in modern habitats affected by anoxia. All four successional stages of community structure recorded in modern studies are recognised in the fossil data (i.e. Stage III: climax; II: transitional; I: pioneer; 0: highly disturbed). Two main faunal turnover events occurred: (i) at the onset of anoxia, with the extinction of most benthic species and the survival of a few adapted to thrive in low-oxygen conditions (Stages I to 0) and (ii) in the recovery, when newly evolved species colonized the re-oxygenated soft sediments and the path of recovery did not retrace of pattern of ecological degradation (Stages I to II). The ordination of samples coupled with sedimentological and palaeotemperature proxy data indicate that the onset of anoxia and the extinction horizon coincide with both a rise in temperature and sea level. Our study of how faunal associations co-vary with long and short term sea level and temperature changes has implications for predicting the long-term effects of "dead zones" in modern oceans.


Adenovirus E1A is needed to activate early viral genes and induce cell cycle progression to optimise the conditions for viral replication. This is mostly achieved through interactions between the first exon of E1A and cellular transcriptional regulatory proteins. The carboxy terminus of E1A binds the cellular corepressor of transcription C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP), resulting in derepression of CtBP target genes. Inducible stable U2OS cell lines were established, expressing wild type E1A (E1Awt) and a mutant unable to bind CtBP (E1A∆CID). Low inducible levels and loss of protein expression after prolonged induction together with induction of apoptosis were consistent with the fact that wild type E1A is a cytotoxic protein and correlated with the ability of CtBP to repress proapoptotic genes. E1A∆CID did not induce apoptosis and could be expressed at high levels for prolonged time periods. Moreover, the binding of CtBP contributed to E1A-induced activation of viral E1B and E4 genes, through possible targeting of Sp1 and ATF transcription factors.In a micorarray study on mRNA levels in E1A-expressing cells, several genes consistent with the tumour suppressive and apoptotic properties of E1Awt were identified as differentially expressed. Furthermore, the differences between the two cell lines correlated with the presence of binding sites for CtBP-interacting transcription factors in the promoters of regulated genes, enabling the possible identification of new CtBP target genes. Finally, a molecular characterisation of the CtBP mechanism of repression revealed that positioning proximal to the basal promoter element was required for efficient repression, suggesting that CtBP interferes with the basal transcriptional machinery. Two separate domains were identified in CtBP, conferring transcriptional repression and activation when expressed alone, achieved through their interaction with HDACs and HATs, respectively. However, together they cooperate to ensure maximal repression through recruitment of histone deacetylase and inhibition of histone acetyl transferase activity.Together, these data shows important modulation of E1A activities by the binding of CtBP and suggests the involvement of acetylation/deacetylation complexes for the regulation of E1A function.


As wireless communication gains popularity, significant research has been devoted to supporting real-time transmission with stringent Quality of Service (QoS) requirements for wireless applications. At the same time, a wireless hybrid network that integrates a mobile wireless ad hoc network (MANET) and a wireless infrastructure network has been proven to be a better alternative for the next generation wireless networks. By directly adopting resource reservation-based QoS routing for MANETs, hybrids networks inherit invalid reservation and race condition problems in MANETs. How to guarantee the QoS in hybrid networks remains an open problem. In this paper, we propose a QoS-Oriented Distributed routing protocol (QOD) to enhance the QoS support capability of hybrid networks. Taking advantage of fewer transmission hops and anycast transmission features of the hybrid networks, QOD transforms the packet routing problem to a resource scheduling problem. QOD incorporates five algorithms: 1) a QoS-guaranteed neighbor selection algorithm to meet the transmission delay requirement, 2) a distributed packet scheduling algorithm to further reduce transmission delay, 3) a mobility-based segment resizing algorithm that adaptively adjusts segment size according to node mobility in order to reduce transmission time, 4) a traffic redundant elimination algorithm to increase the transmission throughput, and 5) a data redundancy elimination-based transmission algorithm to eliminate the redundant data to further improve the transmission QoS. Analytical and simulation results based on the random way-point model and the real human mobility model show that QOD can provide high QoS performance in terms of overhead, transmission delay, mobility-resilience, and scalability.


In order to expand the possibility of better applicability, spheroid particles are adopted to replace the traditional spherical particle assumption in the modeling of multi-wavelength light extinction method. The extinction coefficient and extinction spectrum are then calculated at different axial ratios based on the generalized Mie theory. Combining extinction spectrum with regularized inversion algorithm, the effect of particle shape on particle size characterization in multi-wavelength extinction method is discussed in detail. The results show that in the visible light range, for submicron particles with a refractive index of 1.33, inversed particle sizes are compared with the sphere, which yields the equivalent volume spheroid in axial ratio of 1-3 particle size inversion error within 10%, while, when the ratio is above 3, the relative deviation may reach about 50%. It can be seen that for particles of equal volume, the spheroidal shape exerts a great influence on the particle size measurement of the multi-wavelength extinction method, and the assumption of spheroidal particle is more suitable for the cases of axial ratio within 3.


The aim of the article is to examine if and how the welfare state regime typology translates into a violence regime typology in a European context. It builds on the concept of violence regimes (Strid et al. 2017; Hearn et al. 2020) to empirically examine whether the production of interpersonal violence constitutes distinct regimes, and how these correspond (or not) with welfare regimes, gender regimes, and with other comparative metrics on violence, gender equality and feminist mobilisation and transnational actors. Its main contribution is to operationalise the concept of violence regimes, thereby moving from theory to a first empirical measurement. By first constructing a new composite measure of violence, a Violence Regimes Index, based on secondary administrative and survey data covering the then 28 EU member states, countries are clustered along two axes of violence: 'deadly' violence and 'damaging' gender-based violence. This serves to examine if, and how, the production of gendered violence in different states constitutes distinct regimes, analogous to welfare state regimes, as well as to enable future research and further comparisons and contrasts, specifically related to violence and the welfare state. By providing an empirical measurement of violence regimes in the EU, the article then contributes further to the debates on welfare, welfare regimes, and violence. It specifically contributes with discussions on the extent to which there are different violence regimes, comparable to welfare regimes, and with discussions on the relevance of moving from thinking about violence as an institution within other inequality regimes, to thinking about violence as a macro-regime, a way of governing and ruling in its own right. The article concludes that the exclusion of violence from mainstream social theory and research has produced results that may not be valid, and offers an alternative classification using the concept of violence regimes, thereby demonstrating the usefulness of the concept.


Proteases are crucial for living cells and play a role in plant cell adaptation to environmental conditions. Oxidative stress produced oxidized proteins which are selectively degraded by proteases. To understand the role of proteolysis in response to metal stress, sunflower plants (a plant suitable for phytoremediation) were treated with 100 µM of CdCl 2 , CuCl 2 , AlCl 3 , CoCl 2 , PbCl 2 , CrCl 3 , NiCl 2 , HgCl 2 or ZnCl 2 . Changes in protease activity, gelatinase profile and protein oxidation were examined in sunflower cotyledons. Our results indicate that this tissue has mainly acid proteases belonging to different classes. Although all metals (except Zn) increased protein oxidation (62, 57, 112, 74, 74, 68, 64 and 40% for Pb, Al, Ni, Cd, Hg, Co, Cr and Cu over the control), they altered proteolysis in different ways. Pb, Al and Ni treatment decreased protease activity 22, 28 and 30% respect to control while Cd and Hg increased this activity in 23 and 27%. In Zn, Cu and Co treatments protease activity remained similar to control treatment. These results indicate that different proteases are involved in plant defence against metal toxicity. However, the identification of specific oxidized proteins involved in this process and the metal effect on class specific proteases should provide greater information.


Recently, Internet of Things (IoT) has been attracting attention due to its economical impact and high expectations for drastically changing our modern societies. Worldwide by 2022, over 50 billion IoT devices including sensors and actuators are predicted to be installed in machines, humans, vehicles, buildings, and environments. Demand is also huge for the real-time utilization of IoT data streams instead of the current off-line analysis/utilization of stored big data. The real-time utilization of massive IoT data streams suggests a paradigm shift to new horizontal and distributed architecture because existing cloud-based centralized architecture will cause large delays for providing service and waste many resources on the cloud and on networks. Content curation, which is the intelligent compilation of valuable content from IoT data streams, is another key to fully utilize and penetrate IoT technologies. In this paper, we survey the emerging technologies toward the real-time utilization of IoT data streams in terms of networking, processing, and content curation and clarify the open issues. Then we propose a new framework for IoT data streams called the Information Flow of Things (IFoT) that processes, analyzes, and curates massive IoT streams in real-time based on distributed processing among IoT devices.


Diffusing wave spectroscopy (DWS), a non-intrusive multiple scattering technique, can be used to study the fundamentals of particle motion in dynamic dense granular media and measure the mean of the square of the particle velocity fluctuations about their mean, which is related directly to the so-called 'granular temperature' that underpins many theories for dynamic granular processes. An overview of DWS in the context of other techniques for studying the granular temperature and dynamics of particles in granular systems, and its application to a range of fluidized bed configurations is reported in this thesis. The thesis reports how the granular temperature and particle dynamics varies with the level of forcing for a liquid fluidized bed, and both dry and water-immersed vibro-fluidized beds. This data reveals that the granular temperature scales with, and is of the same order as, the forcing velocity (i.e. superficial velocity or peak vibrational velocity) for all except the water-immersed vibro-fluidized bed where it scales with the peak acceleration. The former appear to be in accord with theory, while no theory as yet has predicted the latter. The experimental data was also deconvoluted to reveal how the solid fraction affects the granular temperature in a liquid fluidized bed, which represents the most detailed experimental study in this regard. For the first time is revealed that vertical profiles of the granular temperature are a consequence of observed concentration stratification in a liquid fluidized bed. By way of example of the results that can be obtained using DWS, we have shown how it has provided a basis for us to hypothesise that particles in vibro-fluidized beds (both dry and water-immersed) rattle around in cages formed by their neighbours until their collective rearrangement occurs at long time scales. It is the original work of the author except acknowledged otherwise in the text. The present document has not been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification.


We consider the self heating process in a two dimensional spatially dependent model of a compost pile which incorporates terms that account for self heating due to both biological and oxidation mechanisms. As moisture is a crucial factor in both the degradation process and spontaneous ignition within a compost pile, this model consists of four mass-balance equations, namely, energy, oxygen, vapour and liquid water concentrations. Analyses are undertaken for different initial water contents within the compost pile. We show that when the water content is too low, the reaction is almost negligible; whereas when it is too high, the reaction commences only when the water content evaporates and the water ratio drops to within an appropriate range. However, for an intermediate water content range, the biological reaction is at its optimum and there is a possibility of spontaneous ignition within the compost pile.

 References F. Akgun and R. H. Essenhigh, Self-ignition characteristics of coal stockpiles: theoretical prediction from a two-dimensional unsteady-state model, FUEL , 80 , 409--415, 2001, doi:10.1016/S0016-2361(00)00097-1 P. C. Bowes, Self-heating: Evaluating and Controlling the Hazards , Elsevier Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1984. W. F. Brinton, E. Jr. Evans, M. L. Droffner and R. B. Brinton, Standardized test for evaluation of compost self-heating, BioCycle , 36 , 60--65, 1995, http://www.jgpress.com X. D. Chen, On the fundamentals of diffusive self-heating in water containing combustible materials, Chemical Engineering and Processing , 37 , 367--378, 1998. FlexPDE$^{tm}$, PDE Solutions Inc , http://www.pdesolutions.com B. F. Gray, M. J. Sexton, B. Halliburton and C. Macaskill, Wetting-induced ignition in cellulosic materials, Fire Safety Journal , 37 , 456--479, 2002, doi:10.1016/S0379-7112(02)00002-4 R. T. Haug, The Practical Handbook of Compost Engineering , Lewis Publishers, USA, 1993. W. Hogland, T. Bramryd and I. Persson, Physical, biological and chemical effects of unsorted fractions of industrial solid waste fuel storage, Waste Management and Research , 14 , 197--210, 1996, doi:10.1006/wmre.1996.0019 P. F. Hudak, Spontaneous combustion of shale spoils at sanitary landfill, Waste Management and Research , 22 , 687--688, 2001, doi:10.1016/S0956-053X(01)00077-0 M. Khanahmadi, R. Roostaazad, A. Safekordi, R. Bozorgmehri and D. A. Mitchell, Investigating the use of cooling surfaces in solid-state fermentation tray bioreactors: modelling and experimentation, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology , 79 , 1228--1242, 2004, doi: 10.1002/jctb.1117 M. Krajciova, L'. Jelemensky, M. Kisa and J. Markos, Model prediction on self-heating and prevention of stockpiled coals, Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries , 17 , 205--216, 2004, doi:10.1016/j.jlp.2004.02.002 F. Kuwahara, Y. Sano, A. Nakayama, K. Nakasaki and T. Fukazawa , Numerical modelling of a composting process with aeration, Journal of Porous Media , 10 (12), 927--938, 2009. T. Luangwilai, H. S. Sidhu, M. I. Nelson and X. D. Chen, Modelling the effects of moisture content in compost piles, Proceedings of the 39th Australian Chemical Engineering Conference , Chemeca-2011, Engineers Australia, 2011, http://www.conference.net.au/chemeca2011/papers/411.pdf T. Luangwilai and H. S. Sidhu, Determining critical conditions for two-dimensional compost piles with air flow via numerical simulations, ANZIAM J.(E) , 52 , pp. C463--C481, 2011, http://anziamj.austms.org.au/ojs/index.php/ANZIAMJ/article/view/3753 N. O. Moraga, F. Corvalan, M. Escudey, A. Arias and C.E. Zambra, Unsteady 2D coupled heat and mass transfer in porous media with biological and chemical heat generations, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer , 52 , 5841--5848, 2009, doi:10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2009.07.027 D. Nield and A. Bejan, Convection in porous media , Springer-Verlag, New York, 1992. R. Rynk, Fires at composting facilities, BioCycle Magazine , 41 (1), 54--62, 2000, http://www.jgpress.com M. J. Sexton, C. Macaskill and B. F. Gray, Self-heating and drying in two-dimensional bagasse piles, Combustion Theory and Modelling , 5 , 517--536, 2001, doi:10.1088/1364-7830/5/4/302 R. A. Sisson, A. Swift, G. C. Wake and B. F. Gray, The self-heating of damp cellulosic materials: I. High thermal conductivity and diffusivity, IMA Journal of Applied Mathematics , 49 , 273--291, 1992, http://ftp.math.utah.edu/pub/tex/bib/toc/imajapplmath.html H. S. Sidhu, M. I. Nelson and X. D. Chen, A simple spatial model for self-heating compost piles, ANZIAM J. , 48 (CTAC2006), C135--C150, 2007, http://anziamj.austms.org.au/ojs/index.php/ANZIAMJ/article/view/86


This proceedings book gathers methodological papers of segmentation methods evaluated at the first MICCAI Challenge on Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Segmentation Challenge Using a Data Management and Processing Infrastructure. This challenge took place as part of an effort of the OFSEP (French registry on mul- tiple sclerosis aiming at gathering, for research purposes, imaging data, clinical data and biological samples from the French population of multiple sclerosis sub- jects) and FLI (France Life Imaging, devoted to setup a national distributed e-infrastructure to manage and process medical imaging data). These joint ef- forts are directed towards automatic segmentation of MRI scans of MS patients to help clinicians in their daily practice. This challenge took place at the MICCAI 2016 conference, on October 21st 2016.
More precisely, the goals of this challenge were multiple. It first aimed at evaluating state-of-the-art and advanced segmentation methods from the participants on a database following a standard protocol. For this, both lesion detection (how many lesions are detected) and lesion segmentation (how pre- cise the lesions are delineated) were evaluated on a multi-centric database (38 patients from four different centers, imaged on 1.5 or 3T scanners, each patient being manually annotated by seven experts from three different French centers, located in Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes).
This challenge was also the occasion to perform this advanced evaluation on a common infrastructure, provided by FLI. As such, challengers were asked to provide their pipeline as a Docker container image. After integration in the VIP platform, the challengers pipelines were then evaluated independently by the challenge organization team, the testing data and evaluation results being queried and stored in a Shanoir database. This infrastructure enabled a fair comparison of the algorithms in terms of running time comparison and ensuring all algorithms were run with the same parameters for each patient (which is required for a truly automatic segmentation). These proceedings do not include results of the evaluation, rather the evaluated methods descriptions. Evaluation results are available on the challenge website6 from the day of the challenge.
As a conclusion note, the organizers of the challenge are welcoming new pipelines to be evaluated after the challenge itself. Interested teams may go on the challenge website to register their new method and evaluate it on our data.


Reaction of the Ni-Ni-bonded compound [(NiIL˙-)2] (1, L = [(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NC(Me)]2) with various 1,2-diketones afforded a series of heteroleptic complexes: [LNi(PhC(O)-C(O)Ph)] (2), [LNi(PhC(O)-C(O)Me)] (3), [LNi(3,5-tBu2C6H2O2)] (4), and [(LNi){μ-η2,η2-(MeC(O)-C(O)Me)}(NiL)] (5). Furthermore, the complex [Na(Et2O)][LNi{PhC(O)-C(O)Ph}] (6) was obtained by the reduction of 2 with 1.0 equiv. of Na metal. These complexes, which contain three potential redox-active centers, nickel and both α-diimine and 1,2-diketone ligands, were characterized by X-ray crystallography, NMR, EPR, and UV-vis-NIR spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and DFT computations to elucidate their electronic structures.


PURPOSE
To develop and validate an automated method of determining pulmonary nodule (PN) elasticity against a manual contouring method, and preliminarily assess its ability to distinguish malignant tissue by comparing the elasticities of malignant PNs treated with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) with those of the lung.

METHODS
We analyzed breath-hold images of 30 patients with malignant PNs who underwent SABR in our department. A parametric nonrigid transformation model based on multilevel B-spline guided by Sum of Squared Differences similarity metric was applied on breath-hold images to determine the deformation map. The Jacobian of the calculated deformation map, which is directly related to the volume changes between the two respiratory phases, was calculated. Next, elasticity parameter will be derived by calculating the ratio of the Jacobian of the PN to the Jacobian of a 1cm region of lung tissue surrounding the tumor (E-ROI) as well as the Jacobian of the whole lung (E-Lung).

RESULTS
For the first group of 15 patients we evaluated the volumetric changes of PNs and the lung from the maximum exhale phase to the maximum inhale phase, whereas the reverse was done for the second group of 15 patients. For the first group, mean and standard deviation for E-ROI and E-Lung were 0.91±0.09 and 0.86±0.18, respectively, which was verified by the manual method. For the second group, E-ROI and E-Lung were 1.34±0.27 and 1.57±0.51, respectively. These results demonstrate that the elasticity of the PNs was less than that of the surrounding lung (p<0.0037).

CONCLUSION
We developed an automated tool to determine the elasticity of PNs based on deformable image registration of breath-hold images. The tool was validated against manual contouring. Preliminarily, PN elastometry distinguishes proven malignant PNs from normal tissue of lung, suggesting its potential utility as a non-invasive diagnostic tool to differentiate malignant from benign PN. This Study is suuported by DoD LCRP 2011, Grant# W81XWH-12-1-0286.


We propose a framework that lifts the capabilities of graph convolutional networks (GCNs) to scenarios where no input graph is given and increases their robustness to adversarial attacks. We formulate a joint probabilistic model that considers a prior distribution over graphs along with a GCN-based likelihood and develop a stochastic variational inference algorithm to estimate the graph posterior and the GCN parameters jointly. To address the problem of propagating gradients through latent variables drawn from discrete distributions, we use their continuous relaxations known as Concrete distributions. We show that, on real datasets, our approach can outperform state-of-the-art Bayesian and non-Bayesian graph neural network algorithms on the task of semi-supervised classification in the absence of graph data and when the network structure is subjected to adversarial perturbations.


Introduction In this study, the combination of TEMPO-oxidized sacchachitin nanofibers (TOSCNFs) with chitosan-activated platelet-rich plasma (cPRP) was evaluated for remedying dry eye syndrome (DES). Methods TOSCNFs, designated T050SC, were generated. T050SC combined with chitosan-activated (cPRP) was formulated as eye drops for application for severe DES. To evaluate the effects of cPRP and TOSCNFs on the repair of corneal injury, in vitro studies were conducted using Statens Seruminstitut rabbit corneal (SIRC) epithelial cells for cell proliferation and cell migration assays, and a severe DES animal model using rabbits was established with benzalkonium chloride (BAC) treatment for the evaluation. Results Results showed that the optimal eye formulation contained PRP activated by 350 μg/mL of the low-molecular-weight chitosan group (L3) combined with 300 μg/mL TO50SC (L3+T050SC). In the WST-1 cell-proliferation assay, L3 and L3+TO50SC significantly increased Statens SIRC cell proliferation after 24 hrs of incubation. In the SIRC cell migration assay, the L3+TO50SC group showed a wound-healing efficiency of 89% after 24-hr treatment. After 5 days of treatment, Schirmer's test results did not simulate the dry eye animal model. Typical cornea appearance and eye fluorescein staining results showed that the L3 group had the best effect on improving cornea haze and epithelial damage. Conclusion This study has determined that TOSCNFs effectively promoted the healing effect on severe cases of corneal damage, and also might enhance the clinical application and medical potential of PRP in ophthalmology.


Thin ZnO films (200-500 nm) were deposited onto glass, mica, and Si(100) substrates, to study the relations between microstructure and residual stresses. The ranges for the substrate temperature, chamber pressure, and RF power were room temperature-200 °C, 0.009-0.4 mbar, and 100-125 W, respectively. The strain measurements by x-ray diffraction and the biaxial stress model showed that the films were under residual compressive stresses from -2 to -8 GPa. 5-11 percent of those stresses were induced by the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch, while the so-called growth stresses formed the majority. The films were strongly textured along the (002)-direction with additional (lOl)-texture under specific conditions. The texture of the film-substrate interface played a significant role in the average film texture and the residual stress. Variations from the previously developed structure zone models (SZM) and the microstructures in the pressure ranges beyond those SZMs were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Several mechanisms of microstructure evolution and consequent stress development were proposed. Thermal annealing and aging removed the growth stresses and improved the texture. Annealing caused pore clustering and crack formation. Thus, annealing should be treated with caution when used as a method for stress relaxation. Buffer layer deposition and in-chamber heat treatment were proposed as alternatives to post-deposition annealing.Annealing led to structures on the ZnO film surface up to 100 nanometers in width and 1 micrometer in height. This was attributed to the stress-induced directional diffusion.


Contrastive learning has recently seen tremendous success in self-supervised learning. So far, however, it is largely unclear why the learned representations generalize so effectively to a large variety of downstream tasks. We here prove that feedforward models trained with objectives belonging to the commonly used InfoNCE family learn to implicitly invert the underlying generative model of the observed data. While the proofs make certain statistical assumptions about the generative model, we observe empirically that our findings hold even if these assumptions are severely violated. Our theory highlights a fundamental connection between contrastive learning, generative modeling, and nonlinear independent component analysis, thereby furthering our understanding of the learned representations as well as providing a theoretical foundation to derive more effective contrastive losses.


The demands of introducing a more practical means of managing and monitoring technology within the home environment to support independent living are increasing. Efforts have been made recently to address these concerns, however, they may be considered to be lacking in mathematical rigour or have not benefited from incorporating the needs and expectations of the healthcare professionals. In this paper, we present a prototype solution, referred to as HomeTL, which allows healthcare professionals to establish the conditions/rules within which technology in the home should operate. The HomeTL concept is based on previous work in the area of visual notation and linear temporal logic. A visual editor for HomeTL has been developed and is presented in this paper. Following a description of the methodology and the prototype developed, results from a usability study, conducted on three computer scientists specializing in the area of healthcare management, are presented. The initial results based on this survey are positive and show that the topic deserves further investigation.


This report shows how the role of the infrastructure – standards, measurement,
accreditation, design and intellectual property – can be integrated into a quantitative
model of the innovation system and used to help explain levels and changes in
labour productivity and growth in turnover and employment. The summary focuses
on the new results from the project, set out in more detail in Sections 5 and 6. The
first two sections of the report provide contextual material on the UK innovation
system, the nature and content of the infrastructure knowledge and the institutions
that provide it.
Mixed modes of innovation, the typology of innovation practices developed and
applied here, is constituted of six mixed modes, derived from many variables taken
from the UK Innovation Survey. These are:
Investing in intangibles
Technology with IP innovating
Using codified knowledge
Wider (managerial) innovating
Market-led innovating
External process modernising.
The composition of the innovation modes, and the approach used to compute them,
is set out in more detail in Section 4. Modes can be thought of as the underlying
process of innovation, a bundle of activities undertaken jointly by firms, and whose
working out generates well known indicators such as new product innovations, R&D
spending and accessing external information, that are the partial indicators gathered
from the innovation survey itself.


The maximum biological efficiency of a herbicide is performed when the plants are in favorable condition to absorb and metabolize it. Stress situations, such as total submersion, cause stress in plants, reducing weed control efficiency and crop yield. The objective of this study was to verify whether different soil water content and herbicide treatments alter the components of the secondary metabolism and cause cellular damage in weed species Two experiments were conducted (I and II) in a completely randomized experimental design with a factorial scheme (2 x 2 x 4 and 2 x 5, respectively) and three replicates. The first experiment was conducted with two species (Leersia hexandra and Luziola peruviana), which were submitted to four herbicide treatments and soil moisture levels (field capacity and total submersion). Experiment II was performed with cockspur grass plants submitted to five herbicide treatments and the same soil moisture levels from experiment I. Leaf samples were collected for laboratory analyses seven days after establishing the soil moisture levels. Assessmentes were made for the levels of chlorophyll and carotenoids, activity of antioxidant enzymes, as well as levels of hydrogen peroxide and cellular damage. The results showed that all plant species studied showed higher oxidative stress under field capacity than under submersion. L. hexandra shows greater oxidative stress than L. peruviana regardless of the treatment applied: water regime or herbicide. Furthermore, the associations of glyphosate + clomazone and glyphosate + mixture of imazapyr + imazapic caused greater oxidative stress in L. hexandra and L. peruviana than glyphosate alone. All herbicides caused lipid peroxidation, reduced enzyme activity decreased concentrations of total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a and carotenoids on cockspur grass.


While many texts discuss Nietzsche's philosophy of religion and his relationship to Judaism there is little research exclusively devoted to his views, use of, and allusions to the Hebrew Bible. In this article concerned with reception history, the author seeks to provide an introduction to the topic by looking at Nietzsche's general assessment of the Hebrew Bible, his understanding of the history of Israelite religion and his allusions to a number of biblical texts. Based on these observations it is argued that though of relatively marginal concern overall, the Hebrew Bible played a definite albeit varied and complex role in Nietzsche's philosophy of religion .


Abstract While health care professionals advise those who have undergone weight loss surgery (WLS) to increase their levels of physical activity, research suggests that often this is not achieved. This paper explores the experiences of ten Norwegian women as they engaged in physical activity several years after weight loss surgery (WLS). In contrast to the existing literature, which explores physical activity post-WLS largely in terms of quantitative data and measurable outcomes, the present study sought to explore women's lived experiences of physical activity, including the meanings they ascribed to different forms of activity and how such meanings changed over time. The research participants, all of whom had undergone WLS more than five years earlier, described (during individual interviews) the meanings they attached to becoming physically active, as well as the different activities and movement practices they engaged in, from interval training to mountain hiking and yoga. For all the women, maintaining and increasing their level of physical activity was challenging. On the one hand, engaging in exercise after weight loss improved their sense of joy and well-being and expanded their opportunities to move and act. On the other hand, during physical activity they needed to be constantly alert to symptoms of post-surgical side-effects, including variable energy levels, digestive problems and acute illness episodes. As the women explored their new capacities, it seemed to be important for them to explore various forms of physical activity in order to find the form of exercise which best suited them or which they most enjoyed. In some cases, they constructed new meanings around activities which, prior to surgery, had seemed onerous and bereft of pleasure. We argue that such insights will benefit health professionals who provide advice on physical activity at different post-surgical stages, sometimes to persons seriously concerned about regaining weight.


The genus Orussus is reviewed, with primary focus on taxa from the Oriental Region; a revised key to the world species is presented. The newly described species are analysed with a comprehensive morphological data set encompassing the entire family. The discovery of the new species corroborates the earlier proposed hypothesis that Orussus originated in the Oriental Region. The following new species are described: O. areolatus Blank & Vilhelmsen from Morocco, O. hanumanus Vilhelmsen & Blank from India (described for O. decoomani auct.), O. punctulatissimus Blank & Vilhelmsen from Malaysia, and O. zhui Vilhelmsen, Liu, Smith & Blank from China. Currently O. decoomani Maa, 1950 from Vietnam cannot be interpreted properly and is considered a species inquirenda. Orussus mikagei Togashi, 2008 is proposed as a new synonym of O. rufipes Tsuneki, 1963.


Functional hierarchies are a prevalent feature of brain organization. In high-level visual cortex, the "occipital face area" (OFA/IOG-faces) is thought to be the input to a specialized processing hierarchy subserving human face perception. However, evidence supporting or refuting the causal role of IOG-faces as a necessary input to the face network evades researchers because it necessitates a patient with a focal lesion of the right inferior occipital cortex, as well as functional measurements both before and after surgical removal of this region. Here, in a rare patient fulfilling both of these requirements, we show that the face network is surprisingly resilient in two ways following surgical removal of IOG-faces. First, the large-scale cortical layout and selectivity of the face network are stable after removal of IOG-faces. Second, following resection, face-selective responses in ventral temporal cortex surprisingly become more reliable in the resected hemisphere, but not in the intact hemisphere. Further investigations of the anatomical underpinnings of this resiliency using diffusion tensor imaging suggest the existence of additional white matter pathways connecting early visual cortex to downstream face-selective regions independent of IOG-faces. Thus, after resection, neural signals can still reach downstream regions via these pathways that are largely unconsidered by present neurofunctional models of face processing. Altogether, these measurements indicate that IOG-faces is not the key input to the face network. Furthermore, our results pose important constraints on hierarchical models in high-level sensory cortices and provide powerful insight into the resiliency of such networks after damage or cortical trauma.


BACKGROUND
Ischemic heart disease has long been considered to be exlusively caused by stenosis or occlusion. However, the coronary microcirculation too may play an important role in ischemic conditions. Also, the crucial role of microvessels in not only regulating blood flow on a local level but also mediating vascular permeability or inflammatory responses has been recognized.

OBJECTIVE
To review important physiological and pathophysiological mechanisms of coronary microcirculatory control with focus on heterogeneity of local perfusion, microvascular permeability and inflammation.

METHOD
Selective research of the literature.

RESULTS
Heterogeneity is a characteristic of microvascular networks and affects structural and functional parameters such as vessel diameter, length, and connection pattern, flow velocity, wall shear stress, and oxygenation. Microvascular networks are optimized to meet the metabolic demand of all tissue compartments. This requires continuous vascular adaptation regulated by local hemodynamic and metabolic stimuli. Compromising this regulation results in functional arterio-venous shunting and tissue areas with either hyperperfusion or hypoxia in close proximity. In ischemia-reperfusion, increased microvascular permeability may aggravate tissue hypoxia by increasing extravascular pressure and seems to contribute to adverse myocardial remodeling. Transendothelial transport mechanisms and deterioration of the endothelial glycocalyx seem to be major contributors to tissue edema. Also in the context of ischemia-reperfusion, an inflammatory response mediated by venular endothelium expressing specific adhesion molecules contributes to tissue injury. However, anti-inflammatory therapies failed in clinical studies and a multi-targeted approach for cardiac protection is required.

CONCLUSION
Disturbances of the coronary microcirculation are involved in different pathophysiological aspects of reperfusion injury.


Background: Although there is consistent evidence of a link between antibiotic use and increasing antimicrobial resistance in the community, inappropriate use of antimicrobials continues to be a global problem. Objective: To describe knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Latino community members in upper Manhattan regarding use of antibiotics. Methods: Written questionnaires and eight focus groups comprised of Hispanic community members (three groups), bodega employees, and healthcare providers (one group) in a Latino neighborhood in New York City. Results: There were major knowledge deficits regarding use of antibiotics. Informants reported taking antibiotics for pain or other conditions as well as for symptoms of infection. Antibiotics were frequently obtained from bodegas without prescription, but generally only for adults, not for children. Discussion: Interventions to improve antibiotic use that are focused on the formal healthcare system (e.g., clinicians, pharmacists, persons with health insurance) are unlikely to be effective with recently immigrated Latino community members. Successful interventions for this population should include targeted messages to bodega employees, community organizations, and children and their parents.


TITLE: MODELING AND OPTIMIZATION TECHNIQUES FOR EFFICIENT IMPLEMENTATION OF PARALLEL EMBEDDED SYSTEMS Ruirui Gu Dissertation directed by: Professor Shuvra S. Bhattacharyya and Professor William S. Levine Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Maryland at College Park Embedded systems are becoming more and more important. The products containing embedded systems span from day-to-day household and consumer products, such as digital TVs, mobile phones, and automobiles, to industrial devices and equipment, including, for example, robots, aviation equipment, and high end military and scientific devices such as aircraft. Previously, because embedded systems were highly limited in computational capability, memory size, and power consumption, much research was dedicated to making the best use of limited system resources. In these works, system performance issues, such as execution time, were traded off with system resources, and resources were carefully scheduled and utilized. With more available computational capability in embedded system devices, and more complicated requirements demanding more intensive computation, the most critical design concerns are changing in some important application domains. In such application areas, researchers are paying more and more attention to improving system execution time, which is also the core topic of our work. Execution time is especially critical to real time systems, in the sense that it is related not only to system performance, but also to system correctness and reliability. Multi-core devices, which incorporate two or more processors on the same integrated circuits, are becoming increasingly relevant to the design and implementation of embedded systems. In multi-core platforms, carefully managing communication and synchronization among different cores is important to achieve efficient implementations. Two or more processing cores sharing the same system bus and memory bandwidth limit the achievable performance improvements. The ability of multi-core processors to increase application performance depends on the use of multiple concurrent tasks within applications. Therefore, if code is written in a form that facilitates decomposition into concurrent tasks, the multi-core technologies can be exploited more effectively. Dataflow-based languages are suitable for such decomposition into concurrent tasks, particularly in the broad domain of digital signal processing (DSP) applications. Dataflow representations of DSP software have been explored actively since the 1980s. Such representations have proved to be useful in identifying bottlenecks in DSP algorithms, improving the efficiency of the computations, and designing appropriate hardware for implementing the algorithms. Dataflow descriptions have been used in a wide range of DSP application areas, such as multimedia processing, and wireless communications. Among various forms of dataflow modeling, synchronous dataflow (SDF) is geared towards static scheduling of computational modules, which improves system performance and predictability. However, many DSP applications do not fully conform to the restrictions of SDF modeling. More general dataflow models, such as CAL [1], have been developed to describe dynamically-structured DSP applications. Such generalized models can express dynamically changing functionality, but lose the powerful static scheduling capabilities provided by SDF. This thesis explores modeling and optimization techniques for efficient implementation of parallel embedded systems. We propose a dataflow based framework, which covers modeling, analysis and optimization and bridges between user-friendly design and efficient implementation. The framework is applied to two kinds of applications: control systems and video processing systems. Model Predictive Control (MPC) has been used in a wide range of application areas including chemical engineering, food processing, automotive engineering, aerospace, and metallurgy. An important limitation on the application of MPC is the difficulty in completing the necessary computations within the sampling interval. Recent trends in computing hardware towards greatly increased parallelism offer a solution to this problem. Our work describes modeling and analysis tools to facilitate implementing MPC algorithms on parallel computers, thereby greatly reducing the time needed to complete the calculations. The use of these tools is illustrated by an application to the critical components of an important class of MPC problems, including the Newton-KKT algorithm, the active set method and linear system solvers. This thesis also presents an in-depth case study of dataflow-based analysis and exploitation of parallelism in the design and implementation of an MPEG RVC (reconfigurable video coding) decoder. Because dataflow models are effective in exposing concurrency and other important forms of high level application structure, dataflow techniques are promising for implementing complex DSP applications on multi-core systems, and other kinds of parallel processing platforms. Targeting video processing systems, we use the CAL language as a concrete framework for representing and demonstrating dataflow design techniques. Furthermore, we also analyze our application of the DIF package (TDP), which helps to automatically process regions that are extracted from the original network, and exhibit properties similar to synchronous dataflow (SDF) models. Detection of SDF-like regions is an important step for applying static scheduling techniques within a dynamic dataflow framework. Furthermore, segmenting a system into SDF-like regions also allows us to explore cross-actor concurrency that results from dynamic dependencies among different regions. Using SDF-like region detection as a preprocessing step to software synthesis generally provides an efficient way for mapping tasks to multicore systems, and improves the system performance of video processing applications on multi-core platforms. Finally the automation from system design to efficient implementation helps our dataflow based modeling and optimization techniques extend into a wide range of embedded applications.


In an organization that consists of variety of human resources with a different expertisebackground, it can create a dynamic atmosphere. It certainly can be an advantage.However, if the leader cannot managed properly, the diversity can be a conflict, especiallyin group decision-making context. Every individual has his own preferences based ontheir knowledge. Some of them can provide shared information, but there are who haveunshared information that held by just one member. Such conditions led the decisionmaking process was not optimal. These problems need the leader's attention. Thisresearch was an analytical study to analyze the factors that most affect to the quality ofthe group's decision. Finally, this study shows that factors such as leadership style,knowledge of leader and leadership experience have a considerable influence on thequality of group decisions.


Mutations occur in Y chromosome genes similar to autosomal genes. However, unlike autosomal genes, Y chromosome genes do not undergo recombination, which produce distinctive characteristics and distribution patterns in different geographic regions. Therefore, detailed analysis of mutations of Y chromosome genes might provide information for personal identification or analysis of phylogenetic history. In Y-STR (short tandem repeat) analysis tests on 668 habitants of Jeju Island, the largest island in the Korean peninsula located apart from the mainland, a deletion at DYS448 was found in 10 samples. The length of deletion was estimated by confirming specific Sequence Tagged Site (STS) markers ranging from G66018 to sY1201. Patterns found were similar to those of the Kalmyks, a tribe that has had strong social and genetic influences in Jeju Island in the past. Historically from 1273 on, Jeju Island was governed by Mongolian for about one hundred years. The results of this study suggest such historical aspects affected the genetic composition of people living in Jeju Island. Furthermore, previous reports showed that Y chromosomal deletions and region specific Y chromosomal mutations depended on regional differences. This study may be useful for a better understanding of the genetic structure of Jeju habitants as well as Korean population for the purpose of forensic practice and population genetics.


The food and feeding studies of fish are useful to explore the possibilities of using them for various purposes such as aquaculture and biological control of problematic organisms. In the current study feeding patterns and diet composition of Aplocheilus parvus (E: Killi fish/Drawft panchax), a common surface feeding predator inhabiting freshwater systems were explored. A. parvus was collected from an abandoned brick pit in Pannala in 2012. Twelve fish were caught every two hours for 24 hours. Plankton net was used to obtain a representative sample of food items present in the system. Gut fullness, total and standard length of fish, total weight and gut weight were determined and using copepod as an arbitrary unit, total numbers of food items of individual fishes were estimated. The time at which active feeding occurred was established from total food particle amount and relative gut weight. Diet of A. parvus mainly consisted of adult or larval stages of insects and copepods. Also, gut had a higher fullness in day time compared to night. The peak gut fullness occurred during 1630 in males whilst females had the peak gut fullness at 1230. Copepods were detected mostly during late morning, whilst insect parts and coleopterans were present in all time periods. Main food items detected in the environment in descending order of abundance were copepods, filamentous algae and insects. This study demonstrated that A. parvus selectively preys on insects compared to other aquatic food sources during day time.


The purpose of the present study was to examine gender differences in perceptions of basic psychological needs support from the teacher and peers in physical education. The 659 Estonian secondary school students (310 boys and 349 girls; M age=13.57 years, SD=0.62) completed questionnaires assessing the perceptions of autonomy, competence, and relatedness need support from both the teacher and peers in physical education. Results of the independent samples t-tests revealed that boys scored significantly higher than girls on perceptions of all three need support from the teacher, whereas girls scored significantly higher than boys on perceptions of all three need support from peers. Results are discussed in relation with practical implications to physical education teachers in order to facilitate the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for both boys and girls more efficiently.


The appearance of hip subluxation or dislocation in the cerebral palsy children is due to muscular and neurologic factors. In this paper the clinical and instrumental methods of early detection of hip joint instability were presented. Clinical measurements of spasticity around the hip joint should be applied to many times, but they do not provide to objective, reproducible data. The purpose of the paper was to present the etiological concepts of this spasticity complication. The methods is used in the author's clinical practice for establishing the dynamic status of investigated muscle groups. Pharmacological spasticity treatment and the operative methods are the useful methods of prevention of hip dislocation in children with cerebral palsy. For the totally dislocated hips the bony procedures should be advocated to make the reduction of dislocated hip joint. The clinical observations suggest that surgery of dislocated hip is very important factor improving the hip position, sitting balance and quality of life of the involved children.


We introduce a novel logical notion-partial entailment-to propositional logic. In contrast with classical entailment, that a formula P partially entails another formula Q with respect to a background formula set Γ intuitively means that under the circumstance of Γ, if P is true then some "part" of Q will also be true. We distinguish three different kinds of partial entailments and formalize them by using an extended notion of prime implicant. We study their semantic properties, which show that, surprisingly, partial entailments fail for many simple inference rules. Then, we study the related computational properties, which indicate that partial entailments are relatively difficult to be computed. Finally, we consider a potential application of partial entailments in reasoning about rational agents.


High-speed routers rely on well-designed packet buffers that support multiple queues, provide large capacity and short response times. Some researchers suggested combined SRAM/DRAM hierarchical buffer architectures to meet these challenges. However, these architectures suffer from either large SRAM requirement or high time-complexity in the memory management. In this paper, we present scalable, efficient, and novel distributed packet buffer architecture. Two fundamental issues need to be addressed to make this architecture feasible: 1) how to minimize the overhead of an individual packet buffer; and 2) how to design scalable packet buffers using independent buffer subsystems. We address these issues by first designing an efficient compact buffer that reduces the SRAM size requirement by (k 1)/k. Then, we introduce a feasible way of coordinating multiple subsystems with a load-balancing algorithm that maximizes the overall system performance. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that our load-balancing algorithm and the distributed packet buffer architecture can easily scale to meet the buffering needs of high bandwidth links and satisfy the requirements of scale and support for multiple queues.


CONTEXT
Segregation has been linked to unequal life chances.  Individuals from marginalized communities experience more crime, higher levels of poverty, poor health, and less civic engagement; and segregated metropolitan regions witness inequality in access to basic services. This paper builds on this previous work by linking segregation to infection and deaths from COVID-19.

METHODS
Using Census data matched to COVID infection and death statistics at the county level, we offer a theoretical basis for our choice of segregation measures and predictions for different racial groups. We analyze the relationship between two dimensions of segregation, racial isolation and racial unevenness, and COVID outcomes for different racial and ethnic groups.

FINDINGS
We find that in counties where Black and Latino residents live in more isolated neighborhoods, they were much more likely to contract COVID-19. This pattern was exacerbated in counties with a high proportion of front-line workers. We also find that racial segregation increased COVID-19 death rates for Black, Latino, and white residents.

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that devastating outcomes of the coronavirus pandemic were linked to a long history of racial marginalization and entrenched discrimination produced by structural inequalities embedded in our geographies and should inform public health planning going forward.


We have studied inherent fluorescence spectra of fingerprints and various papers in the deep UV region with a nanosecond pulsed laser system and have visualized latent fingerprints on papers with the time-resolved fluorescence imaging method. The excitation wavelength is 230 nm and 280 nm. Fingerprints emit fluorescence from 300 nm to 500 nm. Since papers also emit fluorescence above 400 nm and it is quite strong, it is necessary to suppress paper fluorescence using filters for imaging latent fingerprints. For printed papers, inks or toners often emit fluorescence. By using appropriate filters, latent fingerprints on papers were visualized for all white and printed papers examined. We have also studied absorption images of fingerprints and obtained clearest images with 215-nm illumination for latent fingerprints on white papers.


Almost all of the recent empirical tests of the rational expectations - permanent income hypothesis (RE-PIH) have rejected the hypothesis. The null hypothesis in this empirical literature typically consists of the joint hypothesis that 1) agents' expectations are formed rationally, 2) desired consumption is determined by permanent income, and 3) capital markets are"perfect" in the sense that agents can lend or borrow against expected future income at the same interest rate. This paper attempts to determine whether the excess sensitivity of consumption to current income can be attributed to a failure of the third component of the joint hypothesis -- the assumption of "perfect" capital markets -- as opposed to a failure of one or both of the first two assumptions. The paper examines, as a specific alternative to the PIH, a simple "Keynesian" consumption function in which the behavioral MPC out of transitory income is different from zero. Interpreting the unemployment rate as a proxy for the proportion of the population subject to liquidity constraints, the paper uses a generalized version of the econometric model in my earlier paper(1981) to conduct a specification test of the "Keynesian" consumption function. The finding that the estimate of the MPC out of transitory income is dramatically affected, in both magnitude and statistical significance, by the inclusion of the proxy for liquidity constraints suggests that liquidity constraints are an important part of the explanation of the observed excess sensitivity of consumption to current income.


Change detection for high resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery requires advanced denoising mechanisms to preserve details and minimize speckle. In this work, we propose a change detector based on a Morphological Component Analysis (MCA) of the scattering mechanisms provided with fully polarimetric data sets. With MCA, the power of each scattering mechanism is decomposed into diverse image features. By introducing a priori knowledge of the content of the scenes, and exploiting both the scattering mechanisms and their corresponding shapes, we can significantly improve performance, with fewer false alarms introduced by clutter, focusing errors, and inconsistent acquisition geometries.


This dissertation investigates the impact of the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 on the development of art, art institutions, and aesthetic discourse in India and Pakistan in the twentieth century. At the core of this study is the history of the Lahore Museum, whose collections of art and archaeology were divided between the emerging nations of India and Pakistan beginning in 1948. My analysis traces the contours of this division of movable art and heritage, against the broader spirit of madness of the period, to bring forth the crisis of dispossession that the Lahore collections endured in response to this unprecedented process of bifurcation. I argue that the fate of the Lahore collections in the twentieth century dramatizes the partition's empirical and epistemological ramifications for art and art writing across South Asia both then and now. It exposes the forms of physical and ideological violence imposed on art and culture in the course of this process of decolonization and nation-building; it elucidates the pivotal role that museums have played in negotiating the ruptures of place, history, and identity concomitant to the experience of partition in South Asia; and, it unravels the dialectics of non-belonging and nationalization that entangle India and Pakistan into the present. I contend, moreover, that the case of the Lahore Museum stands as an allegory for the partition as an unfinished process of cultural fragmentation in South Asia. Methodologically, this dissertation combines extensive archival records, formal analysis of art objects, and histories of archaeology and museum spaces, with debates in Indian historiography and post-colonial criticism to weave a cross-border history of art and museums. It uproots the nationalist logic at the center of prevailing art historiography in South Asia by foregrounding repressed art histories of division, displacement, and dispossession. By writing on and across the Indo-Pakistani border, my analysis further emphasizes the continued ties between archives and museum collections in India and Pakistan, and seeks to intertwine these resources otherwise isolated by virulent national divides. In the process, this dissertation asserts the necessity of the visual arts to any writing of partition history in South Asia, and ultimately exposes how the experience of partition in South Asia has, through either memory or representation, perpetuated a pervasive ethos of division that continues to structure the art history of modernism in India and Pakistan today.


Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward Island (PEI), was designated as containing "wetlands of international importance" under the Ramsar Convention in 1988 due to its unique ecological features and importance as a resting ground for thousands of migratory birds. As part of Canada's commitment to this convention, management actions at this site must promote its wise use and, yet, no efforts have been made to develop a management plan. This is in light of existing threats to the birds and their habitat, particularly coastal impacts from climate change, pollution from industrial runoff, the presence of invasive species, and the potential for negative effects to result from aquaculture in the Bay. In addition, while the existing policies and legislation that exist at the provincial, federal, and international level may offer some level of protection to aspects of the Bay, they do not sufficiently protect the whole ecosystem from the posed threats. This is particularly concerning as the province does not currently have the fiscal capacity to develop a management plan for the site and the federal government is unable to provide much directive as it has recently had widespread budget and departmental cuts. Recognizing the existing challenges on PEI in regards to resource management and the continued funding to provincial watershed groups even amidst a deficit, it is suggested that it is most reasonable for the management plan of Malpeque Bay to be adopted into a broader watershed management planning process.


The metanarrations about legal concern reached an increasing role in criticizing overcompensation cases. Litigation-adversarial system is perceived as too expensive for private and public finances. Someone underlined that emphasis on communication and voluntariness renders mediation more likely to resolve disputes.
Today public apology is playing a positive role in policies centered on alternative-informal dispute resolution, due to a restorative justice model. A public gesture of apology by the wrongdoer could help to prevent litigation expecially in moral or punitive damages cases. The article suggests that a different narrative of facts by legal means can be achieved.
Different legal meanings of public apology in eastern and western legal traditions are here investigated. According to a comparative analysis, the article focuses on different solutions issued by case law and legal transplants. It points out that the situation is very patchworked, although some jurisdictions have provided a specific legal framework for apologies.
However, its proper legal effects could shift in a wide range of solutions depending on certain circumstances: shaming sanction, mitigating factor on damages assessment, admission against interests, moral redress, self-reputation healing. Some criticisms referred to each specific meaning are here underwrited. In particular, the threat about apologies as metanarrations enforced by Courts concerns: insincerity, rule of law violations, harm to freedom of expression, mediatic manipulation.


A welcome publication, this book will nicely supplement the other books that are now appearing in the field of African American archaeology. Charles E. Orser Jr., Illinois State University Over the last decade, the field of American historical archaeology has seen enormous growth in the study of people of African descent. This edited volume is the first dedicated solely to archaeology and the construction of gender in an African American context. The common thread running through this collection is not a shared definition of gender or an agreed-upon feminist approach, but rather a regional thread, a commitment to understanding ethnicity and gender within the social, political, and ideological structures of the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century American South. Taken together, these essays represent a departure in historical archaeology, an important foray into the study of the construction of gender within various African American communities that is based in the archaeological record. Those interested in historical archaeology, history, women s studies and African American studies will find this a valuable addition to the literature. Topics range from gendered residential and consumption patterns in colonial Virginia and the construction of identity in Middle Tennessee to midwifery practices in postbellum Louisiana. Contributors to this volume include Melanie Cabak, Marie Danforth, Garrett Fesler, Jillian Galle, Barbara Heath, Larry McKee, Patricia Samford, Elizabeth Scott, Brian Thomas, Larissa Thomas, Laura Wilkie, Kristin Wilson, and Amy Young. Jillian E. Galle is project manager of the Digital Archaeological Archive of Chesapeake Slavery at Monticello. Amy L. Young is assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi."


Mr. G, age 38, is an investment banker referred for evaluation of an alcohol use disorder. Three years ago his internist diagnosed Mr. G with major depression and prescribed a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Mr. G's mood has improved, but his drinking is out of control and is affecting his work and marriage. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. G describes his father as an alcoholic and says he has noticed worrisome similarities in himself. Since his teenage years, he recalls always being able to drink more than his peers. Amnesia episodes began in college during heavy drinking days and now occur almost weekly. Most recently his driver's license was suspended after he was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol. He has attempted to stop drinking 3 times in the last 6 months and feels frustrated because he continues to relapse. During his last quit attempt, he remained abstinent for 3 months and believes his mood was unchanged during that time. For motivated patients such as Mr. G, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) guidelines (updated in 2007) consider medications first-line treatment for alcohol dependence, along with psychotherapies and mutual-help groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. (1) Medications with evidence of efficacy include FDA-approved disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate, and off-label topiramate. Each drug's pharmacology is different; some may be beneficial during early abstinence, whereas others are more effective for maintaining abstinence. Because many physicians have had little or no experience using these medications, (2,3) we discuss dosing recommendations and side effect profiles--important clinical differences to guide drug selection and administration. CASE CONTINUED Which came first? When Mr. G presented with depressive symptoms, his internist informed him that alcohol's effects can mimic depression and advised him to cut back his consumption. Mr. G temporarily reduced his drinking but continued to experience depressed mood, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and poor appetite. The internist then prescribed escitalopram, 10 mg/d, and Mr. G says his depressive symptoms improved. He has not attempted suicide or required psychiatric hospitalization. After a thorough evaluation--including a detailed assessment of his drinking history, other substance use, and mood symptoms--you diagnose Mr. G with alcohol dependence without physiological dependence and a primary major depressive disorder (MDD). Mr. G's diagnosis of alcohol dependence is based on evidence in the last 12 months of tolerance, repeated loss of control over the amount he drinks, multiple failed attempts to stop drinking, repeated negative consequences to his work productivity and personal relationships, and continued drinking despite knowing that alcohol consumption sometimes intensifies his mood symptoms (Box). Physiological dependence is unlikely because he did not experience withdrawal during a recent period of abstinence. The mood component. Particularly in psychiatric patients, alcohol dependence often coexists with and affects the treatment of other psychopathologies: * 1 in 3 adults experience an alcohol use disorder during their lifetimes. (4) * 1 in 3 adults with an alcohol use disorder have a comorbid psychiatric disorder. (5) * Alcohol dependence doubles the risk of major depression and triples the lifetime risk of any mood disorder. (4) A thorough evaluation--both medical and psychiatric--is necessary to distinguish a primary mood disorder from a substance-induced mood disorder. Aspects of a patient's history that may support a substance-induced disorder diagnosis include: * Mood symptoms appear after the onset of a substance use disorder. * Mood symptoms are absent during abstinence. * Mood symptoms are consistent with the effects of the drug being used. …


The purpose of this research was to explore cultural similarities and differences that could be found from analyzing the images of the Kinetic Family Drawing and their accompanying narratives. The current literature on the Kinetic Family Drawing as an assessment tool and the literature on the role of culture in psychotherapy were examined. The researchers have collected Kinetic Family Drawing images and narratives from groups of college students from the United States and groups of college students from two different areas in Mexico. Participants were asked to perform the Kinetic Family Drawing, title the drawing, write a brief narrative about the drawing, and list any cultural affiliations that may aid in contextualizing the drawing. Researchers used the Kinetic Family Drawings and the accompanying narratives collected to look for similarities and differences in perceptions of family among the different cultures and the ways in which environment and culture may impact family and family perceptions.