Design optimization relies heavily on time-consuming simulations, especially when using gradient-free optimization methods. These methods require a large number of simulations in order to get a remarkable improvement over reference designs, which are nowadays based on the accumulated engineering knowledge already quite optimal. High-Performance Computing (HPC) is essential to reduce the execution time of the simulations. While parallel programming using the CPU is established since more than two decades, the use of accelerators, such as the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), is relatively recent in design optimization. The GPU has actually a huge computational power comparable to a many-core cluster but concentrated in one device. This raw power is not easy to utilize as entire code parts have to be rewritten using a GPU programming language. Even though high-level standards (e.g. openACC) are able to bring a basic acceleration with a low development effort, it is not simple to get large speedups with these methods. Low-level programming languages are more efficient but different speedups are reported and there is a need for a deep analysis to make the GPU potential more transparent to scientists especially non-experts in HPC. In order to study the GPU acceleration for CFD steady simulations, two in-house CFD solvers have been ported to the GPU; one with explicit and the second with implicit time-stepping. After the porting and the validation of the GPU solvers, the GPU code optimization leads to the identification of a set of key parameters affecting the GPU efficiency. At the same time, both methods have been compared resulting into a performance model and a classification of the GPU acceleration of some CFD operations. The purpose is to enable scientists to take an educated decision concerning the GPU porting of their CPU applications by providing an expected GPU speedup. In addition to the two GPU CFD solvers that are now integrated into the in- house design optimization software package, this research provided key elements to reduce the ambiguity about the GPU potential, namely a qualitative analysis and a classification. These tools can help selecting the best candidate for a breakthrough in CFD acceleration. At the same time, this work identified serious limitations in the preconditioning of a linear system of equations and the limit of today iterative matrix factorization methods in terms of stability and convergence. There is a need for a paradigm shift toward inherently parallel preconditioners. The developed tools have been used for the optimization of a compressor and a turbine cascade resulting into a faster optimization process on the GPU.


We consider the rate-distortion problem for sensing the continuous space-time physical temperature in a circular ring on which a heat source is applied over space and time, and which is allowed to cool by radiation or convection. The heat source is modelled as a continuous space-time stochastic process which is bandlimited over space and time. The temperature field is the result of a certain continuous space-time convolution of the heat source with the Green's function corresponding to the heat equation, which is space and time invariant. The temperature field is sampled at uniform spatial locations by a set of sensors and it has to be reconstructed at a base station. The goal is to minimize the mean-square-error per second, for a given number of nats per second, assuming ideal communication channels between sensors and base station. We find a) the centralized R/sup c/(D) function of the temperature field, where the base station can optimally encode all the space-time samples jointly. Then, we obtain b) the R/sup s-i/(D) function, where each sensor, independently, encodes its samples optimally over time, and c) the R/sup st-i/(D) function, where each sensor is constrained to encode also independently over time. We also study two distributed prediction-based approaches: a) with perfect feedback from the base station, where temporal prediction is performed at the base station and each sensor performs differential encoding; and b) without feedback, where each sensor locally performs temporal prediction.


A procedure for calculating the mode structure in optical waveguides made up of multilayers of optically anisotropic media is derived. This procedure is applicable to a waveguide of any arbitrary number of layers, with each layer homogeneous but otherwise having arbitrary dielectric, magnetic-permeability, and optical-rotation tensors. The substrate is included as an end layer of large, but finite, thickness. When programmed for the computer, the method provides a powerful and useful tool for analyzing a waveguide consisting of any complex array of anisotropic layers, requiring simply specification of the relevant material tensors and layer thicknesses as inputs. The sequence of steps involved in the procedure is illustrated by two examples that can be carried out explicitly, viz., that of an isotropic dielectric layer and that of a uniaxial crystal layer.


In this book the notions of real learning and equality are approached as processes of becoming leading to the figuration of new worlds through local curations of learning and practice. Though its main theses are mainly grounded in the context of art practice and education they have a much wider application to other (perhaps all) contexts of learning through the notions of pedagogies against the state and pedagogies of the event. Learning is conceived as a political act rather than, for example, an incremental process of psychological or sociological development. Most chapters of the book deal with a series of tensions between tradition and the new; between art in education and contemporary art; between ontologies of practice and epistemologies of assessment; between socio-cultural notions of difference and an egalitarian notion of the Same, between an ethics of reality, of established values, principles and practices and an ethics of the real; between the different ontological domains of the artist and the teacher which are brought together in the constituency of the artist-teacher, between knowledge and not-knowing, between know¬ledge and truth. The intention is not to resolve such tensions as such attempted resolution will always be incomplete, rather they are discussed in the spirit of an imperative to decide what kind of future we want for pedagogical spaces of teaching and learning. The text draws upon key ideas from the philosophical work of Alain Badiou, Judith Butler, Jacques Ranciere, Slavoj Zizek , Jacques Lacan and others and these are applied to pedagogical spaces in order to initiate a debate about teaching and learning. The book raises some important questions relating to subjectification, ethics, multiculturalism and the struggles inherent to the tensionalities of becoming an artist-teacher. "Dennis Atkinson has written an important and compelling book to revision the teaching of art for the 21st century in our schools. This an absolute must read for art educators who continue to strive to make a transformative difference in public education. It is a remarkable achievement in foresight and leadership. Atkinson raises the most difficult questions concerning subjectification, ethics, multiculturalism, assessment and the tensions and benefits of becoming an artist educator. He draws on the leading edge of contemporary cultural and artistic theory focusing on the writings of Butler, Lacan Badiou, Ranciere as well as Bourriaud,Deleuze and Guattari." jan jagodzinski


Even as American attention is focused on Iraq's struggle to rebuild its political and legal systems in the face of violent sectarian divisions, another fractured society - Kosovo - has begun negotiations to resolve the question of its political independence. Kosovo's efforts to establish multi-ethnic rule of law in the context of persistent ethnic divisions offer lessons in transitional justice and in managing legal pluralism for Iraq and other states. In Kosovo today, two parallel judicial systems each claim sole jurisdiction over the province. One system was established by the United Nations administration in Kosovo, while the other system is maintained by the government of Serbia, the remnants of the courts that existed before Serbia was forced out of Kosovo by NATO bombing in 1999. The parallel courts present a transitional justice issue that is as crucial to rebuilding Kosovo's post-conflict society as convening a truth commission or conducting criminal trials. On one level, the existence of the parallel courts is a manifestation of the ongoing political dispute over sovereignty. The parallel courts also represent an extreme example of the legal pluralism that has developed in other divided societies. Finally, the lack of any recognition of judgments between these systems has created legal chaos for the people who depend on those judgments. Conflicting judgments have been issued in civil cases, and criminal defendants are subject to prosecution and punishment in both systems. This article addresses the problem of the mutual non-recognition of judgments between Kosovo's parallel systems in light of existing national and international models for judgment recognition and enforcement. Each of these models strives to strike a balance between two competing values: (1) certainty in the finality and consistency of legal judgments and (2) ensuring those judgments' essential fairness. Using these values as a guide, I assess whether and how the existing models might be adapted to Kosovo's context, concluding that the proper balance between legal certainty and fairness will permit categorical recognition of most parallel civil judgments, but will require case by case, discretionary review of criminal judgments. Finally, from this analysis, I develop a set of factors for consideration by other states.


Imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET), represent great progress in the clinical development of drugs and diagnostics. However, the efficient and timely synthesis of appropriately labeled compounds is a largely unsolved problem. Numerous small drug-like molecules with high structural diversity can be synthesized via convergent multicomponent reactions (MCRs). The combination of PET labeling with MCR synthesis of biologically active compounds can greatly simplify radioanalytical and imaging-based analysis. In a proof-of-concept study, we optimized robust on-site radiolabeling conditions that were subsequently applied to several structurally different drug-like MCR scaffolds (e.g., arenes, β-lactam, tetrazole, and oxazole). These labeled scaffolds were synthesized via pinacol-derived aryl boronic esters (arylBPin) by copper-mediated oxidative 18F-fluorination with radiochemical conversions (RCCs) from 15% to 76%.


One of the latest additions to the educator's toolbox are learning parcels sent to the students' mobile phones. We used a four factor sales and marketing model from previous research to produce and evaluate the contents of the learning parcels and the mobile phone concept. The four factors are: Relevance , timeliness , responsibility and value . In an action research program during the first semester of 2015, we tested to which degree the students felt their curriculum knowledge improved through the use of learning parcels on their mobile phones. We learned that the novelty effect of using mobile phones as a medium quickly evaporated. The use of the learning parcels depends to a high degree on the instant feeling of high usefulness in relation to the four factors and is decisive for students' use of the learning parcels and the concept as such. A significant number of the students liked the concept, and were sure of its positive learning outcome.


An aluminum factory has experienced several load shedding as result of faults in 500 kV overhead lines of the electric grid, external to the plant. The load shedding from two of the four potlines of aluminum production, are consequence of the actuation of the protection system against voltages sags installed on the thyristors rectifiers, which under certain conditions considered dangerous, causes the trip of the rectifiers to avoid possible damage to the thyristors due to commutation failure, shedding in this way 360 MW of the total load of the aluminum factory. In order to assess the sensitivity of the protection system to voltage sags caused by faults in the external network, a comprehensive study of the system was performed through digital simulations of failures in several overhead lines, considering different types of faults, locations, scenarios, etc. The parameters and topology of the network are available in detail in the PSS/E program power flow files, but since it is necessary to determine the waveform of the voltage at the plant bus bars, the studies must be performed with a program able to calculate electromagnetic transients such as the ATP. A program was developed to make the conversion of the PSS/E power flow data to ATP format. This paper presents a description of the program, together with the results and conclusions of the study.


Flora and fauna are the actual trinkets of the crown named "Biodiversity". We are running in the 21st century, the year 2020 and, of course, undergoing the lockdown period. The reason is best known to all humans', i.e., "unwarranted and undisciplined" interference with the system and norms of Mother Nature. Growth is a positive notion in the fields of mathematic and economics, so as the population is increasing, but there are no positive results of the same. The snowballing greenhouse gas emission, pollution, destruction of biodiversity, animal killings, maiming, frequent floods and droughts are the worrying alarming consequences of our mismanagement and interference. The national and state governments are already hawking with unprecedented challenges; the population will not stop intensifying, so what should be our modus operandi in attaining the sustainable development goals? The urban cities are subjugating the leading sources of the earth; urbanization has affected every area of developing and developed countries. In this present scenario, we only have our villages and sub rural areas, which could maintain the biodiversity, flora and fauna. However, the problem is of proper skills and guidance. The only unit which can work from grass root level is "Local selfgovernment" it seems that union and states are more formidable and have long-lasting effects on people's minds. Still, the grass-root government is getting into the grips with most questioning jobs. The United Nations has always focused on the independence of local self-government because the trio of environment, sustainable development and local self-government are the rock-solid pillars of the future we want for the globe and Asia Pacific region.


Hygrophila spinosa T. Anders (Acanthaceae) is described in Ayurvedic literature as Ikshura, Ikshugandha and Kokilasha having eyes like Kokila or Indian cuckoo, common in moist places on the banks of tanks, ditches, paddy fields etc., widely distributed throughout India from Himalayas to Ceylon, Srilanka, Burma, Malaysia and Nepal. Seeds, whole plant, leaves, roots and ash of the plant are predominantly used for the treatment of various ailments. The compounds identified in H. spinosa are mainly phytosterols, fatty acids, minerals, polyphenols, proanthocyanins, mucilage, alkaloids, enzymes, amino acids, carbohydrates, hydrocarbons, flavonoids, terpenoids, vitamins and glycosides. Some of the reported phytoconstituents are lupeol, lupenone, 25-oxo-hentriacontanyl acetate, stigmasterol, betulin, β- carotene, hentriacontane, apigenin-7-O-glucuronide, apigenin-7-O-glucoside, 3-methylnonacosane, 23-ethylcholesta-11(12), 23(24)-dien-3β-ol, luteolin, asteracanthine, asteracanthicine, luteolin-7-rutinoside, methyl-8-n-hexyltetracosanoate, β-sitosterol, histidine, phenylalanine, lysine, ascorbic acid, nicotinic acid, n-triacontane, glucose, mannose, rhamnose, arabinose, xylose, maltose, myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid etc. Ethanolic extract of the fruits, hydroalcoholic extract of whole plant and crude petroleum ether extract of the plant are having anticancer activity. Antibacterial activity was exhibited by the chloroform and methanol extract of the whole plant, and methanolic extract of the leaves. Antifungal activity against Aspergillus tamari, Rhizopus solani, Mucor mucedo and Aspergillus niger is due to the proteins and peptides present in the plant. Potential in treating liver diseases of the aerial parts, roots and whole plant was studied by various models viz. carbon tetrachloride induced hepatotoxicity, paracetamol and thioacetamide intoxication, and galactosamine induced liver dysfunction in rats. Seeds, leaves, aerial parts and roots showed antinociceptive activity which was studied using both chemical and thermal methods of nociception in mice. Some Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha formulations of the plant are claimed to have anabolic-cum androgenic like activity. The plant was also studied for haematopoeitic, hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypotensive, diuretic, macrofilaricidal activities etc. Apart from the above established studies the plant is traditionally used for the treatment of anasaraca, diseases of urinogenital tract, dropsy of chronic Bright's disease, hyperdipsia, vesical calculi, flatulence, diarrhea, dysentery, leucorrhoea, gonorrhoea, asthma, blood diseases, gastric diseases, painful micturition, menorrhagea etc. Therefore, these informations will help the scientists and researchers to screen the compounds responsible for different bioactivities and to elucidate the mechanism of action.


This magnificent volume begins with the words "Extinction is final." In one of six forewords, Stephen Garnett comments that "Oceania is well used to extinction" with nearly half of all known bird extinctions since 1500 occurring in the region. Russ Mittermier informs us that the world stands at the opening of one of the great extinction events in planetary history. Not all is despair. James Clements tells us that there are "refreshing rays of light" and cites the reservation of 13 million hectares of rainforest as protected areas. He quotes Peru's Minister of Foreign Relations as saying that "one of the marks of civilization is the regard men bestow on wild things". What then is the state of the world's avifauna: no more authoritative account is available than Threatened Birds of the World.


FNA has emerged as a powerful and accurate diagnostic tool for breast carcinomas. In the experienced hands false positive and false negative diagnosis have been reduced to a minimum. It has also been recognized that besides diagnosis, several other important clinical prognostic information can be obtained from FNA material. These include estrogen and progesterone recep-tor assay, proliferative fraction and oncogene products. These are achieved by subjecting the FNA material to immunoperoxidase methods, ploidy analysis an'd S phase frac-tion on flow cytometry. Lately cytological grading of breast cancer has been added to these investigations 22.214.171.124.5 Since histology is the gold standard in the diagnosis of breast cancer, and since the FNA obviously may not sample enough breast volume, the question is why bother with cytological grading of breast cancer? Why don't we wait and do the grading on histol-ogy where several sections would be examined and thereby cover any kind of variations in the tumor? On the other hand histo-logical grading of breast carcinoma assesses mainly nuclei mor-phology and architectural configurations.


Specific IgA, IgG, and IgE antibodies to food antigens in 35 participants with autistic disorder and 21 of their siblings in the Republic of Macedonia were examined. Statistically significant higher plasma concentration of IgA antibodies against alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, casein, and gliadin were found in the children with autistic disorder. Plasma concentrations of IgG antibodies against alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, and casein in participants with autistic disorder were significantly higher. IgE-specific antibodies (alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin, casein, and gluten), as well as plasma concentration of total IgE, also were statistically significantly higher in the participants with autistic disorder. Gender differences were found for select IgA, IgG, and IgE (but not for total IgE) food-specific antibodies (kU/L) in the participants with autistic disorder and their siblings.


Traditionally, interactivity in architecture has been suppressed by its materiality. Building structures that can transform and change themselves have been the dream of many architects for centuries. With the continuous advancements in technology and the paradigm shift from mechanics to electronics, this dream is becoming reality. Today, it is possible to have building facades that can visually animate themselves, change their appearance, or even interact with their surroundings. In this paper, we introduce Architectural Chameleon Skin (ARCS), an installation that has the ability to transform static, motionless architectural surfaces into interactive and engaging skins. Swarm algorithms drive the interactivity and responsiveness of this "virtual skin". In particular, the virtual skin responds to colour, movements, and distance of surrounding objects. We provide a comprehensive description and analysis of the ARCS installation.


The absence of biological fathers in South Africa has been constructed as a problem for children of both sexes but more so for boy-children. Arguably the dominant discourse in this respect has demonized non-nuclear, female-headed households. Fathers are constructed as either absent or 'bad'. Thus it has become important to explore more closely how male care-givers have been experienced by groups of men in South Africa. This article examines discourses of fatherhood and fatherlessness by drawing on qualitative interviews with a group of 29 men who speak about their reported experiences and understandings of being fathered or growing up without biological fathers. Two major and intertwined subjugated discourses about adult men's experiences of being fathered that counterbalance the prevailing discourses about meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness became evident, namely, 'being always there' and 'talking fatherhood'. The importance of the experience of fatherhood as 'being there', which relates to a quality of time and relationship between child and father rather than physical time together, is illustrated. It is not only biological fathers who can 'be there' for their sons but also social fathers, other significant male role models and father figures who step in at different times in participants' lives when biological fathers are unavailable for whatever reason. Second, many positive experiences of fathers or father figures that resist a traditional role of authority and control and subscribe to more nurturant and non-violent forms of care, represented as 'talking' fathers, are underlined. If we are to better understand the impact of colonial and apartheid history and its legacy on family life in contemporary society, there is a need for more historically and contextually informed studies on the meaning of fatherhood and fatherlessness.


Lung cancer causes more deaths than any other cancer in Northern Ireland. Survival, and factors which could influence survival, were examined for the 4,458 patients diagnosed with lung cancer from 1992 to 1996. Overall five−year relative survival was low, but better for females (9%) than males (7%). Survival improved each year although this could not be attributed to treatment changes. Survival was better for men under 65 years, than older men (p Introduction Lung cancer causes almost 800 deaths in Northern Ireland each year, more than any other cancer, whilst over 900 patients are diagnosed with lung cancer annually. Marked international variations in the treatment and outcome of lung cancer have been reported over time . Northern Ireland has a stable population and detailed information has been available on patients developing lung cancer since October 1991. This study examines lung cancer survival, and changes in survival over the five−year study period, 1992 to 1996, investigates whether any improvements could be related to changes in clinical practice, and compares survival in Northern Ireland with other European countries and the United States of America (US). Methods Dataset The Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (NICR) records electronically, all incident cases of cancer in Northern Ireland diagnosed since 1993. Data were extracted from the NICR database on all 3,576 malignant lung tumours (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision (ICD9 162)) 2 over the period January 1993 to December 1996. Data on 882 patients were also available from an earlier study that spanned a one−year period from October 1991 to September 1992. This one−year period will be referred to as 1992 hereafter. The study was a prospective study using multisource notification . Demographic, tumour, treatment, date and cause of death information was extracted from these datasets. Based on pathology reports, the cases were classified according to cell type: Non small cell (including squamous, adenocarcinoma, large cell, other microscopically verified), 1. Small cell, 2. Unknown no microscopic verification (NMV). 3. Data on all deaths in the Northern Ireland population for all causes including cancer were obtained from the General Registers Office (GRO). The incident data were cross−matched with the GRO mortality data to ascertain if a person had died and, if so, his or her date of death. The censoring date for deaths was 31 December 1999. Those patients not matched with a date of death were assumed to be still alive on the censoring date. Active follow−up of these survivors was undertaken, by seeking confirmation of their survival status from their hospital of treatment and/or general practitioner. Survival times were calculated for each patient, defined as the time elapsed between diagnosis and death or censoring, whichever occurred earlier. Two hundred and nine patients (4.7%) were first diagnosed with lung cancer at or after death, resulting in zero or negative survival times. These patients were excluded from the survival dataset, as inclusion of such cases would have biased survival downwards. This is standard procedure of cancer registries in calculating survival . Statistical Analysis To allow for deaths from diseases other than lung cancer, survival was expressed as a relative survival rate (RSR). Relative survival is the ratio of the observed survival divided by the survival that the patient would have experienced if s/he had the same probability of dying as the general population having the same age and sex, and thus adjusts for background mortality from all causes. The relative survival rates were calculated using the SURV2 relative survival software developed by the Finnish Cancer Registry . Linear regression analyses were carried out on the age−standardised incidence and mortality rates separately for males and females to investigate if there were significant trends over the study period, 1992 to 1996. Additionally, Coxs proportional hazards regression models were fitted to the data, in order to investigate if year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, sex, cell type and treatment, and interactions between these factors were significant predictors of survival. Relative survival rates were then calculated for each of the significant predictor variables. The survival rates for Northern Ireland lung cancer patients were compared with the rates for the Republic of Ireland , Scotland , England and Wales , other European registries 1 and the USA . Results Incidence and Mortality During the study period, there were 2,899 male and 1,559 female incident lung cancers, and 2,563 male and 1,326 female lung cancer deaths (Table 1). The incidence and mortality from lung cancer fell in men and rose in women, but the changes in incidence and mortality were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Table 1 Incidence and mortality of lung cancer (ICD9 162) in the Northern Ireland population Year 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1992 to 1996 Significance of Tend P(trend) Male Incident Cases 589 574 626 547 563 P=0.26 EASR* per 100,000 84.3 80.6 89.5 75.2 74.7 (EASR 95% CI) (79.8 − 88.8) (73.9 − 87.3) (82.4 − 96.6) (68.8 − 81.5) (68.5 − 80.9) Female Incident Cases 293 320 314 321 311 P=0.74 EASR* per 100,000 31.2 34.7 33.1 33.6 32.6 (EASR 95% CI) (28.3 − 34.1) (30.8 − 38.7) (29.2 − 36.9) (29.8 − 37.5) (28.8 − 36.4) Male No. deaths 512 539 518 489 505 P=0.05 EASR* per 100,000 73.6 75.6 72.9 67.0 66.6 (EASR 95% CI) (67.1 − 80.0) (69.1 − 82.1) (66.5 − 79.3) (60.9 − 73.0) (60.7 − 72.5) Female No. deaths 259 266 261 266 274 P=0.24 EASR* per 100,000 20.2 28.5 25.9 27.8 27.4 (EASR 95% CI) (16.6 − 23.3) (25.9 − 32.1) (22.6 − 29.2) (24.3 − 31.3) (24.0 − 30.9) * EASR = European Age−Standardised Rate Age and Sex The age profiles for males and females diagnosed with lung cancer during the study period were similar; their mean (standard error) ages being 68.8 (0.2) and 68.4 (0.3) years respectively. The study population was elderly (median age at diagnosis being 69 years) and predominantly male (65%). Cell Type Over the study period, 2,630 (59%) lung cancers were recorded as non−small cell type, 535 (12%) were small cell and 1,293 (29%) were categorised NMV. In 1992 data on cell type were available for 750 (85%) patients compared with 656 (75%) in 1996. Significantly more incident lung cancers were recorded as non−small in 1992 626 (71%) compared to 533 (61%) in 1996, P<0.001). Investigations Data on bronchoscopy and CT scanning rates were available for 1992 and 1996 data. Bronchoscopies were performed in 494 (56%) lung cancer patients in 1992 and this increased to 585 (67%) in 1996, while CT scanning was used in 220 patients (52%) in 1992 rising to 586 (67%) in 1996. Treatment Effects The overall number of patients having surgery was higher in 1996 (Table 2), although not significantly (P>0.05). There


Due to the high volume and velocity of big data, it is an effective option to store big data in the cloud, because the cloud has capabilities of storing big data and processing high volume of user access requests. Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) is a promising technique to ensure the end-to-end security of big data in the cloud. However, the policy updating has always been a challenging issue when ABE is used to construct access control schemes. A trivial implementation is to let data owners retrieve the data and re-encrypt it under the new access policy, and then send it back to the cloud. This method incurs a high communication overhead and heavy computation burden on data owners. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme that enabling efficient access control with dynamic policy updating for big data in the cloud. We focus on developing an outsourced policy updating method for ABE systems. Our method can avoid the transmission of encrypted data and minimize the computation work of data owners, by making use of the previously encrypted data with old access policies. Moreover, we also design policy updating algorithms for different types of access policies. The analysis show that our scheme is correct, complete, secure and efficient.


Trypanosomatids, which include major pathogens of humans and livestock, are divergent eukaryotes for which cell cycle controls and the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Here, we describe a genome-wide RNA-interference library screen for cell cycle regulators in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei. We induced massive parallel knockdown and sorted the perturbed population into cell cycle stages using flow cytometry. RNAi-targets were deep-sequenced from each stage and cell cycle profiles were digitally reconstructed at a genomic scale. We identify hundreds of proteins that impact cell cycle progression; glycolytic enzymes required for G1S progression, DNA replication factors, mitosis regulators, proteasome and kinetochore complex components required for G2M progression, flagellar and cytoskeletal components required for cytokinesis, mRNA-binding factors, protein kinases and many previously uncharacterised proteins. The outputs facilitate functional annotation and drug-target prioritisation and provide comprehensive functional genomic evidence for the machineries, pathways and regulators that coordinate progression through the trypanosome cell cycle. The data can be searched and browsed using an interactive, open access, online data visualization tool (https://tryp-cycle.onrender.com).


Pendent nucleophiles are essential partners in the cleavage and formation of bonds with hydrogen (e.g. protonation/deprotonation), but binding of the pendent group to the metal and the potential trapping of complexes in inactive states are a significant problem. The dipyridylmethane-based ligand framework bis(2-pyridyl)-N-pyrrolidinomethane (R,pyrCPy2), bearing a hemilabile pyrrolidine moiety, has been synthesized and complexes of the type [(R,pyrCPy2)M(COD)]X (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) were prepared. The solution-phase ligand dynamics and relative protonation preferences were investigated via1H NMR spectroscopy; although favorable, pendent amine binding does not kinetically inhibit pendent base protonation. Protonation at the metal (with concomitant pyrrolidine binding) has been found to be favorable for Ir, whereas N-protonation is favorable for Rh. DFT calculations predict that the RhIII hydrides have much higher relative acidities than their Ir congeners (ΔpKa ≃ 7-8 in CH2Cl2), and are also more acidic than the strong acid [H(OEt2)2][B(C6F5)4].

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Hope has been linked to psychological well-being, resilience and
recovery from mental health difficulties. Many recovery-oriented policies
have included calls for mental healthcare staff to develop hope-inspiring
relationships with their clients. However, guidance and research regarding
the clinical application of these recommendations are lacking. This is
particularly the case within forensic mental health services, which have been
slower to adopt the recovery model. This thesis aimed to develop an
understanding of staff perspectives about hope and their experiences of
fostering hope with service users, in forensic mental health settings. An initial
scoping exercise found that no such studies have been conducted in secure
settings. Therefore, Paper One reports a review of qualitative literature
exploring staff beliefs of hope, practices to foster hope and the challenges
faced by practitioners across a broad range of mental health settings. The
therapeutic relationship, helping the client to maintain social connections,
uncovering values and goals and working to develop different perspectives
emerged as important hope-inspiring practices. Clinicians identified the
importance of maintaining their own sense of hope and also the challenges
to remaining hopeful. Many of the studies lacked an integration of the
themes and categories that emerged from analysis. Paper Two reports an
empirical study that utilised a Grounded Theory methodology to develop a
model of nurses' experience of inspiring hope in their clients within one
medium secure hospital. The grounded theory that was developed from the
data described what it meant for the nurses to hold on to hope for their
clients. Two categories (being the intervention and doing reasonable hope)
captured the practices through which nurses worked to foster hope. These
practices were influenced by the nurses' beliefs about hope and the context
of the secure unit. The model also captured the emotional impact of working
to inspire hope and the way in which nurses managed their emotional
response. The clinical implications of the findings, particularly to staff
recruitment, training and support, are discussed. Paper three outlines the
author's own reflections on the research process.


Purpose: Recent preclinical data suggest that cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK4/6) inhibition may be harnessed to sensitize estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) breast cancer to radiotherapy. However, these findings were obtained in human ER+ breast cancer cell lines exposed to subclinical doses of CDK4/6 inhibitors with limited attention to treatment schedule. We investigated the activity of radiotherapy combined with the prototypic CDK4/6 inhibitor palbociclib placing emphasis on therapeutic schedule. Experimental Design: We combined radiotherapy and palbociclib in various doses and therapeutic schedules in human and mouse models of ER+ and ER-negative (ER−) breast cancer, including an immunocompetent mouse model that recapitulates key features of human luminal B breast cancer in women. We assessed proliferation, cell death, cell-cycle control, and clonogenic survival in vitro, as well as tumor growth, overall survival, and metastatic dissemination in vivo. Results: Radiotherapy and palbociclib employed as standalone agents had partial cytostatic effects in vitro, correlating with suboptimal tumor control in vivo. However, while palbociclib delivered before focal radiotherapy provided minimal benefits as compared with either treatment alone, delivering focal radiotherapy before palbociclib mediated superior therapeutic effects, even in the absence of p53. Such superiority manifested in vitro with enhanced cytostasis and loss of clonogenic potential, as well as in vivo with improved local and systemic tumor control. Conclusions: Our preclinical findings demonstrate that radiotherapy delivered before CDK4/6 inhibitors mediates superior antineoplastic effects compared with alternative treatment schedules, calling into question the design of clinical trials administering CDK4/6 inhibitors before radiotherapy in women with ER+ breast cancer.


In accounting the treatment of purchased goodwill is the most controversial issue. Over the past decades, numerous debates have been raised to deal with the problems and issues associated with the valuation of goodwill. This study reviewed some of the academic researches and found that academic debates have mainly centered on the bookkeeping problems of the subsequent values such as cost allocations, impairment, and profit inflation rather than the problem of the acquisition value. After examining past accounting approaches and other issues surrounding the valuation of goodwill, it was discovered that the main accounting problem is primarily related to the accountability of management in regards with the determination of the initial value, rather than the analysis of the firms' bookkeeping treatments. By means of the examples and illustrations of the accounting techniques and valuation theory, this study confirms that controversy will remain, not just in regards with the subsequent valuation and bookkeeping aspects of the transactions, but chiefly in regards with the determination of the initial value and incorporation of accountability in the process of accounting for goodwill. In the final section a normative and independent valuation model is suggested that has the limited objective of improving the analysis and valuation of the goodwill acquisition.


Survivin' neutrophil surveillance Humans constantly inhale fungal spores. Why don't we suffer more invasive infections from ubiquitous fungal molds such as Aspergillus fumigatus? Working in mice, Shlezinger et al. found that neutrophils phagocytosed germinating fungal spores deep in the lungs (see the Perspective by Wiesner and Klein). Once engulfed, the fungal cells underwent programmed cell death, likely induced by phagocyte NADPH oxidase. Fungal strains engineered to overexpress a fungal survivin homolog resisted cell death by inhibiting caspase-3 and -7. When a Survivin antagonist was applied, more fungal cells died. These findings may lead to therapies for immunocompromised patients threatened by invasive fungal lung infections. Science, this issue p. 1037; see also p. 973 Mold spores do not become invasive after inhalation by humans because neutrophils induce their death at germination. Humans inhale mold conidia daily and typically experience lifelong asymptomatic clearance. Conidial germination into tissue-invasive hyphae can occur in individuals with defects in myeloid function, although the mechanism of myeloid cell–mediated immune surveillance remains unclear. By monitoring fungal physiology in vivo, we demonstrate that lung neutrophils trigger programmed cell death with apoptosis-like features in Aspergillus fumigatus conidia, the most prevalent human mold pathogen. An antiapoptotic protein, AfBIR1, opposes this process by inhibiting fungal caspase activation and DNA fragmentation in the murine lung. Genetic and pharmacologic studies indicate that AfBIR1 expression and activity underlie conidial susceptibility to NADPH (reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase-dependent killing and, in turn, host susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis. Immune surveillance exploits a fungal apoptosis-like programmed cell death pathway to maintain sterilizing immunity in the lung.


Irish neutrality was investigated using the theoretical lens of social representations theory (Moscovici, 1961/76). Analyses were based on data collected for the Irish Social and Political Attitudes (2001/02). The content of the representations of Irish neutrality was first investigated, that is how individuals defined the concept. This resulted in the formualtion and description of four definitions of neutrality – independence, non-aggression, impartiality and peace-keeping. Regression analyses showed that sociodemographic characteristics, most significantly age, predicted how individuals defined neutrality. Secondly, we addressed the process of anchoring, which allows for individual positions towards a social representations which differ systematically, for example in terms of differential value priorities (Doise, Spini, & Clemence, 1999). Much discourse around Irish neutrality and its persistence has focused on its relationship with values. A correlational study investigated whether the relationship between Schwartz's basic human values (1992) and support for neutrality was moderated by definition of neutrality held (of the four categories developed from the first analysis). Results confirmed the moderating effect of definition. Depending on definition held, the correlation between values and support for neutrality was differentially related to the dimensions of self-transcendence/self-preservation and conservation/openness to change. Possible explanations for the results will be suggested. Implications for research on foreign policy orientations as well as the benefits of using a social representations approach will be advanced.


This article reflects on the intellectual and political circumstances of the publication of Gayle Rubin's 1984 essay "Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of Sexuality." In particular, the article considers the context of the feminist "sex wars" of the late 1970s and early 1980s, offering a detailed account of several of the period's key events, publications, and debates. The article also reflects on the relation between this moment in the history of feminism and the history of GLBT and queer scholarship over the past several decades.


Current economic development law theories and technical assistance practices of international financial institutions emphasise the critical importance for an emerging or transitioning economy in moving towards a market orientated system, to have in place a modem commercial law infrastructure so that the economy can develop robust credit and other financial markets and can attract internal and external capital investments. One essential element of this desired commercial law infrastructure is a legal and judicial framework that provides for an efficient and prompt debt recovery process. Unfortunately, recent studies indicate that, in most developing countries debt recovery is in crisis. The subject matter of this volume will be debt recovery in South Asia countries of India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. These countries have been chosen for different reasons: India because it represents one of the largest emerging economies; Sri Lanka because its relevant legal system is a mix of English Common Law and Roman Dutch Law concepts; and Malaysia because it has achieved significant economic and financial modernisation through a rather special governmental-societal approach. Hopefully such a comparative analysis will shed some light on how to improve debt recovery laws in emerging economies in a manner conducive to sustainable economic and social development. The ultimate thesis of this manuscript is that a suitable debt recovery system for an emerging economy requires, not simply suitable laws and judicial remedies, but also appropriate financial industry practices as to credit allocation and loan supervision; a broad range of fair and effective enforcement mechanisms; and an independent, commercial trained and responsive judiciary. The conclusion looks at the present state of the development of the banking sector in the selected three countries, with special attention being given to the apparent tensions between the market orientated policies that are being ambitiously pursued and the laws that govern credit, security and debt recovery.


The purpose of it was to provide a major forum to researchers and engineers from national and international levels to present and exchange their views on the latest research issues and application methods to solve existing problems related to rivers in Malaysia and worldwide. Among major issues raised by paper presenters from various countries during the conference were the advancement of integrated river basin management via smart-partnerships among government, industry, NGOs and the public, the need for water quality assessments in urban areas, and the promotion of applying sustainable urban drainage systems.


Background and Aims: Aprepitant, a Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, has been evaluated in abdominal and neurosurgeries, but its effect is less clear in breast and thyroid surgeries, which are also known to be high risk for post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). This study was done to compare the antiemetic efficacy of ondansetron and aprepitant in women undergoing mastectomy and thyroidectomy. Methods: One hundred and twenty-five ASA I and II, female patients, aged between 18 and 65 years were randomly assigned into Group I (ondansetron group, n = 62) or Group II (aprepitant group, n = 63), by computer-generated random sequencing. Per protocol analysis was done to assess the incidence and severity of PONV, use of rescue antiemetics, and patient satisfaction with PONV control between the two groups, till 24 h post-surgery. Results: In the immediate postoperative period, 79.7% of patients in Group I and 85.2% in Group II were free of emesis (P value: 0.49). In Group I, the first episode of vomiting occurred within a median duration 90 min (IQR 2575: 45-147) postoperatively, whereas the median duration in Group II was 160 min (IQR 25-75: 26-490), with request for rescue antiemetic at 60 min in Group I (IQR 25-75: 27-360) and 147 min in Group II (IQR 25-75: 11-457). Conclusion: A single dose of oral aprepitant has comparable effects to injection ondansetron administered eighth hourly in preventing PONV, the severity of nausea, number of rescue antiemetics, and the time to first emetic episode in the 24-h postoperative period. CTRI Reg No: REF/2017/06/014637.


The social and environmental development potential of countries like Colombia shows the need to articulate right from the communities, the processes and projects relevant to their territories. Furthermore when vital aspects of human health, such as access to clean water and water consumption, are also opportunities for the development of innovative technological solutions, stemming from the relationship between society and natural systems. In this context, a group of researchers together with a community of about 1,500 children and 15 teachers from schools of several towns in Cundinamarca department (Colombia) has been developing a technological platform founded on the community-based action research proposal of Ernest Stringer. This interactive technological platform, based on the use of SMS and the web, is called "La Liga del Agua". It is a jointly constructed space where synergies between the different stakeholders around the proper use of water resources can arise, based on the self-recognition of wastewater problems on each of the participants' homes. Thus, the problem approaches from the daily practices and the technological inefficiency, generating an empowerment of the water importance. The main theoretical foundation of this technological co-construction is based on the spirit of participatory and democratic systemic intervention, from the soft systems methodology of Peter Checkland, as well as the sociocultural vision of the community that, voluntarily, intend to solve a problem collectively, as suggested by Rusell Ackoff. In this article, we will show the jointly design process of "La Liga del Agua" platform and the incidence on the increase of the good practices of water resources usage. In addition, the results of the teaching strategies and recreational activities that seek to increase the empowerment by the actors and their interaction with the technology will be presented. To conclude, all the learnings of the proposal will be introduced, so it can be replicated on other contexts with environmental concerns.


In this paper, we propose a new "intelligent operation" concept for high-voltage SF6 gas circuit breakers, in which the moving contacts are self-adaptively controlled from one position to an adjacent position to improve the circuit breaker life cycles. To analyze the concept intelligent operation, a new model of high-voltage SF6 gas circuit breaker is developed, and the moving characteristics of the new type circuit breaker are computed based on the newly designed model. Then both mechanical and electrical wears are quantitatively analyzed according to the breaker's new moving characteristic. Finally, we demonstrate the life cycle improvement of the new type of high-voltage SF6 gas circuit breaker. Our analysis can also be used to estimate the remaining life cycle of a breaker based on the tallied data collected by our intelligent modules.


The growing popularity of the internet has made it easier and faster to find health information on rare and poorly understood disease topics. Much of this information is valuable, though the internet also allows the rapid and widespread distribution of false and misleading information, especially through peer-based networks. Providers frequently advise that it is important for health consumers to carefully consider the source of lay information and to discuss the clinical information they find with their health care provider. Beyond clinical indicators and standards, however, there exist few evaluative frameworks for assessing health information, especially within peer-to-peer networks. Employing a grounded theoretical approach, analysis of online, domain-specific interaction examined in this study demonstrates the decision making influences of "virtual support groups" and the related emergence of "cybertherapy" as a peer-based tool for healthcare consumers.


There is growing epidemiologic and clinical data that confirm progressive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hypofunctioning in aging men. What role does the HPG axis play in the complex psychobiology of male sexual and affective disorders? The treatment rationale, clinical indications and risks in using exogenous testosterone for late-life depression are explored.


Abstract In this paper two adaptive fuzzy control algorithms are developed. The first fuzzy logic controller, which we call a fuzzy adaptive-proportional-α-integral (FAPαI)controller, has the same form as an adaptive-proportional-α-integral (APαI)except that the controller parameters α, β, and γ are time-varying parameters generated directly by a fuzzy logic controller. The second fuzzy controller, which we call a fuzzy adaptive variable structure (FAVS)controller, combines the performance of an adaptive-proportional-α-integral (APαI) and an adaptive-proportional-integral-integral (API2). The FAPαI tunes the controller parameters α, β, and γ and the FAVS controller schedules the final control signals under different antecedents such that it inherits the merits of the two conventional controllers. For both controllers the objective is to design an adaptive feedback law that gives good output regulation and disturbance rejection in any controllable linear time-invariant system. In addition, the problem of linear disturbance in linear time-invariant lumped single-input/single-output unstable minimum phase plants with relative degree one is studied. All simulation results prove that the performance of each of the FAPαI and FAVS controllers is better than the performance of the other controllers. On the other hand, the performance of FAVS is better than that of the FAPαI. Also, we show that, for our problem, the performance of the conventional PI controller (CPI) is completely unacceptable.


Metallothioneins are small cysteine-rich proteins coordinating various transition metal ions preferably with the electron configuration d(10). They are ubiquitously present in all phyla, and next to phytochelatins they represent a successful molecular concept for high-capacity metal ion binding. Recent studies showed the incorporation of sulfide ions into the metal-thiolate cluster of metallothionein 2 from the plant Cicer arietinum (cicMT2) increasing the cadmium binding capacity and stability of the cluster. In the present work, the sulfide-induced structural changes accompanying the cluster formation and the sulfide-modulated increase in cluster size are analyzed in detail with a variety of analytical and spectroscopic techniques. Evaluation of the mechanism of sulfide containing Cd(II)-thiolate cluster formation in cicMT2 reveals a strong dependence on the sequence of metal and sulfide additions for successful sulfide incorporation. To probe the general ability of metallothioneins to form sulfide containing larger metal-thiolate clusters, analogous experiments were performed with a mammalian metallothionein. The observation that the cadmium binding ability of rabbit liver MT2A was only slightly increased led to the development of a hypothesis in which the long cysteine-free linker regions present in certain plant metallothioneins may contribute to the accommodation of the respective larger cluster assemblies.


Due to the negative effects of the carbon-dioxide on the ecosystem, the Architecture-Engineering-Construction industries are looking for the new materials with lower carbon-footprint. One of the best natural materials that can be used in AEC industries is wood and its derivatives. However, due to the physical and chemical properties of timber, the application of it in AEC industries, especially in the process of manufacturing and production, encounter with some difficulties and obstacles; and they are causes of decreasing the speed and increasing the cost of production in AEC industry. The most important problem in the process of off-site manufacturing of the wooden pieces is caused by the differences between dimensions of pieces in drawings with the dimensions of it that need to be set for the workshop machinery. These changes are not only necessary in the process of sawing pieces, but also in the other processes such as assembling and making the details. Therefore, during the process of manufacturing and production of the wooden pieces, there are a lot of changes on the dimensions of a component in the production drawings and they negatively affect the manufacturing process and, hence increasing the cost and delaying in production. The aim of this research was to find and identify the reasons of these changes in order to mitigate the risks. The research adapted a desktop study followed by direct observations in order to identify the major problems and obstacles. The results showed the problems are mostly due to the tacit nature of design knowledge and lack of proper knowledge of the designers about the actual process of timber production. This research is a novice attempt for expediting timber production process in order to leverage sustainable and modern methods of offsite manufacturing oriented construction.


Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences have been determined for a wide range of stipoid grasses (Poaceae, Pooideae, Stipeae). Nardus was confirmed as the most appropriate outgroup. Anisopogon is consistently included among the stipoid genera. Lithachne and Oryza form a clade and are clearly not close to Stipeae, and there is no support for including Brachyelytrum within Stipeae. Ampelodesmos and Diarrhena do appear among the core taxa in some analyses, but their positions are unstable and the evidence for retaining them is limited. So far there is inadequate support for rejecting them from Stipeae. so they should be included in any comprehensive study of the tribe. The ITS phylogeny supports a narrow interpretation of Jarava, one that includes only species with clear adaptations to anemophilous diaspore dispersal. There is no support for Achnatherum s.I. being a monophyletic group. nor are there any clear and consistent groups within it. Nassella, Hesperostipa, and Piptochaetium remain well supported. The data support some internal groupings within Nassella, but the sample size is small. It may be worthwhile investigating subgeneric relationships within Nassella. Anemanthele always appears associated with, and sometimes within, Austrostipa, but its position is inconsistent. We recommend continuing to recognize it at the generic level because of its distinctive morphological characters. Stipa s.s. shows some cohesion, but the results also suggest that some species currently included in the genus do not belong in it, suggestions that are supported by other studies. There has been no advance in understanding Piptatherum. The data support some of the subgeneric groupings within Austrostipa, but suggest that others should be combined. Austrostipa subgen. Fulcateae is well supported, in part by a shared deletion. Additional species of Stipa s.s. and Piptatherum are being sequenced to broaden the sampling of these two genera.


There are many voices in American politics claiming that various candidates, laws and policies are necessitated by a "Christian" worldview. Many of these voices use explicit public rhetoric that their position is the one compelled by "Christian" principles. Although religious voices have been present in the United States since its founding, the volume and urgency of the voices seems to have increased dramatically in the last several decades, during the so-called "culture wars." These voices famously come from the Christian Religious Right, advocating socially conservative laws on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage. But there are also voices from an increasingly vocal Christian Religious Left, advocating progressive or "liberal" policies on issues such as assistance to the poor and the environment. The Rawlsian conception of political liberalism posits that citizens should not advocate for laws or policies based on comprehensive doctrines which are not shared by all the citizenry, but should instead resort to public reasons in support of such persuasion. Many Christians respond that such a position requires them to impermissibly "bracket" their views and trivializes their religious faith. A significant amount of these Christian voices are Evangelical Christians. Speaking as an Evangelical Christian myself, our shared theology would seem to oppose the overt religious argumentation by both the Right and Left. The simple reason is that Evangelical Christians believe that reconciliation and favor with God can only be obtained by simple belief and faith in the provision of Christ's sacrifice on man's behalf. None of our behavior is ultimately sufficient, and therefore compliance with coercively-enforced laws (viz., behavior) as a communicated means to favor with God is not consistent with the historic Evangelical scriptural gospel view of salvation by faith alone. Therefore, such arguments for "Christian" laws and policies are actually antithetical to the historic Christian gospel message, and tend to obscure it, and thus should be avoided by Evangelical Christians in the political sphere.


Therapeutic gain by radiotherapy can be achieved through improved targeting, selectively sensitizing malignant cells, or protecting normal tissue. The majority of synthetic chemical radiation sensitizers and normal tissue protectors have proved to be too toxic at effective clinical doses. However, Asian botanicals (from both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine) are being evaluated for their ability to improve therapeutic gain through the modulation of reactive oxygen species. An increase in the efficacy of radiotherapy on tumor tissue allows a reduction in the dose applied to normal tissues. In addition, some botanicals may selectively protect normal tissue or increase its repair following radiation therapy. The results are promising enough to consider clinical trials.


Abstract Governments in some of the world's richest nations appear to be caught in a double challenge of declining social budgets even as social needs are increasing. In this context, Outcomes Based Commissioning (OBC), has been suggested as one way in which 'more' social services can be provided for 'less' public resources. This form of commissioning is often linked with a new financing tool for social services, referred to in the US as 'Pay for Success and Payment by Results in the UK or as a 'Social Impact Bond' (SIB). However, to date, this approach is under-theorised and this is a limiting factor both for shaping a research and evaluation agenda around SIBs and in understanding how such instruments might develop in future. Without a theoretical rationale for SIBs, it is not straightforward to assess whether, and how well, they have achieved their goals, and how they might be developed further. In this paper we consider two broad approaches to theorising SIBs. One draws on public administration theories, the other on innovation theories. To date, SIBs have often been theorised as the logical next step in the New Public Management (NPM). But NPM itself is a contested theory and recent theoretical innovations in public administration, particularly the concept of New Public Governance might provide a more useful theoretical framework. A second broad approach through which to understand SIBs is their potential to improve the rate and dissemination of innovation. There are many different innovation models that might be applied to better understanding of SIBs. We look first at the concept of Open Innovation with its focus on distributed innovation processes in which knowledge flows across organisational boundaries and more recent articulations – Open Innovation 2.0 – which place greater emphasis on mixed economy collabarations involving: industry; government; universities; and communities and users (the so-called 'quadruple helix') to solve societal challenges. We go on to consider social innovation, with its clearer focus on using social means to deliver social outcomes and whether SIBs can be theorised through this lens. No one model is entirely satisfactory as an explanatory framework for SIBs and we conclude by suggesting that a supporting theory combining NPG with elements of Open Innovation 2.0 and social innovation might be a productive approach for shaping future research and, in addition, might suggest some future directions for the next generation of SIBs.


Most modern neural machine translation (NMT) systems rely on presegmented inputs. Segmentation granularity importantly determines the input and output sequence lengths, hence the modeling depth, and source and target vocabularies, which in turn determine model size, computational costs of softmax normalization, and handling of out-of-vocabulary words. However, the current practice is to use static, heuristic-based segmentations that are fixed before NMT training. This begs the question whether the chosen segmentation is optimal for the translation task. To overcome suboptimal segmentation choices, we present an algorithm for dynamic segmentation, that is trainable end-to-end and driven by the NMT objective. In an evaluation on four translation tasks we found that, given the freedom to navigate between different segmentation levels, the model prefers to operate on (almost) character level, providing support for purely character-level NMT models from a novel angle.


Click-through rate (CTR) prediction is a core task in the field of recommender system and many other applications. For CTR prediction model, personalization is the key to improve the performance and enhance the user experience. Recently, several models are proposed to extract user interest from user behavior data which reflects user's personalized preference implicitly. However, existing works in the field of CTR prediction mainly focus on user representation and pay less attention on representing the relevance between user and item, which directly measures the intensity of user's preference on target item. Motivated by this, we propose a novel model named Deep Match to Rank (DMR) which combines the thought of collaborative filtering in matching methods for the ranking task in CTR prediction. In DMR, we design User-to-Item Network and Item-to-Item Network to represent the relevance in two forms. In User-to-Item Network, we represent the relevance between user and item by inner product of the corresponding representation in the embedding space. Meanwhile, an auxiliary match network is presented to supervise the training and push larger inner product to represent higher relevance. In Item-to-Item Network, we first calculate the item-to-item similarities between user interacted items and target item by attention mechanism, and then sum up the similarities to obtain another form of user-to-item relevance. We conduct extensive experiments on both public and industrial datasets to validate the effectiveness of our model, which outperforms the state-of-art models significantly.


Information Cosmopolitics explores interaction between nationalist and information sharing practices in academic communities with a view to understanding the potential impacts of these interactions. This book is also a resounding critique of existing theories and methods as well as the launching point for the proposition of an alternate approach. Dominant approaches in the Information Behaviour (IB) field are investigated, as well as questions existing theoretical approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism. The concept of information cosmopolitics is introduced as an approach for tracing information practices and enabling research participants to perform their own narratives and positionings, and that the focus of information studies should be on tracing the continuous circulation of processes of individualisation and collectivization. * Provide an alternative to the dominant approaches in the field of Information Behaviour * Offers a novel theoretical model to trace information practices* Questions existing approaches to nationalism and cosmopolitanism


As a result of the worldwide expansion of the use of mobile telephones, radiofrequency (RF) field exposure has become ubiquitous, and the possible adverse effects of the fields emitted by cellular phones on the brain and nervous system have aroused considerable interest among both the scientific community and the general public. Accordingly, several international authorities have realized the necessity of expanding resources to RF radiation research in order to identify the gaps in scientific knowledge. For example, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledges that electromagnetic fields (EMF) represent one of the fastest growing environmental factors, spreading anxiety and speculation also among the working population. In order to provide independent scientific assessments of health effects from exposure to EMF, WHO launched the International EMF Project, which aims to form an umbrella for worldwide research coordination. To that end, WHO very recently published a comprehensive research agenda for RF fields to be used as a guide for studies that would have high value for RF health risk assessments.

Despite numerous studies carried out in a large number of research fields, such as epidemiology, cellular biology and toxicology, the picture of potential effects of low exposures on human health is far from distinct. Thermal effects caused by RF exposure are obvious and basically understood, whereas the principal scientific challenge is to reveal and understand the suspected or hypothesized nonthermal effects. Since the RF power emitted by cellular phones is too low to cause significant warming of absorbing tissues, the mechanism of temperature rise is unlikely to explain the alleged adverse health effects.

On the basis of comprehensive reviews of the available scientific literature, the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) has issued guidelines on limits of exposure to time-varying EMF in the frequency range of up to 300 GHz (1). The system of protection developed by the ICNIRP aims at protecting against established the health effects of EMF (ie, effects indicated by high-quality, consistent, and reproducible research). All the effects that have been established so far by very extensive research are acute in their nature and only occur above given thresholds of exposure. In principle, however, various groups of the population may have differences in their ability to tolerate exposure to EMF. For instance, some persons in various countries claim to experience unpleasant feelings during or after exposure to RF fields. Typical subjective sensations and symptoms are described as headache, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. Evidence to support these hypotheses has been sparse and never successfully replicated (2, 3).

In recent years, large resources have been dedicated to multinational large-scale epidemiologic studies (eg, the Interphone Study) that have focused on the association between exposure to RF fields emitted by mobile phones and the development of brain cancer or other forms of cancer. In this issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health , Lahkola et al (4) presents a meta-analysis of recent epidemiologic investigations on human exposure to mobile phone frequencies. While the epidemiologic evidence does not give consistent results that would indicate a causal role for RF exposure with respect to brain cancers, it does not establish the absence of any hazard either (5). The main limitation of previous studies is that none of them provide reliable information on individual levels of exposure, and hence expert assessments of RF exposure should be included in future epidemiologic investigations.

Similarly, significant research needs have been identified in the area of noncancer health effects on humans. Various immediate effects due to RF exposure have been observed in studies on cognitive function and sleep physiology. They have been related to subtle changes regarding memory and reaction speed and an increase in the alpha power of sleep electroencephalography (EEG), suggesting an influence from RF fields on brain activity under certain circumstances (6, 7). However, when the studies have been replicated, most of the earlier findings have not been confirmed (8, 9). In addition, most human studies have examined healthy, young adults, a group not necessarily representing the most susceptible part of the population in terms of possible adverse effects. While no clear conclusions on the impact on human health can be drawn at present, future studies should cover a wide array of experiments focused on EEG activity, sleep physiology, cognition and performance, mood disturbances, hormone levels, and immune function.

The issue of whether children are especially sensitive to exposure to RF fields from mobile phones has also been brought to the forefront of the RF research agenda, based on the recommendations of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones of the United Kingdom (10). According to the Group's report, children should avoid using cellular phones since they are being exposed to RF radiation from mobile phones from a younger age than adults. The report also states that "children will have a longer time in which to accumulate RF exposure over the course of their lives, and a longer time for any delayed effects of exposure to develop [p 117]." On the other hand, there is no convincing scientific data to indicate differences in the absorption of RF energy in the heads of children and adults, nor is it likely that the RF sensitivity of children's heads changes significantly after the first few years of life. Hence, in contrast to the scientific evidence-based conclusions with respect to adults, the aforementioned approach applied to children is based only on a precautionary principle.

Finally, to emphasize the importance of the multidisciplinary efforts in the area of RF biomedical research, interesting and worth mentioning is the recently published Global Risks Report 2006, which summarizes by stating that EMF risks that are associated with an increasing number of electronic devices, such as mobile phones, need to be clarified and better managed (11). The report concluded that "if it were to transpire that EMF had widespread harmful health effects at relatively low exposure levels, this would have huge societal and economic impacts, and may develop into the headline risks of tomorrow [p 5]".


A pilot-scale study was conducted to evaluate the impact of several biofiltration enhancement strategies in terms of organic removal to reduce disinfection by-product (DBP) formation potential and mitigate ultrafiltration (UF) fouling. Strategies included nutrient addition (nitrogen and phosphorus) to optimize metabolic degradation of organics, use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, peroxide) to improve filter run times, and the application of in-line aluminum sulphate (alum) for biopolymer removal. The impact of media type on performance was also examined (anthracite versus granular activated carbon (GAC)). Passive biofiltration (without enhancement) reduced dissolved organic carbon (∼5%), biopolymers (∼20%), and trihalomethane and haloacetic acid precursors (∼20% and ∼12%, respectively) while mitigating UF irreversible fouling (∼60%). Nutrient addition was not observed to enhance biological performance. Addition of 0.5 mg/L hydrogen peroxide decreased head loss by up to 45% without affecting organic removal; however at a dosage of 1 mg/L, it negatively impacted both UF fouling and DBP precursor removal. In-line alum addition prior to biofiltration (<0.5 mg/L) improved UF fouling control by up to 40%, without sacrificing head loss. Overall, GAC provided superior performance when compared to anthracite.


The centromere is a functional chromosome domain that is essential for faithful chromosome segregation during cell division and that can be reliably identified by the presence of the centromere-specific histone H3 variant CenH3. In monocentric chromosomes, the centromere is characterized by a single CenH3-containing region within a morphologically distinct primary constriction. This region usually spans up to a few Mbp composed mainly of centromere-specific satellite DNA common to all chromosomes of a given species. In holocentric chromosomes, there is no primary constriction; the centromere is composed of many CenH3 loci distributed along the entire length of a chromosome. Using correlative fluorescence light microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy, we show that pea (Pisum sativum) chromosomes exhibit remarkably long primary constrictions that contain 3–5 explicit CenH3-containing regions, a novelty in centromere organization. In addition, we estimate that the size of the chromosome segment delimited by two outermost domains varies between 69 Mbp and 107 Mbp, several factors larger than any known centromere length. These domains are almost entirely composed of repetitive DNA sequences belonging to 13 distinct families of satellite DNA and one family of centromeric retrotransposons, all of which are unevenly distributed among pea chromosomes. We present the centromeres of Pisum as novel "meta-polycentric" functional domains. Our results demonstrate that the organization and DNA composition of functional centromere domains can be far more complex than previously thought, do not require single repetitive elements, and do not require single centromere domains in order to segregate properly. Based on these findings, we propose Pisum as a useful model for investigation of centromere architecture and the still poorly understood role of repetitive DNA in centromere evolution, determination, and function.


This study is a contribution to the empirical literature on the significance of productivity shocks in explaining a high saving-investment correlation, using data from a panel of 21 OECD countries over the period 1970-2003. The study looks at the distributional properties of the productivity shocks in order to test if productivity shocks can relate saving to investment. To this end, we divide the countries into three groups with respect to the distributional characteristics of productivity shocks in each country with an application of the Fuzzy-c-means (FCM) clustering technique. The results provide some support for the productivity shock argument, indicating that the saving retention coefficients are greater for the countries subject to large productivity shocks in magnitude.


Sessile drop studies of molten aluminum on single-crystal sapphire substrates were conducted to investigate the effects of atmosphere on contact angle, substrate reactions, and interfacial crystal growth. Unlike previous investigations performed briefly in a vacuum environment in a temperature range within 600°C of the aluminum melting point, these experiments were conducted at higher temperatures (1200° to 1600°C) and at 1-atm total pressure over longer experimental times to more closely approach equilibrium conditions. A continuously flowing buffered gas system utilizing high-purity metered mixtures of hydrogen and helium in combination with a thoria ceramic electrolyte sensor were employed to achieve variations of the oxygen partial pressure from 10−19 to 10−15 atm while continuously maintaining the total pressure at 1 atm. At constant temperature, it was found that neither the oxygen partial pressure nor the crystallographic orientation of the sapphire substrate had a significant effect on the observed contact angles. A continuous decrease of acute contact angles and a single reaction ring characterized the 8-h experiments without the alternating spreading and contracting behavior repeatedly reported in the literature. This phenomenon can be attributed to the lower rate of metal evaporation and interfacial reaction at the higher total gas pressure and yet extremely low oxygen partial pressure of these experiments. Profilometric analysis of sapphire substrates subsequent to the removal of the quenched sessile drops indicates a reduction in metal–solid interaction due to the closer approach to equilibrium than in previous studies. An epitaxial orientation with respect to the substrate was observed in α-alumina crystallite formation at the metal–ceramic interface. Experimental evidence suggests that it was formed by a nucleation and growth process during the cooling period.


Transient electroluminescence in an organic LED based on a thin polymeric film
 has been experimentally studied and theoretically analyzed. The calculated and
 experimental curves are both characterized by anomalous dispersion and universality,
 which can be regarded as a manifestation of field-induced charge-carrier diffusion in
 the nonequilibrium transport regime. It is shown that the charge-carrier time of flight
 corresponds to the time to reach half the steady-state radiation intensity, rather than
 the delay time of the electroluminescence relative to the beginning of the applied
 voltage pulse.


Recently similarity graphs became the leading paradigm for efficient nearest neighbor search, outperforming traditional tree-based and LSH-based methods. Similarity graphs perform the search via greedy routing: a query traverses the graph and in each vertex moves to the adjacent vertex that is the closest to this query. In practice, similarity graphs are often susceptible to local minima, when queries do not reach its nearest neighbors, getting stuck in suboptimal vertices. In this paper we propose to learn the routing function that overcomes local minima via incorporating information about the graph global structure. In particular, we augment the vertices of a given graph with additional representations that are learned to provide the optimal routing from the start vertex to the query nearest neighbor. By thorough experiments, we demonstrate that the proposed learnable routing successfully diminishes the local minima problem and significantly improves the overall search performance.


Detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene (HER2, also known as erbB2) expression is a preparatory process to decide a treatment strategy for breast cancer patients. 20-30% of breast cancer patients have HER2 overexpression, and they usually show poor recovery rate. For detection of HER2 expression, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) methods are conventionally used. Although these methods are accurate and reliable, their time-consuming process and high cost need a concise method with high sensitivity and accuracy. As a complementary method to the current IHC/FISH standard techniques, PCR-based methods have been developed. Here we employed a quantitative PCR method to detect HER2 expression in one hundred ninety nine formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) breast cancer tissue samples from the patients treated over two years at the Yonsei University Severance Hospital, Republic of Korea. Relative expression of HER2 mRNA in the FFPE samples was analyzed using a quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) method and the obtained HER2 expression levels were compared with those from IHC/FISH methods. Our results show that the RT-qPCR method was highly concordant with IHC/FISH methods for detecting HER2 expression. Overall sensitivity and specificity of the BrightGen HER2 RT-qDx assay kit (Syantra, Calgary, Canada), which is a kit we used for RT-qPCR analyses, were 93.0% and 89.8% (P < 0.0001), respectively. The diagnostic cut-off value of HER2 RT-qDx for the clinical samples was determined by likelihood ratio, among which the highest likelihood ratio of relative HER2 mRNA levels was over 105.5 (AUC = 0.9466) with the highest sensitivity and specificity. Our study indicates that quantification of HER2 mRNA expression with the RT-qPCR could be an alternative method of conventional IHC/FISH methods.


According to most legal history and takings scholarship, the whole notion of a "regulatory taking" was a contradiction in terms until Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes invented it in the 1922 Supreme Court decision Pennsylvania Coal v. Mahon. This Article calls that view into question. The Article reexamines a line of constitutional eminent-domain decisions decided in the state courts over the nineteenth century. These decisions are often read to suggest that property "regulations" could never trigger takings protections unless they physically invaded owners' land. In fact, however, they drew on Founding Era ideas about the regulation of natural property rights to generate a body of what modern lawyers would call a body of "regulatory-takings" law. In these decisions, a "regulation" was a positive law that secured to the owner her natural property rights. Such a regulation tried to order how different species of property were used in close quarters, for the purpose of facilitating the free use of property generally. If a law did not regulate consistent with principles of natural right, it constituted an "invasion of right," and "took" some of the use rights to which owners were entitled as part of their "private property" for takings purposes. The Article has three main lessons for contemporary takings and property scholarship. First, regulatory-takings law does not need to be as incoherent as it is widely assumed to be. If modern federal and state regulatory-takings doctrines are messy now, it is not because regulatory-takings law is inherently messy. Rather, modern courts must not mind the messiness, most likely because they prefer another substantive theory of property over natural-right property theory. Second, this natural-right theory provides a useful counterpoint to most modern property law and scholarship, which tend to justify to property rights and regulation in terms of utilitarian principles. The nineteenth-century state cases, by contrast, show one way in which the law may ground property rights and regulation in terms of concepts of personhood and freedom. Finally, the natural-right distinction between "regulations" and "invasions of right" offers some evidence, though not dispositive evidence, as to what the federal Takings Clause may have meant when originally drafted and ratified.


INTRODUCTION The past decade has witnessed a significant expansion of credit for many in the United States. This is particularly true for minority borrowers, those with limited or poor credit histories and those with low-incomes. Banks and other financial institutions have increasingly offered credit to this segment of the market and have frequently benefited from higher earnings on these loans. As evidence of the growth in this market, consider that in 1995, loan originations in the sub-prime market were $65 billion and by 2003 originations increased to $332 billion (Chomsisengphat and Pennington-Cross, 2006). However, as the subprime market expanded, so did concerns regarding who was receiving these high-priced loans. Awareness became particularly acute in the fall of 2007 and the expansion of the financial crisis. Each year, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) compiles a list of subprime lenders and has used this information to make the case that much of the subprime lending in the United States has been in low-income and minority neighborhoods. Others, for example, Immergluck (1999) and Marsico (2001) also find evidence that subprime lending growth is greater in low-income and minority areas. There is also concern regarding the outcome of these lending relationships; specifically, the increasing number of foreclosures and loan delinquencies. Taken together, the concern over subprime lenders targeting a certain segment of the population and the undesirable outcome of many of these loans, these developments prompted consumer advocacy groups and regulatory bodies to take a look at this growing market. The initial regulatory response was federal regulation followed shortly by state regulation, in many states. In general, these laws restrict high cost loans, their fees and rates. The state level regulation varies tremendously from one state to another. Perhaps one reason for the variation is that there is no consensus on a definition of predatory lending. Engel and McCoy (2001) provide a set of loan criteria that define predatory lending to include at least one of the following: loans that provide no benefit to the borrower; loans with misleading nondisclosures; loans with fraud or deception; loans that require the borrower to forego redress; or loans that earn 'supranormal' profits. Pennington-Cross and Ho (2008) defined predatory lending to be whenever the borrower is unable to understand the terms and obligations of the loan. Morgan (2007) argues that any welfare-reducing form of credit can be labeled predatory lending. Similarly, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) defines a predatory loan to be one which contains terms that will ultimately harm the borrower (2004). Stressing the asymmetric information problem between the borrower and lender, Morgan (2007) defines a predatory loan to be one which the borrower would certainly decline if she shared the same information as the lender. Clearly there is no universal definition. However, it is accepted that predatory lending occurs within the subprime market. Not all subprime loans are predatory but most predatory loans are considered subprime. Generally speaking, the predatory credit market is a subset of the subprime market. Because of a lack of data, it is not known how large this market actually is. There have been some micro estimates of the size of predatory lending. For example, Goldstein (2006) estimates that over 22 percent of all property loans in Philadelphia are predatory. Stock (2001) investigated whether predatory lending was instrumental in mortgage foreclosures in Montgomery County, Ohio. His sample of 1,198 mortgages indicated that 255 of these were predatory; this suggests that approximately 21 percent of the mortgages were predatory in this region. This limited research suggests that predatory lending is significant but certainly more evidence is required to draw conclusions about systemic practices. With the first financial crisis of the twenty-first century, most Americans became aware of the subprime market and perhaps even of predatory lending. …


Ten years ago, the decision was taken to close Brunel University's Department of Geography and Earth Sciences and its undergraduate programmes. Since this time, most of the human geographers have remained at Brunel, but now work from beyond the boundaries of conventional academic Geography. In this paper we argue that this situation, which is not uncommon for geographers in the UK and elsewhere, has significant implications for both individuals and the discipline more broadly. Through our everyday experiences of interdisciplinary working, this paper reflects on what it means to be a geographer working outside of 'Geography'. The paper examines the implications of this at three different yet related scales: the immediately personal scale in terms of identity and individual academic performance, the institutional scale and its organisation that can lead to the presence/absence of academic subject areas, and then finally the disciplinary scale with its attendant spaces of knowledge generation, dissemination and protectionism. Our arguments are framed by neoliberal-led higher education changes and conceptualisations of institutions, (inter)disciplinarity and identity, and point to broader significances for the shape of the discipline.


A provision's legal meaning is thought by many to be a function of its literal meaning. To explain the appearance that lawyers are arguing over a provision's legal meaning and not just over which outcome would be more prudent or morally preferable, some legal literalists claim that a provision's literal meaning may be causally, rather than conventionally, determined. I argue, first, that the proposed explanation is inconsistent with common intuitions about legal meaning; second, that explaining legal disagreement as a function of the causally determined meanings of moral terms requires, but lacks, a causal semantics which is clearly consistent with the scope of moral disagreement. Finally, I suggest that an element of the theory of language invoked by 'causal' legal literalists might be better deployed as part of an intentionalist account of legal practice.


The ringed seal (Phoca hispida) is a circumpolar Arctic species, with several subspecies and –populations. One subspecies, Phoca hispida botnica, is found in the Baltic Sea. Large ecological differences between these regions may cause variations of trophic positioning and chemical composition in tissues among the inhabiting ringed seal populations. The Baltic Sea is one of the worlds' most polluted seas, and the metal pollution in this area may be problematic for Baltic ringed seals. Liver samples from juvenile ringed seals (1-3 years) from three distinct populations, in northwest Greenland, East Greenland and the Baltic Sea were collected during 2008-09. Concentrations of 42 chemical elements, including As, Cd, Hg, Pb and Se, were determined using HR-ICP-MS. Stable isotope analysis (IRMS) of δ13C and δ15N were conducted in order to reveal population differences in feeding preferences (pelagic versus benthic species) and trophic positioning, respectively. Significant differences for δ13C and δ15N were found between all three populations, and the Greenland populations showed benthic preferences and higher trophic positioning relative to the Baltic Sea. The chemical element analysis revealed spatial differences between the Baltic Sea population and either one or both of the Greenland populations for several elements. However, none of the elements of concern in the Baltic Sea were present at significantly higher concentrations in the Baltic Sea population compared to the two Greenland populations. The lower trophic positioning and preferred pelagic foraging of Baltic ringed seals contribute to protect them from impacts of their polluted habitat.


In this paper, we proposed the modified deep learning method that combined Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Kernel K-Means clustering for lung cancer diagnosis. The Anti-PD-1 Immunotherapy Lung dataset obtained from The Cancer Imaging Archive was used to evaluate our proposed method. From this dataset, we use 400 Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images that manually labeled consists of 150 healthy lung images and 250 lung cancer images. As the first step, all the data was examined through the CNN architecture. The flatten neuron of the feature map for every image resulted from the convolutional layers in CNN is gained and passed through the kernel k-means clustering algorithm. This algorithm then used to obtain the centroid of each cluster that determines the prediction class of every data point in the validation set. The performance of our proposed method was evaluated using several k values in k-fold cross-validation. According to our experiments, our proposed method achieved the highest performance measure with 98.85 percent accuracy, 98.32 percent sensitivity, 99.40 percent precision, 99.39 percent specificity, and 98.86 percent F1-Score when using RBF kernel function with sigma=0.05 in 9-fold cross-validation. Those performance improves 1.31% sensitivity, 1.12% accuracy, 1.11% F1-Score, 0.92% specificity, and 0.91% precision compared to when using 5-fold cross-validation. It is even obtained in less than 8 seconds for passing the dataset to the CNN model and 40 ± 0.77 seconds for examined in kernel k-means clustering. Therefore, it was proved that our proposed method has an efficient and promised performance for lung cancer diagnosis from MRI images.


The determination of consolidation characteristics forms an important aspect in the design of foundations and other earth-retaining structures. The conventional consolidation test as originally proposed by Teaaghi takes considerable time (more than 15 days in highly compressible soils with low coefficient of consolidation) and effort. Any effort to reduce the duration of testing will be desirable from several considerations. In this paper, an attempt has been made to propose a rapid method of consolidation testing. In the proposed method, the next load increment is applied as soon as the necessary time required to identify the percent consolidation is reached and to evaluate the coefficient of consolidation by one of the popular curve-fitting procedures. The rectangular hyperbola method has been used to identify the percent consolidation reached after any load increment, and to determine the coefficient of consolidation, before making the next load increment. The time required to complete the test using the rapid consolidation method could be as low as 4-5 h compared with 1 or 2 weeks in the case of the conventional consolidation test.


In HIV treatment it is critical to have up-to-date resistance data of applicable drugs since HIV has a very high rate of mutation. These data are made available through scientific publications and must be extracted manually by experts in order to be used by virologists and medical doctors. Therefore there is an urgent need for a tool that partially automates this process and is able to retrieve relations between drugs and virus mutations from literature. In this chapter we present a novel method to extract and combine relationships between HIV drugs and mutations in viral genomes. Our extraction method is based on natural language processing (NLP) which produces grammatical relations and applies a set of rules to these relations. We applied our method to a relevant set of PubMed abstracts and obtained 2,434 extracted relations with an estimated performance of 84% for F-score. We then combined the extracted relations using logistic regression to generate resistance values for each  pair. The results of this relation combination show more than 85% agreement with the Stanford HIVDB for the ten most frequently occurring mutations. The system is used in 5 hospitals from the Virolab project (www.virolab.org) to preselect the most relevant novel resistance data from literature and present those to virologists and medical doctors for further evaluation. * This chapter is based on Bui et al., "Extracting causal relations on HIV drug resistance from literature". BMC Bioinformatics, 11:101 (2010) 26 Chapter 3. Extracting causal relations on HIV drug resistance from literature