A wireless sensor network (WSN) is used for a smart home system's backbone that monitors home environment and controls smart home devices to manage lighting, heating, security and surveillance. However, despite its convenience and potential benefits, there are concerns about various security threats that may infringe on privacy and threaten our home life. For protecting WSNs for smart homes from those threats, authentication and key agreement are basic security requirements. There have been a large number of proposed authentication and key agreement scheme for WSNs. In 2017, Jung et al. proposed an efficient and security enhanced anonymous authentication with key agreement scheme by employing biometrics information as the third authentication factor. They claimed that their scheme resists on various security attacks and satisfies basic security requirements. However, we have discovered that Jung et al.'s scheme possesses some security weaknesses. Their scheme cannot guarantee security of the secret key of gateway node and security of session key and protection against user tracking attack, information leakage attack, and user impersonation attack. In this paper, we describe how those security weaknesses occur and propose a lightweight three-factor authentication and key agreement scheme in WSNs for smart homes, as an improved version of Jung et al.'s scheme. We then present a detailed analysis of the security and performance of the proposed scheme and compare the analysis results with other related schemes.


Objective. To assess the components of, and potential benefit and
adverse effects of, a single daily pill (a theoretical "polypill")
to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) by simultaneously reducing four CVD
risk factors (LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, platelet function, and serum
homocysteine). Design. Meta-analyses of published randomized trials and cohort
studies. End points. Proportional reduction in fatal and nonfatal ischemic
heart disease (IHD) and stroke events, life years gained, and prevalence of
adverse effects. Results. A polypill composed of a statin; three pressure-lowering
drugs, each at half of its standard dose; aspirin, 75 mg; and folic acid, 0.8
mg, was estimated to potentially reduce IHD events by 88% (95% CI 84-91%) and
stroke by 80% (71-87%). One-third of those taking this polypill from age 55
years or from diagnosis of diabetes or CVD would potentially benefit, gaining
on average about 11 years of life free from IHD event or stroke. Such a
polypill would cause adverse symptoms in 8-15% of those taking it, depending
on the specific components in the formulation. Conclusion. The polypill strategy could prevent IHD and stroke if
taken by everyone (without contraindications) aged 55 years and older and
everyone with existing CVD or diabetes regardless of their age. This
potentially new and different strategy merits further consideration and
careful evaluation.


Purpose We present a novel gamma‐ray‐detector design based on total internal reflection (TIR) of scintillation photons within a crystal that addresses many limitations of traditional PET detectors. Our approach has appealing features, including submillimeter lateral resolution, DOI positioning from layer thickness, and excellent energy resolution. The design places light sensors on the edges of a stack of scintillator slabs separated by small air gaps and exploits the phenomenon that more than 80% of scintillation light emitted during a gamma‐ray event reaches the edges of a thin crystal with polished faces due to TIR. Gamma‐ray stopping power is achieved by stacking multiple layers, and DOI is determined by which layer the gamma ray interacts in. Method The concept of edge readouts of a thin slab was verified by Monte Carlo simulation of scintillation light transport. An LYSO crystal of dimensions 50.8 mm × 50.8 mm × 3.0 mm was modeled with five rectangular SiPMs placed along each edge face. The mean‐detector‐response functions (MDRFs) were calculated by simulating signals from 511 keV gamma‐ray interactions in a grid of locations. Simulations were carried out to study the influence of choice of scintillator material and dimensions, gamma‐ray photon energies, introduction of laser or mechanically induced optical barriers (LIOBs, MIOBs), and refractive indices of optical‐coupling media and SiPM windows. We also analyzed timing performance including influence of gamma‐ray interaction position and presence of optical barriers. We also modeled and built a prototype detector, a 27.4 mm × 27.4 mm × 3.0 mm CsI(Tl) crystal with 4 SiPMs per edge to experimentally validate the results predicted by the simulations. The prototype detector used CsI(Tl) crystals from Proteus outfitted with 16 Hamamatsu model S13360‐6050PE MPPCs read out by an AiT‐16‐channel readout. The MDRFs were measured by scanning the detector with a collimated beam of 662‐keV photons from a 137Cs source. The spatial resolution was experimentally determined by imaging a tungsten slit that created a beam of 0.44 mm (FWHM) width normal to the detector surface. The energy resolution was evaluated by analyzing list‐mode data from flood illumination by the 137Cs source. Result We find that in a block‐detector‐sized LYSO layer read out by five SiPMs per edge, illuminated by 511‐keV photons, the average resolution is 1.49 mm (FWHM). With the introduction of optical barriers, average spatial resolution improves to 0.56 mm (FWHM). The DOI resolution is the layer thickness of 3.0 mm. We also find that optical‐coupling media and SiPM‐window materials have an impact on spatial resolution. The timing simulation with LYSO crystal yields a coincidence resolving time (CRT) of 200–400 ps, which is slightly position dependent. And the introduction of optical barriers has minimum influence. The prototype CsI(Tl) detector, with a smaller area and fewer SiPMs, was measured to have central‐area spatial resolutions of 0.70 and 0.39 mm without and with optical barriers, respectively. These results match well with our simulations. An energy resolution of 6.4% was achieved at 662 keV. Conclusion A detector design based on a stack of monolithic scintillator layers that uses edge readouts offers several advantages over current block detectors for PET. For example, there is no tradeoff between spatial resolution and detection sensitivity since no reflector material displaces scintillator crystal, and submillimeter resolution can be achieved. DOI information is readily available, and excellent timing and energy resolutions are possible.


This paper provides a published counterpart to the address of
the same title at the 2010 SAE World Congress.
A vehicle on the road encounters an unsteady flow due to
turbulence in the natural wind, due to the unsteady wakes of
other vehicles and as a result of traversing through the
stationary wakes of road side obstacles. This last term is of
greatest significance.
Various works related to the characterization, simulation and
effects of on-road turbulence are compared together on the
turbulence spectrum to highlight differences and similarities.
The different works involve different geometries and
different approaches to simulating cross wind transients but
together these works provide guidance on the most important
aspects of the unsteadiness.
On-road transients include a range of length scales spanning
several orders of magnitude but the most important scales are
in the in the 2-20 vehicle length range. There are significant
levels of unsteadiness experienced on-road in this region and
the corresponding frequencies are high enough that a
dynamic test is required to correctly determine the vehicle
response. Fluctuations at these scales generate significant
unsteady loads (aerodynamic admittance typically 0.6-1.4)
and the corresponding frequencies can adversely affect
vehicle dynamics.
The generation of scales larger than the scale of the vehicle is
impractical with passive grids and so active turbulence
generation systems are preferred. These can be classified into
lift and drag-based devices. Lift-based devices provide better
control of the turbulence but can only just reproduce the
smaller scales in the 2-20 vehicle length range. Different
moving model approaches are also discussed. CFD offers real
advantages through its ability to allow arbitrary time-varying
boundary conditions.


Since the end of the Second World War, Europe has experienced one of the most peaceful and productive periods in its history. Much of this peace and prosperity has been attributed to the development of a more cohesive Europe and the subsequent development of the European Union. Yet Europe is certainly not without its problems, experiencing repeated 'crises', such as the refugee crisis, the financial crisis, the 'Brexit' crisis and austerity politics and the recent rise of populist political parties. There have been increasing protests on the continent, occupations of spaces and other forms of dissent. While there are strong and clear forms of resistance within various European Union member-states in response to these issues, there have been surprisingly few successful and coordinated actions across Europe. The focus of this chapter, thus, is an exploration of some forms of resistance operating across Europe. The chapter is driven by a set of broad questions: how have forms of resistance operated across Europe? How have protesting groups and citizens worked together? More importantly, what are the factors contributing to the prospects of European citizens working in solidarity?


Azadirachta indica A.Juss. (neem) is an important plant species with reported reversible infertility and spontaneous abortive properties. NeemAzal-T/S® 1% was fed to 3 experimental groups by stomach intubation (5, 15, 25 mg/kg) for 6 days and the control group given tap water. Hematological parameters were determined on days 4 and 9 of the experiment. On day 10, animals were studied for histopathological changes of uterus. The rest were tested for fertility. On day 7 of the pregnancy, the experimental groups were fed with 3 doses of NeemAzal-T/S® and tap water (control) for 6 days. There were significant increase in the hematocrit and hemoglobin levels in all groups and RBC count in the first and second group on day 9 in the treated animals compared with the control. There was a significant decrease in the progesterone level only in the second group on day 9. Reproduction occurred after 40 and 75 days in the first and the second group, respectively. In the third group, half of the animals died and reproduction occurred after 3 months in the rest. Histopathological results of the uterus indicated papilloma in the endometrium, proliferation in surface layer and secretory cells with circular nucleus, and clear cytoplasm, which increased in the animals treated with higher doses. Based on the results of this study, it appears that NeemAzal-T/S® could be used as a natural and comparatively safe infertility agent to control harmful rodents.


In this thesis we examine the information behaviour displayed by a broad cross-section of academic and practicing lawyers and feed our findings into the development of the Information Behaviour (IB) methods - two novel methods for evaluating the functionality and usability of electronic resources.

We captured lawyers' information behaviour by conducting naturalistic observations, where we asked participants to think aloud whilst using existing resources to 'find information required for their work.' Lawyers' information behaviours closely matched those observed in other disciplines by Ellis and others, serving to validate Ellis's existing model in the legal domain. Our findings also extend Ellis's model to include behaviours pertinent to legal information-seeking, broaden the scope of the model to cover information use (in addition to information- seeking) behaviours and enhance the potential analytical detail of the model through the identification of a range of behavioural 'subtypes' and levels at which behaviours can operate.

The identified behaviours were used as the basis for developing two methods for evaluating electronic resources – the IB functionality method (which mainly involves examining whether and how information behaviours are currently, or might in future be, supported by an electronic resource) and the IB usability method (which involves setting users behaviour-focused tasks, asking them to think aloud whilst performing the tasks, and identifying usability issues from the think-aloud data).

Finally the IB methods were themselves evaluated by stakeholders working for LexisNexis Butterworths – a large electronic legal resource development firm. Stakeholders were recorded using the methods and focus group and questionnaire data was collected, with the aim of ascertaining how usable, useful and learnable they considered the methods to be and how likely they would be to use them in future. Overall, findings were positive regarding both methods and useful suggestions for improving the methods were made.


Abstract : Probabilistic computing offers potential improvements in energy, performance, and area compared with traditional digital design. This dissertation quantifies energy and energy-delay tradeoffs in digital adders, multipliers, and the JPEG image compression algorithm. This research shows that energy demand can be cut in half with noisesusceptible 16-bit Kogge-Stone adders that deviate from the correct value by an average of 3 in 14 nanometer CMOS FinFET technology, while the energy-delay product (EDP) is reduced by 38 . This is achieved by reducing the power supply voltage which drives the noisy transistors. If a 19 average error is allowed, the adders are 13 times more energy-efficient and the EDP is reduced by 35 . This research demonstrates that 92 of the color space transform and discrete cosine transform circuits within the JPEG algorithm can be built from inexact components, and still produce readable images. Given the case in which each binary logic gate has a 1 error probability, the color space transformation has an average pixel error of 5.4 and a 55 energy reduction compared to the error-free circuit, and the discrete cosine transformation has a 55 energy reduction with an average pixel error of 20 .


We present a methodology for modeling heterogeneous real-time components. Components are obtained as the superposition of three layers: behavior, specified as a set of transitions; Interactions between transitions of the behavior; Priorities, used to choose amongst possible interactions. A parameterized binary composition operator is used to compose components layer by layer. We present the BIP language for the description and composition of layered components as well as associated tools for executing and analyzing components on a dedicated platform. The language provides a powerful mechanism for structuring interactions involving rendezvous and broadcast. We show that synchronous and timed systems are particular classes of components. Finally, we provide examples and compare the BIP framework to existing ones for heterogeneous component-based modeling


Abstract: Mesozoic to Palaeogene intrusive igneous rocks in West Greenland range from a large, coast-parallel dyke swarm to small, poorly defined dyke swarms or single intrusions. New age and geochemical data indicate that intrusion forms and melt compositions changed with time, dependent on changing stress fields and increasing lithospheric attenuation. During the period c. 220–150 Ma (Late Triassic to Late Jurassic) incipient stretching is reflected in the production of highly alkaline, volatile-rich melts formed in small volumes in the deep lithosphere. Around 150 Ma (Kimmeridgian), increased extension took place and melts were intruded in a 60 km long swarm of scattered alkaline dykes. In the Early Cretaceous, 140–133 Ma, the regional stress field was intense, upwelling asthenospheric mantle started to melt, and alkali basaltic magmas were emplaced in a 400 km long coastal dyke swarm parallel to large linear faults offshore. In the Palaeocene, continental break-up took place and flood basalts (62–60 Ma) were extruded in the Nuussuaq Basin. Large basalt sills and dykes extend the region with Palaeocene activity 150 km southwards and form a link between the Nuussuaq Basin and the Sisimiut Basin offshore. Dykes with ages of 57–51 Ma indicate widespread younger volcanic activity. Supplementary material: Sample details, Ar/Ar data and plots, and Rb–Sr isochrons are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18374.


things better, and much HCI research and practice is aimed at making interaction design (IxD) better. What better means has greatly expanded as HCI has matured. Positions on what is better reflect values, which unite the content across this issue. We should expect design excellence to be hard won in the face of irreducible complexity. Embracing complexity in IxD is core to a viable strategic vision where we must never stop learning. We must be flexible in embracing new values in HCI research and IxD practice, and avoid regressing to what is easiest and quickest. We must continue to nurture our discipline to empower it to flexibly manage incessant increases in the complexities that we must understand and embrace. Our long-term vision should be to deliver what is most worthwhile in the most practical way possible. HCI is becoming even more worthwhile by having even more ways to be worthwhile. In her first Community Square column as SIGCHI president, Helena Mentis shares 10 values from the new SIGCHI Executive Committee (EC), many of which are in focus elsewhere in this issue. For example, in the cover story, Liam Bannon, Jeffrey Bardzell, and Susanne Bødker discuss three trends for participatory design (PD): 1) understanding democracy beyond workplaces in the context of massive global technology platforms, 2) inclusive use of novel creative design practices, and 3) continuous evolution of how we think about and practice PD—all reflected in this issue's cover image. These trends echo the EC values of being empowering, inclusive, collaborative, and bottom up. The first feature (Olav Bertelsen, Susanne Bødker, Eva Eriksson, Eve Hoggan, and Jo Vermeulen) argues for valuing the very particular at least as much as the general in HCI. In both articles, HCI is being asked to embrace new values in rapidly changing contexts. In contrast, new values are advocated for in more stable HCI contexts, such as an outcomes focus in UX practice (Business of UX and Health Matters forums) and a usage focus in visualization guidelines (Blog@IX). At the same time, existing HCI values still matter in rapidly developing HCI contexts of technology usage: Equitable AI (fair and respectful in SIGCHI EC's values) must extend to the Global South (Next Billion forum). In the Sustainability in (Inter)Action forum, Tim Frick argues that sustainability can be demonstrably valued by design agencies of any size. In their report on a CHI 2018 workshop, Oussama Metatla, Anja Thieme, Emeline Brulé, Cynthia Bennett, Marcos Serrano, and Christophe Jouffrais argue that classroom UX must value inclusivity. Jonathan Bean's Consuming Tech column also considers inclusivity and equity in the context of new home and transport technologies. Other articles address existing HCI values in new contexts of home and technology usage. EXIT pictures an owner's very basic value of keeping a mobile device dry when charging in the rain. Stuart Reeves, Martin Porcheron, and Joel Fischer show that home voice interfaces lack naturalness and seamlessness. Helena Tendedez, Kelly Widdicks, and Mike Hazas offer guidance on respect for ubicomp research participants in their homes. Elizabeth Churchill's Ps & Qs column continues a focus on bias and poor fit to human capabilities in AI recommendations. Turning to more recent technologies, thermal imaging (Interaction Technologies forum) offers many new opportunities, but Yomna Abdelrahman and Albrecht Schmidt have concerns over privacy. Alongside these familiar HCI values of ubiquity, inclusivity, sustainability, innovation, specificity, fairness, privacy, protection, and respect for participants in research studies, Demo Hour and How Was It Made celebrate creative practice, and Alan Dix's Abracadabra and Michaelanne Dye's feature celebrate (and thus value) the local in South Wales and Cuba, respectively. Demo Hour also values nature as a material and inspiration for design. Last but not least, what Dan Lockton is reading offers more to perhaps value in dystopian fictions, storytelling, architecture, and the need to avert a new Dark Age. Overall, many of the new EC's values for SIGCHI extend to HCI research and practice. Openness, especially in terms of setting realistic expectations for new technologies, is much valued in HCI. As worthwhile value propositions for IxD become more complex, it is more challenging to live up to the EC's values of being straightforward and efficient in our design work—we need to set realistic expectations for that too, until we become better masters of complexity.


In this paper, we propose a novel method for real estate price prediction using web new media sentiments by incorporating human searching behaivor on the web. By combining online daily news' sentiments and Google search engine query data, we construct a web news content and online search behavior-based integrated model for real estate prediction. Besides these factors, real estate price time series data are also considered into the model in order to improve the forecasting performance. Furthermore, we make a comparison between the integrated model and the baseline model without search engine query data. Experimental results indicate that the integrated model outperforms the non-integrated model, which suggests that online user searching behavior is of great value in enhancing the prediction performance. These findings imply that the proposed integrated model is effective and feasible for real estate market prediction.


We report the results of a multi-day diurnal study in which polarimetric and conventional thermal imagery is recorded in the mid- and long-wave IR to identify and compare the respective time periods in which minimum target contrast is achieved. The data shows that the chief factors affecting polarimetric contrast in both wavebands are the amount of thermal emission from the objects in the scene and the abundance of MWIR and LWIR sources in the optical background. In particular, it has been observed that the MWIR polarimetric contrast was positively correlated to the presence of MWIR sources in the optical background, while the LWIR polarimetric contrast was negatively correlated to the presence of LWIR sources in the optical background.


The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) has community engagement at its core. With health and environmental challenges facing society, its mission "to explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future" is more important and relevant than ever. The established community engagement programme at RBGE includes the Edible Gardening Project and activities at the Botanic Cottage and these are described here. Programmes explore food-growing skills and focus on improving health and wellbeing. Significant impact has occurred at the level of the individual and community, while the wider impact on the health of society and on biodiversity while implied remains to be fully assessed.


This study aims to determine whether the features of dyspepsia can discriminate a subgroup of patients who present with non-ulcer dyspepsia from other diagnostic categories. The following groups were studied: One hundred and thirteen patients with endoscopically confirmed non-ulcer dyspepsia in the absence of clinical, biochemical or radiological evidence of other gastrointestinal diseases or disorders, termed essential dyspepsia; Fifty five patients with symptomatic and endoscopically proven peptic ulceration (32 duodenal ulcers, 23 gastric ulcers); Fifty three patients admitted to hospital with biliary pain and cholelithiasis without other lesion at laparotomy. All patients completed a structured history questionnaire at personal interview. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was done on 19 predefined variables to determine if one or more of these could discriminate between the diagnostic categories. The results suggest that certain groups of symptoms may be of diagnostic value, but many are not. Upper abdominal pain aggravated by food or milk, pain severity, night pain, vomiting, weight loss, and age significantly discriminated essential dyspepsia from the other diagnostic categories. A scoring system was established based on these discriminating symptoms. Using the weighted score, at a sensitivity of 57%, the specificity for a diagnosis of essential dyspepsia was 94%, but only prospective studies will determine if this scoring system is of actual clinical value.


Fish sustainability in an aquatic environment involves continuous and judicious management towards optimum production of resources, for rational utilization and availability for future generation. Stomach composition of Oreochromis niloticus collected from a tropical brackish water environment was investigated to assess food availability towards optimum fish productivity for rational public utilization. Oreochromis niloticus, a fish of high economic importance and a generalize omnivore endemic to fresh and brackish water of Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, was reviewed to know the food availability status of the Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria. The conditions of stomach contents of O. niloticus samples collected were visually determined and subjected to frequency of occurrence, dominance, numerical, volumetric and relative index methods. Analytical and descriptive statistics were used to show occurrence, prevalence and availability of food organisms, within Lagos Lagoon. Results of the investigation revealed the presence of phytoplankton, dinoflagellates, sand grains, insect parts, plants parts, fish parts and unidentified constituents in O. niloticus stomach contents. O. niloticus revealed herbivorous feeding habit and Bacillariophyceae food item with highest occurrence. Food items satisfy requirements for optimum sustainability.

 Key words: Stomach contents, tropical, Oreochromis niloticus, Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria.


Abstract Pakistani planners are increasingly prone to recognize the many links between water, food, and energy security. The construction of new large dams is seen by many as a concrete measure to achieve resource security for Pakistani for a future marked by climactic variability and unpredictability. This article explores the geopolitical and political geographic implications of Pakistan's strategic vision of building dams as a way to prepare for climate change. The author argues that far from being politically neutral tools for development with predictable effects, large dams create new political and spatial arenas of conflict and contradiction at the international, regional, and local scales.


The vitronectin receptor is a member of the integrin family of adhesion protein receptors and binds a broad spectrum of ligands, including fibronectin and fibrinogen in addition to vitronectin. We have generated four mAbs that recognize the murine alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor. Biochemical and expression analyses showed that two of the mAbs are specific for the alpha v chain, and two are specific for the beta 3 chain. The mAbs are effective blocking reagents and inhibited cell adhesion to vitronectin, fibrinogen, and fibronectin. Staining analysis revealed expression of alpha v and beta 3 on certain populations of murine thymocytes, splenocytes, and bone marrow cells. The expression of alpha v and beta 3 appeared to be modulated at specific stages of thymocyte development, suggesting a possible function for the alpha v beta 3 vitronectin receptor in T cell development.


We present integration mechanisms for combining heterogeneous components in a situated information processing system, illustrated by a cognitive robot able to collaborate with a human and display some understanding of its surroundings. These mechanisms include an architectural schema that encourages parallel and incremental information processing, and a method for binding information from distinct representations that when faced with rapid change in the world can maintain a coherent, though distributed, view of it. Provisional results are demonstrated in a robot combining vision, manipulation, language, planning and reasoning capabilities interacting with a human and manipulable objects.
Keywords: architectural schema; binding information; behavioural competences; Cross-Subarchitecture Binding; cross-modal processing; architectural instantiations


Background: Brain metastases are the most frequently occurring intracranial tumors in adults. Median survival after the diagnosis of a brain metastasis is in the order of a few months. Despite its large burden of disease and devastating clinical sequelae, we continue to have a limited understanding of how brain metastases evolve from their primary tumor. Our objectives were to (1) elucidate the evolutionary patterns leading the brain metastases and (2) identify whether brain metastases are genetically distinct from their matched primary tumors. Materials and Methods: We subjected 101 trios consisting of primary tumor, brain metastasis, and matched normal tissue to whole exome sequencing (WES). To analyze the data, we developed novel computational tools to perform an integrative analysis of somatic single nucleotide variants (SSNVs) and somatic copy-number alterations (SCNAs). This analysis allowed us to estimate the clonal architecture of the primary and metastatic samples from each patient, and to reconstruct a phylogenetic tree relating all of the subclones.Results: Every metastasis developed from a single clone, consistent with a single cell of origin. We did not detect evidence of self-seeding or a multiclonal origin of metastasis. In all cases, we observed a sibling or a branched evolutionary relationship; the brain metastasis and primary tumor share a common ancestor, but there was continued evolution in the primary tumor reflected by fully clonal mutations in the primary biopsy that were not present in the metastasis. When we average over all the phylogenetic trees, 61% of mutations are present in the common ancestor, 24% are unique to the metastasis and 15% are unique to the primary tumor. Subclonal mutations in the metastasis by definition occurred within the brain; these mutations displayed different mutational signatures than those acquired in the primary tumor. These contrasts were most pronounced in cases of lung cancer or melanoma, with tobacco and UV signatures prominent in these primaries and nearly absent from the mutations acquired after metastasis. In order to understand the molecular drivers of clonal evolution and metastasis in our data, we annotated each subclone with driver mutations identified using large numbers of cancer samples analyzed by the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) consortium. This produced a detailed portrait of each patient9s cancer, with nearly node in each phylogenetic tree associated with at least one known driver. We found novel drivers, many of which are known actionable targets, in the clonal and subclonal populations within the brain metastases that were not present in the primary tumor. This suggests ongoing evolution within the brain. Similarly, novel subclonal and clonal drivers were detected in the biopsy of the primary tumor that were not present in the metastasis. The brain metastases were enriched for several pathways when compared to their matched primary tumors, some pathways specific to a particular histologic subtype.Conclusions: In this study, we report the latest results of the largest massively parallel sequencing study to date of matched brain metastases and primary tumors. We used intratumoral heterogeneity estimates to elucidate the evolutionary patterns observed in the process of metastasis. This study shifts our understanding of the metastasis paradigm and sheds light on the evolutionary and molecular mechanisms that are critical for brain metastasis. Our data suggests that single biopsies do not capture the heterogeneity within patients. Assessment of the subclonal phylogenetic architecture of primaries and their metastases should be considered when selecting targeted agents for patients with brain metastases. Citation Format: Priscilla K. Brastianos, Scott L. Carter, Sandro Santagata, Amaro Taylor-Weiner, Robert T. Jones, Peleg M. Horowitz, Keith L. Ligon, Joan Seaone, Elena Martinez-Saez, Josep Tabernero, Daniel P. Cahill, Sun-Ha Paek, Ian F. Dunn, Bruce E. Johnson, Toni K. Choueiri, Michael S. Rabin, Eric P. Winer, Nancy U. Lin, Paul Van Hummelen, Anat Stemmer-Rachamimov, Rameen Beroukhim, David L. Louis, Tracy T. Batchelor, Jose Baselga, Gad Getz, William C. Hahn. Genomic characterization of 101 brain metastases and paired primary tumors reveals patterns of clonal evolution and selection of driver mutations. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr NG03. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-NG03


The dynamic modulus and the loss factor of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) of various compositions and anisotropies are studied by dynamic torsion oscillations performed in the absence and in the presence of an external magnetic field. The emphasis is on the Payne effect, i.e. the dependence of the elastomer magnetorheological characteristics on the strain amplitude and their evolution with cyclically increasing and decreasing strain amplitudes. MREs are based on two silicone matrices differing in storage modulus (soft, G' ∼ 10(3) Pa, and hard, G' ∼ 10(4) Pa, matrices). For each matrix, the concentration of carbonyl iron particles with diameters of 3-5 μm was equal to 70 and 82 mass% (22 and 35 vol%, respectively) in the composite material. Samples for each filler content, isotropic and aligned-particles, are investigated. It is found that the Payne effect significantly increases in the presence of an external magnetic field and varies with the cyclical loading which reaches saturation after several cycles. The results are interpreted as the processes of formation-destruction-reformation of the internal filler structure under the simultaneously applied mechanical force and magnetic field. Impacts of matrix elasticity and magnetic interactions on the filler alignment are elucidated.


Austrian business cycles are strongly dependent on the development of foreign exports. The paper deals with two important issues in this context: What is the impact of foreign exports on total growth in the Austrian economy? A more and more globalized economy implies that the share of foreign imports in the production of export commodities increases. This suggests that the contribution of foreign exports to domestic growth will diminish over time ? this hypothesis will be tested in the paper. In addition, the results for Austria will be compared with those for other countries in the EU as well as the OECD. Export activities are not evenly distributed over space: While some regions are more specialized in the production of commodities for the domestic market, other regions are much more dependent on foreign exports. In the paper, the regional economic consequences of the value-added impacts of foreign exports will be analysed. The paper will make use of national input-output tables for the years 1995, 2000 and 2003 as well as input-output tables for OECD countries to examine the national economic impacts of foreign exports and an international comparison. Furthermore, a multiregional model for Austria ("MultiREG") will be applied for estimating the corresponding regional impacts.


This thesis reports a study of a viable way to pursue the aim of the production of ultra-shallow pn junctions for the next generation of CMOS devices (70 nm node). Particularly the ion implantation of alternative species to boron as p-type dopants has been investigated. Indium and gallium were the selected species for this purpose. Particular attention has been paid to the study of the electrical activation of the implanted layers in relation to annealing conditions and with the nature of the stalling material (crystalline or amorphous). Regarding the use of indium a further study involving the co-implant of another species (such as carbon) has been carried out. Results have been obtained using Hall effect measurements to assess the electrical properties in terms of electrical activation, Hall mobility and sheet resistance of the implanted layer. Rutherford Back Scattering has been used to evaluate the dosimetry of the samples as implanted and after thermal treatment and to obtain information about the atomic distribution of the dopant inside the layer, especially in terms of its lattice location, and of the damage induced by the bombardment. Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy has been used to assess the atomic profile as a function of the depth for the implanted layer and achieve information about the diffusion of the dopant during annealing. Transmission Electron Microscopy has been used to check the level of damage after the dopant implantation and to assess the residual damage after annealing. The data obtained has been compared with the output of Montecarlo simulations. The results show that a very low electrical activation is achieved when indium is used. This result, which is in agreement with the previous data reported in the literature, is due to the very low solid solubility of the species and to the deep acceptor level which is characteristic for indium. It is shown that using carbon as co-implanted species it is possible to raise the indium electrical activation. This activation enhancement is discussed to be due to three different effects that the carbon co-implant has on the indium implant. Namely, an increase of the dopant integration within the silicon matrix, the generation of a new shallower acceptor level within the bandgap and a lower degree of residual stress and damage in the re-grown crystal after annealing. Moreover, a different behaviour of the electrical characteristics as a function of the annealing conditions is shown for indium and indium-carbon co-implants. We argue that the difference is due to the evolution of the carbon atoms inside the layer when the anneal is performed. For the gallium implants the electrical activation achieved is very high (>90% of the implanted dose). By comparison with the data achieved for indium it is discussed that the higher degree of activation is due to a shallower acceptor level and, also, to a lower degree of stress induced by the presence of the dopant atom in the silicon crystal. The high density of dopant achievable suggests a correction in the Hall scattering factor to achieve more reliable data. The dependence of the electrical characteristics on the annealing conditions has been investigated. The results show that a better activation is achieved when anneals at low temperature and short time are performed. The use of pre-amorphisation allows the achievement of a higher degree of electrical activation. We discuss that this effect is due to the avoidance of dopant segregation at the end of range damage band. Regarding the as-implanted samples it is noticed that to disregard the channelling effect for a species as heavy and large as gallium can lead to a wrong calculation on the tail of the distribution, with an underestimation of the junction depth.


PC4 is a small protein with unique DNA-binding properties that affects transcription and has presumptive roles in DNA repair and genome stability. It was originally isolated from a cofactor fraction termed the ''upstream stimulatory activity'' (USA) of HeLa cell nuclear extracts. The cofactor has been shown to broadly enhance RNA polymerase II-driven gene transcription in the presence of activators (e.g., hormone receptors, viral activators, cell-specific and ubiquitous activators). Although such data imply that PC4 is a very important factor in vivo, human tumor cell lines with PC4 knockdowns are without obvious phenotypes. To further study the in vivo role of PC4, we constructed constitutive and conditional knockout mouse models as well as knockout embryonic stem cells. Mammalian PC4 is here shown to be an essential factor during early embryogenesis. PC4-/- embryos develop normally until E5.5, but then degenerated around E7.5. PC4 knockout ES cell lines were generated from PC4-/- blastocysts (E3.5), which develop normally from 2-cell stage embryos. All PC4 knockout ES cell lines displayed a severe proliferation deficit phenotype, which could be partially rescued by re-expression of human PC4. The reduced proliferation was not due to an increase in cell apoptosis. Occasionally, PC4 knockout ES cells undergo tetraploidy apparently as a survival mechanism to circumvent the loss of PC4. Knocking down PC4 in mouse embryonic fibroblasts also resulted in reduced proliferation rates. These data indicate that PC4 is important for cell proliferation in embryos. Moreover, in vitro embryoid body formation and in vivo teratoma formation assays provided preliminary evidence for an important role of PC4 in differentiation. Differentiated ES cells displayed alterations in germ-layer specific gene expression, that are in agreement with morphological abnormalities observed in histological analyses of PC4-/- embryos at E6.5 and E7.5. Thus, depletion of PC4 results in reduced proliferation and impaired differentiation, the consequence of which appears to be of gastrulation arrest in early embryos.
In an attempt to understand the underlying mechanisms of this phenotype, differential gene expression in ES knockout and wild-type cells was studied. Microarray and qRT-PCR analyses revealed more than 2 fold alterations in expression of many genes in knockout ES cells as compared with wild-type cells. These include enhanced expression of p21, Rb1, and Ddit4l, and lower expression of Sfmbt2, Tdrd12, and Dppa3, suggesting a specific direct or indirect physiological role of the cofactor. Nevertheless, the previously proposed role of PC4 in p53 expression and function was not confirmed using the knockout model. Taken together, this work represents the first description of the physiological functions of PC4 during mammalian embryogenesis.


Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) are a powerful representational tool for solving problems on graph-structured inputs. In almost all cases so far, however, they have been applied to directly recovering a final solution from raw inputs, without explicit guidance on how to structure their problem-solving. Here, instead, we focus on learning in the space of algorithms: we train several state-of-the-art GNN architectures to imitate individual steps of classical graph algorithms, parallel (breadth-first search, Bellman-Ford) as well as sequential (Prim's algorithm). As graph algorithms usually rely on making discrete decisions within neighbourhoods, we hypothesise that maximisation-based message passing neural networks are best-suited for such objectives, and validate this claim empirically. We also demonstrate how learning in the space of algorithms can yield new opportunities for positive transfer between tasks---showing how learning a shortest-path algorithm can be substantially improved when simultaneously learning a reachability algorithm.


The Routledge Handbook of Disability Studies takes a multidisciplinary approach to disability and provides an authoritative and up-to-date overview of the main issues in the field around the world today. Adopting an international perspective and consisting entirely of newly commissioned chapters arranged thematically, it surveys the state of the discipline, examining emerging and cutting edge areas as well as core areas of contention. Divided in five sections, this comprehensive handbook covers: Different models and approaches to disability How key impairment groups have engaged with disability studies and the writings within the discipline Policy and legislation responses to disability studies and to disability activism Disability studies and its interaction with other disciplines, such as history, philosophy and science and technology studies Disability studies and different life experiences, examining how disability and disability studies intersects with ethnicity, sexuality, gender, childhood and ageing. Containing chapters from an international selection of leading scholars, this authoritative handbook is an invaluable reference for all academics, researchers and more advanced students in disability studies and associated disciplines such as sociology, health studies and social work.


Antioxidant antidiabetic drugs may promote tumor metastasis. Adding fuel to a cancer fire Diabetic patients are at increased risk of developing cancer. Some risks of antioxidant drugs in the setting of cancer are already known, and now, Wang et al. show that diabetic drugs with antioxidant properties may cause problems as well. The authors evaluated several antidiabetic drugs such as saxagliptin and sitagliptin, as well as α-lipoic acid, a supplement used to treat diabetic neuropathy. All of these compounds have antioxidant properties, and all accelerated metastasis in mouse models of cancer. It remains to be determined whether these findings will hold up in human patients, but it may be best to exercise caution when giving antioxidant drugs to patients at increased risk for cancer. Cancer is a common comorbidity of diabetic patients; however, little is known about the effects that antidiabetic drugs have on tumors. We discovered that common classes of drugs used in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the hypoglycemic dipeptidyl peptidase–4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) saxagliptin and sitagliptin, as well as the antineuropathic α-lipoic acid (ALA), do not increase tumor incidence but increase the risk of metastasis of existing tumors. Specifically, these drugs induce prolonged activation of the nuclear factor E2–related factor 2 (NRF2)–mediated antioxidant response through inhibition of KEAP1-C151–dependent ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of NRF2, resulting in up-regulated expression of metastasis-associated proteins, increased cancer cell migration, and promotion of metastasis in xenograft mouse models. Accordingly, knockdown of NRF2 attenuated naturally occurring and DPP-4i–induced tumor metastasis, whereas NRF2 activation accelerated metastasis. Furthermore, in human liver cancer tissue samples, increased NRF2 expression correlated with metastasis. Our findings suggest that antioxidants that activate NRF2 signaling may need to be administered with caution in cancer patients, such as diabetic patients with cancer. Moreover, NRF2 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for tumor metastasis.


We describe the data processing pipeline of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) data processing centre (DPC) to create and characterize full-sky maps based on the first 15.5 months of operations at 30, 44, and 70 GHz. In particular, we discuss the various steps involved in reducing the data, from telemetry packets through to the production of cleaned, calibrated timelines and calibrated frequency maps. Data are continuously calibrated using the modulation induced on the mean temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation by the proper motion of the spacecraft. Sky signals other than the dipole are removed by an iterative procedure based on simultaneous fitting of calibration parameters and sky maps. Noise properties are estimated from time-ordered data after the sky signal has been removed, using a generalized least squares map-making algorithm. A destriping code (Madam) is employed to combine radiometric data and pointing information into sky maps, minimizing the variance of correlated noise. Noise covariance matrices, required to compute statistical uncertainties on LFI and Planck products, are also produced. Main beams are estimated down to the ≈−20 dB level using Jupiter transits, which are also used for the geometrical calibration of the focal plane.


The Toolkit provides a practical, "how-to" guide for selection and adaptation of child development measurements for use in low- and middle-income countries. Users can follow the proposed step-by-step process to select, adapt, implement, and analyze early childhood development data for diverse purposes and projects. Researchers, evaluators, and program personnel from various disciplines interested in assessing early childhood development in low- and middle-income countries will find the book useful for planning and evaluating interventions, monitoring development over time, or conducting a situation analysis. The book updates and expands a previous 2009 edition, incorporating new research on the use of child development measurement tools in low- and middle-income countries.The ECD Measurement Inventory that accompanies this Toolkit contains 147 measurement tools for children under 8 years. For each test it reports the domains assessed, age range for which the tool is appropriate, method of administration, purpose of the assessment, origin and locations of use, logistics, and cost.


The optical and electrical properties of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), traditionally used in thin-film silicon (TF-Si) solar cells as front-electrode materials, are interlinked, such that an increase in TCO transparency is generally achieved at the cost of reduced lateral conductance. Combining a highly transparent TCO front electrode of moderate conductance with metal fingers to support charge collection is a well-established technique in wafer-based technologies or for TF-Si solar cells in the substrate (n-i-p) configuration. Here, we extend this concept to TF-Si solar cells in the superstrate (p-i-n) configuration. The metal fingers are used in conjunction with a millimeter-scale textured foil, attached to the glass superstrate, which provides an antireflective and retroreflective effect; the latter effect mitigates the shadowing losses induced by the metal fingers. As a result, a substantial increase in power conversion efficiency, from 8.7% to 9.1%, is achieved for 1-μ m-thick microcrystalline silicon solar cells deposited on a highly transparent thermally treated aluminum-doped zinc oxide layer combined with silver fingers, compared to cells deposited on a state-of-the-art zinc oxide layer.


Abstract Self-continuity, the perceived connectedness to one's past and future selves, predicts well-being and tends to be higher among older adults (Rutt & Löckenhoff, 2016). Self-continuity is also susceptible to major life changes (Sani, 2008). The pandemic brought dramatic changes in multiple life domains, especially for older adults who experienced higher rates of COVID-19 morbidity and mortality and may have been more likely to restrict their behavior as a result. This study examined whether age differences in self-continuity remained robust in response to the pandemic using representative U.S. survey data. Pre-pandemic data (Fall 2016, N = 230, aged 18 – 87, M = 50.85, SD = 16.40, 47.83% female, 67.83% white) and mid-pandemic data (Summer 2020, N = 230, aged 18 – 88, M = 50.20, SD = 19.49, 48.27% female, 64.78% white) were demographically matched using propensity scores. Participants rated their self-continuity one, five, and ten years into the past and future. Multi-level modeling examined the effects of age, temporal distance (in years), temporal direction (past vs. future), and assessment time (pre- vs. mid-pandemic) on self-continuity. Consistent with prior research, self-continuity was lower for more distant intervals, especially for the past. An interaction between temporal direction and assessment time indicated that future self-continuity was lower mid-pandemic than pre-pandemic. Across samples, however, advanced age was associated with higher self-continuity and the size of this effect did not vary by assessment time. Overall, findings suggest that even though future self-continuity decreased during the pandemic, existing age effects remained robust to this disruption.


Deforestation in Amazon is expected to decrease evapotranspiration (ET) and to increase soil moisture and river discharge under prevailing energy-limited conditions. The magnitude and sign of the response of ET to deforestation depend both on the magnitude and regional patterns of land-cover change (LCC), as well as on climate change and CO 2 levels. On the one hand, elevated CO 2 decreases leaf-scale transpiration, but this effect could be offset by increased foliar area density. Using three regional LCC scenarios specifically established for the Brazilian and Boli-vian Amazon, we investigate the impacts of climate change and deforestation on the surface hydrology of the Amazon Basin for this century, taking 2009 as a reference. For each LCC scenario, three land surface models (LSMs), LPJmL-DGVM, INLAND-DGVM and ORCHIDEE, are forced by bias-corrected climate simulated by three general circulation models (GCMs) of the IPCC 4th Assessment Report (AR4). On average, over the Amazon Basin with no deforestation, the GCM results indicate a temperature increase of 3.3 • C by 2100 which drives up the evaporative demand, whereby Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union. 1456 M. Guimberteau et al.: Impacts of future deforestation and climate change on the Amazon hydrology precipitation increases by 8.5%, with a large uncertainty across GCMs. In the case of no deforestation, we found that ET and runoff increase by 5.0 and 14 %, respectively. However, in southeast Amazonia, precipitation decreases by 10 % at the end of the dry season and the three LSMs produce a 6 % decrease of ET, which is less than precipitation, so that runoff decreases by 22%. For instance, the minimum river discharge of the Rio Tapajos is reduced by 31 % in 2100. To study the additional effect of deforestation, we prescribed to the LSMs three contrasted LCC scenarios, with a forest decline going from 7 to 34 % over this century. All three scenarios partly offset the climate-induced increase of ET, and runoff increases over the entire Amazon. In the southeast , however, deforestation amplifies the decrease of ET at the end of dry season, leading to a large increase of runoff (up to +27 % in the extreme deforestation case), offsetting the negative effect of climate change, thus balancing the decrease of low flows in the Rio Tapajos. These projections are associated with large uncertainties, which we attribute separately to the differences in LSMs, GCMs and to the uncertain range of deforestation. At the subcatchment scale, the uncertainty range on ET changes is shown to first depend on GCMs, while the uncertainty of runoff projections is predominantly induced by LSM structural differences. By contrast , we found that the uncertainty in both ET and runoff changes attributable to uncertain future deforestation is low.


Chapter 19 by Van Buuren, Duijn, Ellen and Ottow deals with knowledge co-production in interactive governance settings. The authors focus on the extent to which actors can achieve 'negotiated knowledge', knowledge that is generated, shared and accepted by various actors in the interactive governance arena. However, Van Buuren et al. claim that knowledge co-production is anything but easy. It is hindered by the presence of deep cleavages between the domain of experts, policy-makers and stakeholders/citizens, who use different ways of knowing and different criteria to assess the relevance of knowledge. In their chapter Van Buuren et al. explore and reflect on the limits and limitations of knowledge co-production. They build on three cases from the Dutch water and soil management and climate adaptation policies. A key limitation is that negotiated knowledge from interactive arenas is often not carefully interlinked with formal decision-making procedures, and therefore hampers impact. Van Buuren et al. conclude their chapter by reflecting upon the question of how policy-makers and managers can deal with such limitations of knowledge co-production.


Improving undergraduate clinical supervision in a South African context.

E Archer and M van Heusden

The context and setting
The Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University has undergraduate programmes for several disciplines. All these programmes; MBChB, Physiotherapy, Speech, Language and Hearing therapy, Dietetics and Occupational therapy need clinical supervisors to teach their undergraduate students in the clinical settings. Apart from having theoretical knowledge the students need to demonstrate clinical competence. They are supervised by qualified health professionals in the clinical areas. The faculty does not have the resources to present different clinical supervision courses for each discipline, hence the development of an interdisciplinary short course.
Why the idea was necessary
The health professionals acting as supervisors may be the experts in their fields, however, they do not always have the necessary teaching skills. This short course endeavored to increase the standard of clinical supervision in order to improve the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the undergraduate students. Ultimately this short course can attempt to raise the standard of health care in both private and public sectors.

What was done?
The Centre for Health Sciences Education (CHSE) at the faculty developed a generic short course in undergraduate clinical supervision to address the above issues. This course, coordinated by a professional nurse, was designed by representatives from each of the disciplines listed above.
The content of the course covers topics such as the different roles of the supervisor, adults learning; learning in a clinical environment; techniques of facilitating learning; assessment and feedback..
The course consists of one interdisciplinary contact session where a study guide is provided for self study. Within six weeks of attending the initial contact session students have to submit an assignment reflecting on their own clinical supervision skills. Continuous professional development points are awarded on completion of the course. A qualitative study was done to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the course in order to re-curriculate as deemed necessary. Semi-structured individual interviews were held with 10 (n=18) course participants as well as the tutors involved in the development of the course. Ethical approval was obtained. Participation was voluntary and anonymity was guaranteed. The recorded and transcribed data was analyzed.

The evaluation of the results or impact
The data was used to inform restructuring of the short course e.g. the contact session was increased from 5 to 8 hours.
The impact of this short course on clinical supervisors was that their interaction with students in the clinical setting improved. Another impact was that the short course provided the clinical supervisors with skills to use new teaching strategies and to apply adult education principles.
There was unanimous support for extending the short course to all clinical supervisors. If this is not done supervisors have the inclination to apply the same teaching methods used when they were undergraduate students.
The lecturers involved in developing the course were positive about the interdisciplinary cooperation amongst colleagues and students. They emphasized that the university s an obligation to provide opportunities for clinical supervisors to improve their skills to supervise students and to have a better understanding of adult learning.


In the emerging Electronic Marketplace, intelligent agents that are reactive, proactive and social will become the major players. These intelligent agents will search for good deals, evaluate trading partners and eventually provide advice on or even make decisions on transactions for their principals. To this end, it is vitally important for the agents to be able to precisely estimate the trust of the business partners to make successful deals. This dissertation proposes an adaptive reputation-based trust model which can be utilized by intelligent agents in an open Electronic Marketplace, where the seller agents and buyer agents can enter and leave the market freely and the service quality and price of goods vary. The trust model is based on an agent's reputation history, witness testimony, and other weighting factors. Learning is integrated to make the trust model adaptive and robust in a dynamic environment. To verify the proposed adaptive reputation-based trust model and the significance of the constructs and factors of the model and to compare the performance of the proposed model with other models, a multi-agent system is built to simulate the interactions among these agents.


Aiming at high-efficiency biomimetic CO2 photoelectrochemical conversion, a photoelectrocatalyst with excellent CO2 catalytic activity was designed and prepared by immobilizing CoTPP (cobalt meso-tetraphenylporphyrin) onto g-C3N4 conveniently via self-assembly based on π–π supramolecular interaction. The quasi 3-D structure of CoTPP showed a suitable hole with a size of 3.8 A × 9.6 A which favoured CO2 adsorption. The pores formed by the π–π stacking of CoTPP and g-C3N4 also provided additional space for CO2 adsorption, which was confirmed by the appearance of a desorption peak at 250 °C in the temperature programmed desorption measurement for CoTPP/g-C3N4. As a normal efficient homogeneous catalyst in organic media, CoTPP commendably maintained outstanding CO2 photoelectrocatalytic activity in heterogeneous aqueous solution, even at a low overpotential of −0.6 V (vs. normal hydrogen electrode, NHE). Under 8 h PEC CO2 reduction, formic acid generation on CoTPP/g-C3N4 reached 154.4 μmol with a TON of 137 and high selectivity of nearly 100% in liquid products. The formation of CoTPP–COO− and CoTPP–COOH intermediates by the Co(II) active site and CO2 was investigated by in situ UV-vis and Raman spectra. Moreover, an isotopic labelling experiment indicated that water supplied abundant protons for the production of formic acid.


The paper describes recent progress in the UK towards developing a multi-level system of accident investigation specifically related to vehicle secondary safety. The application of the national police statistics to determine priorities, the extension of local in-depth investigations for furthering the understanding of injury mechanism, and proposals for an intermediate level system for monitoring changes in vehicle safety features on a sample basis are outlined. The co-ordination of activities between 3 teams involved in studying injury causation and alleviation (at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Birmingham Accident Research Unit, and Oxford Road Accident Group) is an important part of the work. A procedure is being developed for harmonising accident investigation techniques - for the study of biomechanics of injury for car occupants in particular - while enabling the teams to retain their own specific objectives and local interests. The current three year programme (1978-1981) of research studies is summarised. (Author/TRRL)


Abstract Chinese students in the U.S. are confronted with the double jeopardy of virus and stigma amid the COVID19. This study focuses on their choice and impact of mask wearing during this pandemic. How do they navigate and negotiate the troubling and contradictory directives about masks coming from their home and host countries during this pandemic? What are the impacts of their experiences on their attitudes towards the American society? Drawing from stigma theory, we argue that what Chinese students experience when it comes to mask wearing is an exemplar of how stigma is socially constructed by power. Through 30 semi-structured and in-depth phone interviews with Chinese students, we find that Chinese students cope with such stigma through various mechanisms, and most notably, through the counter-narrative of discrediting the American mainstream belief in the usage of masks. However, they harbored these thoughts privately. In addition, we conclude that escalating geo-political tensions between the U.S. and China, coupled with the lack of social integration of Chinese students in America, will continue to alienate them, despite the subsequent destigmatization of mask-wearing in America.


Both anthropogenic habitat disturbance and the breadth of habitat use by alien species have been found to facilitate invasion into novel environments, and these factors have been hypothesized to be important within coccinellid communities specifically. In this study, we address two questions: (1) Do alien species benefit more than native species from human‐disturbed habitats? (2) Are alien species more generalized in their habitat use than natives within the invaded range or can their abundance patterns be explained by specialization on the most common habitats?


Pathogens use diverse molecular machines to penetrate host cells and manipulate intracellular vesicular trafficking. Viruses employ glycoproteins, functionally and structurally similar to the SNARE proteins, to induce eukaryotic membrane fusion. Intracellular pathogens, on the other hand, need to block fusion of their infectious phagosomes with various endocytic compartments to escape from the degradative pathway. The molecular details concerning the mechanisms underlying this process are lacking. Using both an in vitro liposome fusion assay and a cellular assay, we showed that SNARE-like bacterial proteins block membrane fusion in eukaryotic cells by directly inhibiting SNARE-mediated membrane fusion. More specifically, we showed that IncA and IcmG/DotF, two SNARE-like proteins respectively expressed by Chlamydia and Legionella, inhibit the endocytic SNARE machinery. Furthermore, we identified that the SNARE-like motif present in these bacterial proteins encodes the inhibitory function. This finding suggests that SNARE-like motifs are capable of specifically manipulating membrane fusion in a wide variety of biological environments. Ultimately, this motif may have been selected during evolution because it is an efficient structural motif for modifying eukaryotic membrane fusion and thus contribute to pathogen survival.


Based on geometric considerations, longitudinal and transverse Lagrangian velocity increments are introduced as components along, and perpendicular to, the displacement of fluid particles during a time scale τ. It is argued that these two increments probe preferentially the stretching and spinning of material fluid elements, respectively. This property is confirmed (in the limit of vanishing τ) by examining the variances of these increments conditioned on the local topology of the flow. These longitudinal and transverse Lagrangian increments are found to share some qualitative features with their Eulerian counterparts. In particular, direct numerical simulations at up to 300 show that the distributions of are negatively skewed at all τ, which is a signature of time irreversibility in the Lagrangian framework. Transverse increments are found more intermittent than longitudinal increments, as quantified by the comparison of their respective flatnesses and scaling laws. Although different in nature, standard Cartesian Lagrangian increments (projected on fixed axis) exhibit scaling properties that are very close to transverse Lagrangian increments.


In 2011, Parliament passed legislation allowing for the introduction of an alcohol interlock programme in New Zealand for repeat drink drivers and some first time drink drivers. An alcohol interlock is a device similar to a breathalyser that is hard wired into the ignition of a vehicle. The vehicle will not start until a satisfactory breath sample has been given. Interlocks have been used internationally for 30 years in criminal justice systems as a way to manage drink drivers. Under the New Zealand programme, following a short disqualification period, an alcohol interlock will be required as a licence condition for some drink drivers. This paper will look at the use of interlocks in lieu of a longer period of disqualification and the benefits of this approach. The primary benefit of such a programme is that it is based on keeping a person driving, rather than the traditional punitive measures of disqualification, fines and imprisonment. It will also highlight the potential benefits of an interlock system on individuals, families, communities and the justice system. This paper will also look at the ways that an interlock programme can be supported and enhanced by the involvement of the health sector, nongovernment and voluntary organisations, and communities.


Praised as the first Russian novel of psychological realism and as a critique of the repressive era in which Mikhail Lermontov lived, " A Hero of Our Time" brought to life the political and social ideas that at that time could only be expressed indirectly. This latest volume in the acclaimed Northwestern/AATSEEL Critical Companions to Russian Literature series presents diverse perspectives of leading Slavic literary theorists and specialists, ethnologists, formalist critics, and Western humanists. Lending additional breadth and depth are conservative and radical reviews of the novel written at the time of its publication, plus two new essays, one on ethnic identity and the other on women's issues in the novel.


Does an isolated many body quantum system relax? Understanding non-equilibrium dynamics of many-body quantum systems is crucial for many fundamental and applied physics problems ranging from de-coherence and equilibration to the development of future quantum technologies such as quantum computers, which are inherently non-equilibrium quantum systems. One of the biggest challenges in probing non-equilibrium dynamics of many-body quantum systems is that there is no general approach to characterize the resulting quantum states. Using the full distribution functions of a quantum observable [1,2], and the full non translation invariant phase correlation functions allows us to study the relaxation dynamics in one-dimensional quantum systems and to characterize the underlying many body states. Interfering two isolated one-dimensional quantum gases we study how the coherence created between the two many body systems by the splitting process slowly dies by coupling to the many internal degrees of freedom available. Two distinct regimes are clearly visible: for short length scales the system is characterized by spin diffusion, for long length scales by spin decay [3]. The system approaches a prethermalized state [4], which is characterized by thermal like distribution functions but exhibits an effective temperature over five times lower than the kinetic temperature of the initial system. A detailed study of the correlation functions reveals that these thermal-like properties emerge locally in their final form and propagate through the system in a light-cone-like evolution [5]. Furthermore we demonstrate that the prethermalized state can be described by a generalized Gibbs ensemble. This is verified through a detailed study of correlation functions up to 10th order. Finally we show two distinct ways for subsequent evolution away from the pre-thermalized state. One proceeds by further de-phasing, the other by higher order phonon scattering processes. In both cases the final state is indistinguishable from a thermally relaxed state. We conjecture that our experiments points to a universal way through which relaxation in isolated many body quantum systems proceeds if the low energy dynamics is dominated by long lived excitations (quasi particles). Supported by the Wittgenstein Prize, the Austrian Science Foundation (FWF) SFB FoQuS: F40-P10 and the EU through the ERC-AdG QuantumRelax [1] A. Polkovnikov, et al. PNAS 103, 6125 (2006); V. Gritsev, et al., Nature Phys. 2, 705 (2006); [2] S. Hofferberth et al. Nature Physics 4, 489 (2008); [3] M. Kuhnert et al. Phys. Rev. Lett 110, 090405 (2013). [4] M. Gring et al., Science 337, 1318 (2012); D. Adu Smith et al. NJP 15, 075011 (2013). [5] T. Langen et al. Nature Physics 9, 640–643 (2013).


Organisations are targeting efficiency through the improvement of their software processes. Process modeling is a promising approach for defining complete and consistent processes. The wide range of notations used in the different process modeling methods, however, causes interoperability problems when organisation's standard processes, including administrative, engineering, business and other processes, have to be established and maintained. Standard notations in software in other domains such as the business one support the establishment of a common understanding in the overall organization while enabling interoperability. This paper presents a modeling framework for describing adaptive, flexible and business-value-oriented processes based on process patterns. The framework allows people involved in process improvement to define software and business processes quickly and comfortably, ensuring effective and efficient performance of this task and interoperability among the defined processes.


Sexually violent predator (SVP) laws are inherently suspicious because they continue to incarcerate people not because of what they have done, but because of what they might do. I focus on three major criticisms of the laws. First, I use recent recidivism data to challenge the core motivation for the SVP laws-that sex offenders are monsters who cannot control themselves. Second, I situate the laws theoretically as examples of what Feeley and Simon call the "new penology." I argue that the SVP laws show the limited promise of the new penology -- that we can use science to predict risk accurately --because the actuarial instruments used in SVP determinations make many mistakes. In making this argument, I focus particularly on the most commonly used such instrument, the Static-99. Finally, I argue that the Static-99 fails to meet the constitutional criteria laid out by the U.S. Supreme Court in Kansas v. Hendricks because it does not link an individual's mental illness to his dangerousness.


The National Fishing Enhancement Act (PL 98-623) of 1984 placed a new emphasis on the role of artificial reefs in fishery development and management. Subsequently, the growth of marine sport fishing and diving has since led to a dramatic expansion of Atlantic coast artificial reef development. The Atlantic states have acknowledged that artificial reefs can offer increased fishing opportunities for commercial and recreational interests, boost the economies of coastal communities, and still be compatible with other marine activities. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), Artificial Reef Development Center (ARDC), and the the Atlantic State Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) and its member states have joined forces in forming the ASMFC Interstate Artificial Reef Program. The goal of the Interstate Artificial Reef Program is to promote effective artificial reef fishery development and provide information to satisfy present and upcoming artificial reef management needs.


This research investigates how a comprehensive understanding of teacher-pupil relationships can enhance our insight into classroom life. The study focuses specifically on the individual pupil differences and experiences, and how the teacher perceives these differences in terms of the relationship that develops. The study also considers the effects, if any, that changes in educational policy over the last decade have had on the opportunities to form and develop positive teacher-pupil relationships. The dominant theoretical and methodological model of studying classroom relationships has been the cognitive-developmental model, which mainly employs interviews with teachers and children in order to account for qualitative differences in the nature of the relationships in different age groups. There is only a limited amount of research based on contextual (symbolic interactionist) case studies of teacher-pupil relationships which present a description of these relationships as they develop in a natural setting. The two research models arrive at different results about the characteristics, however, common in both models is an emphasis on the need for studies that would a) account for both verbal and non-verbal behaviour, b) explain micro-developmental changes and reasons for these changes, and c) provide a specific ground-based model of teacher-pupil relationship development.

This research employed a contextual (symbolic interactionist) approach. The fieldwork was conducted in two primary schools, focusing on a Year 3 and a Year 6 class in each case study school. Variation in the teaching style/educational organisation, teacher and pupil expectations and pupils' individual differences accounts for differences and similarities in the formation and development of teacher-pupil relationships. Methods used to triangulate the data about the nature and quality of the relationships include: observations of daily interactions in each classroom during one academic year, as well as specific observations of the pupils in the sample; interviews with the teacher and pupils at the beginning and end of the year; and pupil diaries which were used by the children in the sample for their own thoughts about the relationship with the teacher. The theoretical and methodological research implications support the study of teacher-pupil relationships in context because it provides and in-depth and detailed description and understanding of the characteristics and development of these complex relationships.


We discuss the issues of resolving the information-retrieval problem in large digital collections through the identification and use of document genres. Explicit identification of genre seems particularly important for such collections because any search usually retrieves documents with a diversity of genres that are undifferentiated by obvious clues as to their identity. Also, because most genres are characterized by both form and purpose, identifying the genre of a document provides information as to the document's purpose and its fit to the user's situation, which can be otherwise difficult to assess. We begin by outlining the possible role of genre identification in the information-retrieval process. Our assumption is that genre identification would enhance searching, first because we know that topic alone is not enough to define an information problem and, second, because search results containing genre information would be more easily understandable. Next, we discuss how information professionals have traditionally tackled the issues of representing genre in settings where topical representation is the norm. Finally, we address the issues of studying the efficacy of identifying genre in large digital collections. Because genre is often an implicit notion, studying it in a systematic way presents many problems. We outline a research protocol that would provide guidance for identifying Web document genres, for observing how genre is used in searching and evaluating search results, and finally for representing and visualizing genres.


Over half the United States population currently lives near a coast. As shorelines are used by more people, developed by private owners, and altered by extreme weather, competition over access to water and beaches will intensify, as will the need for a clearer legal theory capable of accommodating competing private and public interests. One such public interest is to walk along the beach, which seems simple enough. However, beach walking often occurs on this ambulatory shoreline where public rights grounded in the public trust doctrine and private rights grounded in property ownership intersect. To varying degrees, each state has a public trust doctrine that defines public rights on beaches. The extent to which a court subscribes to a sovereignty theory influences the outcome for public rights. Under this theory, the public trust doctrine is an attribute of state sovereignty, and as such, the state lacks the power to eliminate it. Applying a sovereignty theory leads courts to conceptualize public trust rights as an inalienable easement that burdens coastal private property regardless of its omission in the recorded deed. Courts that interpret coastal property in this way allow for a coexistence of public and private rights that accommodates shared uses of the beach, consistent with centuries of English common law. In contrast, courts that theorize state power includes the power to transfer public trust property into private ownership free of public rights leads courts to view the public trust doctrine as an ownership doctrine and draw a distinct line in the sand dividing public from private fee simple estates. These courts tend to favor exclusive use of the beach by private landowners by asserting the dividing line for title purposes is also the boundary for all public rights. This Article examines divergent approaches to public access to beaches across the United States, demonstrates how legal theory influences substantive public and private rights, and discusses takings considerations on beaches. The Article suggests public and private interests are best served by a historically grounded sovereignty theory that recognizes a public trust easement always burdens coastal private titles coupled with a theory of evolving public rights. These background principles not only protect shared uses of the beach, but provide greater clarity around what constitutes a taking of coastal property.


So as to keep the converter in small size, high switching frequencies are normally used. As a result, in higher frequencies, switching losses seriously affect the efficiency. Current and voltage stresses on power switch can be serious problems particularly in high amount of powers where MOSFET switches are generally applied. A snubber circuit can reduce or eliminate spike voltage and currents, decrease the di/dt or dv/dt values on power switch and transfer the power losses on switch to load and increases the lifelong of the switch. This study presents a method for improving the power transmission efficiency for DC-DC Cascaded Boost Converter and uses a passive snubber sub-circuit, which consists of an inductor, a capacitor, and two diodes for reducing the switching loss. The role of resonant capacitor of this structure is discharging directly through the load and is parallel with the power switch. Thus, it is effective in lossless switching and increasing the DC voltage gain of the boost converter. Soft switching is achieved through the use of a LC resonant tank circuit. The tank circuit is responsible for zero voltage switching (ZVS) and zero current switching (ZCS), eliminating the power loss in the switches appreciably. The proposed structure, done by MATLAB SIMULINK based on simulations, has shown more efficiency toward the same structure without snubber circuit. Besides, an application has been conducted in laboratory scales, and results confirm theoretical findings. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eie.24.3.20977


Abstract The paper proposes a novel way to handle the relation between decision theory and uncertainty in the context of policy design. Present risk governance is based primarily on two institutions – insurance markets and public risk governance – supported by a powerful theory: the expected utility approach to risk. New systemic risks like those of nuclear war, pandemics, climate change and global financial breakdowns call for further progress. Such progress is feasible because recent research has developed ways to address the basic difficulties of expected utility without loosing its valuable insights. They involve three major advances. First, to introduce a risk function that generalizes expected utility so as to overcome well-known difficulties like the Allais paradox. Second, to embed expected utility in a framework of iterated network games so as to take into account the social learning processes that are essential for real world risk governance. And third, to accommodate the logic of complementary descriptions called for by the new systemic risks. The coming breakthrough in risk research may best be achieved by bringing these advances to bear on practical efforts aiming at integrated risk governance.


The purpose of this action research project was to observe the effects metacognitive strategies had on student learning, long-term memory, motivation, and teacher enthusiasm in a high school Biology classroom during a unit on Evolution. A three-week unit including the history of evolution, steps of natural selection, and evidence supporting the theory was used as the nontreatment unit and taught using regular teaching strategies. This was followed by a three-week treatment unit covering genetic variation, distribution, and speciation, and included metacognitive strategies like reflection journaling, QUAD notes, and peer justification. Data was collected using preunit and postunit assessments, student reflection journals, surveys, interviews, and teacher reflections. While the intervention seemed to have little or no effect on student understanding, student attitude, and teacher enthusiasm, it did improve student retention of concepts over time. It would seem that the use of metacognitive strategies led to a longer, more durable learning experience.


Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is one of the few disorders that adversely affect maternal wellbeing and fetal outcome. Early diagnosis and timely intervention can reduce perinatal mortality.

The condition is the most common liver disorder peculiar to pregnancy and is second to viral hepatitis as a cause of jaundice in the third trimester. It is rarely reported except in Chile, Bolivia, Scandinavia, and China.1 Its true incidence and range are unknown. Generalised pruritus, mild jaundice, and intrahepatic cholestasis in late pregnancy were reported by Ahlfeld in 18832 and later by Eppinger3 and Thorling.4 Svanborg also described fatigue and mild abdominal pain and suggested that the condition resolved rapidly after birth but tended to recur in successive pregnancies.5 Pruritus typically develops after 20 weeks of pregnancy; is prominent on the arms, legs, and trunk; and progresses until delivery. Jaundice may develop two to four weeks later without progressing.

The pathogenesis of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is unclear. Multiple factors probably interact with a genetic predisposition to alter the membrane composition of bile ducts and hepatocytes and increase their sensitivity to sex steroids. …


Several lines of evidence suggest that the serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) regulates cardiovascular functions during embryogenesis and adulthood. 5-HT binds to numerous cognate receptors to initiate its biological effects. However, none of the 5-HT receptor disruptions in mice have yet resulted in embryonic defects. Here we show that 5-HT(2B) receptor is an important regulator of cardiac development. We found that inactivation of 5-HT(2B) gene leads to embryonic and neonatal death caused by heart defects. 5-HT(2B) mutant embryos exhibit a lack of trabeculae in the heart and a specific reduction in the expression levels of a tyrosine kinase receptor, ErbB-2, leading to midgestation lethality. These in vivo data suggest that the Gq-coupled receptor 5-HT(2B) uses the signaling pathway of tyrosine kinase receptor ErbB-2 for cardiac differentiation. All surviving newborn mice display a severe ventricular hypoplasia caused by impaired proliferative capacity of myocytes. In adult mutant mice, cardiac histopathological changes including myocyte disarray and ventricular dilation were consistently observed. Our results constitute genetic evidence that 5-HT via 5-HT(2B) receptor regulates differentiation and proliferation of developing and adult heart. This mutation provides a genetic model for cardiopathy and should facilitate studies of both the pathogenesis and therapy of cardiac disorders in humans.


Female labor force participation rates have been rising rapidly since 1950 while male participation rates (especially for males 55 years and older) have been falling over much of that time. Analysis of participation rates also indicates (1) that the Reagan administration's reductions in marginal tax rates after 1981 had no apparent influence on labor force participation; and (2) that the effects of the so-called discouraged worker effect on labor force participation have been relatively weak.


As research about the learning that results when children play video games becomes more popular, questions arise about what methodological and analytical tools are most appropriate to access and document this learning. Thus far, researchers have mostly adopted pre/post assessments, ethnography, and learning analytics. In this paper we (re)introduce cognitive clinical interviews as a methodology particularly suited to answering many of the most pressing questions about games and learning. To that end we describe four challenges of studying learning in video games with pre-post assessments that we claim can be addressed by the addition of clinical interviews. We then consider how clinical interviews can help to explain and describe patterns detected from ethnographic observations and detailed game play logs.


Previous research has shown that a global multiple scattering simulation is needed to achieve physically realistic renderings of hair, particularly light-colored hair with low absorption. However, previous methods have either sacrificed accuracy or have been too computationally expensive for practical use. In this paper we describe a physically based, volumetric rendering method that computes multiple scattering solutions, including directional effects, much faster than previous accurate methods. Our two-pass method first traces light paths through a volumetric representation of the hair, contributing power to a 3D grid of spherical harmonic coefficients that store the directional distribution of scattered radiance everywhere in the hair volume. Then, in a ray tracing pass, multiple scattering is computed by integrating the stored radiance against the scattering functions of visible fibers using an efficient matrix multiplication. Single scattering is computed using conventional direct illumination methods. In our comparisons the new method produces quality similar to that of the best previous methods, but computes multiple scattering more than 10 times faster.


AIM
To present an overview of our awake craniotomy practices performed with complementary use of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based neuronavigation (DTI-bN) and cortical-subcortical electrical stimulation for glioma resection located in eloquent areas, and the clinical outcomes of these practices regarding neurological morbidity and residual tumour volume.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
This study was conducted between October 2016 and December 2017 involving 18 cases. The DTIbN method, in addition to cortical-subcortical stimulation, was done with awake craniotomy. Changes in the neurological status of the patients and results of the method regarding residual tumour volume were recorded. This retrospective study use data obtained from patients' records and radiological examinations.

RESULTS
Of the 18 patients, a gross total resection was performed on nine patients (50%), a near total resection was performed on seven patients (38.8%) and a subtotal resection was performed on two patients (11.1%). Intraoperative neurological deterioration was observed in 14 of 18 patients during their surgical procedures, and neurological examinations in the sixth post-operative month revealed permanent deficits in two patients.

CONCLUSION
This study is one of the rare series to have presented the results of the use DTI-bN method as well as corticalsubcortical stimulation during awake craniotomy, according to literature review. In 88% of cases, tumour resection rates are over 90%.


One of the typical images of Atenist iconography involves Amenhotep IV/Akhenaten extending the 'b3/sḫm/ḫrp/ḥw-' scepter in the light of Aten, near offerings; known from various contexts in Karnak and Amarna, it flourishes in all phases of his reign. The ritual scene is traditionally characterized as a "consecration of offerings" modeled on similar scenes belonging to the royal iconographic repertoire since the Middle Kingdom. A new approach and understanding of the ritual gesture is proposed, according to the iconography and texts of the Amarna tombs: this context offers an insight into the time and loci of this performance and hints at a possible explanation of the Atenist cultic motif. A reappraisal of the famous double scene in room alpha of the royal tomb according to the funerary iconographic program adopted in Amarna is proposed, as well as general conclusions on the staging of the morning ritual in Amarna.


Prolonged exposure to a moving stimulus can substantially alter the perceived velocity (both speed and direction) of subsequently presented stimuli. Here, we show that these changes can be parsimoniously explained with a model that combines the effects of two isomorphic adaptation mechanisms, one nondirectional and one directional. Each produces a pattern of velocity biases that serves as an observable "signature" of the corresponding mechanism. The net effect on perceived velocity is a superposition of these two signatures. By examining human velocity judgments in the context of different adaptor velocities, we are able to separate these two signatures. The model fits the data well, successfully predicts subjects' behavior in an additional experiment using a nondirectional adaptor, and is in agreement with a variety of previous experimental results. As such, the model provides a unifying explanation for the diversity of motion aftereffects.


Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is defined as an effect (both positive and negative) on a social issue resulting from infrastructure development projects (UNESCAP, 2001). It involves assessment of impacts on both communities and their environment. When viewed from the standpoint of sustainable livelihoods, an infrastructure project is likely to alter the asset base of communities and social impact assessment attempts to identify and, wherever possible, quantify these effects. However, a quick literature review reveals that attempts at gauging or measuring social impacts of infrastructure projects have been suggestive or, at best, normative. The main objectives of the Social Assessment exercises are to assess the Social Impact of the project, identify issues and assess consequent risk to the project due to positive and negative impact, measures to mitigate the negative impacts and risk due to the road interventions.


Abstract Global solar radiation (GSR) is essential for agricultural and plant growth modelling, air and water heating analyses, and solar electric power systems. However, GSR gauging stations are scarce compared with stations for monitoring common meteorological variables such as air temperature and relative humidity. In this study, one power function, three linear regression, and three non-linear models based on an artificial neural network (ANN) are developed to extend short records of daily GSR for meteorological stations where predictors (i.e., temperature and/or relative humidity) are available. The seven models are then applied to 19 meteorological stations located across the province of Quebec (Canada). On average, the root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) for ANN-based models are 0.33–0.54 MJ m−2 d−1 smaller than those for the power function and linear regression models for the same input variables, indicating that the non-linear ANN-based models are more efficient in simulating daily GSR. Regionalization potential of the seven models is also evaluated for ungauged stations where predictors are available. The power function and the three linear regression models are tested by interpolating spatially correlated at-site coefficients using universal kriging or by applying a leave-one-out calibration procedure for spatially uncorrelated at-site coefficients. Regional ANN-based models are also developed by training the model based on the leave-one-out procedure. The RMSEs for regional ANN models are 0.08–0.46 MJ m−2 d−1 smaller than for other models using the same input conditions. However, the regional ANN-based models are more sensitive to new station input values compared with the other models. Maps of interpolated coefficients and regional equations of the power function and the linear regression models are provided for direct application to the study area.


Background: Comprehensive information is needed on the epidemiology and burden of chronic pain in the population for the development of appropriate health interventions. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, severity, risk indicators and responses of chronic pain among adults in Ngangelizwe, Mthatha, South Africa.
Method: A cross-sectional survey utilising structured interviews of a sample of adult residents was used. Interviews elicited information on socio-demographic characteristics, general health status, and the prevalence, duration, frequency, severity, activity limitation and impact of chronic pain.
Results: More than 95% (n = 473) of the sampled adults participated in the study. Of these, 182 [38.5%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 36.3-42.5%] reported chronic pain in at least one anatomical site. The most common pain sites were the back and head. The median pain score was 5 on a scale of 0 to 10 [interquartile range (IQR) = 4-7] and the median number of sites of pain was 1 (IQR = 1-2). Female gender [odds ratio (OR) = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.7-3.9] and being older than 50 years of age (OR = 3.5, 95% CI: 2.6-4.1) were identified as risk indicators for chronic pain in the sample. Over 65% of respondents reported that they self-treated; 92.1% had consulted with a doctor or nurse, 13.6% consulted a traditional healer, and 34.5% consulted a pharmacist because of their pain. Despite this, over 50% reported that relief of their pain was transient.
Conclusion: Chronic pain is a common general complaint in this community, but there is a need for focused attention on women and the elderly.