In surface mount technology (SMT) electronics assembly, the solder paste is printed onto the PCB's surface through a stencil and the components are later placed over the solder paste deposits. Since 2007, the use of extremely small SMT components for assembly of SMT devices has been widespread, and achieving consistent print deposits for fine pitch (the distance between the leads of the components) components has become a real challenge. The majority of the defects at the printing stage, such as skipping and bridging, were found to be related to the quality of the solder paste. These defects are usually carried over to the reflow process, causing defective final products. Hence, it is important to monitor the quality of the solder paste.

Conventional techniques for monitoring the quality of solder pastes during the production and packaging stage are usually based on the viscosity measurements of the solder pastes from the viscometer and rheometer. One of the potential limitations of viscometer- and rheometer-based measurements is that the collection and preparation of the solder paste samples can irreversibly alter the structure and flow behaviour of the sample. Due to the sample preparation process (removal, preshear/ pre-mixing), repeatability issues were often encountered when taking measurements using a viscometer or rheometer. Secondly, rheological measurements and the interpretation of rheological data comprise a very technical and time consuming process, which requires professionally trained research and development (R&D) personnel. Finally, the monitoring/inspection process usually employs random sampling technique from the production batch. Hence, measurement may not represent the actual quality of the whole production batch. This would mean that the conventional solder paste quality control that has been employed in the industry as a benchmark for printability (i.e. checking the viscosity of the paste before being despatched to the customers), would need to be re-evaluated for its feasibility and other possible methods of solder paste quality control would need to be considered. This has brought the ultrasound technique into context as it can offer a non-destructive evaluation of the quality of the solder paste in terms of viscosity. Also, it can be used at different stages of paste production and processing. It is for these reasons that materials suppliers that formulate and produce solder pastes, as well as solder paste consumers (especially contract electronics manufacturers), are keen to see the development of simple, easy-to-use and accurate techniques for the rheological characterisation of solder pastes.

This thesis concerns the study of a non-destructive ultrasonic technique for characterising the rheological properties of solder pastes and, specifically, the use of through-mode microsecond ultrasonic pulses for evaluation of viscoelastic properties of solder paste materials. In this study, a wide range of flux systems and solder alloy particle distributions used in the industry are investigated to determine the correlation of the ultrasound attenuation and velocity to the viscosity of the solder paste and their correlation to paste printing performance. The work is part of a bigger study aimed at the development of an on-line quality control technique for paste manufacture based on both conventional rheological tests and ultrasound measurements.

Results from the work on the comparative study of standard fluids and both commercial and newly formulated solder pastes and flux vehicle systems have been used to demonstrate the utilisation of the ultrasound technique for on-line, non-destructive measurement of the viscosity of non- Newtonian materials such as solder pastes. The study also found that the viscosity of the solder paste is governed by the intermolecular forces between the solder particles and the flux. The strength of these intermolecular forces depends on the probability of these particles rubbing up against one another while the paste is being sheared. Provided that the right correction factor for a particular shear rate is used, the ultrasound viscosity results obtained were found to be comparable to the rheometer viscosity results or to the viscosity provided by the solder paste manufacturer. The ultrasound technique produced consistent results and was also proven to work at low temperatures. The ultrasound technique may be used to help solder paste manufacturers to add the correct amount of flux or solder particles to their paste in order to reach a desired viscosity. Otherwise, it can be used as a quick go/no-go monitoring tool in the production line for predicting printing quality. Based on the foregoing, it can be concluded that the ultrasound technique is a viable alternative to using a rheometer.


As part of OVE 2003 work program (RE-290), the Board of Directors requested an oversight study on the "financial additionality" of the C and D Action Plan. Responding to this, this report addresses the issue of whether the Plan provided financial additionality to C and D borrowing member countries. Based on the limited data available, the study attempts to estimate financial additionality for each of the four subprograms included in the Plan. These include support for: 1) Project identification and execution in country offices (CO) using administrative resources; 2) Project preparation in headquarters (HQ) using administrative resources; 3) Project identification and execution in CO using FSO resources; 4) Training using FSO resources. The study findings indicate mixed results with regard to financial additionality.


Purpose: The main aim of this article is to search for long-term correlations between the level of economic growth and the level of export and import with cointegration analysis. To this end, the authors used the statistical data of the V4 countries which, since the 1990s, have been implementing market economy elements to different degrees. Approach/Methodology/Design: Econometric methods were used, including stationariness testing using ADF and KPSS tests and Engle-Granger cointegration test. Findings: The results obtained confirm that only in the case of Poland and Hungary there were two-way long-term interdependencies. For Poland, it was a pair of variables (GNP and export value), for Hungary (GNP and import value). No long-term correlation between economic growth and the value of foreign trade could be confirmed for Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Practical Implications: The study of interdependence using statistical methods is an important element in testing economic theories in the field of economic growth research in the countries of the former communist bloc. It is also an important stage in the search for economic growth generators. Originality/Value: Given the importance of trade, it is necessary to study the interaction of variables, check whether exports and imports had an impact on the level of economic growth and whether economic growth determined the increase in foreign trade turnover. The results obtained are the basis for the construction of a vector-autoregressive models (VAR).


There are currently many approaches to identify the community structure of a network, but relatively few specific to detect overlapping community structures. Likewise, there are few networks with ground truth overlapping nodes. For this reason,we introduce a new network, Pilgrim, with known overlapping nodes, and a new genetic algorithm for detecting such nodes. Pilgrim is comprised of a variety of structures including two communities with dense overlap,which is common in real social structures. This study initially explores the potential of the community detection algorithm LabelRank for consistent overlap detection; however, the deterministic nature of this algorithm restricts it to very few candidate solutions. Therefore, we propose a genetic algorithm using a restricted edge-based clustering technique to detect overlapping communities by maximizing an efficient overlapping modularity function. The proposed restriction to the edge-based representation precludes the possibility of disjoint communities, thereby, dramatically reducing the search space and decreasing the number of generations required to produce an optimal solution. A tunable parameterr allows the strictness of the definition of overlap to be adjusted allowing for refinement in the number of identified overlapping nodes. Our method, tested on several real social networks, yields results comparable to the most effective overlapping community detection algorithms to date.


The commercial CFD software STAR-CCM+ is applied as a RANS solver for comparison with potential flow methods in the calculation of vertical plane radiation and diffraction problems. A two-dimensional rectangular cylinder oscillating in an unbounded fluid is first considered, and the added mass result shown to agree well with the analytical potential flow solution. Hydrodynamic coefficients are then determined for the cylinder oscillating in heave and sway about a calm free surface. Predicted values are observed to coincide with available experimental and linear potential flow results for most amplitudes and frequencies of oscillation examined. A three-dimensional radiation problem is then studied in which 1-DoF heave and pitch motions are prescribed to the ONR Tumblehome hullform in calm water at zero forward speed and Fn 0.3. Combinations of amplitude and frequency of oscillation ranging from small to large are considered. Results are compared with several potential flow codes which utilize varying degrees of linearization. Differences in the force and moment results are attributed to particular code characteristics, and overall good agreement is demonstrated between RANS and potential flow codes which employ a nonlinear formulation. The ONR Tumblehome is next held static in incident head waves of small and large steepness and zero forward speed or Fn 0.3. Force and moment time histories of the periodic response are compared with the same set of potential flow codes used in the radiation problem. Agreement between potential flow and RANS is reasonable in the small wave steepness case. For large wave steepness, the nonlinear wave response is seen to be important and the RANS solution does not generally agree well with potential flow results.


This study presents the design, implementation and evaluation of a CAL package included in the teaching and learning methodology of CAD-CAM-CNC modules at Sheikh Khalefa Institute in Bahrain. The CAL package contains CAD tutorial, CAM tutorial and Power Point slides for CNC operations. The study has been carried in response to internal departmental audit which highlighted some issues which need to be dealt within the subject area of Mechanical engineering.

Three groups of students with similar pre-abilities (similar average marks and standard
deviations) were exposed to different teaching methodologies:
a) Traditional classroom lectures and laboratory sessions;
b) Classroom teaching including unsupervised computer simulation (hybrid learning approach)
c) Unsupervised CAD tutorials and supervised CAM-CNC computer simulation
The effectiveness of these three methods was determined by questionnaires (data collection
methods) completed by Lecturers and students. Their answers were analysed from quantitative
and qualitative points of view. The questionnaires were designed by taking into consideration the issues of reliability, validity and bias and concentrating on specific research questions. The Lecturers' questionnaires aim to find out Lecturers' opinions about the various aspects of educational process. The students' questionnaires intend to ascertain how well the CAD-CAMCNC modules meet the stated learning outcomes and to identify the main strengths and
weaknesses of various methods.

The students were assessed at the end of the term based on an engraving operation task which includes all elements of CAD-CAM-CNC operations. The author links the levels of cognition from Blooms' taxonomy with the activities which should be completed by students. The quantitative and qualitative analysis of students' marks versus learning ability indicators was performed and the results have been discussed.

The second evaluation method is based on quantitative analysis of the three groups of
students' marks for assignments and exams. Also an analysis of time and material resources is
performed and the main conclusion was that the group of students taught with a combination of
CAL package and traditional method were more effective, efficient and satisfied with their
learning experiences. So the proposed hybrid learning method (CAI plus traditional teaching
method) is most suited for CAD-CAM-CNC teaching because the students find it easier and enjoyable to explore the subject area through various opportunities of learning.


This paper argues that the largely unrealized potential of agricultural science and technology (S&T) in promoting growth and poverty reduction in developing countries results from deeply rooted incompatibility among policy environments, institutional arrangements, and micro conditions and behavior in agricultural research and development (R&D). Achieving growth and poverty reduction based on greater agricultural productivity therefore means achieving greater compatibility among these three dimensions of agricultural innovation systems. Research is sorely needed to build understanding of (1) the "big picture" influencing agricultural S&T policy design and implementation in developing countries, (2) strategies for sustainable funding and delivery of agricultural R&D, (3) priorities for and impacts of emerging and prospective agricultural technologies, and (4) the role of science in food and agricultural policy processes. Agricultural S&T policy analysis as presented here extends beyond the current boundaries of agricultural economics into such disciplines as public finance, public administration, political science, history, sociology, and psychology. The economics of science and innovation in industry has embraced some of these disciplines and benefited greatly from having done so, as has industrial policy in the developed world. The fundamental horizontality of agricultural development policy and the long reach of agricultural S&T policy suggest similarly high returns were agricultural economics to do the same for science and innovation in agriculture.


BACKGROUND
It has been hypothesised that cerebral palsy (CP) and other congenital anomalies are attributable to feto-fetal transfusion problems in a monochorionic multiple gestation. Thus more than one organ could be compromised leading to the coexistence of two or more anomalies in a fetus. Such anomalies in a singleton birth may be attributable to early demise of the co-conceptus as a vanishing twin.

AIM
To determine whether the coexistence of congenital anomalies and CP is greater than a chance finding by comparing the prevalence of congenital anomalies in children with CP with that in the general population of children.

METHODS
A population-based register of children with CP born in 1966-1991 in the counties of Merseyside and Cheshire, UK, comprised the index population. Coexisting congenital anomalies were recorded. For comparison the population prevalence of congenital anomalies was obtained from eight congenital malformation registers in the UK.

RESULTS
Children with CP were found to have highly significant increases in risk for microcephaly, isolated hydrocephaly, congenital anomalies of the eye, congenital cardiac anomalies, cleft lip and/or palate and congenital dislocation of the hips and talipes (p<0.001) and atresias of the oesophagus (p<0.001) and intestines (p<0.01). The relative risks ranged from 3.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 4.8; p<0.001) for congenital malformations of the cardiac septa to 116.09 (95% CI 84.0 to 162.3; p<0.001) for microcephaly.

CONCLUSIONS
Congenital anomalies in children with CP are found much more frequently than expected by chance. A common pathogenic mechanism may account for the coexistence of disparate congenital anomalies. A hypothesis is proposed for such a common pathogenic mechanism.


We present updates on the measurements of the depth of the
shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$ and the correlation between $X_\mathrm{max}$ and the
signal in the water-Cherenkov stations of events registered
simultaneously by the fluorescence and the surface
detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The measurements of $X_\mathrm{max}$
are performed for $E > 10^{17.2}$ eV using observations of the
longitudinal development of air showers by the fluorescence
telescopes. The evolution of the mean and the fluctuations of $X_\mathrm{max}$
with energy, as extracted from the data taken during $2004-2017$, is
interpreted in terms of the evolution of the mean logarithmic mass
and the spread of the masses in the primary beam using post-LHC
hadronic interaction models.

The measurements of the correlation between $X_\mathrm{max}$ and the signal in
the surface stations allow one to obtain constraints on the spread
of the masses in the primary beam. These constraints are weakly
sensitive to the experimental systematic errors and to the
uncertainties in the modelling of air showers. Previously, using
data taken during $2004-2012$, we excluded with a significance of
$5\sigma$ pure compositions and compositions consisting of only
protons and helium for energies $10^{18.5}-10^{19.0}$ eV. In the
update of the analysis presented here using the data from years
$2004-2017$ and nearly doubled statistics, these conclusions are
confirmed with a significance $>6.4\sigma$ in the energy range
$10^{18.5}-10^{18.7}$ eV alone, while for higher energies the
correlation in data becomes consistent with less mixed
compositions.


The output of discrete element simulations includes thousands of time-frames and millions of interacting particles (bodies) in each frame. A single simulation can include terabytes of results, which may lead to very large, very complex data sets. Visualizing them is coupled with difficulties caused by either the number of particles, the number of time-frames or complexities of "system variables". In this work, an attempt has been made to present a data format and graphical template dedicated to discrete element visualization. The article presents a practical approach to the issues, that is the result of programming an open source 3D visualizer, called DEV_KM.


STUDY QUESTION
Does the use of a positive reappraisal coping intervention (PRCI) alone following IVF embryo transfer influence anxiety, the depression and treatment outcome when compared with its use combined with monitoring emotions, monitoring emotions alone or no intervention?

SUMMARY ANSWER
Woman using the PRCI alone had significantly lower anxiety levels at Day 10 of the waiting period and 6 weeks after the start of the waiting period but also a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate compared with the other three groups.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY
The waiting period, which follows embryo transfer after IVF/ICSI is very stressful. The use of the PRCI together with a daily monitoring form increases positive emotions but appears not to reduce anxiety. The impact of using the PRCI without daily recording of emotions may be more beneficial.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION
Following completion of recruitment to a recently published 3-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the use of the PRCI in the post-embryo transfer waiting period, a further 110 participants were recruited to study the impact of the PRCI in clinical practice without concurrent emotional monitoring. Data collection took place between May 2012 and December 2012. Outcomes were compared with those generated by a RCT of the PRCI with daily emotional monitoring, daily emotional monitoring only or routine care.

PARTICIPANT, MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS
To capture the impact of the PRCI on this further group, questionnaires were completed at three time points: just before the waiting period (Time 1: preintervention), on Day 10 of the 14-day waiting period (Time 2: waiting period intervention) and 6 weeks after the start of the waiting period (Time 3: post-intervention). Data generated were compared with the data from the RCT. To compare the impact over time on anxiety and depression, a repeated multilevel linear model design was used.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE
Nighty-eight of the 110 women who were recruited received the PRCI intervention without daily monitoring (PRCI-comparison group). After correcting for known confounding factors, compared with women in all three groups of the original RCT, women in the PRCI-comparison group had a significantly lower anxiety at Time 2 (n = 83) and Time 3 (n = 70) but not significantly lower depression levels. Women in the PRCI-comparison group had a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (39.8%, P = 0.033) but there were no significant differences in clinical pregnancies with fetal heartbeat (P = 0.10).

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION
A limitation of this study is that the additional study group was not randomized to the intervention, and may therefore be subject to selection bias. The study was also done subsequent to the other three groups.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS
This simple low cost self-help coping intervention can be offered to women during the waiting period in an IVF/ICSI treatment. A further RCT comparing PRCI only to a non-intervention group is necessary to confirm these findings.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETENT INTERESTS
The Women and Baby Division of the University Medical Centre Utrecht funded the study. The authors have no conflicting interest(s).


The California Environmental Quality Act aims to protect the environment by requiring any public agency proposing a project that might have a significant effect on the environment to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This Report would identify and attempt to mitigate environmental damage, as well as make the public aware of the project. In Save the Plastic Bag, the California Supreme Court held that the City of Manhattan Beach did not need to prepare an EIR in passing an ordinance banning plastic bags at point of sale retail stores within the city. The Supreme Court weakened the EIR requirement for future cases by ruling against challengers to the ban. This Comment argues that this lowered standard will allow more questionable projects to avoid the EIR requirement, which will represent lost opportunities to both inform the public about important projects and create new and innovative ways to mitigate future damage.


The emergence of secondharmonic generation (SHG) is a pivotal issue to the development of nano-optical devices and interfaces. Here, we perform a classical analysis of the SHG dynamics with the aim of determining critical values of the electric field. The signals of the SHG process are nonlinear, so it seems reasonable that chaos theory can be a suitable tool to analyze their dynamics. For this purpose the bifurcation analysis and a new measure known as the scale index were employed. Obtained results show that the dynamics approaches from stable to self-pulsing and eventually to chaos through a perioddoubling route. Moreover, the scale index can detect the critical strength of the electric field, where above it the SHG dynamics is chaotic.


While intrinsically motivated learning agents hold considerable promise to overcome limitations of more supervised learning systems, quantitative evaluation and theoretical analysis of such agents are difficult. We propose to consider a restricted setting for autonomous learning where systematic evaluation of learning performance is possible. In this setting the agent needs to learn to navigate in a Markov Decision Process where extrinsic rewards are not present or are ignored. We present a learning algorithm for this scenario and evaluate it by the amount of exploration it uses to learn the environment.


Supramolecular polymer gels are swollen networks of non-covalently interconnected macromolecules with a variety of potential applications as soft, stimuli-sensitive materials. The utility of these materials is based on their mechanical properties, which are determined on two levels. On a molecular scale, the strength of transient chain crosslinking is a main contributor; whereas on above-molecular scales, an additional contributor is the polymer network topology. In this paper, we present a modular toolkit to form supramolecular polymer networks that allows both these contributors to be controlled. Our approach is based on transition-metal mediated linking of star-shaped poly(ethylene glycol) building blocks that are end-capped with terpyridine moieties. This allows supramolecular networks of greatly varying strengths of transient interlinkage to be prepared by a modular choice of the linking metal ion and the surrounding solvent. We follow this approach and prepare a set of different supramolecular polymer gel networks with mechanical properties that are quantitatively related to the strength of their constituent crosslinking complexes. Static light scattering reveals just minor nanometer-scale polymer network inhomogeneity in some of the gels, whereas others exhibit non-negligible nanostructural heterogeneity. In the latter gels, we find the mechanical strength and resistance to relaxation to be greater than expected, indicating clustering of supramolecular crosslinks to be a mechanism of enforcement.


The emerging consensus that institutions shape political and economic outcomes has produced few theories of institutional change and no defensible theory of institutional origination. Kiren Aziz Chaudhry shows how state and market institutions are created and transformed in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, two countries that typify labor and oil exporters in the developing worlds. In a world where the international economy dramatically affects domestic developments, the question of where institutions come from becomes at once more urgent and more complex. In both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, fundamental state and market institutions forged during a period of isolation at the end of World War I were destroyed and reshaped not once but three times in response to exogenous shocks. Comparing boom-bust cycles, Chaudhry exposes the alternating social and organizational origins of institutions, arguing that both broad changes in the international economy and specific forms of international integration shape institutional outcomes. Labor and oil exporters thus experience identical economic cycles but generate radically different state, market, and financial institutions in response to different resource flows. Chaudhry supplemented years of field work in Saudi Arabia and Yemen with extensive analysis of previously unavailable materials in the Saudi national archives.


Background The knee malalignment is a risk factor of injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament tear. Most studies that analyses the knee valgus in jump tasks, investigates only this pattern at landing. It would be interesting to study the knee valgus at takeoff, because at this specific moment the active components of the movement are the primary injury contributors. Objective to compare the frontal plane knee angle (FPKA) during takeoff and landing at countermovement jump in athletes. Design Observational cross sectional. Setting Volleyball and basketball players were evaluated at Minas Tennis Club and at Sports Prevention and Rehabilitation Laboratory (CENESP-UFMG). Participants 101 athletes, mean age 15.88 (0.35) years were included in this study. All participants were healthy, with no current complaints of lower limb injury or pain and no history of lower limbs previous surgery. Assessment of risk factors High-FPKA. Reflexive markers were located in ASIS, femoral condyles and in a middle point of the medial and lateral maleolus. Main outcome measurements The FPKA was determined in SIMI motion 2D software. Results The mean angle during takeoff was 3.020 and 3.13 0 for dominant and non-dominant leg. For landing, it was 2840 and 2210 respectively. There was no significant statistical differences between the two means on both legs (p=0.73 dominant leg and p=0.13 non-dominant leg). Meanwhile, the variance was greater in the impulsion analysis (37.2 right leg and 48.3 left leg) compared to landing (24.4 and 29.8 respectively). Conclusion The analysis of FPKA during takeoff provides data about the active contribution of certain variables in knee injuries and must be better understood. Differences between the FPKA during takeoff and landing were not found in this study, although in the first movement there was a major variance. This inconsistency may demand a more thorough investigation.


Since the brain has no constant energy reserves, a continuous supply of energy substrates is central to all processes that maintain the functionality of the neuronal cells. EEG has been found to be tightly related to variations in the concentration of the energy substrates such as oxygen and glucose. Prediction of neural activation is particularly useful as it could contribute significantly in the prevention, stabilization, or treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, migraine headache, and ischemic stroke, in which signaling between neurons and brain vessels is threatened because of dysfunctions that affect the neuronal, astroglial, and/or vascular components of the neurovascular unit. This work deals with investigation of events in the EEG signal correlated with changes in both oxygen and glucose signals in the brain. The topic is to implement a model that through measures of oxygen and glucose in the brain of rats allow to achieve a good estimation of the neural signals, which reflecting the simultaneous metabolic changes, during spontaneous oscillation and electrical stimulation. (6 pages)


Estimates of fire emissions remain uncertain due to limited constraints on the variations in fire characteristics. Here we demonstrate the utility of space‐based observations of smoke constituents in addressing this limitation. We introduce a satellite‐derived smoke index (SI) as an indicator of the dominant phase of large‐scale fires. This index is calculated as the ratio of the geometric mean of observed fractional enhancements (due to fire) in carbon monoxide and aerosol optical depth to that of nitrogen dioxide. We assess the usefulness of this index on fires in the Amazon. We analyze the seasonal, regional, and interannual joint distribution of SI and fire radiative power (FRP) in relation to fire hotspots, land cover, Drought Severity Index, and deforestation rate estimates. We also compare this index with an analogous quantity derived from field data or emission inventories. Our results show that SI changes from low (more flaming) to high (more smoldering) during the course of a fire season, which is consistent with the changes in observed maximum FRPs from high to low. We also find that flaming combustion is more dominant in areas where deforestation fires dominate, while smoldering combustion has a larger influence during drought years when understory fires are more likely enhanced. Lastly, we find that the spatiotemporal variation in SI is inconsistent with current emission inventories. Although we recognize some limitations of this approach, our results point to the utility of SI as a proxy for overall combustion efficiency in the parameterization of fire emission models.


This short paper describes a collaborative and event-based installation at the Universal Design conference 2014 and issues an invitation to participate. By creatively mapping the ties between people, groups, organisations and nations, the installation will illuminate the local and global networks through which Universal Design is shaped and transported. It forms part of an ongoing research project investigating the role and relevance of Universal Design around the world today.


This paper assesses the degree of financial integration between South Africa and the United States of America to infer South African's financial integration into the world economy. The analysis is based on the covered interest parity whereby the mean reverting property of the covered interest differential, and the long-run equilibrium of the variables that constitute the covered interest parity, are examined. The paper finds that covered interest difference is mean reverting and its absolute mean decreases progressively during different periods of the analysis. This finding supports an increasing degree of South Africa's financial integration into the world economy from 1993 to 2008.


It is often argued that the increase in agreements, specialized courts, and litigation protecting human rights or responding to past abuses of human rights has begun to erode sovereignty. Contrary to traditional principles of non-interference in internal affairs, it is argued, genuine protection of human rights involves an invasion of the sovereign preserve of the state. While many examples might be adduced in support of this claim, ranging from the ad hoc criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda to the European Court of Human Rights, this article examines two types of transnational procedures: civil accountability through the use of the Alien Tort Claims Act in the US, and criminal accountability through the exercise of universal jurisdiction in a number of European countries. This article suggests that even in situations where courts of one country are in essence sitting in judgment upon actions taken by state officials in other countries, significant protections of sovereignty remain. Specifically, state and official immunity remain significant obstacles to pursuit of key rights abusers. These immunities, recently re-affirmed by the International Court of Justice in the DRC v. Belgium case, are also routinely respected by national courts.


A novel composite of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNP-PEG) dispersed within Poly (lactic-go-glycolic) (PLGA) films, were prepared to demonstrate the concept of a combined targeted and sustained implant material. This technology offers the promise of improved therapies for difficult to treat tumors such as Gliomas. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesized via a modified Turkevich method, were functionalized with thiol terminated polyethylene glycol (PEG), washed using centrifugation, dried, re-suspended in a solution of PLGA in dichloromethane and finally vacuum dried to produce the solvent cast films. The degradation and nanoparticle release profile of these films were studied by immersion in PBS media at 37 °C over periods of up-to 58 days. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was conducted. The release of the AuNPs-PEG nanoparticles during degradation was studied using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). It was observed that the AuNP-PEG nanoparticles were individually dispersed within the PLGA and that their addition extended the degradation time of the PLGA film, but did not appear to alter the nature of degradation. The nanoparticle release from the composite films displayed an approximately zero-order release profile.


Decimating a uniformly sampled signal a factor D involves low-pass anti-alias filtering with normalized cut-off frequency 1/D followed by picking out every Dth sample. Alternatively, decimation can be done in the frequency domain using the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, after zero-padding the signal and truncating the FFT. We outline three approaches to decimate non-uniformly sampled signals, which are all based on interpolation. The interpolation is done in different domains, and the inter-sample behavior does not need to be known. The first one interpolates the signal to a uniformly sampling, after which standard decimation can be applied. The second one interpolates a continuous-time convolution integral, that implements the anti-alias filter, after which every Dth sample can be picked out. The third frequency domain approach computes an approximate Fourier transform, after which truncation and IFFT give the desired result. Simulations indicate that the second approach is particularly useful. A thorough analysis is therefore performed for this case, using the assumption that the non-uniformly distributed sampling instants are generated by a stochastic process.


Introduction: In the recent studies, effects of the physical activity and regular exercise in preventing and postponing diabetes type 2, increase in insulin sensitivity and improvement in glucose metabolism has been observed. Purpose of this study is to survey the effects of aerobic training and resistance training on lipid profile in patients with diabetes type 2. Methods: 45 patients with diabetes type 2 were selected by the targeted sampling method and divided into two aerobic training and resistance experimental groups and one control group. Experimental groups exercised for 8 week, 3 sessions per week, each session 45 to 70 minutes. In this period the control group had no regular exercise. In this study, multiple variables like TG, TC, LDL and HDL was measured before and after training course. Finally, the results were analyzed with repeated measure test in significance level of 95%. Results: results of this study showed a significant improve in TG and HDL after aerobic training course and meaningful improve in HDL after resistance training course. Discussion: results of this study showed that aerobic training course had more effect on improvement of lipid profile rather than resistance training course.


INTRODUCTION: The management of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was investigated with the use of heliox in an experimental model. OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether heliox can be considered a new therapeutic approach in ARDS. METHODS: ARDS was designed in Wistar albino male rats, 250-300 g in weight, by intratracheal instillation of physiological saline solution. Anesthezied and tracheotomized rats with ARDS were pressure-controlled ventilated. At the end of 210 min, helium gas was tried. All rats were assigned to two groups: Group 1 (n = 10) was the control group, and was given no treatment; group 2 (n = 7) was given heliox (He: O2 = 50:50). The heliox group received heliox for 1 h continously. Rats were continued to be kept on a ventilator through the experiment. Two hours after the last inhalation, both lungs of the rats were excised for both histopathological examination and immunohistochemical evaluation. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Histopathological grading were expressed as median interquartile range. Mann–Whitney U-test was used to assess the relationships between the variables. RESULTS: The infiltation of neutrophils were decreased in rats treated with heliox. Edema in the interstitial and intraalveolar areas was less than that of the control rats. Also, the diminishing of perivascular and/or intraalveolar hemorrhage was apperant. Hyaline membrane (HM) formation decreased in the heliox group compared with the control group. Decreased inducible nitric oxide synthase expression was shown via immunohistochemical examination in the heliox group. CONCLUSION: The present study histopathologically indicated the effectiveness of heliox in the decreasing of neutrophil infiltation, interstitial/intraalveolar edema, perivascular and/or intraalveolar hemorrhage and HM formation in ARDS. Besides the known effect of heliox in obstructive lung disease, inhaled heliox therapy could be associated with the improvement of inflamation in ARDS.


Communication blackout is one of the most serious pitfalls of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) in industrial automation context. The industrial radio channel exhibits pronounced effects of multipath fading and wireless LAN (WLAN) interference that can potentially lead to temporary communication failures, as well as complete isolation of network devices. The current IWSN standards adopt known countermeasures to cope with the harshness of the radio channel, but they lack solutions specifically oriented to detect blackouts and self-recover the communication fulfilling hard deadline constraints. In this work we focus on the problem of blackout detection with specific interest for the WirelessHART standard, introducing a Blackout Detection Service (BDS) expressly addressed to multi-hop periodic communication with sensors and actuators. The BDS monitors end-to-end acknowledgement messages and builds specific metrics to promptly identify communication outages, enabling three criticality classes. The algorithm is tested in the ns-2 network simulator and results show that the proposed system is able to detect blackout events with reaction delays of the order of 4-5 times the refresh rate of nodes and to discriminate between small and temporary network issues and serious blackout scenarios, opening the field for recovery strategies.


This paper presents a detailed description of clause linking in Japhug, based on a corpus of traditional narratives and conversations. It follows the methodology used in Dixon and Aikhenvald's (2009) collective book on this topic, to ease crosslinguistic comparisons. Although Japhug has a very rich system of converbs, there is not a single meaning that requires a non-finite form: all subtypes of clause linking can be expressed exclusively with finite verb forms, and these indeed predominate in our corpus.


Background: Specific learning disorder (SLD) in the past decade has gained recognition as a disabling condition among children by parents and teachers in India. However, there are still gaps in knowledge about its clinical presentation and understanding. Therefore, the present study was planned to evaluate the clinical and academic profile of children with SLD. Methods: The sample comprised 30 children with their age range between 7 and 12 years with a diagnosis of SLD-mixed type. All children were assessed through specifically designed structured pro forma for clinical details (i.e., nature of birth, developmental milestones, and comorbidities) and academic history (i.e., history of failure, promoted in next class, repetition in the class, school change, etc.) and SLD-comprehensive battery. Results: The mean age of the participants was 9.6 years (standard deviation [SD] = 1.5). 76.7% of participants were male and their mean years of education was 4.7 (SD = 1.5). Thirty percent of children had a history of delayed developmental milestones in terms of speech (16.7%), walking (6.7%) and in speech and walking (6.7%), 23% of children had comorbid conditions of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder/attention-deficit disorder. Thirty percent of children repeated classes in their academic career. Conclusions: A significant number of children had delayed milestones and other problems. Moreover, it is important to understand the clinical and academic profile in the cultural context so that early identification and intervention can be planned.


Animal spirits – the messengers of the body, as Mandeville called them – cross
domains such as neuroscience, literature, culture, and economics. Additionally, they are not a
neutral concept. On the one hand, the history of neuroscience tends to claim that it was the
abandonment of animal spirits which allowed experimental neuroscience to emerge. In
contrast, more culturally oriented historians of ideas see the spirits as 'freed' from a linear
scientific development, as agents of fluidity and dynamism, whether strictly as regards
models of the brain and nervous system, or of matter and life overall. Animal spirits then
seem to be a key case, or at least a particularly vivid case which calls for 'historical cognitive
science' analysis or 'historical neurophilosophy', as some have proposed. For they testify to a
tension between two models of the brain, both at the time of Willis et al., and now: a more
mechanistic picture of brains (the brain is a mere lump of inert substance and/or a fully
mechanistic system) and a more dynamic picture of the brain as self-transforming and
malleable (plastic, in current parlance), as I have described elsewhere with reference to
Diderot's image of the brain as a 'book which reads itself'. In this paper I seek to reconstruct
this dynamism and to show how it related to a dynamic form of materialism.


Fatigue tests were performed on materials containing small cracks to investigate the effects of material hardness, mean stress, and crack size on the threshold stress intensity factor of small cracks. The crack closure measurement on a very small crack was done. Although most of those effects could be explained by the characteristic behavior of crack closure in small cracks, it was also shown that (ΔKeff)th was also affected by crack size. The combination of (ΔKeff)th and the crack closure behaviors caused the peculiar characteristics of ΔKth in small cracks. At an extremely high R region, an unusual decrease in ΔKth was found to occur. The large reduction occurred under the conjunction of three factors: extremely high stress ratio higher than 0.8, shallow crack less than a few tenths of a millimeter, and hard material whose HV is higher than 300. The near-threshold fatigue crack propagation rate could be uniquely evaluated even in such a short crack regime using the effective stress intensity factor with the following modification {ΔKeff − (ΔKeff)th,a}. This expression could be applicable in the short crack regime. ΔKeff still plays a role as the governing parameter for fatigue crack propagation of short crack as short as 0.04 mm.


We present the recent advances along with an error analysis of the IBM speaker recognition system for conversational speech. Some of the key advancements that contribute to our system include: a nearest-neighbor discriminant analysis (NDA) approach (as opposed to LDA) for intersession variability compensation in the i-vector space, the application of speaker and channel-adapted features derived from an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system for speaker recognition, and the use of a DNN acoustic model with a very large number of output units (~10k senones) to compute the frame-level soft alignments required in the i-vector estimation process. We evaluate these techniques on the NIST 2010 SRE extended core conditions (C1-C9), as well as the 10sec-10sec condition. To our knowledge, results achieved by our system represent the best performances published to date on these conditions. For example, on the extended tel-tel condition (C5) the system achieves an EER of 0.59%. To garner further understanding of the remaining errors (on C5), we examine the recordings associated with the low scoring target trials, where various issues are identified for the problematic recordings/trials. Interestingly, it is observed that correcting the pathological recordings not only improves the scores for the target trials but also for the nontarget trials.


Keystroke logging records keyboard activity during writing. Time and position of all keystrokes are stored in a log file, which facilitates detailed analysis of all pauses, revisions and movements undertaken during writing. Keystroke logging further includes a replay function, which can be used as a tool for reflection and analysis of the writing process. During writing, writers continuously plan, transcribe, read, and revise in order to create a text that meets with their goals and intentions for the text. These activities both interact and trigger one another.This thesis includes studies in which keystroke recordings are used as bases for visualisation of and reflection on the cognitive processes that underlie writing. The keystroke logging methodology is coupled with Geographical information systems (GIS) and stimulated recall in order to enhance the understanding of keystroke logged data as representations of interacting cognitive activities during writing. Particular attention is paid to writing revision and a taxonomy for analysis of on-line revision is proposed. In the taxonomy, revisions made at the point of inscription are introduced as 'pre-contextual' revisions, and highlighted as potential windows on cognitive processing during transcription. The function of pre-contextual revisions as revisions of form and concepts was ascertained in an empirical study, which also showed that 13-year-old writers revised more form and concepts at the point of inscription when they wrote in English as a foreign language (EFL) than in Swedish as a first language (L1).In this thesis, a learning method, Peer-based intervention (PBI), is introduced and examined through case studies and statistical analysis. PBI is based on theories about cognitive capacity, noticing, individual-based learning and social interaction. In PBI, the keystroke-logging replay facility is used as a tool for reflection on and discussion of keystroke logged data, i.e. representations of cognitive processes active during writing. In the studies presented in this thesis, teen-aged and adult writers' texts, written before and after PBI, were analysed according to text quality and revision. Descriptive and argumentative texts in both L1 and EFL were included in the studies. The results showed that PBI raised adult and teen-aged writers' awareness of linguistic and extra-linguistic features, and that the effect varied across levels of learner ability, text type and language.


Abstract. Many de novo assembly tools have been created these last few years to assemble short reads generated by high throughput sequencing platforms. The core of almost all these assemblers is a string graph data structure that links reads together. This motivates our work: BlastGraph, a new algorithm performing intensive approximate string matching between a set of query sequences and a string graph. Our approach is similar to blast-like algorithms and additionally presents specificity due to the matching on the graph data structure. Our results show that BlastGraph performances permit its usage on large graphs in reasonable time. We propose a Cytoscape plug-in for visualizing results as well as a command line program. These programs are available at http://alcovna.genouest.org/blastree/.


Collective adaptive systems are an emerging class of networked computational systems particularly suited for application domains such as smart cities, complex sensor networks, and the Internet of Things. These systems tend to feature large-scale, heterogeneity of communication model (including opportunistic peer-to-peer wireless interaction) and require inherent self-adaptiveness properties to address unforeseen changes in operating conditions. In this context, it is extremely difficult (if not seemingly intractable) to engineer reusable pieces of distributed behaviour to make them provably correct and smoothly composable. Building on the field calculus, a computational model (and associated toolchain) capturing the notion of aggregate network-level computation, we address this problem with an engineering methodology coupling formal theory and computer simulation. On the one hand, functional properties are addressed by identifying the largest-to-date field calculus fragment generating self-stabilising behaviour, guaranteed to eventually attain a correct and stable final state despite any transient perturbation in state or topology and including highly reusable building blocks for information spreading, aggregation, and time evolution. On the other hand, dynamical properties are addressed by simulation, empirically evaluating the different performances that can be obtained by switching between implementations of building blocks with provably equivalent functional properties. Overall, our methodology sheds light on how to identify core building blocks of collective behaviour and how to select implementations that improve system performance while leaving overall system function and resiliency properties unchanged.


The debate over the proper balance between national security and freedom of the press has increasingly focused on the media's potential criminal liability for publishing sensitive information, as was threatened after the New York Times and the Washington Post disclosed the U.S. government's secret and warrantless wiretapping of domestic phone calls. With the issue of press liability for the publication of national security information, however, comes a bevy of difficult questions concerning the scope of the protections afforded to the press under the First Amendment. This Essay attempts to survey these questions in light of the absence of an overarching framework statute, akin to England's Official Secrets Act, that in clear and sweeping terms specifies the means and manner in which the press may be held criminally liable for publishing sensitive information. As this Essay explains, the statutory framework governing the complicated balance between governmental secrecy and the freedom of the press in the United States is little more than a disorganized amalgamation of unconnected provisions. Some of the provisions overlap and border on redundancy. Others are difficult to parse, and cannot possibly prohibit what their plain language appears to suggest. Still others, when read together, seem to promote mutually inconsistent policy goals. Yet, because the Espionage Act prohibits even the possession of sensitive national security information, one of the most important questions, going forward, is the potential liability reporters face for newsgathering, as opposed to reporting, in the national security field. And because the Press Clause has not traditionally been understood to protect actions short of publication, the real threat to the freedom of the press, this Essay suggests, is the openendedness of the relevant statutes when read together with theories of inchoate liability.


This study examined the effect of computer-aided thinking (CAT) on students'
achievement and learning experience in studying a biochemistry1 unit. CAT offers
different activities, tasks and questions according to the learner's thinking style based
on the mental self-government theory. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of
using CAT with the thinking styles feature on students' achievement and learning
experience over computer aided instruction (CAI) without the thinking style feature
when both teaching methods were used to replace the traditional chemistry
instruction.
A study was conducted to standardize the Sternberg-Wagner Self-Assessment
Inventory of thinking styles for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) environment. The
study showed that the thinking styles inventory was reliable and valid for use in
identifying the thinking styles among a sample of UAE high school students.
The development of the CAT system went through two phases. The goals of the first
phase were to provide computer-aided learning material for two chemistry lessons,
Oxygen and Ozone, to explore how students would respond to it with regard to their
learning experience and to get feedback from the students to help build the CAT
system which embeds the thinking style theory in the second development phase.
Finally, an experiment was conducted using two randomly selected groups of
students. One group studied the lessons using CAT and individuals were offered
learning activities based on their thinking styles. The other group studied the lessons
using CAT but without the thinking style feature.
At the end of the experiment, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered and then
analyzed. The results showed that learning with the CAT tool during the period of
this experiment had significant effects on the experimental students' learning
experience. This research is the first known study to explore the way that thinking
styles can be used to sequence teaching material and activities for the purpose of
individualized instructions. The research will inform UAE in helping teachers
improve the learning process by conducting student-centred teaching.


Due to the increasing popularity of location-based services, the need for reliable and cost-effective indoor positioning methods is rising. As an alternative to radio-based localization methods, in 2011, we introduced MoVIPS (Mobile Visual Indoor Positioning System), which is based on the idea to extract visual feature points from a query image and compare them to those of previously collected geo-referenced images. The general feasibility of positioning by SURF points on a conventional smartphone was already shown in our previous work. However, the system still faced several shortcomings concerning real-world usage such as request times being too high and distance estimation being unreliable because of the employed estimation method not being rotation invariant. In this paper, three extensions are presented that improve the practical applicability of MoVIPS. To speed up request times, both a dead reckoning approach (based on step counting using the accelerometer) and an orientation estimation (based on the smartphones compass) are introduced to filter relevant images from the database and thus to reduce the amount of images to compare the query image to. Furthermore, the vectors of the SURF points are quantized. For this purpose, clusters are calculated from all SURF points from the database. As a result, each image can be represented by a histogram of cluster frequencies, which can be compared with each other a lot more efficiently. The third extension is an improvement of the distance estimation method, which uses the matched feature points of an image to perform a perspective transformation and to determine the actual position with the aid of the transformation matrix.


During the COVID-19—related lockdowns (2020–2022), mobility patterns and charging needs were substantially affected. Policies such as work from home, lockdowns, and curfews reduced traffic and commuting significantly. This global pandemic may have also substantially changed mobility patterns on the long term and therefore the need for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This paper analyzes changes in electric charging in the Netherlands for different user groups during different phases of the COVID-19 lockdown to assess the effects on EV charging needs. Charging needs dropped significantly during this period, which also changed the distribution of the load on the electricity grid throughout the day. Curfews affected the start times of charging sessions during peak hours of grid consumption. Infrastructure dedicated to commuters was used less intensively, and the charging needs of professional taxi drivers were drastically reduced during lockdown periods. These trends were partially observed during a post–lockdown measuring period of roughly 8 months, indicating a longer shift in mobility and charging patterns.


We have investigated the use of isoelectric focusing and immunodetection for the separation of low molecular weight species of amyloid-beta (A beta) peptides from their aggregates. From solutions of A beta(1-40) or A beta(1-42) monomeric peptides, low molecular weight material appeared at a pI value of ca. 5, while the presence of aggregates was detected as bands, observed at a pI of 6-6.5. The formation of A beta aggregates (protofibrils) was verified by a sandwich ELISA, employing the protofibril conformation-selective antibody mAb158. In order to study the aggregation behavior when using a mixture of the monomers, we utilized the IEF separation combined with Western blot using two polyclonal antisera, selective for A beta(1-40) and A beta(1-42), respectively. We conclude that both monomers were incorporated in the aggregates. In a further study of the mixed aggregates, we used the protofibril conformation-selective antibody mAb158 for immunoprecipitation, followed by nanoelectrospray mass spectrometry (IP-MS). This showed that the A beta(1-42) peptide is incorporated in the aggregate in a significantly larger proportion than its relative presence in the original monomer composition. IP-MS with mAb158 was also performed, and compared to IP-MS with the A beta-selective antibody mAb1C3, where a monomeric A beta(1-16) peptide was added to the protofibril preparation. A beta(1-16) is known for its poor aggregation propensity, and acted therefore as a selectivity marker. The results obtained confirmed the protofibril conformation selectivity of mAb158.


A significant hurdle for analyzing large sample data is the lack of effective statistical computing and inference methods. An emerging powerful approach for analyzing large sample data is subsampling, by which one takes a random subsample from the original full sample and uses it as a surrogate for subsequent computation and estimation. In this paper, we study subsampling methods under two scenarios: approximating the full sample ordinary least-square (OLS) estimator and estimating the coefficients in linear regression. We present two algorithms, weighted estimation algorithm and unweighted estimation algorithm, and analyze asymptotic behaviors of their resulting subsample estimators under general conditions. For the weighted estimation algorithm, we propose a criterion for selecting the optimal sampling probability by making use of the asymptotic results. On the basis of the criterion, we provide two novel subsampling methods, the optimal subsampling and the predictor- length subsampling methods. The predictor-length subsampling method is based on the L2 norm of predictors rather than leverage scores. Its computational cost is scalable. For unweighted estimation algorithm, we show that its resulting subsample estimator is not consistent to the full sample OLS estimator. However, it has better performance than the weighted estimation algorithm for estimating the coefficients. Simulation studies and a real data example are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed subsampling methods.


Modern architecture in Nigeria presents a bizarre picture of indiscriminate transplantation of foreign buildings, and a complete abandonment of traditional architecture. Apparently, the transplanted architecture does not respond to the physical and cultural needs of Nigerians, and, at all events, the peoples' attitude to it portrays ignorance, confusion and resignation. This thesis argues that rather than this wholesale transplantation, Nigeria's traditional architecture should be studied to rediscover those principles that are vital for the development of a satisfactory modern architecture. The thesis is confined to Igboland, and traditional Igbo architecture is studied in the context of the physical and cultural environments under which it evolved and developed.

The study reveals that traditional Igbo architecture is a product of physical and cultural factors, some of which are peculiar to Igboland and society. These factors create architectural problems and also provide some means of solving them. The physical environment, for instance, causes the problem of rain, heat and humidity, but provides mud, timber, bamboo and palms for house building. Similarly the Igbo world-view imposes a philosophy which constrains ordering in the physical world to mirror a conceptual ideal one. Again, this provides a theoretical principle by which the Igbo order architectural elements in the physical setting. The traditional architecture, therefore, directly relates to their environment and long-established customs and way of life. Colonization and the ensuing transplantation of foreign architecture have, however, undermined it and created problems. These problems are highlighted here, but with the recognition that erasure of the transplanted buildings is no solution. It is further established that traditional architecture is not anachronistic, but possesses valid ordering and design principles, technical solutions and upgradable materials. A compromise is therefore sought whereby these can be exploited to cross-fertilise current practice to achieve a satisfactory modern architecture in Igboland and Nigeria.


"COMPUTING, IN HIGH SCHOOL, is perceived as a very boring, nerdy activity," Michael Kolling says. "Before a computing teacher even begins speaking, three-quarters of his students have already decided they're not interested." That knee-jerk disinterest has translated into a developing shortage of software experts in the US, a trend that Kolling, a computer science professor at the University of Kent in the UK, is working to reverse through his creation of the BlueJ open source programming environment (www.bluej.org). High school computer science earned its bad reputation by being a notoriously difficult subject in which programming even the simplest of games requires knowledge and steps so technical, abstract, and time-consuming that the work often leads to frustration for even seasoned professionals. With BlueJ, Kolling has essentially developed a set of training wheels for novice programmers that allows them to see the fun, creative side of programming without getting worn down by impenetrable terminology and beginners' mistakes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Developed by Kolling in 1999 as part of a research project at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where he was a lecturer, BlueJ provides a visually based, object-oriented programming environment that enables beginning students to create projects without delving into the more intricate areas such as syntax and classes that are typically problematic for anyone learning Java. Java, an open source programming language created in 1995 by Sun Microsystems (www.sun.com/java), has become the standard programming language for the College Board's (www.collegeboard.com) advanced placement computer science curriculum and for most college-level introductory computer science courses. Kolling originally developed BlueJ for first-year computer science students in higher education, marketing his creation at computer education conferences. Word trickled down to high school computer science educators and many signed on without hesitation. It was then that Kolling realized the magnitude of the hole that BlueJ filled in the market. "Teaching object orientation was seen as a very difficult problem," he says. "People were really looking for a solution." Strong demand and input from computer science educators, combined with financial support from Sun Microsystems, has allowed BlueJ to grow into a stable and reliable tool for beginning programmers and remain a free open source tool in the process. Kolling now runs the BlueJ community from his post at the University of Kent, in conjunction with a team stationed at Deakin University in Melbourne. The nine-hour separation in time zones among the team members means that someone is always available at any given time to provide immediate feedback to student and teacher queries. Laine Agee, a computer science teacher at Memphis City Schools' White Station High School in Tennessee, began using BlueJ in her classroom during the 2002-2003 school year, the same year the College Board changed its standard on the AP computer science exam from the C++ programming language to Java. After reviewing other methods of teaching Java, Agee felt BlueJ was the way to go. "The thing I like about BlueJ is that it's visual--that and the fact that it was easy for me to learn as well," she says. It's common for the standard language in computer science to change every six to eight years, requiring instructors to quickly master the new language to the point where they can teach it. The BlueJ website offers them support through the access it provides to Kolling and his team. The discussion boards on the site also allow teachers to draw support from one another, as they exchange lesson plans and programming ideas and keep each other on top of updates. Agee found BlueJ so simple to use that she began using it to teach Java to her beginning students as well. BlueJ was such a big hit in the introductory classes that Agee teamed up with computer science instructors from two other high schools in the district to create a robot competition that required beginning students to design and build their own robots out of Lego Mindstorms kits and program the robots' movements using BlueJ and LeJOS, a Java-based language for Legos (http://lejos. …


We test the effectiveness of self-help peer groups as a commitment device for precautionary savings, through two randomized field experiments among 2,687 microentrepreneurs in Chile. The first experiment finds that self-help peer groups are a powerful tool to increase savings (the number of deposits grows 3.5-fold and the average savings balance almost doubles). Conversely, a substantially higher interest rate has no effect on most participants. A second experiment tests an alternative delivery mechanism and shows that effects of a similar size can be achieved by holding people accountable through feedback text messages, without any meetings or peer pressure.


Current clinical tests for prostate cancer (PCa), such as the PSA test, are not fully capable of discerning patients that are highly likely to develop metastatic prostate cancer (MPCa). Hence, more accurate prediction tools are needed to provide treatment strategies that are focused on the different risk groups. Cancer/testis antigens (CTAs) are expressed during embryonic development and present aberrant expression in cancer making them ideal tumor specific biomarkers. Here, the potential use of a panel of CTAs as a biomarker for PCa detection as well as metastasis prediction is explored. We initially identified eight CTAs (CEP55, NUF2, PAGE4, PBK, RQCD1, SPAG4, SSX2 and TTK) that are differentially expressed in MPCa when compared to local disease and used this panel to compare the gene and protein expression profiles in paired PCa and normal adjacent prostate tissue. We identified differential expression of all eight CTAs at the protein level when comparing 80 paired samples of PCa and the adjacent non-cancer tissue. Using multiple logistic regression we also show that a panel of these CTAs present high accuracy to discriminate normal from tumor samples. In summary, this study provides evidence that a panel of CTAs, differentially expressed in aggressive PCa, is a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis to be used in combination with the current clinically available tools and is also a potential target for immunotherapy development.


The multiple reciprocity boundary element method has been applied to three-dimensional two-group neutron diffusion problems. A matrix-type boundary integral equation has been derived to solve the first and the second group neutron diffusion equations simultaneously. The matrix-type fundamental solutions used here satisfy the equation which has a point source term and is adjoint to the neutron diffusion equations. A multiple reciprocity method has been employed to transform the matrix-type domain integral related to the fission source into an equivalent boundary one. The higher order fundamental solutions required for this formulation are composed of a series of two types of analytic functions. The eigenvalue itself is also calculated using only boundary integrals. Three-dimensional test calculations indicate that the present method provides stable and accurate solutions for criticality problems.


To assess the present-day functionality of large-scale sublevel caving (SLC) at LKAB Kiruna a comprehensive measurement program was undertaken involving blast function, fragmentation and gravity flow. As part of this assessment, a fragmentation measurement trial was performed based on 3D imaging of the draw-point and corresponding bucket load of the underground load-haul-dump (LHD) excavator. 3D image data from stereo photogrammetry was collected and an automated image analysis strategy developed. A number of data sets were collected for each of the draw-point and LHD bucket, along with sieving results for four of the LHD bucket loads (totally about 70 tonnes). Two of the sieving results were used to inform the automated image analysis strategy, and two were held back as a comparison. Large variations in the visible particles are apparent when comparing corresponding draw-points and LHD buckets highlighting the impact of sampling location and the need to measure large quantities of data in order to avoid bias from small samples. The results show that 3D imaging and analysis can produce fully automated measurement and analysis of the visible particle size distribution. Although this is not the same as the sieve-size distribution it provides useful estimation of both the larger size classes and a bulk estimate of fine material below approximately 60mm. The 3D stereo photogrammetry measurement system used produced very high 3D point density but this was achieved using a custom up-sampling technique which significantly smoothed the data, removing small particles, smoothing edges, and this negatively affected the particle delineation algorithms.


Ordinal regression problems are those machine learning problems where the objective is to classify patterns using a categorical scale which shows a natural order between the labels. Many real-world applications present this labelling structure and that has increased the number of methods and algorithms developed over the last years in this field. Although ordinal regression can be faced using standard nominal classification techniques, there are several algorithms which can specifically benefit from the ordering information. Therefore, this paper is aimed at reviewing the state of the art on these techniques and proposing a taxonomy based on how the models are constructed to take the order into account. Furthermore, a thorough experimental study is proposed to check if the use of the order information improves the performance of the models obtained, considering some of the approaches within the taxonomy. The results confirm that ordering information benefits ordinal models improving their accuracy and the closeness of the predictions to actual targets in the ordinal scale.


ABSTRACT Background: 30% of Gulf War veterans developed Gulf War Illness (GWI) with chronic fatigue, pain, and neuropsychological disabilities. Purpose: To assess the efficacy of low-dose naltrexone to treat GWI. Methods: A double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover trial of naltrexone 4.5 mg/day was conducted. The Clinical global impression scale (CGIS), visual analogue scales (VAS), SF-36 Health Survey, and the Connors Continuous Performance Test assessed treatment response. ClinicalTrials.gov registry Identifier is NCT02206490. Results: Thirty-seven participants completed the protocol. 100% had upper airway inflammation on examination. 88% were overweight or obese. The CGIS detected improvement in 38% of patients (n = 14) (responders), with 6 of these patients reporting much improvement. Non-responders were rated as showing no change from baseline (n = 18; 49%), or were rated minimally worse (n = 5; 13%). On the SF-36 Health Survey, responders showed significantly less disability than non-responders with respect to emotional limitations (p = 0.01) as well as greater improvement on VAS scales for confusion (p < 0.01), vertigo (p = 0.03) and depression (p = 0.05). All enrolled participants had detectable levels of naltrexone in their serum at the end of the treatment period, with values ranging from 1.5to 18 ng/ml. Anecdotally, some subjects and their spouses felt that naltrexone should be continued after the study ended. Conclusion: This pilot trial suggests low-dose naltrexone may be effective for some with GWI. Further study and consideration of other doses is needed.


THz and mm-wave technology has become increasingly significant in a very diverse range of applications such as spectroscopy, imaging, and communication as a consequence of a plethora of signicant advances in this field. However to achieve a mass production of THz systems, all the commercial aspects should be considered. The main concerns are attributed to the robustness, compactness, and a low cost device. In this regard, research efforts should be focused on the elimination of obstacles standing in the way of commercializing the THz technology. To this end, in this study, low cost fabrication technologies for various parts of mmwave/THz systems are investigated and explored to realize compact, integrated, and rugged components. This task is divided into four phases. In the first phase, a robust fiber-based beam delivery configuration is deployed instead of the free beam optics which is essential to operate the low cost THz photomixers and photoconductive antennas. The compensation of different effects on propagation of the optical pulse along the optical fiber is achieved through all-fiber system to eliminate any bulky and unstable optical components from the system. THz measurements on fiber-coupled systems exhibit the same performance and even better compared to the free beam system. In the next phase, the generated THz wave is coupled to a rectangular dielectric waveguide through design of a novel transition with low insertion loss. The structure dimensions are reported for various range of frequencies up to 650GHz with insertion loss less than 1dB. The structure is fabricated through a standard recipe. In third phase, as consequence of the advent of high performance active device at mm-wave and THz frequency, a transition is proposed for coupling the electromagnetic wave to the active devices with CPW ports. Different approaches are devised for different frequencies as at higher frequencies any kind of metallic structure can introduce a considerable amount of loss to the system. The optimized structures show minimum insertion loss as low as 1dB and operate over 10% bandwidth. The various configurations are fabricated for lower frequencies to verify the transition performance. The last phase focuses on the design, optimization, fabrication and measurements of a new dielectric side-grating antenna for frequency scanning applications. The radiation mechanism is extensively studied using two different commercial full-wave solvers as well as the measured data from the fabricated samples. The optimized antenna achieves a radiation efficiency of 90% and a gain of 18dB. The measured return loss and radiation pattern show a good agreement with the simulation results.


Measurement of main contributions of single-hop delay peculiar to a software router is here dealt with. A method is proposed, capable of distinguishing the time interval during which a generic packet stays in either input or output queue (queuing delay) of the router under analysis and that characterizing the effective routing process (processing delay) the packet undergoes. Thanks to proper measurement probes, i.e. kernel-layer functions, the method makes the occurring time of events of interest available at application-layer, thus giving the possibility of separately evaluating the aforementioned delays and, ultimately, pursuing a deeper insight of the considered router. After brief remarks concerning various delays a packet experiences when passing through a generic router, the measurement principle underling the method is presented in detail. Particular emphasis is put on its capability of locally monitoring the transit of each packet from the input to the output port of a software router along with main features and implementation issues of the proposed measurement probes. Results obtained in many experiments carried out on an ad-hoc test-bed in different operating conditions are then given in order to highlight method's reliability and effectiveness


Background It is known that the arterial carbon dioxide pressure (PaCO2) is useful for emergency physicians to assess the severity of dyspnoeic spontaneously breathing patients. Transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure (PtcCO2) measurements could be a non-invasive alternative to PaCO2 measurements obtained by blood gas samples, as suggested in previous studies. This study evaluates the reliability of a new device in the emergency department (ED). Methods We prospectively included patients presenting to the ED with respiratory distress who were breathing spontaneously or under non-invasive ventilation. We simultaneously performed arterial blood gas measurements and measurement of PtcCO2 using a sensor placed either on the forearm or the side of the chest and connected to the TCM4 CombiM device. The agreement between PaCO2 and PtcCO2 was assessed using the Bland–Altman method. Results Sixty-seven spontaneously breathing patients were prospectively included (mean age 70 years, 52% men) and 64 first measurements of PtcCO2 (out of 67) were analysed out of the 97 performed. Nineteen patients (28%) had pneumonia, 19 (28%) had acute heart failure and 19 (28%) had an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Mean PaCO2 was 49 mm Hg (range 22–103). The mean difference between PaCO2 and PtcCO2 was 9 mm Hg (range −47 to +54) with 95% limits of agreement of −21.8 mm Hg and 39.7 mm Hg. Only 36.3% of the measurement differences were within 5 mm Hg. Conclusions Our results show that PtcCO2 measured by the TCM4 device could not replace PaCO2 obtained by arterial blood gas analysis.


Present a new scanning-probe-based data-storage concept called the "millipede" that combines ultrahigh density, terabit capacity, small form factor, and high data rate. Ultrahigh storage density has been demonstrated by a new thermomechanical local-probe technique to store, read back, and erase data in very thin polymer films. With this new technique, nanometer-sized bit indentations and pitch sizes have been made by a single cantilever/tip into thin polymer layers, resulting in a data storage densities of up to 1 Tb/in/sup 2/. High data rates are achieved by parallel operation of large two-dimensional (2-D) atomic force microscope (AFM) arrays that have been batch-fabricated by silicon surface-micromachining techniques. The very large-scale integration (VLSI) of micro/nanomechanical devices (cantilevers/tips) on a single chip leads to the largest and densest 2-D array of 32/spl times/32 (1024) AFM cantilevers with integrated write/read/erase storage functionality ever built. Time-multiplexed electronics control the functional storage cycles for parallel operation of the millipede array chip. Initial areal densities of 100-200 Gb/in/sup 2/ have been achieved with the 32/spl times/32 array chip.


Reflection about the dilemmas arising from the possibilities of manipulation of human beings allowed by genetic engineering and biotechnology, with the aim to show the intimate connections between two fields which have tended to develop separately: bioethics and biopolitics. The interesting considerations of P. Sloterdijk in his lecture "Rules for the Human Park" (1999), combined with Foucault's theories on biopolitics as the genuine power form of contemporary society, have been used for this purpose. The intention is to show that bioethics should not ignore the biopolitics background upon which the problems derived from the advance of technoscience emerge.


"Aging-friendly" communities are environments where people can live their entire lives rather than having to relocate because of age-related changes. The objective of this study was to investigate the extent to which middle-aged, long-term residents in Wisconsin perceived their communities to be aging-friendly, and to determine whether these perceptions varied according to county rurality. Rurality was measured using the Index of Relative Rurality, and is based on four dimensions: population, population density, extent of urban area, and remoteness. The Index of Relative Rurality was combined with the USDA urban influence code to categorize counties into the following spheres: the "Metropolitan Sphere", the "Rural-Metro Interface", and the "Rural Sphere". It was hypothesized that persons residing in metropolitan counties will be more likely to perceive that their communities have aging-friendly characteristics than those residing in rural counties, and this will be particularly true with regard to characteristics related to transportation and health care services. The hypothesis was supported. Respondents residing in metro and rural-metro counties perceived a higher prevalence of aging-friendly community characteristics than those in rural counties, particularly with regard to transportation, health care services, and community connectedness.


The thesis is to develop Signal Processing methods which increase the performance, functionality and reliability of dc-dc converters which is part of an ongoing project of Ericsson together with Blekinge Institute of Technology. The aim of this project is to model the buck converter system of Ericson's BMR450 using MATLAB Simulink and develop methods to identify the capacitive load. Our first approach is to derive the equation which gives relation of capacitive load with output voltage in time domain analysis. Our second method deals with resonant point of frequency response of buck converter using Linearization method. Our final method deals in frequency domain analysis using FFT. For different values, we calculated the capacitive load values using proposed methods and compared them to the original values to observe the percentage of errors.


The E. coli proU operon consists of three genes, proV, proW and proX. These encode an ABC transporter for uptake of osmoprotectants which help the cell to survive hyperosmotic stress. The expression of the proU operon is osmoregulated: it is repressed under low osmolarity conditions and induced by hyperosmotic stress. Previous studies demonstrated that the proU operon is osmoregulated at the transcriptional level. The proU promoter is osmoresponsive. In addition, transcription is repressed by the abundant nucleoid-associated protein H-NS under low osmolarity conditions. A recent study indicated that proU is also osmoregulated at the post-transcriptional level.
 In this work post-transcriptional osmoregulation of proU was characterized. Results presented here demonstrate that the proU mRNA is processed by RNase III at positions +217/+218 and +281/+282 relative to the transcription start site. These processing sites are located within a highly conserved stem-loop secondary structure, which is cleaved by RNase III in a double-stranded part. RNase III-mediated processing of the proU mRNA is osmoregulated. RNase III processes proU mRNA efficiently under low osmolarity conditions, while under high osmolarity conditions processing is inhibited. Processing of proU RNA by RNase III is the cause for post-transcriptional osmoregulation of proU, as blocking of RNase III processing by mutations cancels post-transcriptional osmoregulation. Further, proU mRNA stability is largely dependent on the activity of RNase III processing. The proU mRNA is relatively stable at high osmolarity with an estimated half-life of the mRNA next to the processing site of 65 to 75 seconds. After hypoosmotic stress RNase III rapidly processes the proU mRNA which leads to quick mRNA degradation with an estimated half-life of 4 to 7 seconds. These results suggest that the primary function of RNase III in proU osmoregulation is to initiate rapid degradation of proU mRNA under hypoosmotic stress conditions. The data obtained in the presented work are integrated in the general model of proU osmoregulation. Hyperosmotic stress leads to derepression of proU transcription and stabilisation of proU transcript due to inhibition of RNase III processing. Hypoosmotic stress leads to repression of proU transcription and rapid degradation of proU mRNA initiated by RNase III. The high conservation of the proU sequence and proU mRNA secondary structure around the RNase III processing site suggests that RNase III processing is involved in proU osmoregulation in other enterobacterial species. The molecular mechanism underlying osmoregulation of RNase III processing of the proU mRNA requires further investigation.


In recent years, deep learning has become an attractive ingredient to side-channel analysis (SCA) due to its potential to improve the success probability or enhance the performance of certain frequently executed tasks. One task that is commonly assisted by machine learning techniques is the profiling of a device's leakage behavior in order to carry out a template attack. At CHES 2019, deep learning has also been applied to non-profiled scenarios for the first time, extending its reach within SCA beyond template attacks. The proposed method, called DDLA, has some tempting advantages over traditional SCA due to merits inherited from (convolutional) neural networks. Most notably, it greatly reduces the need for pre-processing steps when the SCA traces are misaligned or when the leakage is of a multivariate nature. However, similar to traditional attack scenarios the success of this approach highly depends on the correct choice of a leakage model and the intermediate value to target. In this work we explore, for the first time in literature, whether deep learning can similarly be used as an instrument to advance another crucial (non-profiled) discipline of SCA which is inherently independent of leakage models and targeted intermediates, namely leakage assessment. In fact, given the simple classification-based nature of common leakage assessment techniques, in particular distinguishing two groups fixed-vs-random or fixed-vs-fixed, it comes as a surprise that machine learning has not been brought into this context, yet. Our contribution is the development of the first full leakage assessment methodology based on deep learning. It gives the evaluator the freedom to not worry about location, alignment and statistical order of the leakages and easily covers multivariate and horizontal patterns as well. We test our approach against a number of case studies based on FPGA, ASIC and μC implementations of the PRESENT block cipher, equipped with state-of-the-art SCA countermeasures. Our results clearly show that the proposed methodology and network structures are robust across all case studies and outperform the classical detection approaches (t-test and χ2-test) in all considered scenarios.


Rice is a silicon accumulator, what benefits its growth and development , reducing cuticular transpiration and increasing the plant tolerance to pests and pathogens attacks. This study aimed to evaluate the incubation time effects of silicate sources on the Si availability and absorption and on rice plants growth . The e xperimental design was randomized blocks, in a 5x2x3 factorial scheme, with four replications , two silicate sources (calcium silicate and steel slag), five incubation times (1, 14 , 35 , 63, and 98 days ), and three soils classes. The silicon dose used in the soil was 300 mg dm -3 . The levels of soluble Si extracted by calcium chloride were evaluated in the soil, and, for plants, the dry matter of shoot and root , plant height, Si content and accumulation of the aerial part were evaluated. For all soil classes, the root dry matter yield was not influenced by silicon fertilization. The shoot dry matter index was higher with the application of calcium silicate . The highest shoot silicon accumulation occurred between the second and third incubation time, with higher concentration for the Oxisol .


Collagen, processed into several morphologies and originating from various sources, has long since been used as a biocompatible material that can assist wound healing and tissue regeneration. With the advent of biotechnology and solid-phase peptide synthesis, new possibilities arise to create rationally designed biomaterials based on collagen sequences incorporating new functionalities while maintaining the beneficial properties of natural collagen. In this study a new class of synthetic collagen materials is presented, defined by its simplistic core structure and its therefore predictable behavior. These so-called eCols (engineered collagens) consist of a varying number of Gly-Pro-Pro repeats, a redox-switchable aminoterminal nucleation site and an optional carboxyterminal cell adhesion motif. We show which of these proteins are able to self-assemble into triple helices and cross-linked gelatinous networks and provide insights into their cytocompatibility in vitro.


OBJECTIVE
In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) in patients with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In total, 101 patients with unilateral SSNHL (44 women, 57 men), who were admitted and treated at our institution between December 2012 and June 2014, were included in the study. All patients completed the questionnaires for DHI and THI during their admission and were treated with bed rest and oral methylprednisolone (1 mg/kg, which was eventually tapered). Of these, 83 patients received intratympanic dexamethasone 4 times over a 2-week period. Demographic data, accompanying symptoms, and DHI and THI subscales were compared between the non-recovery group (Siegel's criteria type 4, n=63) and the recovery group (Siegel's criteria type 1-3, n=38).

RESULTS
There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to gender, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, cerebrovascular attack, and tinnitus. Patients in the non-recovery group were significantly older (51.53 vs. 50.24 years, p<0.05) and had a higher incidence of chronic kidney disease (10.53% vs. 1.59%, p<0.05) than those in the recovery group. Although more patients in the non-recovery group complained of dizziness (47.37% vs. 25.40%, p<0.05), DHI subscales were not significantly different between the groups. THI subscales were also not significantly different between the two groups.

CONCLUSION
DHI and THI questionnaires may have limited prognostic value for patients with unilateral SSNHL.


The paper deals with the mediating role of immaterial satisfaction between substantive organizational substantive features, defined as resources by on-the-job autonomy, involvement, teamwork and workload pressure, and organizational performance, defined in terms of improvements in product quality and innovation. We address this relationship in the Italian social service sector using a survey dataset that includes 4,134 workers and 320 not-for-profit social cooperatives. We apply a structural equation model including both observed and latent variables. Direct, indirect and total effects in the structural model show that: (i) worker autonomy in introducing innovation positively influences performance; (ii) involvement bears positively on performance when its effect is mediated by immaterial satisfaction; (iii) the negative impact of task-autonomy on performance is almost counterbalanced by its positive impact on worker satisfaction. To control for common method bias we resort to post-hoc testing and introduce three distal sources of subjective data from directors, managers and paid workers.


More than seventeen years since the "War on Terror" began, the United States has failed to recognize how its authoritarian allies, rather than its adversaries, have defined its counterterrorism practices. Western democracies have adopted signature practices of authoritarian regimes. Torture, secret renditions to black sites, indefinite detention, mass surveillance, targeted killings, selective anti-terrorism enforcement against dissidents and minorities, criminalization of political beliefs, and decreased due process rights are among the counterterrorism practices found in both the United States and their Middle East allies, albeit in varying degrees.

Human rights are de-coupled from security, or worse, treated as an impediment to preserving national security. Although the balance between security and liberty has been the topic of lively debate since 9/11, I proffer that the impetus behind rights violations is not limited to perennial tensions between security and liberty in times of war. Increased international coordination in counterterrorism between authoritarian regimes and liberal democracies also adversely affects human rights.

As terrorism crosses borders with ease, transnational counterterrorism has become a necessity. International organizations and states coordinate preventing terrorism, identifying and apprehending known terrorists, and prosecuting terrorism suspects between nations. One consequence of such coordination is the normalization of illiberal counterterrorism norms and practices common among democratic nations.

While coordinated counterterrorism is warranted to combat transnational terrorists, the current rights subordinating approach is counterproductive. Western governments that engage in or directly support rights-infringing practices ultimately aid terrorists as they proclaim themselves legitimate defenders against transnational state violence. Aggressive state measures trigger backlash attacks as new grievances arise; thereby feeding a cycle of state and non-state violence at the expense of civilian lives. The challenge for Western democratic nations is to avoid a race to the bottom in their counterterrorism coordination with authoritarian regimes.


A simple, rapid, sensitive and eco-friendly liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed for simultaneous determination of free cordycepin (3′-deoxyadenosine) and isocordycepin (2′-deoxyadenosine) in 10 kinds of Cordyceps samples. The samples were prepared by ultrasonic extraction at 75 °C for 30 min with boiling water as the extraction solvent. The LC separation was performed on an Agilent poroshell 120 SB-Aq C18 column (3.0 × 50 mm, 2.7 μm) in isocratic mode with an eco-friendly mobile phase (2% ethanol containing 0.2% acetic acid) at a flow rate of 0.6 mL min−1, and detected by MS/MS in positive mode with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The developed method showed good linearity (r > 0.9990), sensitivity (LODs = 0.04 pg, LOQ = 0.1 pg), precision (RSD ≤ 3.8%) and stability (RSD ≤ 3.6%). The recoveries of developed method were 94.4–109.5% (RSD ≤ 5.5%). Compared with reported methods, the current method was rapid (less than 35% analytical time), sensitive (more than 5 folds), and eco-friendly (less than 10 μL harmful organic solvent). 10 different kinds of Cordyceps samples (40 batches) were tested by the developed method. Codycepin was only found in Cordyceps millitaris and C. millitaris fruiting body, and isocordycepin was detected in Cordyceps sinensis and other 6 Cordyceps samples. The developed method would be an improved method for the quality evaluation of Cordyceps samples.