This article examines the judicialization of electoral politics in Asia, an important but understudied trend, as demonstrated in Thailand and Indonesia. Though the constitutional courts in both have similar histories and institutional arrangements, their electoral interventions vary radically. We argue that the diffusion or concentration of power among post-transition elites determines whether the effect of judicial activism will be to shore up or undermine electoral governance. Where power is diffused, as in Indonesia, political actors, less able to impose their own will on the judiciary, seem to prefer a credible referee, which fosters electoral competition. Where power is concentrated, as in Thailand, elites have both the motive and the means to turn judicial activism to antidemocratic ends. By focusing on the ends, rather than the means, of judicial activism, this account goes beyond personalities and institutional design to enhance understanding of the role of the courts in transitional democracies.


This paper discusses the problem of eliminating brightness nonuniformity on color endoscopic images with a large dynamic brightness range and of converting a sequence of such images into one image with a brightness range that can be reproduced on the screen of a standard monitor. A rapid and stable algorithm is proposed that is based on combined multiscale analysis of the images and histogram processing of the images at each level of a pyramidal representation. The efficiency of the algorithm is confirmed by examples and a comparison with known methods.


Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies aim at supporting elderly and disabled people in their environment, with affordable, easy to use and meaningful ICT tools. Given the complexity of AAL, software platforms are needed to abstract and reuse typical functionalities. To this purpose, the universAAL project was established to create an open platform that provides a standardized approach making it technically feasible and economically viable to develop AAL solutions. In order to make AAL technologies widely accepted, high quality must be guaranteed, but measuring quality in AAL is difficult because of the variety of stakeholders, the wide set of needs addressed and the heterogeneity of the employed technologies. This paper proposes a methodological framework for evaluating AAL solutions with the aim of prioritizing evaluation needs, customizing assessment techniques and producing value for the project. The framework is based on empirical methods and on scientific-like theory building mixed with the standard ISO/IEC 25000 for software quality. It can be applied for both technical and non-technical (end-user) evaluations. To support the framework, the results of its application in universAAL are shown, i.e., how it was used at different stages of the project for assessing the results, for taking decisions and for building scientific knowledge.


The article analyses the development of the concept of indignitas succedendi in 10 codifications of Western Europe. Apart from the fact that all legal systems regard a person who has intentionally killed the deceased as unworthy to inherit, we have a very patchy picture.Some light can be shed on the present state of affairs by a historical analysis. Such an analysis reveals that the draftsmen of the first two codifications still valid today (the French and Austrian ones), while both drawing on one and the same tradition, followed different concepts and thus selected different elements from that tradition. The Roman institution of indignitas succedendi, in other words, had been placed on two different conceptual tracks; and as a result of codification, and the concomitant abrogation of the ius commune, the intellectual framework for an international discourse was now lacking. A fresh start was made by the draftsmen of the German BGB. In an admirably comprehensive manner (which one can only commend to law reformers today) they considered all relevant regulations available internationally and ultimately decided to adopt a concept that differed from both the French and Austrian ones. For unworthiness to inherit the BGB is neither regarded as punishment nor based on the (presumed) intention of the deceased but rather serves to protect the freedom of the testator to determine who is to be his heir: his private autonomy mortis causa.In the course of the twentieth century, five of the ten legal systems surveyed have reformed their rules on unworthiness to inherit. These reforms have led to a convergence, though only to a very limited extent. Nonetheless, frequency distribution as well as an analysis of lines of development reveals key elements of the law concerning unworthiness to inherit in Europe. On that basis it is possible to establish rational points of departure for discussing the details of this institution, to agree upon the most convincing conceptual and teleological foundations, and to pave the way towards leveling out differences which can be explained, but hardly justified, historically.Please note that this is an article published in German.


Giovanni Dosi's technological paradigm theory was developed in part to correct the then dominant practice to focus on either "demand-pull" or "technology push" when explaining technical change. In Dosi's view, demand can act as a "focusing device" for the supply side to select among the available technological paradigms for development. In this article, we study a specific case, the technological evolution of a surgical implant (an artificial disc in the spinal column), to analyse this selection dynamics. We conclude Dosi's theory can be extended by adding some technological signals interacting with demand forces in this pre-market selection process, which help to explain the historical supply side choices in the evolution of the artificial disc.


Japanese Farm Foodoffers readers a unique window into life on a Japanese farm through simple recipes cooked from family fields and other local, organic products. The multitude of vibrant images conveys an intimate, authentic portrait of life and food on a Japanese farm. With a focus on fresh and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, the recipes in Japanese Farm Foodare perfect for fans of the farmer's market, and for home cooks looking for accessible Japanese dishes. Covering everything from pickles and soups to noodles, rice, and dipping sauces, with a special emphasis on vegetables, Hachisu demystifies the rural Japanese kitchen, laying bare the essential ingredients, equipment, and techniques needed for Japanese home cooking.


Variation reduction in multistage assembly processes is an important but challenging issue for quality control. It is desirable to minimize the final product variance from a system level. Fruitful research has been conducted on this issue based on the fixed assembly order. However, the variability of parts can be affected by different assembly order. In this paper, we propose a quality control strategy that takes into account the assembly order in two stage assembly processes. Specifically, we analyzed the relationship between the final product variation targets and the assembly order. A case study in conducted on a two stage assembly process of vessel diaphragm to illustrate the developed methodology.disastrous.


Metrics (potentials, potency factors, equivalency factors or characterization factors) are available to support the environmental comparison of alternatives in application domains like process design and product life-cycle assessment (LCA). These metrics typically provide relative insights into the implicit concern associated with chemicals, emissions and resource consumption in the context of human health, ecological health and resource depletion. The approaches used to derive the metrics range in their site-specificity, complexity, comprehensiveness, sophistication and uncertainty. It is therefore often necessary to consider the use of more than one approach within the context of a given impact category to help support a decision. In this paper we outline some of the strengths and weaknesses of available approaches in the commonly considered categories of global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric ozone (smog) creation, eutrophication/nutrification, acidification, toxicological impacts and resource depletion.


This is an overview of the relationship between welfare regimes and majority churches in eight selected countries in Europe. It shows that there is a connection between the evolution of the respective welfare regime and the religious organisation prevalent in the country studied. It also shows that a changing role of the welfare state and of religious institutions give religious organisations both an innovative role and a voice in the public debate on solidarity values.


The reformation of functioning organelles at the end of mitosis presents a problem in vesicle targeting. Using extracts made from Xenopus laevis frog eggs, we have studied in vitro the vesicles that reform the nuclear envelope. In the in vitro assay, nuclear envelope growth is linear with time. Furthermore, the final surface area of the nuclear envelopes formed is directly dependent upon the amount of membrane vesicles added to the assay. Egg membrane vesicles could be fractionated into two populations, only one of which was competent for nuclear envelope assembly. We found that vesicles active in nuclear envelope assembly contained markers (BiP and alpha-glucosidase II) characteristic of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), but that the majority of ER-derived vesicles do not contribute to nuclear envelope size. This functional distinction between nuclear vesicles and ER-derived vesicles implies that nuclear vesicles are unique and possess at least one factor required for envelope assembly that is lacking in other vesicles. Consistent with this, treatment of vesicles with trypsin destroyed their ability to form a nuclear envelope; electron microscopic studies indicate that the trypsin-sensitive proteins is required for vesicles to bind to chromatin. However, the protease- sensitive component(s) is resistant to treatments that disrupt protein- protein interactions, such as high salt, EDTA, or low ionic strength solutions. We propose that an integral membrane protein, or protein tightly associated with the membrane, is critical for nuclear vesicle targeting or function.


Synthetic amorphous silica is one of the two commodity materials dominating the market of nanomaterials in terms of production volume, used in several industrial applications and found in a wide variety of consumers' products including medicines, toothpastes, cosmetics and food. Recent evidence emerged that despite a long history of use further investigation is needed to exclude long-term effects on human health for specific applications, such as food. It is therefore important to have easy, reliable and sensitive analytical methods for the determination of nano-sized silica available. In this work a method for the simultaneous determination of particle size and mass concentration of synthetic amorphous silica nanoparticles by asymmetric flow field flow fractionation coupled with online multiangle light scattering and ICP-MS/MS detection is described. Accurate dimensional characterization of the particles separated by FFF was achieved by means of both ICP-MS/MS detection with size calibrants and standardless sizing by MALS. Element-specific detection by ICP-MS/MS using all the three silicon isotopes, pre-channel mass-calibration with silica nanoparticles and post-channel mass-calibration with elemental standards were used to provide quantitative data on the silicon present in the size fractions separated online by FFF. The FFF-MALS-ICP-MS/MS method developed enabled dimensional and mass determination of silica particles over the size range of approximately 20–200 nm with satisfactory recoveries of the analyte material. The method was successfully applied to the characterization of two test samples, i.e. the reference material ERM-FD100 and a silica suspension having nominal diameters of 20 and 140 nm, respectively.


The study was conducted from December 2013 to April 2014 to predict the proper age for vaccination of chickens against infectious bursal disease (IBD) and calculate the maternal antibody transfer rate. A total of 99 chickens: 80-day-old chickens and 19 parent chickens' were randomly selected from Mekelle Farms. Blood samples were collected from heart and wing vein of individual chicken and serum was harvested. Indirect Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (IELISA) was employed to measure the Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDAs) from chickens of day 2, 18, 21 and antibody titers from parents. Samples from 2 day old chicken were having MDA titer in the range of 805.095-2821.239 with a mean titer of 1677.5. Antibody titers from 19 parents were also measured and the antibody titer showed that it falls within the range of 1825.94-4856.87 with a mean titer of 2964.602 and maternal antibody titer transfer rate from parents to 2 day old chickens was 56.57%. Other MDA titers were measured from 38 chickens of 21 days age of which 19 were vaccinated at 18th day of age and 19 them were non-vaccinated. Titers from vaccinated and non-vaccinated chickens were also compared using paired independent T- test and there was a significant difference with p-value of p=0.00. The present study showed that the proper time for administration of live intermediate IBD vaccine is 18 days instead of 21 days with the management conditions in place at the farm. Therefore, IBD vaccine should not be given to chickens whose parents had taken IBD vaccine without determining MDA titer and age for vaccination.


There has been a significant research effort focused on explaining predictive models, for example through post-hoc explainability and recourse methods. Most of the proposed techniques operate upon a single, fixed, predictive model. However, it is well-known that given a dataset and a predictive task, there may be a multiplicity of models that solve the problem (nearly) equally well. In this work, we investigate the implications of this kind of model indeterminacy on the post-hoc explanations of predictive models. We show how it can lead to explanatory multiplicity , and we explore the underlying drivers. We show how predictive multiplicity, and the related concept of epistemic uncertainty, are not reliable indicators of explanatory multiplicity. We further illustrate how a set of models showing very similar aggregate performance on a test dataset may show large variations in their local explanations, i.e., for a specific input. We explore these effects for Shapley value based explanations on three risk assessment datasets. Our results indicate that model indeterminacy may have a substantial impact on explanations in practice, leading to inconsistent and even contradicting explanations.


Publishers' blurb:
Learn how to study, analyze, select, and design a successful mechatronic product.

This innovative, cutting-edge publication presents the essential nature of mechatronics, a field at the crossroads of information technology and mechanical and electrical engineering. Readers learn how to blend mechanisms, electronics, sensors, control strategies, and software into a functional design. Given the breadth that the field of mechatronics draws upon, this publication provides a critical service to readers by paring down the topics to the most essential ones.

A common thread throughout the publication is tailoring performance to the actual needs of the user, rather than designing 'by the book.' Practical methods clarify engineering trade-offs needed to design and manufacture competitive state-of-the-art products and systems.

Key features include:

 * Easy-to-construct set of laboratory experiments to give readers practice in controlling difficult systems using discrete-time algorithms
 * Essentials of control theory, concentrating on state-space and easily constructed simulations in JavaScript, including typical mechatronic systems with gross nonlinearities where linear methods give the 'wrong answer'
 * Hot topics that include advances in the automotive, multimedia, robotics, defense, medical, and consumer industries
 * Author-provided Web site at www.EssMech.com offers additional resources, including videos, dynamic simulation examples, software tools, and downloads

There are hundreds of choices involved in all but the simplest of mechatronic design tasks. Using this publication as a reference, electrical, mechanical, and computer designers and engineers can find the most efficient, cost-effective methods to transform their goals into successful commercial products. With its use of laboratory experiments, this publication is also recommended as a graduate-level textbook.

Author Web site located at www.EssMech.com provides in-depth support material that includes links to simulations for modeling dynamic systems with real-time interactions, image processing examples, and 3D robot modeling software, enabling readers to 'construct' and manipulate their own mechanism as well as other useful links.


This study examines the reasons why the European Union (EU), Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands have been unable to reach an agreement for the distribution of the Total Allowable Catch for Atlantic mackerel. Whereas the allocation previously was decided by the long-standing coastal states, the EU, Norway and the Faroe Islands, changes in the mackerel's migration pattern in a northward direction has led to Icelandic and Faroese requests for a larger portion of the resource. The "mackerel conflict" breaks out in 2010 and entails the use of sanctions as well as the setting of unilateral quotas in addition to those following from the coastal state agreement. The combined quota demands far exceed sustainable harvesting levels and will by all likelihood lead to overexploitation. The research methods were qualitative and involved the application of two-level game theory and the consideration of "win-sets" to explain the absence of co-operative management. The main finding was that the pelagic fishers effectively enjoy veto power over the outcome of the negotiations, in particular in fishery-dependent Iceland and the Faroe Islands, but to a large extent in Norway as well. Also in the EU the affected fishers have a decisive influence, although only in political terms. The parties' many attempts at influencing each other's positions have so far had no discernable effects and the situation begins to bear resemblance to a "tragedy of the commons".


We showed previously in cultures of primary human adipocytes and preadipocytes that lipopolysaccharide and trans-10,cis-12-conjugated linoleic acid (10,12-CLA) activate the inflammatory signaling that promotes insulin resistance. Because our published data demonstrated that preadipocytes are the primary instigators of inflammatory signaling in lipopolysaccharide-treated cultures, we hypothesized that they played the same role in 10,12-CLA-mediated inflammation. To test this hypothesis, we employed four distinct models. In model 1, a differentiation model, CLA activation of MAPK and induction of interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-6, IL-1β, and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) were greatest in differentiated compared with undifferentiated cultures. In model 2, a cell separation model, the mRNA levels of these inflammatory proteins were increased by 10,12-CLA compared with bovine serum albumin vehicle in the adipocyte fraction and the preadipocyte fraction. In model 3, a co-culture insert model, inserts containing ∼50% adipocytes (AD50) or ∼100% preadipocytes (AD0) were suspended over wells containing AD50 or AD0 cultures. 10,12-CLA-induced IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, and COX-2 mRNA levels were highest in AD50 cultures when co-cultured with AD0 inserts. In model 4, a conditioned medium (CM) model, CM collected from CLA-treated AD50 but not AD0 cultures induced IL-8 and IL-6 mRNA levels and activated phosphorylation of MAPK in naive AD0 and AD50 cultures. Consistent with these data, 10,12-CLA-mediated secretions of IL-8 and IL-6 from AD50 cultures were higher than from AD0 cultures. Notably, blocking adipocytokine secretion prevented the inflammatory capacity of CM from 10,12-CLA-treated cultures. These data suggest that CLA instigates the release of inflammatory signals from adipocytes that subsequently activate adjacent preadipocytes.


While eco-balances and material flow networks have become common parts of Environmental Management Information Systems (EMIS) to analyse the material flows within a company, discrete event simulation has not yet been used widely in this domain. This paper argues for combining discrete event simulation with material flow analysis in order to analyse both the environmental and economic impact of business decisions. After a brief overview of core characteristics and benefits of discrete event simulation and material flow analysis based on so-called Material Flow Networks, a plug-in-based architecture for generating a customised material flow simulator is presented. The benefits of this framework's component-based structure are then discussed in the context of its practical application to the lithography stage in the manufacture of semiconductors. A summary of the framework's most significant aspects and areas of application conclude the paper.


The controversy generated in Italy by the writings of Ludovico Ariosto and Torquato Tasso during the sixteenth century was the first historically important debate on what constitutes modern literature. Applying current critical theories and tools, the essays in Renaissance Transactions reexamine these two provocative poet-thinkers, the debate they inspired, and the reasons why that debate remains relevant today.

Resituating these writers' works in the context of the Renaissance while also offering appraisals of their uncanny "postmodernity," the contributors to this volume focus primarily on Ariosto's Orlando furioso and Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata . Essays center on questions of national and religious identity, performative representation, and the theatricality of literature. They also address subjects regarding genre and gender, social and legal anthropology, and reactionary versus revolutionary writing. Finally, they advance the historically significant debate about what constitutes modern literature by revisiting with new perspective questions first asked centuries ago: Did Ariosto invent a truly national, and uniquely Italian, literary genre—the chivalric romance? Or did Tasso alone, by equaling the epic standards of Homer and Virgil, make it possible for a literature written in Italian to attain the status of its classical Greek and Latin antecedents?

Arguing that Ariosto and Tasso are still central to the debate on what constitutes modern narrative, this collection will be invaluable to scholars of Italian literature, literary history, critical theory, and the Renaissance.

Contributors . Jo Ann Cavallo, Valeria Finucci, Katherine Hoffman, Daniel Javitch, Constance Jordan, Ronald L. Martinez, Eric Nicholson, Walter Stephens, Naomi Yavneh, Sergio Zatti


The Gagnon terrane, comprising the lower deck of the Parauthochthonous belt in northeastern Grenville Province, is a metamorphic fold-thrust and nappe belt consisting of Paleoproterozoic supracrustal rocks (Knob Lake Group) and their reworked Archean basement (Ashuanipi Metamorphic Complex) that is tectonically overlain by the Molson Lake terrane. This thesis comprises a structural-metamorphic-geochronologic study of an area in the central Gagnon terrane in eastern Quebec, some 80km south of the Grenville Front. -- The structural component of the study involved the division of the area into thrust sheets utilizing stratigraphic, younging and fabric criteria, evaluation of the structural architecture, and interpretation of the structural evolution. Ductile thrusts bounding the thrust sheets have steep dips in the northern part of the map area, whereas those farther south have intermediate dips towards the north and a southerly vergence. This southerly vergence is in contrast to the well-developed northerly (-northwesterly) vergence that has been reported previously in the northern Gagnon terrane, and is interpreted in terms of backthrusting due to the incorporation of a major wedge of basement rocks into the thrust stack during its construction. -- Overall within the study area, there is evidence for four phases of deformation (D₁-D₄). D₁ involved development of the regional, penetrative foliation (S₁), that is subparallel to relict compositional layering (S₀) in most outcrops. F₁ folds vary from outcrop- to map-scale; large-scale F₁ folds had approximately E-W trending axes and are overturned towards the south or recumbent in different thrust sheets. In the northern thrust sheets, D₁ fabrics are refolded by outcrop- and map-scale F₂ folds with variably penetrative S₂ fabrics and generally SE-plunging axes. F₃ folds, previously unrecognized within Gagnon terrane, are local small-scale recumbent structures that occur in the northern thrust sheets and are interpreted to have developed as a result of gravitational collapse of the overthickened, thermally-weakened crust. F₄ folds are large-scale upright variably plunging cross-folds best developed in the southern part of the study area. Overprinting of folds of different generations has led to a wide range of structural interference patterns on all scales within the map area. -- Metamorphic rocks within the study area are composed of amphibolite facies mineral assemblages, and evidence of partial melting in rocks of pelitic and quartzofeldspathic composition is widespread. Field and microstructural relationships indicate that peak metamorphism and porphyroblast growth occurred syn- to post-D₁ and pre- to syn D₂, although there are local variations according to thrust sheet. The Lac Don thrust sheet in the northern part of the map area contains the assemblage Qtz-Ms-Grt-Bt-Pl±Kfs-L, whereas the Lac Gull thrust sheet farther south contains the assemblages Qtz-Kfs-Ky-Bt-Grt-L or Qtz-Ms-Kfs-Ky-Bt-Grt-L. Garnet zoning profiles from the Lac Don thrust sheet exhibit relict growth zoning that was significantly altered by post-peak re-equilibration, suggesting that temperature remained high for a prolonged period of time and that exhumation was relatively slow in this area. In contrast, garnets in the Lac Gull thrust sheet exhibit well-preserved growth profiles with very narrow retrograde rims, suggesting a hairpin shaped P-T path as a result of rapid, tectonically-driven exhumation. P-T estimates from both samples are in the range of 710-800°C and between 12-15 kbars. -- Thrusts faults are locally intruded by pegmatites, one of which shows evidence of syntectonic (post-D₁/pre-D₂) intrusion. This pegmatite has been dated by the U/Pb zircon method at 995 ± 2 Ma, thus providing the first direct estimation of the age of peak metamorphism and crustal thickening within this part of Gagnon terrane. -- These structural, metamorphic and geochronologic data are compatible with existing tectonic models for the northeastern part of Gagnon terrane in which NW-directed transport of a thrust wedge (Molson Lake terrane) over its foreland (Gagnon terrane) resulted in the progressive accretion of Gagnon terrane to the base of a thickening thrust wedge. However, the data from this thesis suggest that the tectonic evolution in central Gagnon terrane differed significantly in detail from that farther north. Metamorphic grade (both P and T) is higher, map-scale recumbent fold nappes are present, and northerly vergence and back-thrusting, due to the incorporation of a thick slice of basement rocks into the thrust pile, is important. These features have been incorporated into a revised tectonic model for the evolution of Gagnon terrane.


Superovulation of female mice with exogenous gonadotrophins is routinely used for
increasing the number of eggs ovulated by each female in reproductive and
developmental studies. Superovulation is affected by many factors such as hormone
concentrations, types of hormone, species of animals, age, time of administrations and
many others. Previous reports gave the emphasis on hormone and it dosage. This study
was designed to investigate whether the different in concentration of Ficus deltoidea's
fruit extraction can replaces the function of Pragnant Mare's Serum Gonadotropin to
mimic the endogenous effects of follicle stimulating hormones (FSH) in order
superovulation process can occur. Ficus deltoidea is popular among medical healer and
local people to treat some illness and disease. Based on traditional knowledge, Ficus
deltoidea leaves posses characteristics of human reproductive organ and in particular for
the female fertility treatment. The different concentrations of Ficus deltoidea's fruit
extracts were given to a different group of mice in a week time and the procedure
proceeds with Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) injection. Fourteen hours later,
oocyte retrieval was conducted in the laboratory. After the oocyte retrieval, the oocyte
quality and quantity from all concentrations were observed. The oocyte quality and
quantity observed includes the total number of oocyte retrieved and the oocyte
morphology base on the standard basis. The finding showed that there were slight
decreased in oocyte quantity however all oocyte showed normal morphology. Other
factors that can influence the result were the strain, age of mice and the environmental
factor


The use of mobile devices to provide context-dependent information to tourists and other city visitors is now an activity that fits well with the paradigm of informal mobile learning (Abowd et al, 1997; Cheverst et al, 2000; Kray and Baus, 2000; Schwinger et al, 2003). When developing requirements for such systems, some have concentrated on the context and its properties (Paay and Kjeldskov, 2005), while other work has concentrated, in an extension of the implications of the natural, non-computer-mediated behaviour of tourists (Brown and Chalmers, 2003). Both these perspectives are of major importance, as is the nature of the information itself; however,in this paper we concentrate on a new perspective, drawn from the interaction of tourists with a human) tourist guide. The work forms part of the requirements elicitation phase of a project to investigate the graphic and interaction design issues of developing an audiovisual cultural heritage guide for the casual learner.


The Honeywell Kitchen Computer is described in a number of places, particularly on the World Wide Web, as a curiosity—a futuristic computer product that never sold. In fact, the Kitchen Computer was merely a publicity stunt, a spoof, continuing a long line of fantasy gifts offered by the up-market American department store Neiman Marcus. But this fantasy status is by no means the whole story. In reality, what was advertised as the Kitchen Computer was actually designed as a serious mini computer, the H316, produced by Honeywell as a part of its Series 16 family of machines—although, even as a commercial product, it was never really intended to sell.

This case raises a number of questions for design historians. What is the definition of a product for design historical purposes? The status of products that actually existed as production items and of products that are 'vapourware'—product proposals that did not materialize—is sometimes difficult to ascertain. This study explores the notion of products and non-products as subjects of design analyses and argues that even non-products can have significant agency as well as provide valuable insights into a period's zeitgeist.


Parenting a child who has Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) brings extraordinary challenges due to the disruptive behaviors which commonly occur with this disorder. A parent's competence and perceived self-efficacy in rearing a child with ADHD may have long-term repercussions on the child's functioning, such as the severity and chronicity of ADHD symptoms beyond adolescence. Online surveys were sent to undergraduate participants and collateral informants (i.e., parents) to collect information on ADHD status, impairment, and parenting style. The purpose was to determine if there was a relationship between emerging adults' ADHD status and how they were reared. Students did not differ in their report of negative parenting styles across ADHD status and parents of students in the ADHD group reported higher satisfaction and efficacy. Across the entire sample, negative parenting styles were associated with ADHD traits (e.g., existing diagnosis, symptoms that meet diagnostic standards) and impaired functioning. Negative parenting style had a larger detrimental impact on ADHD-related symptoms, impairment, and comorbid symptoms for those in the ADHD group compared to those in the control group.


The development of private consumption is a crucial factor in compiling macroeconomic projections as part of national accounts. Household savings also play an important role as an explanatory variable for consumer development, since private households must decide whether to spend their incomes on consumption or saving. The estimated savings rate in DIW Berlin's economic projections can be improved by including micro-data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP). It is evident that the significant increase in the savings rate in the years before the crisis in 2008/2009 is also related to the redistribution of income. While relatively low earners receive their income overwhelmingly from wages or social welfare benefits, wealthy households not only receive higher wages, but also earn the bulk of their money from entrepreneurial activities and income from investments. Particularly in the years before the financial crisis, the latter increased dramatically while wages remained virtually static. Strong income growth has therefore primarily benefited those segments of the population that save a lot. If wage and profit incomes had developed similarly, consumer demand in Germany would have grown faster. In the next two years, however, a further increase in the savings rate is unlikely because of rapidly rising wages.


Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in asynchronous hardware due to the potential of asynchronous logic for higher performance, power efficiency and immunity from clock-related timing problems. This activity has revealed the current lack of suitable languages and notations for the description of asynchronous hardware systems anti has fueled an intense research effort in this area. Communicating sequential processes (CSP) in particular have attracted the interest of many researchers as a potential means for the modelling of asynchronous designs. Contributing to this effort, this paper examines whether Occam, a CSP-based language, may provide a solution to this endeavour.


Multi-person event recognition is a challenging task, often with many people active in the scene but only a small subset contributing to an actual event. In this paper, we propose a model which learns to detect events in such videos while automatically "attending" to the people responsible for the event. Our model does not use explicit annotations regarding who or where those people are during training and testing. In particular, we track people in videos and use a recurrent neural network (RNN) to represent the track features. We learn time-varying attention weights to combine these features at each time-instant. The attended features are then processed using another RNN for event detection/ classification. Since most video datasets with multiple people are restricted to a small number of videos, we also collected a new basketball dataset comprising 257 basketball games with 14K event annotations corresponding to 11 event classes. Our model outperforms state-of-the-art methods for both event classification and detection on this new dataset. Additionally, we show that the attention mechanism is able to consistently localize the relevant players.


Levetiracetam is an antiepileptic drug that has been used both as adjunctive therapy and monotherapy in pediatric patients with epilepsy. We report a patient with cerebral palsy and epilepsy who took 200 mg/kg per day of levetiracetam for 55 days with no apparent adverse effects. Four other cases of accidental overdose were found in the literature; none of these was associated with any apparent adverse effects. These findings suggest that, in at least some cases, levetiracetam doses much higher than the recommended maximum of 60 mg/kg per day can be administered without apparent adverse effects.


In the beginning of the 1960's psychologists started research on the phenomenon of mind-wandering – the occurrence of thoughts unrelated to the demands of the present task and to the current environment of a person. For the first four decades or so, this line of investigation waxed and waned somewhat on the outskirts of mainstream experimental psychology. It was pursued by a handful of researchers only and resulted in scarce publications, which were virtually ignored in the broader (and thriving at that time) field of study on cognition. However, in the last decade or so we have been witnessing a pronounced intensification of research on mind-wandering, considerable advances in this field, and also a noticeable increase of its prominence in behavioural and brain sciences. The article aims at presenting this transition. Mind-wandering could have been regarded as a subject neither encouraging, nor particularly deserving of attention from researchers: hardly amenable to experimental scrutiny, apparently not very important in people's life, and unrelated to major theoretical problems in the study of cognitive processes. Nowadays, this view has been changing. Stable generalizations emerge that concern task-, state- and trait-related conditions conducive to mind-wandering. Researchers successfully link mind-wandering to both behavioural or performance indices and to patterns of brain activity. Mind-wandering proves to be a common phenomenon with important correlates or consequences in our functioning. Studies on this subject turn out to be relevant to some important lines of investigation and theory development in contemporary psychology and neuroscience.


We assess alternative research designs for minimum wage studies. States in the U.S. with larger minimum wage increases differ from others in business cycle severity, increased inequality and polarization, political economy, and regional distribution. The resulting time-varying heterogeneity biases the canonical two-way fixed effects estimator. We consider alternatives including border discontinuity designs, dynamic panel data models, and the synthetic control estimator. Results from four datasets and six approaches all suggest employment effects are small. Covariates are more similar in neighboring counties, and the synthetic control estimator assigns greater weights to nearby donors. These findings also support using local area controls.


The intent of this study was to analyze the interiors of four historic mills and determine how historic character and integrity was maintained during the rehabilitation process. Along with maintaining historic character, this study aimed to identify how historic interiors are introduced to modern design elements. This historic built environment speaks to identity and sense of place through the past, and within rehabilitation, creates and identity and sense of place for a more modern society while keeping significance of the past intact.


One of the bottlenecks hindering the usage of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell technology in automotive applications is the highly load-sensitive degradation of the cell components. The cell failure cases reported in the literature show localized cell component degradation, mainly caused by flow-field dependent non-uniform distribution of reactants. The existing methodologies for diagnostics of localized cell failure are either invasive or require sophisticated and expensive apparatus. In this study, with the help of a multiscale simulation framework, a single polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) model is exposed to a standardized drive cycle provided by a system model of a fuel cell car. A 2D multiphysics model of the PEMFC is used to investigate catalyst degradation due to spatio-temporal variations in the fuel cell state variables under the highly transient load cycles. A three-step (extraction, oxidation, and dissolution) model of platinum loss in the cathode catalyst layer is used to investigate the cell performance degradation due to the consequent reduction in the electro-chemical active surface area (ECSA). By using a time-upscaling methodology, we present a comparative prediction of cell end-of-life (EOL) under different driving behavior of New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC).


With increasing use of component-based development (CBD), the process for selecting software from repositories is a critical concern for quality systems development. As support for developers blending in-house and third party software, the context-driven component evaluation (CdCE) process provides a three-phase approach to software selection: filtering to a short list, functional evaluation and ranking. The process was developed through iterative experimentation on real-world data. CdCE has tool support to generate classifier models, shortlists and test cases as artefacts that provide for a repeatable, transparent process that can be reused as the system evolves. Although developed for software component selection, the CdCE process framework can be easily modified for other selection tasks by substituting templates, tools, evaluation criteria and/or repositories. In this article the authors describe the CdCE process and its development, the CdCE framework as a reusable pattern for software selection and provide a case study where the process is applied.


Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a debilitating complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and now the leading cause of death in SSc patients, largely from progressive respiratory failure or advanced pulmonary hypertension. Despite significant advances in our understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis of SSc-ILD, there are significant uncertainties in the approach to managing these patients given the heterogeneity of presentation, substantial variability in progression, and presence of comorbid cardiopulmonary conditions, particularly pulmonary hypertension and esophageal dilation with recurrent aspiration pneumonitis that portend poor prognosis. Early detection of progressive lung involvement based on worsening pulmonary physiology and quantification of fibrosing alveolitis severity on high-resolution computed tomography is critical as response to immunomodulatory agents is usually best when initiated earlier in the disease course. A selected group of patients may benefit from early referral for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or lung/heart–lung transplant. The last decade has seen a significant advance in evidence-based approaches to treatment of SSc-ILD with immune suppressants, and there are several ongoing treatment trials with recent advances in understanding of the role of pro-inflammatory and profibrotic cytokines in SSc-ILD. The efficacy of antifibrotic agents in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis has also provided another promising avenue for utilization in these patients. In this review, we will provide an up-to-date review of the treatment options for SSc-ILD, the ongoing studies moving this field forward, emerging treatments for SSc-ILD, and propose a management algorithm for SSc-ILD, based on the available evidence in the literature and our experience.


Research about image fusion has grown in the last three decades, essentially because there's a need to improve the data used for computerized post-processing and human visualization, being medical imaging a natural application for it. One of the latest used algorithms is the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) that is used for the analysis of non-stationary signals or those with discontinuities. Nevertheless, there are several wavelets that can be used as bases over which to do the transform. The preference of one over the other is determined experimentally and is heavily dependent on the application; in this case, the fusion of images obtained by magnetic resonance and computerized tomography. The fusion process with the 2D-DWT was done on MATLAB 9.3 CLI, using three pairs of slices for one, two, three and four levels of decomposition. The tested wavelets are symlet5, daubechies5 and discrete Meyer. The symlet5 filters showed the best (higher) mutual information (with superiority of ~0.07%) for all slices and almost all levels of decomposition except for level 2, in which discrete meyer wavelets were superior by 0.17%. For every pair of slices, symlet5 showed the best (lower) joint entropy. The results can be ascertained for T2 MRI and CT images. Keywords—DWT; Image fusion; Computed tomography; Magnetic resonance imaging


Abstract Objective To determine whether dietary supplementation or psychosocial stimulation given to growth retarded (stunted) children age 9-24 months has long term benefits for their psychosocial functioning in late adolescence. Design Sixteen year follow-up study of a randomised controlled trial. Setting Poor neighbourhoods in Kingston, Jamaica. Participants Of 129 stunted children identified at age 9-24 months, 103 adolescents aged 17-18 were followed up. Intervention Supplementation with 1 kg milk based formula each week or psychosocial stimulation (weekly play sessions with mother and child), or both, for two years. Main outcome measures Anxiety, depression, self esteem, and antisocial behaviour assessed by questionnaires administered by interviewers; attention deficit, hyperactivity, and oppositional behaviour assessed by interviews with parents. Results Primary analysis indicated that participants who received stimulation had significantly different overall scores from those who did not (F = 2.047, P = 0.049). Supplementation had no significant effect (F = 1.505, P = 0.17). Participants who received stimulation reported less anxiety (mean difference - 2.81, 95% confidence interval - 5.02 to - 0.61), less depression (- 0.43, - 0.78 to - 0.07), and higher self esteem (1.55, 0.08 to 3.02) and parents reported fewer attention problems (- 3.34, - 6.48 to - 0.19). These differences are equivalent to effect sizes of 0.40-0.49 standard deviations. Conclusions Stimulation in early childhood has sustained benefits to stunted children's emotional outcomes and attention.


We present BlueSky, a network file system backed by cloud storage. BlueSky stores data persistently in a cloud storage provider such as Amazon S3 or Windows Azure, allowing users to take advantage of the reliability and large storage capacity of cloud providers and avoid the need for dedicated server hardware. Clients access the storage through a proxy running on-site, which caches data to provide lower-latency responses and additional opportunities for optimization. We describe some of the optimizations which are necessary to achieve good performance and low cost, including a log-structured design and a secure in-cloud log cleaner. BlueSky supports multiple protocols--both NFS and CIFS--and is portable to different providers.


In this paper a new constitutive model recently suggested by the authors, referred to as the Sydney Soil model, is introduced. The Sydney Soil Model is formulated within the framework of Critical State Soil Mechanics and is suitable for describing the behaviour of structured soils including both clays and sands. In the proposed model, the mechanical behaviour of soil is divided into two parts, that at a reference state and that attributed to the influence of soil structure. The reference state behaviour is formulated according to the soil properties at the critical state of deformation, based on the concept of plastic volumetric hardening. The effects of structure are captured in the model by incorporation of the additional voids ratio that arises due to the presence of soil structure. The formulation is generalized to include both isotropic compression and general shearing. The paper contains the following two parts: (1) the theoretical framework of the Sydney Soil Model; and (2) the capacity of the model to predict laboratory single element tests, including a summary of the main features of soil behaviour that can be successfully captured by the model.


Court-ordered access to high-cost drugs for rare genetic diseases, such as Fabry Disease (alpha-galactosidase-A deficiency), is a growing phenomenon as yet lacking systematic study. An observational, cross-sectional and retrospective study was conducted to characterize the lawsuits related to access to treatment for Fabry Disease by Enzyme Replacement Therapy in the State of Rio Grande do Sul prior to 2007. The study identified 13 lawsuits and 17 plaintiffs, 11 requesting alfa and 6 betagalsidase. The State of RS, the Federal Government, and 5 municipalities figured as defendants, in the form of joinder of parties or otherwise. There were 13 requests for interlocutory relief of which 12 were granted, and 2 sentences were handed down, both favorable. "Risk of death" was alleged by doctors in 4 prescriptions and by lawyers in the 13 lawsuits. The data suggest the lack of discussions combining aspects of medical efficacy and safety, cost-effectiveness, economic impact, and legal and constitutional arguments, which requires a specific policy for rare genetic diseases to standardize access to treatment.


This paper sets out to examine the political impact of September 11, 2001, on South and Southeast Asia, focusing on three countries in particular: Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia. It argues that the events following the terrorist attacks on the United States of America gave the American government the pretext to once again extend its foreign policy outreach to key Muslim states all over Asia and to deploy the ambiguous trope of the 'war on terror' as a means to justify the direct and indirect intervention in the domestic political affairs of the countries concerned. However the paper also shows how the governments of these Muslim countries were willing and able to adopt and adapt themselves to the rhetoric of the 'war on terror' to suit their own domestic political agendas, chief among which was to marginalize and demonise the legitimate Islamist opposition movements within their own borders. This conjunction of interests between the American government and compradore Muslim regimes has helped to further sediment the fear of Islam and political Islamism in particular, thereby reproducing and perpetuating the logic of Islamophobia well beyond the borders of the Western world.


Performance analysis for linear time-invariant (LTI) systems has been closely tied to quadratic Lyapunov functions ever since it was shown that LTI system stability is equivalent to the existence of such a Lyapunov function. Some metrics for LTI systems, however, have resisted treatment via means of quadratic Lyapunov functions. Among these, point-wise-in-time metrics, such as peak norms, are not captured accurately using these techniques, and this shortcoming has prevented the development of tools to analyze system behavior by means other than e.g. time-domain simulations. This work demonstrates how the more general class of homogeneous polynomial Lyapunov functions can be used to approximate point-wise-in-time behavior for LTI systems with greater accuracy, and we extend this to the case of linear time-varying (LTV) systems as well. Our findings rely on the recent observation that the search for homogeneous polynomial Lyapunov functions for LTV systems can be recast as a search for quadratic Lyapunov functions for a related hierarchy of time-varying Lyapunov differential equations; thus, performance guarantees for LTV systems are attainable without heavy computation. Numerous examples are provided to demonstrate the findings of this work.


We carry out numerical-relativity simulations of coalescing binary neutron stars in a scalar-tensor theory that admits spontaneous scalarization. We model neutron stars with realistic equations of state. We choose the free parameters of the theory taking into account the constraints imposed by the latest observations of neutron-star‐ white-dwarf binaries with pulsar timing. We show that even within those severe constraints, scalarization can still affect the evolution of the binary neutron stars not only during the late inspiral, but also during the merger stage. We also confirm that even when both neutron stars have quite small scalar charge at large separations, they can be strongly scalarized dynamically during the final stages of the inspiral. In particular, we identify the binary parameters for which scalarization occurs either during the late inspiral or only after the onset of the merger when a remnant, supramassive or hypermassive neutron star is formed. We also discuss how those results can impact the extraction of physical information on gravitational waves once they are detected.


Primary synovial chondromatosis is a benign metaplasia in which synovial tissue transforms into cartilagenous tissue. Primary synovial chondromatosis develops from joint or tendon synovium. Secondary synovial chondromatosis occurs with the implantation of cartilage fragments into the tissue as a result of degenerative disease (osteoarthritis), neuropathic arthropathy, or trauma.[1,2] Synovial chondromatosis is twice as common in males, and the most frequent complaints are pain, swelling, and restricted range of motion in the affected joint.[1] This condition may present with findings of trigger finger or carpal tunnel syndrome, depending on the location.[2] Synovial chondromatosis originating from the joints most commonly affects the knee, hip, and wrist joints, whereas the disease originating from the tendon sheath most frequently involves the feet and the fingers


Aerodynamic shape optimization of axial gas turbines in three dimensional flow is addressed. An effective and practical shape parameterization strategy for turbine stages is introduced to minimize the adverse effects of three-dimensional flow features on the turbine performance. The optimization method combines a genetic algorithm (GA), with a Response Surface Approximation (RSA) of the Artifcial Neural Network (ANN) type. During the optimization process, the individual objectives and constraints are approximated using ANN that is trained and tested using a few three-dimensional CFD ow simulations; the latter are obtained using the commercial CFD package Ansys-Fluent. To minimize three-dimensional effects, the stator and rotor stacking curves are taken as the design variable. They are parametrically represented using a quadratic rational Bezier curve (QRBC) whose parameters are directly and explicitly related to the blade lean, sweep and bow, which are used as the design variables. In addition, a noble representation of the stagger angle in the spanwise direction is introduced. The described strategy was applied to optimize the performance of the E/TU-3 axial turbine stage which is designed and tested in Germany. The optimization objectives introduced the isentropic efficiency and the streamwise vorticity, subject to some constraints. This optimization strategy proved to be successful, fexible and practical, and resulted in remarkable improvements in stage performance.


The 93-mile West Highland Way is indisputably Britain's most spectacular long-distance path. The first section, following the eastern shore of Loch Lomond, offers an idyllic waterside walk, with the full grandeur of the Highlands gradually revealing itself. Then, after crossing the barren wilderness of the Rannoch Moor, the walker climbs the Devil's Staircase above Glencoe and traverses classic Highland landscapes to reach Fort William and, if he or she wishes, a grand finale at the peak of Britain's highest mountain, Ben Nevis. This comprehensive, easy-to-use guide is an authoritative companion, packed with indispensable information.


We have used a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction procedure (differential display) to identify cDNAs corresponding to transcripts affected by water stress in peanuts ( Arachis hypogaea L.). Using this method, we have identified several mRNA transcripts that are up- or down-regulated following water stress. With 21 primer combinations, a total of 1235 differential display products were observed in irrigated samples, compared to 950 differential display products in stressed samples. These products demonstrated qualitative and quantitative differences in the gene expression. The differentially expressed transcripts were collectively named PTRD (Peanut Transcripts Responsive to Drought). We have identified a total of 43 PTRD, which were significantly altered due to water stress. Slot blot analysis of 16 PTRD indicated that 12 were completely suppressed due to prolonged drought, two were down-regulated, and two were up-regulated under drought stress conditions. The 12 completely suppressed transcripts were studied further by RNA dot-blot analysis to compare their expression in drought tolerant and susceptible lines, which underwent three weeks of water stress. PTRD-1, -10, and -16 expressed for longer period in tolerant line compared to the susceptible line and can be used as molecular markers for screening peanut lines for drought tolerance.


Fabrication and photophysical study of photofunctional nanoporous alumina membrane (PNAM) were performed, and its application of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) was investigated. Nanoporous alumina membrane (NAM) was fabricated by two-step aluminium anodic oxidation process. Surface of the fabricated NAM was modified with organo-silane agent to induce covalent bonding between NAM and a photosensitizer (PtCP: [5,10,15-triphenyl-20-(4-methoxycarbonylphenyl)porphyrin] platinum). PtCP was covalently bonded to the surface of the modified NAM by nucleophilic acyl substitution reaction process. The morphology and the photophysical properties of the fabricated PNAM were confirmed with field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), steady-state spectroscopies, and nanosecond laser-induced time-resolved spectroscopy. For the efficacy study of PNAM in PACT, an enveloped animal virus, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), was utilized as a target organism. Antiviral effect of the PNAM-PACT was measured by the extent of suppression of plaque-forming units (PFU) after the light irradiation. In the cultures inoculated with PACT-treated VSV, the suppression of PFU was prominent, which demonstrates that PNAM is a potential bio clean-up tool.


Four insufficiently described species of ectosymbiotic peritrich ciliates in the family Lagenophryidae that occur on crustacean hosts in Australia and New Guinea are redescribed. These include two species of Operculigera from phreatoicid isopods, one species of Setonophrys from a phreatoicid isopod, and one species of Lagenophrys from a palaemonid shrimp. Two undescribed species of Operculigera, also found on phreatoicid isopods, are described for the first time. Australian species of Operculigera appear to be restricted to phreatoicid hosts. This is unusual because a diverse array of other lagenophryids occur on parastacid crayfish in Australia. Furthermore, species of Operculigera are conspicuous symbionts of parastacids and various freshwater crabs in Chile and Madagascar. In addition to this peculiarity of distribution, the Australian species of Operculigera appear to comprise a morphologically distinct group within the genus.


This article analyzes the relation between Francis Bacon's Sylva sylvarum one of its most important sources, Giovan Barttista Della Porta's Magia naturalis. I claim that Bacon used Della Porta's experimental reports as a basis upon which he built his science of metaphysics and natural magic. Since Della Porta's interest lies in the immediate transformation of individual bodies, Bacon considers his approach an inferior kind of science, what he called physics mechanics. There are several changes Bacon made to Della Porta's experimental reports. They can be grouped by addition of causal explanations, generalizations, selection reordering of instances under different headings. Through all these transformations, Bacon acquires a more profound knowledge of nature and its inner activities and takes Della Porta's experimental reports to the "superior" science of metaphysics and natural magic.


Sairanen, Essi Behavioral and psychological flexibility in eating regulation among overweight adults Jyväskylä: University of Jyväskylä, 2016, 77 p. (Jyväskylä Studies in Education, Psychology and Social Research ISSN 0075-4625; 554) ISBN 978-951-39-6637-9 (nid.) ISBN 978-951-39-6638-6 (PDF) Diss. Weight-loss programs are often based on self-control techniques and they commonly fail in long-term weight management. Identifying psychological processes that explain eating behaviors can help to develop more effective interventions for long-term weight management. This research examined how behavioral and psychological flexibility are related to eating regulation and weight management in overweight adults. The first goal was to study the effects of flexible vs. rigid restraint of eating on weight-loss maintenance and well-being. The second goal was to examine whether psychological flexibility and mindfulness, independently and together, explain intuitive eating regulation. The third goal was to evaluate the mediating effects of mindfulness and psychological flexibility on enhancing intuitive eating and losing weight in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) interventions. The first data set included information on 49 overweight persons who participated in a weight-loss intervention. The results indicated that an increase in flexible cognitive restraint was related to better weight-loss maintenance and well-being. Moreover, a larger reduction of rigid restraint during the follow-up period was related to a better maintenance of improved psychological well-being. The second data set featured overweight, psychologically distressed persons (n = 306) who participated in psychological lifestyle interventions. The results indicated that mindfulness and psychological flexibility were related constructs that explain intuitive eating together, but also independently. The third study investigated participants of the ACT interventions (face-to-face in a group and mobile, n = 219). Changes in weight-related psychological flexibility mediated the effects of the interventions on weight and intuitive eating. These findings suggested that enhanced ability to continue with valued activities even when confronted with negative emotions and thoughts related to one's weight mediated the intervention effect in the ACT-based interventions aiming for lifestyle changes. In conclusion, this research supports flexibility and acceptance processes as a means for treating eating and weight issues.


In modern education, there has been an increasing emphasis on creative thinking, collaborative problem-solving and critical discussion. In this chapter, I argue that learning communities foster these skills and thus provide a strong foundation for deep learning; i.e. learning that is based on deep reasoning and active knowledge building as defined by Krathwohl (2002), Chi and Ohlsson (2005) and Sfard (2001). Furthermore, learning communities cater to the learner's main psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness (ACR) (Deci and Ryan 1985). This is important, since ACR fulfillment facilitates deep learning by providing the ground for active knowledge building in the teaching and learning interaction. An analysis of an authentic teaching and learning interaction, in which a student is taught about an electric circuit, shows how the teacher facilitates deep learning through selected communicative means; e.g. questions that scaffold deep reasoning along higher cognitive processes like 'evaluating' and 'creating'. An in-depth analysis of selected sequences in the interaction leads to a communicative model for deep learning, which I call 'Dialogic Knowledge Building' (DKB). DKB revolves around question-answer sequences that promote the learner's re-representation of knowledge in terms of complex conceptualizations.


Context: Medical educators agree that empathy is essential for physicians' professionalism. The Health Professional Version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE-HP) was developed in response to a need for a psychometrically sound instrument to measure empathy in the context of patient care. Although extensive support for its validity and reliability is available, the authors recognize the necessity to examine psychometrics of the JSE-HP in different socio-cultural contexts to assure the psychometric soundness of this instrument. The first aim of this study was to confirm its psychometric properties in the cross-cultural context of Spain and Latin American countries. The second aim was to measure the influence of social and cultural factors on the development of medical empathy in health practitioners. Methods: The original English version of the JSE-HP was translated into International Spanish using back-translation procedures. The Spanish version of the JSE-HP was administered to 896 physicians from Spain and 13 Latin American countries. Data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) with oblique rotation (promax) to allow for correlation among the resulting factors, followed by a second analysis, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Two theoretical models, one based on the English JSE-HP and another on the first Spanish student version of the JSE (JSE-S), were tested. Demographic variables were compared using group comparisons. Results: A total of 715 (80%) surveys were returned fully completed. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the JSE for the entire sample was 0.84. The psychometric properties of the Spanish JSE-HP matched those of the original English JSE-HP. However, the Spanish JSE-S model proved more appropriate than the original English model for the sample in this study. Group comparisons among physicians classified by gender, medical specialties, cultural and cross-cultural backgrounds yielded statistically significant differences (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The findings support the underlying factor structure of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE). The results reveal the importance of culture in the development of medical empathy. The cross-cultural differences described could open gates for further lines of medical education research.


ABSTRACT The Paleoproterozoic Stark Formation, a thick breccia unit, formed during the transition from marine to non-marine foreland basin fill in the Athapuscow Basin, Northwest Territories, Canada. Four types of breccia occur in the Stark Formation: (1) bedded breccias at the base of the unit, overlying the basinal facies of the underlying Pethei Group, are interpreted as debris flows, (2) massive chaotic breccias occur in the lower part of the Stark Formation throughout the basin and these are interpreted to be evaporite-collapse breccias; (3) siltstone and mudstone breccia occurs in the upper part of the Stark Formation and is also interpreted as evaporite collapse breccia, though much less evaporite was involved in its formation than the underlying chaotic breccia; and (4) laminar accretionary breccia consisting of laminar carbonate clasts, commonly with flat bottoms and convex-up upper surface geometries; these clasts occur in lenticular pods and are interpreted to form in caves following dissolution of evaporites or carbonates. The widespread presence and abundance of evaporite pseudomorphs (especially halite) in all breccia types, the stratigraphic restriction of the Stark Formation, and irregular filling above this unit indicates that all but the bedded breccia formed by the dissolution and collapse of evaporites. Chaotic breccia directly above underlying Pethei Group shallow-water and deep-water carbonates indicates the evaporates formed across the platform and adjacent deep basin. Foundered megaclasts (up to 1.5 km long and 40 m thick) in basinal settings suggest cumulative evaporite thicknesses on the order of a few tens to a few hundreds of meters. Carbonate clasts in all the breccias contain abundant wave ripples, planar laminations, stromatolites, and ooids. These structures along with a paucity of subaerial exposure features indicates nearly all carbonate deposition in the Stark was subaqueous. Thus, by inference the evaporites in the Stark Formation were also partially subaqueous. Displacive halite pseudomorphs are common throughout all facies in the Stark Formation. Silicified and dolomite-filled halite pseudomorphs are common along the contact between the evaporite-collapse breccia and underlying carbonate platform (Pethei Group) and surrounding large clasts in basinal settings. Silicified hopper crystal casts within deep-water rhythmites of the uppermost Pethei Group indicate precipitation of halite over deep waters. Gypsum pseudomorphs are exceedingly rare, and anhydrite pseudomorphs were not observed. The dominance of halite features in this basin and two penecontemporaneous basins (Kilihigok Basin and Wopmay Orogen) surrounding the Slave Craton suggests that, relative to the present day, seawater at 1.9 to 1.8 Ga was oversaturated with respect to calcium carbonate, had higher HCO3- concentration, and possibly was depleted in SO42-. The dearth of extensive, thick-bedded marine gypsum in the Archean and early Paleoproterozoic can be explained by low atmospheric oxygen content prior to 2 Ga in conjunction with increased carbonate saturation before 1.6 Ga.


Reinterpretation of sea-floor morphology and modelling of Weichselian relative sea-level history on the continental shelf off Troms suggest that beach-like features and sandy basins are unlikely to have been formed primarily by littoral processes. Sea-floor sand transportation has probably been caused by bottom currents, which still flow today. Two seaward-dipping platforms, one at 50-110 m and one at 75-130 m depth on Sveinsgrunnen, Malangsgrunnen and Nordvestbanken, have previously been interpreted as wave-cut platforms. Their gradients are approximately parallel and 50 and 75 m deeper, respectively, than the extrapolated Late Weichselian North Andoy Shoreline (NAS). These platforms therefore seem to be older features, most likely formed mainly by glacial erosion and accumulation processes during the Pleistocene.


N,N-dimethylacetoacetamide (DMAAm) is a β-dicarbonyl compound used as an industrial intermediate. This study investigated the disposition and metabolism of [14C]DMAAm in male rats and female mice. A single oral dose of [14C]DMAAm (target dose of 10 or 130 mg/kg) was administered to male F344 and Wistar-Han rats. [14C]DMAAm was almost completely absorbed and excreted in urine, with ca. 80−90% of the dose recovered within 24 h for both rat strains. Fecal excretion and CO2 exhalation were minimal (1 and 2%, respectively). Less than 3% of the dose remained in tissues at 24 h. There was no apparent dose- or strain-related difference in the disposition of [14C]DMAAm in rats. In female B6C3F1 mice administered 8 mg/kg [14C]DMAAm, 80% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in urine and cage rinse in 24 h. Urinary metabolites were isolated and characterized by liquid chromatography /mass spectrometry following oral administration of 435 mg/kg [14C]DMAAm in male F344 rats. Metabolism occurred via reduction of the 3-keto group and oxidation of the N-methyl groups, to give N,N-dimethyl-3-hydroxybutanamide, N-methyl-N-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxybutanamide, and N-hydroxymethyl-3-hydroxybutanamide, and N-demethylation to give N-monomethylacetoacetamide (MMAAm).


The time variation of contacts in a networked system may fundamentally alter the properties of spreading processes and affect the condition for large-scale propagation, as encoded in the epidemic threshold. Despite the great interest in the problem for the physics, applied mathematics, computer science and epidemiology communities, a full theoretical understanding is still missing and currently limited to the cases where the time-scale separation holds between spreading and network dynamics or to specific temporal network models. We consider a Markov chain description of the Susceptible-Infectious-Susceptible process on an arbitrary temporal network. By adopting a multilayer perspective, we develop a general analytical derivation of the epidemic threshold in terms of the spectral radius of a matrix that encodes both network structure and disease dynamics. The accuracy of the approach is confirmed on a set of temporal models and empirical networks and against numerical results. In addition, we explore how the threshold changes when varying the overall time of observation of the temporal network, so as to provide insights on the optimal time window for data collection of empirical temporal networked systems. Our framework is both of fundamental and practical interest, as it offers novel understanding of the interplay between temporal networks and spreading dynamics.


Wireless networking provides a ready and cost effective solution for business applications. It has escalated in popularity mainly due to the ability to form computer networks without a wired based infrastructure. However, accompanying the widespread usage also comes the inherent prospect of criminal misuse, including unauthorized application and the launch of system attacks. This paper presents the testing of an innovative Wireless Forensic Model (WFM) system that provides capability for acquisition and preservation of wireless network traffic (802.11) frames by implementing a wireless drone architecture. It is thus a forensic readiness system providing available evidence for forensic investigation. The results show that the tested system has the ability to collect upwards of 90% of all frames, as well as evidence and detection of attacks conducted against the wireless network.


The present monograph grew out of the fifth set of Hermann Weyl Lectures, given by Professor Griffiths at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, in fall 1974. In Chapter 1 the author discusses Emile Borel's proof and the classical Jensen theorem, order of growth of entire analytic sets, order functions for entire holomorphic mappings, classical indicators of orders of growth, and entire functions and varieties of finite order. Chapter 2 is devoted to the appearance of curvature, and Chapter 3 considers the defect relations. The author considers the lemma on the logarithmic derivative, R. Nevanlinna's proof of the defect relation, and refinements of the classical case.


An experiment was carried out to evaluate the in vivo and in vitro sensibility of a Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis isolate (Cmm) to the products kasugamicyn cloridrate, fulusulfamide and oxytetracicline. In the in vitro tests, the inhibition formed around the discs of filter papers soaked with the chemicals was evaluated, for concentrations of 0, 1, 10, 100 and 1000 mg mL-1, 24 h after the installation of the experiment. In the in vivo evaluation, two experiments were installed under greenhouse conditions, with tomato plants cv. Ângela Hiper and two methods of inoculation: leaf spray and stem injury. In both experiments, the plants were sprayed with 0.06 mL L-1 of kasugamicyn chloridrate, 0.025, 0.05 and 0.075 mL L-1 of fulusulfamide and 0.40 g L-1 of oxytetracycline, twice before and twice after the inoculations, at intervals of 5 to 7 days. The incidence of diseased leaves (inoculation by leaf spray) and the severity of the symptoms in the plants inoculated by stem injury was evaluated. The Cmm isolate was in vitro sensitive to kasugamicyn chloridrate, fulusulfamide and oxytetracycline in the respective concentrations of 1000, 100 and 10 mg mL-1. Only the oxytetracycline promoted a lower incidence of diseased leaves in the plants inoculated by leaf spray. None of the chemicals had success in the disease control (inoculation by stem injury). The fulusulfamide, in all concentrations, was toxic to the leaves of tomato plants.


This article explores the lived experiences of two academics in a UK Higher Education Institution who have embedded digital learning approaches within their curriculum delivery. Achieving student excellence can be impeded by a lack of engagement and sense of identity on large courses. Digital learning strategies can offer opportunities to overcome these challenges by empowering students to engage self-confidently. Through an evaluation of the authors' own experiences of using social media, polling and web-conferencing software, the article shows how interacting with students via a range of learning technologies can create more inclusive and engaging learning environments. Including feedback from students within this article provides evidence that diversification of communication within teaching and learning practice gives students more choice and opportunity to interact with both their peers and teaching staff. The article concludes with recommendations for embedding technology, whilst acknowledging the well-established value of face-to-face interaction.


We evaluated the use of macroinvertebrates as a potential tool to identify dry and intensively farmed temporary and seasonal wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region. The techniques we designed and evaluated used the dried remains of invertebrates or their egg banks in soils as indicators of wetlands. For both the dried remains of invertebrates and their egg banks, we weighted each taxon according to its affinity for wetlands or uplands. Our study clearly demonstrated that shells, exoskeletons, head capsules, eggs, and other remains of macroinvertebrates can be used, to identify wetlands, even when they are dry, intensively farmed, and difficult to identify as wetlands using standard criteria (i.e., hydrology, hydrophytic vegetation, and hydric soils). Although both dried remains and egg banks identified wetlands, the combination was more useful, especially for identifying drained or filled wetlands. We also evaluated the use of coarse taxonomic groupings to stimulate use of the technique by nonspecialists and obtained satisfactory results in most situations.


PURPOSE: to determine the clarification of the persons in charge for the children in speech language pathology attendance, to check the self-judgment of the person in charge for the decision on the type of treatment and the interference of the persons in charge scholar level on knowledge as for the therapy of their children. METHODS: a questionnaire was carried out under interview form with a pattern of 33 trainee and 33 persons in charge for children between 2 and 12-year-old, under treatment in the Clinic of Speech Language Pathologist of The Federal University of Minas Gerais. For analyzing the data we used Chi-Square test and Pearson test, through the program: Minitab 13. RESULTS: in 95% of the cases, the guardians considered participating in the decision-making regarding treatment; however, when questioned as for what treatment was being performed, only 39.4% answered correctly. The majority of the persons in charge (95%) related having participated in the child's treatment decision, however just 39,4% answered correctly on the treatment. The percentage of correct answers was more elevated for the individuals with complete high-school degree (60%), than individuals with incomplete elementary degree (30%), however its was not a significant statistic value (p=0.36). CONCLUSIONS: the major portion of the persons in charge do not have participation in decisions concerning the treatment carried out in their children, once that they related passive attitudes in front of this decision process and do not show knowledge on the treatment carried out with their children. The knowledge tends to be better for individuals with higher scholar level.


Much of the literature on aid-in-dying (AID) has drawn heavily on rights-based ethical and legal frameworks that emphasize patients' rights of self-determination in end-of-life decision-making. Less attention has focused on how terminally ill people actually experience such putative rights once they are legally authorized. This analytic essay draws on findings from the Vermont Study on Aid-in-Dying, an ethnographic study of the implementation of AID in Vermont (2015-2017). First, I show that terminally ill people can face a range of barriers to accessing AID in permissive jurisdictions, and that access to AID is mediated by various inequalities endemic to US health care, as well as some that are unique to AID. I then build on these findings to examine the utility of the concept of justice for public health scholarship on AID. By integrating empirical, ethical, and policy analysis, I reframe rights-based frameworks that emphasize the role of individual choice and decision-making at the end of life. In doing so, I draw attention to health care justice as a neglected issue in public health perspectives on AID.


This article lays out the constitutional underpinnings of progressive taxation and demonstrates the breadth of government's power to tax. It takes the position that limits on the taxing power must yield to pragmatism and that the Supreme Court, for sound policy reasons, has consistently vindicated an expansive view of the taxing power, a view which easily encompasses vertical equity and, hence, the power to tax progressively. The article responds in part to Calvin Massey's revival of Richard Epstein's suggestion that progressive taxation might violate the Fifth Amendment's Takings clause.


The essential insight of quantum error correction was that quantum information can be protected by suitably encoding this quantum information across multiple independently erred quantum systems. Recently it was realized that, since the most general method for encoding quantum information is to encode it into a subsystem, there exists a novel form of quantum error correction beyond the traditional quantum error correcting subspace codes. These new quantum error correcting subsystem codes differ from subspace codes in that their quantum correcting routines can be considerably simpler than related subspace codes. Here we present a class of quantum error correcting subsystem codes constructed from two classical linear codes. These codes are the subsystem versions of the quantum error correcting subspace codes which are generalizations of Shor's original quantum error correcting subspace codes. For every Shor-type code, the codes we present give a considerable savings in the number of stabilizer measurements needed in their error recovery routines.


A collaborative study on the robustness and portability of a capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry method for peptide mapping was performed by an international team, consisting of 13 independent laboratories from academia and industry. All participants used the same batch of samples, reagents and coated capillaries to run their assays, whereas they utilized the capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry equipment available in their laboratories. The equipment used varied in model, type and instrument manufacturer. Furthermore, different types of sheath-flow capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry interfaces were used. Migration time, peak height and peak area of ten representative target peptides of trypsin-digested bovine serum albumin were determined by every laboratory on two consecutive days. The data were critically evaluated to identify outliers and final values for means, repeatability (precision within a laboratory) and reproducibility (precision between laboratories) were established. For relative migration time the repeatability was between 0.05 and 0.18% RSD and the reproducibility between 0.14 and 1.3% RSD. For relative peak area repeatability and reproducibility values obtained were 3-12 and 9-29% RSD, respectively. These results demonstrate that capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry is robust enough to allow a method transfer across multiple laboratories and should promote a more widespread use of peptide mapping and other capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry applications in biopharmaceutical analysis and related fields.


Of many recent interventions to improve the workplace, Information and communications technology (ICT) is referred to as a major enrichment. Admittedly, ICT has impacted the worker's responsiveness, her interaction with colleagues or the boss, communication, and even QWL. However, diversity of the workplace appears to be now a strategic issue in organizations that employ a global workforce. Implicating diversity are culture- and gender- related factors that would also impact job design and productivity—aspects of great interest to management. This study has explored the associated perceptions prevailing among UAE's white collar diaspora that now comprises 70% expatriates. However, unlike other attitudinal studies, the present study avoids loss of information due to factor analysis-based techniques. This modification has led to easier discovery of actionable management interventions. To this end this study invokes the Kano Model of customer satisfaction to assess items influencing job satisfaction. In this way it uncovers implications for management by detecting differences in perception of QWL among male/female and national and the expatriate workforces. On the other hand, workplace automation, often used by management to tackle productivity bottlenecks, is perceived by these employees as a "must"—in Kano's terminology—i.e., as a basic requirement of white collar workplace such as the telephone or air-conditioning, rather than something that "delights" or is a "functional" attribute of the workplace.


INTRODUCTION AND AIMS
We aimed to characterise motor performance in predominantly Aboriginal children living in very remote Australia, where rates of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are high. Motor performance was assessed, and the relationship between motor skills, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and PAE was explored.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Motor performance was assessed using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition Complete Form, in a population-based study of children born in 2002 or 2003 living in the Fitzroy Valley, Western Australia. Composite scores ≥2SD (2nd percentile) and ≥1SD (16th percentile) below the mean were used respectively for FASD diagnosis and referral for treatment. FASD diagnoses were assigned using modified Canadian Guidelines.

RESULTS
A total of 108 children (Aboriginal: 98.1%; male: 53%) with a mean age of 8.7 years was assessed. The cohort's mean total motor composite score (mean ± SD 47.2 ± 7.6) approached the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition normative mean (50 ± 10). Motor performance was lower in children with FASD diagnosis than without (mean difference (MD) ± SD: -5.0 ± 1.8; confidence interval: -8.6 to -1.5). There was no difference between children with PAE than without (MD ± SE: -2.2 ± 1.5; confidence interval: -5.1 to 0.80). The prevalence of motor impairment (≥-2SD) was 1.9% in the entire cohort, 9.5% in children with FASD, 3.3% in children with PAE and 0.0% both in children without PAE or FASD.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Almost of 10% of children with FASD has significant motor impairment. Evaluation of motor function should routinely be included in assessments for FASD, to document impairment and enable targeted early intervention.[Lucas BR, Doney R, Latimer J, Watkins RE, Tsang TW, Hawkes G, Fitzpatrick JP, Oscar J, Carter M, Elliott EJ. Impairment of motor skills in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in remote Australia: The Lililwan Project. Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:719-727].


BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with sleep apnoea syndrome (SAS) is classically ascribed to associated chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the possible occurrence of PAH as a complication of SAS in patients without COPD. METHODS Right heart catheterisation was performed in 44 patients with SAS and without COPD confirmed by polysomnography (apnoea index >5/h) admitted for the administration of nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). RESULTS Precapillary PAH, defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure of >20 mm Hg with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure <15 mm Hg, was observed in 12/44 (27%) patients with SAS. There were no significant differences in apnoea index between patients with (PAH+) and those without PAH (PAH–) (42.6 (26.3) versus 35.8 (21.7) apnoeas/h). The PAH+ group differed significantly from the PAH– group in the following respects: lower daytime arterial oxygen tension (Pao 2) (9.6 (1.1) versus 11.3 (1.5) kPa, p=0.0006); higher daytime arterial carbon dioxide tension (Paco 2) (5.8 (0.5) versus 5.3 (0.5) kPa, p=0.002); more severe nocturnal hypoxaemia with a higher percentage of total sleep time spent at Sao 2<80% (32.2 (28.5)% versus 10.7 (18.8)%, p=0.005); and higher body mass index (BMI) (37.4 (6) versus 30.3 (6.7) kg/m2, p=0.002). The PAH+ patients had significantly lower values of vital capacity (VC) (87 (14)% predicted versus 105 (20)% predicted, p=0.005), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (82 (14)% predicted versus 101 (17)% predicted, p=0.001), expiratory reserve volume (40 (16)% predicted versus 77 (41)% predicted, p=0.003), and total lung capacity (87 (13)% predicted versus 98 (18)% predicted, p=0.04). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAPm) was positively correlated with BMI and negatively with Pao 2. CONCLUSION Pulmonary arterial hypertension is frequently observed in patients with SAS, even when COPD is absent, and appears to be related to the severity of obesity and its respiratory mechanical consequences.


The objective of this investigation is to describe the associations of number of eating episodes and proportion of meals eaten away from home with total serum cholesterol. Data from 499 participants, recruited from a health maintenance organization in central Massachusetts, aged 20-70, were used for this analysis. Dietary information and total blood cholesterol were obtained at five sampling points (baseline and four consecutive quarters) during the one-year follow-up. A cross-sectional study was conducted. The results from the study do not support the hypothesis that the number of eating episodes per day is associated with total blood cholesterol. However, we noted that the mean concentration of total cholesterol decreased with increasing number of eating episodes among women, although the adjusted mean among three categories of number of eating episodes per day was not statistically significant. On the other hand, the results of our study suggest that increased frequency of meals (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) eaten away from home is positively associated with mean total blood cholesterol concentration. Furthermore, meals eaten away from home, especially breakfast and dinner, were significantly higher in total calories, and percent calories from total and saturated fat, but lower in percent calories from protein and carbohydrate, and grams of fiber, than corresponding meals eaten at home. We conclude that eating out may have adverse influences on blood lipids. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of eating away from home on blood lipids. [N A J Med Sci. 2011;4(4):222-231.]


Passive acoustic telemetry provides the opportunity to monitor and contextualize the movements of diverse aquatic animals. Despite depth being an essential dimension along which many processes are organized, the Eulerian structure of the acoustic telemetry data (movements perceived from fixed locations) and the consequences of sound propagation in water hinders the incorporation of the vertical dimension into animal's space use analyses. Here, we propose a new data‐driven quantitative method to estimate 3D space use from telemetry networks. The methodology is based on simulating large numbers of stochastic synthetic paths, accommodating the detection probability around receivers and the depth information from transmitters and integrating the local topography. The methodological protocol is explained in detail and tested with acoustic telemetry data from the common dentex Dentex dentex in a Mediterranean marine protected area. We present 3D space use estimations for the tagged individuals and compare them with other 3D and 2D estimations derived with existing probabilistic methods. 3D space use estimations that incorporate topography provided a more comprehensive view of the movement ecology of tracked individuals, with relevant pieces being missed by 2D representations. Our method generated realistic representations of the actual spatial co‐occurrence of individuals, including the spatio‐temporal identification of relevant aggregation areas.


Complex hydrodynamic behavior of circulating fluidized beds makes their scale-up very complicated. In particular, large-scale lateral solids segregation causes a complex two-phase flow pattern which influences significantly their performance. Lateral solids segregation has been attributed to direct collisional interactions between particles as well as to interaction between gas-phase eddies and dispersed particles. However, these phenomena have not been investigated thoroughly.
This article discusses an advanced 2-D hydrodynamic model developed for circulating fluidized beds based on the two-fluid concept. Because theory to model the interaction between gas-phase eddies and dispersed particles is not available, turbulence was modeled on a macroscopic scale using a modified Prandtl mixing length model. To model the influence of direct particle-particle collisions the kinetic theory for granular flow was applied based on the Chapman-Enskog theory of dense gases. For model validation purposes, a cold flow circulating fluidized bed was employed in which sand was transported with air as fluidizing agent. The column is equipped with pressure transducers to measure the axial pressure profile and with a reflective optical fiber probe to measure the local solids concentration and axial solids velocity. Theoretically calculated solids concentration and axial solids velocity agree satisfactorily with experiment, especially when one realizes that the model contains no adjustable parameters. In general, however, the model slightly underpredicted the experimentally observed lateral solids segregation and yielded a more peaked velocity profile compared to its experimental counterpart


GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is an incretin released from intestinal L-cells in response to food intake. Activation of the GLP-1 receptor potentiates the synthesis and release of insulin from pancreatic β-cells in a glucose-dependent manner. The GLP-1 receptor belongs to class B of the G-protein-coupled receptors, a subfamily characterized by a large N-terminal extracellular ligand binding domain. Exendin-4 and GLP-1 are 50% identical, and exendin-4 is a full agonist with similar affinity and potency for the GLP-1 receptor. We recently solved the crystal structure of the GLP-1 receptor extracellular domain in complex with the competitive antagonist exendin-4(9–39). Interestingly, the isolated extracellular domain binds exendin-4 with much higher affinity than the endogenous agonist GLP-1. Here, we have solved the crystal structure of the extracellular domain in complex with GLP-1 to 2.1 Åresolution. The structure shows that important hydrophobic ligand-receptor interactions are conserved in agonist- and antagonist-bound forms of the extracellular domain, but certain residues in the ligand-binding site adopt a GLP-1-specific conformation. GLP-1 is a kinked but continuous α-helix from Thr13 to Val33 when bound to the extracellular domain. We supplemented the crystal structure with site-directed mutagenesis to link the structural information of the isolated extracellular domain with the binding properties of the full-length receptor. The data support the existence of differences in the binding modes of GLP-1 and exendin-4 on the full-length GLP-1 receptor.


A Unit Cell Synthesis Method was developed recently for designing meta-materials from unit cell level to achieve prescribed nonlinear deformation response. The method starts with a process of selecting and combining a set of elemental functional geometries (EFG) and elemental structural geometries (ESG) to form the unit cell structure. A subsequent size optimization is performed to obtain an optimal design which provides the targeted nonlinear deformation behavior. While the method is proven effective in producing feasible meta-material designs, the design and optimization of the unit cells relies heavily on nonlinear finite element analysis, which makes the overall process computationally intensive and time consuming. In this work, a semi-analytical approach is developed for predicting the large deformation response of EFGs and their combinations. In this approach, non-dimensional load and deformation parameters are proposed for the EFGs including cantilever, fixed-fixed and circular beams. The deformation parameters are then expressed as nonlinear analytical functions of the load parameters. The load parameters are generalized for each geometry to unify the analytical functions for different dimensions of the geometry. The obtained analytical functions of the EFGs' deformation behavior are then implemented in the Unit Cell Synthesis Method for meta-material unit cell design. The semi-analytical Unit Cell Synthesis Method is applied in the design of a linear elastic material based meta-material that mimics the nonlinear deformation behavior of a rubber pad under compression. The results show that the analytical deformation functions of the EFGs enable a much more efficient design process of the meta-material.