This paper will describe the results from two exploratory studies on un-witnessed elderly in-patient falls in acute facilities. The first study analyzed incident reports from England and Wales between 1 September 2006 and 31 August 2007 (n=215,784). We found a difference in the location of falls for patients described as frail and those described as confused. This was further explored in a pilot study to collect detailed information about contributory factors and the location of falls through staff interviews. We found that the use of bedrails seemed to alter the location of the fall, with falls from beds with raised rails clustered around the foot end of the bed.


From the New York Times bestselling author of Nudge and The World According to Star Wars, a revealing account of how today's Internet threatens democracy--and what can be done about it As the Internet grows more sophisticated, it is creating new threats to democracy. Social media companies such as Facebook can sort us ever more efficiently into groups of the like-minded, creating echo chambers that amplify our views. It's no accident that on some occasions, people of different political views cannot even understand one another. It's also no surprise that terrorist groups have been able to exploit social media to deadly effect. Welcome to the age of #Republic. In this revealing book, New York Times bestselling author Cass Sunstein shows how today's Internet is driving political fragmentation, polarization, and even extremism--and what can be done about it. He proposes practical and legal changes to make the Internet friendlier to democratic deliberation, showing that #Republic need not be an ironic term. Rather, it can be a rallying cry for the kind of democracy that citizens of diverse societies need most.


Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which may cause short and long term adverse health effects, constitute a significant class of indoor gaseous pollutants. To reduce the VOC concentration of indoor environment, an in-depth understanding of the performance of the air cleaning technologies that address VOCs is important. Although many studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance of air cleaning devices, most of them were performed at elevated concentration level (~ppmv). The performance of the sorbent media at realistic VOC concentration (ppbv) is still not clear due to lack of experiment data and theoretical study. The test conducted under the low concentration is not cost-effective and difficult to perform. Currently, no mathematical model can be effectively used for sorbent media performance simulation at ppb level. The main objective of the presented research is to investigate the adsorption mechanism, address the existing problems through a model-based testing and evaluation method, develop and validate reliable methodologies to predict the long-term performance of filter sorbent media, when exposed to the realistic indoor concentration of VOCs. A series of long-term tests were conducted at six concentration levels from 100 ppm to 66 ppb, and different test conditions (particle size, flow rate and sorbent bed length) to reveal the different behavior of the filter media at different concentration levels. A new mechanistic model named convective & diffusion mass transfer model with variable partition coefficient (C&DMT-VP) was proposed to simulate the performance of adsorption-based air cleaning devices under the typical indoor VOC concentrations. The applications of this model were demonstrated, including the determination of the surface diffusion coefficient, prediction of sorbent media filter performance via C&DMT-VP at typical indoor concentration level based on the model parameters determined from different test methods, including the ASHRAE standard test 145.1, ground pellet test and thin layer with ground pellet test. Finally, the proposed methods were compared and validated with the experimental data. It was found that 1) the partition coefficient varied with the concentration in the form of b ma K aC  (or     log log ma K A B C   ; 2) The C&DMT-VP model incorporating the K(C) relationship significantly improved the representation of the performance at the low concentration as well as being able to represent the high concentration performance as in previous model; 3) The three accelerated methods were able to provide the data needed to determine the ( ) ma K C function for a given adsorption media's performance at low concentrations typically found indoors. MODEL-BASED TESTING AND EVALUATION OF SORPTION MEDIA FOR REMOVING VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN INDOOR AIR


In the context of sharply increasing levels of international migration, development actors across Southeast Asia have begun to focus their attention on programming intended to make migration safer for aspiring and current migrant workers. These projects, however, typically begin with the assumption that more regular, orderly migration is also safer for migrants, an idea built into the language of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Compact on Migration. This article questions this assumption. It takes as its starting point the observation that migrant workers who move through legal channels do not systematically experience better outcomes among a range of indicators. Based on data collected from Cambodian, Burmese, Laotian, and Vietnamese labor migrants recently returned from Thailand, this work highlights the limits of regular migration to provide meaningfully "safer" experiences. Although migrants moving through regular channels report better pay and working conditions than those who moved through irregular channels, they also systematically report working conditions that do not meet legal standards, and routinely experience contract substitution. In other areas, regular migrants generally fare similarly to or worse than irregular migrants. They are more likely to experience deception and to have written or verbal agreements broken in migration processes. On arrival in Thailand, they routinely have their documents held, and they are more likely than irregular migrants to experience harassment and abuse both in the migration process and at their worksites. They are also more likely to return involuntarily and to struggle with financial insecurity and indebtedness after returning. These findings challenge mainstream development discourses seeking to promote safer migration experiences through expanding migration infrastructure. At the same time, they highlight the need for policymakers, development actors, and migration practitioners to reconsider the conflation of "safe" with "regular and orderly" migration throughout their programming.


The present study was designed to examine the dimensions of HRM practices that may cause faculty turnover decision among the private university faculty members in Bangladesh. The role of affective commitment as the mediator in the proposed relationship was also investigated. A total of 317 faculty members of the private universities participated, completed and returned the questionnaire which represented 57% response rate of the study. Multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses of the study. The results of the study revealed that out of six HRM practices used in this study three were found highly significant and negatively related to turnover intention. The study also found that affective commitment mediates the proposed relationship between HRM practices and turnover intention. Limitations and suggestions for future research are forwarded.


While research on building integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) has mainly focused on power-generating window applications, the utilization of other underutilized surface areas in buildings, including exteriors, facades, and rooftops has still not been fully explored. The most important requirements for BIPVs are color, power conversion efficiency (PCE), and long-term stability. In this work, we achieved colorful (red, green, blue, RGB) perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with minimized PCE loss (<10%) and enhanced photostability by exploiting the optical properties of non-periodic multi-nanolayer, narrow-bandwidth reflective filters (NBRFs). The NBRFs were fabricated by multi-layering high-index TiO2/low-index SiO2 in non-periodic manner, which allowed devices to demonstrate various colors with effectively suppressed unwanted baseline ripple-shape reflectance. The PCE of PSCs with non-periodic RGB-NBRFs were 18.0, 18.6, and 18.9%, which values represent reductions of only 10, 7, and 6% of PCE values, respectively, compared to a black control PSC (20.1%). Moreover, the photostability of the PSCs was substantially improved by using the NBRFs because of ultraviolet (UV) blocking in the TiO2 layers. The G-PSC retained 65% of the initial PCE after 60 h of continuous illumination (AM 1.5G one sun) at maximum power point (MPP), whereas black PSC retained only 30%. Aesthetic color value, low PCE loss, and enhanced photostability of PSCs were simultaneously achieved by employing our NBRFs, making this a promising strategy with potential applicability in power-generating building exteriors.


A test of the hypothesis that hydrogen-rich organic matter accumulates preferentially in sediments under oxygen minima has been carried out by examining the composition of laminated and homogeneous diatomaceous sediments of the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California. The laminated sediments occur where an intense oxygen minimum intersects the slope around the margins of the basin. Above and below the depth of the oxygen minimum, the sediments are homogenized by a burrowing infauna. The two sediment types have very similar bulk chemical and mineral compositions, and the organic matter is overwhelmingly marine. The total organic carbon contents and Rock-Eval parameters (hydrogen and oxygen indices) of the two sediment types are not significantly different. Whereas a road organic carbon maximum in the homogeneous sediments is centered at roughly 1200 m depth on the slope of the basin, this maximum lies deeper than the core of the oxygen minimum. Thus, both the concentration and the nature of the organic matter in the sediments of this highly productive marginal marine basin are not related to the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the bottom waters.


We study the problem of controlling multiple 2-D directional sensors while maximizing an objective function based on the information gain corresponding to multiple target locations. We assume a joint prior Gaussian distribution for the target locations. A sensor generates a (noisy) measurement of a target only if the target lies within the field-of-view of the sensor, where the statistical properties of the measurement error depend on the location of the target with respect to the sensor and direction of the sensor. The measurements from the sensors are fused to form global estimates of target locations. This problem is combinatorial in nature-the computation time increases exponentially with the number of sensors. We develop heuristic methods to solve the problem approximately, and provide analytical results on performance guarantees. We then improve the performance of our heuristic approaches by applying an approximate dynamic programming approach called rollout. In addition, we address a variant of the above problem, where the goal is to map the sensors to the targets while maximizing the abovementioned objective function. This mapping problem also turns out to be combinatorial in nature, so we extend one of the above heuristics to solve this mapping problem approximately. We compare the performance of these heuristic approaches analytically and empirically.


This handbook of medieval Latin texts is designed for historians of the Middle Ages with some knowledge of Latin who wish to be able to read a wide range of original source material. It broadens the traditional scope of medieval Latin readers by including historical documents such as deeds and charters along with traditional literary samples. Within the context of a running narrative, Thorley starts with texts from the Anglo-Saxon period and then moves through subsequent centuries genre by genre. Each text is accompanied by a grammatical and historical commentary, both of which allow for independent study. In addition, all selections are translated at the back of the book."Documents in Medieval Latin" will be useful to students of medieval history, literature, and philosophy and those interested in reading more about the Middle Ages. Thorley's cheerful approach, the lively and representative selections of tests, and the documentary and epigraphic focus will prove valuable for those wishing to explore these vital original sources.John Thorley teaches medieval Latin at Lancaster University.


Background Wearable technology can provide detailed information about physical activity (PA) in Huntington's disease (HD). Most commercially available devices are however limited by the lack of disease specific validation and consideration of wear time. Aim To develop a methodology for accurate profiling of PA in HD. Methods We recruited 29 people with early stage HD (mean (SD) age 51.76 (10.27); 14 males) and 17 healthy controls (mean (SD) age 52.95 (10.76); 10 male) to a cross sectional multi-centre observational study. Participants used a wrist worn accelerometer for 7 days following the completion of a laboratory-based validation study. PA profiles (percentage time sedentary, low, moderate and high PA) were produced. Differences were assessed when accounting for wear time based on body temperature trends. Results HD mean (SD) device wear time over 7 days was 9783 mins (2192.84) (approx. 23.3 hours per day) and controls 7965 mins (1200.34) approx. 18.9 hours per day). When accounting for wear time HD participants were sedentary for 54% of the time and participated in light, moderate and vigorous PA for 27.2%, 17.4% and 0.43% of the time respectively. Control participants were sedentary for 61% of the time and participated in light, moderate and vigorous PA 26.6%, 11.2% and 1.2% of the time respectively. Conclusions Surprisingly HD participants were less sedentary than age matched controls. The impact of involuntary movements on the assessment of PA in HD needs to be explored. Critical to this is the importance of a wear time algorithm to identify true sedentary behaviour in comparison to non-wear.


This research aims to (a) investigate differences in Internet adoption; (b) identify factors affecting Internet adoption; and (c) examine differences of Internet usage pattern between male and female users. Using data from 714 respondents/students with various backgrounds, the research unveils that in general, Internet adoption among female users are lower than that among male users.  Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research also finds that the Internet adoption among female users is affected by perceived ease of use rather than perceived usefulness. On the other hand, the Internet adoption among male users is affected by perceived usefulness rather than perceived ease of use. Male users are found to have a more flexible Internet access venue when compared to female users. The research also gives an evident that Internet usage pattern among male and female users differs. Proportion of female users who use the Internet for chatting and study-related activities is significantly larger than that of male users. Conversely, proportion of male users who use the Internet for reading online news, testing and downloading software, shopping, entertainment, seeking job vacancy, and visiting pornographic sites are larger than female users. High cost Internet access and low access speed of the Internet and a lack of English proficiency are identified to be most severe obstacles of the Internet adoption in Indonesia. Keywords: adoption of Internet, women studies, Indonesia.


For patients with advanced cancer, a period of illness and treatment precedes at the end of life. The medical treatment and care that patients receive at the end of their life should be appropriate and in concordance with their goals and preferences. Advance care planning has thus been developed to support patients in planning future medical treatment and care. It appears that patients who have participated in advance care planning are able to talk about good life and for what they are hoping. Topics that confronted patients with physical decline and end of life are more difficult to discuss. Nevertheless, patients who participated in an advance care planning conversation find these helpful and informative. Healthcare professionals are aware of the effort, but know the added value of advance care planning mainly because the patients' perspective is discussed. Healthcare professionals experienced that conducting advance care planning conversations using a script can help to make it easier to discuss also the difficult topics with their patients. At the same time, using a script can often clash with their usual approach. Thus, training and experience can support them conduct these conversations in a way that adds value for patients. A common view is that patients must be ready for advance care planning. This study shows that "being ready" should not be seen as the starting point. Instead, it is important to be sensitive for signs of "not being ready" to discuss a particular topic, and to realize that patients are able to continue the conversation after a difficult topic.


In tightly circumscribed communication situations, an interactive system resident on a mobile device can assist Deaf people with their communication and information needs. The Deaf users considered here use South African Sign Language and information is conveyed by a collection of pre-recorded video clips and images. The system was designed and implemented according to our method of community-based co-design. We present several stages of the development as a series of case studies and highlight our experience and the implications for design. The rst stage involved ethnographically inspired methods such as cultural probes. In the next stage we co-designed a medical consultation system that was ultimately dropped for technical reasons. A smaller system was developed for pharmaceutical dispensing and successfully implemented and tested. It now awaits deployment in an actual pharmacy. We also developed a preliminary authoring tool to tackle the problem of content generation for interactive computer literacy training. We are also working on another medical health information tool. We intend that a generic authoring tool be able to generate mobile applications for all of these scenarios. These mobile applications bridge communication gaps for Deaf people via accessible and aordable assistive technology.


From 1 January 2009 to 31 May 2013, 15 287 respiratory specimens submitted to the Clinical Virology Laboratory at the Children's Hospital Colorado were tested for human coronavirus RNA by reverse transcription-PCR. Human coronaviruses HKU1, OC43, 229E and NL63 co-circulated during each of the respiratory seasons but with significant year-to-year variability, and cumulatively accounted for 7.4-15.6 % of all samples tested during the months of peak activity. A total of 79 (0.5 % prevalence) specimens were positive for human betacoronavirus HKU1 RNA. Genotypes HKU1 A and B were both isolated from clinical specimens and propagated on primary human tracheal-bronchial epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface and were neutralized in vitro by human intravenous immunoglobulin and by polyclonal rabbit antibodies to the spike glycoprotein of HKU1. Phylogenetic analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of seven full-length genomes of Colorado HKU1 viruses and the spike glycoproteins from four additional HKU1 viruses from Colorado and three from Brazil demonstrated remarkable conservation of these sequences with genotypes circulating in Hong Kong and France. Within genotype A, all but one of the Colorado HKU1 sequences formed a unique subclade defined by three amino acid substitutions (W197F, F613Y and S752F) in the spike glycoprotein and exhibited a unique signature in the acidic tandem repeat in the N-terminal region of the nsp3 subdomain. Elucidating the function of and mechanisms responsible for the formation of these varying tandem repeats will increase our understanding of the replication process and pathogenicity of HKU1 and potentially of other coronaviruses.


This study investigated the use and content of sports scandal investigation reports. Many such reports are self-described as "independent." This paper serves to elucidate some of the issues around "independence" and limitations of these investigations. The analysis is discussed in connection to the unique context of sport governance structures and policy, along with the related issues of autonomy, transparency, and accountability. A content analysis method was employed to analyze a purposive sample of post-scandal reports from the past decade pertaining to international professional sport. The results revealed the efforts to portray independence in the reports and identified potential threats to independence. The analysis and corresponding discussion provide recommendations for future report procedure, interpretation, evaluation, and legal policymaking.


In this study, a numerical method is used to investigate the effect of welding parameter and cooling time on residual stress and strain in the multi-pass butt Gas Metal Arc (GMA) welding process, while plate is restrained in transverse direction of welding direction. Two dimension finite element simulations were implemented to predict the welding temperature distributions, residual stress and strain on 16mm thick SM490 steel plate for different input welding parameter at each weld pass using Ansys software. Not only the temperature dependent thermal properties were considered, but also birth and death technique is employed to control the process of weld filling. The simulated results provide good evidence that residual stress and strain is mainly dependent on heat load, welding parameter and restraints on material. The large amount of residual stress and strain is being developed around the Heat Affected Zone, Fusion zone and welding regions. The elastic FE model can be used to predict precisely the welding deformation and residual stress in a thick multi pass butt welding. Furthermore, the extensive experiment effort of component testing could be reduced adequate and deliberate application of welding FE simulation.


New stable chiral [RuHClCO((NHC)NN)] and [RuCl2(p-cymene)((NHC)NN)] pincer complexes with a pendant silyloxy group ((NHC)NN: (S)-1-((6-((3-aryl-2,3-dihydro-1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl)pyridin-2-yl)methyl); R-N-(3-(triethoxysilyl)propyl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide, aryl = mesityl, 2,6-diisopropylphenyl; R = Me, Ph) were synthesized and grafted onto a mesoporous silica MCM-41 through the siloxane linkage, and the resulting supported ruthenium catalysts were highly active and recyclable catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes and cyclopropanation of styrenes. The solid catalysts were characterized with a variety of methods including solid state cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP MAS) 13C NMR, FT-IR, and elemental analysis. Excellent activity and enantioselectivity was observed for these supported Ru-catalysts owing to readily accessible and uniform catalytic sites within the large channels of MCM-41 and short diffusion lengths for the organic compounds. The high accessibility introduced by the structure of the support allows the preparation of highly efficient immobilized catalysts which can duplicate the activity of the homogeneous analogues. No deactivation of the catalysts was observed after repeated recycling.


Methods to represent the biological activity of oxidoreductase enzymes using logic state diagrams and to simulate the enzymes' functionings using synchronous sequential digital circuits are presented. The steps of this transform from biologics to logic involve the enzymes 'electron kinetic behavior, which reveals the basic reaction pathways of the enzyme building blocks. Because these pathways are well defined, with each enzyme going through several different conformations, each conformation can be defined in terms of a logic state. The definitions can be used to describe a state machine for the enzyme building block.<<ETX>>


Title of dissertation: KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY FROM GENE EXPRESSION DATA: NOVEL METHODS FOR SIMILARITY SEARCH, SIGNATURE DETECTION, AND CONFOUNDER CORRECTION Louis Licamele, Doctor of Philosophy, 2012 Dissertation directed by: Professor Lise Getoor Department of Computer Science Gene expression microarray data is used to answer a variety of scientific questions. For example, it can be used for gaining a better understanding of a drug, segmenting a disease, and predicting an optimal therapeutic response. The amount of gene expression data publicly available is extremely large and continues to grow at an increasing rate. However, this rapid growth of gene expression data from laboratories across the world has not fully achieved its potential impact on the scientific community. This shortcoming is due to the fact that the majority of the data has been gathered under varying conditions, and there is no principled way for combining and fully utilizing related data. Even within a closely controlled gene expression experiment, there are confounding factors that may mask the true signatures when analyzed with current methods. Therefore, we are interested in three core tasks that we believe are important for improving the utilization of gene array data: similarity search, signature detection, and confounder correction. We have developed novel methods that address each of these tasks. In this work, we first address the similarity search problem. More specifically, we propose methods which overcome experimental barriers in pariwise gene expression similarity calculations. We introduce a method, which we refer to as indirect similarity, which, unlike previous approaches, uses all of the information in a database to better inform the similarity calculation of a pair of gene expression profiles. We demonstrate that our method is more robust and better able to cope with experimental barriers such as vehicle and batch effects. We evaluate the ability of our method to retrieve compounds with similar therapeutic effects in two independent datasets. We evaluate the recall ability of our approach and show that our method results in an improvement of 97.03% and 49.44% respectively in the two datasets over existing state of the art approaches. The second problem we focus on is signature detection. Gene expression experiments are performed to test a specific hypothesis. Generally, this hypothesis is that there is some genetic signature common in a group of samples. Current methods try to find the differentially expressed genes within a group of samples using a variety of methods, however, they all are parametric. We introduce a nonparametric approach to group profile creation which we refer to as the Weighted Influence Model Rank of Ranks method. For every probe on the microarray, the average rank is calculated across all members of a group. These average ranks are then re-ranked to form the group profile. We demonstrate the ability of our group profile method to better understand a disease and the underlying mechanism common to its treatments. Additionally, we demonstrate the predictive power of this group profile to detect novel drugs that could treat a particular disease. This method leads the detection of robust group signatures even with unknown confounding effects. The final problem that we address is the challenge of removing known (annotated) confounding effects from gene expression profiles. We propose an extension to our non-parametric gene expression profile method to correct for observed confounding effects. This correction is performed on ranked lists directly, and it provides a robust alternative to parametric batch profile correction methods. We evaluate our novel profile subtraction method on two real world datasets, comparing against several state-of-the-art parametric methods. We demonstrate an improvement in group signature detection using our method to remove confounding effects. Additionally, we show that in a dataset with the true group assignments removed and only the confounding effects labelled, our profile subtraction method allows for the discovery of the true groups. We evaluate the robustness of our methods using a gene expression profile generator that we developed. KNOWLEDGE DISCOVERY FROM GENE EXPRESSION DATA: NOVEL METHODS FOR SIMILARITY SEARCH, SIGNATURE DETECTION, AND CONFOUNDER CORRECTION


Security requirements engineering is especially challenging because designers must consider not just the software under design but also interactions among people, organizations, hardware, and software. Taking this broader perspective means designing a secure socio-technical system rather than a merely technical system. This book presents a novel, model-driven approach to designing secure socio-technical systems. It introduces the Socio-Technical Modeling Language (STS-ML) and presents a freely available software tool, STS-Tool, that supports this design approach through graphical modeling, automated reasoning capabilities to verify the models constructed, and the automatic derivation of security requirements documents. After an introduction to security requirements engineering and an overview of computer and information security, the book presents the STS-ML modeling language, introducing the modeling concepts used, explaining how to use STS-ML within the STS method for security requirements, and providing guidelines for the creation of models. The book then puts the STS approach into practice, introducing the STS-Tool and presenting two case studies from industry: an online collaborative platform and an e-Government system. Finally, the book considers other methods that can be used in conjunction with the STS method or that constitute an alternative to it. The book is suitable for course use or as a reference for practitioners. Exercises, review questions, and problems appear at the end of each chapter.


Multi-Chip-Modules (MCMs) reduce the design and fabrication cost of machine learning (ML) accelerators while delivering performance and energy efficiency on par with a monolithic large chip. However, ML compilers targeting MCMs need to solve complex optimization problems optimally and efficiently to achieve this high performance. One such problem is the multi-chip partitioning problem where compilers determine the optimal partitioning and placement of operations in tensor computation graphs on chiplets in MCMs. Partitioning ML graphs for MCMs is particularly hard as the search space grows exponentially with the number of chiplets available and the number of nodes in the neural network. Furthermore, the constraints imposed by the underlying hardware produce a search space where valid solutions are extremely sparse. In this paper, we present a strategy using a deep reinforcement learning (RL) framework to emit a possibly invalid candidate partition that is then corrected by a constraint solver. Using the constraint solver ensures that RL encounters valid solutions in the sparse space frequently enough to converge with fewer samples as compared to non-learned strategies. The architectural choices we make for the policy network allow us to generalize across different ML graphs. Our evaluation of a production-scale model, BERT, on real hardware reveals that the partitioning generated using RL policy achieves 6.11% and 5.85% higher throughput than random search and simulated annealing. In addition, fine-tuning the pre-trained RL policy reduces the search time from 3 hours to only 9 minutes, while achieving the same throughput as training RL policy from scratch.


Palaeo-ice sheet beds that are exposed today on polar continental shelves provide unique archives of conditions at the base of ice sheets that are difficult to assess beneath their modern counterparts. During the last decade, several of these palaeo-ice sheet beds have been studied in detail to reconstruct the flow, extent, and retreat of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) at and since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), respectively. The focus of these investigations, however, lay on troughs eroded by palaeo-ice streams into the shelf.
Multibeam swath bathymetry mapping of a mid-shelf bank between the troughs of the Pine Island-Thwaites and Cosgrove palaeo-ice streams on the eastern Amundsen Sea shelf has revealed well-preserved sub- and proglacial bedforms, including large-scale ribbed moraines, hill-hole pairs, terminal moraines, and crevasse-squeeze ridges. Together, these features form a landform assemblage that is entirely different from previously described glacial bedforms in the adjacent troughs and allows us to reconstruct ice flow and retreat dynamics in an inter-ice stream area. This research closes an important gap in the understanding of past WAIS behaviour in the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment and will serve as a diagnostic tool in future studies on similar inter-ice stream ridge areas.
Another geomorphological study of a previously unmapped area of the West Antarctic continental shelf conducted systematic mapping of the West Antarctic continental shelf in the western Amundsen Sea, offshore from the westernmost Getz Ice Shelf. Here, a landward deepening palaeo-ice stream trough is incised into the shelf. The seafloor within the western-central part of the trough is characterized by a large, ~70 m thick and ~17 km long grounding zone wedge (GZW). The back-slope of the GZW is characterized by highly elongate streamlined bedforms suggesting fast palaeo-ice flow towards NW. In contrast, the outer shelf seafloor offshore from the GZW is predominantly smooth and at numerous locations scoured by icebergs. The GZW marks either the maximum WAIS extent in this area at the LGM or a pause in ice-stream retreat during the last deglaciation.
We will characterise and interpret the bedforms in these two areas and use them for reconstructing the extent, flow, bed conditions and retreat history of the WAIS since the LGM.


A growing class of real-time systems require end-to-end support for various quality-of-service (QoS) aspects, including bandwidth, latency, jitter and dependability. Applications include command and control, manufacturing process control, videoconferencing, large-scale distributed interactive simulation, and testbeam data acquisition. These systems require support for stringent QoS requirements. To meet this challenge, developers are turning to distributed object computing middleware, such as the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, an Object Management Group (OMG) industry standard. In complex real-time systems, DOC middleware resides between applications and the underlying operating systems, protocol stacks and hardware. CORBA helps decrease the cycle time and effort required to develop high-quality systems by composing applications using reusable software component services rather than building them entirely from scratch. The Real-Time CORBA specification includes features to manage CPU, network and memory resources. The authors describe the key Real-Time CORBA features that they feel are the most relevant to researchers and developers of distributed real-time and embedded systems.


A quasi-geostrophic, hemispheric three-level atmospheric modelwith horizontal T21 resolution is driven by Northern Hemisphere's T21topography, whereas its thermal and surface forcingare determined by an automated, iterative tuning procedure.The zonal parts of the forcings are tuned toproduce a realistic zonal wind profile for northern winter, while non-zonalthermal forcings are adjusted to obtain time-averaged non-zonal diabaticheating fields equal to wintertime observations. The perpetual wintermodel simulation reproduces observed wintertime climatology and patterns oflow-frequency variability with accuracy. The model exhibits two significantcirculation regimes which correspond to the positive and negative phase ofthe Arctic Oscillation (AO), respectively.Steady solutions of the model equations have been determined, but they do notcoincide with the regime centroids. They are even far outside of the system'sattractor and therefore do not directly influence the model's dynamics. Butan explanationof the dynamical structures underlying the model's regime behaviour issuggested by the results of a series of model experiments, in which thetuning procedure is repeated using lower values of surface friction.The weaker surface friction is, the moredistant and pronounced the two AO regimes become, indicated by increasinggeopotential standard deviation at polar latitudes and alsoby the AO index distribution, the bimodality of which is becoming more andmore extreme. The regime persistence, but also themodel's sensitivity with respect to forcing changes dramatically increase.Due to this sensitivity, the tuning procedure fails to reproduce the observedzonal climate if the strength of the surface friction is below some criticalvalue. Rather, the model's climate flips between the two extreme AO phasesfrom one tuning iteration to another, but still allows for rare jumpsto the other regime, respectively.Based on these results, the two regimes observed in the control simulationare interpreted as a feature of the attractor's large-scale geometry in phasespace, not necessarily requiring the existence of steady states embedded in theattractor. In the case of very low surface friction, the attractor evidentlyconsists of two lobes connected by a thin channel, a structurequalitatively similar to Lorenz' attractor. The almost-intransitivity of thesystem generates the persistence of the regimes, the irregularity of thetransitions and ultra-low frequency variability. Increase of the surfacefriction makes the two lobes approach each other and strengthens theconnection between them, thus shortening the lifetime of regimes andincreasing the frequency of transitions.


We study unanticipated tariffs on imports of intermediate goods in a setting with firm-to-firm supply relationships. Firms that produce differentiated products conduct costly searches for potential input suppliers and negotiate bilateral prices with those that pass a reservation level of match productivity. Global supply chains are formed in anticipation of free trade. Once they are in place, the home government surprises with an input tariff. This can lead to renegotiation with initial suppliers or new search for replacements. We identify circumstances in which renegotiation generates improvement or deterioration in the terms of trade. The welfare implications of a tariff are ambiguous in this second-best setting, but plausible parameter values suggest a welfare loss that rises rapidly at high tariff rates.


Background: Brain tumors are associated with marked disability and mortality. Understanding the patterns and epidemiological characteristics associated with brain tumors can be crucial to their treatment.
Objective: To explore the magnitude and epidemiological features of primary brain tumors among patients admitted to Aseer Central Hospital (ACH), Abha City, Saudi Arabia, and to identify different decisions for their management. Methodology: All hospital records of brain tumor patients admitted to ACH from 2015-2017 were reviewed. Collected data included patients' demographic characteristics, clinical findings, histopathological diagnosis, and management.
Results: During the aforementioned period, a total of 100 patients with primary brain tumors were admitted to ACH. The most commonly presenting symptoms were headache (72%), vomiting, dizziness, and focal motor deficits (25% for all). Tumor location was mostly at the frontal or parietal lobes. Among those who underwent surgery, meningioma grade I was the most frequently diagnosed (41.7%). The mean surgical time was 4.2 ± 1.6 h. Most patients who underwent surgery at ACH stayed in the intensive care unit anywhere from 1 d or 2-4 d (34% and 40%, respectively). The Glasgow outcome scale scores of most patients (91.7%) indicated that the patients had a good recovery. However, one patient died (1.7%), one was in a persistent vegetative state (1.7%), and three sustained moderate disability (5%).
Conclusion: Most patients with brain tumors admitted to ACH undergo surgery. Meningioma grade I is the most commonly encountered brain tumor, and this finding may reflect different epidemiological findings from the internationally accepted concept that glioblastoma multiforme is the most common brain tumor. The most common locations for brain tumors are the frontal and parietal lobes.


Abstract This paper surveys six widely-used non-experimental methods for estimating treatment effects (instrumental variables, regression discontinuity, direct matching, propensity score matching, linear regression and non-parametric methods, and difference-in-differences), and assesses their internal and external validity relative both to each other and to randomized controlled trials. While randomized controlled trials can achieve the highest degree of internal validity when cleanly implemented in the field, the availability of large, nationally representative data sets offers the opportunity for a high degree of external validity using non-experimental methods. We argue that each method has merits in some context and they are complements rather than substitutes.


For those at the high end of the trafficking chain, the sex trade is an alluring and lucrative business: the supply of girls is constant, the costs of operations are low, and interference from law enforcement is weak to non-existent. Anti-trafficking organisations and governments commonly appropriate such market metaphors of supply and demand as they struggle with the moral-political dimensions of a business involving trade, labour, prostitution, migration, and national borders. But how apt are they? Is the sex trade really the perfect business? This provocative new book examines the social worlds and interrelationships of traffickers, victims, and trafficking activists along the Thai-Lao border. It explores local efforts to reconcile international legal concepts, the bureaucratic prescriptions of aid organisations, and global development ideologies with on-the-ground realities of sexual commerce. Author Sverre Molland provides an insider's view of recruitment and sex commerce gleaned from countless conversations and interviews in bars and brothels--a view that complicates popular stereotypes of women forced or duped into prostitution by organised crime. Molland's fine-grained ethnography shows a much more varied picture of friends recruiting friends, and families helping relatives. A recruiter rationalises her act as a benefit or favour to a village friend; relationships between prostitutes and bar owners are cloaked in kin terms and familial metaphors. Sex work in the Mekong region follows patron-client cultural scripts about mutual help and obligation, which makes distinguishing the victims from the traffickers difficult. Molland's research illuminates the methods and motivations of recruiters as well as the economic incentives and predicaments of victims. The Perfect Business? is the first book to go beyond the usual focus on migrants and sex commerce to explore the institutional context of anti-trafficking. Its author, himself a former advisor for a United Nations anti-trafficking project, raises crucial questions about how an increasingly globalised development aid sector responds to what might more accurately be described as an extraterritorial development challenge of human mobility. His book will offer insights to students and scholars in anthropology, gender studies, and human geography, as well as anyone interested in one of the most controversial issues of development policy.


In the Submodular Welfare Maximization (SWM) problem, the input consists of a set of n items, each of which must be allocated to one of m agents. Each agent l has a valuation function vl, where vl(S) denotes the welfare obtained by this agent if she receives the set of items S. The functions vl are all submodular; as is standard, we assume that they are monotone and vl(∅) = 0. The goal is to partition the items into m disjoint subsets S1, S2, ... Sm in order to maximize the social welfare, defined as ∑l = 1m vl(Sl). A simple greedy algorithm gives a 1/2-approximation to SWM in the offline setting, and this was the best known until Vondrak's recent (1-1/e)-approximation algorithm [34]. In this paper, we consider the online version of SWM. Here, items arrive one at a time in an online manner; when an item arrives, the algorithm must make an irrevocable decision about which agent to assign it to before seeing any subsequent items. This problem is motivated by applications to Internet advertising, where user ad impressions must be allocated to advertisers whose value is a submodular function of the set of users / impressions they receive. There are two natural models that differ in the order in which items arrive. In the fully adversarial setting, an adversary can construct an arbitrary / worst-case instance, as well as pick the order in which items arrive in order to minimize the algorithm's performance. In this setting, the 1/2-competitive greedy algorithm is the best possible. To improve on this, one must weaken the adversary slightly: In the random order model, the adversary can construct a worst-case set of items and valuations, but does not control the order in which the items arrive; instead, they are assumed to arrive in a random order. The random order model has been well studied for online SWM and various special cases, but the best known competitive ratio (even for several special cases) is 1/2 + 1/n [9,10], barely better than the ratio for the adversarial order. Obtaining a competitive ratio of 1/2 + Ω(1) for the random order model has been an important open problem for several years. We solve this open problem by demonstrating that the greedy algorithm has a competitive ratio of at least 0.505 for online SWM in the random order model. This is the first result showing a competitive ratio bounded above 1/2 in the random order model, even for special cases such as the weighted matching or budgeted allocation problems (without the so-called 'large capacity' assumptions). For special cases of submodular functions including weighted matching, weighted coverage functions and a broader class of "second-order supermodular" functions, we provide a different analysis that gives a competitive ratio of 0.51. We analyze the greedy algorithm using a factor-revealing linear program, bounding how the assignment of one item can decrease potential welfare from assigning future items. We also formulate a natural conjecture which, if true, would improve the competitive ratio of the greedy algorithm to at least 0.567. In addition to our new competitive ratios for online SWM, we make two further contributions: First, we define the classes of second-order modular, supermodular, and submodular functions, which are likely to be of independent interest in submodular optimization. Second, we obtain an improved competitive ratio via a technique we refer to as gain linearizing, which may be useful in other contexts (see [26]): Essentially, we linearize the submodular function by dividing the gain of an optimal solution into gain from individual elements, compare the gain when it assigns an element to the optimal solution's gain from the element, and, crucially, bound the extent to which assigning elements can affect the potential gain of other elements.


Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is an important commercial oil crop. It can be classified by its fruit colour into two types: a) nigrescens (Nig) type which is dark violet (unripe) and turning to reddish violet (ripe), and b) virescens (Vir) type which changes from green colour (unripe) to orange (ripe). Vir and Nig are monofactorially inherited, with Vir dominant over Nig. The different degrees of ripeness during harvesting of the fruits would influence the quantity and quality of oil in the mesocarp. The oil palm harvesting system is based on a minimum ripeness standard whereby the workers use the number of fruits detached from a bunch as a measure of its ripeness. Most of the oil palms grown commercially are the Nig type, being the more common type in the wild. However, Vir is an economically important trait as it is much easier to determine the degree of ripeness in Vir fruits. Molecular markers are powerful tools with the potential to influence plant breeding. Segregating populations for fruit colour CBP line which is dura x tenera cross and NPC1 line, tenera x tenera cross were obtained from Pamol Plantation. Obtaining high quality DNA from mature leaves was difficult. Therefore, a protocol of DNA isolation was developed in this study after 12 different extraction methods were attempted. The aim of this project was to identify Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) primer combinations and markers that have the potential to distinguish the fruit skin colour trait of oil palm by using the AFLP-based Bulked Segregant Analysis (BSA) technique. Of the 64 primer combinations, 10 primer combinations for CBP line and four primer combinations for NPC1 line were selected. In study 1, only three bands that showed 100% specificity to fruit colour differentiation which are regarded as fruit skin colour-specific markers were obtained for both lines, respectively. In study 2, there were four and eight specific bands which showed 80% probability of significant association to the fruit skin colour trait in CBP and NPC1, respectively. Primer B12 (E-ACT/M-CAT) generated fragments 142.13 bp and 355.76 bp as Vir-specific markers for CBP line and NPC1 line, respectively. It gave 83.30% (CBP) and 83.70% (NPC1) accuracy to distinguish Vir in study 2. Primer combination B13 (E-ACT/M-CTA) targeted 253.79 bp as the Nig–specific marker for both lines. It gave 76.50% (CBP) and 75.70% (NPC1) of confidence in differentiating the trait in study 2. The sequences of the AFLP markers were considered to be too short for reliability as specific markers. For an efficient MAS, it is therefore highly desirable to convert the linked markers into sequence-specific primers, such as STS, SCAR, STMS or CAP. Dice similarity coefficient (Nei and Li 1979) chosen to estimate the genetic similarity of the progenies studied, which gave average similarities of the CBP progenies of 0.790±0.057 and the NPC1 progenies of 0.761±0.089. The values derived from this study were almost similar showing that the progenies are variable only at their segregating trait. The dendrograms generated by cluster analysis using NJ based on similarity coefficients indicated the applicability and reliability of AFLP polymorphism for distinguishing the two varieties in both lines.


The TGF-β homolog Decapentaplegic (Dpp) acts as a secreted morphogen in the Drosophila wing disc, and spreads through the target tissue in order to form a long range concentration gradient. Despite extensive studies, the mechanism by which the Dpp gradient is formed remains controversial. Two opposing mechanisms have been proposed: receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) and restricted extracellular diffusion (RED). In these scenarios the receptor for Dpp plays different roles. In the RMT model it is essential for endocytosis, re-secretion, and thus transport of Dpp, whereas in the RED model it merely modulates Dpp distribution by binding it at the cell surface for internalization and subsequent degradation. Here we analyzed the effect of receptor mutant clones on the Dpp profile in quantitative mathematical models representing transport by either RMT or RED. We then, using novel genetic tools, experimentally monitored the actual Dpp gradient in wing discs containing receptor gain-of-function and loss-of-function clones. Gain-of-function clones reveal that Dpp binds in vivo strongly to the type I receptor Thick veins, but not to the type II receptor Punt. Importantly, results with the loss-of-function clones then refute the RMT model for Dpp gradient formation, while supporting the RED model in which the majority of Dpp is not bound to Thick veins. Together our results show that receptor-mediated transcytosis cannot account for Dpp gradient formation, and support restricted extracellular diffusion as the main mechanism for Dpp dispersal. The properties of this mechanism, in which only a minority of Dpp is receptor-bound, may facilitate long-range distribution.


Due to their limited temperature range, unglazed solar collectors have long been relegated to providing low cost heating in applications such as swimming pool heating systems. This limited temperature range is due to heat loss: firstly by convection to the surrounding air and secondly by radiant heat transfer to the cold sky. During the day an unglazed collector can be operated as a standard solar absorber to heat water in a storage tank. However, it is possible to take advantage of radiant cooling of unglazed solar collectors by operating them at night. Under night conditions when there is no solar radiation and the sky temperature is low, the collector can radiate heat to the sky and cool a cold storage tank to provide cooling in the building the following day. This study theoretically and experimentally examines the performance of a building integrated collector for heating and cooling and explores the contribution it can make to heating and cooling loads in typical New Zealand and Australian buildings.


Economic activity in the tropical savannas of northern Australia, like rangeland regions across the globe, has traditionally been based on primary production – predominantly cattle grazing and mining. More recently, northern Australia has experienced an increase in the extent of the conservation estate and in tourism and associated service industries. These trends demonstrate an increasing recognition of the multifunctional character of the tropical savannas and business opportunities additional to the traditional primary production systems. The increasing recognition of the multifunctionality of landscapes and increasing demand for ecosystem services provides potential opportunities for economic returns for businesses and communities in the tropical savannas through the delivery of environmental services to sustain the region's natural capital. This paper pursues two objectives. Firstly, it sets out to provide conceptual clarity around the notions of ecosystem services, environmental services and payments for environmental services (PES). Secondly, we sketch some of the opportunities associated with PES, with particular reference to the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia.


Background and Objective: Diabetes is a chronic illness which has serious physical and mental complication. Physical activity is one of the most important factors in preventing the mental complications of chronic illnesses. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of designed program of physical activity based on Pender health promotion model on type 2 diabetic middle-aged women's mental health. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study carried out on 102 diabetic middle aged women referring to Diabetes Assembly of Varamin randomly put in two groups of case and control in 2016. The tools of study were demographic and Mental Health Middle-aged Woman (MHMW) questionnaire. Program of physical activity based on Pender health promotion model was accomplished for the women in the case group. At the beginning of study and two month after the intervention, mental health of both case and control group were evaluated. The data were analyzed using SPSS16, chi-square, t-test and Mann-Whitney tests. Results : After the intervention, the score of mental health in case group was 188/80 ±16/51 and in control group was 162/82 ±15/05; there was meaningful difference between them ( P <0/001). And promotion in mental health of case group was 24/6±6/8 and in control group was 0/51 ±4/3; it indicated meaningful difference between them ( P <0/001). Conclusion: The results showed that the designed program of physical activity based on health promotion model has a positive effect on the increasing of diabetic middle-aged women's mental health.


Abstract. As the interest in indoor spaces increases, there is a growing need for indoor spatial applications. As these spaces grow in complexity and size, research is being carried out towards effective and efficient representation. Omnidirectional images give a snapshot of interiors and give visually rich content, but only contain pixel data. For it to be used in providing indoor services, its limitations must be overcome. First, the images must be connected to each other to represent indoor space continuously based on spatial relationships that may be provided by topological data. Second, the objects and spaces that we see in these images must also be recognized. This paper presents a study on how to link omnidirectional images and an IndoorGML data without the need for data conversion, provision of reference data, or use of different data models in order to provide Indoor Location-Based Service (LBS). We introduce the use of the Spatial Extended Point (SEP) to characterize the relationship between the omnidirectional image and the topological data. Position information of the object is used to define a region of 3D space, to determine the inclusion relationship of an IndoorGML node. We conduct an experimental implementation of the integrated data in the form of a 3D Virtual Tour. The connection of the Omnidirectional images is demonstrated by a visualization of navigation through a hallway towards a room's interior delivered to the user through a clicking action on the image.


Accurate fire load (combustible objects) information is crucial for safety design and resilience assessment of buildings. Traditional fire load acquisition methods, such as fire load survey, which are timeconsuming, tedious, and error-prone, failed to adapt to dynamic changed indoor scenes. As a starting point of automatic fire load estimation, fast recognition and detection of indoor fire load are important. Thus, this research proposes a computer vision-based method to automatically detect indoor fire loads using deep learning-based instance segmentation. First, indoor elements are classified into different categories according to their material composition. Next, an image dataset of indoor scenes with instance annotations is developed. Finally, a deep learning model, based on Mask R-CNN, is developed and trained using transfer learning to detect fire loads in images. Experimental results show that our model achieves promising accuracy, as measured by an average precision (AP) of 40.5% and AP50 of 59.2%, for instance segmentation on the dataset. A comparison with manual detection demonstrates the method's high efficiency as it can detect fire load 1200 times faster than humans. This research contributes to the body of knowledge 1) a novel method of high accuracy and efficiency for automated fire load recognition in indoor environments based on instance segmentation; 2) training techniques for a deep learning model in a relatively small dataset of indoor images which includes complex scenes and a variety of instances; and 3) an image dataset with annotations of indoor fire loads. Although instance segmentation has been applied for several years, this is pioneering research on using it for automated indoor fire load recognition, which paves the foundation to automatic fire load estimation and resilience assessment for the built environment.


A 25-year-old woman, six-months pregnant, came to me in great distress. She said she had been happily married for five years. Unexpectedly, a minor accidental injury to her husband had revealed that he had been suffering from a brain tumour since 2012. He had been operated on at the time but the tumour had subsequently metastasised and had required further surgery. His condition had not been revealed to the wife either at the time of the marriage or later. The husband and his family were unapologetic about the non-disclosure. When the wife confronted her husband's regular attending neurosurgeon, asking why he had not counselled the patient against marriage, he had argued that it was not his responsibility to do so. The issue this case raises is: Is it not the duty of a responsible treating doctor towards a patient with a life-threatening condition and his parents, to counsel them regarding marriage? A doctor occupies the position of a respected adviser and his counsel would surely be considered seriously.


Physiological mechanisms of bleaching were studied on larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) hosting endosymbiotic diatoms. Amphistegina radiata, Heterostegina depressa, and Calcarina hispida were exposed to increasing temperatures in static temperature experiments (23°C to 33°C, 6 d). Photosynthetic activity (Fv : Fm, measured with a pulse‐amplitude modulated fluorometer), chlorophyll a (a proxy for symbiont biomass), and motility (a proxy for overall fitness of the foraminifera) were reduced in specimens at 32°C to 33°C, and cytoplasm color changes associated with bleaching were observed. A 30‐d flow‐through experiment at three temperatures (26°C to 31°C) and three levels of inorganic nitrate concentration (0.5 to 1.4 µmol L−1) confirmed negative effects of temperature at 31°C for A. radiata (including growth) and H. depressa. Another Calcarina species, Calcarina mayorii, was not affected. This suggests that temperature effects are species‐specific. However, elevated nutrient concentrations did not affect any of the parameters measured. Temperatures > 30°C stress the foram–diatom endosymbiosis in some LBF species, which may lead to subsequent bleaching of the host. Given that a 2–3°C increase led to rapid bleaching of most species, we propose that, similar to corals, these species are threatened by sea‐surface temperature increase predicted for tropical reef waters in the near future.


We explore the stellar metallicity distribution function of the Galactic halo based on SDSS ugriz photometry. A set of stellar isochrones is calibrated using observations of several star clusters and validated by comparisons with medium-resolution spectroscopic values over a wide range of metal abundance. We estimate distances and metallicities for individual main-sequence stars in the multiply scanned SDSS Stripe 82, at heliocentric distances in the range 5–8 kpc and |b| > 35°, and find that the in situ photometric metallicity distribution has a shape that matches that of the kinematically selected local halo stars from Ryan & Norris. We also examine independent kinematic information from proper-motion measurements for high Galactic latitude stars in our sample. We find that stars with retrograde rotation in the rest frame of the Galaxy are generally more metal poor than those exhibiting prograde rotation, which is consistent with earlier arguments by Carollo et al. that the halo system comprises at least two spatially overlapping components with differing metallicity, kinematics, and spatial distributions. The observed photometric metallicity distribution and that of Ryan & Norris can be described by a simple chemical evolution model by Hartwick (or by a single Gaussian distribution); however, the suggestive metallicity–kinematic correlation contradicts the basic assumption in this model that the Milky Way halo consists primarily of a single stellar population. When the observed metallicity distribution is deconvolved using two Gaussian components with peaks at [Fe/H] ≈ −1.7 and −2.3, the metal-poor component accounts for ∼20%–35% of the entire halo population in this distance range.


China's current considerable economic growth is the combined result of several factors. Among these undervaluation of the currency and the sustenance of currency restrictions play an important role. Until now the Asian giant has accumulated approximately 2,700 billion U. S. dollars of foreign exchange reserves; even the world financial crisis did not abate the pace of expansion. We assume China has more reserves than necessary; tapping into this surplus is an excellent tool for Chinese development policy. In our examination we analyse, on the basis of relevant economic theories, what proportion of foreign exchange reserves the country can freely manage. In order to answer the question of how the country's economic leadership wants to make use of these reserves, we analyse the practical policy of China's latest sovereign wealth fund. According to our conclusions China aims to spend a significant portion of its reserves on strategic objectives. By buying modern technologies and raw materials the country can create a firm basis for stable, long-term economic development.


In Ziphioid Whales the toothrows as a rule have been subject to pronounced reduction, so that the number of teeth of fairly large size is restricted to one pair in the lower jaw. Even these often are concealed in the gum and then must be regarded as functionless, though especially in old males the tips of these teeth protrude above the gum and may be used for the capture of the prey. In many species, besides the larger teeth in the lower jaw, rows of smaller teeth have been found in both jaws, often completely hidden in the gum, sometimes with their tips protruding. In Tasmacetus shepherdi Oliver these smaller teeth are of fairly large size, they show signs of wear against their antagonists of the other jaw, indicating that here they are functional. The much smaller teeth occurring in rows in both jaws of other Ziphioid Whales generally are regarded as rudimentary, though in one species, Mesoplodon grayi Von Haast, they constantly form a so distinct regular row on each side of the upper jaw that they seem to perform a distinct function. Moreover, in this species the tips of the small teeth always protrude above the surface of the jaw, an additional indication of a definite function. The data concerning the position of the larger teeth in the lower jaw and their size and shape may be summarized as follows. Hyperoodon. At the tip of the lower jaw as a rule one pair, usually concealed in the gum, in older specimens sometimes with the tips projecting. In some specimens on one or on both sides a second tooth closely behind the first, the second tooth generally slightly smaller than the first. The teeth are conical, sharp pointed, oval in cross section. In a fairly large male the length of the teeth was 38 mm, the long (antero-posterior) diameter 19 mm, the short (transverse) diameter 12 mm1). In female specimens the


Making IP lookup fast and scalable is crucial in the Internet routers due to the fast increase in line speeds and routing table sizes. In this paper, we use DMP-Tree (dynamic M-way prefix tree) data structure to perform IP lookup in software. Experimental results show that our method is fast enough to support multi gigabit per second lines and it scales very well to routing tables with millions of entries. The proposed solution scales well to IPv6 with a reasonable overhead.


Defined for the first time by Sir Thomas Elyot as a «secte of Phylosophers, whiche affirmed nothynge» (1538), the term 'scepticism' appears in all its variants only too rarely in the drama of the period. Chadwyck Healey databases (Early English Books Online and Literature Online) record only four different occurrences (Tomkis 1607; Jonson 1640; Cartwright 1651; Massinger 1655), in a span of time which runs from 1550 to 1655, although scepticism as a way of participating in, and responding to, life is registered on the London stages as an increasingly popular critical attitude. Vindice's «I'm in doubt whether I'm myself or no» is evidence of that suspension of judgment which is envisaged by the sceptics as the only viable answer in a world governed by the relativism of human knowledge. Against a theoretical and philosophical background which investigates the relationship between self-knowledge and scepticism, the article looks at how this early modern revival of scepticism – so profoundly influenced by the translation of Montaigne's essays – can couple with, and go beyond, an emergent awareness of inwardness, as the one hinted at in Marston's The Malcontent and Middleton's The Revenger's Tragedy. In particular, the essay examines the interplay between the revengers' responses to the adoption of different masks and the dictum of a philosophy which demands the deferment of any epistemological verdict. A discussion of the rhetorical strategies which better testify to the contradictions at the heart of this ontological impasse will then follow.


This work is intended to explore and critically evaluate matters concerning individual legitimacy in innovation settings with attention set in particular upon the influence of profile characteristics in the legitimation process. The discussion set forth is meant to provide a broad and generalizable theoretical framework from which other research may take inspiration and continue under more specific industry, company, profile characteristic, geographic/regional, or other constraints. Key arguments found within are founded upon extensive literature review and primary research which delves into the experience of innovators as well as managers (those seeking recognition of legitimacy and those who grant it - respectively) in a variety of industries and firm sizes within the UK, and the discussion contained within attempts to extract key themes from the collective experiences of participants within the larger social context. Findings of this research largely follow and corroborate the conclusions of existing literature with elements of legitimacy-seeking behaviors unrelated to profile characteristics being the primary topic of conversation among subjects. However, respondents also confirm experiences of possible intersectionality in attaining legitimacy, resources, and recognition. Some managers appear to grant the greatest amount of support and legitimacy to those who are most like themselves, and innovators are most aware of prejudice in the situations within which they are a minority. Organizations attempt to prevent discrimination and inequality in use of power by following bureaucratic methods which are aimed at focusing upon the value of an innovation rather than the individual from whom it originated, but these procedures are sometimes circumvented still. In all, this dissertation concludes that profile characteristics do indeed appear to play some part in the legitimation process, most notably when innovators are placed also in entrepreneurial roles. This is especially important to managers, investors, and the greater economy in that innovation has been repeatedly linked to economic growth - meaning that placing inequitable barriers may quantifiably disadvantage a firm, industry, or country.


It is suggested here that the lack of total image correction that is typical in adaptive optics (AO) imaging can be attributed in part to blur derived from small-angle scatter of light by aerosols, known also as the adjacency effect, especially as it is a well-established fact that such atmospheric blur is dominant in satellite imagery and the shape of the modulation transfer function after AO correction is strikingly similar to the unique shape of the aerosol modulation transfer function. Further investigation of AO systems to confirm this would aid in and improve image restoration.


Economic growth of a nation is driven by savings and its transformation into investment. In the last three decades, Indian economy has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies of the world. Households are the biggest contributors to India's savings rate; their savings equal 23 percent of India's GDP. Though the percentage of savings by household sector in financial assets is increasing year on year, what is worrying is that only around half of the household savings in India are invested in financial instruments. Knowledge about saving and investment preferences, gender-wise, will help to design effective investment instruments. Another area that requires further examination is the role that a woman plays in influencing aggregate savings and investment.
Till the last decade, considering the low earning potential of women to earn, save and invest, not much research has been conducted on this subject. The coming decade, is going to see more and more women getting higher education and aiming for heavy pay cheque jobs. There is an urgent need to understand the savings and investment pattern of women, so as to frame policies and develop financial products exclusively for women. Another reason for understanding the savings and investment pattern of women is that, though they are good savers, they are unable to convert all their savings into investments. They do not invest as much as the men do.
According to Barber (2001) though women are not active investors, they make more profits than men when they trade because by trading more, men hurt their performance more than women. Preda (2001) comments that women are always excluded from financial discussions, on the explicit ground that they cannot understand investments. According to Chachoria (2000) women are the next generation financial decision makers and they should be targeted from a financial perspective. She suggests that marketing for financial products should be done differently for women.
Through this study an attempt is made to understand the savings and investment pattern of women. The factors which influence their investment decision making are identified. As 60 percent of women in India are house wives , they have been included in this study . The
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variations in the investment pattern between working and non-working with respect to socio-demographic attributes have been analyzed.
The sample size consisted of 225 women, who regularly save and invest. The study was conducted in the city of Bangalore. Convenience sampling was used for the purpose of data collection. Data was collected through questionnaires and was subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis.
The major findings of the research are:
 The most important reason why a woman saves is because of a "Precautionary" motive. Saving money in Bank and in the house kitty (saving at home) are the most preferred saving avenues.
 Even though non-working women don't have direct income of their own, they are able to save a minimum of 5 to 10 percent from their household savings.
 Safety of the principal is regarded as a very important criterion before investing, as opposed to instruments with low initial investment.
 The main motive behind investing is to fulfill their personal and financial goals. They also recognize the importance of multiplying savings through investment.
 Gold is the most preferred investment instrument, followed by real estate, insurance products, bank deposits, chit funds, mutual funds, bonds, post office deposits, shares and SIP.
 The highest constraint in investing is found to be lack of awareness and advice. This bursts a common myth: In India women are not able to invest as they are not able to take decisions on their own.
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 Occupation of a working woman has bearing over the choice of traditional investments but has no effect over the choice of risky instruments. It can also be said that education plays a role in the choice of risky instruments for a non-working women, however for the safe- traditional investments, education has no bearing. Also, irrespective of the occupational status (working or non-working) for safe –traditional instruments, age does not play a role, whereas for risky instrument it plays a role.
The study will help the financial institutions in designing exclusive instruments for women and to the Government in coming up with new policies for utilizing women's savings for the betterment of the economy.
Key words: Savings, Investment, Women, Working Women, Non-working women


Despite the attention prison visitation has received in general, little consideration is given to the nature of the crime for which a parent is incarcerated, intimate partner violence in particular, and how such crimes affect bonding and ultimately prison visitation determinations. Although research suggests prison visitation can be advantageous to parent-child bonding essential to the healthy development of children, it appears that the nature of the bond is a significant factor to consider when assessing the appropriateness of continued contact. This matter is further complicated by the trauma associated with childhood exposure to extreme acts of violence against a parent and how that exposure shapes bonding. This article suggests that courts have a unique opportunity to stop the intergenerational transmission of violence in extreme cases through proper assessment and limitations on visitation. Denying visitation to incarcerated batterers, however, is a quick fix to a problem which will eventually resurface once the parent is released from incarceration. Thus, the writer argues that courts have a responsibility to be creative in fashioning relief that takes into account the needs of children suffering from trauma and the treatment of batterers.


Summary.  Background: Although hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is associated with an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it is not clear if the risk differs in users of combined estrogen‐progestin HRT and estrogen‐only HRT. Methods: We prospectively studied postmenopausal women with suspected DVT in whom HRT use status was ascertained and who subsequently had objective diagnostic testing to confirm or exclude DVT. Cases were patients with idiopathic DVT, in whom there were no DVT risk factors, and controls were patients without DVT, in whom there were also no DVT risk factors. The risk of DVT was determined in users of estrogen‐progestin HRT and estrogen‐only HRT by comparing the prevalence of current HRT use in cases with idiopathic DVT and controls without DVT (reference group). Multivariable regression analysis was done to adjust for factors that might confound an association between HRT use and the risk of DVT. Results: One thousand one hundred and sixty‐eight postmenopausal women with suspected DVT were assessed, from whom 95 cases of idiopathic DVT and 610 controls without DVT and no DVT risk factors were identified. Estrogen‐only HRT was associated with an increased risk for DVT that was not statistically significant [odds ratio (OR) = 1.22; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57, 2.61]. Estrogen‐progestin HRT was associated with a greater than 2‐fold increased risk for DVT (OR = 2.70; 95% CI 1.44, 5.07). Conclusion: The risk of developing DVT may be higher in users of combined estrogen‐progestin HRT than in users of estrogen‐only HRT.


The isotope spectrum shift in the 6707.8A resonance line of lithium has been used for the assay of the isotopes Li 6 and Li 7. A hollow cathode source loaded with 4 mg of Li2SO4 is excited at 35 ma using purified helium at about 2- to 3-mm pressure as support gas. Characteristics, such as tube geometry, pressure, sample life, flow rate of gas, current, and anode-cathode spacing have been studied to give reproducible line intensity ratios. Precision of the method based on a 95 percent confidence interval is about 6 percent of the Li 6 content or, by difference, about 0.5 percent of the Li 7 content in natural material.Spectra are obtained with a 21-foot, 30,000 lines per inch grating spectrograph using first order for which the Li 6–Li 7 isotope shift of 0.159A is readily separated. A multiplier phototube (1P28) set on the 4603A lithium line is used in an integrating circuit as an exposure meter.


Finite-amplitude manifestations of stratified shear flow instabilities and their spatio-temporal coherent structures are believed to play an important role in turbulent geophysical flows. Such shear flows commonly have layers separated by sharp density interfaces, and are therefore susceptible to the so-called Holmboe instability, and its finite-amplitude manifestation, the Holmboe wave. In this paper, we describe and elucidate the origin of an apparently previously unreported long-lived coherent structure in a sustained stratified shear flow generated in the laboratory by exchange flow through an inclined square duct connecting two reservoirs filled with fluids of different densities. Using a novel measurement technique allowing for time-resolved, near-instantaneous measurements of the three-component velocity and density fields simultaneously over a three-dimensional volume, we describe the three-dimensional geometry and spatio-temporal dynamics of this structure. We identify it as a finite-amplitude, nonlinear, asymmetric confined Holmboe wave (CHW), and highlight the importance of its spanwise (lateral) confinement by the duct boundaries. We pay particular attention to the spanwise vorticity, which exhibits a travelling, near-periodic structure of sheared, distorted, prolate spheroids with a wide 'body' and a narrower 'head'. Using temporal linear stability analysis on the two-dimensional streamwise-averaged experimental flow, we solve for three-dimensional perturbations having two-dimensional, cross-sectionally confined eigenfunctions and a streamwise normal mode. We show that the dispersion relation and the three-dimensional spatial structure of the fastest-growing confined Holmboe instability are in good agreement with those of the observed confined Holmboe wave. We also compare those results with a classical linear analysis of two-dimensional perturbations (i.e. with no spanwise dependence) on a one-dimensional base flow. We conclude that the lateral confinement is an important ingredient of the confined Holmboe instability, which gives rise to the CHW, with implications for many inherently confined geophysical flows such as in valleys, estuaries, straits or deep ocean trenches. Our results suggest that the CHW is an example of an experimentally observed, inherently nonlinear, robust, long-lived coherent structure which has developed from a linear instability. We conjecture that the CHW is a promising candidate for a class of exact coherent states underpinning the dynamics of more disordered, yet continually forced stratified shear flows.


One of the ways in which culture becomes enriched is through reconsideration and reinterpretation of well-known stories, and classic fairy tales provide promising material for investigation of the nature of this complex process. The Walt Disney Company is among the most powerful tellers of classic tales, its line of princess animations being an example of simultaneous development and preservation of the fairy-tale phenomenon in a changing cultural context. We analyse the dialogue among classic and modern princess stories and the discussions that these stories give rise to in English-language academic criticism and English-based participatory culture. We focus on the interaction among authors, texts and readers, showing how traditional tales balance between mythological and nonmythological consciousness, between innovative and canonical art. Th e diversity of fans' practices may be seen as a key to possible explanation of why fairy tales exist in culture as a complex, constantly growing web, not as a limited number of selected final versions. Amateur authors demonstrate their interest in the mythopoetics of classic fairy tale plots. They are attracted by the old romantic myth that stands behind princess stories, participate in the creation of the romantic antimyth that is supported by the professional critics, and expect the appearance of new modern myths that might be generated by the new productions of Disney. New fairy tales appear, but this does not result in the disappearance of the old ones. Not only the interests towards the plots themselves, but also discussions and conflict around classic stories keep them topical for contemporary heterogeneous audiences.


Our electricity is predominantly powered by alternating current (AC), ever since the War of Currents ended in the favor of Nicola Tesla at the end of the 19 th century. However, lots of the appliances we use, such as electronics and lights with light-emitting diode (LED) technology, work internally on direct current (DC) and it is projected that the number of these appliances will increase in the near future. Another contributor to the increase in DC consumption is the ongoing electrification of mobility (Electric Vehicles (EVs)). At the same time, photovoltaics (PV) generate DC voltages, while the most common storage technologies also use DC. in order to integrate all these appliances and technologies to the existing AC grid, there is a need for converters which introduce power losses. By distributing DC power to DC devices instead of converting it to AC first, it is possible to avoid substantial energy losses that occur every time electricity is converted. This situation initiated the concept for the implementation of the DC-Flexhouse project. A prototype DC installation will be developed and tested in one of the buildings of the developing living lab area called the District of Tomorrow (De Wijk van Morgen) which is located in Heerlen, the Netherlands. A neighborhood cooperative (Vrieheide cooperatie) is also part of the consortium in order to address the aspect of social acceptance. Although DC seems to be a promising solution for a more sustainable energy system, the business case is still debatable due to both technology- and market-related challenges. The current energy infrastructure is predominantly based on AC, manufacturers produce devices based on AC standards and people are using many AC products across a long life span. This Smart Energy Buildings & Cities (SEB&C) PDEng project is a contribution to the DC-Flexhouse project. The aim is to analyze the challenges in the transition to DC micro grids, assess the market potential of DC applications in the built environment and develop a framework that leads to a commercial success.


Recent studies in experimental animals have advanced the concept that neuronal nitric oxide is an important component of the signal transduction pathways that tonically restrain sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow from the brain stem. To determine whether or not this concept can be extended to the control of sympathetic outflow in humans, we recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity (microelectrodes, peroneal nerve) in healthy human subjects during intravenous infusion of the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) (3.6 to 6.7 mg/kg). The major new finding is that during intravenous L-NMMA mean arterial pressure increased (10 +/- 2 mm Hg, P < .05), whereas heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity decreased (P < .05) by 10 +/- 2 beats per minute and 61 +/- 5%, respectively. These reflex decreases were indistinguishable from those produced when blood pressure was increased comparably with phenylephrine, an internal vasoconstrictor control. When the L-NMMA-induced increase in blood pressure was attenuated experimentally to minimize baroreflex activation, sympathetic nerve activity and heart rate were unchanged. Furthermore, during infusion of L-arginine (323 to 513 mg/kg IV) to increase nitric oxide synthesis, mean arterial pressure decreased (12 +/- 2 mm Hg, P < .05), but heart rate and sympathetic nerve activity increased (P < .05) by 11 +/- 2 beats per minute and 98 +/- 27%, respectively. Thus, our experiments in humans provide no support for the emerging concept that nitric oxide is involved in the tonic restraint of central sympathetic outflow.


This paper investigates the global chaos synchronization of identical hyperchaotic Xu systems (Xu, Cai and Zheng, 2009) by sliding mode control. The stability results derived in this paper for the complete synchronization of identical hyperchaotic Xu systems are established using Lyapunov stability theory. Since the Lyapunov exponents are not required for these calculations, the sliding mode control method is very effective and convenient to achieve global chaos synchronization of the identical hyperchaotic Xu systems. Numerical simulations are shown to illustrate and validate the synchronization schemes derived in this paper for the identical hyperchaotic Xu systems.


ZIF-67 and MCM-41/ZIF-67 composites were successfully synthesized with water solvent at room temperature. The amounts of MCM-41 added during synthesis were varied at 2.5, 5 and 10 (%w/w) toward the amount of ZIF-67, and the obtained solids were denoted as MC (2.5)/ZIF-67, MC (5)/ZIF-67, and MC (10)/ ZIF-67, respectively. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of ZIF-67 and the composites showed characteristic peaks at 2θ of 7.32, 10.36, 12.69, 14.66, and 16.40°, similar to that of reported ZIF-67. The Fourier transform infra-red (FT-IR) spectra of all solids showed absorption bands at the same wavenumbers as reported for ZIF-67. The results of surface morphology analysis using scanning electron microscope (SEM) have shown that ZIF-67 and the composites have a cube shape, which is characteristic for the ZIF-67 standard. N2 adsorption-desorption data showed that the specific surface area of ZIF-67 and MC (5)/ZIF-67 were 1079.2 and 1011.2 m/g, respectively, lower than that of MC (10)/ZIF-67 (1250.6 m/g). However, results of thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the thermal stability of MC (10)/ZIF-67 reached 357°C, higher than that of ZIF-67 (325°C). Performance of the composites as adsorbent of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solution showed that the MC (5)/ZIF-67 had the highest adsorption capacity of 167.635 mg/g, and followed the pseudosecond-order adsorption kinetics and Langmuir isothermal adsorption.


Although protein structure has been studied for many decades it remains the case that we cannot state with confidence whether two samples have the same molecular structure, particularly in solution. The increasing number of biosimilar biopharmaceutical drugs that are being tested means this is not an academic exercise. In this work we consider how four well-established techniques: dynamic light scattering (DLS), circular dichroism (CD), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and molecular modelling can be combined to provide information about the supposedly well-understood protein insulin. A goal of this work was to establish a systematic means of detecting differences between insulin samples as a function of pH, temperature, and the presence or absence of zinc, all of which are known to change the oligomerisation state and to affect molecular structure. We used the recently developed Secondary Structure Neural Network (SSNN) circular dichroism algorithm to facilitate analysis of the CD spectra.


Background: There is an almost complete lack of statistical data on the relationship between gender-identity policies and incidents of sexual violence in bathrooms and change rooms. Using Target stores as a case study, we analyzed 220 media-reported sexual offenses in Target stores from 2003 to August of 2017 to determine the association, if any, between their gender-identity access policy made public in April 2016 and reported sexual offenses in their stores. Results: Sexual incidents increased over the course of the entire timeframe of the media reports. In particular, voyeurism-related offenses (Upskirt and Peeping Tom) increased significantly after the publication of Target's gender-inclusion policy in April, 2016. The three-season forced-category measurement found a 2.3x increase in the amount of upskirt incidents after the policy, and a 2.9x increase in peeping tom incidents after the policy. In a Poisson regression, using trimesters to control for seasonal variations in offenses, the fold change in rate from the four year pre-policy period to the post-policy period was 3.03 for Upskirt and 3.14 for Peeping Tom. Using a two year pre-policy period, the rate change was 2.16 times for Upskirt and 2.34 times for Peeping Tom. Conclusion: While media-loss remains a limitation in the analysis, the present study supports the theory that sex predators may take opportunities afforded by gender-inclusion policies to perpetrate sexual violence against women in public spaces. No other theory seems to account for the significant and precisely-timed increase seen in the Target reports. Further study would be helpful to compare police reports to media-reported crime and to geographically match Target with similar stores to investigate whether sexual offenses have increased elsewhere.


BACKGROUND
Incisional hernia after kidney transplantation increases patient morbidity and impacts quality of life. Reports of hernia mesh repair after kidney transplantation are rare; thus, the benefit of mesh hernioplasty in transplanted patients is assumed. However, it is also assumed that transplant patients are susceptible to incisional and mesh infections.

MATERIAL/METHODS
Between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010, we performed 1067 kidney transplantations. Twenty-eight patients developed incisional hernias (2.6%), and mesh repair was performed in 20 of them (8 women, 12 men; median age 59.5 years, range 43 to 68 years). We retrospectively studied this latter group. We also reviewed the literature regarding the results of this treatment.

RESULTS
Postoperative mortality was zero, but postoperative wound bleeding led to surgical revision in 1 patient. Wound infection did not occur. During the follow-up period we observed 4 hernia recurrences (20%).

CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, our retrospective study and review of the literature confirmed the safety and low incidence (1.1% to 3.8%) of mesh hernia repair in chronic immunosuppressed patients after renal transplantation, which has a minimal risk of wound infection and no higher risk of hernia recurrence than in non-transplant patients.


A 43 year old female patient presented for recurrent bacterial lower respiratory infections. A research for immunodeficiency status revealed total hypogammaglobulinemia, reduced IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 subclass levels, and low number of B lymphocytes (CD19+). Common Variable Immunodeficiency (CVID) 11.2 category was diagnosed according to recent criteria of primary immunodeficiencies (PID). Further immunological study consisting of genetic polymorphism of genes relating to differentiation, activation and function of B cells (ICOS, BAFF receptor BCMA and TACI) was performed, which did not reveal any related mutations. T cell parameters and Th1/Th2 cytokine network did not show any disturbances. It is postulated that probable endstage B cell differentiation defects should be investigated. The patient receives IVIGs replacement thereafter and the rate and severity of infections have significantly improved. Hippokratia 2008; 12 (3): 188-190


Today's pervasive presence of stress renders stress-related psychiatric disorders (SRPDs), a relevant global health problem. Memory impairment is a major symptom likely mediated by the hippocampus (HIP), a limbic brain region highly vulnerable to stress. Recent evidence suggests that information processing problems within specific neuronal networks might underlie SRPDs. However, the precise functional neurocircuitry that mediates hippocampal CA1 long-term potentiation (LTP), a putative correlate of mammalian learning and memory, remains unknown at present. Furthermore, valuable assays for
studying stress and drug effects on polysynaptic activity flow through the classical input/output circuit of the HIP are missing.
To engage a circuit-centered approach, voltage-sensitive dye imaging was applied in mouse brain slices. Single pulse entorhinal cortex (EC) to dentate gyrus (DG) input, evoked by perforant path stimulation, entailed strong neuronal activity in the DG, but no distinct neuronal activity in the CA3 and CA1 subfield of the HIP. In contrast, a thetafrequency (5 Hz) stimulus train induced waves of neuronal activity percolating through the entire hippocampal trisynaptic circuit (HTC-waves). Spatially restricted blocking of glutamate release at CA3 mossy fiber synapses caused a complete disappearance of HTC-waves, suggesting frequency facilitation at DG to CA3 synapses the pivotal gating mechanism. In turn, non-theta frequency stimulations (0.2/1/20 Hz) proved much less
effective at generating HTC-waves.
CA1 long-term potentiation (CA1 LTP) is the best understood form of synaptic plasticity in the brain, but predominantly at the monosynaptic level. Here, HTC-waves comprise high-frequency firing of CA3 pyramidal neurons (>100 Hz), inducing NMDA receptordependent CA1 LTP within a few seconds. Detailed examination revealed the existence of an induction threshold for LTP. Consequently, baseline recordings with a reduced
number of HTC-waves were carried out to test the effects of memory enhancing drugs and HPA axis hormones on hippocampal network dynamics. Bath application of caffeine (5 mM), corticosterone (100 nM) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (5 & 50 nM) rapidly boosted HTC-waves.
Cognitive processes taking place within the HIP are challenged by stress exposure, but whether and how chronic stress shapes "net" neuronal activity flow through the HIP remains elusive. The HTC-wave assay, refined for group comparisons, revealed that chronic stress markedly lowers the strength of evoked neuronal activity propagation through the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit. In contrast, antidepressants (ADs) of several classes, the mood stabilizer lithium, the anesthetic ketamine, and the neurotrophin brainderived neurotrophic factor amplified HTC-waves. An opposite effect was obtained with the antipsychotic haloperidol and the anxiolytic diazepam. The tested ADs exert this effect at low micromolar concentrations, but not at 100 nM, and nearly always, also not at 500 nM. Furthermore, the AD fluoxetine was found to facilitate LTP of HTC-waves. Finally, pharmacological blockade of the tyrosine-related kinase B receptor abolished fluoxetine effects on HTC-waves.
These results highlight a circuit-centered approach suggesting evoked synchronous theta rhythmical firing of EC principal cells as a valuable tool to investigate several aspects of
neuronal activity flow through the HIP. The physiological relevance is emphasized by the finding that the resulting HTC-waves, which likely occur during EC theta oscillations,
evoke NMDA receptor-dependent CA1 LTP within a few seconds. Furthermore, HTC-waves allow to integrate molecular, cellular and structural adaptations in the HIP, pointing to a monoaminergic neurotransmission-independent, "circuit-level" mechanism of ADs, to balance the detrimental effects of chronic stress on HIP-dependent cognitive abilities.