Aim/Purpose: Effective e-learning systems need to incorporate student characteristics such as learning style and knowledge level in order to provide a more personalized and adaptive learning experience. However, there is a need to investigate how and when to provide adaptivity based on student characteristics, and more importantly, to evaluate its value in learning enhancement. This study aims to bridge that gap by examining the effect of different modes of learning material adaptation and their sequences to the learning style and knowledge level of students in e-learning systems.

Background: E-learning systems aim to provide acceptability and interactivity between students, instructors, and learning content anytime and anywhere. However, traditional systems are typically designed for generic students irrespective of individual requirements. Successful e-learning systems usually consider student characteristics such as learning style and knowledge level to provide more personalized and adaptive student-system interaction.

Methodology: A controlled experiment was conducted in a learning context with 174 subjects to evaluate the learning effectiveness of adaptivity in e-learning systems.

Contribution: The main contributions of the paper are threefold. First, a novel adaptive approach is proposed based on a specific learning style model and knowledge level. Second, the approach is implemented in an e-learning system to teach computer security, the application domain. Third, a rigorous experimental evaluation of the learning effect of the adaptive approach is offered.

Findings: The results indicate that adaptation according to the combination of learning style and knowledge level produces significantly better learning gains, both in the short-term and medium-term, than adaptation according to either trait individually.

Recommendations for Practitioners: Practitioners should consider the combination of learning style and knowledge level when delivering and presenting learning material to their students.

Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers should consider sound educational models when designing adaptive e-learning systems. Also, rigorous and carful experimental design evaluations should be taken into account.

Impact on Society: Universities and e-learning industries can benefit from the proposed adaptive approach and the findings in designing and developing more personalized and adaptive e-learning systems. The incorporation of student characteristics, especially learning style and knowledge level, may be used to enhance learning.

Future Research: The experiment might be duplicated with a focus on longer-term learning gains by including more subjects and more learning resources. Also, the study might be expanded to application domains other than computer security. Moreover, other variables such as student satisfaction, motivation, and affective state might be explored to further the understanding of the effect of adaptivity on learning gains.


This paper investigates China's role in creating global imbalances, and the related call for a massive renminbi revaluation as a (supposed) panacea to forestall their reemergence as the world economy recovers from severe crisis. We reject the prominence widely attributed to China as a cause of global imbalances and the exclusive focus on the renminbi-dollar exchange rate as misguided. And we emphasize that China's response to the global crisis has been exemplary. Apart from acting as a growth leader in the global recovery by boosting domestic demand to offset the slump in exports, China has in the process successfully completed the first stage in rebalancing its economy, which is in stark contrast to other leading trading nations that have simply resumed previous policy patterns. The second stage in China's rebalancing will consist of further strengthening private consumption. We argue that this will be best supported by continued reliance on renminbi stability and capital account management, so as to assure that macroeconomic policies can be framed in line with domestic development requirements.


Explorations in Family Nursing examines a systemic approach to care which can be applied both in hospital and community settings. Working collaboratively with the family, the nurse is able to strengthen the level of care available to the patient and promote the health and well-being of the whole family. The book examines the theory underpinning family nursing and establishes the principles, including how to make assessments, plan interventions and evaluate progress. A team of experienced contributors demonstrate how widely family nursing strategies can be applied in practice and cover issues including: * children with chronic and terminal illnesses * children with learning disabilities * adolescents * frail elderly people * patients in intensive care Suitable for practitioners and for students from Diploma to post-graduate level , Explorations in Family Nursing makes a timely and relevant contribution to the development of nursing practice.


The Lizard complex of southwest England is considered to represent a thrust slice of Devonian oceanic crust, emplaced onto the Gramscatho flysch basin during the Middle Devonian. The ophiolite is an incomplete sequence consisting of strongly deformed basaltic lavas and interflow sediments (Landewednack and Old Lizard Head Series schists respectively), overlain by serpentinized peridotites and lherzolites, variable gabbro and a restricted sheeted dyke complex. Intruded into the basal, serpentinized ultramafic rocks are a suite of compositionally banded rocks called the Kennack Gneiss. Excluding some late mafic dykes, the Kennack Gneiss is the youngest rock suite present, because portions of the gneiss intrude and cross-cut the foliations of all the other rock types. -- The banded Kennack Gneiss consists of distinct felsic and mafic fractions. Field relationships with other units indicate an intrusive igneous nature for the Kennack Gneiss and the relationships between the felsic and mafic fractions of the gneiss suggest that magma-mingling and possibly mixing have played a significant role in generation of these rocks. Digestion of plastic gabbroic xenoliths by felsic material, net-veining of silicic material in microgabbro and flame-like interfingering of felsic and mafic fractions all support the proposal of magmatic mingling. -- Field relationships also indicate that the mafic fraction of the Kennack Gneiss is distinct from the hornblende schists, and that some mafic dykes are genetically related to the mafic fraction of the Kennack Gneiss. Variably deformed pegmatitic gabbro within the map area appears to be only slightly older than the Kennack Gneiss and is significantly different in chemistry from the Crousa gabbro. -- Harker variation diagrams for the Kennack Gneiss as a whole show variable trends. The presence of curvilinear trends indicates that a restite separation or in situ metamorphic segregation processes may be discounted as viable hypotheses. Instead, fractional crystallization, thermogravitational diffusion or magma-mixing are favored. The trace element chemistry of the Kennack gneiss indicates that magma-mixing is the most favorable of the three. This is demonstrated through irregular inter end member trends not easily explained through traditional fractional crystallization processes. -- Negative colinear variations with silica dominate the felsic fractions of the Kennack Gneiss. MgO variation diagrams for the mafic fractions of the gneiss show a high degree of scatter, but particular elements (CaO, Na₂O, SiO₂ and Sr) exhibit curvilinear covariance with MgO. These points suggest that the felsic fractions are interrelated through mixing, while the mafic fractions are interrelated through progressive fractional crystallization. This indicates that the chemical and physical evolution of the felsic fractions has been dominated by magmatic mingling and mixing of a silicic magma with a late stage differentiate of the mafic fractions. Although the majority of the chemical data for the felsic rocks supports mixing, a number of elements, Y, Nb, possibly Th and U and the rare earth elements exhibit strong enrichment/depletion trends which are difficult to interpret. However, careful interpretatiqn indicates that the felsic fractions of the gneiss were initially generated through partial melting of a crustal source, intermediate in composition which contained abundant plagioclase and a HFSE bearing phase such as zircon. These crustal melts underwent crystal fractionation of alkali feldspar as well as a LREE bearing phase (monazite?), as indicated by the extreme enrichment of the Y, Nb and possibly the HREE in the most evolved silicic rocks. Following this crystal fractionation, the felsic magma was intruded into a magma chamber containing the mafic fraction of the gneiss. Mixing of the felsic magma and the most differentiated portions of the mafic magma occurred, however, mixing was only local as demonstrated by the mingled state now observed in the field. The mingled and partially mixed magmas were then intruded along the base of and into the Lizard peridotite. Intrusion of the Kennack Gneiss was synchronous with displacement of the Lizard complex from the oceanic regime. The strongly banded character of the Kennack Gneiss resulted from a high strain gradient at the base of the Lizard complex at that time. -- Major element chemistry of the mafic fractions suggest a volcanic arc influence in generation of these rocks. Similarly, trace and rare earth element chemistry in combination with tectonic discrimination diagrams support a volcanic arc setting of generation for the two magmas. These observations have significant implications for the geotectonic history of the Lizard complex.


The 3 largest plutons in southern Scotland yield Rb-Sr mineral-whole-rock ages of 408 ±2 Ma for Doon, 397 ±2 Ma for Criffell and 392 ±2 Ma for Fleet. This emplacement sequence is accompanied by a progression towards higher average Thornton and Tuttle Indices, 87Sr/86Sr initial ratios and δ18O values. All 3 plutons are composite and normally zoned and display an overall increase in (87Sr/86Sr)i and δ18O inward from the margins. The Doon southern microdiorites are chemically distinct from the later diorites and some have (87Sr/86Sr)i as low as 0.7041. The main diorites in the S have (87Sr/86Sr)i similar to proximal granodiorites and granites (~0.705) suggesting that the chemical variations were chiefly produced by a process like fractional crystallization. Central granites further N have higher (87Sr/86Sr)i (up to 0.7059). δ18O values for the range of rock types vary from 7.83 to 10.32%o. Magmatic (87Sr/86Sr)i values from Criffell lie between 0.7052 and 0.7069, δ18O values ranging from 8.54 to 11.84%o. Fractional crystallization was important in the centre of the pluton. There was greater interaction between the granite and granodiorite components in the S than in the NE. The Fleet granites have high and variable (87Sr/86Sr)i ranging from 0.7060 to 0.7109. δ18 O values obtained are relatively constant (11.17–11.33‰). These data, combined with isotopic studies of the surrounding Lower Palaeozoic sediments, common Pb and U-Pb (zircon) data and geophysical constraints, indicate that the magmas were derived by melting of mantle and /or 'new' basic lower crust and metasediment, the isotopic variations being ascribable to incomplete hybridization between magmas derived from these differing sources.


s | 3 reinstatement was accompanied by reduction of synaptic input in the IL. Then we hypothesized that prefrontal dopamine plays a key role in reinstatement and tested this idea. A reminder shock induced c-Fos expression in the IL-projecting dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area. Blocking of IL dopamine D1 receptor signaling prevented reduction of synaptic input, CeM c-Fos expression, and fear reinstatement. These findings demonstrate that a dopamine-dependent inactivation of extinction circuits underlies fear reinstatement and may explain the comorbidity of substance use disorders and anxiety disorders. PS07 Neuronal encoding of anxiety in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis Hiroshi Nomura1, Vijay Namboodiri1, Oksana Kosyk1, James Otis1, J. Elliott Robinson1, Jose Rodriguez-Romaguera1, Garret Stuber1 1The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA Abstract The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is important for anxiety behavior and its activity is associated with increased anxiety. However, how individual BNST neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo calcium imaging and optogenetics in freely behaving mice and examined the neuronal encoding of anxiety in the BNST. First, we expressed a calcium indicator, GCaMP6s, in CaMKii-expressing BNST neurons. We implanted a microendoscope above the BNST and interfaced it with a miniaturized fluorescence microscope. These mice were exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM), in which they spent more time in closed arms than open arms. Some BNST neurons preferentially increased their activity in open arms, and others preferentially increase their activity in closed arms, suggesting that neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli are both present within BNST. Second, we tested whether prepronociceptin (PNOC)-expressing BNST neurons respond to either anxiogenic or anxiolytic stimuli. PNOC is a precursor for Nociceptin/orphanin FQ and is highly expressed in a subset of BNST neurons. We expressed GCaMP6s in BNST PNOC neurons. PNOC neurons were activated in open arms but not in closed arms, suggesting that they only encode anxiogenic stimuli. Third, we explored the functional role of BNST PNOC neurons. We expressed channelrhodopsin-2 in BNST PNOC neurons and implanted optical fibers above the BNST. Photoactivation of PNOC neurons decreased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries in the EPM. In addition, we targeted halorhodopsin to BNST PNOC neurons. Photoinhibition of PNOC neurons increased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries within the EPM. These demonstrate that PNOC neurons are sufficient and necessary for anxiety-like behavior. These results suggest that BNST includes both neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli and that BNST PNOC neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli and promote anxietylike behavior.The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is important for anxiety behavior and its activity is associated with increased anxiety. However, how individual BNST neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli is unclear. Here, we employed in vivo calcium imaging and optogenetics in freely behaving mice and examined the neuronal encoding of anxiety in the BNST. First, we expressed a calcium indicator, GCaMP6s, in CaMKii-expressing BNST neurons. We implanted a microendoscope above the BNST and interfaced it with a miniaturized fluorescence microscope. These mice were exposed to the elevated plus maze (EPM), in which they spent more time in closed arms than open arms. Some BNST neurons preferentially increased their activity in open arms, and others preferentially increase their activity in closed arms, suggesting that neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli are both present within BNST. Second, we tested whether prepronociceptin (PNOC)-expressing BNST neurons respond to either anxiogenic or anxiolytic stimuli. PNOC is a precursor for Nociceptin/orphanin FQ and is highly expressed in a subset of BNST neurons. We expressed GCaMP6s in BNST PNOC neurons. PNOC neurons were activated in open arms but not in closed arms, suggesting that they only encode anxiogenic stimuli. Third, we explored the functional role of BNST PNOC neurons. We expressed channelrhodopsin-2 in BNST PNOC neurons and implanted optical fibers above the BNST. Photoactivation of PNOC neurons decreased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries in the EPM. In addition, we targeted halorhodopsin to BNST PNOC neurons. Photoinhibition of PNOC neurons increased the time spent in open arms and the open arm entries within the EPM. These demonstrate that PNOC neurons are sufficient and necessary for anxiety-like behavior. These results suggest that BNST includes both neurons encoding anxiogenic and anxiolytic stimuli and that BNST PNOC neurons encode anxiogenic stimuli and promote anxietylike behavior. PS08 Phenotypic analysis of a mouse model for 15q25.2– 25.3 deletion syndrome Jun Nomura1, Akifumi Kanda1, Yusuke Sotomaru1, Toru Takumi1 1Hiroshima University/RIKEN BSI,Japan Abstract Human chromosome 15q25.2–25.3 deletion syndrome has recently been reported as one of the copy number variations associated with intellectual delay (ID) and mental retardation (MR) (Cooper et al., Nat. Genet., 2011). Patients with 15q25.2– 25.3 (660 Kb, include 7 genes, ZSCAN2, WDR73, NMB, ZNF592, ALPK3, SLC28A1, and PDE8A) microdeletion manifest variable clinical features, including mild motor delay, myopathy, mild cognitive deficits, and ASD (autism spectrum disorders)like symptoms. So far causal factors and mechanical evidences relevant to neuropsychiatric phenotypes have not been addressed. To analyze the consequence of 15q25.2–25.3 deletion, we developed animal model of human 15q25.2–25.3 heterozygous haploinsufficiency by chromosome engineering. Although this mutant mouse harboring 0.5 Mb deletions in chromosome 7 that corresponds to human 15q25.2–25.3 appeared normal and displayed no gross abnormalities so far, sequential behavioral analyses identified anxiety phenotypes in both open-field and elevated-plus maze tests. This mutant mouse also showed behavioral inflexibility in reversal learning test of Barnes maze although its hippocampal dependent spatial learning and memory tasks are normal. We report our progress of phenotypic analysis and discuss about its future perspectives.Human chromosome 15q25.2–25.3 deletion syndrome has recently been reported as one of the copy number variations associated with intellectual delay (ID) and mental retardation (MR) (Cooper et al., Nat. Genet., 2011). Patients with 15q25.2– 25.3 (660 Kb, include 7 genes, ZSCAN2, WDR73, NMB, ZNF592, ALPK3, SLC28A1, and PDE8A) microdeletion manifest variable clinical features, including mild motor delay, myopathy, mild cognitive deficits, and ASD (autism spectrum disorders)like symptoms. So far causal factors and mechanical evidences relevant to neuropsychiatric phenotypes have not been addressed. To analyze the consequence of 15q25.2–25.3 deletion, we developed animal model of human 15q25.2–25.3 heterozygous haploinsufficiency by chromosome engineering. Although this mutant mouse harboring 0.5 Mb deletions in chromosome 7 that corresponds to human 15q25.2–25.3 appeared normal and displayed no gross abnormalities so far, sequential behavioral analyses identified anxiety phenotypes in both open-field and elevated-plus maze tests. This mutant mouse also showed behavioral inflexibility in reversal learning test of Barnes maze although its hippocampal dependent spatial learning and memory tasks are normal. We report our progress of phenotypic analysis and discuss about its future perspectives. PS09 Pregnant mice exposure to extreme level of oxytocin influences emotional and social behaviors of the offsprings after growing up Yoshiyuki Kasahara, Sachie Suzuki, Yuji Onouchi, Ayaka Yoshida, Chiaki Ono, Yoshie Kikuchi, Zhiqian Yu, Hiroaki Tomita Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Japan Abstract It has been reported that maternal stress during pregnancy increases the risk of psychiatric disorders of the offspring. In response to stress, the levels of various hormones, including glucocorticoids, catecholamines, neuropeptides, are increased. Oxytocin is also the one of these stress-related hormones, while oxytocin is well known to play important roles in social interactions, including attachment between mother and child, as well as reproductive functions. Acute stress leads to rapid release of oxytocin from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus. In thisIt has been reported that maternal stress during pregnancy increases the risk of psychiatric disorders of the offspring. In response to stress, the levels of various hormones, including glucocorticoids, catecholamines, neuropeptides, are increased. Oxytocin is also the one of these stress-related hormones, while oxytocin is well known to play important roles in social interactions, including attachment between mother and child, as well as reproductive functions. Acute stress leads to rapid release of oxytocin from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SON) of the hypothalamus. In this study, we examined the effects of prenatal oxytocin exposure in mice to future emotional and social behaviors. From embryonic days 8.5 to 14.5, pregnant animals were injected with oxytocin solution once per day, whereas control animals were treated with saline. The offspring mice were tested for emotional and social behaviors at 10–15 weeks of age. Mice prenatally treated with oxytocin showed significantly increased anxiety behavior compared with control mice in the elevated plus maze test. In addition, 3-chambered social approach test indicated that mice prenatally treated with oxytocin showed significantly lower social behaviors than saline-treated mice. On the other hand, prenatal oxytocin treatmen


In previous work, we have noted a certain rigidity in sociology's approach to the topic of social relations (Cerulo 1997; Cerulo and Ruane 1997; Cerulo, Ruane, and Chayko 1992). With few exceptions, literature on the subject dichotomizes social relations with reference to the scope of the interaction (small group versus large group) and the mode by which social actors connect (direct connections versus mediated connections). Further, many researchers implicitly rank the social value of each relational form. Sociologists typically identify a society's primary and most valuable relations as the result of direct, physically copresent exchange, exchange involving relatively few interactants. In contrast, secondary relations often are characterized as faceless, impersonal, ingenuous, and fleeting–the result of large-group exchange established via mediated or mechanized connections. Cerulo (1997) suggested the need to reformulate any definition of social relations built upon the small group/large group or the direct/mediated dichotomies. She presented several critical elements upon which new definitions could be built. In this piece, we configure those elements, building six new analytic taxonomies–tools we hope will provoke a richer discussion of connecting, interacting, and resulting forms of social relations.


A substantial fraction of the energy demand of buildings comes from air-conditioners (ACs), refrigerators, etc., which do not need human interaction for their continuous operations. So long as desirable temperature levels, which we refer to as thermal comfort-bands, are maintained by such background loads, users will not be concerned about when they perform their assigned functions. i.e., when they consume the energy required to function. This paper addresses the problem of maintaining thermal comfort-bands associated with background loads under Peak energy consumption constraint. Based on our empirical observations pertaining to energy consumption profiles of thermal comfort-band maintaining ACs, a) we present a feasibility criterion for maintaining the thermal comfort-band of a given set of background loads under constraints on the peak available power and (b) we propose TCBM, a new algorithm for scheduling such background loads under peak power constraint. In addition to limiting peak power demand, the TCBM algorithm avoids undesirable switching (ON and OFF) of electrical appliances to improve efficiency of the equipment and reduce failures. Results from simulation and real-life implementation demonstrate that our algorithm is superior to the existing work on background load scheduling. We also show how TCBM can adapt to changes in ambient parameters and provide the basis for efficient demand-response systems.


Over 450,000 Americans suffer from degenerative muscle diseases characterized by loss of strength and dexterity in the human hand. An assistive hand exoskeleton was designed to amplify residual muscle strength and restore functionality by assisting pinching and grasping motions. The device featured three movable digits: thumb, index, and middle-ring-small (MRS) digit. Adjustable straps wrapped around the exterior of the finger links and secured the user's fingers inside the device. A microcontroller processed force sensing resistor (FSR) data and commanded articulating motors. The exoskeleton was lightweight, flexible, portable and accessible to a wide range of user finger diameters.


[1] Atmospheric cyclones in the Fram Strait affect the sea ice transport from the Arctic Ocean into the Atlantic Ocean. During the field experiment FRAMZY in April 1999 a Fram Strait cyclone and its impact on the ice drift was measured using a research aircraft and an array of 15 ice buoys. The synoptic-scale cyclone moved from the south into the area. It was discernible up to 500 hPa in the pressure field, but the horizontal temperature contrast of up to 16 K between the warm and cold sides was confined to the lowest 500 m. The average ice drift was 0.21 ms−1 toward 200° but increased to 0.6 ms−1 during the cyclone passage. The ice drift amounted to 1.6% of the geostrophic wind with a turning angle of 51° on the average. Comparisons between the aircraft measurements and operational weather model analyses show an insufficient representation of the temperature inversion and indicate an underestimate of wind speed and, thus, momentum transfer to the sea ice.


Abstract Surface treatments usually are used to modify the appearance and properties of stainless steel surfaces. Simultaneously, the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel surface being related intrinsically to the spontaneous formation of a passive layer also will be affected. In this respect, the influence of different surface treatments on the corrosion resistance of Type 304 (UNS S30400) stainless steel to pitting corrosion has been evaluated by means of potentiostatic electrochemical noise measurements and surface characterization. Typical industrial treatments including mechanical grinding, glass blasting, and pickling were taken into account. Additionally, special consideration was put on the effect of aging conditions of the passive layer after surface treatments, in particular on the relative humidity. Benefits and limitations of the different applied surface treatments concerning protectiveness of the stainless steel surface were determined and discussed.


Cyanobacteria have been used as a source of natural products for drug development. Previous studies have demonstrated that compounds with cytotoxic activity are widely distributed in cyanobacteria and that the chemical classes of the cytotoxic compounds are diverse. Several compounds derived from cyanobacteria are approved by FDA or under clinical evaluations for cancer treatment, validating that these organisms have great potential as a source for anticancer drugs or drug leads.
In this study, over 300 cyanobacteria strains were cultured, harvested, and extracted. A total of 306 cyanobacterial extracts were evaluated for both cytotoxicity using a set of cancer cells (HT-29, MCF-7, NCI-H460, and SF268 as well as a cancer cell panel consisting of 12 different cancer cells) and inhibition of 20S proteasome, an established target for cancer treatment. Of the 306 screened extracts, nine displayed cytotoxicity and seven showed inhibition of 20S proteasome. Five of these bioactive cyanobacterial strains, Fischerella sp. (SAG 46.79), Westiellopsis sp. (SAG 20.93), Fischerella muscicola (UTEX LB1829), Nostoc sp. (UIC 10047), and Oscillatoria sp. (UIC 10109), were selected for chemical investigation. Activity-guided fractionation led to the isolation of 22 compounds. Structures of these isolated compounds were elucidated using a variety of spectroscopic analyses and 9 of 22 were found to be novel compounds. Most of these compounds showed moderate to strong cytotoxicity and/or 20S proteasome inhibition.
It has been shown that cyanobacteria have a great potential as a source for discovery of anticancer lead compounds, and the results of this study also support this. We believe that continued efforts on the chemical and biological evaluation of these organisms will provide a great opportunity for the discovery of new anticancer lead compounds.


Importance
Propranolol has become the first-line therapy for problematic infantile hemangiomas (IHs) that require systemic therapy. However, different adverse events have been reported during propranolol treatment. The positive efficacy and safety of atenolol raise the question of whether it could be used as a promising therapy for IH.

Objective
To compare the efficacy and safety of propranolol vs atenolol in infants (between age 5 and 20 weeks) with problematic IHs who required systemic therapy.

Design, Setting, and Participants
This was a prospective, multicenter, randomized, controlled, open-label clinical trial conducted in collaboration among 6 separate investigation sites in China from February 1, 2015, to December 31, 2018. A total of 377 patients met the criteria for inclusion and were randomized to the propranolol (190 [50.4%]) and atenolol (187 [49.6%]) groups. Data were analyzed in June 2020.

Interventions
Participants were randomized to receive either propranolol or atenolol for at least 6 months. They completed efficacy assessments at 2 years after the initial treatment.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary outcome was any response or nonresponse at 6 months. The key secondary outcome was changes in the hemangioma activity score.

Results
Of 377 participants, 287 (76.1%) were female, and the mean (SD) age was 10.2 (4.0) weeks in the propranolol group and 9.8 (4.1) weeks in the atenolol group. After 6 months of treatment, in the propranolol and atenolol groups, the overall response rates were 93.7% and 92.5%, respectively (difference, 1.2%; 95% CI, -4.1% to 6.6%). At 1 and 4 weeks after treatment, and thereafter, the hemangioma activity score in the atenolol group aligned with the propranolol group (odds ratio, 1.034; 95% CI, 0.886-1.206). No differences between the propranolol group and atenolol group were observed in successful initial responses, quality of life scores, complete ulceration healing times, or the rebound rate. Both groups presented a similar percentage of complete/nearly complete responses at 2 years (82.1% vs 79.7%; difference, 2.4%; 95% CI, -5.9% to 10.7%). Adverse events were more common in the propranolol group (70.0% vs 44.4%; difference, 25.6%; 95% CI, 15.7%-34.8%), but the frequency of severe adverse events did not differ meaningfully between the groups.

Conclusions and Relevance
In this randomized clinical trial, when compared with propranolol, atenolol had similar efficacy and fewer adverse events in the treatment of infants with problematic IHs. The results suggest that oral atenolol can be used as an alternative treatment option for patients with IH who require systemic therapy.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier: NCT02342275.


Offshore windfarm developments are expanding, requiring assessment and mitigation of impacts on protected species. Typically, assessments of impacts on marine mammals have focused on pile-driving, as intense impulsive noise elicits adverse behavioral responses. However, other construction activities such as jacket and turbine installation also change acoustic habitats through increased vessel activity. To date, the contribution of construction-related vessel activity in shaping marine mammal behavioral responses at windfarm construction sites has been overlooked and no guidelines or mitigation measures have been implemented. We compared broad-scale spatio-temporal variation in harbor porpoise occurrence and foraging activity between baseline periods and different construction phases at two Scottish offshore windfarms. Following a Before-After Control-Impact design, arrays of echolocation click detectors (CPODs) were deployed in 25 km by 25 km impact and reference blocks throughout the 2017–2019 construction. Echolocation clicks and buzzes were used to investigate porpoise occurrence and foraging activity, respectively. In parallel, we characterized broadband noise levels using calibrated noise recorders (SoundTraps and SM2Ms) and vessel activities using AIS data integrated with engineering records. Following an impact gradient design, we then quantified the magnitude of porpoise responses in relation to changes in the acoustic environment and vessel activity. Compared to baseline, an 8–17% decline in porpoise occurrence was observed in the impact block during pile-driving and other construction activities. The probability of detecting porpoises and buzzing activity was positively related to the distance from vessel and construction activities, and negatively related to levels of vessel intensity and background noise. Porpoise displacement was observed at up to 12 km from pile-driving activities and up to 4 km from construction vessels. This evidence of broad-scale behavioral responses of harbor porpoises to these different construction activities highlights the importance of assessing and managing all vessel activities at offshore windfarm sites to minimize potential impacts of anthropogenic noise.


Our nervous system is organized into circuits with specifically matched and tuned cell-to-cell connections that are essential for proper function. The mechanisms by which presynaptic axon terminals and postsynaptic dendrites recognize each other and establish the correct number of connections are still incompletely understood. Sperry's chemoaffinity hypothesis proposes that pre- and postsynaptic partners express specific combinations of molecules that enable them to recognize each other. Alternatively, Peters' rule proposes that presynaptic axons and postsynaptic dendrites use non-partner-derived global positional cues to independently reach their target area, and once there they randomly connect with any available neuron. These connections can then be further refined by additional mechanisms based on synaptic activity. We used the tractable genetic model system, the Drosophila embryo and larva, to test these hypotheses and elucidate the roles of 1) global positional cues, 2) partner-derived cues and 3) synaptic activity in the establishment of selective connections in the developing nerve cord. We altered the position or activity of presynaptic partners and analyzed the effect of these manipulations on the number of synapses with specific postsynaptic partners, strength of functional connections, and behavior controlled by these neurons. For this purpose, we combined developmental live imaging, electron microscopy reconstruction of circuits, functional imaging of neuronal activity, and behavioral experiments in wildtype and experimental animals. We found that postsynaptic dendrites are able to find, recognize, and connect to their presynaptic partners even when these have been shifted to ectopic locations through the overexpression of receptors for midline guidance cues. This suggests that neurons use partner-derived cues that allow them to identify and connect to each other. However, while partner-derived cues are sufficient for recognition between specific partners and establishment of connections;; without orderly positioning of axon terminals by positional cues and without synaptic activity during embryonic development, the numbers of functional connections are altered with significant consequences for behavior. Thus, multiple mechanisms including global positional cues, partner-derived cues, and synaptic activity contribute to proper circuit assembly in the developing Drosophila nerve cord.


This book is intended as an introductory text for students studying a wide range of courses concerned with animal management, zoo biology and wildlife conservation, and should also be useful to zookeepers and other zoo professionals. It is divided into three parts. Part 1 considers the function of zoos, their history, how zoos are managed, ethics, zoo legislation and wildlife conservation law. Part 2 discusses the design of zoos and zoo exhibits, animal nutrition, reproduction, animal behaviour (including enrichment and training), animal welfare, veterinary care, animal handling and transportation. Finally, Part 3 discusses captive breeding programmes, genetics, population biology, record keeping, and the educational role of zoos, including a consideration of visitor behaviour. It concludes with a discussion of the role of zoos in the conservation of species in the wild and in species reintroductions. This book takes an international perspective and includes a wide range of examples of the operation of zoos and breeding programmes particularly in the UK, Europe, North America and Australasia.


The dynamic development of information fusion research implies introduction of new terms and concepts, which in turn requires tools and methods for terminology organization and standardization, as well as tools for creating domain-specific ontology. In this paper, we show how natural language processing and corpus technology tools applied for term extraction from texts in biomedicine can successfully be used for the field of information fusion. We demonstrate term and information extraction from a corpus of research articles in information fusion, showing how a vision of a combined text retrieval and information extraction service can be made real.


22Na uptake into strips of rabbit pancreas was measured for up to 10 min. The uptake curve was characterized by the presence of two plateaus separated by an inflexion point; a first "plateau" or an approximation of steady-state uptake was observed between 1 and 3 min; betwen 3 and 4 min the slope of the uptake curve increased again, finally decreasing to a new and higher steady-state uptake between 4 and 6 min. The data suggest that the first part of the uptake curve (from 0 to 3 min) represents uptake into most if not all cells, and the second part (from 3 to 10 min) represents the sum of "quasi" steady-state cellular uptake and of the equilibration of the ductal compartment in series with the cells. In this model a substantial delay (2.5-3.25 min) elapses between the filling of cellular and ductal compartments which is apparently of intracellular origin, implying restricted Na+ diffusion within the cytoplasm and an intracellular Na+ gradient. If this model is correct, then the mean transit time for Na+ across the whole organ should be approximately 3-4 min and be primarily the result of transcellular transit. The mean transit time for Na+ across the whole organ in vitro was measured and found to be 3.5 min on the average. The step that accounts for most of this time appears to be the transepithelial transit of Na+.


Intrauterine infection is one of the main etiologies associated with preterm delivery. Cytokines involved in chorioamnionitis, including IL-1, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and MCP1, activate different pathways that lead to preterm delivery. Antileukinate (AL) is a potent selective IL-8 inhibitor that binds to CXC receptors 1&2 on neutrophils, thereby inhibiting IL-8-induced neutrophil chemotaxis and degranulation. Since CXC receptors 1&2 are critically involved in the pathology of chorioamnionitis, their inhibition with AL may have therapeutic potential. Four timed-pregnant C57BL6 mice groups were studied. LPS group received LPS intraperitoneally on gestational day (GD) 15. The AL group received LPS on GD15 followed immediately by intraperitoneal AL injection and repeated on GD16, and 17. Control groups received either saline, or no injections. In the LPS group, 90% delivered within 24 hours after LPS administration compared to 20% in the AL group. The LPS group had 85% stillborn compared to 15% in the AL group. Uterine histopathology AL group showed evidence of less inflammatory reaction compared to the LPS group. Uterine tissue and serum from the AL group had a significant reduction of inflammatory cytokines compared with the LPS group. Cytokine levels in brain and lung tissues from surviving pups were not significantly different between the AL and control groups. Our data show that antileukinate significantly delays preterm delivery in a mouse model of chorioamnionitis, and reduces neonatal mortality and morbidity.


Haider and Frensch (1996, 1999a, 1999b) argue that people learn through practice to separate task-relevant from task-irrelevant information, and that this is a major element in the acquisition of complex skills. However, in more complex tasks, there are multiple elements that are relevant to the solution. Here, we investigate a basic example of this kind of task. Where either of two information sources associated with a task may be used to determine a response, do individuals learn to ignore one source? If so, which attributes of the two information sources bias individuals towards selecting one source rather than the other? We report two experiments, each using a variant of the alphabetic arithmetic task (Haider & Frensch, 1996). We asked participants to verify strings, such as H[4] M N O P. In Experiment 1, participants completed either three or seven practice blocks in which an error occurring in the initial letter-digit-letter triplet always coincided with an error in the post-triplet string. All participants then completed a test block in which incorrect strings included only one type of error. The large string-length effect we obtained for correct strings suggests that participants learned to ignore one of the two sources of task-relevant information. There was a higher incidence of post-triplet errors over triplet errors in the test block. Experiment 2 followed a similar procedure to Experiment 1, but with two modifications. In two conditions, we asked participants to verify strings where we located the triplet at the end of the sequence. In two other conditions, we asked participants to verify strings used in Experiment 1, but presented in reverse order and by reading the strings from right to left. Results for the two triplet-last conditions are consistent with participants reducing to the pre-triplet string rather than to the triplet. Results for the two reverse-order conditions suggest that participants reduced to the triplet, as in Experiment 1. We propose that the hypothesised information reduction mechanism gives priority to information processed first, and acts to reduce processing time.


Background: Many industries, including the mobile phone industry, experience a surge in supply chain (SC) costs in the provision of products and services to their customers. Despite this, only a few studies have been conducted on SC cost reduction in South Africa and globally. Objective: This study seeks to understand the perceptions of managers regarding cost reduction in the South African mobile phone SC. Method: A qualitative case study was conducted, involving eight willing managers and using semi-structured interviews, observation and documents. Interviews transcripts were analysed thematically with the help of Atlas.ti and a threefold process was followed, comprising data reduction, data display and data interpretation and conclusion drawing. Results: The findings suggest that mobile phone companies should consolidate their strategic relationships and be efficient, in order to effectively reduce costs in the South African mobile phone SC. To achieve this, whilst South African mobile network operators have to share more and more infrastructure and outsource their operations, other mobile phone companies should re-engineer their operational processes and their reduce costs across the SC. Conclusion: The knowledge generated from this study should assist South African mobile phone companies to reduce their SC costs and address high-priced mobile services. On the other hand, this study should assist regulating authorities (the Department of Communications and the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa) to gain insights into the challenges faced by the mobile phone industry in South Africa and, therefore, to make appropriate and adequate mobile telecommunication policies.


This dissertation proposes a close reading of the biographical and autobiographical works of Marguerite Yourcenar: Le Labyrinthe du Monde and Mémoires d 1Hadrien. The purpose of this reading is to explore the process through which Yourcenar attempts to establish the legitimacy of the individual (be it her own self or one of her characters). Since Yourcenar rejects the Mcult of the self", the élaboration of her identity is never explicitly at work in the text. In Le Labyrinthe du Monde, the authornarrator explores her "unicity" by reconstructing her genealogy with the resuit that she never becomes the narrated "object" of the text which nevertheless starts as a conventional autobiography. The guest for her origin in her genealogical past is a way of situating herself in History as well as a means of discovering what makes her unique. In Mémoires d'Hadrien, the fictional autobiography of the second-century Roman emperor, Yourcenar explores the universality of the individual through a historical and biographical reconstruction of the (fictional) narrator's life. These two books by Yourcenar differ since one can be read as an autobiography and the other as a biography. The dissertation analyses these texts, not so much through their différence, but through the common poetic "intention" which makes them both "autographies". The autobiographical "I" (Je) founds its own legitimacy by being at the origin of its own narrative origin. Whether this legitimacy of the


We examine long memory volatility in the cross-section of stock returns. We show that long memory volatility is widespread in the United States and that the degree of memory can be related to firm characteristics, such as market capitalization, book-to-market ratio, prior performance, and price jumps. Long memory volatility is negatively priced in the cross-section. Buying stocks with shorter memory and selling stocks with longer memory in volatility generates significant excess returns of 1.71% per annum. Consistent with theory, we find that the volatility of stocks with longer memory is more predictable than stocks with shorter memory. This makes the latter more uncertain, which is compensated for with higher average returns.


Literary works represent the condition that employs historical moments existing in the region,
country, and the world. Literature is the human's expression. In other words, literature works
such as a drama or play, novel, and poem or poetry expose the human life. One of the literary
works is poetry. A lyrical poem has close relationship with songs because commonly songs
include lyrics. This study is aimed to find out the general meaning, detailed meaning, and the
message inside the lyrical poem "You Raise Me Up" in Josh Groban's album "Closer".
This study used descriptive method research as the research design because there is no control
treatment in this study as it is found in experimental research. The approach that used was an
objective approach because the writer only focused her analysis on the literary work and did not
study the author's experience and life. The object of this study was on the lyric "You Raise Me
Up" from Josh Groban's album "Closer" because it contains general meaning, detailed meaning,
and the message.
The general meaning of the lyrical poem "You Raise Me Up" is about the poet's explanation that
humans are nothing without God. The detailed meaning of the lyrical poem "You Raise Me Up"
is that, in the beginning, the poet describes his life and condition. He feels so tired and bored
with his life. He feels that his life is full of problems that make him hopeless and suppressed. He
thinks that it is too hard for him to face all of the life temptation. In his despair facing the entire
problem, he still hopes and tries to make his life better. Then he remembers that he still has God
who always helps him face all of these. His belief in God gives a new spirit for him to go
through his life. He is sure the problems that have to be faced by every human are just the way to
make him realize that people are a weak creature. It means if people always pray to God, they
can do something better than before. The message found in the lyrical poem "You Raise Me Up"
is that people have to believe in God. Besides, they should not become a hopeless person facing
the entire problem in their life.


This pilot study investigated the influences on self-efficacy beliefs toward technology integration among pre-service teachers at two mid-sized public institutions in the Midwest region of the United States. Using pre/post measurements of perceived comfort with using computer technology, perceived usefulness of computer technology, and ratings of self-efficacy beliefs toward technology integration, this study identified possible influences on self-efficacy beliefs. Specifically, this study found that Perceived comfort with computer technology was found to be a significant predictor of self-efficacy beliefs towards technology integration, while perceived usefulness was not found to have a significant predictive relationship. This study also found that all of the groups demonstrated a significant increase in self-efficacy beliefs while enrolled in a course focusing on technology integration even though the courses varied in course design and weekly instructional time. The results suggest that a course design that focused more broadly on issues relating to the integration of technology into teaching was likely to have a larger positive impact on self-efficacy beliefs than a course focused primarily on developing proficiency skills with specific computer technology.


Abstract : Since World War II, the military has sought methods for rapid stabilization of weak soils for support of its missions worldwide. Over the past 60 years, cement and lime have consistently been found to be among the most effective stabilizers for road and airfield applications, although recent developments show promise using nontraditional stabilizers. The purpose of this research is to determine the most effective stabilizers and dosage rates of stabilizers to increase the strength of soft clay soils (initial CBR = 2) within 72 hours for contingency airfields to support C-17 and C-130 aircraft traffic. Pavement design charts for various aircraft loading conditions were generated using the Pavement- Transportation Computer Assisted Structural Engineering Program, which was developed by the Engineering Research and Development Center to determine ranges of required strength and thickness for an underlying subbase layer and a top base layer, such as stabilized soil, crushed-aggregate, or aluminum matting. From laboratory studies, the required design strengths for many loading conditions were achieved by treating clay with 2%-4% pelletized quicklime for the underlying subbase layer, and treating clay with 2%- 4% pelletized quicklime, 1% RSC15 fibers, and 11% Type III cement for the top base layer. While the base layer requires a minimum thickness of six inches, the required subbase layer thickness is often quite large and may be difficult to construct. However, newly developed construction equipment currently used for subgrade stabilization on civilian projects should be able to stabilize the soil down to these large required depths and make construction possible.


The spatial and temporal variability in the fish component of the diet of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella (Peters, 1875)) in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean was examined using diet data from 10 sites in the region including a 13-year time series from South Georgia. The fish species composition in the diet at each site showed a strong relationship with the local marine habitat/topography. The absence of formerly harvested fish species indicates a lack of recovery of stocks of Notothenia rossii Richardson, 1844 at South Georgia and Champsocephalus gunnari Lonnberg, 1905 at the South Orkney Islands. At South Georgia, Protomyctophum choriodon Hulley, 1981, Lepidonotothen larseni (Lonnberg, 1905), and C.gunnari were the most important species in the diet between 1991 and 2004. Variability in the occurrence of C. gunnari was driven mainly by annual scale processes, particularly those that influence the availability of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba (Dana, 1852)). The occurrence of the pelagic P. choriodon was primarily influenced by shorter-term water mass changes within the foraging range of the seals. The fish composition in the diet reflects differences in marine habitat/topography, as well as variability, at a range of time scales that reflect environmental variability and harvesting.


Repeated sediment core investigations over one decade, mass balance calculations, and vertical flux measurements by traps and dialysis samplers, were used to determine P retention rates, release potential, and early diagenetic transformation processes in the sediment of Lake Arendsee (Germany). Sediment cores were dated by varve counting, by 137 cesium, and by a distinct layer originating from a restoration attempt in 1995, which involved the capping of the sediment with calcium rich material from the lake shore. P retention rates and the internal P cycle have not been altered by the sediment capping. The sharp decline of total P content within the first two centimeters of the sediment shows that diagenetic P mobilization is a rapid process. The temporary P pool in the sediment, calculated from core analysis (mean ± SE: 709 ± 82mg m -2 , n = 7), was small compared to the rates of hypolimnetic SRP increase (10.7 ± 0.45 mg m -2 d -1 , 1992-1997) and total P losses in the epilimnion caused by sedimentation (11.7 ± 0.53 mg m -2 d -1 , 1992-1997), both of the latter calculated by mass balances during summer stratification. Without additional supply of freshly settled material, the temporary P pool in the sediment would be exhausted in less than three months. The fast P release of freshly settled material was also demonstrated during summer by the three times higher vertical P sedimentation rates calculated on the basis of mass balance data, compared to rates determined on the basis of cylindrical traps, in which some P was released during four weeks exposure time. The driving process for the rapid P release in Lake Arendsee is the remineralisation of organic P. This study demonstrates that high hypolimnetic P accumulation rates are not always correlated with a large total or potentially mobile P pool in the sediment. In lakes with small temporary P pools in the sediment, a decrease of P in the water body would immediately decrease the hypolimnetic P accumulation in summer; capping or dredging as in-lake measures are ineffective in such lakes.


C19, the pension system has an important role in developing countries' economies. It is very important in the context of the social security. During the last two decades, pension plan in Albania, has passed important transformation in all aspects. So the first goal is maintaining the stability of this system. The aim of this paper is to analyze the efficiency and sustainability of the existing pension system in the Albania and the identification of key factors, which determine its further stability. We should point out that life insurance market and pension plan in Albania are noticeably underdeveloped compared to other European countries, but in the recent years it has been developing moderately under the influence of various factors. Many economic factors have an impact on it, and some of them are globalization, global economic crisis and expressed instability of financial markets. Other factors like demographic factors: mortality rate, life expectancy and net migration have also impact on retirement risk, but in this paper we will analyze and indicate the most significant economic and demographic factors.


This strategy is mainly focus on to detect intrusion in multitier web applications. Multitier web application include two ends that is front end as well as back end of the applications. The front end include web server which can responsible to run the application and gives that output to back end i.e. file server. This strategy is useful to identify the intrusion at both front end and back end of web application. It is used to monitor the behavior across front end web server and back end database server or file server using IDS. We will also able to detect intrusion in static and dynamic web application. IDS having maximum accuracy and is mainly responsible to identify


There is widespread interest shown in the education of boys in school as evidenced in research, education initiatives and discussion in the general community. Research undertaken by Connell (1989, 1995, 1996, 2000), Laberge and Albert (1999), Mac an Ghaill (1994), Martino (1998), West (1999, 2002) and others suggests that there is a range of masculinities displayed by teenage boys. Some of the masculinities with which boys identify are in conflict with accepted ideas of educational achievement. This doctoral study investigates the contribution of teachers and school experiences to teenage boys' understanding of masculinity. There are two components to the study. The first part is a systematic review of the literature to highlight findings about boys' perceptions of relationships between masculinity and schooling. The second part is a qualitative empirical study of the views of a sample of Year 11 high school boys in two single sex Catholic schools. The interviews focus on their understandings of masculinity and their perceptions of influential aspects of school life. It includes an analysis of the boys' views of the impact of teachers, sport, discipline and classroom experiences. Participants in the study indicated that masculinity is changing and the community is requiring men to be more expressive of emotions. The majority of teenage boys interviewed stated that teachers and school experiences influenced their understanding of masculinity. Pupil - teacher relationships, conversations, exhortations and non-verbal communications are all perceived as means by which teachers influence students. Some teachers were regarded as good role models, making a positive contribution the boys' masculinity. Interviewees reported that the schools promoted two masculinities, 'sporting' and 'academic'. They spoke of contrasting interpretations of the appropriate expression of emotion.;One finding of the study is that some of the teenage boys experienced a 'spirituality of connected masculinity' through singing, cheering and participation in school activities including sport, liturgies and retreats. Implications are drawn from the study and recommendations are made for improving the education of boys including how schools can encourage a diversity of 'reflective' masculinities rather than reinforcing 'hegemonic' understandings of masculinity.


A novel genetic algorithm for evolving both uniform and nonuniform cellular automata (CA) to perform user-defined computations is presented. Unlike previous approaches, the CAs evolved here can in general take as their input and their output only a subset of the cells, allowing for the design of CAs that are larger than the number of inputs required by the desired computation. It also provides greater flexibility compared with previous work in terms of the number of possible outputs. We test our algorithm by attempting to evolve both uniform and nonuniform 1D CAs of varying sizes to compute the sum of two 4-bit strings, a computation requiring 8 inputs and 5 outputs. Results demonstrate that while the algorithm is unable to discover solutions using 8-cell CAs, expanding the number of cells beyond the number of inputs enables the autonomous design of 4-bit adders.


CONTEXT
Maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] status in pregnancy has been associated with offspring bone development and adiposity. Vitamin D has also been implicated in postnatal muscle function, but little is known about a role for antenatal 25(OH)D exposure in programming muscle development.

OBJECTIVE
We investigated the associations between maternal plasma 25(OH)D status at 34 weeks of gestation and offspring lean mass and muscle strength at 4 years of age.

DESIGN AND SETTING
We studied a prospective UK population-based mother-offspring cohort: the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS).

PARTICIPANTS
Initially, 12,583 nonpregnant women were recruited into the SWS, of whom 3159 had singleton pregnancies; 678 mother-child pairs were included in this analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURED
At 4 years of age, offspring assessments included hand grip strength and whole-body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, yielding lean mass and percent lean mass. Physical activity was assessed by 7-day accelerometry in a subset of children (n=326).

RESULTS
The maternal serum 25(OH)D concentration in pregnancy was positively associated with offspring height-adjusted hand grip strength (β=0.10 SD/SD, P=.013), which persisted after adjustment for maternal confounding factors, duration of breastfeeding, and child's physical activity at 4 years (β=0.13 SD/SD, P=.014). Maternal 25(OH)D was also positively associated with offspring percent lean mass (β=0.11 SD/SD, P=.006), but not total lean mass (β=0.06 SD/SD, P=.15). However, this association did not persist after adjustment for confounding factors (β=0.09 SD/SD, P=.11).

CONCLUSIONS
This observational study suggests that intrauterine exposure to 25(OH)D during late pregnancy might influence offspring muscle development through an effect primarily on muscle strength rather than on muscle mass.


A television viewer can select among a choice of available camera angles and audio feeds when viewing a sporting event such as a football game without changing the television channel. Audio, video and control data are transmitted in packetized data streams (510) with control data providing a pre-assigned channel designation (e.g. channel 10 for network X). A set-top terminal (70) receives and processes the data streams according to user-provided commands. The terminal includes software (560) which can be downloaded via the data streams or installed locally. The control data in the data stream is used to provide an onscreen graphical display on the television (580) that allows the user to select (535) the audio and video which correspond to certain areas of the football stadium, for example. Optionally, the viewer may select alternative story lines in a movie or similar program. A default setting provides primary audio and video signals. Alternative audio and video signals are selected by the user and mapped to the channel designator of the primary signal so that the different camera angles and audio feeds may be seen and heard. The viewer is therefore given the opportunity to customize the programming to enhance the entertainment or educational value.


Study of the Effect of SRT on Microbial Diversity in Laboratoryscale Sequencing Batch Reactors Using Acclimated and NonAcclimated Seed Berenice Garcia Tellez Solids Retention Time (SRT) is an important design parameter in activated sludge wastewater treatment systems. In this study, the effect of SRT on the bacterial community structure and diversity was examined in replicate lab-scale activated sludge sequencing batch reactors were operated for a period of 8 weeks and seeded with acclimated or non-acclimated sludge. Four SBRs (acclimated) were set up as duplicates and operated at an SRT of 2 days, and another set of four SBRs (nonacclimated) were operated at an SRT of 10 days. To characterize the microbial community in the SBRs, 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing was used to measure biodiversity and to assess the reproducibility and stability of the bacterial community structure in replicate reactors. Diversity results showed that SBRs operated at an SRT of 10 days are more diverse than SBRs operated at an SRT of 2 days. This suggests that engineering decision could enhance diversity in activated sludge systems. Cluster analysis based on phylogenetic information revealed that the bacterial community structure was not stable and replicated SBRs evolved differently.


Executive Summary This research argues that societal demands and expectations have created transformational change in the health care industry, thus providing the environment for entrepreneurship to thrive. As a result, new and innovative organizational forms have flourished, particularly when embedded in communities of entrepreneurial activity where networks of experience, access, and social/work relationships exist. Using a qualitative interview approach supplemented with secondary data, this paper seeks to integrate theoretical insights gained from previous models of entrepreneurship and the use of the punctuated equilibrium paradigm for explaining environmental change and response in the US health care industry. The region of interest is the area known as the "health care business capital" of the United States - Nashville, Tennessee. Implications concerning the unique aspects of the US health care industry and the associated entrepreneurial response to revolutionary change in Nashville are presented and discussed. Introduction Research in entrepreneurship has often focused on the economic and technological consequences of entrepreneurial action and the related benefits to regional development (Bellandi 2001, Blundel 2002). However, the study of entrepreneurship should also capture those development activities that are more macro-related, to include societal impacts on entrepreneurial action within some regional or national domain. Societal impacts (be they cultural, governmental, or environmental in nature) can affect different industry groups in different ways, with a consequent impact on the entrepreneurial actions that individuals or organizations take in response to those impacts. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is two-fold. First, this study seeks to describe the unique societal relationship between health care delivery as a societal institution in the US and the "business of health care" as a form of regional development. Because of the nature of the industry, health care policy is influenced significantly by the social issues of the day. In this study, we focus on the impact that changes in health care policy have had on the entrepreneurial activity and the evolution of new organizational forms or communities. Thus, it is a natural assumption that these changes would be reflected in the type and form of health care organizations that develop; that is, a co-evolution of organizations and environments occur (Baum & Singh, 1994). secondly, using the punctuated equilibrium model of organizational evolution (Gersick, 1991; Tushman & Romanelli, 1985), this study seeks to describe how Nashville, Tennessee has responded to revolutionary change created by the societal and institutional forces that affect the US health care industry. The response has both economic and societal components, namely the creation of an entrepreneurial climate that has led to the Nashville region being named the "health care business capital of the US". According to the Nashville Health Care Council (NHCC), Nashville today is home to over 220 health care companies and 130 professional service firms that support the health care industry (NHCC, 2003). Additionally, Nashville has attracted venture capital to support the entrepreneurial activity both locally and outside of the community. According to the NHCC website (2002), "[...] the $750 million in venture capital that was invested in Nashville health care companies between 1995 and 1997 accounts for 25% of all venture capital invested in health care service companies in the United States during that period". Nashville is home to companies in many segments of the for-profit health care industry, such as long-term care, home health, information technology, biotechnology, biomedicine, and clinical research. Thus, this research seeks to explain how new organizations in a specific industry and in a specific region, namely the for-profit health care industry in the Nashville region, have resulted from societal 'shocks' that have occurred over the last several decades. …


Jonathan Franzen's National Book Award winning novel, The Corrections (London: Fourth Estate, 2001) meditates on his characteristic concern, namely, an America devastated by the commercialization of human bonds and familial ties. In James Annesley's view, this novel focuses on the repercussions attendant on "the shift in the American economic fortunes at the end of the twentieth century affected by market corrections" which is foregrounded in the title of the novel itself ("Market Corrections: Jonathan Franzen and the Novel of Globalization." Journal of Modern Literature. 29.2 [2006]: 111). Stridently satirical, Franzen's novel explores a naturalistic world of self-seeking individuals that is obsessed with money. Situating his narrative in the Clinton-Bush era of globalized consumerism, Franzen's parable of the Lambert family is enmeshed into a narrative that addresses a range of issues including the power wielded by giant pharmaceuticals such as the "Axon Corporation" (193), the influence of international brands, "Global Warming" (503), mass migrations, spread of globalized economy and "free market" (505) in post-Soviet countries like Lithuania, international media and the internet boom. The Corrections sustains a critique of the massive American consumer society in registering how it irreversibly depletes human values often testified to in the alienation of individuals. The Corrections underscores the pernicious effects of consumerism that perverts work ethics, familial values, individual psychology and even sexuality. The conservative Midwestern town, St. Jude, where the septuagenarian Lamberts Alfred and Enid reside, becomes the moral centre of the novel, as they rally to reunite their broken family for a final Christmas get-together. The Lamberts signify a legacy of cherished family values and Protestant work ethics that increasingly finds itself a misfit in the market- driven contemporary America. The irony surfaces forcefully when Chip, the second son of the Lamberts, is dismissed from service in the college on his father's birthday. Intriguingly, Alfred returns his son's wishes by his exhortation that "A great worker is almost impossible to fire" (99). Alfred at seventy-nine still prides himself as the skillful metallurgist and engineer of Midland Pacific Railroad where his subordinates always used to address him as "sir" (78). His constant preoccupations with metallurgical innovations in his basement bespeak the masculine Yankee spirit of self-reliance. The indomitable Alfred remains the archetypal patriarch to the end. Even after suffering the fatal fall during the final luxury cruise he reflects, "All I hurt when I fell was my dignity" (500). His refusal to accept his physical and mental debility owing to Parkinson's attests to the poignant failure of his ideals under the imperatives of contemporary globalization. Like Alfred, Enid too espouses strong family values. A busybody and a domineering housewife, Enid with her proverbial optimism forever works to regulate the lives of her family members often leaving them incensed. At home she plays the "guerrilla" (6) spying on her husband. Her dreams of a successful career for Chip do not rise above a fantasy; pathetically enough for her, Chip lies about his job at the prestigious "Wall Street Journal" (22) when for all practical purposes he is unemployed. Similarly, her hopes of a successful married life for Denise turn to dust when the marriage itself breaks up. For all her optimism, Enid remains strangely a victim of the modern market culture. Her deep faith in the curative properties of the Corecktall process for her husband's dementia is shattered learning that the Axon Corporation's sole aim is "to help the rich get richer" (225). The insecurity of the old in a frenzied materialistic world is starkly evidenced in Enid's nightly errands of managing "paid bills, balanced checkbooks, Medicare co-payment records ... " (6). Yearning to see her loved ones united as a happy family, she finds herself distraught confronted with the fact that familial values are constantly beleaguered by the competitive forces of the market. …


This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different cryopreservation methods (slow-freezing and vitrification) on structural changes of bovine immature oocytes. Bovine ovaries were collected from local abattoirs. Cumulus-oocytecomplexes (COCs) were retrieved using aspiration method from 2-6 mm follicles. In Experiment 1, selected oocytes were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups namely freezing solution-exposed, frozen-thawed, vitrification solution-exposed and vitrified-thawed and then oocytes abnormalities were examined under a stereomicroscope. In Experiment 2, oocytes were randomly allocated to the same grouping as experiment 1 plus control group. Following freezing or vitrification, all oocytes were fixed in glutaraldehyde and processed for transmission electron microscopy. In experiment 1, there was a higher incidence of abnormalities in the frozen-thawed and vitrified-warmed oocytes compared to those in freezing solution and vitrification solution-exposed groups (P <0.05). In experiment 2, there were marked alterations in the perivitelline space, microvilli and vesicles of frozenthawed and vitrified-warmed oocytescharacterized by loss of elasticity and integrity of cytoplasmic processes and microvilli following cooling and warming. In conclusion, ethylene glycol-based freezingand vitrification solutions are suitable choices for cryopreservation of immature oocytes and most organelles are able to retain their normal morphology followingcryopreservation and thawing processes


ABSTRACT The Philippines is a megabiodiversity country, but it is also often seen as a country of ecological ruin whose biodiversity is on the verge of collapse. Decades of environmental neglect have pushed ecosystems to their limit, often with deadly repercussions for the human population. Is conservation in the Philippines a lost cause? We review current conservation efforts in the Philippines, considering the actions of academics, field researchers, local communities, nongovernmental organizations, the government, and other sectors of society. Remarkably, however precarious the present situation may seem, there have been some recent positive gains and signs of hope. Although there is no room for complacency, we conclude that the diversity of available indicators suggests that conservation in the Philippines, against many odds, shows signs of success, and thus deserves greater attention and increased investment.


Abstract Macroeconomic models that are based on either the rational expectations hypothesis (REH) or behavioral considerations share a core premise: All future market outcomes can be characterized ex ante with a single overarching probability distribution. This paper assesses the empirical relevance of this premise using a novel data set. The authors find that Knightian uncertainty, which cannot be reduced to a probability distribution, underpins outcomes in the stock market. This finding reveals the full implications of Robert Shiller's ground-breaking rejection of the class of REH present-value models that rely on the consumption-based specification of the risk premium. The relevance of Knightian uncertainty is inconsistent with all REH models, regardless of how they specify the market's risk premium. The authors' evidence is also inconsistent with bubble accounts of REH models' empirical difficulties. They consider a present-value model based on a New Rational Expectations Hypothesis, which recognizes the relevance of Knightian uncertainty in driving outcomes in real-world markets. Their novel data is supportive of the model's implications that rational forecasting relies on both fundamental and psychological factors.


Solanum lycopersicum or generally known as tomato came from countries of South America and has been growing in many tropical countries and its healthy nutrients in tomato becomes one of the food demand by the locals in Malaysia when their lifestyle shifted to more concern for healthy food. Since export value and production has increased for the past few years, a vast amount of labours considered for the fruit-picking process. Hence, farmers are now preferring to look for automation to replace labour problems and high cost that they are facing. To pick a correct fruit within clusters, a harvesting robot requires guidance so that it can detect a fruit accurately. In this study, a new classification algorithm using deep learning specifically convolution neural network to classify the image is either a tomato or not tomato and next, the image is classified into either a ripe or unripe tomato. Furthermore, there are two classification neural networks which are tomato or not tomato and ripe and unripe tomato. Each network consists of 600 training data and 33 testing data. The accuracies that obtained from network 1 (tomato or not tomato) and network 2 (ripe or unripe tomato) are 76.366% and 98.788% respectively.


I. INTRODUCTION Some call it a fence. Others call it a wall. Some see an outrageous land grab disrupting thousands of lives,1 an "apartheid" scheme2 with intent to expel3 the residents living on one side4 and to imprison residents living on the other.5 Others look upon it as the ultimate passive, non-violent solution that will save lives, that will protect themselves and their children from the ongoing horror of suicide bombings and other deadly terror attacks.6 These are the incongruent perceptions of Palestinians and Israelis to the fence/ wall7 that Israel is constructing between the two populations in the occupied/disputed8 territories of the West Bank. Whether it is called "terrorism," "an armed struggle against occupation," or "jihad," violent attacks by armed groups aimed at civilian populations and non-military targets constitute a new life-anddeath challenge worldwide. To meet this challenge, states on the front lines in the global war on terrorism are taking defensive measures. These measures, designed to reduce the threat created by sustained waves of terrorism, include minefields, berms, trenches, buffer zones, barbed wire, sensors, sandbags, neutral zones, cement-filled pipelines, fences, and fortifications. Saudi Arabia, for example, is constructing a security barrier that includes cameras and other electronic sensing devices along its disputed border with Yemen that "is part of a larger plan to erect what will be an electronic surveillance system along the entire length of the Kingdom's frontiers . . . involving fencing, cameras and other electronic detection equipment."9 In 1999 Russian forces began digging a sixtyeight mile trench bounded by a barbed-wire fence and reinforced by surveillance towers to protect against attacks by Chechen rebels.10 Similarly, in response to Pakistani-supported terrorist infiltration,11 India has been engaged in the construction of an electrified12 security fence in disputed Kashmir that extends for hundreds of miles.13 Fences and other barriers have also been constructed for other reasons in many other parts of the world. Thus, for example, the United States has built a barrier between it and Mexico as part of the struggle to control illegal immigration and drug trafficking, [s]ome sections [of which] are concrete, others sheet metal. The barrier is three layers deep in parts, fifteen-feet high, and surrounded by razor wire. The area around it is lit by searchlights, monitored by cameras, motion detectors, and magnetic sensors, and patrolled by armed guards with attack dogs.14 For similar reasons, an electrified fence ten15 to twelve16 feet high is currently under construction between Botswana and Zimbabwe,17 and is expected eventually to "snake across 300 miles of desert scrub."18 This Article discusses in detail these as well as many other examples of barriers. While such barriers are rarely covered or even mentioned in the media, the security barrier under construction today by Israel is currently the focus of much of the world's attention. The United Nations security Council (security Council) not long ago considered a draft resolution19 claiming that Israel's barrier violates international law and that its construction "must be ceased and reversed."20 The draft resolution was defeated.21 Then, on October 21, 2003, the United Nations General Assembly (General Assembly) adopted a resolution that "demanded 'Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.'"22 Subsequently, in a controversial move, the General Assembly on December 8, 2003, requested the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to render an advisory opinion23 on "the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel."24 Consequently, the ICJ took up the case to issue a nonbinding advisory opinion, and, in its Order Organizing the Proceedings, specifically stipulated that "it is incumbent upon the Court to take all necessary steps to accelerate the procedure" on the matter. …


We explore the Examined Life, informing the design of reflective systems to promote emotional well-being, a critical health issue. People now have increasingly rich, digital records of highly personal data about what they said, did, and felt in the past. But social science research shows that people have difficulty in tracking and regulating their emotions. New reflective technologies that promote constructive analysis of rich personal data potentially offer transformative ways that individuals might better understand themselves and improve well-being. However, there are important system design challenges in supporting effective reflection about personal data. We explore fidelity in recording and representing past personal mood data, and forecasting future actions, feelings, and thoughts. Much prior personal informatics work has been dedicated to past-centric tools for recording and capture. In contrast, forecasting examines how we might use such past data to inform and motivate our future selves, providing recommendations about remedial actions to improve future well-being. Fidelity addresses both how and what reflective systems should show people about their pasts, in particular whether we should filter negative past experiences. To inform reflective system design, we examine forecasting and fidelity in controlled field trial interventions that explore two novel system designs for presenting and reflecting on mood data. We detail findings from 165 participants, 4,693 participant logfiles, 65 surveys, and 15 user interviews. Our novel forecasting system, EmotiCal, uses past mood data to model and visualize future user moods with the goal of encouraging participants to adopt remedial new behaviors to regulate negative moods before they occur. Such forecasting both improved mood and subsequent emotional self-awareness compared with controls who simply monitored their past. Consistent with system goals, interview responses also indicated that participants generated important insights into behaviors that affect their moods. Our second intervention examined filtering; it assessed the impact on well-being of recording and revisiting past experiences containing negative emotions. We compared participants who were encouraged to record and reflect on positive versus negative experiences. Long-term measures of happiness and ruminative behaviors improved by recording and reflecting on positive but not negative experiences, although this depended on the intensity of the negative experience. We discuss general design and theory implications for future systems that support monitoring, reflection, and forecasting to facilitate productive examination of our emotional lives.


Normal.dotm 0 0 1 201 1151 Future University/ Mirai Daigaku 9 2 1413 12.0 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false Many educational institutions make use of assessment schemes based on an ordered hierarchy of cognitive activity, where the judgments of educators on the learning progress of students are expressed using marks or grades. These have high face-validity because they appear to represent intuitively sound descriptions of learning development. The language found in many such assessment structures and their protocols reflects the hierarchy within a revised Bloom's Taxonomy where, in the cognitive domain, evaluation and synthesis is regarded as superior to analysis or application, which are themselves rewarded above memory or understanding. Virtual worlds provide an opportunity to explore new educational contexts for analyzing and measuring cognitive processes that support learning. The present research used the Second Life virtual world as a medium for remotely located students to communicate in the collaborative construction and programming of robots. Iterative tasks were used to explore several neo-Bloomian cognitive processes and knowledge dimensions. Analysis of 60 hours of video from classroom activity, transcribed data and in-world interaction suggests that the hierarchy of descriptors and associated ratings that are used within assessment schemes based on neo-Bloomian taxonomies may not accurately correspond to the 'higher order' cognitive ability development of students.


The strong motion accelerograms recorded at two stations of SMART-1 array have been analyzed to investigate azimuth-dependent site amplification. Fifteen earthquakes which triggered both accelerographs at rock site E02 and soil site E01 were selected for this study. We measure the spectral ratio of E01 to E02 in a window which includes direct S waves. Since ground motions at the rock site are less modified by the site effects and E02 and E01 are only 2 km apart, the spectral ratio of the soil site to the rock site will cancel most of source and raypath effects and reflect the site amplification of the soil site.
These earthquakes are divided into 10 groups. The earthquakes in the same group have similar epicentral distance and backazimuth. Our studies show that different groups have different spectral ratios and no systematic changes have been found among the groups. In the same group, all earthquakes were expected to have the similar spectral ratio. However, similar spectral ratios were only found in some groups over some limited frequency ranges. These discrepancies are interpreted as the results of near-source and non-linear effects.


The authors report extensive peripheral retinoschisis in a patient with stellate nonhereditary idiopathic foveomacular retinoschisis (SNIFR) detected by widefield optical coherence tomography (OCT). A 64-year-old woman diagnosed with foveomacular retinoschisis 3 years prior presented for evaluation after being seen by multiple other retina specialists. Standard macular spectral-domain OCT (6 mm) revealed typical foveomacular schisis involving only the outer retina. However, widefield OCT (12 mm) revealed diffuse bilateral retinoschisis involving both inner and outer retinal layers in the macula and midperiphery. Widefield imaging is important to evaluate and monitor complex peripheral retinoschisis that may be otherwise undetectable using conventional techniques. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2016;47:774-777.].


This paper examines the appeal to law as the basis for civic identity and political belonging under conditions of religious diversity. Beginning by assessing the descriptive utility of the concept of "secularism," the paper argues that secularism is best approached as a repertoire of moves available in negotiating the relationship between religion and political authority, focussing then on one such move evident in the contemporary project of liberal secularism: the assertion, in the face of the challenges posed by religious diversity, that to belong to the political community means, above all else, to belong to law. This shift of "obedience to the law" to the diagnostic centre of civic belonging is explored by turning to two case studies drawn from the legal encounter with Islam in Canada: the debate over official recognition of Sharia law and controversies surrounding the niqab. Having assessed the implications that this move has for the understanding and management of religious difference, the paper explains the attractiveness of this symbolic appeal to law – whereby law begins to stand as a kind of synecdoche for the secular state – and assesses the effect of this alignment of law and belonging on the politics of religious diversity.


Nanomolar concentrations of neurotensin caused a dose-dependent contraction of the longitudinal muscle layer of the guinea-pig ileum. The contractile activity of neurotensin was partially blocked by tetrodotoxin or atropine, indicating that a component of the neurotensin-mediated contraction is indirect in nature and likely involves the release of endogenous acetylcholine from nervous terminals in the myenteric plexus. Dynorphin and related peptide fragments also blocked in part the neurotensin contraction; the potency of this opioid peptide was about the same as that of atropine. Other peptides and alkaloids tested for ability to block the neurotensin contractures included the enkephalins, beta-endorphin, normorphine and the ketocyclazocines; all these opioids inhibited in a dose-dependent fashion the neuronal component of the excitatory effect of neurotensin. The potency of these compounds to reduce the contractions of neurotensin showed good correlation with the potency of these agents to depress by 50% the electrically evoked neuromuscular twitches in the same tissue (r = 0.99); in these tests dynorphin was found to be the most potent of the endogenous opioid-like peptides. The dynorphin blockade was selective to the excitatory effect of neurotensin because the opioid peptide did not antagonize the contractile action of acetylcholine, histamine, substance P, angiotensin II, bradykinin, Ba++ or K+ ions. In addition, somatostatin, vasointestinal peptide, gastrin or adenosine did not modify the potency of neurotensin whereas thyrotropin releasing hormone and epinephrine caused a modest doubling of the neurotensin EC50. The inhibitory action of dynorphin was reduced in the presence of naloxone, suggesting that the interaction involved opiate receptors. Morphine tolerance was not extended to the inhibitory action of dynorphin as evidenced by the finding that the potency of dynorphin-(1-13) to block the neurotensin responses was increased after chronic morphine exposure. In contrast, the potency of dynorphin-(1-13) was significantly reduced in tissues rendered tolerant to the action of ketocyclazocine or ethylketocyclazocine, suggesting that the action of dynorphin could be partially mediated via occupation of K-opiate receptors. Thus, a cholinergic-neuronal component activated by neurotensin on the myenteric plexus appears to be under the inhibitory influence of opiate receptors, suggesting that dynorphin may play a role in the modulation of cholinergic synapses on the enteric nervous system.


Abstract. When people use maps to plan and memorize a route, they commonly look for landmark representations in the form of pictograms that can be used as reference points for orientation (Anacta et al., 2017; Bestgen et al., 2016; Steck & Mallot, 2000). During navigation, matching the positions of landmark pictograms with the positions of the represented objects allows them to verify that they are following the route correctly (Golledge, 1999). When route planning functions of web mapping services as OpenStreetMap or Google Maps are used, the width of the map margins around the displayed route determines which, and how many, landmark representations are displayed in the map. Therefore, margin widths should be selected based on the relevance of specific landmarks around the route for memorizing and following the route. However, this requires to identify task-relevant landmark representations first.In order to identify factors predicting the task-relevance of landmark pictograms, we carried out two route recognition experiments on an eye-tracker monitor. These experiments examined how the relative position of landmark pictograms and the visual complexity of the map affect gaze pattern when a route is memorized. We hypothesized that landmark pictograms close to the route, decision points and potential decision points would receive more visual attention, as they can act as local reference points. Additionally, we expected that more distant landmark pictograms receive visual attention if the visual complexity of the map is low and therefore less reference points for memorizing the route are available.The results demonstrate that the relative position of a landmark pictograms is indeed a relevant predictor for visual attention. The closer landmark pictograms were to the route, decision points or potential decision points, the longer they were fixated. As expected, the average distance of all fixated landmark pictograms was also higher in maps with a low visual complexity. We conclude that small map margins around the route may be applied if a map has a high visual complexity, as enough reference points are available in the close surroundings of the route. Additionally, reducing map margins would increase the presentation size of the remaining map elements and thereby their readability. However, in maps with a low visual complexity, e.g. rural areas, large margins around the route should be applied to provide a sufficient amount of visual reference points, as landmark pictograms, for memorizing the route.


Starting with "mitochondrial Eve" in 1987, genetics has played an increasingly important role in studies of the last two million years of human evolution. It initially appeared that genetic data resolved the basic models of recent human evolution in favor of the "out-of-Africa replacement" hypothesis in which anatomically modern humans evolved in Africa about 150,000 years ago, started to spread throughout the world about 100,000 years ago, and subsequently drove to complete genetic extinction (replacement) all other human populations in Eurasia. Unfortunately, many of the genetic studies on recent human evolution have suffered from scientific flaws, including misrepresenting the models of recent human evolution, focusing upon hypothesis compatibility rather than hypothesis testing, committing the ecological fallacy, and failing to consider a broader array of alternative hypotheses. Once these flaws are corrected, there is actually little genetic support for the out-of-Africa replacement hypothesis. Indeed, when genetic data are used in a hypothesis-testing framework, the out-of-Africa replacement hypothesis is strongly rejected. The model of recent human evolution that emerges from a statistical hypothesis-testing framework does not correspond to any of the traditional models of human evolution, but it is compatible with fossil and archaeological data. These studies also reveal that any one gene or DNA region captures only a small part of human evolutionary history, so multilocus studies are essential. As more and more loci became available, genetics will undoubtedly offer additional insights and resolutions of human evolution.


Conversational generative AI has demonstrated remarkable promise for empowering biomedical practitioners, but current investigations focus on unimodal text. Multimodal conversational AI has seen rapid progress by leveraging billions of image-text pairs from the public web, but such general-domain vision-language models still lack sophistication in understanding and conversing about biomedical images. In this paper, we propose a cost-efficient approach for training a vision-language conversational assistant that can answer open-ended research questions of biomedical images. The key idea is to leverage a large-scale, broad-coverage biomedical figure-caption dataset extracted from PubMed Central, use GPT-4 to self-instruct open-ended instruction-following data from the captions, and then fine-tune a large general-domain vision-language model using a novel curriculum learning method. Specifically, the model first learns to align biomedical vocabulary using the figure-caption pairs as is, then learns to master open-ended conversational semantics using GPT-4 generated instruction-following data, broadly mimicking how a layperson gradually acquires biomedical knowledge. This enables us to train a Large Language and Vision Assistant for BioMedicine (LLaVA-Med) in less than 15 hours (with eight A100s). LLaVA-Med exhibits excellent multimodal conversational capability and can follow open-ended instruction to assist with inquiries about a biomedical image. On three standard biomedical visual question answering datasets, LLaVA-Med outperforms previous supervised state-of-the-art on certain metrics. To facilitate biomedical multimodal research, we will release our instruction-following data and the LLaVA-Med model.