Summary 1. Indirect plant defences are well documented for the above-ground constituents of plants. Although less investigated to date, below-ground defences that mediate multitrophic interactions are equally important. Entomopathogenic nematodes (Steinernema diaprepesi) are attracted to herbivore-induced volatiles from Swingle var. (Citrus paradisi · Poncirus trifoliata) when fed upon by root weevil, Diaprepes abbreviatus. 2. We examined the extent to which below-ground volatiles modify behaviour of nematode species representing various foraging strategies (cruisers versus ambushers) and trophic levels (plant parasites versus entomopathogens). We compared attraction to volatiles of weevil-infested and non-infested roots from Swingle citrus rootstock and a parent line of the Swingle hybrid, Poncirus trifoliata (Pt). 3. Swingle weevil-infested roots attracted more nematodes than non-infested roots irrespective of nematode foraging strategy and trophic status. The parental line, Pt, attracted all nematode species irrespective of insect herbivory. 4. Dynamic in situ collection and GC–MS analysis of volatiles from soil revealed that Pt roots release attracting cues constitutively. A different non-hybrid citrus species (sour orange, Citrus aurantium) released nematode attracting cues only in response to larval feeding, similar to responses found in Swingle. Volatile collections from above- and below-ground portions of citrus plants revealed that above-ground feeding by weevils does not induce production of nematode attracting cues analogous to that induced by root damage, nor does damage by larvae below-ground induce a similar volatile above ground. 5. Synthesis. Our results suggest that release of nematode attractants by citrus roots occurs broadly and can be constant or herbivore-induced. The major constituent of this indirect defence is produced by roots and not shoots and in response to below-ground, but not above-ground herbivory. Our findings suggest that this cue acts on nematode species broadly, attracting entomopathogenic nematodes that exhibit various foraging strategies. Unexpectedly, we also found that this cue attracts a plant parasitic nematode species. It appears, thus, that release of nematode attracting cues by citrus plants can cause ecological costs. The plants, however, appear to counteract against these costs, because constitutive release was found only in a cultivar that is resistant to phytopathogenic nematodes, while herbivore-induced release occurred in lines susceptible to pathogenic nematode species.


As an airframe has finite lifetime and has to be designed lightweight, the maintenance of airframe is indispensable to operate aircraft without any serious troubles. After an airframe begins to operate, it suffers stresses and the stress causes the damage such as cracks of the airframe. Cracks grow with operation time and cause catastrophic phenomenon such as the mid-air disintegration when they become greater than a critical size. So, the managerial crack size is prespecified and Preventive Maintenance (PM) undergoes when the inspected crack size exceeds it. In this paper, optimal PM policies of airframe crack failure are discussed. Airframe states are represented as the Markov renewal process, and one-step transition probabilities are discussed. The total expected cost from the start of operation to the end by failure is defined and the optimal PM policies which minimize it is discussed.


One of the things I think is wrong with the liturgy wars is that most people seem to start the discussion from their answer to the question: What do I think the liturgy should look like? Yet, the liturgy is not about us, it's about God. And the Popular-Mechanics approach to liturgy which has made everyone an expert in rites means that anyone who has ever come into contact with the Mass has an opinion. So generally I avoid like the plague pontificating on how I think the liturgy should be celebrated and try to actually live the liturgy instead. Yet the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI, has called for the mutual enrichment of the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman Rite and has also suggested that the time has come for a reform of the reform of the rites after the Second Vatican Council. He has also reiterated that there should be mutual respect of both forms and no "ritual mixing." And so many voices are out there calling for a reform of the modern Roman Rite, it's hard to know what such a reform should look like. There are some who are determined to make sure that the extraordinary form never has any influence on the ordinary form, and, if they had their way, they would obliterate its memory from the face of the earth in the most radical damnatio memoriae known to human history. For them there is no question of mutual enrichment; rather, they advance a platform of constant liturgical anarchy. Then there are those for whom mutual enrichment sounds like a plot to infect the venerable classical worship of the church with the theological and spiritual rot that has affected the ephemeral postmodern gathering of the new community sung into being. As a parish priest who habitually celebrates both forms, I am left scratching my head wondering how the two forms are supposed to enrich each other organically if I can't mix the rites. Pope Benedict XVI has given us a rich teaching on the liturgy as Cardinal Ratzinger, and he has also given the church quite an example of how to celebrate the liturgy. But I am sure I am not alone in desperately wishing for some more practical guidance as to how exactly this is supposed to be done and what I can and cannot do to help bring about the organic restoration of the sacred. In the final analysis, I wait for the church's instructions on how to go about this. But I do wonder if there could not be three possible stages to the mutual enrichment and reform of the reform, and so I outline here what these might look like. I offer no timeline to this little fantasy. But here it is. FIRST STAGE: MUTUAL ENRICHMENT In this first stage, there are many things that can be done now with no mixing of or change to the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Roman Rite as currently found in the liturgical books. I also envision some guidance from the magisterium to point this mutual enrichment in the right direction so as to avoid arbitrariness and to support those priests who respond to the call to mutual enrichment. Enrichment of the Ordinary Form by the Extraordinary Form --Bishops in cathedrals and pastors in their churches organically adopting the ad orientem position at Mass as implicit in the ordinary form after sustained catechesis of the faithful, --Reconstruction of altar rails in churches and the spontaneous use of the communion rail as a place from which to distribute Holy Communion, --Catechesis from the pulpit about the church's preference for Holy Communion on the tongue and under one species, --Move towards singing the Ordinary of the Mass in Latin at ordinary-form Masses, --Priests, on their own, choosing the options of the ordinary form which are analogous to the extraordinary form, and leaving aside those which are not, --The spontaneous and consistent use by the clergy of the maniple, biretta, and amice, --Singing the propers according to the Graduale Romanum at sung Masses, and --Enforcement of the ecclesiastical discipline on extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion. …


Recent large-scale land acquisitions for agricultural production (including biofuels), popularly known as 'land grabbing', have attracted headline attention. Water as both a target and driver of this phenomenon has been largely ignored despite the interconnectedness of water and land. This special issue aims to fill this gap and to widen and deepen the lens beyond the confines of the literature's still limited focus on agriculture-driven resource grabbing. The articles in this collection demonstrate that the fluid nature of water and its hydrologic complexity often obscure how water grabbing takes place and what the associated impacts on the environment and diverse social groups are. The fluid properties of water interact with the 'slippery' nature of the grabbing processes: unequal power relations; fuzziness between legality and illegality and formal and informal rights; unclear administrative boundaries and jurisdictions, and fragmented negotiation processes. All these factors combined with the powerful material, discursive and symbolic characteristics of water make 'water grabbing' a site for conflict with potential drastic impacts on the current and future uses and benefits of water, rights as well as changes in tenure relations


Existing autoregressive models follow the two-stage generation paradigm that first learns a codebook in the latent space for image reconstruction and then completes the image generation autoregressively based on the learned codebook. However, existing codebook learning simply models all local region information of images without distinguishing their different perceptual importance, which brings redundancy in the learned codebook that not only limits the next stage's autoregressive model's ability to model important structure but also results in high training cost and slow generation speed. In this study, we borrow the idea of importance perception from classical image coding theory and propose a novel two-stage framework, which consists of Masked Quantization VAE (MQVAE) and Stackformer, to relieve the model from modeling redundancy. Specifically, MQ-VAE incorporates an adaptive mask module for masking redundant region features before quantization and an adaptive de-mask module for recovering the original grid image feature map to faithfully reconstruct the original images after quantization. Then, Stackformer learns to predict the combination of the next code and its position in the feature map. Comprehensive experiments on various image generation validate our effectiveness and efficiency. Code will be released at https://github.com/CrossmodalGroup/MaskedVectorQuantization.


Microbes form colonies to pool resources and better cope with changes in environmental conditions including nutrient availability and hydration status. The excretion of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) plays an important role in forming colony structure, anchoring to solid surfaces, nutrient entrapment and many other functions. In this study we focus on the micro-hydrological functions of EPS enabling microbial activity in the presence of large spatial and temporal variations in hydration status common to the shallow vadoze zone. We will review key hydraulic and transport properties and postulate mechanisms conferring advantage to microbial colonies embedded in EPS. Relationships between pore space geometry, physical constraints and, EPS production and morphology will be studied. The morphology of EPS and, its effect on the internal arrangement of microbial colonies (typical sizes) will be evaluated under diffusion constraints imposed by conditions in unsaturated soil pores.


Caenorhabditis elegans unc-13 mutants express decreased neuronal activity and thus are a good model strain for examining defective nervous systems. These unc-13 mutants as well as wild type N2 strains, show rapid mortality when under oxidative stress. However, the antioxidant vitamin E may prolong survival in unc-13 mutant and N2 strains under oxidative stress. The addition of vitamin E to organisms under oxidative stress has a protective effect in both N2 and unc-13 C. elegans strains. Interestingly, vitamin E resulted in a greater increase in survival rate in N2 worms than with unc-13 mutant worms. While both strains displayed lower mortality rates with the addition of vitamin E, this finding suggests that vitamin E more efficiently increases survival rates of C. elegans with typical nervous system function. The efficacy of vitamin E implies that use of antioxidants may lessen the damage caused by oxidative stress in both N2 and mutant worms.


Objectives
A key question in education policy as well as individuals' school choice involves the characteristics of schools we value most. It is thereby important to understand any heterogeneity in parents', teachers', and school principals' preference rankings driven by their education level, gender, and age.

Method
In this article, we propose a survey-based approach to examine preference rankings of diverse school attributes, which accounts for tradeoffs required in real-world choice situations.

Results
Our results indicate that stakeholders on average rank the "ethical" aspects of schools (such as pupil and staff happiness and equality of opportunities) above their "efficiency" aspects (such as academic achievement or school size). Yet, respondents' role in the school as well as their education level, gender, and age influence observed preference rankings.

Conclusions
To avoid biased inferences, survey designs on school preferences should account for the fact that real-world choices in favor of one particular characteristic often imply giving up at least some others. Doing so, we show that parents, teachers, and school principals appear to disagree with the predominant consideration awarded to academic achievement in current education policies.


ABSTRACT The tension between civic virtue and self-interest has been a central theme of three generations of American urban historians. Indeed these historians have played an important role in the struggle to build America's civic culture. Critically examining their cities in light of American ideals, they have embraced the responsibilities of citizenship and kept alive the spirit of civic virtue. This essay examines democracy in Cincinnati through the work of these urban historians and argues that Americans have dispensed with civic virtue at their own peril. The democratization of the republican ideal of citizenship remains the great, unfinished task of American civilization.


This study furthers the understanding of the connections between learning approaches and learning. The research population embraced 44 males from the Jewish ultraorthodox community, who abide by distinct methods of study. One group follows the very didactic, linear and structured approach of a methodical and gradual order, while the second group follows the multi-directional approach that emphasizes global, abstract thought. The participants, who for ideological reasons hardly use computer technology, were exposed to a new technological learning system. The study employed the qualitative research method, with the research tools including textual analysis, observations and guided in-depth interviews. The findings show that those following the multi-directional method handled the device better from the didactic perspective. The question of how learning and teaching paradigms influence individual study is discussed.


This paper introduces a Monte-Carlo algorithm for online planning in large POMDPs. The algorithm combines a Monte-Carlo update of the agent's belief state with a Monte-Carlo tree search from the current belief state. The new algorithm, POMCP, has two important properties. First, Monte-Carlo sampling is used to break the curse of dimensionality both during belief state updates and during planning. Second, only a black box simulator of the POMDP is required, rather than explicit probability distributions. These properties enable POMCP to plan effectively in significantly larger POMDPs than has previously been possible. We demonstrate its effectiveness in three large POMDPs. We scale up a well-known benchmark problem, rocksample, by several orders of magnitude. We also introduce two challenging new POMDPs: 10 x 10 battleship and partially observable PacMan, with approximately 1018 and 1056 states respectively. Our Monte-Carlo planning algorithm achieved a high level of performance with no prior knowledge, and was also able to exploit simple domain knowledge to achieve better results with less search. POMCP is the first general purpose planner to achieve high performance in such large and unfactored POMDPs.


From the Publisher:
3D Studio Max 3.0 Workshop takes the approach of "beginning with the end in mind." This book teaches you 3D Studio Max basic design principles, as well as techniques for getting ideas out of your brain onto your computer screen. Chapters include information on backgrounds, set design and modeling, props and secondary scene elements, camera set-up and movement, and lighting. You'll also learn innovative techniques for creating 3D depth, texturing & reflection, specific material development, and dirt, wear and tear, smoke, water and other special effects, and character design and animation. Other topics covered include video post-production, making a demo reel, and getting a job as a CGI artist/animator.


We investigate theoretically the tuning characteristics of a diode with an external grating cavity for which one of the external-cavity modes and the peak of the grating reflection scan synchronously. We show that the tuning curve is hysteretic. Moreover, the theoretical analysis reveals that frequencies at turning points of the hysteretic tuning curve are related to the external cavity mode spacing, the reflectivity of the front facet, and the linewidth enhancement factor α of the laser diode. A method for achieving an overlap of the peak of the reflection profile of the grating with one of the external-cavity modes is described. Experimentally, by measuring the hysteretic tuning curve, we observed the predicted effect and found the reflectivity of the front facet and the α value for a Toshiba TOLD 9215 visible diode to be 2.9 ± 1.6% and 5.1 ∓ 1.3, respectively.


Now updated to reflect the USMLE Step 2 exam, with greater emphasis on case presentations and diagnostic skills. Approximately 400 new clinical vignettes with accompanying questions (500 questions in all)--now featuring expanded answers referenced to leading textbooks or journal articles. Reviewed by McGraw-Hill's Medical Student Advisory Committee to ensure simulation of the USMLE test-taking experience.


In spite of inventing several anticancer agents the clinical payoff still remains unsatisfactory because of their severe host toxicity due to their nonspecific biodistribution in the body. To achieve high efficiency in anti-cancer drug delivery, thus, we designed and developed a single component photoresponsive drug delivery system, a fusion of two platforms spiropyran and coumarin, which synchronizes two controlling factors: first, the lower pH of cancer tissue, which acts as an internal control and leads to the ring opening of spiropyran resulting in a distinct colour change and fluorescence activation of coumarin; and second, the release of the anti-tumor drug by the externally controlled light. Highly fluorescent nature and promising biocompatibility make the SP-Cou-Cbl system suitable for cell imaging and in vitro studies.


Work-related injury and disease present a serious and costly burden to all countries and a major challenge to managers, unions, governments and most especially workers themselves.
Managing Occupational Health and Safety: A multidisciplinary approach, the third and completely revised edition of this most comprehensive book on managing occupational health and safety, has been restructured and rewritten to bring together the latest research, policy and practice on OHS. Lucidly written, the book is both an ideal undergraduate or introductory postgraduate text as well as being a valuable addition to any professional's library.
Drawing on a range of bodies of knowledge and practice the book explains how injury and disease risks arise in the workplace, the role of law in prevention and compensation, and how managers and others can best address these issues. The book is designed for human resource and OHS managers, policy makers and those in engineering, health sciences, nursing and other fields who need to understand or deal with OHS.


Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is an uncommon disorder, characterized by an atypical expansion of histiocytes which classically shows emperipolesis and immunoreactivity with S-100 protein. RDD affects the lymph nodes as well as extranodal sites; however, RDD of the breast is exceptionally rare. Herein, we describe the histopathologic features of 22 cases of RDD occurring in the breast, with an emphasis on the differential diagnosis. All cases were notable for an exuberant lymphocytic infiltrate with and without germinal center formation, and the majority (19/22) showed numerous plasma cells: 5 to 132/high-power field (HPF). IgG and IgG4 immunohistochemical stains were available for 13 cases; in no instance were criteria for IgG4-related sclerosing disease met, though in a single case the IgG4/IgG ratio was increased to 25%. Sclerosis was present in the majority of cases (18/22), and was frequently prominent. RDD cells showing emperipolesis were present in all cases (22/22), and ranged from rare (<1/50 HPF) to numerous (>50/50 HPF). Two of the cases in our series were initially misdiagnosed as inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor and plasma cell mastitis with granulomatous inflammation. As emperipolesis can be indistinct, the presence of stromal fibrosis and a prominent lymphoplasmacytic inflammatory infiltrate should prompt a careful search for the characteristic histiocytes, which can be aided by the use of S-100 immunohistochemistry.


The photocatalytic activity efficiency of TiO2 for the degradation of Toluene in photoreactor can be enhanced by nanoTiO2/LDPE composite film. Since the amount of TiO2 affected the efficiency of the photocatalytic activity, this work was mainly concentrated on the effort to embed the high amount of TiO2 in the Polyethylene matrix. The developed photocatalyst was characterized by XRD, UV-Vis spectrophotometer and SEM. The SEM images revealed the high homogeneity of the deposition of TiO2 on the polyethylene matrix. The XRD patterns interpreted that TiO2 embedded in the PE matrix exhibited mainly in anatase form. In addition, the photocatalytic results show that the toluene removal efficiencies of 30±5%, 49±4%, 68±5%, 42±6% and 33±5% were obtained when using the catalyst loading at 0%, 10%, 15%, 25% and 50% (wt. cat./wt. film), respectively. Keywords—Photocatalytic oxidation, Toluene, nano-TiO2/LDPE composite film.


This publication shows that, without improved water management or adaptation to climate change, the global sustainability goals cannot be achieved. The report highlights the urgent need for an integrated approach to limiting climateand water-related risks. Using maps and infographics, The geography of future water challenges shows the water-related challenges of tomorrow, under a business-asusual scenario.


The study of fluid (FI) and melt inclusions (MI) can be a powerful tool for understanding melt generation, crystallization, mixing histories of magmas and the conditions of magma evolution during their ascent to the surface. FI and MI data from the alkali syenite xenoliths of different subvolcanic igneous systems in the Neapolitan volcanic area (Vesuvius, Campi Flegrei, Ponza and Ventotene) in Italy provide valuable information on the nature of fluid and melt phases trapped during the late evolutionary stages of these alkaline magmatic systems. They also document liquid immiscibility at pre-eruptive magma conditions and furnish evidence that high salinity fluids (brines) exsolve directly from magma in the upper part of chambers at the magmatic/hydrothermal transition and play critical roles in ore metal transport.
Magma chamber margins are of particular significance because FI and MI may record the various evolutionary processes during the crystallization of the magmatic system. The complex daughter crystal assemblages seen in the silicate melt + CO2 + H2O and silicate melt, hypersaline or S-rich aqueous inclusions found in xenoliths of some samples record high solute contents in the fluid(s) during entrapment and provide direct evidence of the magmatic source of these metals. The latter inclusions could be of considerable interest for the interpretation of ore genesis, because FI and MI demonstrate a linkage of these systems with low sulfidation epithermal deposits and some porphyry systems. In addition, FI and MI data are used to address the problem of frequent ground movements (bradyseism) in the Campi Flegrei, interpreted as representing a modern analog behaving physically like a porphyry system.


Tourism is one of the largest global industries; it generates economic and non-economic benefits for the world's nations, creates opportunities for many related industries, and has a significant contribution to local communities' prosperity. Despite the extraordinary difficulties posed by the global pandemic crisis, its prospects to remain one of the main providers of jobs, income, and regional or global development are still encouraging. However, tourism is at a crossroads, and the contribution of entrepreneurship can give a new meaning, a new direction to the efforts to recover and resume growth. That is why it is important to understand the nature, scope, challenges, and dimensions of tourism entrepreneurship, the trends that accompanied its evolution in recent decades, and to perceive its future prospects. The emergence of new types and forms of tourism, the expansion of digital technology in most tourism sectors, challenges in existing practices, competition, and the changing models have to be carefully understood and analysed. Tourism and entrepreneurship, two driving forces for economic development, have been under the scrutiny of this study, as we tried to map out the knowledge base yielded between 1994 and 2020 timeframe. Bibliometric methods were employed in the analysis of articles. After analysing the available articles chosen with the criteria set of the study, 322 articles concerning tourism and entrepreneurship were obtained. Based on the citation analysis made with HistCite software, we identified the most influential authors, articles, and journals.


While watching a film, the viewer begins to construct mental representations of it, which are called events. During the opening scene of a film, the viewer is presented with two distinct pieces of information that can be used to construct the event, namely the setting and an action by the main character. But, which of these two constructs are first cognitively represented by the viewer? Experiment 1 examined the time-course of basic level action categorization with superordinate and basic level scene categorization using masking. The results indicated that categorization occurred in a course-to-fine manner, inconsistent with Rosch et al.'s (1976) basic level theory. Interestingly, basic level action categorization performance did not reach ceiling when it was processed for a 367 ms SOA, suggesting that additional scene information and processing time were required. Thus, Experiment 2 examined scene and action categorization performance over multiple fixations, and the scene information that was fixated for each categorization task. Both superordinate and basic level scene categorization required only a single fixation to reach ceiling performance, inconsistent with basic level primacy, whereas basic level action categorization took two to three fixations, and led to more object fixations than in either scene categorization task. Eye movements showed evidence of a person bias across all three categorization tasks. Additionally, the categorization task did produce differences in the scene information that was fixated (Yarbus, 1967). However, could basic level theory still be correct when subjects are given a different task? When the same scene images were named, basic level action terms were used more often than basic level scene category terms, while superordinate level action terms were used relatively less often, and superordinate level scene category terms were hardly ever used. This shows that linguistic categorization (naming) is sensitive to informative, middle-level categories, whereas early perceptual categorization makes use of coarse high level distinctions. Additionally, the early perceptual advantage for scene categorization over basic level action categorization suggests that the scene category is the first construct that is used to represent events in scene images, and maybe even events in visual narratives like film. RECOGNIZING THE SETTING BEFORE REPORTING THE ACTION: INVESTIGATING HOW VISUAL EVENTS ARE MENTALLY CONSTRUCTED FROM SCENE IMAGES by


Two heat exchangers from TitanX are used as test objects in this thesis. When FE-calculations are made by the simulation department at TitanX a method called "Homogenization Method" is used to simplify detail modelled fins of the heat exchangers by replacing them with very few blockshaped elements. Modal analyses are performed on the heat exchangers both experimentally and numerically (FE software). The results are used to check the validity of the "Homogenization Method" which is found to have a non-sufficient correlation with reality. Improved correlation of the homogenization method was found by changing the width of the brazed joints between tubes and fins to real measured values. The modeling of the tubes is briefly investigated and changed to correlate better with reality. The orthotropic material model that is used for the homogenized material in the FE-software is found to be insufficient to represent all the properties of the homogenized material.


In some highly publicised cases in English universities well-established disciplines and departments are under threat of closure for financial reasons. The higher education curriculum in England appears to be increasingly shaped by financial pressures. This study argues that universities are tending to be run as businesses, and its central aim is to reveal the business models within. These can be a useful 'lens' through which to view developments in higher education.An overview of the historical development of the curriculum in English universities is presented. The literature on business models and on higher education curriculum change is examined, and a relationship between these two dimensions is developed. In order to discern the business models a qualitative analysis of twenty English university strategic plans is performed using Ritchie & Spencer's (1994) 'Framework' methodology. Two new business models that have explanatory power in the university context are identified, along with two other 'standard' models that are also apparent. These four models might provide a general template that can be used to assess and understand university operation. Some consequences of the business models are discussed. The inquiry questions the possible future direction of higher education in England in the light of these consequences.


Pregnancy-related acute kidney injury (PRAKI) contributes to 3–7% of overall acute kidney injury (AKI) cases in Indian subcontinent. The aim of this study was to determine the outcomes of PRAKI and risk factors associated with renal injury and maternal mortality. One hundred and sixty-five patients with PRAKI, seen at M. S. Ramaiah Medical College between 2005 and 2014, were included in this, observational study. AKI was analyzed in terms of maximal stage of renal injury attained as per Risk, Injury, Failure, Loss of function, and End-stage renal disease (RIFLE) criteria. Outcomes included requirement for renal replacement therapy (RRT), maternal, and fetal mortality. Incidence of PRAKI was 1.56%, and the mean age of the study population was 25 years. Fifty percent of the patients were diagnosed with PRAKI during their first pregnancy. PRAKI was observed most commonly in the postpartum period (60%), followed by third trimester (32%); as per RIFLE criteria, failure was seen in 36% and injury in 34%. Thirty percent of cases required RRT. Sepsis (59%), pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia (56%) were the leading causes of PRAKI, while sepsis was the leading cause of maternal mortality. Maternal and fetal mortality were 20% and 22%, respectively. In univariate analysis, shock, hemorrhage requiring transfusion of >5 units packed red blood cells, oliguria, and "Loss" category of RIFLE were significantly associated with mortality. Majority of the patients (57%) required Intensive Care Unit care with a mean duration of admission at 7.3 days, and 75% was diagnosed with AKI at the time of admission. We report the lowest incidence of PRAKI in contemporary Indian literature. PRAKI was associated with high maternal and fetal mortality, with sepsis being the leading cause. No association was noted between mortality and initial stages of RIFLE criteria.


From the Publisher:
This book provides selective, in-depth coverage of the fundamentals of software engineering by stressing principles and methods through rigorous formal and informal approaches. In contrast to other books which are based on the lifecycle model of software development, the authors emphasize identifying and applying fundamental principles that are applicable throughout the software lifecycle. This emphasis enables readers to respond to the rapid changes in technology that are common today. Principles and techniques are emphasized rather than specific tools—users learn why particular techniques should or should not be used. Understanding the principles and techniques on which tools are based makes mastering a variety of specific tools easier. The authors discuss principles such as design, specification, verification, production, management and tools. Now coverage includes: more detailed analysis and explanation of object-oriented techniques; the use of Unified Modeling Language (UML); requirements analysis and software architecture; Model checking—a technique that provides automatic support to the human activity of software verification; GQM—used to evaluate software quality and help improve the software process; Z specification language. For software engineers.


The Equality Act 2010 imposes a duty on employers and organisations to make sure that disabled people have easy access to education, jobs and services. This ensures that they are treated equally with non-disabled people.
Over the years, employers have been looked down upon for failing to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people by both the EHRC and judges. There seems to be much more focus on how and why employers should treat disabled people equally, leaving organisations and service providers behind. As a result, there has not been much deliberation on how far service providers should go when making reasonable adjustments for disabled people.
Paulley v FirstGroup Plc is the first case of its kind to discuss the duty upon service providers to make reasonable adjustments to their services for disabled people. It has therefore been quite a contentious case, attracting mixed opinions from academics and disability and equality supporters. This article sets out the key facts of the case, followed by the judge's reasoning, judgment and analysis. Essentially, the main question the decision in this case raises is whether it has struck a balance between disabled people's rights to freedom from discrimination and the reasonable adjustments that service providers are required to make.


The Government is to introduce a minimum price for a unit of alcohol as soon as it has consulted on what that price should be, it says in its new national alcohol strategy for England and Wales. The price is likely to be around 40p per unit.

The strategy has been billed as "a radical approach to turn the tide against irresponsible drinking, which costs the UK £21bn [€25.1bn; $33.3bn] a year," and aims to end the scenario of beer for sale at prices cheaper than water. The strategy is also being promoted as a means of reducing the 1.2 million alcohol related hospital admissions in 2011.

Minimum price policies are already being considered in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

As part of the strategy, the government is also considering giving more powers to hospital accident and emergency departments and pubs to refuse to deal with people who are drunk; banning multibuy promotions such as buy one, get one free; and a late night levy to make pubs and clubs help pay for policing.

Prime Minister David Cameron said, "Binge drinking isn't some fringe issue, it accounts for half of all alcohol consumed in this country. …


Introduction: A major complication after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery is internal herniation. Computed tomography (CT) is the first line imaging technique. However, CT examination is often inadequate, which pleads for the development of alternatives. Besides internal herniation, insufficient weight loss and weight regain are significant adverse long-term outcomes. Currently, the exact influence of gastric pouch size and gastroenterostomy diameter on weight loss is unknown. Measurements of these anatomical structures can be performed using CT, but investigating upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series is an interesting possibility. Another challenge is diagnosing functional disorders in the bypassed part of the gastrointestinal tract, such as gastroparesis of the gastric remnant and stenosis of the biliopancreatic limb. At this time, no imaging techniques are capable of detecting such functional disorders.
Methods: A clinical trial was performed to investigate CT angiography (CTA) for diagnosing internal herniation. Ten study subjects, clinically suspected for internal herniation, were subjected to venous phase CT arterial phase CTA examination. All subjects also underwent diagnostic laparoscopy, which served as gold standard. The CTA was used to create a 3D reconstruction of the mesenteric arteries and surgical staples (3D CTA). The 3D CTA was interpreted, taking into account the presence and type of internal hernia that was found upon laparoscopy.
Results: 3D CTA studies of the subjects with active internal hernias demonstrated remarkable differences as compared to control 3D CTA studies. Particularly, the blood supply of herniated intestinal limbs showed abnormal courses. Furthermore, enteroenterostomy staple lines had migrated or altered orientation.
Conclusion: 3D CTA is a promising technique for diagnosing active internal hernias. For diagnosing internal hernias, more effort should be directed towards the 3D assessment of the mesenteric vasculature and surgical staples. In general, quantitative measurements should become a key aspect in diagnostics of bariatric complications, instead of qualitative interpretations.
Research proposals and preliminary research – UGI series is proposed for gastric pouch and gastroenterostomy size measurements. A phantom study was conducted to prove the feasibility of the proposed method, from which it was concluded that size estimations of a contrast-filled object by two biplanar X-ray images is feasible. A prospective study will be performed with twelve subjects. Size measurements using this newly developed technique will be compared to CT as gold standard. Furthermore, 99mTc pertechnetate nuclear imaging is proposed for evaluating the function of the gastric remnant and biliopancreatic limb. A prospective study will be conducted with twenty subjects.


Humans hardly ever perceive odors in a neutral and objective manner as their perception comes loaded with attractive or repellent impressions emotionally dominating the brain's connection with the outside world. Although the sense of smell is rather undervalued and the natural body odor is stigmatized in the 'olfactory silence' of the modern de-odorized era, the still-growing multi-billion dollar perfume industry exploits the indescribability of odor, cultivating the myth of the magic allure of perfume. Considering the fact that in modern Western societies the majority of perfumes are created and commercialized for female consumers in search of a perfumed gender specific identity, the article discusses two emergent themes from a social semiotic perspective: the feminine perfume olfactory system and the consumers' preference patterns of perfume according to the cross sensory perception management of perfume packaging in the form of the perfume bottle.


Dana Schutz plumbs the depths of humour and horror, fantasy and reality in her colourful, expressive paintings. This exhibition catalogue features paintings and drawings created by Schutz since 2001. Each of her wildly inventive series is represented, beginning with Frank as a Proboscis Monkey, which wittily depicts the last man on earth, to her current Verb paintings, in which a woman attempts to perform three incongruous activities at once. Schutz's commentary on twenty-first-century politics, celebrity, religion and mores is both absurdist and prescient. Her works are splashed with vibrant colour and enriched with tactile brushwork. Schutz combines traditional technique with innovative content to create ambitious idiosyncratic paintings for our anxious age. Schutz is the recipient of the 2011 Roy R. Neuberger Prize awarded every two years to an artist for an early career survey and monograph. This volume also features an essay by art historian Cary Levine and an interview with the artist by exhibition curator Helaine Posner.


The six-junction inverted metamorphic multi-junction (IMM6J) solar cell has been identified as a viable path towards air mass zero (AM0) conversion efficiencies in excess of 37% (1-sun, AM0, 28°C, 1353 mW/cm2). The design of the IMM6J device architecture is presented in this paper. Initial experimental results of the IMM6J are presented, including an experimental best AM0 conversion efficiency of 33.7%.


Background and Objectives : The objective of this study was to determine and compare the general levels of awareness of patient's rights among the patients and nurses in training hospitals in Qom province. Methods: In a descriptive analytical study, 150 nurses and 200 hospitalized patients were asked about patient's rights in all public hospitals in Qom. Data were collected using questionnaires and analyzed by SPSS. A p -value of <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: The nurses' total awareness score was significantly higher than the patients' total awareness score. No significant association was found between the patients' total awareness and age, gender, educational status, marital status, living place or bedtime. The nurses' total awareness showed no significant difference with respect to age, marital status and work history. The female nurses' total score was significantly higher than the male nurses' total score. Conclusion: These results suggest that increasing awareness especially among patients is needed, if awareness and practices regarding patient's rights should be improved.


Angioedema due to hereditary C1 inhibitor deficiency (HAE) is a highly disabling and potentially lethal disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:50,000 in the general population worldwide. Treatment of this condition by replacing the deficient protein started shortly after discovery of the underlying genetic defect. Along with other therapeutic approaches developed over the years, C1 inhibitor replacement therapy maintains a central role for the treatment of angioedema attacks in patients with HAE. Two plasma-derived C1 inhibitors and a recombinant form, produced in transgenic rabbits, have successfully completed controlled trials that reinforced the evidence of the safety and efficacy of this treatment.


This article discusses abuse of disabled children in terms of two competing theories for why it may occur. The evolutionary biology theory has been discussed in the legal literature as well as in biological and social science pieces. The author contrasts this theory with a novel one, mimetic desire, which may be less familiar in legal circles, but which, he believes, better explains the abuse of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder children and offers more hope for preventing abuse without disrupting intact families. While the evolutionary biology explanations for child abuse may be helpful and important, more territory can be covered by Stanford professor Rene Girard's mimetic cycling theory. In addition, this better fits the social capital literature in which, in Yoshihiro Francis Fukuyama's work, for example, biology plays a helpful, though not completely satisfying, role. Social capital and mimetic theory in particular seem to do a more complete job of explanation. Links: Linking Service Full text:


Modern rendering systems are confronted with a dauntingly large and growing set of requirements: in their pursuit of realism, physically based techniques must increasingly account for intricate properties of light, such as its spectral composition or polarization. To reduce prohibitive rendering times, vectorized renderers exploit coherence via instruction-level parallelism on CPUs and GPUs. Differentiable rendering algorithms propagate derivatives through a simulation to optimize an objective function, e.g., to reconstruct a scene from reference images. Catering to such diverse use cases is challenging and has led to numerous purpose-built systems---partly, because retrofitting features of this complexity onto an existing renderer involves an error-prone and infeasibly intrusive transformation of elementary data structures, interfaces between components, and their implementations (in other words, everything). We propose Mitsuba 2, a versatile renderer that is intrinsically retargetable to various applications including the ones listed above. Mitsuba 2 is implemented in modern C++ and leverages template metaprogramming to replace types and instrument the control flow of components such as BSDFs, volumes, emitters, and rendering algorithms. At compile time, it automatically transforms arithmetic, data structures, and function dispatch, turning generic algorithms into a variety of efficient implementations without the tedium of manual redesign. Possible transformations include changing the representation of color, generating a "wide" renderer that operates on bundles of light paths, just-in-time compilation to create computational kernels that run on the GPU, and forward/reverse-mode automatic differentiation. Transformations can be chained, which further enriches the space of algorithms derived from a single generic implementation. We demonstrate the effectiveness and simplicity of our approach on several applications that would be very challenging to create without assistance: a rendering algorithm based on coherent MCMC exploration, a caustic design method for gradient-index optics, and a technique for reconstructing heterogeneous media in the presence of multiple scattering.


We analyzed the young (2.8 Myr-old) binary system FS Tau A using near-infrared (H-band) high-contrast polarimetry data from Subaru/HiCIAO and submillimeter CO (J = 2–1) line emission data from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Both the near-infrared and submillimeter observations reveal several clear structures extending to ∼240 au from the stars. Based on these observations at different wavelengths, we report the following discoveries. One arm-like structure detected in the near-infrared band initially extends from the south of the binary with a subsequent turn to the northeast, corresponding to two bar-like structures detected in ALMA observations with an local standard of rest kinematic (LSRK) velocity of 1.19–5.64 km s−1. Another feature detected in the near-infrared band extends initially from the north of the binary, relating to an arm-like structure detected in ALMA observations with an LSRK velocity of 8.17–16.43 km s−1. From their shapes and velocities, we suggest that these structures can mostly be explained by two streamers that connect the outer circumbinary disk and the central binary components. These discoveries will be helpful for understanding the evolution of streamers and circumstellar disks in young binary systems.


We re-evaluate the standard practice of sharing weights between input and output embeddings in state-of-the-art pre-trained language models. We show that decoupled embeddings provide increased modeling flexibility, allowing us to significantly improve the efficiency of parameter allocation in the input embedding of multilingual models. By reallocating the input embedding parameters in the Transformer layers, we achieve dramatically better performance on standard natural language understanding tasks with the same number of parameters during fine-tuning. We also show that allocating additional capacity to the output embedding provides benefits to the model that persist through the fine-tuning stage even though the output embedding is discarded after pre-training. Our analysis shows that larger output embeddings prevent the model's last layers from overspecializing to the pre-training task and encourage Transformer representations to be more general and more transferable to other tasks and languages. Harnessing these findings, we are able to train models that achieve strong performance on the XTREME benchmark without increasing the number of parameters at the fine-tuning stage.


Developing and maintaining software is a difficult task, and finding effective methods of understanding software is more necessary now than ever with the last few decades seeing a dramatic climb in the scale of software. Appropriate visualisations may enable greater understanding of the datasets we deal with in software engineering. As an aid for sense-making, visualisation is widely used in daily life (through graphics such as weather maps and road signs), as well as in other research domains, and is thought to be exceedingly beneficial. Unfortunately, there has not been widespread use of the multitude of techniques which have proposed for the software engineering domain. Tag clouds are a simple, text-based visualisation commonly found on the internet. Typically, implementations of tag clouds have not included rich interactive features which are necessary for data exploration. In this thesis, I introduce design considerations and a task set for enabling interaction in a tag cloud visualisation system. These considerations are based on an analysis of challenges in visualising software engineering data, and the perceptive influences of visual properties available in tag clouds. The design and implementation of interactive system Taggle based on these considerations is also presented, along with its broad-based evaluation. Evaluation approaches were informed by a systematic mapping study of previous tag cloud evaluation, providing an overview of existing research in the domain. The design of Taggle was improved following a heuristic evaluation by domain experts. Subsequent evaluations were divided into two parts — experiments focused on the tag cloud visualisation technique itself, and a task-based approach focused on the whole interactive system. As evidenced in the series of evaluative studies, the enhanced tag cloud features incorporated into Taggle enabled faster visual search response time, and the system could be used with minimal training to discover relevant information about an unknown software engineering dataset.


Modelling prosody variation is critical for synthesizing natural and expressive speech in end-to-end text-to-speech (TTS) systems. In this paper, a cross-utterance conditional VAE (CUC-VAE) is proposed to estimate a posterior probability distribution of the latent prosody features for each phoneme by conditioning on acoustic features, speaker information, and text features obtained from both past and future sentences. At inference time, instead of the standard Gaussian distribution used by VAE, CUC-VAE allows sampling from an utterance-specific prior distribution conditioned on cross-utterance information, which allows the prosody features generated by the TTS system to be related to the context and is more similar to how humans naturally produce prosody. The performance of CUC-VAE is evaluated via a qualitative listening test for naturalness, intelligibility and quantitative measurements, including word error rates and the standard deviation of prosody attributes. Experimental results on LJ-Speech and LibriTTS data show that the proposed CUC-VAE TTS system improves naturalness and prosody diversity with clear margins.


Quantifying the impacts of changing climatic conditions on forest growth is integral to estimating future forest carbon balance. We used a growth-and-yield model, modified for climate sensitivity, to quantify the effects of altered climate on mixed-conifer forest growth in the Lake Tahoe Basin, California. Esti mates of forest growth and live tree carbon stocks were made for low and high emission scenarios using four downscaled general circulation model (GCM) projections. The climate scenarios were coupled with a range of commonly-used fuels reduction treatments to quantify the combined effects of these factors on live tree carbon stocks. We compared mid- (2020–2049) and late-21st (2070–2099) century carbon stock estimates with a baseline period of 1970–1999 using common input data across time periods. Recursive partitioning analysis indicates that GCM, forest composition, and simulation period most influence live tree carbon stock changes. Comparison with the late 20th century baseline period shows mixed carbon stock responses across scenarios. Growth varied by species, often with compensatory responses among dominant species that limited changes in total live tree carbon. The influence of wildfire mitigation treat ments was relatively consistent with each GCM by emission scenario combination. Treatments that included prescribed fire had greater live tree carbon gains relative to baseline under the scenarios that had overall live tree carbon gains. However, across GCMs the influence of treatments varied considerably among GCM projections, indicating that further refinement of regional climate projections will be required to improve model estimates of fuel manipulations on forest carbon stocks. Additionally, had out simulations included the effects of projected climate changes on increasing wildfire probability, the effects of management treatments on carbon stocks may have been more pronounced because of the influence of treatment on fire severity.


Evolutionary game theory has become one of the most diverse and far reaching theories in biology. Applications of this theory range from cell dynamics to social evolution. However, many applications make it clear that inherent non-linearities of natural systems need to be taken into account. One way of introducing such non-linearities into evolutionary games is by the inclusion of multiple players. An example are social dilemmas, where group benefits could e.g. increase less than linear with the number of cooperators. Such multiplayer games can be introduced in all the fields where evolutionary game theory is already well established. However, the inclusion of non-linearities can help to advance the analysis of systems which are known to be complex, e.g. in the case of non-Mendelian inheritance. We review the diachronic theory and applications of multiplayer evolutionary games and present the current state of the field. Our aim is a summary of the theoretical results from well-mixed populations in infinite as well as finite populations. We also discuss examples from three fields where the theory has been successfully applied, ecology, social sciences and population genetics. In closing, we probe certain future directions which can be explored using the complexity of multiplayer games while preserving the promise of simplicity of evolutionary games.


We consider a cooperative multi-agent system in which cooperation may be enforced by communication between agents but in which agents must learn to communicate. The system consists of a game in which agents may move in a 2D world and are given the task of reaching specified targets. Each agent knows the target of another agent but not its own, thus the only way to solve the task is for the agents to guide one another using communication and, in particular, by learning how to communicate. We cast this game in terms of a partially observed Markov game and show that agents may learn policies for moving and communicating in the form of a neural network by means of reinforcement learning. We investigate in depth the impact on the learning quality of the expressiveness of the language, which is a function of vocabulary size, number of agents and number of targets.


In the Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago, Silurian anaspids are represented by scales of at least six different types of sculpture, and some subtypes, called Birkeniida sp. C, Birkeniida sp. C1, Birkeniida sp. C?, Birkeniida sp. D, Birkeniida sp. F, Birkeniida sp. F?, Birkeniida sp. G., Birkeniida sp. H and Birkeniida sp. J. In addition, Birkenia? sp. was recognized. A new taxon was erected on the basis of the material from the Severnaya Zemlya Formation, Lower Devonian. In the specimen, the trunk squamation is rather well preserved, but the head and the caudal fin are lacking. Characteristic are very big dorsal ridge scales. The stratigraphical range of anaspids on Severnaya Zemlya is from Wenlock to Lochkov.


Antebellum mesmerism posed a challenge to the prerogatives of self-mastering reason from within the scientific tradition itself. Though mesmerism is now most familiar as the sensational stage-practice and quack cure that drew criticism from Hawthorne and Henry James, its sympathizers considered it a theory of sensory error. Mesmerists claimed that the trance replicated the physiological effects of deception, allowing them to study swindling in laboratory conditions. Concluding that sensory error was ineradicable, they refuted Lockean pedagogy's claims to reform the errant senses. One could at best manage delusion, through the selfdoubt that liberalism had enjoined only its marginalized types—credulous women, laborers, racial inferiors—to practice. Mesmerism transvalued these figures, praising their powers of self-suspicion and condemning the ridiculous confidence of reason. Tracing the American mesmeric tradition from the science's first appearance there as a falsehood, in 1784; through its limited practice in the 1790s; to its extensive popularity from the 1840s to the end of the century, I find in its performances an alternate sensory public capable of including among its knowing subjects hysterics, renegades, and castaways. Rather than thinking of American publics as being formed through agreement on the procedures of reason, then, my project proposes that we see them as forming around the procedures of sensation that mesmerism discloses. Through readings of The Coquette (1797), Edgar Huntly (1799), Moby-Dick (1851), The Blithedale Romance (1853), and other works of fiction, I argue that this tradition constitutes a resource for the novel in holding open the gates of the public sphere to a pluralistic range of knowledge-producers. Forming oxymoronic crosses between good liberals and strange, errant, but insightful mesmeric knowers, American fiction creates stereoscopic images of impossible subjects. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group English First Advisor Nancy Bentley Second Advisor Amy Kaplan


THIS ARTICLE INTRODUCES THE NOTION OF pleasant musical imagery (PMI) for denoting everyday phenomena where people want to cherish music ''in their heads.'' This account differs from current paradigms for studying musical imagery in that it is not based a priori on (in)voluntariness of the experience. An empirical investigation of the structure and experiential content in 50 persons' experiences of PMI applied the elicitation interview method. Peer judgments of the interviews helped to bridge a phenomenological investigation of particular experiences with systematic between-subjects analysis. Both structural features of the imagery (e.g., Looseness of structure or Looping) and content features of the imagery (e.g., Embodied evocativeness and Object-directedness) showed significant associations with participants' individual characteristics, personality, and/or cognitive style. The approach taken suggests a new paradigm for studying musical imagery—one that is based on tracing the interactional and enactive processes of ''inner listening.''


ABSTRACT The aim of the current study is to determine what language activities Norwegian preschool children took part in, and to examine whether these language activities predict children's language comprehension. We tested children (n = 134) with language measures at age 4/5 and age 5/6 and interviewed their teachers (n = 71) about the kinds of language activities the children engaged in during that school year. Teachers reported a variety of classroom language activities, ranging from informal language stimulation of everyday situations to more explicit language activities such as book reading, language games, vocabulary training and school preparation groups. Book reading every day significantly predicted children's language comprehension.


Protein C inhibitor (PCI) is synthesized by cells throughout the male reproductive tract and is present in high concentrations (220 micrograms/ml) in seminal plasma. Seminal plasma as well as the acrosome of spermatozoa are rich in possible target proteases for PCI. We analyzed the interaction of PCI with acrosin, a serine protease stored in its zymogen form in the acrosome of spermatozoa. Purified human PCI inhibited the amidolytic activity of purified boar acrosin with an apparent second-order rate constant of 3.7 x 10(4) M-1.s-1. Inhibition was paralleled by the degradation of PCI from its 57- to its 54-kDa form. Human PCI also inhibited the amidolytic activity of activated human sperm extracts and formed complexes with acrosin as determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunocytochemistry revealed that morphologically abnormal spermatozoa stained for PCI antigen, whereas morphologically normal spermatozoa were negative. In immunoelectron microscopy, PCI was exclusively localized in the immediate vicinity of disrupted acrosomal membranes of sperm heads. These data suggest that PCI might function as a scavenger of prematurely activated acrosin, thereby protecting intact surrounding cells and seminal plasma proteins from possible proteolytic damage.


The comparison of VIT model results with those of the virtual population analysis assessment of the cod stock in the Skagerrak, North Sea and Eastern Channel established by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) reveal that overall trends in fishing mortality and stock size are well captured over a period of three decades (1963-1992). However, the implications of the equilibrium assumption (steady state) made by the VIT model are enormous, as it forces strong inter-annual variations in the estimated fishing mortality, especially in years when the age composition shows strong year class effects. Estimated VIT output parameters should be carefully interpreted when the assessed stock suffers from reduction in abundance and high exploitation, as this condition is likely to deviate from steady state. The VIT estimates of the virgin stock biomass appear very variable, extremely high and fairly dependent on annual stock size estimates. Their use in fisheries management as a realistic biological stock biomass reference is not recommended. The VIT estimates of F 0.1 and F max are found to be in line with the ICES estimates. Therefore, model results should allow qualitative conclusions regarding the status of marine living resources in relation to a target reference of exploitation rate. Quantitative conclusions regarding the assessment of the exploitation status are only recommended when the model is applied to short time series of consecutive annual data and the resulting variation in the estimated stock parameters appears reasonably low. As such, the model results may form the basis for scientifically sound fisheries management advice covering the actual state of the stock as well as medium-term forecasts of catch and biomass under different options.


491 Relatively high red meat and fat intakes have been hypothesized to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. However previous epidemiologic studies on meat and fat intake and colorectal cancer risk have been inconclusive. We therefore examined the association in a pooled analysis of the primary data from 14 prospective follow-up studies from North America and Europe. Meat and fat intake was assessed using a validated food-frequency questionnaire in each study at baseline. We calculated study-specific relative risks and pooled them using a random-effects model. During follow-up of 725,258 women and men over a maximum of 5 to 20 years in the studies, 7,743 incident cases of colorectal cancer were documented. Greater intake of either red meat (excluding processed meat) or processed meat was not related to colorectal cancer risk. The pooled multivariate relative risks (RRs) of colorectal cancer were 1.00 (95% CI 0.92-1.08) for each 90g(approximately 3 oz)/d increase of red meat and 1.05 (95% CI 0.96-1.15) for each 30g/d increase of processed meat. However, intake of poultry and seafood was related to a reduced risk of colorectal cancer (RR= 0.88 [95% CI 0.77-1.00] for each 90g/d increase, P value for heterogeneity=0.04). The RRs for colorectal cancer for each 45g/d increase were 0.92 (95% CI 0.83-1.02) for poultry and 0.91 (95% CI 0.83-0.99) for seafood. Intakes of total, saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats were not appreciably associated with colorectal cancer risk. In conclusion, these prospective data do not support a positive association between higher red meat and fat intake and colorectal cancer risk. Higher intake of poultry and fish may be associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer.


William Jennings Bryan dominated American politics at large for nearly three decades. Thrice he sought the presidency. Thrice he lost. Perhaps no other American politician has had greater influence by losing. The publication of Michael Kazin's biography, A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan (2006), reminds us that the Great Commoner was far more than the sum of the Cross of Gold speech and the trial of John Scopes. Bryan singlehandedly transformed the Democratic Party from a conservative, almost reactionary, party opposed to the exertion of federal power into an activist party advocating the aggressive deployment of federal resources and legal coercion on behalf of the working class. Even though free silver and redistribution through inflationary monetary policy soon faded from the Democratic Party's agenda after 1896, the other elements of the Democratic domestic platform utterly transformed American law and politics. Bryan, for good and for ill, served as a harbinger of numerous political movements. The New Deal, the Great Society, the religious right, and an emerging Christian left all owe their origins to the political career of William Jennings Bryan. To be sure, Bryan was the prophet of free silver and the scourge of evolution. But today as during the days of his life, mostly W.J.B. is the voice of the people.


Temptations abound for the sweet tooth in Paris, from the hottest culinary trends to time-honored classics. Patisserie is an integral part of the city's gastronomic tradition and the source of countless delectable creations that combine fruit, cream fillings, icings, frostings, mousses, and pastry. Readers will yield to sweet temptation as they discover the best pastries and cakes the city has to offer, including macaroons, eclairs, rum babas, tarts, Mont Blancs, polonaises, and cakes with Japanese inspiration. The pastry chefs share their signature recipes and show off their artful creations, which are described in the context of their historical tradition, composition, and gastronomic qualities. The evolution of pastry art is also explained, focusing in particular on the new generation of Parisian pastry chefs and chocolate makers, buzzing with the creativity and ingenuity that are redefining their craft. The book includes an address book of the best pastry shops and tea rooms in Paris along with twenty-five recipes from the city's most respected pastry chefs.


Abstract. Video quality measurement is an important component in the end-to-end video delivery chain. Video quality is, however, subjective, and thus, there will always be interobserver differences in the subjective opinion about the visual quality of the same video. Despite this, most existing works on objective quality measurement typically focus only on predicting a single score and evaluate their prediction accuracies based on how close it is to the mean opinion scores (or similar average based ratings). Clearly, such an approach ignores the underlying diversities in the subjective scoring process and, as a result, does not allow further analysis on how reliable the objective prediction is in terms of subjective variability. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to analyze this issue and present a machine-learning based solution to address it. We demonstrate the utility of our ideas by considering the practical scenario of video broadcast transmissions with focus on digital terrestrial television (DTT) and proposing a no-reference objective video quality estimator for such application. We conducted meaningful verification studies on different video content (including video clips recorded from real DTT broadcast transmissions) in order to verify the performance of the proposed solution.


Medical Telesurvey needs human operator assistance by smart information systems. This paper deals with the sound event detection in a noisy environment and presents a first classification approach. Detection is the first step of our sound analysis system and is necessary to extract the sig-nificant sounds before initiating the classification step. An algorithm based on the Wavelet Transform is evaluated in noisy environment. Then Wavelet based cepstral coeffi-cients are proposed and their results are compared with more classical parameters. Detection algorithm and sound classification methods are applied to medical telemonitor-ing. In our opinion, microphones surveying life sounds are better preserving patient privacy than video cameras.


The amount of protein was determined in supernatant and residual pulp of three species of duckweed, Spirodela Polyrrhiza, oligorrhiza, Wolffia columbiana and
a mixed culture. Protein content of the supernatant and the residual pulp was similar except S. oligorrhiza in which the supernatant had triple the value.
Maznah Ismail Precipitation studies with acid and organic solvents (acetone, isobutanol and isopropanol) showed that the amount of protein precipitated varied with the
solvent used. On average, only about 20% protein was precipitated from the supernatant. More protein was precipitated by acid (pH 5.8) and isopropanol (5% v/v). Amino acid analysis showed that the essential amino acid content of the whole frond, supernatant and pulp compared favourably with human and cow's milk, egg and FAO reference pattern, with the exception of methionine. Fractionation of the soluble material using Sephacryl S-200 and
Sephadex G-50 yielded six components except S. oligorrhiza, which yielded seven components. The first component was> 250,000 daltons in size and the last two < 10,000. Further fractionation by anion exchanger, DJ<.AE Sepharose
CL-6B yielded 12 components, except W columlbiana, which had 9. The first three components had net positive charge while the rest had net negative change. Anti-nutritional factors were also determined in two duckweed species (Spirodela polyrrhiza and Lemna perpusilla Torrey) and their protein concentrates. Anti-nutritional factors were found to be low; Spirodela polyrrhiza had higher values than Lemna perpusilla except for trypsin inhibitor. However analysis of variance showed no significant difference (p ~0.05) in the levels of these anti nutritional factors between the two species.


Three echinoid genera are identified from Visean (Mississippian, Lower Carboniferous) rocks of the Peak District, namely Melonechinus Meek & Worthen, Archaeocidaris M9Coy and Lepidocidaris Meek & Worthen. Even the best preserved specimens from this area only occur as a jumble of plates. Melonechinus etheridgei (Keeping) (Chadian? to Brigantian?) has thick test plates; interambulacral plates are commonly hexagonal; ambulacra include multiple columns of pore pairs; and plate surfaces bear many small secondary tubercles. Archaeocidaris sp. or spp. (Chadian? to Brigantian) has long, robust radioles with a smooth shaft and prominent spinules; associated test plates (mainly interambulacra) are considered coeval. Rare Lepidocidaris sp. (Asbian? to Brigantian), including Archaeocidaris glabrispina (Phillips), is only recognized from rare, smooth radioles; test plates resemble those of Archaeocidaris . Lepidocidaris is only known from the platform carbonate shelf of Derbyshire; other echinoid taxa occur on both the shelf succession and the deeper water carbonate succession deposited adjacent to the shelf.


The increasing availability of location-acquisition technologies (GPS, GSM networks, etc.) enables people to log the location histories with spatio-temporal data. Such real-world location histories imply, to some extent, users' interests in places, and bring us opportunities to understand the correlation between users and locations. In this article, we move towards this direction and report on a personalized friend and location recommender for the geographical information systems (GIS) on the Web. First, in this recommender system, a particular individual's visits to a geospatial region in the real world are used as their implicit ratings on that region. Second, we measure the similarity between users in terms of their location histories and recommend to each user a group of potential friends in a GIS community. Third, we estimate an individual's interests in a set of unvisited regions by involving his/her location history and those of other users. Some unvisited locations that might match their tastes can be recommended to the individual. A framework, referred to as a hierarchical-graph-based similarity measurement (HGSM), is proposed to uniformly model each individual's location history, and effectively measure the similarity among users. In this framework, we take into account three factors: 1) the sequence property of people's outdoor movements, 2) the visited popularity of a geospatial region, and 3) the hierarchical property of geographic spaces. Further, we incorporated a content-based method into a user-based collaborative filtering algorithm, which uses HGSM as the user similarity measure, to estimate the rating of a user on an item. We evaluated this recommender system based on the GPS data collected by 75 subjects over a period of 1 year in the real world. As a result, HGSM outperforms related similarity measures, namely similarity-by-count, cosine similarity, and Pearson similarity measures. Moreover, beyond the item-based CF method and random recommendations, our system provides users with more attractive locations and better user experiences of recommendation.


Bus fleet data have consistently shown that vehicle operating and maintenance costs increase as vehicles age. A fleet manager has to deal with the tradeoff between the lower operating and maintenance costs of newer fleets and their higher initial capital costs as well as the tradeoff between conventional and fuel efficient bus technologies. This study formulates and implements a fleet replacement optimization framework that is applied to a case study that compares two bus types: a conventional diesel and a hybrid bus. Employing real-world bus fleet data from King County Metro (Washington State, USA) multiple scenarios are examined to account for uncertainty and variability in the model parameters. In addition sensitivity analyses are performed to study the impacts of parameter values on optimal replacement policies and the per-mile costs. Key findings include: the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) purchase cost subsidy has the highest impact on the optimal replacement policies; without FTA subsidy it is always cost effective to adopt diesel buses and replace them every 20 years. With an 80% purchase cost FTA subsidy, hybrid buses are the best choice; the optimal hybrid bus replacement cycle decreases from 18 to 14 years with increasing annual utilizations and operating and maintenance costs or decreasing hybrid purchase price and fuel economy. Fuel price, emissions costs, and initial bus age have little impact on optimal replacement policies. However, discount rate and diesel bus price, annual utilization (in 0% FTA subsidy scenario) and fuel price (in 80% FTA subsidy scenario) have the highest impacts on per-mile costs.


We report that coordinative hemilability allows the MIDA amine to behave as a nucleophile
to intercept π-allyl intermediates. A mechanistic investigation indicates that this rearrangement
proceeds through an SN2-like displacement at tetrasubstituted boron to furnish novel DABN (2,8-
dioxa-5-aza-1-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-3,7-dione) boronates. Oxidative addition into the N-C
bond of the DABN scaffold reverses the reaction and furnishes borylated π-allyl intermediates that
can then be trapped with complete linear selectivity. DFT calculations indicate that stabilizing
interactions in the transition state, as well as the steric bulk of the MIDA unit, are the origins of
the excellent regioselectivity. We further demonstrate the utility of our new reagents by way of a
3-component coupling that features allylammonium DABN boronates as linchpin reagents. This
report disseminates a previously unknown aspect of MIDA boronates that can now be exploited.


In this paper, we propose a Geometry-Contrastive Generative Adversarial Network (GC-GAN) for transferring continuous emotions across different subjects. Given an input face with certain emotion and a target facial expression from another subject, GC-GAN can generate an identity-preserving face with the target expression. Geometry information is introduced into cGANs as continuous conditions to guide the generation of facial expressions. In order to handle the misalignment across different subjects or emotions, contrastive learning is used to transform geometry manifold into an embedded semantic manifold of facial expressions. Therefore, the embedded geometry is injected into the latent space of GANs and control the emotion generation effectively. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed method can be applied in facial expression transfer even there exist big differences in facial shapes and expressions between different subjects.


Age related macular degeneration is a vision affliction that progresses to the threat of impairment and the damage is caused due to the degeneration of macula. The early detection and diagnosis help to considerably lower the impact of vision loss. Bright lesions called drusen are the cause of age-related macular degeneration. The area of the lesions present in the retina indicates the severity of the disease. The digital picture of retina captured by the colour fundus camera plays a central role for the cost-effective computer – aided screening, diagnosis and follow-up treatment of the mentioned ocular disease. A structured screening simulation method automatically spots and extracts the features from the fundus image and quantify the risk associated with it. The experiment's findings are compared with the ophthalmologist projection. The proposed framework was tested on publicly accessible dataset.


A quantitative analysis of the admissions requirements guidelines of the education doctoral programs at the top 20 American universities was conducted. An Internet search was used to obtain information on top-ranked world and U.S. universities. Admission requirements typically include, at minimum, an application fee (mean 55.5 USD), previous coursework GPA (mean 3.40), previous field experience, GRE scores (mean 542.8 for Verbal and 617.7 for Quantitative), TOEFL scores (mean 570.7 for the Paper Based Test), professional writing sample(s), letters of recommendation, and enrollment. Results indicate that the admission requirements and perhaps the quality of the instruction of the top 20 graduate education programs in the U.S. is comparable to that of the top 20 universities around the world and to that of the top 20 universities in the U.S. ********** Education is currently a field of growing employment needs in order to develop and provide better services and opportunities for individuals who need it in the areas of administration, counseling, curriculum, educational psychology, education policy, elementary education, secondary education, higher education, special education, vocational education, and related areas. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act has been in effect since President George W. Bush signed it on January 8, 2002. NCLB emphasizes stronger teacher accountability for results, flexibility in the use of federal education funds, usage of educational methods shown to be effective by means of research guidelines, and increased informed choices for parents (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Some jobs that involve research or administration require persons with doctorate level training to maximize continued progress in this area. Many of the top education graduate programs are offered at American universities. In one of the few rankings available on the World Wide Web of best universities in the world, Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Web site (2006) ranks 17 U.S. universities among the best 20 in the world (also see India Education.Net, 2006; MSNBC, 2006; National University of Singapore, 2006). Eleven of the best universities from the Jiao Tong University's Web site are also listed in a U.S. News & World Report ranking (2006b) of the best 20 universities in the U.S.A. Of the American universities with the best graduate programs in education according to the US News & World Report assessment (2006c), six are among the best 20 universities in the world, and five are among the best 20 universities in the U.S.A. Educational attainment may be an important income predictor. One would conclude that opportunities to earn a higher salary should increase with the number or the level of degrees that one attains. A table compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau and entitled "Earnings by Occupation and Education, United States, Both Sexes" (2005), summarizes data from the 2000 census and suggests that people with an advanced degree (defined as higher than a bachelor's degree) earned, on average, 2.02 times more than high school graduates. Furthermore, the table shows that people with high school diplomas were earning incomes which had increased 1.5-fold by the end of their employment career, whereas people with advanced degrees were earning incomes that had increased 2.2-fold by the end of their careers. According to the 2000 census, 15.54% of the American workforce had earned a bachelor's degree, and 8.86% had earned a graduate degree (Free Demographics.Com, 2005). Two of the highest graduate degrees are Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.-Philosophiae Doctor) and Doctor of Education (Ed. D. or D.Ed.--Doctor Educationis). While a Ph.D. program typically prepares students for research positions, an Ed. D. degree may prepare individuals for research, teaching, or administration positions in colleges and universities. Both degrees may lead to leadership positions in various educational agencies. …


INTRODUCTION
Rotator Cuff tears affect 15% of 60 year olds and carry a significant social and financial burden. Current operative techniques and repair adjuncts are associated with unacceptably high failure rates, stimulating investigation into novel tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) approaches in the field of rotator cuff surgery. In this review we explore the most recent advances in the field of electrospinning, focussing on proposed tissue-engineered solutions in tendon, specifically the rotator cuff.

METHODS
The MEDLINE/PubMed database was reviewed for English language papers and publication date within the last 5 years, using the search string "electrospinning AND tendon".

RESULTS
Of 38 results, eighteen studies were included in the final analysis. Common themes identified included (1) drug/biological molecule delivery (2) using novel and biological materials in manufacture (3) increased mechanical strengths of materials, and, (4) techniques to improve the nanotopographical properties - of electrospun scaffolds. Human tissue was used in less than 15% of studies to determine cytocompatibility. Varying study designs were observed often employing differing outcome measures making direct comparisons and conclusions challenging.

CONCLUSION
This review summarises the most current scientific knowledge in the study of TERM in tendon and the rotator cuff field and electrospinning techniques. We found that as knowledge of the pathology behind rotator cuff tears is furthered, specific molecules, mechanical properties and nanotopographical features are being incorporated into electrospun scaffolds.


Reward seeking shapes our interactions with the environment, but whether it also influences how we perceive it remains controversial. Notably, there is currently a debate on whether objects that are more likely to provide high reward might be perceived bigger than those associated with low reward. The aim of this study is to test this « wishful seeing » hypothesis in non-human primates. Two macaque monkeys performed a two-alternative forced choice (2 AFC) size discrimination task during several weeks. Following an initial fixation period, the animals were required to make a saccade towards the biggest of two simultaneously displayed discs, located in diametrically opposite positions relatively to the fixation point (7° eccentricity). Correct trials were followed by a liquid reward. The disk positions determined the probability of receiving a high versus a low amount of fluid (5/1 ratio). In half of the trials, the 2 discs appeared in positions with equal probability of high reward (neutral conditions, p=0.5/p=0.5) while in the other trials, the probability of high reward was asymmetric (reward-biased conditions, p=0.8/p=0.2). Preliminary results indicate that the saccade latencies are directly related to the probability of getting a high reward (i.e. saccades toward more rewarded positions are significantly shorter that saccades toward less rewarded positions), in agreement with previous reports. Our results also reveal massive differences in the psychometric curves associated with the neutral and reward-biased conditions. Monkeys tend to choose highly rewarded positions irrespective of the sensory evidence, which suggests a reward-induced change in strategy rather than in perception. However, we also observe an interaction between reward probability and sensory evidences that might indicate reward-induced changes in perceived size, in agreement with the wishful seeing hypothesis. Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2015.


Abstract
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are compounds intended to replicate the effects of legal and illegal drugs. The continuous detec-tion of new NPS via several forensic toxicology techniques attests to the considerable NPS popularity all over the world, although such determinations rely on still indecisive findings, given the elusiveness inherent in NPS and the the lack of standardized and uniformly applied detection and screening techniques. A worrisome and neglected issue is the proliferation of NPS and other drugs of abuse in developing countries. Demographics may partly explain such an emerging threat, which in a globalized world is likely to have an impact that goes well beyond national borders, especially in light of the criminal organiza-tions' ability to function and operate in the cyberspace, harnessing the potential of the "dark web" to overstep the boundaries and oversight mechanisms put in place by nations and international institutions.


(a) The provisions of this subpart are applicable to the following affected facilities in metallic mineral processing plants: Each crusher and screen in open-pit mines; each crusher, screen, bucket elevator, conveyor belt transfer point, thermal dryer, product packaging station, storage bin, enclosed storage area, truck loading station, truck unloading station, railcar loading station, and railcar unloading station at the mill or concentrator with the following exceptions. All facilities located in underground mines are exempted from the provisions of this subpart. At uranium ore processing plants, all facilities subsequent to and including the beneficiation of uranium ore are exempted from the provisions of this subpart. (b) An affected facility under paragraph (a) of this section that commences construction or modification after August 24, 1982, is subject to the requirements of this part.


CISISOCS (cytokine-inducible SH2 protein/suppressor of cytokine signaling) are a family of proteins that are thought to act as negative regulators of signaling by erythropoetin, interleukin-6 and other cytokines whose receptors are related to the growth hormone receptor (GHR), and like growth hormone (GH), signal through the JAWSTAT pathway. We examined the possibility that CIS/SOCS proteins may also be involved in GH signaling, in particular, in termination of the transient insulin-like effects of GH. mRNAs for CIS, SOCS3, and to a lesser extent SOCS1 were detectable by Northern blot analysis of rat adipocyte total RNA, and the expression of CIS and SOCS3 was markedly increased 30 min after incubation with 500 nglml hGH. Both CIS and SOCS3 were detected in adipocyte extracts by immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting with their corresponding antisera. GH stimulated the tyrosine phosphorylation of a 120 kDa protein (p120) that was co-precipitated from adipocyte extracts along with aCIS and detected in Western blots with phospho-tyrosine antibodies. However, no tyrosine phosphorylated proteins in these cell extracts were immunoprecipitated with antibodies to CIS3lSOCS3. p120 was later identified as the GHR based on the observations that two GHR antibodies recognized p120 in scale-up experiments and that p120 and the GHR share several characteristics, including their molecular weights, tyrosine phosphorylation upon GH stimulation, interaction with CIS, similar extent of glycosylation as judged by electrophoretic mobility shift after Endo F digestion, comparable mobility shifts upon thrombin digestion, and N-terminal histidine-tagging. The findings, however, do not rule out the possibility that there might be other tyrosine phosphorylated 120 kDa protein(s) that interact with CIS and contribute to the p120 signal, as well as the GHR. Further studies of the association of CIS with the GHR revealed that CIS might selectively interact with multiply tyrosine phosphorylated forms of the GHR, and these tyrosines are likely located near the carboxyl end of the GHR. Overexpression of CIS partially inhibited GH-induced STAT5 phosphorylation in CHO cells. Studies in freshly isolated and GH-deprived (sensitive) adipocytes revealed that the abundance of CIS does not correlate with the termination of the insulin-like effects of GH or the emergence of refractoriness. Neither the association of CIS with the GHR nor the tyrosine phosphorylation status of the GHR, JAK2 and STAT5 appear responsible for refractoriness in adipocytes. These data imply that some negative regulators other than CIS might contribute to the termination of GH-induced insulin-like effects in adipocytes.


Named one of 100 Leadership & Success Books to Read in a Lifetime by Amazon Editors Confronted by omnipresent threats of job loss and change, even the brightest among us are anxious. In response, we're hunkering down, blocking ourselves from new challenges. This response hurts us and our organizations, but we fear making ourselves even more vulnerable by committing mistakes while learning something new. In Flying Without a Net, Thomas DeLong explains how to draw strength from vulnerability. First, understand the forces that escalate anxiety in high achievers and the unproductive behaviors you turn to for relief. Then adopt practices that give you the courage to "do the right things poorly" before "doing the right things well." Drawing on his extensive research and consulting work, DeLong lays out: - Roots of high achievers' anxiety: fear of being wrong and lack of a sense of purpose, and a craving for human connection - Destructive behaviors we adopt to relieve our anxiety: busyness, comparing ourselves to others, and blaming others for our frustrations - Behaviors we must adopt to gain strength from vulnerability: putting the past behind us and seeking honest feedback Packed with practical advice and inspiring stories, Flying Without a Net is an invaluable resource for all leaders seeking to thrive in this Age of Anxiety.


Abstract In this work a new single anode spherical tissue-equivalent proportional counter (TEPC) was developed for mixed field radiation dosimetry. The approach used was to divide the cathode into several rings with different thicknesses and adjust the potential difference between each ring and the anode to produce an electric field that is nearly constant along the length of the anode. A-150 tissue-equivalent plastic is used for the detector walls, the insulator material between the cathode rings is low-density polyethylene, and the gas inside the detector is propane. The detector, along with the charge sensitive preamplifier, is encased in a stainless steel vacuum chamber. This 1.8-cm-diam TEPC provides low electronic noise, a gas gain of 550 at 782 V, good spectral resolution (26 keV/μm), and a full-width at half-maximum value of 17%. This spherical TEPC detector system will improve the accuracy of dosimetry in space and as a result improve radiation safety for astronauts.


In the following I discuss and derive the optical requirements for stereoscopic projection into hemispherical domes, this is applicable to both large scale planetariums and smaller personal domes. It is the development of the later smaller domes, referred to as the iDome, that employ a new lower cost projection system [1] that has been the motivation for this work. Primarily the discussion focuses on how to create optimal omni-directional stereoscopic fisheye pairs, that is, stereoscopic projections that are largely view direction independent. These have some interesting differences and challenges to the usual planar perspective pairs encountered in systems comprising of flat display panels.


A 208 cm (82 in.) ID steel aqueduct (ASTM A572, grade 42, type 2 steel) fractured circumferentially at two points 152 m (500 ft) apart in a section above ground. A year later, another fracture occurred in a buried section 6.4 km (4 mi) away. Both pipes fractured during Jan at similar temperatures and pressures. The pipe had a 24 mm wall thickness, and the hydrostatic head was 331 m (1085 ft). The air temperature was approximately -13 deg C (9 deg F), the water temperature approximately 0.6 deg C (33 deg F), and the steel temperature approximately -4 deg C (25 deg F). The pipe had been shop-fabricated in 12 m (40 ft) lengths, then shop welded into 24 m (80 ft) lengths. Field assembly was with bell-and-spigot joints. Investigation (visual inspection and Charpy V-notch testing) supported the conclusion that brittle fracture of the aqueduct pipe was attributed to a combination of stress concentrations at the toes of the fillet welds due to poor welding technique, including shop welds made without preheat, and a brittle condition of the steel at winter temperatures. Recommendations included revised welding techniques, installation of expansion joints, and the use of steel plate rolled from fully killed ingots.


Summary Prediction of storm wise soil erosion and sediment yield is very important, especially in arid and semiarid regions due to small numbers and high intensity of rainfall. Sometimes inappropriate use of the model causes very high or low estimate. However, evaluation of soil erosion by existing models is needed as an important tool for managerial purposes in designation proper water and soil conservation technique. Th e present study aimed to assess the applicability of Hillslope Erosion Model (HEM) as one of the newest erosion models for prediction of storm-wise sediment yield in Khosbijan Research Center with dryland treatment by using soil erosion standard plots. In order to run the model, runoff depth, vegetation cover density, land surface cover, soil texture, slope steepness and length were determined for 16 storm events. Th e results showed that the uncalibrated HEM didn't simulate the observed sediment yields, properly. Calibration of soil erodibility parameter between 0.2 – 1 and developing regression between observed and estimated data indicated that the model could successfully predict the soil erosion rate with determination coeffi cient of 0.91. Th ese fi ndings indicate that calibration of erodibility factor and regression between observed and estimated could improve storm-wise sediment yield prediction using


In order to achieve ultra-low power (ULP), ICs are being designed for VDD ≤ 0.5 V. At these low voltages, random dopant fluctuations (RDFs) result in a stochastic component of logic delay that can be comparable to the global corner delay. Moreover, the probability density function (PDF) of this stochastic delay can be highly non-Gaussian. In order to predict the statistical impact of RDF-induced local variations on logic timing, it is necessary to incorporate these effects into a timing closure methodology. This paper presents a computationally efficient methodology for stochastic characterization of standard cell li- braries at low voltage, where the cell delay is a nonlinear function of the transistor random variables (RVs), and the resulting cell delay has a non-Gaussian PDF. It also presents a computation- ally efficient methodology for computing any point on the PDF of a timing path (TP) delay, in the case where cell delays are non-Gaussian. The method is called nonlinear operating point analysis of local variation (NLOPALV). The general NLOPALV theory is developed. It is applied to cell library characterization, and the accuracy of the NLOPALV approach is validated by comparison to Monte Carlo simulation. NLOPALV is also applied to timing path analysis on a 28 nm DSP IC. The approach has been implemented using commercial CAD tools, and integrated into a commercial IC design flow. The NLOPALV approach gives timing results that are within 5% accuracy compared to Monte Carlo analysis at VDD = 0.5 V. This compares to errors on the order of 50% when the Gaussian approximation is used.