Recent studies indicate that the wealthy receive more representation from their members of Congress, though this relationship may be more pronounced in Republican compared to Democratic districts. However, drawbacks in existing survey data hamper efforts to delineate the relationship between income and representation with precision, especially at the highest income levels. In this paper we use new data to explore the relationship between wealth, the party identity of elected officials, and representation in greater depth. We develop several alternative models of the relationship between income and representation, and compare them with models employed in previous empirical research. We test each of these models, using two different data sets containing large numbers of wealthy individuals and very granular measures of income. Our results suggest that individuals with Democratic congressional representatives experience a fundamentally different type of representation than do individuals with Republican representatives. Individuals with Democratic representatives encounter a mode of representation best described as ``populist,'' in which the relationship between income and representation is flat (if not negative). However, individuals with Republican representatives experience an ``oligarchic'' mode of representation, in which wealthy individuals receive much more representation than those lower on the economic ladder.


This research determined the effects of incorporating sugarcane bagasse ash and cattle manure on soil pH, available P, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) during a 2 seasons' field experiment in Kakamega County of Western Kenya. The experiment used a Randomized Complete Block Design, 3 replications, and a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Sugarcane bagasse ash and cattle manure application showed highly significant effects on soil properties at P≤0.01. The combined application of 5 t ha-1 sugarcane bagasse ash with 5 t ha-1 cattle manure raised soil pH by 0.18, and with 10 t ha-1 manure by 0.17. These increments were higher than the positive control (2 t ha-1 lime alone), that raised soil pH by 0.03, while negative control (no amendment) decreased soil pH by 0.01 at the end of the 2nd season.  Soil available P increased by 6 ppm due to 5 t ha-1 cattle manure and by 4 ppm due to 5 t ha-1 sugarcane bagasse ash. Soil CEC increased due to high application rates of cattle manure at the end of the second season. This study concluded that, the incorporation of sugarcane bagasse ash and cattle manure increased soil pH, available P and CEC.

 Key words: Available P, bagasse ash, cation exchange capacity (CEC), cattle manure, soil pH, Western Kenya.


Empirical studies of strategic settings commonly model player interactions under supposed game-theoretic equilibrium behavior, to predict what rational agents might do. But in sufficiently complex settings, analysts cannot solve for exact equilibria, and may resort to solving a restricted game where agents are limited to a tractable subset of strategies. This provides a solution, but one with unclear strategic stability in the original game. We propose a search and evaluation method that can guarantee a well-defined strategic stability property in the profile that it yields, even if only a small subset of possible strategies in a game have been analyzed. The method achieves this result by combining statistical confidence interval estimation, a multiple test correction, and empirical game-theoretic analysis. We also present an extension of the method that more often finds genuine approximate equilibria, by using simulated annealing instead of simple random search for strategy exploration. We demonstrate efficacy in two example settings: the first-price sealed-bid auction, and a cybersecurity game.


The speech-based envelope power spectrum model (sEPSM) presented by Jørgensen and Dau [(2011). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 1475-1487] estimates the envelope power signal-to-noise ratio (SNRenv) after modulation-frequency selective processing. Changes in this metric were shown to account well for changes of speech intelligibility for normal-hearing listeners in conditions with additive stationary noise, reverberation, and nonlinear processing with spectral subtraction. In the latter condition, the standardized speech transmission index [(2003). IEC 60268-16] fails. However, the sEPSM is limited to conditions with stationary interferers, due to the long-term integration of the envelope power, and cannot account for increased intelligibility typically obtained with fluctuating maskers. Here, a multi-resolution version of the sEPSM is presented where the SNRenv is estimated in temporal segments with a modulation-filter dependent duration. The multi-resolution sEPSM is demonstrated to account for intelligibility obtained in conditions with stationary and fluctuating interferers, and noisy speech distorted by reverberation or spectral subtraction. The results support the hypothesis that the SNRenv is a powerful objective metric for speech intelligibility prediction.


A fault recovery system that is fast and reliable is essential to today's networks, as it can be used to minimize the impact of the fault on the operation of the network and the services it provides. This paper proposes a methodology for performing automatic protection switching (APS) in optical networks with arbitrary mesh topologies in order to protect the network from fiber link failures. All fiber links interconnecting the optical switches are assumed to be bidirectional. In the scenario considered, the layout of the protection fibers and the setup of the protection switches is implemented in nonreal time, during the setup of the network. When a fiber link fails, the connections that use that link are automatically restored and their signals are routed to their original destination using the protection fibers and protection switches. The protection process proposed is fast, distributed, and autonomous. It restores the network in real time, without relying on a central manager or a centralized database. It is also independent of the topology and the connection state of the network at the time of the failure.


The chemical residues generated by research and/or teaching laboratories at universities and research centers raise a serious concern due to risks posed to the environment if not handled properly. Residues of some organic compound are discarded incorrectly because of inappropriate glass washing and equipment cleaning. Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) is an organic compound widely used as a DNA intercalator in molecular biology procedures and the EtBr ability of intercalating itself in the DNA molecule, makes it a toxic substance. Among biological wastewater treatment strategies, the use of microalgae (phycoremediation) has been appreciated as a potentially effective option to remove target contaminants from water. The objective of this study was to evaluate the removal of EtBr from water by three species of unicellular microalgae individually (Chlorella vulgaris, Desmodesmus subspicatus, and Raphidocelis subcapitata) and in a mixture (Mix). No large variations in the number of algae/mL were observed after 3 hours of exposure to a 0.5 mg/L solution of EtBr in mineral water, starting and ending with 106 algae/mL, excepting for R. subcapitata that ended with 107 algae/mL. The results in absolute values of EtBr removal (measured by fluorescence) after 1 h of treatment were: Mix> D. subspicatus> C. vulgaris> R. subcapitata. After 3 h the best result in absolute values (mg of EtBr) were: Mix> D. subspicatus> R. subcapitata> C. vulgaris. However, if relative microalgae density (mg/algae/mL) data are considered, the ranking after one hour was: C. vulgaris> Mix> D. subspicatus> R. subcapitata; after 3 h the ranking was: D. subspicatus> C. vulgaris> Mix> R. subcapitata. Therefore, it was concluded that, despite the low percentage of EtBr removal (<11%) achieved with Mix, this was due to the low microalgae density 106 algae/mL in the treatment assays. Based on these results, it was possible to estimate the density of each microalgae species required for the total EtBr removal as following: 1010 algae/mL for C. vulgaris, D. subspicatus and Mix; and 1011 algae/mL for R. subcapitata.


Abstract Four specimens of the roméite-group minerals oxyplumboroméite and fluorcalcioroméite from the Långban Mn-Fe deposit in Central Sweden were structurally and chemically characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analysis and infrared spectroscopy. The data obtained and those on additional roméite samples from literature show that the main structural variations within the roméite group are related to variations in the content of Pb2+, which is incorporated into the roméite structure via the substitution Pb2+→A2+ where A2+ = Ca, Mn and Sr. Additionally, the cation occupancy at the six-fold coordinated B site, which is associated with the heterovalent substitution BFe3+ + Y□→BSb5+ + YO2-, can strongly affect structural parameters. Chemical formulae of the roméite minerals group are discussed. According to crystal-chemical information, the species associated with the name 'kenoplumboroméite', hydroxycalcioroméite and fluorcalcioroméite most closely approximate end-member compositions Pb2(SbFe3+)O6□, Ca2(Sb5+Ti) O6(OH) and (CaNa)Sb2O6F, respectively. However, in accord with pyrochlore nomenclature rules, their names correspond to multiple end-members and are best described by the general formulae: (Pb,#)2(Sb,#)2O6□, (Ca,#)2(Sb,#)2O6(OH) and (Ca,#)Sb2(O,#)6F, where '#' indicates an unspecified charge-balancing chemical substituent, including vacancies.


Optimal Estimation of Dynamic Systems, Second Edition highlights the importance of both physical and numerical modeling in solving dynamics-based estimation problems found in engineering systems. Accessible to engineering students, applied mathematicians, and practicing engineers, the text presents the central concepts and methods of optimal estimation theory and applies the methods to problems with varying degrees of analytical and numerical difficulty. Different approaches are often compared to show their absolute and relative utility. The authors also offer prototype algorithms to stimulate the development and proper use of efficient computer programs. MATLAB codes for the examples are available on the books website. New to the Second EditionWith more than 100 pages of new material, this reorganized edition expands upon the best-selling original to include comprehensive developments and updates. It incorporates new theoretical results, an entirely new chapter on advanced sequential state estimation, and additional examples and exercises. An ideal self-study guide for practicing engineers as well as senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students, the book introduces the fundamentals of estimation and helps newcomers to understand the relationships between the estimation and modeling of dynamical systems. It also illustrates the application of the theory to real-world situations, such as spacecraft attitude determination, GPS navigation, orbit determination, and aircraft tracking.


The Airport and Airway Improvement Act requires the Federal Aviation Administration to review project applications for airport development projects. Under the Act, FAA must prioritize a more environmentally preferable alternative unless it is not prudent. In City of Dania Beach v. FAA, the court upheld the agency's definition of prudent, although it differed from the Supreme Court's definition of the word under the Department of Transportation Act in Citizens to Preserve Overton Park v. Volpe. This Comment argues that the case law on administrative deference supports the court's decision and that a general scheme of regulatory flexibility will be environmentally beneficial.


I Assistant Professor of Social Anthropogy; University of Tampere, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, Linna Building, FI-33014 University of Tampere, Finland; email@example.com . ABSTR AC T Arranging Mobile Lives: Marginal ised Moro cc an Men in Transnational Space The article traces, by means of extended ethnographic participant observation, the cultural construction of a particular type of male marginal mobility, namely that of economically marginalised Moroccan migrant men. For these men, the departure from Morocco as irregular migrants to Europe appeared as a means to escape a life without a horizon. They faced lethal dangers during their journeys across the Strait of Gibraltar in small open boats, and Spain appeared unwelcoming to them, since the traditional sector of migrant labour, industrial work, could no longer absorb them. These men had very few other options than to invest in transnationalising the distinctive ethos of dabbar, i.e. 'arranging' survival strategies and social relations in the unregulated and lowest echelons of the labour market in Spain. For a large number of these Moroccans, permanent EU residence and citizenship turned into means of broadening the sphere of dabbar. Many of these men currently engage in transnational trading activities of second-hand goods, including small electronic devices, shoes and clothes and household utensils.


This research aimed to determine the response of the growth of oil palm seedlings with various media volume in the main nursery. The research was conducted in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture University of Riau, Pekanbaru. The study lasted for 7 months starting in January 2012 until July 2012. The research was carried out experimentally by using completely randomized design consisting of three (3) treatment with 6 (six) replicates that contained 18 experimental units. Each unit consists of 2 seeds. Total whole plant 36 seedlings were planted in 36 polybags. Treatment is the media volume consists of 3 levels ie: V1 = 8 liter/ polybag , V2 = 7 liter/ polybag , and V3 = 6 liter/ polybag . Parameters measured were seedling height, number of leaf midrib, stump diameter, crown root ratio and dry weight of seedlings. The results showed that significantly affects the media volume increase in plant height parameters. But non-significantly to the amount of leaf midrib, plant bulbs diameter, crown ratio and dry weight of seedling roots. Keywords: media volume, oil palm seedlings.


An almost unnoticed problem in the South African education system is the high rate of grade repetition. In this report, a combination of household and administrative datasets is used to identify patterns in learner repetition and dropout in South African schooling and the costs associated with these issues. According to the most conservative estimate, the number of learners in public schools repeating in grades 1 to 12 could have been 1 180 000. In monetary terms, this implies that the cost of having repeaters in the public education system was at least R20 billion (in 2018 prices), absorbing 8% of the total national budget allocated to basic education in 2018/2019. At least a half of these repetition costs is attributed to the high prevalence of repetition in the secondary school phase, with the largest number of repeaters located in grade 10 (at least 1 in every 5 grade 10 learners repeat). Despite the promulgation of repetition policy that limits the number of times learners can repeat a school phase, repetition trends in the past decade display a strong inertia, especially in higher grades. To monitor these trends better, and to track the implementation of these policies, significant improvements will need to be made to the quality of reporting on repeaters and dropout in EMIS data. While repetition is a problem, it is merely a symptom of a weakly functioning education system. The repetition debate is thus secondary to the need to address the quality of the education provided in our schools, and particularly in the foundation phase. Quality improvements will also make it easier to implement sensible policies on repetition and to provide remediation and support where these are needed. Moreover, by freeing resources currently needed to deal with repetition, improved education quality would also make remediation more feasible.


Polyethylene glycol (PEG) and three related surfactants were studied by dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced solid state NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DNP enhanced solid state NMR surprisingly reveals the presence of local molecular motions that are normally understood to be inactive at temperatures ∼100 K. This surprising phenomenon could be explained by the experimentally necessary rapid freezing of the studied samples. Specifically, DSC shows that PEG 200 forms a glass upon freezing and that the three PEG-related surfactants are at least partially in a glass state or some other thermodynamic nonequilibrium state when rapidly frozen to the temperatures of the DNP enhanced solid state NMR experiments. This effect of preserving local molar motions by rapid freezing also holds true for solutions of organic solutes in the PEG 200 solvent matrix.


Reproducibility should be a cornerstone of scientific research and is a growing concern among the scientific community and the public. Understanding how to design services and tools that support documentation, preservation and sharing is required to maximize the positive impact of scientific research. We conducted a study of user attitudes towards systems that support data preservation in High Energy Physics, one of science's most data-intensive branches. We report on our interview study with 12 experimental physicists, studying requirements and opportunities in designing for research preservation and reproducibility. Our findings suggest that we need to design for motivation and benefits in order to stimulate contributions and to address the observed scalability challenge. Therefore, researchers' attitudes towards communication, uncertainty, collaboration and automation need to be reflected in design. Based on our findings, we present a systematic view of user needs and constraints that define the design space of systems supporting reproducible practices.


__Abstract __

The ISO 9001 quality management standard has been implemented by more than one million organizations in 187 countries since its introduction in 1987. A newer version of ISO 9001 is planned to be introduced in 2015. Even though it is widely used by organizations to gain both operational and market benefits, the studies on the impact of ISO 9001 report mixed findings. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation is to find out what is the impact of ISO 9001, and to better understand the differences in current literature.

The findings demonstrate that ISO 9001 leads to operational and market benefits in the majority of cases. We also show that the benefits gained from ISO 9001 differs depending on the length of the period since certification, standard version, geographic location, industry sector, and company size. We further demonstrate that national differences, specifically the level of economic development and national culture, impact the performance benefits of ISO 9001. Moreover, we find that not all of the employees in a company use ISO 9001 in their daily work. Having a positive attitude towards ISO 9001 usage, being aware of ISO 9001, believing that ISO 9001 is useful and easy to use, and feeling responsible for ISO 9001 discriminated employees that did participate in ISO 9001-related practices from those that did not.

Together, these three chapters illustrate that the relationship between ISO 9001 and business performance is not as straightforward as it is often assumed. Our findings indicate that the implementation and the impact of ISO 9001 can be studied and explained at three different levels: Country level, company level and employee level.


Recently, deep feedforward neural networks have achieved considerable success in modeling biological sensory processing, in terms of reproducing the input-output map of sensory neurons. However, such models raise profound questions about the very nature of explanation in neuroscience. Are we simply replacing one complex system (a biological circuit) with another (a deep network), without understanding either? Moreover, beyond neural representations, are the deep network's computational mechanisms for generating neural responses the same as those in the brain? Without a systematic approach to extracting and understanding computational mechanisms from deep neural network models, it can be difficult both to assess the degree of utility of deep learning approaches in neuroscience, and to extract experimentally testable hypotheses from deep networks. We develop such a systematic approach by combining dimensionality reduction and modern attribution methods for determining the relative importance of interneurons for specific visual computations. We apply this approach to deep network models of the retina, revealing a conceptual understanding of how the retina acts as a predictive feature extractor that signals deviations from expectations for diverse spatiotemporal stimuli. For each stimulus, our extracted computational mechanisms are consistent with prior scientific literature, and in one case yields a new mechanistic hypothesis. Thus overall, this work not only yields insights into the computational mechanisms underlying the striking predictive capabilities of the retina, but also places the framework of deep networks as neuroscientific models on firmer theoretical foundations, by providing a new roadmap to go beyond comparing neural representations to extracting and understand computational mechanisms.


We report new U-Pb zircon ages for four previously undated Proterozoic granitoid intrusions exposed in the southern Sawatch Range, central Colorado. Coarse-grained to K-feldspar megacrystic granite (Henry Mountain granite) exposed along Taylor Canyon 20 km north of Gunnison, Colorado, crystallized at 1697 ± 7 Ma. It cuts across high-temperature deformational fabrics in metavolcanic and metasedimentary country rocks, thus bracketing at least one Paleoproterozoic tectonic event locally. This granite also contains a well-developed northeaststriking, subvertical foliation that postdates emplacement. The three other intrusions all yielded Mesoproterozoic ages. The Monarch Pass pluton, comprising coarse- to medium-grained granodiorite exposed 50 km east of Gunnison, crystallized at 1447 ± 9 Ma. It cuts across well-developed fabrics in metavolcanic host rocks and contains a widespread biotite foliation. Coarse-grained to K-feldspar megacrystic granite (Horsethief granite) exposed 5–10 km northwest of Taylor Park Reservoir was emplaced at 1437 ± 5 Ma, and it is locally deformed. Fine-grained, muscovite-biotite granite (Taylor River granite) that cuts across the southwestern part of the Henry Mountain pluton crystallized at 1428 ± 23 Ma. A subvertical, northeast-striking biotite foliation cuts across the contact between these two intrusions, suggesting that northwest-directed subhorizontal shortening occurred locally during the Mesoproterozoic. These ages provide new opportunities to constrain the age of tectonism in central Colorado and to further understand the Proterozoic tectonic evolution of southern Laurentia.


The Coronation geosyncline developed in the early Proterozoic along the western margin of a continental platform (the Slave Province) of Archaean rocks older than 2300 Ma, and culminated between 1725 and 1855 Ma ago with the emplacement of a pair of batholiths (the Bear Province). The evolution of the geosyncline has a strong family resemblance to Phanerozoic geosynclines believed to delineate ancient continental margins and have been controlled by global plate interactions. Such geosynclines are unknown in Archaean orogenic belts, from which it is inferred that creation of the first large rigid continental platforms marked the end of the Archaean and the beginnings of actualistic plate tectonics. The geosyncline began with deposition of a westward-facing continental shelf, consisting of a lower formation dominated by orthoquartzite, derived from the platform, and an upper cyclic stromatolitic dolomite formation. West of the shelf edge, the dolomite passes abruptly into a much thinner mudstone sequence with dolomite debris-flows, and the orthoquartzite into a thick laminated silt and mudstone sequence with quartzite turbidites. The oldest rocks west of the shelf edge, an area interpreted to have been a continental rise, are pillow basalts and volcanic breccias, extruded above a basement of unknown character. The principal turning point in the evolution of the geosyncline came with the foundering of the continental shelf. It is draped by a thin laminated pyritic black mudstone sequence, overlain by a westward-thickening clastic wedge resulting from intrusion and erosion of the batholiths to the west. The clastic wedge begins with a thick sequence of coarse greywacke turbidites that passes eastward into concretionary mudstone on the platform. The mudstone grades upward into laminated shaly limestone with minor greywacke turbidites, overlain in turn by cross-bedded red lithic sandstone. The supracrustal rocks of the geosyncline have been compressed and tectonically transported toward the platform. Adjacent to the batholithic belt, the continental rise and clastic wedge sequences are penetratively deformed and recrystallized by regional low-pressure metamorphism. To the east, the unmetamorphosed continental shelf and clastic wedge sequences have been flexurally folded and overthrust above a basal detachment surface. East of the thrust zone, relatively thin rocks on the platform are nearly flat-lying except around large anticlinal basement uplifts. Unusual features of the platform are its two aulacogens - long-lived deeply subsiding fault troughs that extend at high angles from the geosyncline far into the interior of the platform. During every phase in the evolution of the geosyncline, the aulacogens received much thicker sedimentary sequences, commonly with the addition of basaltic volcanics, than adjacent parts of the platform. Although equal in thickness to the geosyncline, the aulacogens were never subjected to the batholithic intrusions, regional metamorphism or low-angle overthrusting characteristic of the geosyncline. The Athapuscow aulacogen, in the region of Great Slave Lake, is interpreted as having been an incipient rift, located over a crustal arch, during the continental shelf stage of the geosyncline, but sagged to become a crustal downwarp during the clastic wedge stage, ultimately with sufficient transverse compression to produce broad folds. Finally, the aulacogen became part of a regional transcurrent fault system, along which thick fanglomerates accumulated in local troughs. The batholithic belt consists of two batholiths, eroded to different depths, separated by the northtrending 350 km long Wopmay River fault. The Hepburn batholith, east of the fault, is a composite intrusion of mesozonal granodiorite plutons. The foliated and migmatitic borders of the plutons are normally concordant with wall rock sheaths of sillimanitic paragneiss. Along the eastern margin of the batholith, metamorphosed rocks of the continental rise sequence dip gently to the west beneath the batholithic rocks. Belts of intensely deformed and metamorphosed supracrustal rocks within the batholithic terrain include sequences of pillow basalt, pelites and granite-pebble conglomerate, perhaps the lower part of the continental rise deposited during the initial rifting of the continental margin. The Great Bear batholith, west of the fault, consists of discordant epizonal plutons, mostly adamellite, that intrude broadly folded but regionally unmetamorphosed sequences of welded rhyodacitic ash-flow tuff, trachybasalt and derived sedimentary rocks. The volcanic rocks, intruded by dense dyke swarms radiating from the plutons and by felsite plugs, are interpreted to be comagmatic with the plutons. Mapping is as yet insufficient to establish, speculations aside, the possible relations of the two batholiths to arc-trench systems. Furthermore, the western margin of the batholithic belt, a region of critical importance, is covered by a veneer of younger Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Until fossil arc-trench systems are outlined, the contention that the Coronation Geosyncline involved global plate interactions is based on indirect evidence - the analogous evolution of the geosyncline east of the batholithic belt with Phanerozoic geosynclines in which fossil arc-trench systems have been found.


Increasing the production of meat and milk within sub-Saharan Africa should provide significant food security benefits. However, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions represent a challenge, as cattle production in the region typically has high emissions intensity (EI), i.e., high rates of GHG emissions per unit of output. The high EI is caused by the relatively low production efficiencies in the region, which are in turn partly due to endemic cattle diseases. In theory, improved disease control should increase the efficiency and decrease the emissions intensity of livestock production; however quantitative analysis of the potential GHG mitigation effects of improved disease control in Africa is lacking. This paper seeks to respond to this by using a hybrid modelling approach to quantify the production and emissions effects of removing trypanosomiasis from East African cattle production systems. The emissions are quantified for each cattle production system using an excel version of GLEAM, the Food and Agriculture Organization's Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model. The results indicate that removing trypanosomiasis leads to a reduction in the emissions intensity per unit of protein produced of between 0% and 8%, driven mainly by the increases in milk yields and cow fertility rates. Despite the limitations, it is argued that the approach provides considerable scope for modelling the GHG impacts of disease interventions.


Summary
1.
The procercoid develops in Cyclops leuckarti, C. viridis, C. bicuspidatus, and becomes infective in from 18 to 21 days.
2.
Mice of various species are found regularly susceptible to oral infection. Guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, birds, cats, and monkeys are generally resistant to oral infection with procercoids.
3.
Certain hosts, generally resistant to oral infection, such as the rat, cat, etc., can be infected by hypodermic injection of the procercoids.
4.
Resistance appears to be of two types. That occurring in rats appears to be located in the alimentary canal since they cannot be infected orally but can be infected by injection. That in frogs and birds appears to lie in the tissues themselves since they cannot be infected even by injection.
5.
The morphology of adult worms raised from spargana from various intermediate hosts is constant and typical.
6.
The definitive hosts are the cat, bobcat, and occasionally the dog.
7.
Infection in the cat with the adult worm produces marked emaciation, anemia, nervousness, and permanent stunting.
8.
Cats which have been long infected develop a resistance to the parasite which shows itself in diminished egg production, impaired viability of the eggs produced, and marked diminution in size of the worms.
9.
Mice infected with spargana pass through an acute stage, lasting about 2 months, during which time the coat is rough, the eyes inflamed, and emaciation apparent. Mice surviving this stage pass into a chronic condition and resume normal appearance.
10.
The rat does not show external signs of infection. In this host the spargana are smaller, and their heads usually surrounded by a bloody area.
11.
In monkeys, infected by injection, no signs are apparent during the first 2 months. After this period, however, elephantiasis of the affected part may develop. The swellings are filled with a slimy gelatinous mass.
12.
In all hosts the migration of spargana is attended by extensive tissue damage and pathology.
13.
Experiments on transplanting spargana suggest the possibility that the mouse and snake strains of D. mansonoides may be separate.
14.
D. mansonoides differs from mansoni in that it does not infect frogs, rabbits or birds, and appears to thrive better in the cat as a definitive host than in the dog.
15.
D. mansonoides appears to be worthy of consideration as a probable cause of sparganosis in man in this country. Over a large section of the country, man must be continually exposed to infection wherever drinking water from natural sources is used.
16.
The sparganum does not undergo asexual reproduction or proliferation in the tissues.


As key projects within the rehabilitation of the rivers Emscher and Seseke, EMSCHERGENOSSENSCHAFT and LIPPEVERBAND constructed new WWTPs in Bottrop (1995) and Kamen-Koernebach (1998), which operate with biological nutrient removal using cascade nitrification/denitrification and a UCT scheme for biologically enhanced phosphorus removal. During the 15 years after the design, the load conditions, operational parameters and material costs (chemicals, electric power) changed. Still, the basic system decisions proved to be reliable. Anaerobic tank volumes also reduce the total nitrogen effluents. Investments in separate reject water treatment from sludge dewatering could be postponed by at least 15 years.


[Summary of the book containing this chapter:] Fierce competitiveness between established and emerging major cities, such as Berlin, London, Shanghai and Sydney, has led to a pressure to excel as desirable locations for business, cultural activities, highly skilled migrants and tourists. At the same time, the transformation of settled and new migrant communities creates complex urban borders and variegated representations (academic, cinematic, popular, official) of the city. While cities increasingly deploy cosmopolitan images portraying the diversity of past and present populations and activities, this continues to coexist with parochialism as a mood and mode of cultural formations and a reflection of local specificities. This volume brings together cultural analysts, social scientists, and media and film scholars to explore the ways in which core cities generate competing claims on, and visions of, their use and their future, and thus have engaged with the necessity to brand their image for international consumption and for internal coherence.


These are exciting times. The emergence of digital newspaper archives is presently transforming the possibilities of our research. The vast, unexplored terrain of nineteenth-century periodicals is now opening up to us; every meeting of the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals brings with it news of exciting new discoveries. This article argues that we need to extend this thrill of discovery into the classroom. It starts by discussing the pioneering online archives that first sparked my own (rather unexpected) love for history, before discussing how I have recently attempted to integrate these resources into my teaching.


Self-frequency Raman conversion in Q-switched diode-pumped Yb:KGd(WC4)2 laser was demonstrated with fundamental-to-first-Stokes conversion efficiency as high as 40%. The output pulses have been obtained simultaneously at 1038 nm and at 1145 nm with energy of 10.8 ¼J and 8.2 ¼J as short as 1.7 ns and 0.7 ns, respectively, at the repetition rate of 13.3 kHz.


"Life, that gorgeous quality of life, is not accomplished by following another man's rules. It is true we have the same hungers and same thirsts, but they are for different things and in different ways and in different seasons." (Patri, as quoted in Nasar, 1998). In contrast to persons with congenital disabilities, for whom research suggests that the process of body image and identity development is likely to be similar to that of children without disabilities (Grzesiak & Hicok, 1994; Livneh & Antonak, 1997; Wright, 1983), persons who experience later-onset chronic illness or acquired disability (CIAD) may find their sense of self suddenly and dramatically challenged or altered. These persons may be faced with significant changes in their social and familial relationships and life roles while dealing concurrently with psychological distress, physical pain, prolonged medical treatment, and gradually increasing interference in or restriction of the performance of daily activities (Charmaz, 1983; Livneh & Antonak). Understanding how people navigate this process of adapting to CIAD-related changes, and applying this understanding in the form of effective clinical interventions has been an important focus of rehabilitation research for several decades (Elliott, 1994; Wright & Kirby, 1999). Yet despite the decades of research committed to understanding the dynamics of psychosocial adaptation, a review of the rehabilitation literature suggests a surprising lack of conceptual clarity and limited consensus about such fundamental questions as the nature of the process of adaptation and the appropriate conceptualization of outcome (Frank & Elliott, 2000; Livneh, 1988; Livneh & Antonak, 1997; Smart, 2001; Wright & Kirby, 1999). Further, in terms of the ultimate goal of this theoretical development, the translation of theory into practice, there is little evidence that adaptation theory has effectively translated into clinical intervention (Parker, Schaller, & Hansmann, 2003). It has been suggested, for example, that few rehabilitation counselors either utilize the various existing measures of adjustment or adaptation in the counseling process, or assess the client's adaptation in terms of any extant theory (Bishop, 2001; Kendall & Buys, 1998). Rather, outside of the research context, measures specifically designed to assess adaptation rarely play a significant role in rehabilitation assessment, counseling, or planning. The failure of rehabilitation counselors to evaluate and address psychosocial adaptation in the counseling relationship likely results from a number of factors, including: (a) failure to understand the potential influence of adaptation on rehabilitation outcome; (b) failure to see the clinical utility of extant theories of adaptation in the rehabilitation relationship; and (c) a lack of familiarity with, or confusion over, the many and frequently contradictory theories or models of adaptation found in the rehabilitation counseling literature. The present article presents a model of adaptation to CIAD that may address some of these problems. In the course of the decades long exploration of the adaptation to disability process theories from fields of study outside of rehabilitation counseling have frequently contributed to both rehabilitation counseling practice and theoretical understanding. Such applications include, for example, that of Lewin's field theory (Lewin, 1951), operant learning principles (Elliott, 1994), and research from the medical sociology literature concerning the implications of chronic illness for the sense of self (Charmaz, 1983). Consistent with this approach, over the last two decades rehabilitation researchers have suggested with increasing frequency that concepts from quality of life (QOL) research may provide an appropriate framework in which to understand the adaptation process (Crewe, 1980; Livneh, 2001; Livneh, 1988; Livneh, Martz, & Wilson, 2001; Viney & Westbrook, 1982; Wright, 1983). …


Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to re-examine the important question of what is wrong with interactive voice response (IVR) system service by expanding a spatially informed conceptualisation of virtual navigation which recognises the experience of movement within and through space.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, previous research on IVR systems is reviewed to highlight key themes to a service audience. Second, the metaphorical aspects of language used by the popular and trade press to describe IVR systems is examined. Usability and design issues are identified from previous research as a basis from reinterpreting them from a spatial perspective of navigation.

Findings

– Both figurative and conceptual spatial metaphors are used to describe the IVR system as an enclosed physical space, within which customers enter, feel stuck, get lost, or try to escape from. The usability issues of human memory, linearity, and feedback, can be reinterpreted from a spatial perspective as a basis for explaining confusion and frustration with IVR systems.

Research limitations/implications

– Since the paper is conceptual, further research is needed to empirically investigate different types and features of IVR systems. The possible influence of age and culture upon the spatial nature of experience is especially interesting topics for future study.

Practical implications

– The paper identifies the absence of space as an inherent limitation of IVR systems. It subsequently recommends that firms should provide spatial resources to support customer use of IVR systems, which is supported by the recent emergence of visual IVR.

Originality/value

– The paper introduces the broader literature on IVR systems to the service field as a basis for raising awareness about this ubiquitous technological component of telephone-based service delivery. It applies and develops a highly abstract conceptual perspective to examine and interpret the representation and experience of IVR systems, as a basis for explaining the confusion, frustration, and dislike of them.


The aim of this project was to synthesise and characterise pillar[5]arenes, macrocycles comprised of 1,4-dialkoxybenzene moieties linked in the 1,5-positions by methylene bridges, and to incorporate them in a range of sensors. Pillar[5]arene-based ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) were used to detect protons, alkali metal cations and biogenic amines to investigate sensing properties resulting in the fabrication of a low pH sensor. Composite sensors incorporating 1,4-dimethoxypillar[5]arene were able to detect Na+ concentrations in the physiological range, whereas K+ concentrations were well above those encountered in vivo. The composite electrodes did not show significant differences in capacitance for biogenic amines making them suitable to detect Na+ and K+ over alkali metal ions and unaffected by the presence of biogenic amines. A novel thiolated copillar[4+1]arene was synthesised and attached to gold electrodes. It was tested against alkali metals and biogenic amines and was most selective to Li+ over other alkali metal cations. Copillar[4+1]arene-capped gold nanoparticles were synthesised and assessed for biogenic amine selectivity. Complexation occurred strongly with spermidine and spermine compared to pentylamine and putrescine. Overall, the common purpose of the research presented in this thesis was to assess the pillar[5]arene macrocycle for its selectivity of small molecules and ions, specifically alkali metals and biogenic amines of biological importance. The difference in the nature of ion selectivity by the same macrocyclic binding motif appears to be due to its arrangement and conformational freedom in the different types of electrodes. In the ISE, the crystalline macrocycle integrates with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) which makes the upper and lower rim functional groups available for complex formation. In composite sensors, the alignment of the macrocycles is very rigid making complex formation reliant on the guest fitting into the rigid macrocyclic cavity. On gold electrodes, one of the aromatic rings is involved in surface attachment with the remaining four free to change their conformations and bind guest species.


Building fast and accurate classifiers for large-scale databases is an important task in data mining. There is growing evidence that integrating classification and association rule mining together can produce more efficient and accurate classifiers than traditional classification techniques. In this paper, the problem of producing rules with multiple labels is investigated. We propose a new associative classification approach called multi-class, multi-label associative classification (MMAC). This paper also presents three measures for evaluating the accuracy of data mining classification approaches to a wide range of traditional and multi-label classification problems. Results for 28 different datasets show that the MMAC approach is an accurate and effective classification technique, highly competitive and scalable in comparison with other classification approaches.


Background: Human chemokine-like factor 1 (CKLF1), a recently discovered chemokine, has a broad spectrum of biological functions in immune-mediated diseases. It is highly expressed on Th2 lymphocytes and is a functional ligand for human CCR4. CKLF1 has a major role in the recruitment and activation of leucocytes, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. The present study was designed to determine the expression of CKLF1 in skin and serum in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Methods: The CKLF1 protein expression in skin lesion was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and ELISA. The mRNA expression of CKLF1 in skin lesion was detected by Real-time PCR. The serum levels of CKLF1, IgE, eotaxin, IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 were measured by ELISA. Results: Histopathological changes in the skin of AD patients showed local inflammation with epidermal thickening and significant inflammatory cellular infiltration. Immunohistochemistry results demonstrated that CKLF1-staining positive cells were located in the epidermal and dermis, and that the CKLF1 expression in AD patients was significantly higher than that in normal control. The CKLF1 mRNA expression in AD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy controls. Serum CKLF1 and IgE levels were significantly increased in AD patients, as were the serum levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and eotaxin. Conclusions: Both CKLF1 protien and mRNA levels are overexpressed in the skin lesion of AD patients, along with an increase in serum CKLF1 level, indicating that CKLF1 may play an important role in the development of atopic dermatitis.


The largest cost in building a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) system is that of the femtosecond (fs) laser, which is used as the optical pump source for the THz emitter and detector in the system. Conventionally, mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers are used as the optical pump source in THz-TDS systems. They are powerful and their pulse width can be as short as 10 fs. However, they are costly and bulky. Recently, low cost and stable fs lasers based on fiber laser technologies are available. Most of the fs fiber lasers oscillate at wavelengths longer than 1 μm, such as 1550 nm (the optical communication wavelength), and the conventional THz emitters and detectors, such as photoconductive antenna or nonlinear crystals, are not so efficient at this wavelength. Therefore, it is essential to develop THz emitters and detectors that are efficient at the communication wavelength for realization of a low-cost fs-fiber laser-based THz-TDS system.In this talk, the following techniques or devices, which can be used with the communication wavelength (1550-1560 nm) femtosecond (fs) fiber-lasers, are discussed:i. Sub-bandgap excitation of photoconductive antennas with low-temperature-grown GaAs (LT-GaAs) substrate,ii. Cherenkov THz radiation from LiNbO3 (LN) crystal with optical waveguide structures,iii. Electro-optic (EO) sampling based on non-collinear Cherenkov phase matching, andiv. Spintronic THz emitters.


Trichotillomania is a chronic psychiatric condition characterised by uncontrollable, self-inflicted, hair pulling, resulting in noticeable hair loss. The hair pulling may occur anywhere on the body; with the scalp and eyelashes most commonly affected. Onset is often during childhood or early adolescence. Once presumed to be an obscure condition, the estimated lifetime prevalence is 1.5% for male and 3.4% for female college students. In very young patients, a more equal sex ratio is observed. On the whole, women show 5 to 10 times higher prevalence rates than men. Majority of the sufferers disguise their hair loss very well. Because of the secrecy and shame about their behaviour, many remain silent sufferers, and treatment is often delayed. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors currently are the pharmacological treatment of choice, although other drugs like naltrexone and antipsychotics like pimozide and haloperidol have varying responses. Behaviour therapy includes habit reversal coupled with exposure therapy and response prevention.


Background & Objective : Apium graveolens has antioxidant property because of its flavonoid compounds. In the present study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of Apium graveolens in Sprague Dawley male rats treated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ). Materials & Methods : In this study, 48 rats (weighted 180-200 gram) were divided into six groups each having eight rats. The six groups were control, sham, CCl 4 , and three experimental groups. The experimental groups (4-6) received 1ml/kg CCl 4 twice a week and olive oil with the ratio of 1:1 by intraperitoneal injection for 40 days. In addition, they received 2 cc hydroalcoholic extract of Apium graveolens by daily gavage with the concentrations of 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg/cc, respectively. The sham group received only olive oil with the mentioned ratio and the other group received CCl 4 and olive oil. At the end, Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP), Aspartate amino Transferase (AST), Alanine amino Transferase (ALT), and the serum concentrations of albumin, total and direct bilirubin were measured and analyzed by using statistical ANOVA Test. Results : Injection of CCl 4 increased the serum levels of liver enzymes and total and direct bilirubin but it decreased the concentration of serum albumin. On the other hand, hydroalcoholic extract of Apium graveolens decreased the liver enzymes and increased albumin level (p<0.001). Conclusion : The results of this study reveals that the consumption of hydro-alcoholic extract of Apium graveolens maintain the integrity of the liver and protects it against damage.


We report a low-temperature photoluminescence study of a series of AlxGal-xN/GaN quantum wells of various widths L and with x ranging from 0.11 to 0.25, grown by molecular beam epitaxy on silicon (111) substrates. Such quantum wells are subject to an important Stark effect owing to the large macroscopic polarization (piezoelectric and spontaneous) difference between wells and barriers. Due to the opposite actions of carrier confinement and of the Stark effect on the quantum well transition energies, it appears that around a certain thickness L-0 similar to 26 angstrom, these transition energies are independent of the barrier composition, at least in the x range studied. This has already been reported in similar structures grown on sapphire [Grandjean et al., J. Appl. Phys. 86 3714 (1999)]. In such quantum wells, the inhomogeneous broadening originates essentially from well width fluctuations and alloy composition fluctuations. The effect of the latter is then expected to be minimum near L=L-0. We show that it is indeed the case by studying the well width and barrier composition dependence of the linewidth of the quantum well luminescence lines, for samples grown on both Si and sapphire. The x dependence of the minimum linewidth at L similar to L-0 allows to estimate a very small variance of the well width distribution (sigma(L) similar to 1 angstrom), and this is discussed in relation with scanning tunneling microscopy images of GaN surfaces. Afterwards, using the fact that confinement energies in wide wells become nearly independent of well width, the variance of barrier composition fluctuations within the excitonic lateral extension is estimated from the L dependence of linewidths at each barrier composition. The values we obtain for this excitonic lateral extension are in agreement with variationnal calculations of the in-plane exciton Bohr radius in such heterostructures.


Abstract A taxonomic review of the epiphyllous taxa of the genus Radula Dumort. in Thailand is presented, based on herbarium specimens and field surveys. Nine species are recognized, including two new records, R. nymanii Steph. and R. stenocalyx Mont. One new species, R. grandilobula Promma et Chantanaorr., is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by the leaf-lobe subtriangular-ovate to falcate-ovate with a narrowly rounded to obtuse apex; the leaf-lobule falcate-ovate, upper half broadly extended, free margin recurved, apex strongly turning away from the stem; and the discoid gemmae occurring perpendicularly on ventral surface of leaf-lobes. A key to species, brief descriptions and illustrations are provided; ecology and geographical distribution of the species are also noted.


Abstract Secular variation in seawater Mg/Ca would have subjected the aragonite-producing codiacean algae to two intervals of low-Mg calcite seas (mMg/Ca mMg/Ca > 2) seas since their origin in the Ordovician. It is asserted that the aragonite + high-Mg calcite affinity of modern and Recent tropical seas (mMg/Ca > 2) has enabled the aragonitic Codiaceae to act as major carbonate sediment producers in these seas. To test this assertion, specimens of the sediment-producing codiacean alga Udotea flabellum were grown in artificial seawaters formulated at mMg/Ca ratios (1.0, 2.5, 5.2) that have occurred in the oceans throughout the geologic history of the Codiaceae. While the U. flabellum algae produced exclusively aragonite in both the artificial boundary seawater (mMg/Ca = 2.5) and the artificial aragonite + high-Mg calcite seawater (modern seawater; mMg/Ca = 5.2), the algae produced a portion (25 ± 3%) of their CaCO3 as low-Mg calcite (≤ 4 mol% MgCO3) in the artificial calcite seawater (mMg/Ca = 1.0), suggesting that their CaCO3 polymorph control can be partially overridden by ambient seawater chemistry. Primary productivity, calcification, and linear growth of the algae decreased with reductions in ambient Mg/Ca, despite increases in absolute Ca concentration of the seawater. Reduced calcification in the lower Mg/Ca seawaters is probably due to kinetic difficulties of producing aragonite from seawater that favors the nucleation of calcite. The decreased linear growth and primary production are likely associated with reductions in the ambient CO2 available for photosynthesis, resulting from the reduced calcification. These findings support the assertion that the dominant ecological and sedimentological roles of codiacean algae in Recent tropical seas is facilitated by a seawater Mg/Ca ratio that favors the nucleation of aragonite over calcite. Furthermore, producing aragonite in seawater that favors the nucleation of low-Mg calcite (mMg/Ca


Evidence for variable amounts of melt-induced metasomatism in upper-mantle peridotites has been observed in the ultramafic section of the Zambales Range ophiolite, Luzon, Republic of the Philippines. These peridotites are locally cut by mafic dikes that in some places visibly ooze into the host peridotite. The mafic silicate magma invaded the peridotite along grain boundaries and crystallized as poikilitic plagioclase and clinopyroxene.

Compositional data indicate that the mafic material reacted with the peridotite. Mineral compositions in the mafic dikes are distinct from those in the surrounding peridotite. The compositions of residual olivine and orthopyroxene in the peridotite change with the amount of mafic magma within the peridotite. Fe-Mg exchange predominates; the residual olivine and orthopyroxene in the peridotite are enriched in Fe. Large relative enrichments in other magmaphilic elements (Na, Ti, AT) are also evident. Mafic liquid in transit through the upper mantle may act as a metasomatic agent, locally enriching the peridotite through which it passes and producing small-scale compositional differences in rocks that otherwise have remarkably uniform compositions.


The study uses weather generation models to generate future daily rainfall and temperature, and incorporates a land coverage model to simulate future land use changes. These future scenarios are then simulated by a rainfall runoff model to study their impacts on basin discharge, river, and groundwater levels. The Fengshan Creek basin in northern Taiwan is selected as test site. The RCP2.6 scenario is adopted to project future climate. The hydrological impacts, in the context of groundwater, for the near future (2020 2039), future (2050 2069), and distant future (2080 2099) are discussed. Simulations indicate that the influence of climate change is more important compared to local land cover changes at our study site. Both river stage and groundwater levels are influenced under future scenarios, but seasonally rather than annually; the dry and wet seasons are amplified. The results indicate that future water resources will be scarce in the dry season and more abundant in the wet season. In addition, changes in groundwater levels for mountainous region are more significant than in the downstream flat areas. Article history: Received 14 June 2017 Revised 30 August 2017 Accepted 26 October 2017


Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that builds enterprise solutions based on services. In SOA, the lack of trust between different parties affects the adoption of such architecture. Trust is as significant a factor for successful online interactions as it is in real life communities, and consequently, it is an important factor that is used as a criterion for service selection. In the context of online services and SOA, the literature review shows that trust is not mature and does not reflect trust as it is in the online world in terms of trust definition and the consideration of the essentials trust aspects that reflects the nature of trust. This thesis proposes a trust-based service selection solution, which requires establishing trust for services and supporting service selection based on trust. This work considers building trust for service providers besides rating services, an area that is neglected in the services trust literature. This work follows progressive steps to arrive at a solution. First, this work develops a trust definition and identifies trust principles, which cover different aspects of trust. Next, SOA is extended to build a trust-based SOA that supports trust-based service selection. In particular, a new component, the trust mediator, which is responsible for trust establishment is added to the architecture. Accordingly, a trust mediator framework is built according to the trust definition and principles to identify its main components. Subsequently, this work identifies the trust information, or metrics, for services and service providers. Accordingly, trust models are built to evaluate trust rates for the applicable metrics, services, and service providers. Moreover, this work addresses the trust bootstrapping challenge in the literature. The proposed trust bootstrapping approach addresses different challenges in the literature such as whitewashing and cold start challenges. This approach is implemented through experiments, evaluations, and scenarios.


1963 saw Labour's emergence from its 'wilderness years' in Opposition, and the election of Harold Wilson following the unexpected death of Hugh Gaitskell. In the first Wilson government of 1964 Benn was made Postmaster General and became known as an innovator for his introduction of the Giro and arguing for a radical broadcasting policy. After Labour's landslide victory of 1966 he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Technology, but Labour's honeymoon came to an abrupt end in 1967 with the introduction of devaluation, leading to disilliusionment with the Government. Tony Benn's account on his relations with the industrialists, television and press chiefs, the Palace and the diplomatic world as well as trade unionists, civil servants, and his Cabinet colleagues, reveals the workings of our political and economic systems at the highest level. Out of the Wilderness is a unique political record of the 1960s, told by a man who served in five Labour administrations and who today is one of the most experienced figures both in and out of the House of Commons. 'No-one interested in the political influence of the Crown, the intrigues of the civil service or the highly traditionalist character of Harold Wilson can afford to ignore it' The Observer.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
Video capsule endoscopy (CE) provides a noninvasive option to assess the small intestine, but its use with respect to endoscopic procedures and cross-sectional imaging varies widely. The aim of this consensus was to provide guidance on the appropriate use of CE in clinical practice.

METHODS
A systematic literature search identified studies on the use of CE in patients with Crohn's disease, celiac disease, gastrointestinal bleeding, and anemia. The quality of evidence and strength of recommendations were rated using the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS
The consensus includes 21 statements focused on the use of small-bowel CE and colon capsule endoscopy. CE was recommended for patients with suspected, known, or relapsed Crohn's disease when ileocolonoscopy and imaging studies were negative if it was imperative to know whether active Crohn's disease was present in the small bowel. It was not recommended in patients with chronic abdominal pain or diarrhea, in whom there was no evidence of abnormal biomarkers typically associated with Crohn's disease. CE was recommended to assess patients with celiac disease who have unexplained symptoms despite appropriate treatment, but not to make the diagnosis. In patients with overt gastrointestinal bleeding, and negative findings on esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, CE should be performed as soon as possible. CE was recommended only in selected patients with unexplained, mild, chronic iron-deficiency anemia. CE was suggested for surveillance in patients with polyposis syndromes or other small-bowel cancers, who required small-bowel studies. Colon capsule endoscopy should not be substituted routinely for colonoscopy. Patients should be made aware of the potential risks of CE including a failed procedure, capsule retention, or a missed lesion. Finally, standardized criteria for training and reporting in CE should be defined.

CONCLUSIONS
CE generally should be considered a complementary test in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, Crohn's disease, or celiac disease, who have had negative or inconclusive endoscopic or imaging studies.


Considering the diversity of needs and concerns in developed and developing countries, the evolution of technology management (TM) discipline would be expected to follow different paths to include different national experiences and unique needs of these countries. Whether this diversity is reflected in the mainstream TM research agenda is an important issue. Thus, the aim of this study is in two folds; first, to examine how the general research agenda of TM discipline has evolved in the academic research in a developing country context, namely Turkey, and next, whether this research agenda has converged or diverged with the patterns of mainstream TM research in international journals, by analyzing the Turkish academics's TM publications both in the national and international scientific journals. The findings reveal that the TM discipline in Turkey indicates both divergent and convergent characteristics when compared with the results of recent studies about developed and developing countries.


Strawberries are an important retail crop for small farms in the Northeastern United States. Historically, the crop was intensively managed, using fairly high levels of pesticides to control insect and disease pests, including tarnished plant bug (Lygus lineolaris), strawberry bud weevil (Anthonomus signatus), two spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae) and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea). Because the crop is sold fresh and frequently "pick your own", tolerance to pests is low and potential exposure to pesticide residue is high. Consumers coming to the farms frequently expressed concerns regarding pesticide use. In 1993, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension initiated a strawberry integrated pest management (IPM) program to address the concerns of both farmers and consumers regarding pesticide use on this crop. The program introduced pest monitoring techniques, including weekly scouting, and economic action thresholds developed in the Northeastern United States. The program now serves over 50 farms statewide, and has worked with neighboring states to provide information throughout the region. Nine sites within Maine are now monitored during the growing season and regularly updated information is delivered to growers throughout the state via weekly newsletters, e-mail, and web sites. Annual pre-season grower meetings provide information on monitoring and management technologies. Applied research is an important part of this program, cooperating with growers to evaluate plant pest resistance, low risk pesticide efficacy and biological controls to reduce pest populations. Evaluations indicate that nearly all participating growers have modified their pesticide use as a result of the program. Most have seen an improvement in the crop quality and profitability, and a reduction in consumer concerns.


When gonadotrophin-stimulated IVF methods were being developed in the 1970s and 1980s, understanding of the physiology of FSH improved. In addition to its classic actions of stimulating aromatase activity and oestradiol secretion by ovarian granulosa cells, FSH was found to stimulate the ovarian production of an uncharacterized hormone known by its specific effect of reducing pituitary responsiveness to GnRH. This hormone has been called gonadotrophin surge-attenuating factor (GnSAF), gonadotropin surge-inhibiting factor (GnSIF), various abbreviations (GnSAF/IF, GnSIF/AF) and also attenuin. Although first described in the 1980s, GnSAF has still not been convincingly characterized and no published candidate amino acid sequences conclusively relate to GnSAF bioactivity. On the basis of superovulation studies and in vitro experimentation into the roles of steroids in regulating LH, GnRH and GnRH self-priming, the concept that GnSAF has a role in the regulation of LH secretion, the timing of the LH surge and the prevention of premature luteinization developed. For at least a decade, understanding of the specific GnSAF effects of reducing pituitary sensitivity to GnRH, especially GnRH self-priming and antagonizing the stimulatory effects of oestradiol on GnRH-induced LH secretion, supported this concept. However, improved knowledge of the changes in GnSAF bioactivity in follicular fluid and serum in women requires revision of this concept. The present authors propose that the main role of GnSAF is probably the negative regulation of pulsatile LH secretion, mainly during the first half of the follicular phase, indicating a critical role in the regulation of folliculogenesis and oestradiol secretion.


This Article argues that the void for vagueness doctrine requires courts to adopt narrow interpretations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. On its face, the CFAA has become extraordinarily broad. Recent amendments indicate that Congress has largely abandoned the job of identifying what conduct involving computers should or should not be a federal crime. Congress has broadened the statute so far that the courts must now narrowly construe the statute to save its constitutionality. This Article demonstrates how courts should narrowly construe the statute under the void for vagueness doctrine by focusing on two recent criminal prosecutions: United States v. Drew, which considered whether Terms of Service violations trigger CFAA liability, and United States v. Nosal, which asked whether it violates the CFAA for employees to access their employers' computers in ways contrary to their employers' interests. These two prosecutions show the critical role of vagueness doctrine in interpreting the CFAA, pointing to a future of judicial narrowing of the statute.


Background Diastolic dysfunction is common in sickle cell disease (SCD), and is associated with an increased risk of mortality. However, the molecular pathogenesis underlying this development is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to identify a gene expression profile that is associated with diastolic function in SCD, potentially elucidating molecular mechanisms behind diastolic dysfunction development. Methods Diastolic function was measured via echocardiography in 65 patients with SCD from two independent study populations. Gene expression microarray data was compared with diastolic function in both study cohorts. Candidate genes that associated in both analyses were tested for validation in a murine SCD model. Lastly, genotyping array data from the replication cohort was used to derive cis-expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTLs) and genetic associations within the candidate gene regions. Results Transcriptome data from both patient cohorts implicated 7 genes associated with diastolic function, and mouse SCD myocardial expression validated 3 of these genes. Genetic associations and eQTLs were detected in 2 of the 3 genes, FUCA2 and IL18. Conclusions FUCA2 and IL18 are associated with diastolic function in SCD patients, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Genetic polymorphisms within the FUCA2 and IL18 gene regions are also associated with diastolic function in SCD, likely by affecting expression levels of the genes.


This memo is a digest of the user network interface specification of
NTT Communications' dual stack ADSL access service, which provide a
IPv6/IPv4 dual stack services to home users. In order to simplify user
setup, these services have a mechanism to configure IPv6 specific
parameters automatically. The memo focuses on two basic parameters:
the prefix assigned to the user and the addresses of IPv6 DNS servers,
and it specifies a way to deliver these parameters to Customer
Premises Equipment (CPE) automatically. This memo provides information
for the Internet community.


Costimulatory molecules play important roles in immune responses. In the present study we investigated the effects of PGE(2) on the expression of ICAM-1, B7.1, and B7.2 on monocytes in IL-18-stimulated PBMC using FACS analysis. Addition of PGE(2) to PBMC inhibited ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression elicited by IL-18 in a concentration-dependent manner. We examined the involvement of four subtypes of PGE(2) receptors, EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4, in the modulatory effect of PGE(2) on ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression elicited by IL-18, using subtype-specific agonists. ONO-AE1-259-01 (EP2R agonist) inhibited IL-18-elicited ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression in a concentration-dependent manner with a potency slightly less than that of PGE(2), while ONO-AE1-329 (EP4R agonist) was much less potent than PGE(2). The EP2/EP4R agonist 11-deoxy-PGE(1) mimicked the effect of PGE(2) with the same potency. ONO-D1-004 (EP1R agonist) and ONO-AE-248 (EP3R agonist) showed no effect on IL-18-elicited ICAM-1 or B7.2 expression. These results indicated that EP2 and EP4Rs were involved in the action of PGE(2). Dibutyryl cAMP and forskolin down-regulated ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression in IL-18-stimulated monocytes. As EP2 and EP4Rs are coupled to adenylate cyclase, we suggest that PGE(2) down-regulates IL-18-induced ICAM-1 and B7.2 expression in monocytes via EP2 and EP4Rs by cAMP-dependent signaling pathways. The fact that anti-B7.2 as well as anti-ICAM-1 Ab inhibited IL-18-induced cytokine production implies that PGE(2) may modulate the immune response through regulation of the expression of particular adhesion molecules on monocytes via EP2 and EP4Rs.


Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is a solid state technique used for material processing. Tool wear and the agglomeration of ceramic particles have been serious issues in FSP of metal matrix composites. In the present study, FSP has been employed to disperse the nanoscale particles of a polymer-derived silicon carbonitride (SiCN) ceramic phase into copper by an in-situ process. SiCN cross linked polymer particles were incorporated using multi-pass FSP into pure copper to form bulk particulate metal matrix composites. The polymer was then converted into ceramic through an in-situ pyrolysis process and dispersed by FSP. Multi-pass processing was carried out to remove porosity from the samples and also for the uniform dispersion of polymer derived ceramic particles. Microstructural observations were carried out using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of the composite. The results indicate a uniform distribution of similar to 100 nm size particles of the ceramic phase in the copper matrix after FSP. The nanocomposite exhibits a five fold increase in microhardness (260HV(100)) which is attributed to the nano scale dispersion of ceramic particles. Tensile properties of the produced metal matrix composite were significantly higher than processed plain specimen and base metal.


Acetalization reactions play significant roles in the synthetically important masking chemistry of carbonyl compounds. Herein we demonstrate for the first time that tropylium salts can act as organic Lewis acid catalysts to facilitate acetalization and transacetalization reactions of a wide range of aldehyde substrates. This metal-free method works efficiently in both batch and flow conditions, prompting further future applications of tropylium organocatalysts in green synthesis.


Optimizing programs to run efficiently on modern parallel hardware is hard but crucial for many applications. The pre-dominantly used imperative languages force the program-mer to intertwine the code describing functionality and optimizations. This results in a portability nightmare that is particularly problematic given the accelerating trend toward specialized hardware devices to further increase efficiency. Many emerging domain-specific languages (DSLs) used in performance-demanding domains such as deep learning attempt to simplify or even fully automate the optimization process. Using a high-level—often functional—language, programmers focus on describing functionality in a declara-tive way. In some systems such as Halide or TVM, a separate schedule specifies how the program should be optimized. Unfortunately, these schedules are not written in well-defined programming languages. Instead, they are implemented as a set of ad hoc predefined APIs that the compiler writers have exposed. In this paper, we show how to employ functional programming techniques to solve this challenge with elegance. We present two functional languages that work together—each addressing a separate concern. RISE is a functional language for expressing computations using well-known data-parallel patterns. ELEVATE is a functional language for describing optimization strategies. A high-level RISE program is transformed into a low-level form using optimization strategies written in ELEVATE . From the rewritten low-level program, high-performance parallel code is automatically generated. In contrast to existing high-performance domain-specific systems with scheduling APIs, in our approach programmers are not restricted to a set of built-in operations and optimizations but freely define their own computational patterns in RISE and optimization strategies in ELEVATE in a composable and reusable way. We show how our holistic functional approach achieves competitive performance with the state-of-the-art imperative systems


Hierarchical reinforcement learning (HRL) is a general framework for scaling reinforcement learning (RL) to problems with large state and action spaces by using the task (or action) structure to restrict the space of policies. Prior work in HRL including HAMs, options, MAXQ, and PHAMs has been limited to the discrete-time discounted reward semi-Markov decision process (SMDP) model. The average reward optimality criterion has been recognized to be more appropriate for a wide class of continuing tasks than the discounted framework. Although average reward RL has been studied for decades, prior work has been largely limited to flat policy representations.

In this paper, we develop a framework for HRL based on the average reward optimality criterion. We investigate two formulations of HRL based on the average reward SMDP model, both for discrete-time and continuous-time. These formulations correspond to two notions of optimality that have been previously explored in HRL: hierarchical optimality and recursive optimality. We present algorithms that learn to find hierarchically and recursively optimal average reward policies under discrete-time and continuous-time average reward SMDP models.

We use two automated guided vehicle (AGV) scheduling tasks as experimental testbeds to study the empirical performance of the proposed algorithms. The first problem is a relatively simple AGV scheduling task, in which the hierarchically and recursively optimal policies are different. We compare the proposed algorithms with three other HRL methods, including a hierarchically optimal discounted reward algorithm and a recursively optimal discounted reward algorithm on this problem. The second problem is a larger AGV scheduling task. We model this problem using both discrete-time and continuous-time models. We use a hierarchical task decomposition in which the hierarchically and recursively optimal policies are the same for this problem. We compare the performance of the proposed algorithms with a hierarchically optimal discounted reward algorithm and a recursively optimal discounted reward algorithm, as well as a non-hierarchical average reward algorithm. The results show that the proposed hierarchical average reward algorithms converge to the same performance as their discounted reward counterparts.


We study word structures of the form $(D,<,P)$ where $D$ is either $\mathbb{N}$ or $\mathbb{Z}$, $<$ is the natural linear ordering on $D$ and $P\subseteq D$ is a predicate on $D$. In particular we show:
(a) The set of recursive $\omega$-words with decidable monadic second order theories is $\Sigma_3$-complete.
(b) Known characterisations of the $\omega$-words with decidable monadic second order theories are transfered to the corresponding question for bi-infinite words.
(c) We show that such "tame" predicates $P$ exist in every Turing degree.
(d) We determine, for $P\subseteq\mathbb{Z}$, the number of predicates
$Q\subseteq\mathbb{Z}$ such that $(\mathbb{Z},\le,P)$ and $(\mathbb{Z},\le,Q)$ are indistinguishable.
Through these results we demonstrate similarities and differences between logical properties of infinite and bi-infinite words.


All rights reserved. Short sections of text, not to exceed two paragraphs, may be quoted without explicit permission, provided that full acknowledgement is given. ABSTRACT A review of the UK personal taxation system used a combination of hard and soft OR approaches in a complementary way. The hard OR was based on data mining to increase understanding of individual taxpayers and their changing needs within the personal tax system. The soft OR was based on soft systems methodology with two aims in mind. First, to guide the review and, secondly, as an auditable approach for collecting the views of key internal and external stakeholders. The soft and hard OR were used alongside one another, rather than one providing a contextual scheme for the other. The experience reveals that soft OR is much more than common sense and, that, used in parallel, soft and hard approaches have a powerful synergy.


Traditional public financing of campaigns is in trouble. Successful candidates have increasingly rejected public financing because it provides inadequate funding and limits candidate spending. November 2012 was the first general election in which presidential candidates from both major parties rejected public financing since the inception of the program. The U.S. Supreme Court recently issued a decision that undermined traditional public financing systems. If existing programs are not revamped soon public financing may be off the public radar for decades, as budget deficits make antiquated public financing programs ripe targets for spending cuts. This Essay proposes a paradigm shift. Public financing should no longer aim to purge private money from politics, but should instead encourage as many citizens as possible to participate in financing politics. Specifically, federal, state, and local lawmakers should adopt a multiple match for political contributions that would dramatically expand participation. Giving six-to-one multiple matching public funds on the first $200 of a contribution, for example, would make a $200 contribution worth $1400 to a candidate. Studies show that multiple matching funds can increase citizen participation sevenfold, and can prompt candidates to collect the bulk of their money from smaller contributors.


Introduction The Resourceful Adolescent Program (RAP) is an evidence-based resilience intervention for adolescents. Operating in a strength-focused paradigm, the programme uses an integration of cognitive behavioural therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy to improve coping skills and build resilience. This study aims to establish whether a culturally and linguistically adapted intervention informed by RAP principles is effective in increasing resilience, enhancing coping skills and preventing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Methods and analysis We will translate, back-translate and culturally adapt the RAP for adolescents and training materials for facilitators, and the adapted intervention will be called Happy House. A two-arm parallel controlled trial will be conducted in eight high schools in the north of Vietnam. In each of the selected schools, all students from four randomly selected grade 10 classes (an estimation of about 1204 students) will be invited to participate. The control group will receive the usual curriculum. The intervention group will receive six weekly 90 min school-based group sessions of Happy House in addition to the usual curriculum. The primary outcome, depressive symptoms, will be measured using a locally validated version of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised. Secondary outcomes are mental well-being, coping self-efficacy, school connectedness, anger management and health risk behaviours. Data will be collected at recruitment, and at two weeks and six months post intervention. Mixed-effect logistic regression for the main outcome and mixed-effect linear and logistic regression models for the secondary outcomes will be conducted to estimate the effects of the intervention on the outcomes. Ethics and dissemination This trial has been approved by Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (No. 21455) and the Institutional Review Board of the Hanoi School of Public Health (488/2019/YTCC-HD3). Dissemination of findings will include peer-reviewed publications, international and national conferences, seminar and media presentations, national policy briefings in Vietnam, local language reports and lay language summaries for participants. Trial registration numbers Registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, registration number: ACTRN12620000088943 (3/2/2020). WHO Universal Trial Number: U1111-1246-4079.


The Great Salt Lake is a terminal lake whose level is determined by the balance between inflows and outflows. We examine the causes for multimodality in the distributions of lake level and hence volume and area that have previously been examined from a system dynamics perspective. We focus on the role of bathymetry in the dynamics of this system and show that some of the modes that are observed and that represent preferred system states are attributable to features of the bathymetry described using the topographic area‐volume relationship. Being a terminal lake, the only "outflow" is evaporation, which depends directly on lake area, which adjusts (with stochastic fluctuations) to balance inflows. Where the topographic side slopes are relatively flat and the lake goes through a large change in area for a given increase in level, the outflux evaporation will go through a corresponding large change, tending to stabilize the lake at that point. Conversely, where topographic side slopes are relatively steep, the stabilizing effect is diminished. This effect was quantified using the derivative of the lake area–lake volume function determined from U.S. Geological Survey topographic and bathymetric surveys. We show how some of the observed modes that represent preferred lake volume states are attributable to peaks in this area‐volume derivative, while a complete description of the observed distribution of lake volume requires combining the bathymetry represented by the area‐volume derivative with a multimodal lake area distribution that may be connected to multimodality in the aggregate hydrological forcing.


A digital gray scale image generally consists of 256 different gray tones. Printers and image setters normally generate much fewer levels and mostly only two levels. Therefore, in order to be able to display a digital cone-tone image by a multilevel device it has to be transformed into an image with fewer levels. The technique doing this transformation is called multi-level halftoning, and in the case of bilevel devices it is simply called halftoning. In this paper we propose a novel (bilevel) halftoning technique that is based on multilevel halftoning. The proposed method can also be categorized as belonging to hybrid amplitude modulated (AM)/ frequency modulated (FM) techniques. In this method the original digital image is firstly halftoned by a multilevel FM halftoning. Each level in the multilevel halftoned image is then replaced by a halftone table (microcell). An approach for extending any bilevel FM halftoning method to a multilevel method is also presented in this paper. The performance of the proposed method is examined by a number of illustrations where nonmodified error diffusion and our FM method are used. The problem with maze-like artifacts that occur when our FM halftoning, or similar methods such as DBS, are used as the macroscreen is discussed and a simple solution is introduced. An approach for extending the proposed method to be used in situations where the halftone dots cannot be produced smaller than a specific size is also proposed and examined. This modified version of the method can be useful for flexography where the dots normally cannot be produced smaller than a critical size.


Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) has emerged as a recreational drug and a substance of medicinal intrigue. Although the drug was initially used recreationally for its sedating and euphoric effects, more recently its use has been associated with the non-medically supervised treatment of opioid abstinence syndrome. Mitragynine is the principal pharmacologically active alkaloid in kratom. Although metabolites of mitragynine have been identified, the cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes responsible for its biotransformation are still under investigation. The goal of this study was to contribute further knowledge regarding CYP450 activity as it relates to mitragynine. Recombinant cytochrome P450 enzymes (rCYPs) were used to investigate the isoforms involved in its metabolism. Biotransformational products were identified using liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time of flight-mass spectrometry. Four rCYP enzymes (2C18, 2C19, 2D6 and 3A4) were found to contribute to the metabolism of mitragynine. 7-Hydroxymitragynine (which has an affinity for the mu-opioid receptor >10-folds that of morphine) was produced exclusively by 3A4. 9-O-demethylmitragynine, the most abundant metabolite in vitro (and the most prevalent metabolite in urine among kratom users) was produced by 2C19, 3A4 and 2D6. 16-Carboxymitragynine was produced by rCYPs 2D6, 2C19 and 2C18. 2C19 was solely responsible for the formation of 9-O-demethyl-16-carboxymitragynine. In vitro rCYP studies were compared with phase I metabolites in urine from cases involving mitragynine.


An efficient approach for the synthesis of 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones is described. From readily accessible aryl hydrazines and allyloxyketones, 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones could be obtained in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions via a cascade Fischer indolization/Claisen rearrangement process. This protocol provides a facile entry to 2,2-disubstituted indolin-3-ones, which have been applied in the construction of the benzofuroindoline framework related to Phalarine.


We describe a simple spectroscopic ellipsometer that uses a geometric phase shifter and a white-light source to generate a small number of phase-stepped intensities I(λ), which are recorded by a spectrometer. The ellipsometric angles ψ and Δ are easily calculated from these intensities at each wavelength simultaneously. We show that errors in Δ due to the nonideal behavior of the achromatic quarter-wave plate in the phase shifter can be made small by suitably adjusting the azimuth of the linearly polarized light incident on the sample. Two silicon dioxide films were measured with this instrument between 450 and 850 nm and yielded best fit film thicknesses of 1000.6±0.1 Å and 20.6±0.1 Å, in excellent agreement with those obtained using a commercial ellipsometer.


Due to the cost of extracting water, effective and efficient utilization of irrigation water for rice (Oryza sativa L.) is critical to rice farm profitability. The objective of this study is to predict safe stages of development for draining rice. This objective has the potential of saving rice farmers water. A computer program has been developed to predict the stage of development for draining water from rice field soils at which the risk of reduced grain yield or milling quality from insufficient water is considered to be near zero. The parameters of the model are predictions of(i) temperature during rice reproductive growth stages (RRGS) starting at R3, (ii) timing of various RRGS, (iii) maximum amount of water used by the rice crop at each growth stage, and (iv) the water held in the soil profile after draining which is available to the rice crop. The central goals of the model are to allow draining at an RRGS in which (a) the danger of reducing yield and quality from water deficits is at a minimum and (b) water is conserved and land conditions for harvest are improved. Experiments to test the predictions were conducted in 2005 and 2006 at two Arkansas locations: Gillett and Stuttgart. An experiment was also conducted at DeWitt, AR, in 2006. Draining at stages of development predicted by the model did not affect yield milling quality relative to the control for any year or location. Predicted water savings from reduced irrigation ranged between $10.26 to $55.44 ha -1 depending on pump depth. Implementation of the program can save money, reduce tillage costs, and reduce unnecessary depletion of the aquifers.


Withering syndrome (WS), a serious disease affecting abalone Haliotis spp., is caused by infection from an intracellular Rickettsia-like organism (WS-RLO). Diagnosis of the disease currently relies on a combination of histological examination and molecular methods (in situ hybridization, standard PCR, and sequence analysis). However, these techniques only provide a semi-quantitative assessment of bacterial load. We created a real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay to specifically identify and enumerate bacterial loads of WS-RLO in abalone tissue, fecal, and seawater samples based on 16S rDNA gene copy numbers. The qPCR assay designed to detect DNA of the WS-RLO was validated according to standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Standard curves derived from purified plasmid dilutions were linear across 7 logs of concentration, and efficiencies ranged from 90.2 to 97.4%. The limit of detection was 3 gene copies per reaction. Diagnostic sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 99.8%. The qPCR assay was robust, as evidenced by its high level of repeatability and reproducibility. This study has shown for the first time that WS-RLO DNA can be detected and quantified in abalone tissue, fecal, and seawater samples. The ability to detect and quantify RLO gene copies in a variety of materials will enable us to better understand transmission dynamics in both farmed and natural environments.


ABSTRACT Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy has become standard practice in the management of large operable breast cancers with high expectation of response and improvement in cosmesis in for women with oestrogen receptor negative breast cancers. The prognostic implications of pathological complete response have led to its use as surrogate of longer-term recurrence outcomes in trials of novel early breast cancer systemic therapy regimens and as an endpoint for rapid marketing approval of such regimens conditional upon establishment of impacts on survival. While this complete pathological response endpoint remains a point of discussion there is little doubt that the presence of extensive viable residual disease at the end of neoadjuvant chemotherapy identifies a population of patients with oestrogen receptor negative breast cancer that has significant early distant recurrence risk. The identification of the molecular drivers of this chemotherapy resistant disease, and its relationship with that of the metastatic site, has become a priority with some data now been published that begin to address this. The potential impact of such work include the identification of targets and drugs that can be tested as post-surgical adjuvant therapy in this high risk post-neoadjuvant residual disease population using classical recurrence free survival endpoints. A small number of trials have been designed in this setting but few have yet reported results as outcome data are awaited. The landscape of this type of important post neoadjuvant second adjuvant therapy trial context will be reviewed. The pace of progress in optimising therapy for this high risk group will still be limited by the need to await recurrence outcome data at 3 years and the lack of ability to monitor response. An ideal scenario would allow hypotheses around resistance pathway activities, optimal target identification and target combination strategies to be studied driven by pharmacodynamic and short term efficacy biomarker endpoints in accessible residual disease tissue and in blood. Trial designs and platform approaches that are in development to address this will be discussed. Disclosure: The author has declared no conflicts of interest.


This paper analyzes the amplification of optical single-sideband signals, highlighting the significance of the optical signal bandwidth in determining signal-amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) beat noise. It predicts that an electrical noise figure of one may be realized for single-sideband signals using appropriate optical filtering. It verifies noise figure reduction experimentally, demonstrating an electrical noise figure of 1.1/spl times/ the spontaneous emission factor of the amplifier, which is 2.6 dB below the limit for conventional intensity modulated signals.


The possibility of using solar photovoltaic systems for water-lifting irrigation in the southern regions of Russia is considered. The advantages of using solar energy to lift the water are associated with seasonal coincidental of the maximum of annual solar radiation parish and the maximum of annual water requirements, with a relatively low probability of having cloudy days in spring-summer-autumn period. There is presented average statistical data on the number of sunshine hours and monthly sums of total radiation for the Rostov and Astrakhan regions, where irrigated agriculture is used quite widely. One of the most promising technologies for the solar water-lifting systems application can be use of irrigation set pipes to irrigate various cultivated crops by furrows. The structure of such systems includes flexible flat collapsible pipelines made of polymer materials. The main difference between these systems is that the water supply from open irrigation system demands pressure no more than 1–3 m. Furthermore, as in these systems water supply is carried out by furrows thermal shocks for the plants are eliminated, and the system can work in the daytime. To evaluate water-lifting unit parameters, you can use such a generalized indicator as 1,5 ÷ 2,0 W/m4 per day, whose meaning is that the supply flow rate of 1 m3 per day to a height of 1 m there is required 1,5 ÷ 2,0 W of solar photovoltaic battery power. For a more accurate calculating basic indicators of solar water-lifting systems, there is presented nomogram, which links the parameters of pump units, the required capacity of photovoltaic panels and the intensity of solar radiation. The nomogram allows to solve the inverse problem: according to the need of the daily water amount and knowing the desired height of lifting water from the irrigation network it can help to determine the required capacity of the photovoltaic battery. To reduce energy costs there is proposed to use low-pressure irrigation pipelines together with the pump units with axial impellers.


Results from a numerical study of fluctuation dynamo in a collisionless, weakly magnetized plasma are presented. The key difference between this dynamo and its magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) counterpart is the adiabatic production of magnetic-field-aligned pressure anisotropy by the amplification of a weak seed field. This, in turn, drives kinetic instabilities on the ion-Larmor scale—namely, firehose and mirror—which sever the adiabatic link between the thermal and magnetic pressures, thereby allowing the dynamo to proceed. After an initial phase of rapid growth driven by these instabilities, the magnetic energy grows exponentially and exhibits a spectrum that peaks near the resistive scale, similar to the large-magnetic-Prandtl-number ( ) MHD dynamo. The magnetic field self-organizes into a folded-sheet topology, with direction reversals at the resistive scale and field lines curved at the parallel scale of the flow. The effective is determined by whether the ion-Larmor scale is above or below the field-reversing scale: in the former case, particles undergo Bohm-like diffusion; in the latter case, particles scatter primarily off of firehose fluctuations residing at the ends of the magnetic folds, and the viscosity becomes anisotropic. The magnetic field ultimately saturates at dynamical strengths, with its spectral peak migrating toward larger scales. This feature, along with an anti-correlation of magnetic-field strength and field-line curvature and a gradual thinning of magnetic sheets into ribbons, resembles the saturated state of the large- dynamo, the primary differences manifesting in firehose/mirror-unstable regions. These results have implications for magnetic-field growth in the weakly collisional intracluster medium of galaxy clusters.