Co single atom junctions on copper surfaces are studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and ab initio calculations. The Kondo temperature of single cobalt atoms on the Cu(111) surface has been measured at various tip-sample distances ranging from tunneling to the point contact regime. The experiments show a constant Kondo temperature for a whole range of tip-substrate distances consistently with the predicted energy position of the spin-polarized d levels of Co. This is in striking difference to experiments on Co/Cu(100) junctions, where a substantial increase of the Kondo temperature has been found. Our calculations reveal that the different behavior of the Co adatoms on the two Cu surfaces originates from the interplay between the structural relaxations and the electronic properties in the near-contact regime.


Farm workers in South Africa experience abuse at the hands of their employer despite their acknowledged contribution to the economy. There have been several attempts to address their ill-treatment, including government intervention. Notwithstanding such initiatives, little has changed. This article argues that unionisation of farm workers is necessary to address this problem as a means to make individual workers aware that they can take action in relation to an employer who infringes upon their rights. It further argues that the Department of Labour should actively monitor compliance with its regulations with the help of specialised labour inspectors.


Tensors are used to describe complex physical processes in many applications. Examples include the distribution of stresses in technical materials, acting forces during seismic events, or remodeling of biological tissues. While tensors encode such complex information mathematically precisely, the semantic interpretation of a tensor is challenging. Visualization can be beneficial here and is frequently used by domain experts. Typical strategies include the use of glyphs, color plots, lines, and isosurfaces. However, data complexity is nowadays accompanied by the sheer amount of data produced by large‐scale simulations and adds another level of obstruction between user and data. Given the limitations of traditional methods, and the extra cognitive effort of simple methods, more advanced tensor field visualization approaches have been the focus of this work. This survey aims to provide an overview of recent research results with a strong application‐oriented focus, targeting applications based on continuum mechanics, namely the fields of structural, bio‐, and geomechanics. As such, the survey is complementing and extending previously published surveys. Its utility is twofold: (i) It serves as basis for the visualization community to get an overview of recent visualization techniques. (ii) It emphasizes and explains the necessity for further research for visualizations in this context.


In May 1997 the Czech Republic abandoned its exchange rate peg, the centrepiece of macroeconomic strategy since 1991. I examine the usefulness of theories of speculative attack in interpreting the crisis. Significantly, after the crisis subsided, competitiveness returned to its earlier level. One intepretation is that the koruna was the innocent victim of turmoil in Asia. This neglects the trend deterioration of competitiveness prior to the crisis. I therefore conclude that the crisis provoked a much-needed adjustment in fiscal policy, which altered the monetary-fiscal mix and consequent equilibrium exchange rate. Sterilization during 1994-6 unhelpfully delayed adjustment. Earlier abandonment of the parity would have helped only if it had also induced the required fiscal adjustment.


While general practitioners (GPs) have a central role to play in the effective primary care response to people with dementia and their families, concern has been raised as to the adequacy with which they fulfil this role. The purpose of this study was to assess GPs' views and practices regarding dementia diagnosis and management. A secondary goal was to determine whether practitioner characteristics were associated with these views and practices. A self-administered questionnaire was given to 278 GPs at the outset of a two-hour training seminar on dementia. Results suggest that GPs perceive considerable difficulties with some aspects of their care for their patients with dementia. In general, their self-reported approach to diagnosis and management of dementia was not consistent with recommended practice. Practitioner characteristics failed to distinguish those GPs whose practice was more in line with recommended practice. GPs endorsed a range of interventions that would assist them in better meeting the needs of people with dementia. The study confirms findings of earlier studies as to the adequacy with which GPs respond to people with dementia and their families. It provides additional information as to the particular difficulties GPs face and their perceived solutions to those challenges.


As the web grows and the amount of traffics on the
web server increase, problems related to performance begin to
appear. Some of the problems, such as the number of users that
can access the server simultaneously, the number of requests that
can be handled by the server per second (requests per second) to
bandwidth consumption and hardware utilization like memories
and CPU. To give better quality of service (QoS), web hosting
providers and also the system administrators and network
administrators who manage the server need a benchmark
application to measure the capabilities of their servers. Later, the
application intends to work under Linux/Unix - like platforms
and built using ErlanglOTP RI] as a concurrent oriented
language under Fedora Core Linux 5.0. It is divided into two
main parts, the controller section and the launcher section.
Controller is the core of the application. It has several duties,
such as read the benchmark scenario file, con figure the program
based on the scenario, initialize the launcher section, gather the
benchmark results from local and remote Erlang node where the
launcher runs and write them in a log file (later the log file will be
used to generate a report page for the sysadmin). Controller also
has function as a timer which act as timing for user inters arrival
to the server. Launcher generates a number of users based on the
scenario, initialize them and start the benchmark by sending
requests to the web server. The clients also gather the benchmark
result and send them to the controller.


Background Every approach to the sciatic nerve in the buttocks currently requires the identification of pelvic bone structures. The large size of the nerve and its constant trajectory suggest that a simplified approach is possible. Methods During the first stage, 24 sciatic nerves in adult cadavers were dissected. The most significant findings were, (1) caudal to the piriformis muscle the sciatic nerve runs parallel to the midline (intergluteal sulcus); (2) the distance between the nerve and the intergluteal sulcus during this course is approximately 10 cm in adults, regardless of their gender, size, or body habits. In the clinical stage 20 blocks were performed at 10 cm from the midline of the buttocks using a nerve stimulator and insulated needles. Results All blocks were accomplished in less than 8.5 min. The technique proved easy to teach. Residents performed most of the blocks. Incision time, measured from the time of the injection, was less than 29 min in all cases. There were 18 successful blocks and 2 failures. Conclusions Because of the intimate relationship of the sciatic nerve to the bony pelvis, the position of this nerve in the buttocks is constant. Caudal to the piriformis muscle the nerve runs vertically between the ischium and the greater trochanter. The location of this narrow passage, not the buttocks' size, determines the position of the nerve. While the size of the buttocks is variable among different individuals and in the same individual at different stages of adult life, the relationship of the sciatic nerve to the pelvis is constant throughout life. Using this relationship to our advantage, a sciatic block in adults can be accomplished at 10 cm lateral to the intergluteal sulcus without a need for identification of buried structures or line tracings.


Play-to-earn is one of the prospective categories of decentralized applications. The play-to-earn projects combine blockchain technology with entertaining games and finance, attracting various participants. While huge amounts of capital have been poured into these projects, the new crypto niche is considered controversial, and the traditional gaming industry is hesitant to embrace blockchain technology. In addition, there is little systematic research on these projects. In this paper, we delineate play-to-earn projects in terms of economic&governance models and implementation and analyze how blockchain technology can benefit these projects by providing system robustness, transparency, composability, and decentralized governance. We begin by identifying the participants and characterizing the tokens, which are products of composability. We then summarize the roadmap and governance model to exposit there is a transition from centralized governance to decentralized governance. We also classify the implementation of the play-to-earn projects with different extents of robustness and transparency. Finally, we discuss the security&societal challenges for future research in terms of possible attacks, the economics of tokens, and governance.


Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common cancer associated with high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Pre-B-cell leukemia transcription factor 1 (PBX1) has been reported to be involved in tumor progression. The aim of the study was to explore the specific role of PBX1 in BCa and its underlying mechanisms. The relative expressions of PBX1 in muscle-invasive BCa tissues and cell lines were analyzed through RT-qPCR and Western blotting. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to analyze the relationship between PBX1 levels and survival status. Co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR assay were adopted to verify the interaction between PBX1 and Estrogen receptors (ERs), and explore the ER-dependent genes transcription. The results shown that PBX1 was upregulated in invasive BCa patients and BCa cells, positively associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poorer survival status. Overexpression of PBX1 promoted cell growth, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and cisplatin resistance in BCa cells, while the silence of PBX1 showed opposite effects. Further, PBX1 interacted with Estrogen receptors (ERs) and was required for the ER function. Overexpression of PBX1 aggravated the tumor-promoting effect of estrogen on BCa cells, while partially suppressed the inhibitory effects of ER antagonist AZD9496 on BCa cells. In summary, this study revealed that PBX1 participated in estrogen mediated BCa progression and chemo-resistance through binding and activating estrogen receptors. Hence, PBX1 may serve as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target for BCa treatment.


Abstract Objective: To conduct a systematic review of real-world (RWD) studies comparing the risk of major bleeding (MB) among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) on direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or warfarin. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, NHS-EED, and EconLit were searched for RWD studies published between January 2003 and November 2016 comparing MB risk among DOACs and warfarin. Proceedings of clinical conferences from 2012 to 2016 were reviewed. Results: A total of 4218 citations were identified, 26 of which met eligibility criteria. Most studies were retrospective analyses of administrative claims databases and patient registries (n = 23 of 26); about half were based in the United States (n = 15). Apixaban showed a significantly lower risk of MB versus warfarin in all eight included studies. MB risk was either significantly lower (n = 9 of 16) or not significantly different (n = 7 of 16) between dabigatran and warfarin; there was no significant difference between rivaroxaban and warfarin in all seven included studies. The risk was significantly lower with apixaban versus rivaroxaban (n = 7 of 7) but not significantly different from dabigatran (n = 6 of 7). MB risk was significantly lower (n = 3 of 4) or not significantly different (n = 1 of 4) with dabigatran versus rivaroxaban. No evidence was identified for edoxaban. Conclusion: DOACs were associated with similar or lower risks of MB versus warfarin. A lower MB risk was consistently observed for apixaban, but less consistently for dabigatran; MB risk was similar between rivaroxaban and warfarin. Among DOACs, the risk of MB with apixaban was consistently lower than with rivaroxaban, but similar to dabigatran.


This paper explores the natural synergies between industrial cluster formation and the identification of realistic export opportunities (REOs), using the TRADE-DSM for a resource-dependent region, the North West Province of South Africa. The structural path analysis and power of pull methods were applied to a provincial social accounting matrix to identify the top industrial clusters. Ten industrial clusters were identified and matched to the results of the TRADE-DSM. Six of the industrial clusters analysed had REOs. These results provide a basis for focused export market development and for the formalisation of the cluster initiative as a strategy for sustained economic and export growth.


This paper proposes an environment-dependent vehicle dynamic modeling approach considering interactions between the noisy control input of a dynamic model and the environment in order to make best use of domain knowledge. Based on this modeling, a new domain knowledge-aided moving horizon estimation (DMHE) method is proposed for ground moving target tracking. The proposed method incorporates different types of domain knowledge in the estimation process considering both environmental physical constraints and interaction behaviors between targets and the environment. Furthermore, in order to deal with a data association ambiguity problem of multiple-target tracking in a cluttered environment, the DMHE is combined with a multiple-hypothesis tracking structure. Numerical simulation results show that the proposed DMHE-based method and its extension could achieve better performance than traditional tracking methods which utilize no domain knowledge or simple physical constraint information only.


Epigenetic alterations such as aberrant expression of histone-modifying enzymes have been implicated in tumorigenesis. KDM5B (also known as JARID1B) is a newly identified histone demethylase that regulates chromatin structure or gene expression by removing methyl residues from trimethylated lysine 4 on histone H3. Recent observations have shown oncogenic activity of KDM5B. However, the role of KDM5B in gastric cancer carcinogenesis remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of KDM5B in gastric cancer. Immunohistochemical analysis, western blotting, and qRT-PCR were used to measure the levels of KDM5B in gastric cancer cell lines, 45 pairs of gastric cancer tissues and the adjacent nonneoplastic tissues. KDM5B and shKDM5B were transfected into gastric cancer cells to investigate its role on regulating cell proliferation which was measured by MTT and colony formation assay. Cell's migration and invasion were measured by Transwell and Matrigel analysis in vitro. PCNA expression was measured by immunofluorescence staining and immunohistochemical analysis. The in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays were performed in SCID mice. In clinical gastric cancer samples, we found that KDM5B expression was significantly up-regulated in cancer lesions compared with paired normal gastric tissues. By silencing or overexpressing KDM5B in gastric cancer cells, we found that KDM5B could promote cell growth and metastasis in vitro. An in vivo assay showed that KDM5B not only dramatically promoted gastric cancer cell xenograft formation and growth but also promoted gastric cancer cell metastasis in a liver metastasis model. Moreover, we demonstrated that KDM5B promoted gastric cancer metastasis via regulation of the Akt pathway. Our study provided evidence that KDM5B functions as a novel tumor oncogene in gastric cancer and may be a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer management.


The NV epitope, a dominant helper determinant from the circumsporozoite antigen of Plasmodium falciparum, is strongly immunogenic and can provide help for cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activation. In this study, we evaluated whether the addition of NV peptide can augment the efficacy of peptide-pulsed dendritic cell (DC) immunization in vivo. Using B16 melanoma as tumor model, we demonstrated that DCs pulsed with both NV and gp100 (a melanoma-specific antigen) peptide enhanced immune priming and protection from tumor challenge in vivo. Further, we showed the mechanisms of the NV epitope that help CTL activation; MHC-II-restricted NV peptide induced dramatically more effective helper cells, with a higher level of CD40L expression and IFN-γ production, which, in turn, more effectively conditioned DCs for CTL activation. The improved helper cells also induced greater IL-12 production by DCs, accounting for the reciprocal T-helper polarization to Th1, and increased the expression of costimulatory molecules. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NV peptide in addition to tumor antigen-pulsed DC immunizations augment helper cell activation, which in turn promotes maturation of DC, and enhance in vivo antitumor activity.


CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBP alpha) is a critical factor in glucose metabolism in the neonate as revealed by conventional C/EBP alpha-null mice that do not survive beyond the first day after birth because of severe hypoglycemia and a deficiency in hepatic glycogen accumulation. To elucidate the function of C/EBP alpha in leptin-deficient mouse (ob/ob) liver, a C/EBP alpha-liver null mouse on an ob/ob background (ob/ob-C/EBP alpha/Cre(+)) was produced using a floxed C/EBP alpha allele and Cre recombinase under control of the albumin promoter (AlbCre). The C/EBP alpha-deficient liver in ob/ob mice had significantly decreased triglyceride content compared with equivalent mice lacking the AlbCre transgene (ob/ob-C/EBP alpha/Cre(-)). Expression of genes involved in lipogenesis including fatty acid synthase, acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, stearoyl-coenzyme A desaturase 1 and ATP-citrate lyase dramatically decreased in ob/ob-C/EBP alpha/Cre(+) mouse liver. Induction of these lipogenic genes by a high-carbohydrate diet caused an exacerbation in the development of fatty liver and an increase in liver size, hepatic triglyceride, and cholesterol contents in ob/ob-C/EBP alpha/Cre(-) mice but not in ob/ob-C/EBP alpha/Cre(+) mice. Deficiency in hepatic C/EBP alpha expression caused an exacerbation of hyperglycemia because of decreased insulin secretion. Taken together, these results indicate that hepatic C/EBP alpha plays a critical role in the acceleration of lipogenesis in ob/ob mice and in glucose homeostasis by the indirect regulation of insulin secretion.


ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: In this study we aim to investigate the effects of somatic and related symptoms (SARS), alexithymia, hypochondriasis, anxiety and depression on patients with major depressive disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease which are the representative diseases of brain gut axis (BGA). METHOD: Sex and age similar groups of participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 102), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) (n = 51), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) (n = 54), and control group (n = 67) were included into this study. Depression and IBS were diagnosed according to DSM-5 and ROME 4 criteria, respectively. IBDs were established according to endoscopic, histological, and radiographic investigations. In all participants, somatic and related symptoms were evaluated by self-report scales including Bradford Somatic Inventory (BSI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Whiteley Index (WI), The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SAS). RESULTS: BSI, BDI, BAI, WI, TAS-20 and SAS scores were found to be highest in patients with MDD; scores of patients with IBS and IBDs were similar but higher than the control group. Gastrointestinal somatic symptoms including nausea, stomach burning, abdominal ache and stomach swelling were observed in more than half of the patients with MDD. The most common extra-intestinal somatic symptoms were, headache and neck pain and/or tension, and leg pain in IBS patients. However leg pain, weakness and lack of energy, and neck pain/tension were highest in IBDs patients. While the strongest correlation determined was between the BSI and anxiety scores in MDD (p < .001, r = .688) and IBS group; (p < .001, r = .51), in IBDs patients, BSI scores were more significantly correlated with depressive scores instead of anxiety (p < .001, r = .712 vs. r = .705, p < .001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that SARS are commonly observed in the representative diseases of BGA. Extra-intestinal somatic symptoms are common in IBS, and IBDs, and also gastrointestinal somatic symptoms are common in patients with MDD. Assessment of somatic and related symptoms is quite important in the context of BGA.


Human cells exposed to environmental or endogenous carcinogens can develop DNA damage. This DNA damage may contribute to a susceptibility to cancer; therefore, it is important to repair these defects. The nucleotide excision repair pathway (NER) is a versatile DNA repair pathway that eliminates a wide variety of helix-distorting base lesions induced by environmental or endogenous carcinogenic sources. The excision repair cross-complementation group 5 (ERCC5) gene is a central component of NER. Ectopic expression of ERCC5 has been linked to different types of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, previous reports, mainly based on mRNA level and the role of ERCC5 in cancer, remain conflicting and unclear. In this study, we examined 104 cases of HCC for immunohistochemistry to explore the role of ERCC5 protein in HCC. We found the expression of ERCC5 protein was significantly increased in tumor tissues compared to paracancerous ones (P<0.01). The percentage of positive staining of ERCC5 in tumor tissues was 28.8% (30/104), while only 4.8% (5/104) in paracancerous tissues. Patients with low ERCC5 expression levels had a better overall survival rate and remained disease-free longer (both P<0.01). In addition, univariate and multivariate analysis showed a high expression of ERCC5 protein and large tumor size predict a poor prognosis for patients with HCC (P<0.05).


The ecotourism potential of the beach area in Bone Bolango regency, if developed optimally, is very high. Ecotourism development is a tourism activity that incorporates the principles of environment-friendly attitudes. It emphasizes the aspects of nature conservation, empowerment of the local community's economic, social, and cultural competence, as well as education. Botutonuo beach is among the coastal areas in Bone Bolango regency with high ecotourism potential. The present study aimed to analyze the ecotourism potential of Botutonuo beach based on the physical, sociocultural, economic, and institutional parameters. It employed an ecological-spatial approach by involving the Geographic Information System (GIS). The research method comprised field observation; the data were retrieved by field measurement, interview, and questionnaire. The data were analyzed in a quantitative manner with descriptive statistical analysis, scoring analysis, and qualitative descriptive analysis to result in the final evaluation score of the site's ecotourism potentials. The analysis result on the site's physical parameters (vegetation, environmental hygiene, materials, and water brightness) indicated that the Botutonuo beach has high potential. The same criteria were also given in other physical parameters that consisted of distance, facilities, accessibility, and site attractiveness. Moreover, high ecotourism potential was also shown by the site's other parameters (institutional, sociocultural, economic, and environmental parameters). The site's high ecotourism potential was due to the beach's characteristics. The site is a sandy beach that is naturally formed. On top of that, the community's contribution to constructing tourism facilities was influential in boosting the ecotourism potentials.


Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is responsible for metabolic/cardiovascular consequences, but its molecular mechanisms are poorly defined. Using 2-D Fluorescence Difference Gel Electrophoresis and mass spectrometry proteomics evaluation of red blood cells (RBC), we plan to identify dysregulated proteins (possible OSA biomarkers). To assess proteome variations, RBC were collected from blood of moderate/severe OSA (n=12) or simple snoring (n=12) at pre- and post- night sleep. RBC samples were randomized pooled to 3 replicates/group of patients/condition. Samples were fractionated into membrane and soluble fractions, being the latter depleted of hemoglobin. Soluble RBC fractions were labeled with GE fluorescente dyes and separated by 2DE. After that the images were acquired in an Imager and analysed by Progenesis SameSpots software. 70 spots were differentially expressed (p‹0.05) between OSA and simple snoring and at pre/post-night sleep were excised from a Coomassie-stained preparative gels and proteins identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Pathway analysis was carried out by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. The most significant networks were associated with cellular response to hydrogen peroxide/reactive oxygen species. The complete identification/validation of those proteins will provide better understanding of OSA and translated into diagnosis/prognosis tools. Work supported by Harvard Medical School-Portugal Program (HMSP-ICJ/0022/2011), FCT/Poly-Annual Funding Program and FEDER/Saude XXI Program. 2-DIGE images were captured at Instituto de Tecnologia Quimica/Biologica, Portugal. Work approved by the Ethical Committees of involved institutions and Comissao Nacional de Protecao de Dados.


The effects of exogenous glucose in artificial spring water (ASW) were studied on the survival and infectivity of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae. The mean percent survival of cercariae maintained in 1% glucose in ASW for 36 and 48 hr was significantly greater than that of cercariae maintained identically in ASW. Cercariae maintained in ASW with or without glucose for 24 hr, fixed in neutral buffered formalin, and stained in Oil Red O, showed an accumulation of neutral lipid in the tail. Cercariae maintained as described above and stained in periodic acid-Schiff exhibited depleted glycogen, mainly from the tail. Cercariae maintained in ASW with glucose for 24 hr did not resynthesize glycogen. Cercariae maintained in ASW with glucose for 24 hr were as capable of infecting male FVBN202 mice as were freshly emerged cercariae, and increased the percent of worm recovery. Exogeneous glucose added to ASW prolonged the survival of S. mansoni cercariae and increased infectivity in terms of worm recovery.


We present a case of HELLP (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets) syndrome that developed post partum in 31 year old woman. It was initially misdiagnosed as acute cholecystitis. The disease was complicated with acute renal failure and acute respiratory failure. Admission to the intensive therapy unit became necessary; patient required haemodialysis and short lasting mechanical ventilation. The outcome of described case was nevertheless good.


The study analyses the relationship existing between some specified competencies important to vocational agriculture and preparation for occupation between male and female students in senior secondary schools in Ijebu-North Local Government Area, Nigeria. It adopted the classical design for change experiment (i.e. before and after measures) with eighty-eight subjects (60 males and 28 females) from two schools purposively selected while the classes remained intact. Three objectives and one null hypothesis were formulated to conceptualize the study. The instruments used for the study were two, namely: Agricultural Skill Performance Test (ASPT) and Observer's Rating Scale (ORS); and the data obtained were analyzed using frequency, percentages, graphs and point-biserial correlation co-efficient. The results revealed that 47.73% of the subjects received occupational work experience in schools whereas 52.27% did not; and out of the proportion of (52.27%) representing 46 subjects, 60.87% received outside the school but 39.13% had no opportunity at all. It also showed that a moderately low positive correlation existed between specified competencies important to vocational agriculture and preparation for occupation with a r pb value of 0.34. The study advocated amidst others, for a general change of attitude among stakeholders towards agricultural science being perceived as mere academic rather than being both vocational and academic. Keywords: Important Competencies, Vocational Agriculture, Senior Secondary Students, Ijebu-North Local Government Area.


We have developed a new technique of adjusting propagation delay time of Multi-Wire Boards (MWBs) . MWBs use polyimide insulated copper wires for signal connection. The wires will intersect each other. Therefore, in high-density wiring, improper variation in the delay time will be caused by intersections of wires, adjacent through holes, folded wires, and via holes in the middle of wiring. A new estimation method was proposed and the influence of these factors on the variation of the delay time was investigated. It was found that about 73% of the variation is caused by the intersection of wires. With this new technique, it is possible, after finishing the routing design, to control the length of the wiring, and adjust the propagation delay time so that it is equal to that calculated by a newly developed software. We confirmed that the variation time of the boards designed in this way decreases to one-third or less of that of the conventional MWBs.


The problem we want to solve is how to generate all theorems of a given size in the implicational fragment of propositional intuitionistic linear logic. We start by filtering for linearity the proof terms associated by our Prolog-based theorem prover for Implicational Intuitionistic Logic. This works, but using for each formula a PSPACE-complete algorithm limits it to very small formulas. We take a few walks back and forth over the bridge between proof terms and theorems, provided by the Curry-Howard isomorphism, and derive step-by-step an efficient algorithm requiring a low polynomial effort per generated theorem. The resulting Prolog program runs in O(N) space for terms of size N and generates in a few hours 7,566,084,686 theorems in the implicational fragment of Linear Intuitionistic Logic together with their proof terms in normal form. As applications, we generate datasets for correctness and scalability testing of linear logic theorem provers and training data for neural networks working on theorem proving challenges. The results in the paper, organized as a literate Prolog program, are fully replicable.
Keywords: combinatorial generation of provable formulas of a given size, intuitionistic and linear logic theorem provers, theorems of the implicational fragment of propositional linear intuitionistic logic, Curry-Howard isomorphism, efficient generation of linear lambda terms in normal form, Prolog programs for lambda term generation and theorem proving.


The gelation of two distinct hydrocarbon solvents by a new π-functional molecule, followed by doping and measurement of conducting properties of the derived xerogel, reveals an important effect of the main gel component on the shape and organisation of the supramolecular fibres formed by the aromatic moieties. The gelator—a tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivative with two hydrophobic chains incorporating amide groups near the aromatic group—was also cast onto hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces from homogeneous solution and shows the dramatic influence of the concentration and surface on the aggregate formation, as revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). This observation underlines the advantage of using the gel route to prepare films of these materials. The doped xerogels show the effect of the solvent at the microscopic and macroscopic levels, as revealed by current sensing AFM and bulk four point conductivity measurements. The real polymorphism of the xerogels was confirmed by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In both materials, prepared from gels in (S)-limonene and n-hexane, and in contrast to a related compound with one hydrogen bonding group, the double hydrogen bond motif leads to materials which do not show structural phase transitions when heated. This feature shows the potential benefit of incorporating several hydrogen bonding groups on the phase stability of gel derived materials; to stabilise the metastable states to produce materials with different properties from a single compound by processing in different solvents.


Lactobacillemia, an uncommon cause of bacteremia, has been reported to occur in one renal transplantation patient who was also infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We present the cases of three patients with AIDS in whom lactobacillemia developed. All three patients had late-stage AIDS with CD4 cell counts of < 55/mm3, all had indwelling central venous catheters, and all were recently or concomitantly blood culture-positive for coagulase-negative staphylococci. In addition, two of the three patients had recently received vancomycin therapy. These three cases provide the first association of lactobacillus bacteremia and AIDS.


Objective:The purpose of this article was to discuss the clinical features and imaging characteristics of IgG4-related disease(IgG4-RD) in order to identify nasopharyngeal IgG4-RD at an early stage. Methods:The basic information of the patients, including age, sex, symptoms, disease duration and treatment process, was collected through the electronic case system. Laboratory tests including nasal endoscopy, EBV levels, IgG4 levels and C-reactive protein levels were recorded during hospitalization and outpatient follow-up. All radiological imaging and postoperative pathology data are collected, analyzed and summarized. Results:All patients underwent partial excisional biopsy of the lesion. The pathological findings showed inflammatory granulomatous and fibrous tissue hyperplasia with a high infiltration of lymphocytes, plasma cells and neutrophils, and immunohistochemistry examination showed IgG4+ plasma cells were more than 10 per high magnification field. Combining medical history, imaging, serological findings and relevant treatment, all four patients were diagnosed with IgG4-associated disease. And their symptoms improved significantly after hormonal and immunosuppressive treatment. Conclusion: IgG4-RD has a highly similar clinical presentation with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Differentiation from IgG4-RD should be considered for those pathology cannot be clarified by multiple biopsies. Timely diagnosis of IgG4-RD is important to prevent secondary organ damage in patients with active disease.


A new algorithm for the tracking of broadband sources in linear arrays employing tapped delay line processing is presented and investigated. Using this technique, each broadband source is individually tracked in a time-multiplexed manner by adaptively steering a broadband null formed from the use of a tapped delay line filter whose weights are constrained to have a maximally flat frequency response at the nulling direction. Since the new algorithm updates only one tapped delay line filter at any instant, the overall implementation complexity of the proposed algorithm is comparable to that of using the LMS algorithm directly on a broadband array. However, unlike the latter algorithm, the convergence behaviour of the new algorithm is significantly faster and is almost independent of the external noise environment.<<ETX>>


In response to scientific needs for more diverse and structured explanations of statistical data, researchers have discovered how to model individual data points as belonging to multiple groups. Handbook of Mixed Membership Models and Their Applications shows you how to use these flexible modeling tools to uncover hidden patterns in modern high-dimensional multivariate data. It explores the use of the models in various application settings, including survey data, population genetics, text analysis, image processing and annotation, and molecular biology. Through examples using real data sets, youll discover how to characterize complex multivariate data in: Studies involving genetic databases Patterns in the progression of diseases and disabilities Combinations of topics covered by text documents Political ideology or electorate voting patterns Heterogeneous relationships in networks, and much more The handbook spans more than 20 years of the editors and contributors statistical work in the field. Top researchers compare partial and mixed membership models, explain how to interpret mixed membership, delve into factor analysis, and describe nonparametric mixed membership models. They also present extensions of the mixed membership model for text analysis, sequence and rank data, and network data as well as semi-supervised mixed membership models.


The Medaka Expression Pattern Database (MEPD; http://mepd.cos.uni-heidelberg.de/) is designed as a repository of medaka expression data for the scientific community. In this update we present two main improvements. First, we have changed the previous clone-centric view for in situ data to a gene-centric view. This is possible because now we have linked all the data present in MEPD to the medaka gene annotation in ENSEMBL. In addition, we have also connected the medaka genes in MEPD to their corresponding orthologous gene in zebrafish, again using the ENSEMBL database. Based on this, we provide a link to the Zebrafish Model Organism Database (ZFIN) to allow researches to compare expression data between these two fish model organisms. As a second major improvement, we have modified the design of the database to enable it to host regulatory elements, promoters or enhancers, expression patterns in addition to gene expression. The combination of gene expression, by traditional in situ, and regulatory element expression, typically by fluorescence reporter gene, within the same platform assures consistency in terms of annotation. In our opinion, this will allow researchers to uncover new insights between the expression domain of genes and their regulatory landscape.


This article is offered as a contribution to the audit of psychological research in two of the premier journals of the British Psychological Society. It is informed by past research into the conduct of psychology, and raises issues of concern for psychologists. Previous work has identified a range of concerns about the continuing problems within psychological research. These problems include, the selection of samples, the incomplete reporting of methods, statistical errors and misunderstandings, and questions about the foundations of the discipline. In this article we consider only the selection of samples and the complete, or otherwise, reporting of methods.


The current fault restart/reclose method for flexible direct current (DC) grid is to see whether the DC voltage can be established when the converter is unlocked again. This method will cause secondary damage to the grid once restarting with the permanent fault. Due to the problem of fault restart/reclose of modular multilevel converter (MMC)-based DC grid, A restart/reclose method based on pulse voltage injection is studied in this paper. The pulse voltage can be injected by the full bridge (FB) MMC or the transfer branch of DC breaker. If the fault disappears, the pulse voltage can lead to full voltage, otherwise, the voltage is still low. builds the pulse voltage injection control strategy for FB-MMC and the DC breaker with transfer branch is built in PSCAD simulation system. The proposed method can also judge the fault type by the highest voltage raised by the pulse voltage. The simulation verifies the effectiveness of the proposed restart/reclose method.


Considering the current status of college students practice teaching, this paper proposes the necessity and importance of the Universities building research-based practice teaching base, which discussed some methods and measures for building research-based practical base. For the selection of research subjects in the research-based practical teaching, this paper proposed that from the teachers of research projects, engineering problems of production, as well as students to participate in innovation and design competition and more, to prepare for the topics selection and practical guidance.


This thesis contains three self-contained studies on firm bahaviour during a period of trade liberalisation and export boom in China.

In Chapter 1, we describe the general institutional background of the Chinese export boom from 2000 to 2007, look into the structure of this growth by examining the sources of the changes in export value, and give the outline of each core chapter.

In Chapter 2, we use a new linked firm-product data to measure the domestic value-added and technology intensity of Chinese exports over the period 2000-2007. We re-evaluate the extent of value-added in China's exports, using a modification of a method proposed by Hummels et al. (2001) which takes into account the prevalence of processing firms. In addition, we provide new estimates of the skill- and technology-intensity of China's exports. Our estimates of value-added suggest that, in 2006, the domestic content of China's exports was below 50%, much lower than previously estimated. We also show that Chinese exports have become increasingly skill- and technology-intensive, but this intensity is lower when the exports are evaluated by domestic value-added than by final value.

Chapter 3 looks into the effect of the elimination of the Multifibre Arrangement (MFA) quotas in 2005 on prices of products exported by Chinese firms to the U.S.. Using transaction-level customs data from China over the period 2000-2006, we find that the MFA quota removal reduced average export prices by about 30%, which is compatible with other findings in the literature. A distinguishing feature of this study is that our data allows us to examine the sources of the price reductions. Evidence also shows that more than half of the price drop was due to firm entry and that the MFA had a smaller effect on the pricing behaviour of state-owned firms.

As an extension of Chapter 3, Chapter 4 presents evidence on how multi-product firms adjusted their product structure as triggered by the MFA quota elimination. We find that the removal of MFA quotas induced firms to abruptly expand their product scope by as much as one third, and meanwhile caused firms to reduce the share of their core product in export sales by nearly 10 percentage points as a result of a more diversified export product mix. While these effects are obvious for private and foreign-owned firms, they are very insignificant for state-owned firms, probably due to the fact that the latter were not constrained as much by the quotas because of their closer political connections to the quota allocation authorities. Our evidence also suggests that an increased weight was placed on the U.S. market relative to the Japanese market within exporting firms after the quotas were lifted, highlighting the trade barriers created by U.S. quotas.

Chapter 5 summarises the main findings of the thesis and discusses our future research directions.


In this paper, the general features of the magnetic phase diagrams, determined experimentally by a.c.-susceptibility and other techniques, for glassy metallic alloys of the type (AxB1-x)75P16B6Al3 (where A, B are transition elements Fe, Co, Ni, Mn or Cr) with mixed exchange interactions are reviewed. Evidence for a second-order nature of the transitions across the para-, ferro-, and spin-glass "phase"-boundaries using scaling techniques are discussed. Manifestations of the transitions across the para to ferro followed by the ferro- to spin-glass phase boundaries at lower temperatures as observed in various experimental techniques are also briefly presented.


During thoracoscopic segmentectomy, where direct palpation of the tumour is not always possible, achieving adequate margins from the cancer is of crucial importance. It is thus mandatory to accurately identify the intersegmental plane (ISP). Indeed, inadequate determination and division of the ISP can lead to unsatisfactory oncological results. Our systematic review focused on the effectiveness of the different techniques for identifying the ISP, highlighting the fact that a 1-size-fits-all method is not feasible. Based on the published evidence, 6 main methods were reported, each with its pros and cons: inflation-deflation technique, selective resected segmental inflation, systemic injection of indocyanine green, injection of endobronchial dye, 3-dimensional simulation using multidetector computed tomography and virtual-assisted lung mapping. In conclusion, ISP demarcation is mandatory to achieve a high rate of success of thoracoscopic segmentectomy, and it is very helpful in surgical planning, especially when preoperative multidetector computed tomography and 3-dimensional reconstructions are routinely performed.


Over-smoothing is a severe problem which limits the depth of Graph Convolutional Networks. This article gives a comprehensive analysis of the mechanism behind Graph Convolutional Networks and the over-smoothing effect. The article proposes an upper bound for the occurrence of over-smoothing, which offers insight into the key factors behind over-smoothing. The results presented in this article successfully explain the feasibility of several algorithms that alleviate over-smoothing.


Purpose: Postoperative astigmatism after penetrating keratoplasty is a major problem in corneal transplantation. The purpose of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an intrastromal corneal ring after penetrating keratoplasty. Methods: Twenty patients were included, 10 of whom received an intracorneal ring (group 1) and 10 who did not (group 2, control group). Astigmatism in Orbscan corneal topography, occurrence of immune reactions, and occurrence of side effects were this study's main outcome criteria. Results: Mean follow-up time was 27.6 ± 5.3 months. Mean astigmatism (Orbscan) was 4.4 diopters in group 1 and 4.4 diopters in group 2 (P = 0.695). Spontaneous suture rupture occurred in 5 patients with corneal ring but in none of those in the control group. We observed 3 immune reactions in 3 patients with corneal ring, whereas group 2 experienced no rejection (P < 0.05). Endothelial cell loss was 15.1% in the group with the ring and 8.7% in the control group. That difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.146). Conclusions: The use of the intrastromal corneal ring after penetrating keratoplasty caused no reduction in postoperative astigmatism. However, its use was statistically significantly associated with adverse events.


Geothermal energy pile foundations are used both for structural purposes and to provide sustainable, clean, and cost-effective ground energy for heating and cooling buildings [1]. The majority of energy piles are cast-in-place concrete piles, which require extensive and expensive drilling during construction. A better alternative is to use precast concrete segmental driven energy piles, which can be cast in large quantities with high-quality assurance at a concrete factory, after which they are transported and installed into the ground [2]. This study aims to present a novel method of casting and installing segmental energy piles that utilize an innovative steel joint [3] for connecting the precast concrete segments on-site. In addition to structural integrity, the steel joint provides the possibility of a leak-proof coupling and continuity for heat-exchanging pipes embedded in concrete segments. The precast-driven pile foundations are made of high-strength concrete with a 14-day compressive strength of almost 80 MPa and have a quadratic shape with a maximum length of 12 m and a square width of 270 mm or 350 mm. In the 270-mm piles, a single U-loop can be used, while in the 350-mm piles, two U-loops can be used as presented in Figure 1.
The heat-exchanging pipes are coupled inside the sidewall channels of the steel joint which are shielded using a steel cover plate, riveted to the joint. At the tip of the bottom segment of the piles, there is a strong steel rock shoe with a hardened steel point that allows the piles to penetrate the bedrock [4]. At a construction site, the joint and pipes can be connected quickly without any welding or electric equipment that expedites the installation work and obsoletes the health and safety risk associated with electricity. Utilizing the precast energy piles presented in this study increases the quality, and speed of installation while decreasing the overall cost of the project compared to cast-in-place energy piles.
To prove the proper performance of the piles under real construction conditions, structural integrity tests and hydraulic pressure tests were performed according to BS EN 12794:2005 [5] and ASTM F2164–21 [6], and the results are briefly presented and discussed in the present study. Structural integrity tests consisted of impact tests in which 1000 blows imposing a minimum stress level of 28 MPa were applied on the pile segments connected using the new driven energy pile joint. During the impact tests, the pile structure and the joints remained undamaged. After the impact tests, the pipes were pressurized up to 100 psi (690 kPa) and no leakage or pressure drop was observed. Then the pile segments were cut according to the standard into shorter segments and subsequent bending tests were performed to measure the bending capacity. The bending tests show that the driven energy pile joints have a similar bending capacity as conventional normal joints. The results of this study show that segmental precast concrete energy piles using the new steel driven energy pile joints, are a perfect alternative for cast-in-place energy piles, which can provide sufficient structural and bearing capacity and can be used both for heating and cooling buildings.


This dissertation presents an ethnographic and anthropological study of Shree Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sajivan Mandal, a Hindu sect among the Leva Kanbi Patels of Cutch who have recently settled in Britain, Defined in the context of colonial migration and the settlement of sect members both in East Africa and Britain, the study focuses on the sect's ideology of salvation as it is conceptualised in the polar opposites of moksha and man. Moksha is a state of salvation and man a contrary state of assertive individual interest. The connection moksha and man has to the social organisation of the sect is explained by interrelated spheres of ritual and authority. Members of the sect follow a sequence of temple- based institutional rituals which induce the purity essential for moksha. This purity must be complimented with devotional compliance to the authority of the sect leader and those who speak for him. Whenever members fail to comply, the leaders interpret this as defiance expressing man. The antithetical relationship between moksha and man is thus related to the contrasting patterns of compliance and efiance. The study also explains the rise of Shree Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sajivan Mandal as an independent sect in the Swaminarayan movement in Gujarat and the effects of segmentary division between primary and secondary Swaminarayan sects on the caste of Leva Kanbi Patels. As this sect based cleavage in the caste has acquired a nev/ meaning in Britain, explanation of its recurrence shows the extent to which the British social conditions influence expression of a category seen to possess a traditional form. In reproducing the basis of their organisation in a new environment, members of the sect respond to a wide range of British institutions. The multiplicity of these institutions and their complex operation impinges on the everyday life of the sect members. The process of change that occurs in the interplay between the sect and the social institutions of the British society indicates the degree to which the secular attributes are likely to influence the sect. The significance of these elements in the process of change is an important theme in the analysis of ideology and social organisation of Shree Swaminarayan Siddhanta Sajivan Mandal in Britain.


Abstract The marine diatom Ditylum brightwellii (West) Grunow isolated from the Baltic Sea could be synchronized by a light/dark rhythm of 6.5:17.5 h (white light intensity 8 W m-2) at 18 °C and 0.035 vol.% CO2. Content of protein, DNA and RNA increased linearly up to the end of the cell cycle. Pigments (chlorophyll a, chlorophyll c1 + c2, carotenoids) and galactolipids were synthesized in the light period only. A lag phase of 2 h was observed in the biosynthesis of sulphoquinovosyl diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. Formation of phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylcholin continued in the dark period (30% and 28%, respectively). The pattern of major fatty acids (C14:0, C16:1, C16:0, C18:1 and C20:5) varied during the cell cycle of Ditylum. Biosynthesis of acyl lipids was reduced in dependence on the UV-B dose. The most sensitive lipid was digalactosyl diacylglycerol (total inhibition at 585 J m-2), whereas phosphatidylcholin was less affected (20% reduction). UV-B radiation during the dark period had no effect on the lipid and pigment content. Strongest inhibitory effect of UV-B on cell division, synthesis of protein, pigments, sulphoquinovosyl diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol was found after UV-B radiation at the beginning of the cell cycle (0.-2. h). An exposure time at the end of the light period (4.-6. h) led to a marked damage on the synthesis of monogalactosyl diacylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol. These findings indicate a stage-dependent response of Ditylum to UV-B irradiance. The impact of UV-B resulted in an increase of unsaturated long chained fatty acids (C18, C20) and in a diminution of short chained fatty acids (C14, C16). Content of ATP was not affected by UV-B radiation under the used conditions. The inhibitory effect of UV-B on synthesis of DNA, RNA, protein and acyl lipids was mainly reversible. Results were discussed with reference to UV-B damage on the enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of acyl lipids and by a reduction of available metabolites.


A representation method is an algorithm that calculates numerical feature vectors for samples in a dataset. Such vectors, also known as embeddings, define a relatively low-dimensional space able to efficiently encode high-dimensional data. Very recently, many types of learned data representations based on machine learning have appeared and are being applied to several tasks in bioinformatics. In particular, protein representation learning methods integrate different types of protein information (sequence, domains, etc.), in supervised or unsupervised learning approaches, and provide embeddings of protein sequences that can be used for downstream tasks. One task that is of special interest is the automatic function prediction of the huge number of novel proteins that are being discovered nowadays and are still totally uncharacterized. However, despite its importance, up to date there is not a fair benchmark study of the predictive performance of existing proposals on the same large set of proteins and for very concrete and common bioinformatics tasks. Therefore, this lack of benchmark studies prevent the community from using adequate predictive methods for accelerating the functional characterization of proteins. In this study, we performed a detailed comparison of protein sequence representation learning methods, explaining each approach and comparing them with an experimental benchmark on several bioinformatics tasks: (i) determining protein sequence similarity in the embedding space; (ii) inferring protein domains and (iii) predicting ontology-based protein functions. We examine the advantages and disadvantages of each representation approach over the benchmark results. We hope the results and the discussion of this study can help the community to select the most adequate machine learning-based technique for protein representation according to the bioinformatics task at hand.


The integrability of the infinite relativistic Toda lattice is proved via the inverse scattering technique. The canonical structure of the scattering coordinates is derived in the framework of the r-matrix formalism.


THIS DESCRIPTION of two cases of trauma-induced intention tremor relieved by thalamotomy serves to add to the list of those already reported and to further delineate the site of the pathologic lesion. The first case presented with intention tremor of the left extremities and paralysis of the right superior oblique ocular muscle. The second case presented with intention tremor of the right extremities and ataxia of gait. Report of Cases Case1.—This 51-year-old, right-handed Negro man had been in good general health, except for mild diabetes mellitus and previous heavy intake of alcohol until March 1965, when he fell down five steps, striking the ulnar aspect of his left forearm and "jolting" his entire body. There was no loss of consciousness. During the succeeding days he noted some clumsiness of his left arm. About three weeks later the clumsiness became more severe and thereafter progressed so that he had


Six small molecules with three different dye units, ethyl cyanoacetate (ECA), 1,3-indandione (IN), and 3-ethylrhodanine (RH), attached to both ends of thiophene-flanked carbazole (Cz) or fluorene (Flu) cores were synthesized and used as acceptors in organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs). Their optical and electrochemical, and consequent photovoltaic parameters varied mainly according to the dye units. The OPV cells were fabricated with the configuration ITO/PEDOT:PSS/poly(3-hexylthiophene):small molecule/LiF/Al and all devices except for Cz-IN showed photovoltaic performances with power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) in the range of 1.03–3.08% and open-circuit voltages as high as 1.03 V. Among them, the ECA and RH series had relatively high open-circuit voltages values because of their high-lying lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels. Devices based on Flu-IN and the RH series showed high short-circuit currents (JSC) because of the strong molecular aggregation, as evidenced by red-shifted UV absorption from solution to film. The adequate molecular aggregation in Flu-IN and RH films enhanced electron transport between the molecules, resulting in devices with high JSC and PCE values. This work demonstrates that the introduction of dye end units onto carbazole- and fluorene-based small molecules provides good candidates for non-fullerene acceptors.


Abstract : We hypothesize that low systemic redox potential (GSH/GSSG; cysteine/cystine) reflects a vulnerability phenotype that is associated with regressive autism and is predictive of the risk of developing autism. The redox vulnerability phenotype is associated with epigenetic alterations in primary immune cells that may be reversible with restoration of intracellular redox potential. The hypothesis predicts that children with regressive autism and high risk (developmentally-delayed) children who are subsequently diagnosed with autism will exhibit lower redox potential compared to age-matched unaffected control children. It also predicts that low redox potential from these children will be associated with epigenetic modifications in DNA methylation and histone acetylation/methylation that are reversible with treatment to restore redox potential. In Aim 1 we will determine whether redox potential in immune cells can be used as a biomarker for regressive autism and whether it is predictive of the subsequent diagnosis of autism. We will also evaluate immune redox potential from high risk developmentally delayed children to determine whether redox status is predictive of subsequent development of autism. In Aim 2, we will determine whether immune cells from autistic children are associated with altered cytokine patterns, macrophage/T cell DNA methylation, and chromatin histone methylation compared to control children.


Infarction of the omentum as a primary disease or secondary to idiopathic torsion is considered a rare entity. Idiopathic torsion of the omentum consists of an omental twist in the absence of any recognizable etiologic factor such as a hernia, inflammatory process, or adhesions. The syndrome is clinically indistinguishable from acute appendicitis when the infarcted segment lies in the right lower abdominal quadrant. Between March 1, 1953, and March 1, 1954, 145 laparotomies were performed at the 3750th U. S. A. F. Hospital for acute appendicitis: in two cases, infarction of the omentum secondary to primary torsion was found. REPORT OF CASES Case1 (Hosp. reg. no. 37 896).—G. H., a 19-year-old white airman, was admitted May 22, 1953, with a complaint of moderately severe pain in the right lower abdominal quadrant of 36 hours' duration. Although marked anorexia was present, there had been no nausea or vomiting. Two similar


In this paper, we present an opportunistic interference alignment (IA) scheme for cognitive multi-user (MU) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) relay networks. We consider a secondary relay network with 2 K communicating nodes without direct link between any two nodes, and hence, nodes use a common relay for communicating with each other. Using the proposed scheme secondary user opportunistically accesses the primary users' resources (i.e. frequency band) without causing any interference to the primary user. The rate of the primary user is maximized by using the well known water-filling algorithm for optimal power allocation on channel's singular modes. The unused singular modes can then be utilized by secondary users. The secondary users can align their transmission in these unused singular modes which results in spectrally efficient communication. We assume that the number of antennas available are not sufficient to perform transmit and receive zero-forcing (ZF) at the secondary transmitter, receiver and the relay node. We propose a closed form solution for pre-coding and post-coding matrices at the secondary nodes. The proposed solution nullifies the interference on the primary user caused due to the transmission from secondary transmitter and secondary networks' relay node whilst achieving a non-zero transmission rate. Simulation result shows the achievability of significant sum rate for the secondary network.


This study aims to analyze the effect of different types of ownership, liquidity
risk and credit risk on bank financial performance. State ownership and
foreign ownersip were used as the ownership indicators. Liquid Asset to
Total Asset (LATA), Non Performing Loan (NPL) and Return On Asset (ROA)
ratio were used as the proxied of liquidity risk, credit risk and financial
performance.
The Population that was used in this research consisted of all conventional
commercial banks which published the financial statements during 2007-
2011. After passed the purposive sampling method there were 51 banks
obtained as samples. The data analysis technique used is descriptive statistic,
panel regression test with common effect model, classical assumption test
and hypotheses test.
The result of this research showed that independent variable consisted of
state ownership, foreign ownership, LATA, NPL and control variable bank
size all have significant impact on ROA. Research also found that state banks
and foreign banks have a better level of profitability than private domestic
banks.


An assay was conducted under controlled conditions to evaluate the effect of different native isolates and reference strains of rhizobia on agro-physiological variables of Moringa oleifera Lam., as well as to select the best treatments for their evaluation in greenhouse or nursery. A completely randomized design with 12 treatments and
14 repetitions ws applied, an ANOVA analysis was performed. Differences between means were determined by Fisher LSD test. The values with digit counting were transformed by √x, and the percentage data by arcosen√P. Correlation coefficient among variables was calculated. It is concluded that isolates JK5, Ho9 and
Ho5 exerted a positive superior effect on germination at 10 and 15 days after sowing, as well as in most of the variables. However, the reference strains showed an efficiency index of inoculation in dry weight of the aerial part, lower than that of native isolates. The 50 % of the treatments inoculated presented values superior to the absolute
control in dry weight of the aerial part and in dry weight of the root, as well as superior to the control fertilized in this last variable. On the other hand, nitrogen fertilization did not show a positive effect on any of the evaluated variables. It is noteworthy that there was a moderately strong statistical correlation between dry weight of
the root and dry weight of the aerial part, as well as between dry weight of the aerial part and index of germination speed, which indicates a high physiological interrelation among these variables. It is recommended to carry out greenhouse or nursery phase tests with the isolates Ho4, JK5 and Ho9.

Key words: Moringa oleifera, rhizobia, agro-physiological variables


The Laboratory of Computer Applications for Health Care at University of São Paulo develop multidisciplinary research involving Computer Science areas and other knowledge fields such as Physiotherapy, Psychiatry, Radiology, and Cardiology. Most studies use concepts besides Computer Science, by aggregating knowledge to solve real problems. In this paper we present the main projects in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality areas, highlighting serious games, computer-aided diagnosis and therapy, simulation and training. Besides the social and scientific impact inherent to the type of the developed research, some systems are available to health professionals in order to allow technology transfer and consequent technological and economic impact in daily activities of health tasks.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. Levodopa in combination with amantadine has a demonstrated efficacy in motility impairment. An extensive investigation of some enzymes described to be upregulated or downregulated in PD was made – adenylate kinase (AK), adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT), ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase 1 (ENTPD1), nucleoside-diphosphate kinase 3 (NDK3), purine nucleoside phosphorylase 1 (PNP1), and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (NT5E). Also, creatine kinase (CK) was included in the study because it is one of the main enzymes involved in the regulation of the nucleotide ratio in energy metabolism. To date, there is no proven link between amantadine treatment of PD and these enzymes. Because there are many AKs isoforms modified in PD, the AK was the first investigated. The molecular docking experiments allow the analysis of the selective binding of amantadine – unionized (with –NH2 group) and ionized form (with –NH3+ group) – to the AKs' isoforms implicated in PD. Using available X-ray 3D structures of human AKs in closed-conformation, it was demonstrated that there are notable differences between the interactions of the two forms of amantadine for the zebrafish AK1 (5XZ2), human AK2 (2C9Y), human AK5 (2BWJ), and AK from B.stearothermophilus. The cytosolic human AK1 and human AK2 mostly interact with ionized amantadine by AMP binding residues. The human AK5 interaction with ionized amantadine does not involve the residues from the catalytic site. Among other enzymes tested in the present study, APRT revealed the best results in respect of binding amantadine ionized form. The results offer a new perspective for further investigation of the connections between amantadine treatment of PD and some enzymes involved in purine metabolism.


OBJECTIVES
The cricothyroid muscle (CTM) has a separate innervation from that of intrinsic laryngeal muscles; therefore, its action may contribute to airflow resistance in children with laryngeal paralysis (LP) secondary to recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy. We proposed removal of the CTM as a means of indirectly widening the paralyzed neonatal glottis.

METHODS
A prospective study was conducted using a piglet animal model to simulate LP and evaluate the proposed treatment's outcome. LP was induced via bilateral RLN sectioning in seven piglets. The CTMs were then removed. Animals acted as their own controls. Outcome measures consisted of serial inspiratory and expiratory airflow resistance measurements taken (1) with no intervention, (2) after RLN sectioning, and (3) after CTM removal. Several animals were awakened to assess their clinical responses to the interventions. The paired Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS
Inspiratory airflow resistance was significantly increased by RLN sectioning (p = .0062) and then significantly decreased after subsequent CTM removal (p = .0005). Clinical responses to the interventions mirrored the measured findings.

CONCLUSIONS
Removal of the CTM significantly decreases inspiratory airway resistance in piglets with induced LP. This proposed surgical therapy for pediatric bilateral LP warrants further investigation.


In this work, we investigate the feasibility to estimating causal interactions between brain regions based on multivariate autoregressive models (MAR models) fitted to magnetoencephalographic (MEG) sensor measurements. We first demonstrate the theoretical feasibility of estimating source level causal interactions after projection of the sensor‐level model coefficients onto the locations of the neural sources. Next, we show with simulated MEG data that causality, as measured by partial directed coherence (PDC), can be correctly reconstructed if the locations of the interacting brain areas are known. We further demonstrate, if a very large number of brain voxels is considered as potential activation sources, that PDC as a measure to reconstruct causal interactions is less accurate. In such case the MAR model coefficients alone contain meaningful causality information. The proposed method overcomes the problems of model nonrobustness and large computation times encountered during causality analysis by existing methods. These methods first project MEG sensor time‐series onto a large number of brain locations after which the MAR model is built on this large number of source‐level time‐series. Instead, through this work, we demonstrate that by building the MAR model on the sensor‐level and then projecting only the MAR coefficients in source space, the true casual pathways are recovered even when a very large number of locations are considered as sources. The main contribution of this work is that by this methodology entire brain causality maps can be efficiently derived without any a priori selection of regions of interest. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


This study was aimed at providing a description of the morphology and metric evaluation of reproductive organs of a female bison. Its additional objective was to track changes proceeding in the structure of these organs depending on age and sexual maturity of the animals. An attempt was also undertaken for a comparative analysis of those organs with these of domestic cattle. The experimental material were reproductive organs of 55 females of Lowland European bison inhabiting the Biaoowiez ua Forest. The animals were divided into two age classes, including females aged 2 months to 1.5 year (group I) and the sexually matured ones aged 2 to 20 years (group II). Observations were made and description was provided of the vagina, its vestibule and external reproductive organs. In order to analyze microscopic structures, samples of particular tissues were collected for histological examinations. The preparations were stained with a reference HE method. Results obtained were subjected to metric analysis and compared with respective values reported for domestic cattle. The structure of the reproductive organs of female bison is usually similar to that of domestic cattle, however their dimensions are smaller. The organs display structural characteristics that may be linked with specific seasonality of the reproductive cycle of the species.


This note presents the results of the evaluation of the Greek Social Solidarity Income (SSI) program, a last resort safety net program targeted to extremely poor households with the objective of alleviating poverty in Greece. At the time of finalizing this report, the SSI program absorbed slightly less than half a percentage point of GDP, in line with the program's budgetary allocation. The SSI reached about 320,000 households in Greece, or approximately 650,000 people. Nationally, this translates to about 6.5 percent of the population, remarkably close to the program's original target of reaching about 7 percent of the country's population. The program extended about 220 euros on average on a monthly basis to household meeting three criteria at the same time (income, assets, and residency, as described in the Annex). The objective of this evaluation is to assess the effectiveness of the SSI program's targeting methodology as well as its impact on poverty indicators. The findings presented are based on data collected through a tailor-made nationally representative survey run for the purposes of evaluating the SSI.


The chiral bisamidine 5 has been prepared in just two steps from malonodinitrile. In the monocationic form this compound adopts a planar conformation with an almost convergent orientation of two N-H groups. Ketones, aldehydes, and nitro compounds are assumed to bind to this strongly polar cleft via hydrogen bonds, resulting in a Lewis-acid-like activation of the carbonyl groups. A broad scope of reactions (Diels-Alder, hetero-Diels-Alder, Friedel-Crafts) can be catalyzed. The observed accelerations surpass the rate effects of neutral hydrogen-bond donors such as thioureas or TADDOLs.


The objective of Kenyan Government Legal Notices No. 161 of 2003, No. 83 of 2004 and No. 65 of 2005, Was to restore order, reduce accidents, increase passenger safety, reduce conflicts and safeguard private investment in the public transport sector .This notice directed all current and potential paratransit operators in Kenya to establish Paratransit SACCOs ; as a condition for the licensing of their vehicles to operate public service transport. The transport industry is affected by stakeholderswho are affected by the achievement of the organization objectives.Theirinfluence  on the performance ofurban road transportcan be negative or positive, depending on whether their expectations are being met or not. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of stakeholder's perceptions of paratransit SACCOs on performance of urban public transport industry in Kenya.The specific objective was to determine the perceptions of paratransit owners on the effect of paratransit SACCOs on the performance urban public transport industry,To ascertain the perceptions of  Local Authority on the effect of paratransitSACCOs on the performance of urban public transport industry and finally To investigate the perceptions of paratransit operators on the effect of paratransitSACCOs on the performance of urban public transport industry. The study targeted 635paratransit (matatu) SACCOS registered in Kenya. A sample of 64 was selected from the registeredSACCO. Data was collected using questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that stakeholder's perceptions of the Paratransit SACCOS significantly influenced the performance of urban road transport in Kenya. The study recommended that the government should adequately engage stakeholders during urban road policy formulations and implementations this will result to the stakeholders ownership of decisions, reduces negative influence and consequently success of the policy. Key Words : Stakeholders, Paratransit SACCOs, Performance


Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most lethal brain tumor. Tumor relapse in GBM is inevitable despite maximal therapeutic interventions. Glioma stem cells (GSCs) have been found to be critical players in therapeutic resistance and tumor recurrence. Therapeutic drugs targeting GSCs may significantly improve GBM treatment. In this study, we demonstrated that arsenic trioxide (As2O3) effectively disrupted GSCs and inhibited tumor growth in the GSC-derived orthotopic xenografts by targeting the promyelocytic leukaemia (PML). As2O3 treatment induced rapid degradation of PML protein along with severe apoptosis in GSCs. Disruption of the endogenous PML recapitulated the inhibitory effects of As2O3 treatment on GSCs both in vitro and in orthotopic tumors. Importantly, As2O3 treatment dramatically reduced GSC population in the intracranial GBM xenografts and increased the survival of mice bearing the tumors. In addition, As2O3 treatment preferentially inhibited cell growth of GSCs but not matched non-stem tumor cells (NSTCs). Furthermore, As2O3 treatment or PML disruption potently diminished c-Myc protein levels through increased poly-ubiquitination and proteasome degradation of c-Myc. Our study indicated a potential implication of As2O3 in GBM treatment and highlighted the important role of PML/c-Myc axis in the maintenance of GSCs.


For the design of fast nuclear reactors, usually it use the lead metal alloys for coolant materials. Researches about lead coolants, has been carried out experimentally. However, experimental studies in the nuclear material field, besides being expensive, usually also require high safety. In particular, research on the corrosive properties of liquid lead for structural materials requires serious treatment if carried out experimentally. In this case, the computational method is very helpful to overcome these obstacles. In our research we use the molecular dynamics simulation method to know the effect of temperatures and effect of liquid lead corrosion attack to iron material. We want to know that which one is most crucial that causing the damage of the materials: it is due to temperature or due to liquid lead attack. It has been observed from MSD curves of simulation results that the liquid lead can make iron material experiencing most damage if compared with temperature effect The interactions among atoms are described by the Lennard-Jonnes interaction potential. The simulations was run and supported using Moldy and Ovito software.Keywords: Corrosion of molten lead, fast nuclear reactor, molecular dynamics simulation, Moldy, MSD, Ovito.


OBJECTIVE
SestaMIBI is a new technetium labeled radiopharmaceutical agent approved for myocardial perfusion studies. In the present work the authors analyzed the accuracy of this agent on the study of ischemic heart disease. CONCEPTION: The present paper was made considering the results of four previous studies around defined goals performed by the same research group.

SETTING
Cardiology and Nuclear Medicine departments in a general hospital.

RESULTS
Planar studies: global sensitivity for the diagnosis of ischemic heart disease was 100% and specificity of 67%. Tomocintigraphic studies and segmentary analysis of IHD: the accuracy for stenosis involving the left anterior descending artery was of 80%, 91% for the right coronary artery and 67.2% for left circumflex artery. Planar studies versus tomocintigraphy--SPECT (comparative study in the same population): global sensitivity of 86% for planar method and 97% for "SPECT". In patients with single vessel disease the results are also better with "SPECT" (75% vs 94%). In this series the presence of rest perfusion defects is frequent. In 75% was possible to correlate them with a significant lesion over the related coronary artery. The positive predictive value of this finding is of 92% for the lesions on the left coronary artery, 100% for left cincumflex and 59% for the right coronary artery.

CONCLUSIONS
1. The SestaMIBI is an excellent radiopharmaceutical agent for myocardial perfusion studies. 2. The accuracy of this agent for diagnosis of ischemic heart disease is quite good with a high sensitivity and specificity values. This conclusion is also valid for those patients with single vessel disease. 3. Scintigraphic studies performed with planar acquisition provide good quality images. Nevertheless tomoscintigraphy (SPECT) is more accurate namely in patients with single vessel disease. 4. In the present state of the art and regarding our results we can conclude that is too early for considering SestaMIBI like and agent for viability studies.


It seems clear from how this article evolved that the basic subject is Boxt and Raab's views of the Puvunga issues. I find that their analysis is too flawed and superficial to be used in a comparative study and is misleading as a presentation of the issues. Therefore, my main purpose is to correct some errors and misrepresentations of data and to point out that they omitted important information that is contrary to their views. The rest of this comment is a summary of how the article evolved and the situation on campus which may account for errors.


Intoxications with poisonous mushrooms, in particular toadstools, are still a serious medical problem. The author presents contemporary views on the etiopathogenesis of intoxications with Amanita phalloides, the clinical picture of the phalloid syndrome and its prognosis. He emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive therapeutic approach, incl. the administration of antidotes (penicillin G and silibinin) and extracorporeal haemoelimination treatment. Early sorption haemoperfusion, either alone or combined with haemodialysis or plasmapheresis, prevent the development of hepatic and renal failure and significantly reduce the mortality from mushroom poisoning. The results of amanitine sorption in in vitro experiments and in the treatment of human intoxications justify the use of biocompatible synthetic resin sorbents (Amberlite XAD-2) in the treatment of mushroom poisoning rather than active charcoal.


A retrospective review of 756 blunt trauma cases at a level I trauma center was conducted to determine the role of thoracolumbar (TL) spine roentgenograms in the management of asymptomatic patients. Thoracolumbar spine films were obtained on 106 patients. The charts from 99 patients were available for thorough review. Fifty-five patients had negative clinical evidence of TL spine injury; all of these (100%) had negative radiographic evidence of fracture or dislocation on the TL spine films. Twenty-four patients had positive clinical evidence of TL spine injury; 14 (58%) had corresponding radiographic evidence of TL spine injury. Of the 20 patients in whom the clinical examination was equivocal, one (5%) had radiographic evidence of TL spine injury. We conclude that physical examination is reliable for assessing the TL spine, and that in the absence of clinical evidence of injury, TL spine films are unnecessary. In patients with equivocal examinations, TL spine films should be obtained because 7% (one of 15) of the injuries were identified in this group.


Triple A syndrome is an autosomal recessive inherited multisystem disorder that was first described in 1978. Triple A syndrome has a high genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity and has been linked with mutations in the AAAS gene, which has been identified on chromosome 12q13. A 14 years old male patient applied to outpatient clinic complaining of weakness and darkening of skin color since 4 months. On physical examination hyperpigmentation was observed on both the skin and mucosa. The morning cortisol level was 1.8 μg/dL and ACTH was >1250 ng/L. Schirmer test showed absence of tears. In the patient's esophagoscopy, mucosal paleness and stenosis of the cardia were observed. Molecular genetic analysis of AAAS gene confirmed the diagnosis of triple A syndrome caused by homozygous mutation: c.1368_1372delGCTCA (p.Gln456HisfsTer38). This variant is considered to be a possible pathogenic because it causes a frame shift that changes the protein structure. As a result of the genetic analysis of the patient's parents, the AAAS gene was detected as heterozygous in both parents for the c.1368_1372delGCTCA mutation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of homozygous mutation: c.1368_1372delGCTCA (p.Gln456HisfsTer38).


We present a case of double-crushed L5 nerve root symptoms caused by inside and outside of the spinal canal with spur formation of the lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV). A 78-year-old man presented with 7-year history of moderate paresis of his toe and left leg pain when walking. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed spinal stenosis at the L3/4 and 4/5 spinal levels and he underwent wide fenestration of both levels. Leg pain disappeared and 6-min walk distance (6MWD) improved after surgery, however, the numbness in his toes increased and 6MWD decreased 9 months after surgery. Repeated MR and 3D multiplanar reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images showed extraforaminal impingement of the L5 root by bony spur of the left LSTV. He underwent second decompression surgery of the L5/S via the left sided Wiltse approach, resulting in the improvement of his symptoms. The impingement of L5 spinal nerve root between the transverse process of the fifth lumbar vertebra and the sacral ala is a rare entity of the pathology called "far-out syndrome (FOS)". Especially, the bony spur formation secondary to the anomalous articulation of the LSTV (LSPA) has not been reported. These articulations could be due to severe disc degeneration, following closer distance and contact between the transverse process and the sacral ala. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing a case with this pathology and may be considered in cases of failed back surgery syndromes (FBSS) of the L5 root symptoms.


Mobile robot positioning is used in many applications. Many different system have been devised
for this purpose. The usual setting for such systems are in factories, homes or outside.
In this paper a positioning system is proposed for a more unique kind of setting, a positional
system that can be setup in a theater.
The system is designed to work for a specific juggling performance. In this juggling performance
the juggler throws balls, which bounce multiple times against ramps. After bouncing
multiple times they come back to him. In this show the mobile robot platforms, with ramps
on them, need to move to exact positions during the show. The ramps need to be in very exact
places to ensure that the balls bounce back correctly.
The proposed solution to this problem is to use a combination of odometry and tape markers
on the ground. Both of these are not affected by the distortion and interruption caused by the
theater setting and can be setup with ease. With odometry the position and the orientation
of a vehicle are calculated using measurements of the rotation of the wheels. An issue with
odometry is that it does not measure the position directly. Because of this errors in orientation
and position will build up over time and distance. The usual solution to minimizing this effect,
is to use an absolute measurement system. In the proposed system the mobile robots will gain
absolute measurements using the known position of marked patterns on the ground. These
marked patterns are detected using reflectance sensors on the bottom of the robot. With the
use of these sensors the robot is placed exactly on top of the markers. With the position and
orientation known of the markers, the errors in position and orientation can be fixed. The
resulting system has promising results with room for improvement.


We use femtosecond x-ray diffraction to probe directly the structural dynamics of a charge ordered and orbitally ordered thin film of La0.42Ca0.58MnO3 initiated by an ultrafast optical pulse. At low excitation fluences we observe the displacive excitation of a coherent optical A(g) phonon. Under high excitation conditions we observe a complete phase transition within 1 ps via the disappearance of a superlattice reflection. The initial step of the phase transition occurs on a time scale significantly faster than the 200 fs time resolution of our experiment.


ABSTRACT The baby boom generation's retirement will change the conceptualization of participation in old age due to their particularities from having experienced a specific socio-historical context. Likewise, the feminization of old age underscores the importance of developing research from the perspectives of gender and critical feminist gerontology. The objective of the present study is to identify and analyze women baby-boomers' conceptualizations about social participation regarding the configuration of social participation spaces. Five discussion groups and five individual interviews were conducted with 56 baby boomers residing in Andalusia (Spain). Here we focus on a separate analysis of the 27 women participating in these settings. The results were organized around four factors: desirability of social participation spaces, adaptation of spaces to preferences, facilitators and barriers in the adaptation of spaces, and the importance of agency in the social participation spaces. Through the analyzed discourse it was observed that participants in this study gave special importance to promoting spaces that involve social contribution, self-management, and self-determination of the spaces, adaptation of access, as well as exercising agency.


On the international conference "Haithabu und die fruhe Stadtentwicklung im nordlichen Europa" of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Archaeological State Museum Schleswig in September 1998 a paper called "Aufstieg, Blute und Niedergang der fruhmittelalterlichen Handelsmetropole Dorestad" was given by W. van Es and W.J.H. Verwers. In this paper for the first time doubts on the so far current interpretation of the features from the Dorestad Hoogstraat excavations were expressed by the excavators. Most recently the second and for the present final part of the reports on the Hoogstraat excavations has been published (van Es & Verwers 2009). The therein underlined change of interpretation already becomes apparent by its reduced title from "Excavations at Dorestad 1. The Harbour: Hoogstraat I" (van Es & Verwers 1980) to "Excavations at Dorestad 3. Hoogstraat 0, II-IV" (van Es & Verwers 2009). What led to that dramatic change and the disappearance of a whole harbour of that emporium that once formed one of the most important hubs of Frankish long distance trade? On the background of the archaeological evidence from Hedeby and Schleswig this paper aims to review the interpretations of the Hoogstraat features using the example of the Hoogstraat I trench.


Historically, the piano has constantly changed and developed. Pedal and pedal techniques, an important part of the piano, have also been influenced by this change. The piano is separated from other instruments in terms of its many features. Piano, as a solo and accompaniment instrument, it is an indispensable part of every stage of the music education process. Anton Rubinstein says, the pedal is the spirit of the piano. Pedal offers many different interpretation options to the interpreter. It can be said that a music teacher who does not know how to use the proper pedaling and different pedal techniques does not fully use the possibilities of the piano. Pedal education is an important part of piano education. Using pedal accurately and effectively, strengthens musical interpretation and contributes positively to performance. Therefore, the use of pedals in the piano is a very complex issue, but one that needs to be emphasized. However, pedal work in the contents of piano lessons in the music teacher education program is scarce. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to measure the level of knowledge about the use of pedals in the piano by music teacher candidates and to identify the problems they encounter. For this purpose, the data were collected by using the "Knowledge Level Examination Form for Using Pedal" which was prepared by researcher with expert opinion. The examination form consists of three open-ended, eight multiple choice and one cloze test. As a result of the research, knowledge level of music prospective teachers about pedal usage in the piano and the problems they encountered were determined and suggestions for solution were developed.


A legacy of the 1957 Windscale Pile reactor fire is the penetration of radioactive contamination into the internal surface concrete of the chimney bore. Gamma imaging of Cs-137 has shown that the contamination is widespread throughout the chimney, and core samples have shown that the contamination has penetrated to depths of around 5–25mm. The Pile chimney is 100m tall and has an internal bore diameter of 15m. It is constructed of a hard concrete comprised of Whinstone aggregate. The baseline decommissioning scheme is to remove approximately 5–25mm of the surface concrete from the entire bore of the chimney. The technology baseline in 2006 was to remove layers of contaminated concrete by mechanical means using shavers or scabblers. However, risks associated with mechanical technologies that may preclude their use include: the ability of mechanical devices to remove the hard concrete; clogging of the devices due to wet concrete; and deployment of the delivery systems. This paper discusses the options under consideration to reduce the risks associated with the removal of the contaminated concrete through application of alternative techniques. The present baseline technology is high pressure water jetting technique. Demonstrations have shown that this technology can successfully remove concrete without significant reaction forces. However, an inherent problem with this technology is the production of secondary liquid effluent waste, which would need to be treated by an appropriate conditioning process. To address the secondary effluent waste issue, technologies that produce little or no secondary waste have been considered. The technologies that have been considered are laser scabbling, microwave scabbling and nitrogen jet blasting. The paper discusses each technique in turn, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. The results of an in-active laser scabbling and high pressure liquid nitrogen jetting trial are presented. The paper concludes with a discussion of the merits of each technology in support of the future strategy for concrete removal.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


This article discusses the use of microwaves to detect saline solutions on road surfaces in winter. The reflection characteristics of water and saline solutions at microwave frequencies depend on the respective dielectric constants. Therefore, the salinity and thickness of films seem to be detectable based on reflection characteristics. We confirm this ability through theoretical calculations and verification experiments. Field tests verify the practicality of this approach. Furthermore, we propose a new estimation method for the relationships salinity level and reflection characteristics using neural networks. It is shown that the proposed method has a good performance.


At the European Union (EU) level, innovation matter is acknowledged as crucial for progress and sustainability. Related policy action is materialized through Horizon Europe, the 9th Framework Program (FP) for research and development (R&D). The present 8th FP, Horizon 2020, is already considered the biggest public innovation support program in the world. Accordingly, the 9th FP is a cornerstone of innovation ecosystems configuration in the EU and, thus, should be carefully evaluated. In this paper, the analysis of the forthcoming FP proposal is made and a previously developed framework for the structural advancement assessment of innovation ecosystems was applied. The Actor's viewpoint from the "innovation helix" is especially advantageous for a thorough evaluation. In conclusion, the Horizon Europe proposal does take into account the knowledge triangle or triple helix (Academia, Government, Industry) with "tacit", however not very explicit, commitment towards complementing Society and Natural Environment dimensions. The process perspective of innovation is highlighted, particularly in terms of overcoming the "valley of death"; nevertheless, private innovation financing levels are still a matter of concern. If the sustainability is to be achieved, consistently allowing for socioecological transformation, authors recommend the orchestration of efforts, especially in the involvement of Society and implication in innovation, as well as in the Natural Environment orientation.


Recently, a new concept, the anticommons dilemma, has been introduced in economic literature. In an anticommons property regime, multiple co-owners have the right to exclude one another from benefiting from a common resource. The economic literature has unveiled symmetry between commons and anticommons problems. Our experimental results reveal an interesting asymmetry. Anticommons situations generate greater opportunistic behavior than an equivalent commons dilemma (Study 1), and anticommons dilemmas yield a greater risk for underuse compared to commons dilemmas (Study 2). It was therefore concluded that anticommons might be considered as having even more severe and problematic consequences than the commons dilemma.