How, why and where do plant invasions occur? By analysing biological and ecological principles of invasive species, the authors of this book provide clues to answer these pivotal questions. The book is set up as teaching text for advanced undergraduate students and as such it is well structured and well illustrated with comprehensible figures and tables based on a myriad of examples from the literature. Although the authors sometimes refer to earlier sections, each chapter reads as stand-alone text. The reader is encouraged to choose an invasive plant species as case study. Each chapter ends with questions that guide the reader to analyse the species of choice against the newly acquired knowledge presented in that chapter. This is an interesting approach that sparks interaction and independent reflection by the reader. The book conveniently concludes with a synthesis and a glossary of essential biological and ecological terms. Take-home messages are that successful invasions are rare events and it is impossible to accurately predict which species will become invasive based on species' traits alone. On the other hand, environments with a high invasion risk can be determined. Such habitats are characterized by high disturbance and resource availability and low species richness, precisely the most important features of agricultural landscapes. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to students in plant biology and ecology in general and weed science in particular. It is also a useful resource for professionals working on invasive plants as it provides information on key principles explaining successful invasions, in a comprehensive and yet concise and attractive manner.


Exploiting multi-scale features has shown great potential in tackling semantic segmentation problems. The aggregation is commonly done with sum or concatenation (concat) followed by convolutional (conv) layers. However, it fully passes down the high-level context to the following hierarchy without considering their interrelation. In this work, we aim to enable the low-level feature to aggregate the complementary context from adjacent high-level feature maps by a cross-scale pixel-to-region relation operation. We leverage cross-scale context propagation to make the long-range dependency capturable even by the high-resolution low-level features. To this end, we employ an efficient feature pyramid network to obtain multi-scale features. We propose a Relational Semantics Extractor (RSE) and Relational Semantics Propagator (RSP) for context extraction and propagation respectively. Then we stack several RSP into an RSP head to achieve the progressive top-down distribution of the context. Experiment results on two challenging datasets Cityscapes and COCO demonstrate that the RSP head performs competitively on both semantic segmentation and panoptic segmentation with high efficiency. It outperforms DeeplabV3 [1] by 0.7% with 75% fewer FLOPs (multiply-adds) in the semantic segmentation task.


The authorities in charge of managing our Andean basins work in unimaginable water-powered landscapes from the Peruvian legislator point of view. They should generate and apply peculiar mechanisms. Why? Because the national legislator is traditionally positioned on the coast, a region very different to the Andean highlands and punas. The use of ethnographic evidence coming from a drainage basin in the Central Andes (Mantaro River, Junin) lets me depict in detail how public officers appeal to mechanisms of location, adaptation and regulation in order to adjust the official regulations, to cover the needs of the farming organizations of watering, and to affirm their positions as representatives of the Peruvian government. The consequence is that they exceed and also violate the regulatory channels that control their administrative functions. In this way, they incorporate a new function to their official position, that is, to develop peculiar administrative patterns to process the tightness between the inflexibility of the State Water Right and the demands of recognition and balance that the andean watering organizations propose to the Government.


The comprehensive representation and understanding of the driving environment is crucial to improve the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicles. In this paper, we present a new approach to establish an environment model containing a segmentation between static and dynamic background and objects modeled with shape, position and orientation parameters. Multiple laser scanners are fused into a dynamic occupancy grid map resulting in a 360°perception of the environment. A single-stage deep convolutional neural network is combined with a recurrent neural network, which takes a time series of the occupancy grid map as input and tracks cell states and its corresponding object hypotheses. The labels for training are created unsupervised with an automatic label generation algorithm. The proposed methods are evaluated in real-world experiments in complex inner city scenarios using the aforementioned 360° laser perception. The results show a better object detection accuracy in comparison with our old approach as well as an AUC score of 0.946 for the dynamic and static segmentation. Furthermore, we gain an improved detection for occluded objects and a more consistent size estimate due to the usage of time series as input and the memory about previous states introduced by the recurrent neural network.


ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the research question 'Who does not vote and why?' regarding national elections in 24 European countries. We analyse determinants of non-voting both on the individual and the societal level employing a multilevel design. On the micro level, the sociological determinants under consideration are education, cohort and gender. Regarding psychological or motivational factors, we include in the analyses political efficacy, political interest, political trust and satisfaction with politics. On the macro level, we analyse characteristics of the electoral system, including opportunities for 'direct democracy', maturity of democracy, disproportionality factor, and if the participation in elections is compulsory. The data source of the analyses is the European Social Survey 2006. A first main finding is the fact that the probability of non-voting is higher among people with a low level of education and among younger cohorts. The motivational factors have similar impacts on non-voting across all analysed societies. Lack of political efficacy, lack of political interest, lack of political trust and dissatisfaction with politicians and the political system increase the probability of non-voting. Regarding macro influences, countries with compulsory voting and 'old democracies' turn out to have a lower rate of non-voting, although these effects vanish when simultaneously modelled with the social psychological micro level indicators.


The depletion of fossil energy reserves and environmental issues currently play an important role in developing the concept of renewable energy, so that the search for new renewable energy is carried out very intensively. One type of renewable new energy that has the potential to be developed in Indonesia is the energy of river estuary flows, considering that Indonesia is an archipelagic country.This study, discusses renewable energy derived from the river mouth of the Bedono village of Demak Regency. The results of the observations that have been made, the tidal currents of the river which occur 2 times in 24 hours with an average current velocity at 0.953m/s. The biggest current velocity at 14.00-16.00 is 2.5 m/s and the lowest is 0.5 m/s at 06.00-08.00. Using the Computating Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model simulation and the Darrieus Type H turbine, with specifications; Diameter 1m, chord length 0.1m, turbine length 1 m, number of blade 3 and type of blade Hydrofill: NACA 0018 obtained the greatest power occurs at 14.00-16.00 at 8007.813Watt with a torque of 3540.470Nm and the lowest power of 83.726Watt with torque amounting to 14,663Nm at 04.00-06.00.


In situ synthesized TiC particles and β-Ti dendrites reinforced Cu47Ti34Zr11Ni8 bulk metallic glass (BMG) composite ingots were prepared by the suction casting method.The ingots with diameters from 1 up to 4mm were successfully obtained. It was shown that introducing TiC micro-sized particles into the amorphous matrix did not disturb the glass forming ability (GFA) of the matrix,while the yield strength and ductility could be well improved.The phase constitution, microstructure and elements distribution in the composites were studied by OM, XRD, SEM and EDS.It was shown that the in situ synthesized TiC particles acting as heterogeneous nucleation sites promoted the precipitation of β-Ti dendrites, resulting in the formation of the TiC particles and β-Ti dendrites co-reinforced BMG composites. The compressive tests were employed to probe the yield strength and ductility of BMG composites.


Continuum robots in robot-assisted minimally invasive surgeries provide adequate access to target anatomies that are not directly reachable through small incisions. Achieving precise and reliable shape estimation of such snake-like manipulators necessitates an accurate navigation system, that requires no line-of-sight and is immune to electromagnetic noise. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) shape sensing, particularly eccentric FBG (eFBG), is a promising and cost-effective solution for this task. However, in eFBG sensors, the spectral intensity of the Bragg wavelengths that carries the strain information can be affected by undesired bending-induced phenomena, making standard characterization techniques less suitable for these sensors. We showed in our previous work that a deep learning model has the potential to extract the strain information from the eFBG sensor's spectrum and accurately predict its shape. In this paper, we conducted a more thorough investigation to find a suitable architectural design of the deep learning model to further increase shape prediction accuracy. We used the Hyperband algorithm to search for optimal hyperparameters in two steps. First, we limited the search space to layer settings of the network, from which, the best-performing configuration was selected. Then, we modified the search space for tuning the training and loss calculation hyperparameters. We also analyzed various data transformations on the network's input and output variables, as data rescaling can directly influence the model's performance. Additionally, we performed discriminative training using the Siamese network architecture that employs two convolutional neural networks (CNN) with identical parameters to learn similarity metrics between the spectra of similar target values. The best-performing network architecture among all evaluated configurations can predict the shape of a 30 cm long sensor with a median tip error of 3.11 mm in a curvature range of 1.4 m−1 to 35.3 m−1.


Transmission charges aim to recover the cost of transmission network investments and provide efficient locational signals to new generators. In this paper, we investigate the effect of these charges on the development of new generation capacities in the system. Generation expansion planning is decided by strategic generation planners (SGPs) trying to maximize their profits, while transmission line investments are planned by a central planner and regulatory body aimed at minimizing the overall operation and network investment costs of the system. Regulatory transmission charges (RTCs) are calculated according to the marginal responsibility of generation investment on transmission network investment costs. An iterative algorithm is proposed to model the interaction taking place between the central planner and SGPs. The developed methodology is applied to a 2-node illustrative example and the IEEE-RTS96, and effects of RTCs on investment decisions of SGPs are analyzed.


The status of universalism has been much debated by feminists at the end of the twentieth century. Poststructuralist feminism is readily positioned in these debates as antagonistic to normative universalism. It is criticized as such: how is injustice to be judged and condemned if contestation and the openness of ungrounded universalism are the only ideals? This paper is a 'sub-philosophical' enquiry into the normative commitments to equality implicit in poststructuralist feminism and its relationship to 'actually existing' human rights for women as they have been re-worked by the international feminist movement. It argues that poststructuralist feminism can be used to provide support for one possible understanding of equality encoded in the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. It addresses feminist concerns over universal rights as androcentric and ethnocentric, arguing that extending human rights to women is compatible with poststructuralist commitments to anti-essentialism and anti-foundationalism and required by the model of 'deconstructive equality' implicitly shared by CEDAW and poststructuralist feminism.


A visible-light-promoted highly site-selective N1-alkylation of benzotriazoles with diazo compounds has been achieved under mild and metal-free conditions. Using cheap, readily available p-benzoquinone (PBQ) as a catalyst, a wide range of benzotriazoles and diazo compounds are reacted, providing N1-alkylated benzotriazoles in moderate to excellent yields with excellent N1-selectivities. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that a radical process accounts for the exclusive site-selectivity of this transformation.


As stipulated in sections 26, 27 and 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996, public institutions are mandated to legislative measures in delivering services to the public. This mandate has to be fulfilled by public institutions regardless of the enormous pressure by internal and external pressure. This pressure compels South African public service to willingly/unwillingly transform and adopt appropriate models for improved service delivery. When enhancing service delivery, government departments often than not unconsciously experience isomorphism, which is later explained in this paper. In some instances, isomorphism leads to 'capability trap', which results to an institutional failure exacerbated by the state of isomorphic mimicry. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, to what extent is the South African public service experiencing isomorphism? Subsequently, it is important to ask whether isomorphism leads to capability trap that various public institutions are seen to be experiencing recently. These questions are explored by undertaking a critical literature review adopting a hermeneutic reading modality, which is grounded in qualitative studies. It is the intention of this paper to derive the meaning and understanding of the isomorphic state of the South African public service. This paper firstly conceptualises isomorphism and further identify and conceptualise the various forms of isomorphism. State capability trap is deliberated upon in order to demonstrate the extent of isomorphism in the South African public service. This section is followed by examples that indicate the influence of isomorphism in public administration. Concluding remarks summarise this paper and propose mechanisms that could be put in place to avoid isomorphism.


To investigate how the type of reinforcer affects the behavior in FI after different reinforcement histories, university students were exposed to FR or to DRL, that liberated points for pressing a button. Some participants changed points for photocopies (Condition 1), for money (Condition 2), or they just received the points (Condition 3). Subsequently, all students were exposed to FI. FR produced high and constant response rates independently of the type of reinforcer. FI produced high rates for the participants of the Conditions 1 and 2, and low for the participants of the Condition 3. DRL provoked low rates that increased during subsequent FI. The results suggest that so much historical contingencies as present contingencies controlled the participants' behavior and that the type of reinforcer can favor responding in high and constant rate under FI after a FR contingency.


The thesis aims at investigating Taiwanese film director Chung Mong-hong's "child trilogy" – Doctor (2006), Parking (2008), and The Fourth Portrait (2010) – via Homi Bhabha's theories of unhomeliness, uncanniness, liminality and belatedness in terms of themes, iconography, camerawork, and narrative strategy. By demonstrating how the characters in the films experience different levels and modes of unhomeliness at home, and how an unhomely home reflects the society/world through the light of Bhabha's discourses, my argument emphasizes that the subject negotiating between the past/present, inside/outside, self/other is constantly adapting to new information and new circumstances to retrieve and renew the meaning of home in search of new identities. Besides analyzing how Chung delineates the desires and attempts to recapture a romanticized or idealized notion of home on a micro-level (at the individual scale of domestic dwelling-space), this thesis will discuss how Chung crystallizes the interrelation and countertendency occurring on a macro-level (at national or international scale). In the three films, various ethnicities together portray the impact of globalization and industrialization we are confronting in the twenty-first century. Shaped by accidental encounters, contingency and chance, the characters' journeys explore both mythical past and modern uncanniness within the "third space" to produce multiple possibilities. This thesis will also investigate the aesthetics, cross-referentiality and intra-textuality of the trilogy. As the multiple storylines go hand in hand with his aesthetics, Chung's hand-held camera with its abnormal close-ups, high contrast color scheme, and the "interstitial frames," neatly set him apart from his precursors and contemporary film directors. The strong sense of connection and repetition finds expression not only in the narrative within each film, but each of them should be conceived in an interlocking entity where they are connected to, utilized by, and dialogued with one another from a transmedia perspective. In the three films, every person, event and object is not just an independent part but keep reprising and echoing with one other, which articulates a more complex layers of corresponding image, social space, and self-identification together forming a complete circle of the director's philosophy about life and death as a consummation.


This paper examines the specialization and diversity of manufacturing industries within Indian districts. Prior to India's recent economic growth and liberalization, specialization levels in 1989 were substantially higher than similar metrics calculated for the United States. From 1989 to 2010, average specialization levels for Indian districts declined to a level that is now quite comparable to the United States. Diversity levels similarly increased. Specialization and diversity levels in India are becoming more persistent with time. Manufacturing plants display higher productivity in districts that display both properties. From 1989 to 2010, manufacturing employment growth was higher in districts that were more specialized at the start of the period.


A time-domain physical optics inverse scattering identity is derived for real-time use in ultra-wideband radar systems. It is shown that using the band-limited impulse response of a radar target provides an edge-enhanced image. A simulation based on stepped-frequency, multiaspect measurements of aircraft models produces clear images with highly-defined edges. >


Cardiovascular disease has become the primary disease that threatens human health and is considered the leading cause of death. Cardiac remodeling, which is associated with cardiovascular disease, mainly manifests as cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. Farrerol plays an important role in treating conditions such as inflammation, endothelial injury and tumors, and we speculated that Farrerol may also play an important role in mitigating cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling. We established a model of myocardial remodeling using Angiotensin II (Ang II) with concurrent intraperitoneal injection of Farrerol as an intervention. We used cardiac ultrasound, immunohistochemistry, Immunofluorescence, Wheat Germ Agglutinin, Dihydroethidium, Western Blot, qPCR and other methods to detect the role of Farrerol in cardiac remodeling. The results showed that Farrerol inhibited Ang II-induced cardiac hypertrophy; decreased the ratio of heart weight to tibia length in mice; reduced inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress; and reduced the size of cardiomyocytes in vivo. Farrerol inhibited Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, levels of oxidative stress, and the proliferation and migration of fibroblast in vitro. Our results revealed that Farrerol could inhibit Ang II-induced cardiac remodeling. Farrerol may therefore be a candidate drug for the treatment of myocardial remodeling.


The prime purposes of this study are to obtain reliable orbital parameters for the Algol-type binary U Coronae Borealis (U CrB) and to explain the evolutionary status of this system. All observations of the primary star's radial velocity are consistent with the value K 1 = 58.6 ′ 2.0 km s - 1 . Measurements ofthe radial velocity of the secondary component give K 2 = 185.2 ′ 5.0 km s - 1 Using the photometrically determined inclination of 78.7 ′ 0.3, the masses of the two stars are therefore deduced to be 4.74 ′ 0.28 and 1.46 ′ 0.06 M O . for the primary and secondary components, respectively. Using all available observations, we discuss the origin and evolution of the close binary system U CrB. We derive the restrictions concerning masses and period from a general network of calculations of medium mass close binary evolution. Detailed models are calculated within the derived ranges, giving the most likely initial system parameters as 4.5 M O . + 2.7 M O . and P i = 1.4 d. It turns out that the interactive evolution up to the present stage has been non-conservative. During its evolution, U CrB has lost about 14 per cent of its initial total mass (ΔM ∼ 1 M O .) and around 18 per cent of its initial total angular momentum. We also examine the possibility of probing dynamo action in the mass-losing component of U CrB. We point out that, in order to maintain the evolution of U CrB in its later stages, which is presumably driven by stellar 'magnetic braking', an efficient mechanism for producing large-scale surface magnetic fields in the donor star is required. We suggest that observed X-ray activity in U CrB may be a good indicator of its evolutionary status and the internal structure of the mass-losing component.


This essay examines a 1965 meeting between The British Broad Casting Corporation (BBC) Director General Hugh Greene, and members of the West Indian community. The assembly was significant, in that Greene and other managers actively sought the opinions of these citizens as the BBC planned new programmes on race relations. This unusual effort came after the Nottingham and Notting Hill riots exposed obvious racial tensions in a country that claimed no colour bar, and the highly controversial Commonwealth Immigrants Act of 1962. The discussions created possibilities within a social and institutional environment foreshadowed by social tensions examined by 1950s programming, yet seldom from the perspective of West Indians scholars or citizens. Further highlighted, through the examination of original documents at the Written Archives Centre, Caversham, Reading, are discursive elements and the varied perspectives of these attendees. How did these muted voices affect previous programming decisions, televised representations of race, and the canonical formation of programming texts?


Breakdown electric field strengths have been measured in four S-band cavities filled with high purity SF6 at room temperature in the approximate pressure range from 0.01 to 200 Torr. Measurements were made for submicrosecond effective pulse widths under essentially `single pulse' conditions, and also under conditions equivalent to continuous wave breakdown. The results are used to calculate an average elastic collision frequency of vc = 1.0 × 1010p sec-1.


Objective: Intra-articular displaced calcaneal fractures are common fractures and are often treated with surgical interventions. Sinüs tarsi approach provides secure access to lateral wall and joint facets. The aim of the study is to compare cannulated screw (CS) fixation and mini-plate (MP) fixation via sinus tarsi approach with Sanders types 2 and 3 fracture of calcaneus. Methods: Sixty patients with Sanders types 2 and 3 calcaneal fracture underwent surgical intervention were randomly allocated into two groups as group MP fixation and group CS fixation regarding osteosynthesis method for 5-year period. Open reduction via sinüs tarsi approach was performed in both groups. Demographic variables, time to surgery (TS), operation duration (OD), length of hospital stay (LOS), surgical complications, and reoperations were recorded. Pre- and postoperative Gissane and Böhler angles; calcaneal length, height, and width; ankle anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral X-rays; and computed tomography were also recorded for radiological evaluation and fracture characteristics. Maryland Foot Score (MFS) was used to evaluate functional outcomes. Results: Preoperative age, type of fracture, calcaneal length, height, and Gissane and Böhler angles, TS, LOS, and OD were not different between the groups. The postoperative calcaneal widening was significantly better restored in group MP compared with that of group CS. The incidence of reoperation and algoneurodystrophy was statistically higher in group CS than group MP. MFS in group MP was also higher than group CS at final visit. Conclusion: MP fixation via sinus tarsi approach is superior to CS fixation in Sanders types 2 and 3 calcaneal fractures.


Across the globe, citizens and environmental organisations are challenging governments on their failure to respond adequately to climate change. Leghari v Federation of Pakistan is a valuable example in this avalanche of climate change litigation. In a case brought by a drought effected Pakistani agriculturalist, the High Court of Lahore mandated the creation of a Climate Change Commission in order that urgent action be taken to address the impact of climate change in Pakistan. Leghari was the first climate change case from the Global South to attract world-wide scholarly and journalistic attention, emerging as it did at the same time as the far better publicised Urgenda Foundation v The State of Netherlands. The decision of the then Mr Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, now a Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, was a bold example of transformative adjudication in pursuit of climate justice and is emblematic of the 'rights turn' in climate change litigation. It is also an important example of climate change adjudication from the Global South, which has not been as well documented as suits originating in the US, Australasia and Europe. Its significance, domestically and internationally, is therefore symbolic as well as practical. In this case note we unpack the decision in Leghari, highlight some of its notable features and to examine its particular importance for potential litigants the Global South.


Culturable aerobic heterotrophic bacterial (CAHB) numbers, total direct counts (TDC), bacterial generic composition and uptake of labelled glucose by natural microbial assemblages were studied from a few selected coastal sites off Tamil Nadu. A high abundance of CAHB and TDC was observed in most locations. Microbial heterotrophic uptake and respiration rates of labelled glucose were high (except off Madras) suggesting a highly active microflora at most of these locations. Many bacterial genera were seen in these sites with a general predominance of Vibrio, Pseudomonas, Aeromonas, Alteromonas and strains of Enterobacteriaceae. Autochthonous microflora along the Tamil Nadu coast appears to be very active and it is possible to suggest from this study that these communities continue to biotransform organic materials actively at current levels of anthropogenic interactions with these waters.


This paper is devoted to the investigation of the nonnegative solutions and the stability and asymptotic properties of the solutions of fractional differential dynamic systems involving delayed dynamics with point delays. The obtained results are independent of the sizes of the delays.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse whether websites in Spanish are an adequate medium to be self-informed considering the surfing styles of Internet users.

METHODS
In a real context 225 subjects searched for information on the Net to answer a series of questions on two diseases and one therapeutic technique. Also, they informed their habits when using Internet.

RESULTS
Slightly more than the half of the questions were correctly answered. To find information, they visited more than 70 different pages in all cases. A major number of websites visited was not related with a better knowledge of treatment or illness (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
When health professionals recommend a website to a patient (web prescription) they must consider both, the quality of the information, and the style for surfing on the Net.


This research aims to determine the feasibility of a video powtoon learning media application based on guided inquiry submater application of the concept of substance pressure in organism as a learning media for students and to find responses by students to the powtoon video media. This research is Research and Development (R&D) research with the Borg and Gall development model which consists of ten stages, this research has only reached the seventh stage which includes potentials and problems, data collection, product design, product validation, design revisions, product trials, and product revisions. The instruments used were the media validation sheet and the student response questionnaire validation sheet which was validated by 5 validators and the student response questionnaire. The subjects were students of class XI SMP Negeri 3 Pontianak. The validation results obtained CVR and CVI values, namely 1 which has met the minimum limit of 0.99 so that it is declared valid. The product trial obtained an overall average score for aspects (cognition, affection, conation) which was 83,57% so it is categorized as very strong. It can be concluded that the powtoon video media based on guided inquiry sub material is suitable for use as a learning medium.


During the game of cricket, bowlers create different deliveries by altering the manner in which they release the ball from their hand. The orientation of the seam, the speed at which the ball is released and the magnitude and direction of the spin combine to determine the motion of the ball through the air and its movement after impact with the wicket. These factors have to be considered if automatic training machines are to be capable of replicating elite bowling deliveries. The need for automotive systems for batting and fielding training at the elite level has arisen due to: (i) the capabilities of human bowlers are limited by the onset of fatigue and the risk of injury and (ii) a large number of accurate and repeatable deliveries to be ''programmable'' by coaches to ensure batsmen and fielders are tested to the limits of their abilities and a training benefit is achieved.


Importance
Splenic arterial embolization (SAE) improves the rate of spleen rescue, yet the advantage of prophylactic SAE (pSAE) compared with surveillance and then embolization only if necessary (SURV) for patients at high risk of spleen rupture remains controversial.

Objective
To determine whether the 1-month spleen salvage rate is better after pSAE or SURV.

Design, Setting, and Participants
In this randomized clinical trial conducted between February 6, 2014, and September 1, 2017, at 16 institutions in France, 133 patients with splenic trauma at high risk of rupture were randomized to undergo pSAE or SURV. All analyses were performed on a per-protocol basis, as well as an intention-to-treat analysis for specific events.

Interventions
Prophylactic SAE, preferably using an arterial approach via the femoral artery, or SURV.

Main Outcomes and Measures
The primary end point was an intact spleen or a spleen with at least 50% vascularized parenchyma detected on an arterial computed tomography scan at 1 month after trauma, assessed by senior radiologists masked to the treatment group. Secondary end points included splenectomy and pseudoaneurysm, secondary SAE after inclusion, complications, length of hospital stay, quality-of-life score, and length of time off work or studies during the 6-month follow-up.

Results
A total of 140 patients were randomized, and 133 (105 men [78.9%]; median age, 30 years [interquartile range, 23-47 years]) were retained in the study. For the primary end point, data from 117 patients (57 who underwent pSAE and 60 who underwent SURV) could be analyzed. The number of patients with at least a 50% viable spleen detected on a computed tomography scan at month 1 was not significantly different between the pSAE and SURV groups (56 of 57 [98.2%] vs 56 of 60 [93.3%]; difference, 4.9%; 95% CI, -2.4% to 12.1%; P = .37). By the day 5 visit, there were significantly fewer splenic pseudoaneurysms among patients in the pSAE group than in the SURV group (1 of 65 [1.5%] vs 8 of 65 [12.3%]; difference, -10.8%; 95% CI, -19.3% to -2.1%; P = .03), significantly fewer secondary embolizations among patients in the pSAE group than in the SURV group (1 of 65 [1.5%] vs 19 of 65 [29.2%]; difference, -27.7%; 95% CI, -41.0% to -15.9%; P < .001), and no difference in the overall complication rate between the pSAE and SURV groups (19 of 65 [29.2%] vs 27 of 65 [41.5%]; difference, -12.3%; 95% CI, -28.3% to 4.4%; P = .14). Between the day 5 and month 1 visits, the overall complication rate was not significantly different between the pSAE and SURV groups (11 of 59 [18.6%] vs 12 of 63 [19.0%]; difference, -0.4%; 95% CI, -14.4% to 13.6%; P = .96). The median length of hospitalization was significantly shorter for patients in the pSAE group than for those in the SURV group (9 days [interquartile range, 6-14 days] vs 13 days [interquartile range, 9-17 days]; P = .002).

Conclusions and Relevance
Among patients with splenic trauma at high risk of rupture, the 1-month spleen salvage rate was not statistically different between patients undergoing pSAE compared with those receiving SURV. In view of the high proportion of patients in the SURV group needing SAE, both strategies appear defendable.

Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02021396.


Glioblastoma is the most common and deadliest malignant brain tumor in adults. It is currently treated with a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with temozolomide (TMZ). Resistance to TMZ is a challenge in the treatment of this type of brain cancer. Epigenetic modulation is a new possibility to be tested against glioblastoma. Inhibition of EZH2, a histone methyltransferase (H3K27met3) which is overexpressed in cancer cells, leading to angiogenesis and metastasis, might be a new strategy to treat this tumor. In this work, the EZH2 inhibitor DZNeP was tested in A172 glioblastoma cells and in A172-TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cells. Inhibition of cell proliferation, cell adhesion, colony formation, and cell migration was noted in A172 and A172-TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cells after DZNeP treatment. DZNeP also decreased EZH2 expression, and increased the expression of its target genes (E-cadherin and TIMP3), which might probably contribute to inhibiting the development of a cancer metastatic phenotype. Finally, DZNeP negatively regulated the TGFβ pathway: the expression of receptors involved in this pathway (TGFβR1 and TGFβR2) was decreased, and the expression of inhibitors of this pathway (BAMBI, SMAD6 and SMAD7) was increased. In order to support the results obtained by qRT-PCR about the TGFβ1 pathway, protein expression of SMAD2 and PSMAD2 was analyzed by Western blot. The ratio between PSMAD2/SMAD2 decreased in cells treated with DZNeP, which supports the possible therapeutic effect of this drug against the TGFβ pathway, as PSMAD2 is a negative prognostic marker in glioblastoma. In conclusion, we propose that inhibition of EZH2 might be considered as a therapeutic strategy against glioblastoma. Citation Format: Javier de la Rosa, Marta Iraburu, Gabriel Gallo-Oller, Alejandro Urdiciain, Xing Fan, Mehdi H. Shahi, Barbara Melendez, Juan A. Rey, Miguel A. Idoate, Javier S. Castresana. EZH2 as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma: a cellular and molecular study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4673. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4673


We prove that, for a spatial voting setting with convex preferences, the locally uncovered set, proposed by Schofield (1999), is closely related to the dimension-by-dimension median of Shepsle (1979). It is shown that every point in the interior of the locally uncovered set can be supported as a dimension-by-dimension median by some set of basis vectors for the space of alternatives. Moreover, for a two-dimensional policy space, the locally uncovered set and the set of dimension-by-dimension medians coincide.


The aim of this research is to examine the epistemological beliefs of social studies teacher candidates. The research was carried out in accordance with the scanning model. The study group of the research consists of 226 social studies teacher candidates studying at Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Education in the 2020-2021 academic year. While determining the study group, the convenient sampling method, which is one of the non-random sampling methods, was used. In the study, the "Epistemological Beliefs scale" was used as a data collection tool. The scale is in 5-point Likert type, consists of 3 subdimensions and 23 items. The obtained data were analyzed with the statistical package program. Normality assumptions were tested in order to reveal the structural features of the obtained data group. Skewness and kurtosis values were examined in all sub-dimensions of the epistemological beliefs scale. Accordingly, it was concluded that the study showed a normal distribution and that the analyzes to be made would be done with parametric tests. In the data analysis process, t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for groups independent of descriptive statistics. As a result of the study, it was determined that pre-service teachers' epistemological beliefs were high. It was observed that there was no significant difference in the epistemological beliefs of social studies teacher candidates in terms of gender, grade level, school success score and tendency to graduate education. Suggestions were made according to the results obtained. Accordingly, it is recommended to conduct studies with different branches and teachers.


In a number of experiments, several researchers have argued that their experimental results are not in agreement with energy and momentum conservation in electrodynamics. In this paper, we show that the strict application of energy and momentum conservation is in complete agreement with their experiments. In this work, we introduce the local electric and magnetic fields inside the pendulum conductor, which allow us to make rigorous calculations for energy and momentum. With regard to the conservation of momentum, their experimentally measured momentum of the pendulum is 8.85 /spl times/ 10/sup -2/ kg/spl middot/m/s, while the value theoretically calculated by us is (8.35 /spl plusmn/ 0.84) /spl times/ 10/sup -2/ kg/spl middot/m/s, a fact that verifies the standard theory.


Alico Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of Alico, Inc., has been awarded a grant from the State of Florida under the Florida Energy Act and a grant and loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct one of the nation's first cellulosic ethanol facilities in South Florida. The Alico Energy biorefinery will be capable of co-producing ethanol and electricity from any carbon-based feedstock or waste, including citrus peel, and trimmings from citrus trees. The initial plant will produce only ethanol. The capacity to produce electricity will be added at a later date.Paper published with permission.Compilation Copyright © 2018 ASME


Is copyright a property right? Common law and civil law jurists have debated that issue for over three centuries. It remains at the heart of battles over copyright's scope and duration today, even if its import lies principally in the rhetorical force of labeling a right as "property," not in any doctrinal consequence flowing directly from that label. In parallel to their common law and civil law counterparts, presentday rabbinic jurists engage in lively debate about whether Jewish law recognizes copyright as a property right. And, as in secular law but for different reasons, that issue has significant repercussions in Jewish law. As discussed in rabbinic court decisions and writings, whether Jewish law accords authors a right of ownership in their works impacts such issues as whether it is permissible, without license from the author or publisher, to copy and distribute software and sound recordings, perform music in wedding halls, make copies for private and classroom use, and download songs from the Internet. There are numerous, and at times profound, differences in the terminology, form of argument, doctrinal specifics, and overarching legal framework of Jewish and secular law. Nonetheless, the arguments within the Jewish law debate have some intriguing parallels with those of secular copyright law. In fact, one finds the direct, if largely unstated, influence of secular copyright just below the surface in the debate in Jewish law about whether copyright is property.


Objective To correlate functional capacity test scores from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) subjects with their functional state as assessed by health-related quality of life questionnaires (one respiratory disease-specific [SGRQ] and one generic [SF-36] questionnaire). Materials and methods Study of a case series of 8 COPD patients. The following tests were performed: 1) Six-minute walk test (6-MWT); 2) Shuttle walking test (SWT); 3) Six-minute step test (6-MST); 4) Two-minute sit-to-stand test (STST); and 5) Pegboard and ring test (PBRT). Besides these tests, two health-related quality of life questionnaires were administered: The St George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey questionnaire. The statistical analysis was carried out by using the Shapiro-Wilk normality test, while correlations were assessed using Pearson's (parametric data) or Spearman's (non-parametric data) rank tests, with p < 0.05. Results The 6-MWT showed strong correlation with the SF-36 scales of physical functioning, general health, vitality, social functioning and mental health. Conversely, the other functional capacity tests showed no correlation with this questionnaire. The SGRQ showed no correlation with any of the tests. Conclusions The 6-MWT may be a good test to reflect the health-related quality of life of COPD subjects.


Building Information Modeling (BIM) obfuscates the role of composition, scale and abstraction by displacing the primacy of abstract conventions of representation with a methodology based on simulation. BIM subverts, while simultaneously clarifying, the holistic relationships of the parts to the whole in the architectural design of form and space. Architectural design education has great opportunity and risk in how it comes to terms with re-conceptualizing design education pedagogy as the profession struggles to redefine the media and methods of architectural deliverables in the age of BIM. The paper examines the foundation issues proposed by Integrated Practice. The paper questions how BIM and modeled simulation of architectural assemblage might transcend current definitions of convention in design and construction representation. This paper explores how the academy might prepare students of architecture for a digital practice that focuses on the virtual building model and database management. BIM and Integrated Practice viewed as provocateurs of design education provide great potential for critical analysis of how architectural design is taught. The associated pedagogies are transforming the way in which architectural education engages issues of design and representation and creates opportunities to question the roles and rules of traditional conventions. The paper seeks to engage issues of design specificity and ambiguity related to the assets and liabilities of digital modeling as the primary means of design and representation that BIM represents.


The determination of the direct kinematics of fully parallel manipulators is in general a difficult problem but has to be solved for any practical use. Various methods are presented to solve this problem: two kinds of iterative schemes, a reduced iterative scheme, and a polynomial method. The computation time of these methods are compared and their various advantages are shown. >


This paper constructed the overall framework of a real-time virtual campus, and achieved the modeling, environment setting and routing path generating with Multigen software. The puzzles in geometric modeling and virtual scene construction were also discussed in this paper, while the real-time routing was finally achieved in the virtual campus system. The content above would be helpful for the further projects about virtual campus.


A 51-year-old woman was seen in our hospital because an ascending colon tumor with extensive abdominal wall abscess was detected on computed tomography(CT). On the same day, we performed open drainage and laparoscopic assisted ileocolostomy. Postoperative day 35, we performed right hemicolectomy with abdominal wall resection and closure of the colostomy as a radical surgery. After surgery, we started(negative pressure wound therapy: NPWT)to the surgical wound site; hence, the abdominal wall defect could be healed without a musculocutaneous flap. Laparoscopic assisted open drainage, a two-stage operation, and NPWT are useful in a case of colon cancer with abdominal wall abscess.


Understanding how functional traits, which are key for plant functioning, relate to demographic parameters of populations is central to tackle pending issues in plant ecology such as the forecast of the fate of populations and communities in a changing world, the quantification of community assembly processes or the improvement of species distribution models. We addressed this question in the case of species from a Mediterranean rangeland of southern France. Changes in species abundance in response to management intensification (fertilization and increased grazing pressure) were followed over a 28‐year period. Probabilities of presence, and elasticities of the changes in the probability of space occupancy to colonization and survival, which are analogues of demographic parameters, were calculated for 53 species from the time series of abundance data using a space occupancy model. Nine quantitative traits pertaining to resource use, plant morphology, regeneration and phenology were measured on these species and related to demographic parameters. The long‐term dynamics of species in response to management intensification was associated with major changes in functional traits and strategies. Changes in the probability of occurrence—analogous to population growth rate—were correlated with traits describing the fast‐slow continuum of leaf functioning. The elasticity of population growth rate to colonization was significantly related to reproductive plant height and seed mass, and to a lower extent, to leaf carbon isotopic ratio. Synthesis. The functional response of species to management intensification corresponds to a shift along the second axis of a recently identified global spectrum of plant form and function, which maps, to some extent, onto the fast‐slow continuum of life‐history strategies. By contrast, the elasticity of colonization relates to the global spectrum axis capturing the size of organs. Seed mass contributes to this axis and is assumed to relate to one of the important traits structuring the reproductive strategy axis of life histories as well, namely net reproductive rate. While this mapping between functional and life‐history traits is appealing, further tests in contrasting types of communities are required to assess its degree of generality.


Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders among women of reproductive age. As a widely used complementary and alternative therapy, acupuncture is increasingly used to treat PCOS. However, the effect of acupuncture in treating PCOS is uncertain and the mechanisms are unclear. This systematic review aims to determine the efficacy of acupuncture on PCOS in animal preclinical models.Methods: We will search the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database. We will only include animal experiments of acupuncture in treating PCOS. The primary outcome will be homeostatic model assessment- insulin resistance. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) risk of bias tool. Confidence in the cumulative evidence will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. All meta-analyses will be conducted using Review Manager 5.4. Discussion: To the best of our knowledge, the use of acupuncture in treating PCOS has not yet been systematically reviewed in animal models. The evidence generated from this systematic review and meta-analysis could benefit future researches. Systematic review registration: OSF (Registration DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/FNM37)


We present the results of the Extremely Luminous Quasar Survey in the 3π survey of the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS; PS1). This effort applies the successful quasar selection strategy of the Extremely Luminous Survey in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey footprint (∼12,000 deg2) to a much larger area (∼21,486 deg2). This spectroscopic survey targets the most luminous quasars (M1450 ≤ −26.5; mi ≤ 18.5) at intermediate redshifts (z ≥ 2.8). Candidates are selected based on a near-infrared JKW2 color cut using WISE AllWISE and 2MASS photometry to mainly reject stellar contaminants. Photometric redshifts (zreg) and star−quasar classifications for each candidate are calculated from near-infrared and optical photometry using the supervised machine learning technique random forests. We select 806 quasar candidates at zreg ≥ 2.8 from a parent sample of 74,318 sources. After exclusion of known sources and rejection of candidates with unreliable photometry, we have taken optical identification spectra for 290 of our 334 good PS-ELQS candidates. We report the discovery of 190 new z ≥ 2.8 quasars and an additional 28 quasars at lower redshifts. A total of 44 good PS-ELQS candidates remain unobserved. Including all known quasars at z ≥ 2.8, our quasar selection method has a selection efficiency of at least 77%. At lower declinations, −30 ≤ decl. ≤ 0, we approximately treble the known population of extremely luminous quasars. We provide the PS-ELQS quasar catalog with a total of 592 luminous quasars (mi ≤ 18.5, z ≥ 2.8). This unique sample will not only be able to provide constraints on the volume density and quasar clustering of extremely luminous quasars, but also offers valuable targets for studies of the intergalactic medium.


. The accident at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant yielded massive and rapidly varying atmospheric radionuclide releases. The assessment of these releases and of the corresponding uncertainties can be performed using inverse modelling methods that combine an atmospheric transport model with a set of observations and have proven to be very effective for this type of problem. In the case of Fukushima-Daiichi, a Bayesian inversion is particularly suitable because it allows errors 5 to be modelled rigorously and a large amount of observations of different natures to be assimilated at the same time. More specifically, one of the major sources of uncertainty in the source assessment of the Fukushima-Daiichi releases stems from the temporal representation of the source. To obtain a well time-resolved estimate, we implement a MCMC sampling algorithm within a Bayesian framework, the Reversible-Jump MCMC, in order to retrieve the distributions of the magnitude of the Fukushima-Daiichi 137 Cs source as well as its temporal discretisation. In addition, we develop Bayesian methods allowing 10 to combine air concentration and deposition measurements, as well as to assess the spatio-temporal information of the air concentration observations in the definition of the observation error matrix. These methods are applied to the reconstruction of the posterior distributions of the magnitude and temporal evolution of the 137 Cs release. They yield a source estimate between 11 and 24 March, as well as an assessment of the uncertainties associated with the observations, the model and the source estimate. The total released reconstructed activity is estimated to be between 10 15 and 20 PBq, although it increases when taking into account the deposition measurements. Finally, the variable discretisation of the source term yields an almost hourly profile over certain intervals of high temporal variability, signaling identifiable portions of the source term.


In this article, we have exploited a microfluidic foaming technique for the generation of highly monodisperse gas-in-liquid bubbles as a templating system for scaffolds characterized by an ordered and homogeneous porous texture. An aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solution (containing a surfactant) and a gas (argon) are injected simultaneously at constant flow rates in a flow-focusing device (FFD), in which the gas thread breaks up to form monodisperse bubbles. Immediately after its formation, the foam is collected and frozen in liquid nitrogen, freeze-dried, and cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. In order to highlight the superior morphological quality of the obtained porous material, a comparison between this scaffold and another one, also constituted of PVA but obtained with a traditional gas foaming technique, was carried out. Such a comparison has been conducted by analyzing electron microscopy and X-ray microtomographic images of the two samples. It turned out that the microfluidic produced scaffold was characterized by much more uniform porous texture than the gas-foaming one as witnessed by narrower pore size, interconnection, and wall thickness distributions. On the other side, scarce pore interconnectivity, relatively low pore volume, and limited production rate represent, by now, the principal disadvantages of microfluidic foaming as scaffold fabrication method, emphasizing the kind of improvement that this technique needs to undergo.


An increased understanding of regional surface water quality and the key factors which differentiate regional from local differences is necessary for monitoring impacts such as mountain pine beetle infestation and related land management practices. This study develops a framework to identify water quality indicators which differentiate parameters influenced by rock type, by relatively short term anthropogenic activities, and those resulting from longer term climatic variability. Rock type was an overriding factor related to stream water chemistry in this British Columbia case study; with differences between watersheds differentiated by Ca, EC, Al and Fe. Grouping watersheds by their dominant rock type permitted the investigation of water quality with other watershed characteristics. The % forest cover, % pine cover, and dominant runoff processes demonstrated significant relationships with soluble cations, metals, turbidity and total organic carbon. Turbidity levels showed low variability, and relationships with mountain pine beetle were not strong; suggesting the need for more detailed data sets, selective monitoring of storm events, and longer term monitoring to improve predictive capacity.


Cancer can alter nutritional status through several mechanisms. By understanding these processes and implementing a comprehensive nutritional plan, health care professionals can improve cancer patients' nutritional status, clinical outcomes, and quality of life.


Angular differential cross sections of the double-electron capture in collisions of Ar4+ with Ar and Kr have been investigated at a collision energy of 800 eV. The reaction channels for single- and double-electron capture have been determined by means of translational energy spectroscopy. The favoured potential curve crossings are analysed. The measured differential cross sections are compared with semiclassical calculations. In the Ar4+/Kr system the simultaneous capture of both electrons as well as the two-step mechanism is found to contribute to the double capture process. The double-electron capture in Ar4+/Ar collisions is dominated by the two-step process. This difference is explained within a three-state Landau-Zener model.


Title of the dissertation: The children's surname in the different forms of "status filiationis".

In the study of this subject we have focused our attention on the judgments of the Constitutional Court in which it has been identified the recognition of a "superior" interest to the personal identity of the children, in the attribution of the surname, also in the various forms of status filiationis.
The right to the personal identity has been recognized for the first time with a judgment of the Cassation of 1985 and on 1994 the boundaries were established with the Constitutional judgment number 13 including also the use of the name, which is defined by the Court as "the first and the most important element which define the personal identity".
The Judge of the Laws, since the judgment n. 13 of 1994, followed by judgments nr 297 of 1996 and n. 120 of 2001, has therefore contented the right of the subject to maintain the surname which has became independent distinctive signed of the personality. Therefore, maintaining through the surname the identity owned even when events involving the changing of surname have happened. With reference to the relationship between the personal identity and the surname, the doctrine there are orientations highlighting the limits of the private function of the surname, highlighting also the public interests to the conservation of the surname.
Furthermore, we have been focusing on the experiences of the foreign countries in order to compare the different disciplines adopted which have been related with the express principles of the European Court for the Human Rights.
In the end we have paid attention to the attribution of the surname for subjects with two nationality with reference to the judgment of the Court of Justice of 2 October 2003, which was invested of the matter, fixing the principles of coordination between the internal disciplines.
The key of interpretation of Family law is identified in Article 2 of the Constitution, as the family, in its social aspect and in its juridical reflex, is tightly united to the existence, the dignity, the personality of each of its components.
In the valuation of the same interests that rise in the family community assume particular importance the interest of the minor and in the same time the role of the Judge in the valuation of this interest (Articles 250 paragraph 4, 251 paragraph 2, 284 paragraph 1 Civil Code).
The interest of the under age is identified also with the reaching of personal autonomy and of judgment on matters of strictly personal nature, (Articles 262 paragraph 2, Civil Code; 250 paragraph 2, Civil Code; 284, paragraph 4, Civil Code), as long as the minor's psychophysics integrity and his personality are protected.
The constitutional discipline of the family is strictly linked to the fundamental principles stated in Constitution articles n. 2 and n.3, with the first, recognises the close link between personality realization and the safeguard of the social formations, the second as public order principle.
The surname discipline, with the aim to protect the family unity through the imposition of the father surname, rejects a direct application of the above mentioned principles.
In the light of the above, it is therefore noted, that the legislator provided for acts in order to attribute the surname in minor and specific circumstances such us underage adoption (l. 184/1983) and of age (art.299 c.c.) and for natural child recognition (art. 262 c.c.), whereas in the hypothesis of legitimate family, the surname discipline is still ruled by pater legem custom which is not susceptible of Constitutional legality control and in accordance to which, the legitimate child acquires his father surname in accordance with a not written rule to safeguard the family unity.
It is necessary that the surname is detected in accordance with the rules stated by the law, but those rules also have to leave to the private autonomy a limited preconceived choice, (as for instance when the natural child of age is recognised by the mother, who may subsequently decide whether to add or substitute the father surname).
It is for this reason that the conventions which regulate some aspects of the family life including those related to the children gain even more importance, with ample space to the possibility for the parties of negotiation; whereas the legislation fixes general principle and adopts the function of dictating the limits of the autonomy, and in residual way, intervenes in the hypothesis of the lacking of fulfilment spontaneous or contrary.
In the system of 1975, it is certainly present the knowledge of a new physiognomy of the family which has became place of search for the agreement and than of performance of the autonomy of negotiation, for which it has been recovered in the familiar context the category of the private autonomy and of the juridical agreement, largely discussed and contested for the regulation of the personal relationships.
Many European countries prescribe since long time ago rules of assignment of the surname more abiding with the principle of non discrimination between the spouses.
From the comparison between the experiences of some countries such as Spain, France, Germany, it has shown how, in countries such as Spain, the introduction of the Reform of the Surname, the change is justified on the basis of the need of adjusting to the principle of EC Law, which prescribe the elimination by all the member States of all the discriminations based on sex and the adjustment to the Judgment of the Court of Human Right, which has confirmed this principle.


This poster presents a distributed reference-free fault detection algorithm which is based on local pair-wise verification. We show there exist a linear relationship between the output of any pair of sensors if the system excitations can be aggregated as a single system input. Using this relationship, faulty sensors suffering from sparse spike errors can be identified with high accuracy by our algorithm. An appealing feature of our method is that existence of reference sensors and knowledge of system input are not required. preliminary performance analysis shows that the algorithm is scalable, robust and able to detect most of the faults exist in the sen-sors. Communication power is also greatly reduced by the distributed nature of the algorithm.


For nearly 30 years, the Univ. of Maine has been conducting woody ornamental plant performance evaluations. While there are a number of focus collections under evaluation, the Rhododendron collection is one of the central features of the program. This report offers performance data for more than 100 specimens grown at the Lyle E. Littletield Ornamentals Trial Garden on the campus of the Univ. of Maine. Winter survival, folk disease rating, fall foliage color and effectiveness, and flowering dates are included.


There is increasing pressure on, and decline of mopane woodlands due to increasing use and competition for mopane resources in Zimbabwe in Namibia. Community management strategies, based largely on local knowledge are evidently unable to cope. Research has generated potentially useful information for mopane woodland management, but this information has not been utilized. The work reported in this paper sought to add value to research work conducted on mopane woodlands by developing effective community-based mopane woodland management regimes that were based on both local and scientific knowledge in Zimbabwe and Namibia. The conditions under which research findings were likely to be adopted for mopane woodland management by communities were investigated. The study was conducted at two sites each in Matobo and Omusati Districts in Zimbabwe and Namibia respectively. The mopane woodland resources in the two study areas were assessed using scientific ecological methods. A range of participatory methods was used to collect information on use of mopane woodland resources by communities, institutional arrangements governing access to and use of these resources and to evaluate scientific knowledge for applicability in local management regimes. Coppicing, thinning and pollarding were the research generated management methods evaluated. Realities such as availability of woodland resources and social roles and responsibilities influenced preferences for woodland management interventions


Author(s): D'Angelo, Gino J.; Wenner, Willard L.; Keegan, Marian S. | Abstract: Hemlock Farms Community Association (HFCA) is a g4,500-acre private, gated community located in Pike County, Pennsylvania, established in the 1960s. During our study, 3,150 homes existed in HFCA, with 400 more homes expected to be built in the future. In recent years, the community took proactive steps to coexist with white-tailed deer in the community. Residents were fully involved in deer management decision making early in the process. Through the Pennsylvania Game Commission Deer Management Assistance Program, HFCA has allowed hunting by residents in undeveloped areas of the community to assist in reducing and maintaining deer densities. Non-lethal techniques to prevent browsing of the forest understory and landscape vegetation by deerother than fencingwere ineffective. U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services was consulted in 2005 by HFCA to initiate an integrated white-tailed deer damage management program to reduce damage to forest regeneration and landscaping, and to protect human health and safety. In October 2005, we began lethal deer removal via sharpshooting to reduce the deer population to 10 deer per square mile of forested habitat (50 deer) from an estimated =125 deer per square mile of forested habitat. By winter 2009-2010, we removed a total of 830 deer, bringing the population within the management goals of the community. The forest understory rebounded, deer-vehicle collisions were reduced to an annual level of near zero. Physiological indices suggested that the health of deer improved as population densities were decreased. Residents voted annually on a referendum to continue culling of deer. Therefore, monitoring of the deer population and education of residents will remain important components of the deer management regime.


It is difficult for traditional signal-recognition methods to effectively classify and identify multiple emitter signals in a low SNR environment. This paper proposes a multi-emitter signal-feature-sorting and recognition method based on low-order cyclic statistics CWD time-frequency images and the YOLOv5 deep network model, which can quickly dissociate, label, and sort the multi-emitter signal features in the time-frequency domain under a low SNR environment. First, the denoised signal is extracted based on the low-order cyclic statistics of the typical modulation types of radiation source signals. Second, the time-frequency graph of multisource signals was obtained through CWD time-frequency analysis. The cyclic frequency was controlled to balance the noise suppression effect and operation time to achieve noise suppression of multisource signals at a low SNR. Finally, the YOLOv5s deep network model is used as a classifier to sort and identify the received signals from multiple radiation sources. The method proposed in this paper has high real-time performance. It can identify the radiation source signals of different modulation types with high accuracy under the condition of a low SNR.


UNLABELLED
For the description of the mechanical properties of the arterial wall, a number of different models and mathematical approaches of varying complexity have been used. Most investigations based on the elastomeric approach have been related to the elastic properties of arteries, while relatively little is known about the arterial wall viscosity (eta w) and its dependence on circumferential wall stress (sigma t) and smooth muscle tone. For this reason we have examined these relationships on segments of the abdominal aorta, the carotid artery, and the tail artery of normotensive rats in vitro under the condition of strong smooth muscle activation induced by norepinephrine (NE), and during smooth muscle relaxation induced by papaverine (PAP).

RESULTS
1. For the abdominal aorta, the quotient of the dynamic (Ed) and the quasistatic elastic modulus (ESt) increase from 1.5 to 2.1 under NE, and from 1.2 to 1.5 under PAP, for the carotid artery from 2.8 to 3.9 under NE, and from 1.3 to 1.4 under PAP, when sigma t increases from 10 to 120 kPa. For the tail artery, this quotient is 8.6 under NE and 1.9 under PAP in the low sigma t-range (5 to 60 kPa) and 12.1 under NE and 1.5 under PAP in the sigma t-range between 60 and 120 kPa. 2. For all three types of arteries, Ed and eta w increases with increasing sigma t. At a given sigma t, the values of Ed are virtually independent of frequency, while the values of eta w decrease markedly with increasing frequency. 3. The values of Ed and eta w, obtained under NE and PAP, are virtually identical for a given sigma t-range.


Improving dietary folate intake is a central public health goal. However, critical voices have become louder warning of too high intake of folic acid. Safety concerns of a high folic acid exposure are usually limited to synthetic folic acid contained in drugs and food supplements. Against this background, the present article focuses on two matters: (a) How do the absorption and metabolism of synthetic folic acid differ from that of other folates? (b) How has the longterm safety of folic acid to be judged, especially regarding the risk of colorectal cancer, autism, asthma, impaired immune defence, masking vitamin B12 deficiency and interactions with the methotrexate metabolism?


In this work a tubular array (four tubes) subjected to a transverse forced flow is analyzed in terms of thermal performance. Taking into account that there are two main assembles usually used in heat exchanger equipment (aligned and staggered), and that there exist an uncountable number of possible assembles for an array of tubes, present work proposes to use the Constructal Theory to build an optimized assemble. The distance between tubes ( p ), and the region where tubes can be positioned are the geometric constraint of the problem. Four values for p were considered: p = 1.25 D (tube diameter), p = 1.5 D , p = 2 D , p is free (no restriction). Fluid flow is considered bi-dimensional, incompressible and laminar with Re D = 10 and Pr = 0.71. Mass, momentum and energy equations were solved by the Finite Volume Method (FVM) using FLUENT software. Geometry creation and mesh generation were performed with GMSH software while VISIT software was used for the post processing. Results have shown that imposing no restriction to tube positioning do not necessarily lead to best system thermal performance. In this particular study, setting p = 2 D has resulted in best thermal performance.


Automated Text Summarization is a technique of summarizing any document or text automatically. Summarized text is the concise form of the given text. In Natural language processing many text summarization techniques are available for English language, but only a few for Bangla language. Bangla is one of the most taught and used language all over the world. Most of the text summarization techniques are implemented in two different ways, known as abstractive or extractive approach. This paper deal with the summarization of Bangla text based on extractive method. A new efficient extractive summarization method is proposed in this work. The other summarization tools developed for Bangla language seems not much appropriate from application point of view. The proposed analysis models are applicable for Bangla text summarization. In the proposed approach, basic extractive summarization is applied with new proposed model and a set of Bangla text analysis rules derived from the heuristics. Every Bangla sentences and words from original text is analyzed properly with Bangla sentence clustering method. This work proposed a new type of sentence scoring processes for Bangla text summarization. In the evaluation of this technique, the system reflects good accuracy of results, comparing to that of the human generated summarized result and other Bangla text summarization tools.


This paper suggests a multiple robot simulator which considers the uncertainties in robot motion and sensing. A mobile robot moves with errors due to some kinds of uncertainties from actuators, wheels, electrical components, environments. In addition, sensors attached to a mobile robot can't make accurate output information because of uncertainties of the sensor itself and environment. Uncertainties in robot motion and sensing leads researchers find difficulty in building mobile robot navigation algorithms. Generally, a robot algorithm without considering unexpected uncertainties fails to control its action in a real working environment and it leads to some troubles and damages. Thus, the authors propose a simulator model which includes robot motion and sensing uncertainties to help making robust algorithms. Sensor uncertainties are applied in range sensors which are widely used in mobile robot localization, obstacle detection, and map building. The paper shows performances of the proposed simulator by comparing it with a simulator without any uncertainty.


Abstract Surveys for Asian longhorned beetles, Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), currently rely upon visual examination of trees to discover signs of attack. By embedding simulated A. glabripennis oviposition pits and exit holes on open-grown Norway maples, Acer platanoides L. (Aceraceae), we evaluated the effect of sign density, height above ground (below or above 2.5 m), and position (bole or branch) when foliage was present or absent on inspector ability to distinguish trees with or without signs. From this, we quantified detectability, or the proportion of trees correctly identified as infested, and determined the time taken to do so. Effectiveness in detecting trees with signs improved when sign density increased, when signs were below 2.5 m, and when oviposition pits were located on boles and exit holes on branches. These main findings require some caveats, due to a number of significant interactions. Foliage presence/absence had no apparent influence on effectiveness; possible reasons are provided for this result. Time-to-find curves, which illustrated the proportion of inspectors who accurately identified an infested tree as a function of survey duration, revealed that for most treatment combinations, most infested trees were detected within the first 2 min of survey time. These findings provide baseline data to assist managers in designing effective protocols for ground surveys of A. glabripennis.


The protease-antiprotease balance and concentration of immunoglobulin was evaluated in some respiratory tract diseases. Analysis was carried out on 24 patients with atopic bronchial asthma, 21 with chronic bronchitis, 27 with bronchiectasis and 18 healthy smokers volunteers. In examination of BAL fluid some selective changes of proteolytic enzymes activities and concentrations of their natural inhibitors were documented. In atopic bronchial asthma the increased activity of acid protease, acid phosphatase and concentration of alpha-2-macroglobulin was the most characteristic. In chronic bronchitis there was an increase of acid protease, alkaline phosphatase and concentration of alpha-1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, but in bronchiectasis the increase of neutral and acid proteases activities and concentration of all examined natural inhibitors was noted. The changes in concentration of IgA and IgG confirmed their participation in local defense response. All examined BAL enzyme activities and concentrations of inhibitors and immunoglobulins were compared with the results of the parameters in serum, mentioned above. The obtained finding supports the suggestion that the proteolytic enzymes, their natural inhibitors and immunoglobulins play an important role in the respiratory tract pathology. Immunobiochemical analysis of BAL in atopic bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis may be useful for clinical prognosis and pharmacological treatment.


Introduction: The presence of NO as a marker of airway inflammation and indirectly as a general indicator of inflammation and oxidative stress-incrimination as incriminating factor in lung cancer at an early stage and then the treatment of disease after chemotherapy. Purpose: We studied whether exhaled NO levels altered by 3 cycles of chemotherapy the levels at diagnosis and whether directly or indirectly related to the course of disease. Also, correlation levels of NO with other markers of inflammation. Method: We studied 28 patients early diagnosed -18 men and 10 women with lung cancer.We analyse.blood tests for control of inflammatory markers, functional pulmonary tests and alveolar exhaled nitric oxide. Results: Recorded decrease in exhaled NO after 3 cycles of chemotherapy in all patients regardless of histological type and stage. 28 patients with a mean 6.8 NO occurs after 3 cycles average 4.9, a value which is normal. Also appears strong correlation between NO before and after chemotherapy and CRP (p It is a further breakdown of data by the statistical program SPSS, with subgroups for analysis based histological types. Conclusions: NO alveolar as an indicator of airway inflammation, indicates response to chemotherapy in lung cancer. Also the inflammatory process in lung cancer confirmed and indicates response to chemotherapy through an index which is sensitive to inflammatory diseases of the airways and not reused in lung cancer before and after chemotherapy.


Time-definite common carriers are third-party logistics providers that publish tariffs and provide door-to-door pickup and delivery services for small shippers. Their time-sensitive transport operations are critical outsourced activities for a successfully integrated supply chain. In a pure hub-and-spoke network, centers are points of pickup and delivery while hubs are points of consolidation. When the magnitude of demand is uncertain, the stochastic load-planning problem is to determine freight paths and design a balanced trailer network so that expected operating cost is minimum while integral and operational side constraints are met. Demands are assumed to be a finite discrete distribution. Both the first phase and the recourse are pure integer programs. As a result of study of necessary conditions, a heuristic solving algorithm was developed. As a representative example, a small hub-and-spoke network of the third largest carrier in Taiwan was selected for numerical experiments. Results showed a small fleet size with lower operating costs than with the conventionally used deterministic load plan. Stochastic planning is sensitive to the demand fluctuation, whereas deterministic planning is not. Also, the larger the deviation from estimated shipping demand, the higher the operating cost. Finally, if the carrier must pay a higher wage rate for standby drivers, the carrier must assign a larger feeder fleet to anticipate a surge in demand.


Maintenance of cardiorespiratory homeostasis depends on autonomic reflexes controlled by neuronal circuits of the brainstem. The neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of these reflex pathways are well understood, however, the mechanisms and functional significance of autonomic circuit modulation by glial cells remain largely unknown. Maintenance of cardiorespiratory homeostasis depends on autonomic reflexes controlled by neuronal circuits of the brainstem. The neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of these reflex pathways are well understood, however, the mechanisms and functional significance of autonomic circuit modulation by glial cells remain largely unknown. In the experiments conducted in male laboratory rats we show that astrocytes of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), the brain area that receives and integrates sensory information from the heart and blood vessels, respond to incoming afferent inputs with [Ca2+]i elevations. Astroglial [Ca2+]i responses are triggered by transmitters released by vagal afferents, glutamate acting at AMPA receptors and 5-HT acting at 5-HT2A receptors. In conscious freely behaving animals blockade of Ca2+-dependent vesicular release mechanisms in NTS astrocytes by virally driven expression of a dominant-negative SNARE protein (dnSNARE) increased baroreflex sensitivity by 70% (p < 0.001). This effect of compromised astroglial function was specific to the NTS as expression of dnSNARE in astrocytes of the ventrolateral brainstem had no effect. ATP is considered the principle gliotransmitter and is released by vesicular mechanisms blocked by dnSNARE expression. Consistent with this hypothesis, in anesthetized rats, pharmacological activation of P2Y1 purinoceptors in the NTS decreased baroreflex gain by 40% (p = 0.031), whereas blockade of P2Y1 receptors increased baroreflex gain by 57% (p = 0.018). These results suggest that glutamate and 5-HT, released by NTS afferent terminals, trigger Ca2+-dependent astroglial release of ATP to modulate baroreflex sensitivity via P2Y1 receptors. These data add to the growing body of evidence supporting an active role of astrocytes in brain information processing. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cardiorespiratory reflexes maintain autonomic balance and ensure cardiovascular health. Impaired baroreflex may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and serves as a robust predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The data obtained in this study suggest that astrocytes are integral components of the brainstem mechanisms that process afferent information and modulate baroreflex sensitivity via the release of ATP. Any condition associated with higher levels of "ambient" ATP in the NTS would be expected to decrease baroreflex gain by the mechanism described here. As ATP is the primary signaling molecule of glial cells (astrocytes, microglia), responding to metabolic stress and inflammatory stimuli, our study suggests a plausible mechanism of how the central component of the baroreflex is affected in pathological conditions.


We test whether life-contingent annuity prices promptly and fully adjust to changes in interest rates; a standard assumption made implicitly or explicitly in a growing annuity literature. Using a unique database consisting of over 3 million U.S. annuity quotes, we find that prices do not move as one might expect. Rather, prices adjust gradually and over a period of several weeks and often months, in response to certain -- and not necessarily riskless -- interest rate changes. In particular, we find that changes to the 30-year U.S. mortgage rate provide a better fit and indication of where annuity payouts are headed, compared to the 10-year swap rate, for example. In addition, we find that the sensitivity to interest rate changes (a.k.a. annuity duration) is asymmetric. Annuity prices react more rapidly and with greater sensitivity to an increase in the relevant interest rate compared to a decrease. Overall our findings are inconsistent with a financial economic view of a life annuity as a risk-free bond-like instrument, plus mortality credits. We believe that we are the first to examine the dynamic microstructure of annuity prices and that our results have implications for a wide swath of existing literature. This includes portfolio choice at retirement, the optimal timing of annuitization, the money's worth ratio, the inference of mortality expectations from insurance prices as well as the valuation of pension liabilities.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

Neurofibromin is a product of the tumor suppressor gene Nf1 which is responsible for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). When NF1 is mutated, Ras is constitutively active, enabling affected cells to proliferate extensively. This proliferation can result in tumor formation, particularly in neural crest-derived cells in the peripheral nervous system. NF1 patients can also exhibit cognitive deficits and develop other symptoms unrelated to cancer. While it is common knowledge that neurofibromin is involved in tumor formation, little is known about its function in neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in normal and pathological settings. In addition to Ras-GAP function, recent studies have demonstrated that neurofibromin has a novel role on neuronal differentiation via its GAP-related domain. Thus we have speculated that abnormal regulation of NF1-GAP in neuronal cells may be implicated in NF1-related learning and memory disorders. The aim of the present work is to evaluate the role of neurofibromin in neuronal cell differentiation using stem cells (SCs) expressing different levels of neurofibromin. We have developed a new system to differentiate mouse SCs via formation of an embryoid body, a floating cell cluster which, by markers and function, mimicks adult neural stem cells. We have shown that the mouse embryonic ESs of all NF1 genotypes in our possession retain their pluripotency and can be differentiated into neuronal cells. This systematic study of complex molecular events in signaling pathways that occur in mouse embryonic SCs that have one (Nf1+/-), both (Nf1+/+) or neither (Nf1-/-) functional allele during in vitro differentiation is critical for a better understanding of the biology of neurofibromatosis and identification of potential targets.

Citation Format: Michelle Farbaniec, Adri Chakraborty, Natalia Coleman. The role of neurofibromin in stem cell differentiation. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5054. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-5054


Illumination estimation is the essential step of computational color constancy, one of the core parts of various image processing pipelines of modern digital cameras. Having an accurate and reliable illumination estimation is important for reducing the illumination influence on the image colors. To motivate the generation of new ideas and the development of new algorithms in this field, the 2nd Illumination estimation challenge~(IEC\#2) was conducted. The main advantage of testing a method on a challenge over testing in on some of the known datasets is the fact that the ground-truth illuminations for the challenge test images are unknown up until the results have been submitted, which prevents any potential hyperparameter tuning that may be biased. The challenge had several tracks: general, indoor, and two-illuminant with each of them focusing on different parameters of the scenes. Other main features of it are a new large dataset of images (about 5000) taken with the same camera sensor model, a manual markup accompanying each image, diverse content with scenes taken in numerous countries under a huge variety of illuminations extracted by using the SpyderCube calibration object, and a contest-like markup for the images from the Cube+ dataset that was used in IEC\#1. This paper focuses on the description of the past two challenges, algorithms which won in each track, and the conclusions that were drawn based on the results obtained during the 1st and 2nd challenge that can be useful for similar future developments.


This systematic review intends to identify how sustainable manufacturing research is contributing to the development of the Industry 4.0 agenda and for a broader understanding about the links between the Industry 4.0 and Sustainable Manufacturing by mapping and summarising existing research efforts, identifying research agendas, as well as gaps and opportunities for research development. A conceptual framework formed by the principles and technological pillars of Industry 4.0, sustainable manufacturing scope, opportunities previously identified, and sustainability dimensions, guided analysis of 35 papers from 2008–2018, selected by a systematic approach. Bibliometrics data and social network analysis complement results identifying how research is being organised and its respective research agendas, relevant publications, and status of the research lifecycle. Results point to that the current research is aligned with the goals defined by different national industrial programs. There are, however, research gaps and opportunities for field development, becoming more mature and having a significant contribution to fully developing the agenda of Industry 4.0.


Public organizations handle many request from citizens, some are routine requests, while others are more complex. To handle requests it is assumed that the case handler and the client share some common grounds, for example that the client and handler have a basic shared understanding of the roles and requirement on them. In this paper we examine how the concept of open data can be used to help the interaction between the client and the case handler. Open data builds upon that public data sources, such as legislations and explanations thereof, is made public. Third parties can then make use of this data and provide tailor-made services for clients. The paper is based on a case study performed at a Swedish municipality, and focus on the potential of open data application for improving the municipalities case handling.


Background: Mentoring the students helps to remold ones both personal and professional life. A good mentor can always bring an astonishing development in the life of a mentee. Although the mentoring in medical school dates back to the 1970s, its application evolved in late 1990s. The main goal of mentoring medical students is to provide a proper academic guidance, personal support and to achieve professional development of the students. To achieve these, an active participation of both the mentor and mentee is very much essential.

Aims and Objectives: Our study aimed to know the expectations of mentees toward mentoring program and also the effectiveness of the program that they had undergone for one academic year during their first MBBS.

Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in Sapthagiri Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (SIMSRC), Bengaluru, for a period of 1 month. The study group comprises 150 students studying in the 1st year MBBS at SIMSRC, Bengaluru. A panel discussion was held for 2 h to discuss the benefits of mentoring followed by which a self-prepared semi-structured questionnaire consisting of both open- and closed-ended shared to the volunteer subjects through online Google Forms. The data were extracted through Microsoft Excel and data analysis was carried through Microsoft Excel.

Results: In our study, around 90% of the students had attended all the mentoring sessions among them 94% of the students opine mentoring is required, 97% of the students agrees their mentors are approachable, 88% of the students prefer 1:10 mentor-mentee ratio, and the remaining 12% of them opine 1:20 mentor-mentee ratio would suffice. About 58% of the students feel mentors to be chosen by them and 42% feels the mentors to be randomly allotted to them. About 82% of them have improved in their academics after the mentor-mentee meeting whereas 18% did not show any changes.

Conclusion: Most of the students prefer direct contact with the mentors and one-to-one mentoring, preferred timely meeting is more effective than frequent meeting preferably after each internals and mentoring helps in academic as well as overall development of mentees and most of mentees prefer to choose their mentor of choice for effective mentorship.


The extraordinary proliferative capacity of cancer necessitates specialized metabolic programming on the part of cancer cells. Indeed, this specialized metabolism not only facilitates growth but also creates a hypoxic, acidic, nutrient-deprived tumor microenvironment able to thwart immune destruction. We hypothesized that by targeting tumor metabolism we could not only slow down tumor growth but also "condition" tumors to be more susceptible to immunotherapy. Inherent to the specialized metabolism of tumors is a markedly increased requirement for glutamine. To this end we have devised a novel glutamine antagonist that is delivered as an inert prodrug that is converted to the active drug by enzymatic activity, which is enriched in tumors. In syngeneic mouse models of cancer our prodrug (JHU-083) markedly inhibited tumor growth, leading to cure of mice after only 14 days of monotherapy. Importantly, targeting glutamine metabolism led to a decreased extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), decreased hypoxia, and increased nutrient availability. Furthermore, we observed decreases in MDSC and fibrocytes with a concomitant increase in inflammatory (TNF-producing) tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Likewise, there was an increase in the CD8:Treg ratio and in some tumors a decrease in PDL1 expression on both tumors and infiltrating immune cells. Most importantly, JHU-083 markedly enhanced the efficacy of immunotherapy in the form of checkpoint blockade, adoptive cellular therapy (ACT), and A2aR blockade. Overall our studies define a novel compound for targeting metabolism as a means of enhancing immunotherapy for cancer. Citation Format: Jonathan D. Powell, Robert Leone, Judd Englert, Rana Rais, Barbara Slusher. Targeting metabolism to enhance immunotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY33-01. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-SY33-01


This paper evaluates a design-driven, tool-based approach, named DiaSuite, dedicated to developing applications involving sensors and actuators. Specifically, we evaluate the usability and the learning cost of DiaSuite as a first step to assess the potential for transferring this technology to the industrial practice of this domain. We assess the cost of learning DiaSuite by involving four professional programmers in a usability study involving a software engineering task. This experiment brings preliminary evidence that the DiaSuite technology can be used effectively by professional developers after only half a day of training. We then present qualitative data about the usage and usability of DiaSuite, collected from developers, via questionnaires and interviews. Finally, we discuss lessons learned from this work.


We propose a control strategy for the simultaneous suppression and confinement of vibrations in linear time-varying structures. The proposed controller has time-varying gains and can also be used for linear time-invariant systems. The key idea is to alter the original modes by appropriate feedback forces to allow parts of the structure reach their steady states at faster rates. It is demonstrated that the convergence of these parts to zero is improved at the expense of slowing down the settling of the remaining parts to their steady states. The proposed control strategy can be applied for the rapid removal of vibration energy in sensitive parts of a flexible structure for safety or performance reasons. The stability of the closed-loop system is proven through a Lyapunov approach. An illustrative example of a five-link manipulator with a periodic follower force is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method for time-varying as well as time-invariant systems.


This paper presents an analysis of comfort measurements taken in a bicycle trailer for transport of children. The vibration level was then compared to that in a cargo-trike and in a passenger car. The current research contributes to the rare literature on passenger comfort in bicycle trailers through measurements with accelerometer sensors between the seat in the trailer and a dummy representing an infant child. The varied parameters were the tyre inflation pressure, the driving velocity, as well as the additional load in the trailer. The results show a quite high weighted acceleration of 1...3ms2 on asphalt and 3...5ms2 on cobblestone pavement, which is similar to that in a compared cargo-trike but significant higher than the vibration level in the compared car.


We report on experimental observation of hydrogen atoms embedded in 50 nm thick films of solid H2. A 50 ppm mixture of H in H2 is deposited on surfaces of the sample cell as a result of recombination of a polarized atomic hydrogen gas H↓. We did not see any noticeable recombination loss of the H atoms in the H2 film during 4 days of observation at temperatures ⩽100 mK.


GM is not like natural plant breeding. GM uses laboratory techniques to insert artificial gene units to re-programme the DNA blueprint of the plant with completely new properties. This process would never happen in nature. The artificial gene units are created in the laboratory by joining fragments of DNA, usually derived from multiple organisms, including viruses, bacteria, plants and animals. For example, the GM gene in the most common herbicide resistant soya beans was pieced together from a plant virus, a soil bacterium and a petunia plant.