Emerging nonvolatile memories (NVMs) suffer from low write endurance, resulting in early cell failures (hard errors), which reduce memory lifetime. It was recognized early on that conventional error-correcting codes (ECCs), which are designed for soft errors, are a poor choice for addressing hard errors in NVMs. This led to the evolution of hard error correction schemes like dynamically replicated memory (DRM), error-correcting pointers (ECPs), SAFER, FREE-p, PAYG, and Zombie memory to improve NVM lifetime. Whereas these approaches made significant inroads in addressing hard errors and low memory lifetime in NVMs, overcoming the challenges of underutilization of error-correcting resources and/or implementation overhead (e.g., codec latency, hardware support) remain areas of active research and development. This article proposes error-correcting strings (ECSs) as a high-utilization, low-latency solution for hard error correction in single-/multi-/triple-level cell (SLC/MLC/TLC) NVMs. At its core, ECS adopts a base-offset approach to store pointers to the failed memory cells; in this work, base is the address of the first failed cell in a memory block and offsets are the distances between successive failed cells in that memory block. Unlike ECP, which uses fixed-length pointers, ECS uses variable-length offsets to point to the failed cells, thereby realizing more pointers to tolerate more hard errors per memory block. Further, this article proposes eXtended-ECS (XECS), a page-level error correction architecture, which employs dynamic on-demand ECS allocation and opportunistic pattern-based data compression to improve NVM lifetime by 2× over ECP-6 for comparable overhead and negligible impact to system performance. Finally, this article demonstrates that ECS is a drop-in replacement for ECP to extend the lifetime of state-of-the-art ECP-based techniques like PAYG and Zombie memory; ECS is also compatible with MLC/TLC NVMs, where it complements drift-induced soft error reduction techniques like ECC and incomplete data mapping to simultaneously extend NVM lifetime.


This study presents a theoretical structure for the monocular pose estimation problem using the total least squares. The unit-vector line-of-sight observations of the features are extracted from the monocular camera images. First, the optimization framework is formulated for the pose estimation problem with observation vectors extracted from unit vectors from the camera center-of-projection, pointing towards the image features. The attitude and position solutions obtained via the derived optimization framework are proven to reach the Cram\'er-Rao lower bound under the small angle approximation of the attitude errors. Specifically, The Fisher Information Matrix and the Cram\'er-Rao bounds are evaluated and compared to the analytical derivations of the error-covariance expressions to rigorously prove the optimality of the estimates. The sensor data for the measurement model is provided through a series of vector observations, and two fully populated noise-covariance matrices are assumed for the body and reference observation data. The inverse of the former matrices appear in terms of a series of weight matrices in the cost function. The proposed solution is simulated in a Monte-Carlo framework with 10,000 samples to validate the error-covariance analysis.


The title compound, C(20)H(14)Te(2), shows a transoid conformation, with a C[bond]T[bond]-[bond]Te[bond]C torsion angle of 97.96 (9) degrees. The Te[bond]Te units show approximate eta(6) interactions with neighbouring naphthyl groups, forming chains along the c axis. The molecule lies about a crystallographic twofold axis.


Background: Although independent association of socioeconomic status (SES) or physical activity (PA) with obesity has been well-documented in urban settings, their independent and joint associations on obesity measures are limited in rural regions. Methods: Almost 38,000 (n = 37,922) individuals were included from the Henan Rural Cohort Study. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to evaluate PA. Obesity was reflected by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage (BFP), and visceral fat index (VFI). The independent and interactive effects of SES and PA on obesity were analyzed by logistic regression models and generalized linear regression models, respectively. Results: Compared with high education level, the OR (95%CI) of obesity defined by BMI with low education level was 1.466 (1.337, 1.608), 1.064 (0.924, 1.225), and 1.853 (1.625, 2.114) in total population, men and women, respectively. Besides, the OR (95%CI) of obesity defined by BMI associated with per capita monthly income were 1.089 (1.015, 1.170), 1.192 (1.055, 1.347), 1.038 (0.951, 1.133) in total population, men and women, respectively. Similar results had been observed in other obesity measures. Negative interactive association of low education level and PA on obesity measures were observed only in women (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that women are more susceptible to obesity concerning low SES and that adequate PA may be a potential target for mitigating the negative effect of low SES on obesity in women. Clinical Trial Registration: The Henan Rural Cohort Study has been registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Register (Registration number: ChiCTR-OOC-15006699) http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=11375.


Palaeoflood reconstructions based on stage evidence are typically conducted in data‐poor field settings. Few opportunities exist to calibrate the hydraulic models used to estimate discharge from this evidence. Consequently, an important hydraulic model parameter, the roughness coefficient (e.g. Manning's n), is typically estimated by a range of approximate techniques, such as 'visual estimation' and semi‐empirical equations. These techniques contribute uncertainty to resulting discharge estimates, especially where the study reach exhibits sensitivity in the discharge–Manning's n relation. We study this uncertainty within a hydraulic model for a large flood of known discharge on the Mae Chaem River, northern Thailand. Comparison of the 'calibrated' Manning's n with that obtained from semi‐empirical equations indicates that these underestimate roughness. Substantial roughness elements in the extra‐channel zone, inundated during large events, contribute significant additional sources of flow resistance that are captured neither by the semi‐empirical equations, nor by existing models predicting stage–roughness variations. This bedrock channel exhibits a complex discharge–Manning's n relation, and reliable estimates of the former are dependent upon realistic assignment of the latter. Our study demonstrates that a large recent flood can provide a valuable opportunity to constrain this parameter, and this is illustrated when we model a palaeoflood event in the same reach, and subsequently examine the magnitude–return period consequences of discharge uncertainty within a flood frequency analysis, which contributes its own source of uncertainty. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Porphyrin compounds are widely distributed in various natural products and biological systems. In this study, effects of porphyrin-related compounds including zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), protoporphyrin IX (PPIX), cyanocobalamin (CBL), hemin, and zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPC) were analyzed on color response of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) tetrazolium-based assay, a commonly-used method for analyzing cell viability. Color responses of MTT formazan formed in cells treated with ZnPP, PPIX, or ZnPC were significantly reduced even at submicromolar concentrations without affecting cell viability, whereas hemin and CBL did not. ZnPP, PPIX, and ZnPC rapidly induced degradation of MTT formazan already-produced by cells when exposed to light, but not under a dark condition. Photosensitizing properties of the three compounds were also verified through extensive generation of reactive oxygen species under light. The porphyrins did not affect the stability of water-soluble formazans including XTT, WST-1, WST-8, and MTS formazans. Several factors including different light sources and antioxidants modulated the degradation process of MTT formazan by the porphyrins. The results suggest that certain porphyrin compounds could cause a severe artifact in the MTT assay through rapid degradation of formazan dye due to their photosensitizing property, which needs to be considered carefully in the related assays.


Cities face a host of challenges including urbanisation and climate change and must quickly adapt and integrate sustainability solutions to deal with these challenges. One platform seen as a mechanism to support innovation for sustainability in cities is the concept of the living lab. A living lab is a user-centred, open innovation ecosystem that seeks to engage academia, industry and municipalities along with the community in the processes of co-creation and co-generation of products, processes or services in a real-world context. On-going research seeks to measure the potential of living labs to support innovation for sustainability as they are often regarded as a mechanism to support rapid social and technological transformations.

The triple bottom line perspective guides this investigation to examine the environmental, financial and social aspects of living labs. Several methods are used in this study to analyse and triangulate data as it relates to the triple bottom line, namely, literature analysis of 118 living labs, thirteen respondents to a survey of living labs, five semi-structured interviews of funding partners and relevant stakeholders, and geographic information systems (GIS) analysis of living labs in the Netherlands, England and Wales.

Living labs for sustainability offer the promise of sustainability transformations in cities; yet, issues plague the viability of living labs as a platform to usher such transitions. The results show that living labs most often engage in projects in the fields of energy efficiency and smart city solutions; yet, they do not communicate the decarbonisation and environmental impacts of their actions. In examining the extent to which the funding regime supports living labs, it is clear that the current funding strategy focuses on the financing of short-term projects as opposed to platforms or processes such as living labs. Consequently, the current funding regime needs to develop mechanisms that support platforms and ecosystems for sustainable innovation that would allow for long-term commitment and trust to be built between living labs and the community. Lastly, while living labs are often embedded in disadvantaged communities, it appears that living labs tend to only engage those willing participants who represent a non-diverse and privileged section of society. This analysis suggests that living labs for sustainability shall seek to engage all people impacted and included in their sustainability purview in the development of sustainability solutions.


The present paper deals with design and realization of a new mass flow sensor using the Peltier effect. The sensor, shaped as a bimetallic circuit includes two continuous parallel strips coated with a great deal of metal plated spots. In such a device, one track performs as a classical thermoelectrical circuitry whose both plated and uncoated parts provide the thermopile junctions. The other strip is subjected to electrical current so as to generate numerous small thermal gradients owing to the Peltier effect. Then, the resulting differences in temperature induce a Seebeck e.m.f. detected by the other strip acting as a receiver. The thermal coupling between transmitter and receiver tracks depends on many variation of the surrounding environment heat transfer coefficient. Therefore, such a device allows us to detect any shift in physical properties related to the apparent thermal conductivity. In special case of a steady state fluid, the induced e.m.f. in the receiving track hinges on the thermal conductivity. When the fluid is in relative motion along the sensor, the velocity can be read out as a funotion of voltage as an application, the sensor is placed into a tube conducting a fluid flow, in order to design a new mass flowmeter.


Abstract In various fields of data science, researchers often face problems of estimating the ratios of two probability densities. Particularly in the context of causal inference, the product of marginals for a treatment variable and covariates to their joint density ratio typically emerges in the process of constructing causal effect estimators. This article applies the general least square density ratio estimation methodology by Kanamori, Hido and Sugiyama to the product of marginals to joint density ratio, and demonstrates its usefulness particularly for causal inference on continuous treatment effects and dose-response curves. The proposed method is illustrated by a simulation study and an empirical example to investigate the treatment effect of political advertisements in the U.S. presidential campaign data.


A set of knitted poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fabrics was ozonated at room temperature for periods ranging from one to 60 minutes in order to identify any accompanying effects on physical properties (specifically whiteness, water-absorbency, flexural rigidity and burst strength), fiber surface integrity or internal microstructure. A significant (ca. 6% after 10 minutes of treatment) initial increase in whiteness was observed, with longer treatment times producing little further change. The fabric's absorbency and flexibility both increased, the time of wetting having fallen by ca. 20% and the flexural rigidity by ca. 16%, respectively, after 10 minutes of treatment. Fabric strength remained virtually unaffected for short times (up to 10 minutes) of ozonation, although longer treatments caused a measurable drop (ca. 10% after 60 minutes). SEM imaging showed virtually no evidence for surface damage, even after 60 minutes of treatment, whereas peroxide treatment caused massive pitting of the fiber surface. Raman spectroscopy of the ozonated PLA fabrics indicated that the treatment had not affected the internal microstructure of the fibers. Our conclusion is that brief (no more than 10 minutes) room-temperature ozonation is potentially an effective, safe and low-energy alternative to conventional higher temperature peroxide treatment.


In human blood platelet plasma membranes phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is asymmetrically distributed between the two leaflets. The main part of this phospholipid is localized at the inner half of the lipid bilayer. Upon stimulation of the cell a substantial transbilayer movement of PE as well as phosphatidylserine occurs and the outer leaflet then provides a procoagulant surface. The thrombin-induced PE flip-flop is inhibited by pretreatment of platelets with diamide, whereas pretreatment of platelets with diamide alone up to 5 mM did not change considerably the localization of PE in the platelet membrane. Thus, cytoskeletal proteins, which are modified by diamide, are not involved in the maintenance of the PE asymmetry but are important for the realization of the agonist-induced events in the platelets.


Traditionally safety and controls systems have been strictly separated from each other. There are both benefits and liabilities in this approach. Thus, modern system employing control and safety system parts do not necessarily make a strict separation between these two elements of the system. Regardless of the degree of separation, the nodes belonging to either control or safety system may need to communicate with each other to implement the desired functionality. An increasing number of systems nowadays utilize a fieldbus to connect the distributed nodes of the system together. A time comes in the design process, when one needs to select the architecture of the physical fieldbus. That is, how and which nodes are connected? In this paper, two patterns to organize the fieldbus architecture are illustrated. In short, one either can separate the fieldbus between the safety and control system nodes or use a shared fieldbus between the nodes.


In this paper I examine the role of theater in promoting a new nonracial democracy in South Africa during the 1980s. 1 Theater performances are seen as mediations between oral and literate English, enacted in the dramatic relations of the fictional world on the stage and in the theatrical relationship between performers and their audiences in the social space of the theater. Studies of two South African plays, Sophiatown and Asinamali, demonstrate how these connections are embodied in the presentation of the plays; I also show how they direct an audience's perceptions of their social world towards creative alternatives to that world. 2 � South African theater in the 1980s displayed a marked vitality and purposefulness. These qualities suggest that local political and socioeconomic conditions at that time created a climate in which cultural activities were central in the shaping of what contemporary political oratory now proclaims to be "the new South Africa." Certainly the recent impetus in political and business circles towards negotiating a future fundamentally different from South Africa's colonial history is matched by the energy with which ordinary people have been engaging themselves in cultural action as a means of identifying themselves within or against this vision of a restructured South African future. � � Culture tends now to be popularly perceived less as a received tradition of particular beliefs and behaviors and more as a course of action. It is something you do, rather than something you inherit like a family


The diagnostic delays pose a huge challenge to human brucellosis (HB), which increases the risk of chronicity and complications with a heavy disease burden. This study aimed to quantify and identify the associated factors in the diagnostic delays to its prevention, reduction, and elimination. This study analyzed risk factors associated with the diagnostic delays in a cross-sectional study with data collected from Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Diagnostic delays were defined with a cutoff of 30, 60, and 90 days. In different delay groups, risk factors of diagnostic delays were analyzed by univariate analysis and modeled by multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 14,506 cases were collected between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2017, of which the median diagnostic delays was 29 days [interquartile range (IQR): 14–54 days]. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the older age category was associated with longer diagnostic delays across all groups. Longer diagnostic delays increase with age among three delay groups (p for trend <0.001). Occupation as herdsman was associated with shorter diagnostic delays in group 1 with 30 days [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.890 (95% CI 0.804–0.986)]. Diagnostic delays was shorter in patients with brucellosis who were reported in CDC in all delay groups [aOR 0.738 (95% CI 0.690–0.790), 0.539 (95% CI 0.497–0.586), and 0.559 (95% CI 0.504–0.621)]. Pastoral/agricultural area was associated with shorter diagnostic delays in group 1 with 30 days [aOR, 0.889 (95%CI 0.831–0.951)] and group 3 with 90 days [aOR, 0.806 (95%CI 0.727–0.893)]. Stratified analysis showed that the older age category was associated with an increased risk of a long delay in both genders (p < 0.05). The older age group-to-youth group OR increased along with increased delay time (p for trend <0.001). Furthermore, the pastoral/agricultural area was associated with a shorter delay in males (p < 0.05). Delays exist in the diagnosis of HB. We should pay great attention to the risk factors of diagnostic delays, such as older population, non-herdsman, non-pastoral/agricultural area, non-disease prevention, and control agencies. Effective measures should shorten the diagnostic delays, achieve early detection, diagnosis, and treatment, and reduce the risk of HB's chronicity, complications, and economic burden.


This report is a summary of selected national transportation statistics from a wide variety of government and private sources. Included are cost, inventory, and performance data describing the passenger and cargo operations of the following modes: air carrier, general aviation automobile, bus, truck, local transit, rail, water, oil pipeline, and gas pipeline. The report includes basic descriptors of U.S. transportation, such as operating revenues and expenses, number of vehicles and employees, vehicle miles and passenger miles, etc. A supplementary section includes Transportation and the Economy and Energy in Transportation Energy in Transportation is divided into four parts: Energy Consumption, Energy Transport, Energy Intensiveness, and Energy Supply and Demand. Also included are the operating costs of automobiles of different sizes. In this edition, the edition, the selected data cover the period 1971 through 1981/1982.


Background and Aim: Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is an acute inflammatory disease of the gallbladder in the absence of cholecystolithiasis. It is a serious clinicopathologic entity, with a high mortality rate of 30–50%. A number of etiologies have been identified that can potentially trigger AAC. However, clinical evidence on its occurrence following COVID-19 remains scarce. We aim to evaluate the association between COVID-19 and AAC. Methods: We report our clinical experience based on 3 patients who were diagnosed with AAC secondary to COVID-19. A systematic review of the MEDLINE, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Embase databases was conducted for English-only studies. The latest search date was December 20, 2022. Specific search terms were used regarding AAC and COVID-19, with all associated permutations. Articles that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were screened, and 23 studies were selected for a quantitative analysis. Results: A total of 31 case reports (level of clinical evidence: IV) of AAC related to COVID-19 were included. The mean age of patients was 64.7 ± 14.8 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.1:1. Major clinical presentations included fever 18 (58.0%), abdominal pain 16 (51.6%), and cough 6 (19.3%). Hypertension 17 (54.8%), diabetes mellitus 5 (16.1%), and cardiac disease 5 (16.1%) were among the common comorbid conditions. COVID-19 pneumonia was encountered before, after, or concurrently with AAC in 17 (54.8%), 10 (32.2%), and 4 (12.9%) patients, respectively. Coagulopathy was noted in 9 (29.0%) patients. Imaging studies for AAC included computed tomography scan and ultrasonography in 21 (67.7%) and 8 (25.8%) cases, respectively. Based on the Tokyo Guidelines 2018 criteria for severity, 22 (70.9%) had grade II and 9 (29.0%) patients had grade I cholecystitis. Treatment included surgical intervention in 17 (54.8%), conservative management alone in 8 (25.8%), and percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage in 6 (19.3%) patients. Clinical recovery was achieved in 29 (93.5%) patients. Gallbladder perforation was encountered as a sequela in 4 (12.9%) patients. The mortality rate in patients with AAC following COVID-19 was 6.5%. Conclusions: We report AAC as an uncommon but important gastroenterological complication following COVID-19. Clinicians should remain vigilant for COVID-19 as a possible trigger of AAC. Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment can potentially save patients from morbidity and mortality. Relevance for Patients: AAC can occur in association with COVID-19. If left undiagnosed, it may adversely impact the clinical course and outcomes of patients. Therefore, it should be considered among the differential diagnoses of the right upper abdominal pain in these patients. Gangrenous cholecystitis can often be encountered in this setting, necessitating an aggressive treatment approach. Our results point out the clinical importance of raising awareness about this biliary complication of COVID-19, which will aid in early diagnosis and appropriate clinical management.


Intrapancreatic enteric duplication cysts are exceedingly rare, and the clinical presentation varies. We present a 48-year-old man with significant alcohol and tobacco abuse and a diagnosis of groove pancreatitis complicated by a pancreatic duct stricture, pseudocyst, and recurrent biliary obstruction. Due to failure of endoscopic therapy and concerning findings on endoscopic ultrasound with negative pathology, he underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy. Pathology revealed an intrapancreatic enteric duplication cyst, minimal chronic pancreatitis changes associated with pancreaticobiliary strictures, and no evidence of malignancy. This rare diagnosis should be considered in the differential for patients with idiopathic recurrent pancreaticobiliary duct strictures and pancreatic pseudomasses.


This study aims to know and identify Jogja values through art learning in kindergartens of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. This research method takes a qualitative approach with the process of data collection through observation, interviews and documentation as well as triangulating data to obtain data devalidation. The results of this study found that this art learning includes the development of children's dance, songs and children's traditional dolanan. The values contained in Jogja are the main ingredients in pouring this art learning material. These values are Hamemayu Hayuning Buwana, Sangkan paraning dumadi and manunggaling kawula gusti. In teaching these values, techniques in art learning that cannot be separated are elements of appreciation, exploration and expression.


We consider the problem of least-latency end-to-end routing over adaptively duty-cycled wireless sensor networks. Such networks exhibit a time-dependent feature, where the link cost and transmission latency from one node to other nodes vary constantly in different discrete time moments. We model the problem as the time-dependent Bellman-Ford problem. We show that such networks satisfy the first-in-first-out (FIFO) property, which makes the time-dependent Bellman-Ford problem solvable in polynomial-time. Using the beta-synchronizer, we propose a fast distributed algorithm to construct all-to-one shortest paths with polynomial message complexity and time complexity. The algorithm determines the shortest paths for all discrete times in a single execution, in contrast with multiple executions needed by previous solutions. We further propose an efficient distributed algorithm for time-dependent shortest path (TDSP) maintenance. We discuss a suboptimal implementation of our proposed algorithms that reduces their memory requirement.


Due to the increasing demand of electrical vehicles (EVs), prognostics of the battery state is of paramount importance. The nonlinearity of the signal (e.g. voltage) results in the complexity of analyzing the degradation of the battery. Aging characteristics extracted from the voltage, current, and temperature when the battery is fully charged/discharged were commonly used by previous researchers to determine the battery state. The drawbacks of the previous prediction algorithms are insufficient or irrelevant features to explicitly model the battery aging and the use of fully charged/discharged datasets, which might result in poor prediction accuracy. Therefore, this study proposes a feature selection technique to adequately select optimum statistical feature subset and the use of partial charge/discharge data to determine the battery remaining useful life (RUL) using Recurrent Neural Network – Long Short-Term Memory (RNN-LSTM). The proposed approach demonstrated exceptional RUL prediction results, with the root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.00286 and mean average error (MAE) of 0.00222 using partial discharge data. The proposed method shows prediction improvement in comparison with the use of full data and state-of-the-art outcomes from previous studies of the same open data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prognostic battery data sets.


Kesikkopru Dam Lake that is oligotrophic is represented by 11 Rotifera, nine Cladocera and eight Copepoda species. The data obtained from the zooplankton community in Kesikkopru Dam Lake were analysed by the Shannon - Weaver index. The index values showed no positive correlation with the total number of zooplanktonic organisms. Therefore, the index value (H= 2.10) is higher in autumn than in other seasons. The abundance data and Shannon – Weaver index values were both analysed by UPGM clustering method. Winter and summer seasons were found to be the most similar by using Shannon – Weaver index values, but spring and autumn showed similarity with seasonal abundance. In this respect, the Shannon - Weaver index is not useful for monitoring and determining the trophic status of Kesikkopru Dam Lake. However, H values express seasonal homogeneity in the species abundance of zooplankton community.


The abnormal regulation of epigenetic protein families is associated with the onset and progression of various human diseases. However, epigenetic processes remain relatively obscure at the molecular level, thus preventing the rational design of chemical therapeutics. An array of robust computational and modeling approaches can complement experiments to shed light on the complex mechanisms of epigenetic molecular recognition and can guide medicinal chemists in designing selective and potent drug molecules. Herein we present a review of studies focused on epigenetic molecular recognition from a biomolecular modeling viewpoint. Although the known epigenetic targets are numerous, this review focuses on the more limited protein families on which computational modeling has been successfully applied. Therefore, we review three main topics: 1) histone deacetylases, 2) histone demethylases, and 3) histone tail dynamics. A brief review of the biological background and biomedical relevance is presented for each topic, followed by a detailed discussion of the computational studies and their relevance.


Forced baptism, as a long-lasting instance of the persecution of Jews in Western societies, has been a highly controversial historiographical issue. Taking into account the risks involved in such a stance—as being a "lachrymose conception of Jewish history" and advocating "teleological," "anachronistic," "judiciary" views—this article deals with the historiographical trends which, ruling out the "persecuting society" paradigm and systematically minimizing the part played by religious factors to explain the forms of persecution, have resulted in specific works on historical causality and temporality. Two situations (the first Crusade in 1096 and the Crusade of the Pastoureaux in 1320) enable us to observe the mechanisms of rationalization in this new history of persecution, and show the diversity of its objects and approaches.


The implementation of livestock into cover crop integrated systems is a sustainable practice that has been shown to improve soil health and system diversity. However, the effects of pasture-raised poultry systems on broiler performance and welfare have not been well-documented. The experimental objective was to compare the performance, physiological, and economic outcomes of Freedom Ranger broilers raised in outdoor pastured versus conventional indoor settings. 176 slow-growing Freedom Ranger broilers were started in brooders for 21d, and then half were transferred to either indoor floor pens or outdoor chicken tractors for a 6 week grow-out cycle. Performance and welfare measures were recorded weekly. At d64, 40 birds per treatment were euthanized for tibia collection, and bone mineral density was analyzed by Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA). Under our research conditions, performance and welfare measures were not significantly affected by housing treatments, but bone mineral content and density were significantly increased by 37.9% and 15.4%, respectively, in the outdoor flock (P<0.05). Future research will investigate the impacts of pasture-raised poultry systems on bird behavior and welfare.


Background Cell specification and differentiation in the endosperm of cereals starts at the maternal-filial boundary and generates the endosperm transfer cells (ETCs). Besides the importance in assimilate transfer, ETCs are proposed to play an essential role in the regulation of endosperm differentiation by affecting development of proximate endosperm tissues. We attempted to identify signalling elements involved in early endosperm differentiation by using a combination of laser-assisted microdissection and 454 transcriptome sequencing. Principal Findings 454 sequencing of the differentiating ETC region from the syncytial state until functionality in transfer processes captured a high proportion of novel transcripts which are not available in existing barley EST databases. Intriguingly, the ETC-transcriptome showed a high abundance of elements of the two-component signalling (TCS) system suggesting an outstanding role in ETC differentiation. All components and subfamilies of the TCS, including distinct kinds of membrane-bound receptors, have been identified to be expressed in ETCs. The TCS system represents an ancient signal transduction system firstly discovered in bacteria and has previously been shown to be co-opted by eukaryotes, like fungi and plants, whereas in animals and humans this signalling route does not exist. Transcript profiling of TCS elements by qRT-PCR suggested pivotal roles for specific phosphorelays activated in a coordinated time flow during ETC cellularization and differentiation. ETC-specificity of transcriptionally activated TCS phosphorelays was assessed for early differentiation and cellularization contrasting to an extension of expression to other grain tissues at the beginning of ETC maturation. Features of candidate genes of distinct phosphorelays and transcriptional activation of genes putatively implicated in hormone signalling pathways hint at a crosstalk of hormonal influences, putatively ABA and ethylene, and TCS signalling. Significance Our findings suggest an integral function for the TCS in ETC differentiation possibly coupled to sequent hormonal regulation by ABA and ethylene.


A four-body continuum distorted wave approximation (CDW-4B) is introduced to investigate the resonant (RTE) and non-resonant (NTE) transfer and excitation processes which are likely to occur when fast, not-fully-stripped ions collide with atomic targets. This new theoretical approach is a unified treatment of RTE and NTE which allows the interference between these two coherent processes to be studied.


The relationship of temperament to different patterns and types of alcohol abuse has received much attention over the last decade in order to provide clues to matching patients optimally to treatment strategies. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of temperament with a number of relevant substance abuse characteristics in a substance abusing population. One hundred forty-five male veterans were interviewed on their lifetime use of substances and on their psychiatric symptoms, problems associated with use, context, and family history of substance abuse. Subjects filled out the TPQ and the MPQ, which were subjected to factor analysis and revealed four factors: (1) Negative Affectivity/Impulsivity, (2) Positive Affectivity/Sociability, (3) Persistence/Achievement, and (4) Constraint. There was partial support for the hypotheses. Impulsivity was negatively correlated with age of onset and positively correlated with substance-related problems and a family history of substance abuse. Subjects with a history of depression scored significantly lower on the Positive Affectivity/Sociability factor than those who had not experienced a significant depression. Individuals who used alone scored lower on this factor than those who used in social contexts. The temperament factors of Persistence/Achievement and Constraint were, for the most part, unrelated to substance abuse.


In the health sector, considerable resources are deployed for knowledge translation (KT) to ensure that stakeholders are aware of, and use research to inform policies, programmes and practices, leading to improved health.1 However, commonly used strategies, often based on one-way communication of research syntheses or summaries, have had inconsistent impact on the actual use of research and associated outcomes such as improved healthcare delivery and health gains.2 IKT represents an alternative approach for promoting research use in which research users function as active partners to generate research from conceptualisation to implementation, rather than passive recipients of research or research products.3 ,4 Sometimes referred to as engaged scholarship, participatory research, co-production of knowledge or mode 2 research, IKT appears to enhance researcher understanding of the research user context and needs, thereby enhancing the relevance of the generated research, and increasing research user understanding of the research process, awareness of the research, and appreciation for how and when it can be applied.3 ,4

The imperative to optimise patient and population outcomes is driving a growing interest in IKT among those who fund and deliver health programmes and services. The UK instituted Collaborations for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care, and the Netherlands implemented Academic Collaborative Centres for public health to integrate research, policy and practice, with the overall aim of improving health.5 ,6 Funders of research also promote IKT by stipulating that research teams include research users.7 As a result, syntheses of studies that describe and evaluate research–research user collaboration have emerged. For example, we conducted a scoping review of 13 studies published between 2005 and …


The paper presents a comparison between two solar air heating collectors: a single passage and a through-pass one with the same geometry, cross section and materials used. Both collectors were exposed to the sun in the same conditions of irradiation, angle of inclination, wind speed and internal air flow rate. Thermal transducers were mounted in the same position for both collectors in order to obtain the inlet temperature spectrum. According to the experimental data the through-pass collector reported a higher efficiency for the same operating conditions and a more favorable pattern for the inlet air flow. Still, the noise level due to the fan is higher in the case of the through-pass collector.


This paper shows that the basic Hough transform is implicitly a Bayesian process-that it computes an unnormalized posterior distribution over the parameters of a single shape given feature points. The proof motivates a purely Bayesian approach to the problem of finding parameterized shapes in digital images. A proof-of-concept implementation that finds multiple shapes of four parameters is presented. Extensions to the basic model that are made more obvious by the presented reformulation are discussed.


This article argues that journalism scholars and practitioners worldwide should not view 2030, i.e. the year in which the UN Agenda sustainable development goals are to be fulfilled, as a symbolic date, but instead as a real deadline. Such a posture could spur discussion about what more the media could do in these remaining years to promote sustainable development, as well as concrete action. To normatively support such a process in this context, the purpose of this contribution is to suggest news value criteria tailored to manage the challenges of sustainable development. They presuppose a well-functioning relationship between the media's business and planetary needs. The former concern how to finance journalism and attract audiences/users, while the latter concern what kind of journalism a sustainable world de facto requires. The proposed news value criteria could serve as a point of departure for the development of sustainability-oriented news, which could be jointly tested and configurated by scholars and practitioners.


It is shown that alpha-tocopherol in vitro stimulates respiration of the liver mitochondria in E-hypovitaminosis rats only in the presence of the specific protein factor isolated from the liver cytosol. The action of alpha-tocopherol on mitochondria in the presence of NAD and a protein factor is not accompanied by an increase in the NADH level, that evidences for the absence of the direct redox interaction between NAD and tocopherol.


Quinoa is known to be a rich source of nutrients and bioactive components. Quinoa bran, used mainly as animal feed in processing by-products, is also a potential source of bioactive ingredients being conducive to human health. The importance of nutrition and function of quinoa seed has been discussed in many studies, but the bioactive properties of quinoa bran often are overlooked. This review systemically summarized the progress in bioactive components, extraction, and functional investigations of quinoa bran. It suggests that chemically assisted electronic fractionation could be used to extract albumin from quinoa bran. Ultrasound-assisted extraction method is a very useful method for extracting phenolic acids, triterpene saponins, and flavonoids from quinoa bran. Based on in vitro and in vivo studies for biological activities, quinoa bran extract exhibits a wide range of beneficial properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammation, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer functions. However, human experiments and action mechanisms need to investigate. Further exploring quinoa bran will promote its applications in functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and poultry feed in the future.


Single image super-resolution (SISR), as a traditional ill-conditioned inverse problem, has been greatly revitalized by the recent development of convolutional neural networks (CNN). These CNN-based methods generally map a low-resolution image to its corresponding high-resolution version with sophisticated network structures and loss functions, showing impressive performances. This paper provides a new insight on conventional SISR algorithm, and proposes a substantially different approach relying on the iterative optimization. A novel iterative super-resolution network (ISRN) is proposed on top of the iterative optimization. We first analyze the observation model of image SR problem, inspiring a feasible solution by mimicking and fusing each iteration in a more general and efficient manner. Considering the drawbacks of batch normalization, we propose a feature normalization (F-Norm, FN) method to regulate the features in network. Furthermore, a novel block with FN is developed to improve the network representation, termed as FNB. Residual-in-residual structure is proposed to form a very deep network, which groups FNBs with a long skip connection for better information delivery and stabling the training phase. Extensive experimental results on testing benchmarks with bicubic (BI) degradation show our ISRN can not only recover more structural information, but also achieve competitive or better PSNR/SSIM results with much fewer parameters compared to other works. Besides BI, we simulate the real-world degradation with blur-downscale (BD) and downscale-noise (DN). ISRN and its extension ISRN+ both achieve better performance than others with BD and DN degradation models.


Dimensional control is one of the most important challenges in shipbuilding industry. In order to predict assembly dimensional variation in block construction of shipbuilding, a variation stream model based on state space is presented in this paper, which can be further applied to accuracy control. Both locating error and welding deformation are taken into consideration in this model, and variation propagation mechanisms and accumulative rule in the assembly process are analyzed, then, a model is developed to describe the variation propagation throughout the assembly process, finally, an example of flat block construction is given to provide this method is effective and useful.


The comparative utilization of solar thermal or photovoltaic systems has significantly increased to fulfill the requirement of electricity and heat since few decades. These hybrid systems produce both thermal and electrical energy simultaneously. In recent times, increasing interest is being redirected by researchers in exploiting variety of nanoparticles mixed with miscellaneous base fluids (hybrid nanofluid) for these hybrid systems. This new class of colloidal suspensions has many fascinating advantages as compared to conventional types of nanofluids because of their modified and superior rheological and thermophysical properties which makes them appealing for solar energy devices. Here, we have attempted to deliver an extensive overview of the synthetic methodologies of hybrid nanofluids and their potential in PV/T and solar thermal energy systems. A detailed comparison between conventional types of nanofluids and hybrid nanofluids has been carried out to present in-depth understanding of the advantages of the hybrid nanofluids. The documented reports reveal that enhanced thermal properties of hybrid nanofluids promise the increased performance of solar thermal PV/T systems. Additionally, the unique properties such as nanoparticles concentration and type of base fluid, etc. greatly influence the behavior of hybrid nanofluidic systems. Finally, the outlook, suggestions, and challenges for future research directions are discussed.


ConspectusOrganic phosphorescence is defined as a radiative transition between the different spin multiplicities of an organic molecule after excitation; here, we refer to the photoexcitation. Unlike fluorescence, it shows a long emission lifetime (∼μs), large Stokes shift, and rich excited state properties, attracting considerable attention in organic electronics during the past years. Ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP), a type of persistent luminescence in organic phosphors, shows an emission lifetime of over 100 ms normally according to the resolution limit of the naked eye. According to the Jablonski energy diagram, two prerequisites are necessary for UOP generation and enhancement. One is to promote intersystem crossing (ISC) of the excitons from the excited singlet to triplet states by enhancing the spin-orbit coupling (SOC); the other is to suppress the nonradiative transitions of the excitons from the excited triplet states.In this Account, we will give a summary of our research on ultralong organic phosphorescence, including the design of materials, manipulation of properties, fabrication of nano/microstructures, and function applications. First, we give a brief introduction to the UOP development. Then, we discuss the constructed methods of UOP materials from the inter/intramolecular interaction types, including π-π interactions, intermolecular hydrogen bonds, halogen bonds, ionic bonds, covalent bonds, and so on. These effective interactions can build a rigid environment to restrain the nonradiative transitions from the molecular motions or external quenching by oxygen, moisture, or heat, and thus enhance the UOP performance. Next, the manipulation of UOP properties, containing excitation wavelength, emission colors, lifetimes, and quantum efficiency (QE), through molecular or crystal engineering will be summarized. Recently, the excitation wavelengths of the materials for UOP can be regulated in different regions, such as UV, visible light, and X-ray; the emission colors of UOP can cover the whole visible-light region, from deep blue to red; the phosphorescence lifetime of UOP materials can reach 2.5 s, and the quantum efficiency can be achieved up to 96.5%. Moreover, we will present the fabrication of micro/nanoscale UOP materials, including the preparation of micro/nanostructure, optical performance, and device fabrication. Afterward, we will review the potential applications of UOP materials in organic/bio-optoelectronics, such as information encryption, bioimaging, sensing, afterglow display, etc. Finally, an outlook on the development of UOP materials and applications will be proposed.


In the following article, I will attempt to outline a new reading methodology for Beat fiction, based on some of the principles of bop aesthetics. This reading understands fiction—especially Beat fiction—as an aural art, as opposed to merely a textual phenomenon (and so considers fiction in much the same way that poetry and music are often considered). Jack Kerouac composed his novel Visions of Gerard in 1956 (released in 1963), the same year Charles Mingus released his classic album Pithecanthropus Erectus. I contend that by reading Kerouac's novel in terms of Mingus's methods of composition as recorded on that album, we can more clearly hear the influence of jazz music on Kerouac's prose; as such, we can better understand the means by which jazz music became important as a compositional method and not just as a theme for Kerouac's novels. Further, becoming more attuned to the means by which Kerouac composed his fiction as an aural soundscape—how he was sensitive not just to the words themselves but to the sounds that comprise those words and their relationships—we can better appreciate the various ways that Kerouac imbued his novels with aural qualities that emphasized the ideas and emotions raised and/or engaged by the narratives.


Background: The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has been associated with a reduced risk of developing several pathologies, such as cardiovascular diseases. Despite this, adherence to MD in the general population has decreased in the past years. Due to COVID-19 crisis, eating habits of the population are being affected, thus data assessing these habits just before lockdown are important to determine how they are modified. The Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) questionnaire was used to evaluate adherence to MD just before COVID-19 lockdown.Methods: The KIDMED survey was launched through the Google platform for surveys, from 2/20/20 until 3/13/20. Additionally, questions about gender, weight and height for body mass index (BMI) calculation, academic degree, and nationality were included. Multivariate linear regression was performed for data analysis.Results: A total of 861 completed surveys were collected. Some surveys were discarded because data was missing (18), the participants were not of Spanish nationality (18), or because they did not belong to the age groups included in the study (19). The remaining 804 surveys were divided into the following age groups: 15-24 (n=160), 25-34 (n=158), 35-54 (n=363) and 55-69 (n=123). In the 15–24-year-old group, 71.9% had a BMI between 18-24.9, but only 28.1% reached an index ≥8 in the KIDMED questionnaire. Adherence to MD improved as the age in the groups increased, but so did the BMI, especially in the oldest group. In all adult groups, approximately 50% had a university education. Overall, lower BMI was significantly related to females, younger age and a higher degree of studies. On the other hand, the higher adherence to MD was related to older age and a higher degree of education.  Conclusions: The improved adherence to MD was not associated with a reduced BMI. Maybe other factors, like sedentary life or hormonal changes, known to impact people while aging, have influenced our results. Possibly, adherence to MD might have played a protective role, at least partially, against an even higher BMI. More research is needed to fully determine the impact of adherence to MD in the Spanish population, also after COVID-19 lockdown.Keywords: Mediterranean diet, KIDMED, Body mass index, Spain


Indonesia's Islamic banking industry has grown consistently since several years ago. This fact was shown by developing of total asset, total financing, and total deposit which known increasing in positive consistently, particularly in 2010-2014. In the other hand, growth of its profitability has declined drastically in 2014. Therefore, the aim of this study is investigating the determinant factors of Islamic banking industry's profitability. The predictors of dependent variable (ROA/Profitability) were divided in six part which are bank specific characteristic indicators, such as Bank Size, Capital (CAR), Liquidity (FDR), Credit Risk (NPF), Operation Efficiency (BOPO), and Financial Risk. Multiple regression method was used as research methodology. Furthermore, the sample was Islamic banking industry which were divided in three categories, such as commercial Islamic bank (BUS), shariaa banking unit (UUS), and Islamic rural bank (BPRS). The result shows that bank specific characteristic indicators have significant impact in determining the profitability of Indonesia's Islamic banking industry at 49,1% simultaneously. Furthermore, based on partial test, the three indicators of bank specific characteristics such as Bank Size (Ln Total Asset), Capital (Capital Adequacy Ratio), and Operation Efficiency (BOPO) were known to have significant impact in determining the variability of ROA (profitability) partially. This result has ensured some previous discoveries of researchers which analyze the affecting of bank specific characteristic indicators toward Islamic banking profitability.


This study investigated the influence of corn straw application on soil microbial communities and the relationship between such communities and soil properties in black soil. The crop used in this study was maize (Zea mays L.). The five treatments consisted of applying a gradient (50, 100, 150, and 200%) of shattered corn straw residue to the soil. Soil samples were taken from May through September during the 2012 maize growing season. The microbial community structure was determined using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. Our results revealed that the application of corn straw influenced the soil properties and increased the soil organic carbon and total nitrogen. Applying corn straw to fields also influenced the variation in soil microbial biomass and community composition, which is consistent with the variations found in soil total nitrogen (TN) and soil respiration (SR). However, the soil carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio had no effect on soil microbial communities. The abundance of PLFAs, TN, and SR was higher in C1.5 than those in other treatments, suggesting that the soil properties and soil microbial community composition were affected positively by the application of corn straw to black soil. A Principal Component Analysis indicated that soil microbial communities were different in the straw decomposition processes. Moreover, the soil microbial communities from C1.5 were significantly different from those of CK (p < 0.05). We also found a high ratio of fungal‐to‐bacterial PLFAs in black soil and significant variations in the ratio of monounsaturated‐to‐branched fatty acids with different straw treatments that correlated with SR (p < 0.05). These results indicated that the application of corn straw positively influences soil properties and soil microbial communities and that these properties affect these communities. The individual PLFA signatures were sensitive indicators that reflected the changes in the soil environment condition.


Modern U.S. presidents have chosen their words meticulously and deliberately, with the assistance of aides and speechwriters, all with a view toward how their message would be delivered and understood. Rarely has the electorate had access to the unvarnished thoughts of a president. At times, secretly recorded conversations in the White House have allowed Americans to hear the unabashed thoughts of various presidents. However, save for the Watergate scandal, those recordings had no immediate, discernible democratic impact because they were released years after the presidents' words were recorded. The recordings are noteworthy because they capture presidents' musings in the private sphere, where one is more secure and more likely to engage in self-reflective, authentic expression. In contrast, presidents typically engage the electorate in the public sphere, where one's speech is more likely to be refined and restrained and where the democratically oriented interchange of ideas occurs. First Amendment jurisprudence reflects these realities.
The Supreme Court has identified the value of speech in the private sphere as facilitating individual cognitive and emotional development, while speech in the public sphere is valued because it is essential to self-governance. Social media, however, has the capacity to collapse the public and private spheres so that private, self-reflective expression and affect easily enter the public sphere. This Article posits that, to the extent social media collapses the public and private sphere, President Donald Trump's use of Twitter redounds to the electorate's benefit. While private, self-reflective expression might otherwise only serve the needs of an individual, it becomes a matter of public concern worthy of democratic value when it is on public display in a President's tweets. Through President Trump's tweets, the electorate can instantly access the President's character and motivation and make concomitant democratic decisions.


A prospective cross-sectional study conducted to analyze and improve adherence pattern towards oral iron supplements in pregnancy with interventions. A potential group study for the duration of 6 months was carried in a tertiary care teaching hospital. 100 pregnant subjects were randomly assigned in to control and intervention group. Control group received prescription to purchase iron supplements while intervention group was dispensed with free oral iron supplements at each OPD visit. Both the groups were subjected to counseling at each visit. Hemoglobin level adherence was assessed using Morisky 8 item Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) to monitor progress. The study observed significantly higher prevalence of anemia among pregnant women in low educated section, low economic status and increasing gravidity in both the groups. The mean adherence rate and hemoglobin levels were significantly high in intervention group at fourth visit. Forgetfulness and side effects associated to iron therapy were the most common reasons for non-adherence in both the groups. Free iron supplements along with routine counseling by pharmacist on follow up radically improved the adherence status to the medication thereby improve hemoglobin pregnant women. Lower education, economic status and high gravidity were responsible for higher incidence of anemia in such population.


RNA annotation and mapping of promoters for analysis of gene expression (RAMPAGE) is a method that harnesses highly specific sequencing of 5 -complete complementary DNAs to identify transcription start sites (TSSs) genome-wide. Although TSS mapping has historically relied on detection of 5 -complete cDNAs, current genome-wide approaches typically have limited specificity and provide only scarce information regarding transcript structure. RAMPAGE allows for highly stringent selection of 5 -complete molecules, thus allowing base-resolution TSS identification with a high signal-to-noise ratio. Paired-end sequencing of medium-length cDNAs yields transcript structure information that is essential to interpreting the relationship of TSSs to annotated genes and transcripts. As opposed to standard RNA-seq, RAMPAGE explicitly yields accurate and highly reproducible expression level estimates for individual promoters. Moreover, this approach offers a streamlined 2to 3-day protocol that is optimized for extensive sample multiplexing, and is therefore adapted for large-scale projects. This method has been applied successfully to human and Drosophila samples, and in principle should be applicable to any eukaryotic system. Curr. Protoc. Mol. Biol. 104:25B.11.1-25B.11.16. C 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


This research was carried out in the period of February to June (2004), to measure creatinine clearance (CCl) in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. The influence of age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and duration of the disease on the levels of (CCl) in NIDDM was also subsequently studied. Blood samples were obtained from two groups: Group one (Non insulin dependent diabetic group): Consist of 140 newly diagnosed or known non insulin dependent diabetics. Group two (Control group): Consist of 60 apparently healthy individuals. The mean (CCl) values were significantly lower in NIDDM than in controls (p<0.001). In Both groups: the mean levels of (CCl) in males significantly were higher than females (p<0.05), also the mean levels of serum urea nitrogen (SUN) values were significantly higher in NIDDM than in controls (p<0.001).This study conducted that the mean value (CCl) decrease significantly with increasing the duration of the disease (p<0.001).Versus the mean values of (SUN) increase significantly with increasing the duration of the disease (p<0.001).


ABSTRACT Luo, J.; Meng, B.; Wang, S., and Kuang, H., 2020. Research on the development of China's marine economy from the perspective of the operational efficiency of shipping enterprises. In: Yang, D.F. and Wang, H. (eds.), Recent Advances in Marine Geology and Environmental Oceanography. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 108, pp. 12–15. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Developing the marine economy is a recent trend in China's development strategy. A more in-depth exploration into the marine economy is of great theoretical and practical importance. Still, there have not been adequate studies that focus on the efficiency of shipping enterprises. The global financial crisis of 2009 had tremendous impacts on the shipping industry. At one point, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) dropped sharply to 445, leading most Chinese companies to undertake business volume reduction and financial loss. As a result, problems such as asset reorganization, job cuts, and asset selling occurred. This imposed huge pressure on the systems related to the marine economy. In this paper, the dynamic stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) method was used to select listed shipping companies as the case studies and collect their financial data over the past 6 years. The results show that the efficiency level of the listed companies in the shipping industry is quite different, which means that there are vast differences in the management and resource allocation capabilities of these sample companies. As globalization advances forward, increasing international competition in the shipping industry has caused enormous challenges to shipping companies. The empirical results show that the operational efficiency of China's shipping industry is of considerable significance to enhance the ability of risk identification, increase scientific and technological support, and address other challenges to improve China's overall marine economic strength and optimize the industrial structure of the marine economy.


Nickel-catalyzed intermolecular benzylation and heterobenzylation of unactivated alkenes to provide functionalized allylbenzene derivatives are described. A wide range of both the benzyl chloride and alkene coupling partners are tolerated. In contrast to analogous palladium-catalyzed variants of this process, all reactions described herein employ electronically unbiased aliphatic olefins (including ethylene), proceed at room temperature, and provide 1,1-disubstituted olefins over the more commonly observed 1,2-disubstituted olefins with very high selectivity.


In this paper we study the meromorphic domains of zeta functions for multi-dimensional maps with indifferent period points. This partially extends known results for certain one-dimensional transformations. Our method involves deriving, in a natural way, a uniformly hyperbolic map and relating the zeta functions for these two transformations.


The work described here was undertaken within the context of a research project whose main aim is the modelling of area-wide effects of traffic management measures through traffic flow simulation and assignment techniques. Given that fuel conservation is an objective of national importance, it was thought that a tool which is to be used in the evaluation of traffic management schemes should include fuel consumption as one of the performance measures.

Relationships between fuel consumption under urban driving conditions and the inverse of average travel speed have been inferred from experimental tests. These results, as well as those obtained from computer simulation of traffic flow and vehicle performance, are discussed and a relationship which gives urban fuel consumption as a function of journey distance, total delayed time and the number of stops is put forward for the 'average urban passenger car' in the U.K. Possible refinements to this formulation are discussed.

The role that traffic management measures can play in energy conservation is placed in perspective by looking briefly at the national and urban fuel consumption patterns. A review of reported potential fuel savings from traffic management measures is also undertaken. The fuel consumption consequences of changing the common cycle time for a co-ordinated system of signalised intersections are shown using data from Liverpool City Centre and the SATURN traffic simulation/assignment model.


Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is widely used to dynamically assign IP addresses. However, due to little knowledge on the behavior and performance of DHCP, it is challenging to configure a proper lease time in complicated wireless network. In this paper, we conduct the largest known measurement on the behavior and performance of DHCP based on the wireless network of T University (TWLAN). TWLAN has more than 59,000 users, 10,000 wireless access points and 130,000 IP addresses. We find the performance of DHCP is far from satisfactory: (1) The non-authenticated devices lead to a waste of 25% of IP addresses at the rush hour. (2) A device does not generate traffic for 67 % of the lease time on average. Meanwhile, we find devices of different locations and operating systems show diverse online patterns. A unified lease time setting could result in an inefficient utilization of addresses. To address the problems, taking account of authentication information and device online patterns, we propose a new leasing strategy. The results show it reduces the number of assigned addresses by 24 % and reduces the time during which an IP address is occupied by 17 % without sianificantly Increasing the DHCP server load.


The urodynamic findings of 247 patients with a neurogenic bladder dysfunction were analyzed to evaluate factors which influence the X-ray picture of the bladder neck and urethra. Patients were classified according to the classification of Bors and Commarr, additionally different types of reflex detrusor activity could be differentiated in cases suffering from a supranuclear lesion. As the micturition cystourethrography of female patients with a supranuclear lesion looks similar to the X-ray picture of young girls with a WBNA a second analysis was made to compare the urodynamics of both groups. It is to note that in supranuclear lesions detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia and the type of reflex detrusor activity mainly form the shape of the posterior urethra, neither the duration of the lesion nor the level of spinal cord injury have any influence.


Describe a fluid in three-dimensional circular motion with at most one spatial variable by rectangular coordinate, beyond time, and concludes on the breakdown of Euler and Navier-Stokes solutions and the necessity of use of vector pressure.


Uric acid in mammalian subjects is reduced and excretion of uric acid is increased by administering a compound of Formula I. The uric acid-lowering effects of the compounds of this invention are used to treat or prevent a variety of conditions including gout, hyperuricemia, elevated levels of uric acid that do not meet the levels customarily justifying a diagnosis of hyperuricemia, renal dysfunction, kidney stones, cardiovascular disease, risk for developing cardiovascular disease, tumor-lysis syndrome, cognitive impairment, early-onset essential hypertension, and Plasmodium falciparum-induced inflammation.


An efficient and reliable constrained genetic algorithm based load flow algorithm is developed. The components and the constraint satisfaction methods in the algorithm are presented. A nodal voltage differential technique and a gradient method are developed to accelerate the solution process in the algorithm. A method for dealing with generator reactive power limits is also developed. The new algorithm can detemine multiple load flow solutions and can be used to determine the loadability limits of transmission systems. Its power is demonstrated through its applications to evaluate the loadability of the IEEE 30-, 57- and 118-node systems. Detailed results on the 30-node system are presented.


Malnutrition is widespread among older adults, and its determinants may differ between countries. We compared Portuguese and Turkish non-institutionalized older adults regarding nutritional status, sociodemographic, health and anthropometric characteristics and studied the relationships between nutritional status and those characteristics. This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 430 Portuguese and 162 Turkish non-institutionalized older adults regarding sociodemographics, health conditions, the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-FF) and anthropometry. Turkish older adults were more likely to be malnourished or at risk of malnutrition and had lower average BMI but a higher calf circumference. A higher proportion of the Portuguese sample had tooth loss, diabetes, hypertension, oncologic diseases, kidney diseases, osteoarticular problems or eye problems, while less had anemia. A better nutritional status (higher MNA-FF score) was found among the Portuguese, males, people using dentures, those without tooth loss, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, anemia or oncological diseases and was related to younger age, higher BMI and a higher calf circumference. Malnutrition and its risk were higher among older adults from Turkey, despite Portuguese older adults presenting a higher prevalence of chronic diseases. Being female, older age, tooth loss, hypertension, anemia, CVD or oncological disorders and having a lower BMI or CC were associated with higher rates of malnutrition among older adults from Portugal and Turkey.


U{sup 6+} phases are common alteration products of spent nuclear fuel under oxidizing conditions, and they may potentially incorporate actinides, such as long-lived {sup 239}Pu and {sup 237}Np, delaying their transport to the biosphere. In order to evaluate the ballistic effects of {alpha}-decay events on the stability of the U{sup 6+}-phases, they report, for the first time, the results of ion beam irradiations (1.0 MeV Kr{sup 2+}) for six different structures of U{sup 6+}-phases: uranophane, kasolite, boltwoodite, saleeite, carnotite, and liebigite. The target uranyl-minerals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction and identification confirmed by SAED in TEM. The TEM observation revealed no initial contamination of uraninite in these U{sup 6+} phases. All of the samples were irradiated with in situ TEM observation using 1.0 MeV Kr{sup 2+} in the IVEM (intermediate-voltage electron microscope) at the IVEM-Tandem Facility of Argonne National Laboratory. The ion flux was 6.3 x 10{sup 11} ions/cm{sup 2}/sec. The specimen temperatures during irradiation were 298 and 673 K, respectively. The Kr{sup 2+}-irradiation decomposed the U{sup 6+}-phases to nanocrystals of UO{sub 2} at doses as low as 0.006 dpa. The cumulative doses for the pure U{sup 6+}-phases, e.g., uranophane, at 0.1 and 1 m.y. are calculated to be 0.009 and 0.09 dpa using SRIM2003. However, with the incorporation of 1 wt.% {sup 239}Pu, the calculated doses reach 0.27 and {approx} 1.00 dpa in ten thousand and one hundred thousand years, respectively. Under oxidizing conditions, multiple cycles of radiation-induced decomposition to UO{sub 2} followed by alteration to U{sup 6}-phases should be further investigated to determine the fate of trace elements that may have been incorporated in the U{sup 6+}-phases.


Variability is a fundamental issue which gets exponentially worse as CMOS technology shrinks. Therefore, characterization of statistical variations has become an important part of the design phase. Monte Carlo-based simulation method is a standard technique for statistical analysis and modeling of integrated circuits. However, crude Monte Carlo sampling based on pseudo-random selection of parameter variations suffers from low convergence rates and thus, providing high accuracy is computationally expensive. In this work, we present an extensive study on the performance of two widely used techniques, Latin Hypercube and Low Discrepancy sampling methods, and compare their speed-up and accuracy performance properties. It is shown that these methods can exhibit a better efficiency as compared to the pseudo-random sampling but only in limited applications. Therefore, we propose a new sampling scheme that exploits the benefits of both methods by combining them. Through a representative example, it is shown that the proposed sampling technique provides significant improvement in terms of computational efficiency and offers better properties as compared to each solely.


The inversion formula for conservative multifractal measures was unveiled mathematically a decade ago, which is however not well tested in real complex systems. We propose to verify the inversion formula using high-frequency turbulent financial data. We construct conservative volatility measure based on minutely S&P 500 index from 1982 to 1999 and its inverse measure of exit time. Both the direct and inverse measures exhibit nice multifractal nature, whose scaling ranges are not irrelevant. Empirical investigation shows that the inversion formula holds in financial markets.


Since the end of the authoritarian New Order regime in May 1998, Indonesia has embarked upon a difficult journey towards democracy. One of the key questions raised by the rise of social and political violence in both Java and the Outer Islands since President Suharto's resignation from power is that of the wearing away of the state's monopoly of the means of violence and of its legitimate uses. But the process of the criminalisation of both state agencies and political parties is much older than one would have it. It begun during the late colonial period and gained momentum during the war of independence, in the late 1940s, when army units had to engage in extortion and smuggling to cater for soldiers' needs. Under the New Order, this beam of relationships between the police, the army and criminal gangs was given an official recognition of some sort, hence quasi-legal protection, through the creation of the "System for the Protection of the Environment" (Siskamling). This "system" enabled many petty criminals from the red light districts to join civil and para-military militias and even, at times, to enter public administration. Post-Suharto Indonesia inherited these criminalised "grey areas" between state agencies and the underworld, where one would find numerous masters of violence – people for whom violence is both a way of life and a way of making a living.


The review, after a short introduction on the tendencies of the European Community Policy on biomasses, describes the agronomic, energy potential and environmental aspects of biomass crops for energy in relation to the research activity carried out in Italy on this topic, differentiating crops on the basis of the main energy use: biodiesel and bioethanol (which refers to "first generation biofuel"), heat and electricity. Currently, many of the crops for potential energy purposes are food crops (wheat, barley, corn, rapeseed, soybean, sunflower, grain sorghum, sugar beet) and their production may be used as biofuel source (bioethanol and biodiesel) since their crop management aspects are well known and consequently they are immediately applicable. Other species that could be used, highly productive in biomass, such as herbaceous perennial crops (Arundo donax, Miscanthus spp., cardoon), annual crops (sweet sorghum), short rotation woody crops (SRF) have been carefully considered in Italy, but they still exhibit critical aspects related to propagation technique, low-input response, harvest and storage technique, cultivars and mechanization. Crops for food, however, often have negative energetic indices and environmental impacts (carbon sequestration, Life Cycle Assessment), consequent to their low productivity. Conversely, crops which are more productive in biomass, show both a more favourable energy balance and environmental impact.


Abstract The Roma constitute an ideal case of educational injustice meeting linguistic difference, racism, social marginalization, and poverty. This paper asks whether human-rights or capabilities approaches are best suited to address issues related to the language education of Roma students in Europe. These children are disadvantaged by not growing up with the standard dialect of whatever language is preferred by the mainstream population, and by the low status of the Romani language, and non-standard dialect of the standard language they usually speak. We examine language education for Roma students in Croatia, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, describing similarities and differences across contexts. We explain weak and strong version of language rights arguments, and the ways these principles are expressed, and not expressed in education policies. Sen's capabilities approach can be employed to generate contextualized visions of education reform that speak directly to disadvantages suffered by Roma children.


General expressions are derived for estimating the errors in the sum or difference far-field pattern of electrically large aperture antennas which measured by planar near-field scanning technique. Upper bounds are determined for the far-field errors produced by 1) the nonzero fields outside the finite scan area, 2) the inaccuracies in the positioning of the probe, 3) the distortion and non-linearities of the instrumentation which measures the amplitude and phase of the probe output, and 4) the multiple refractions. Computational errors, uncertainties in the receiving characteristics of the probe, and errors involved with measuring the input power to the test antenna are briefly discussed.


One of the challenges encountered in microRNA (miRNA) studies is to observe their dual role in different conditions and cells. This leads to a tougher prediction of their behavior as gene expression regulators. miR‐203 has been identified to play a negative role in the progression of malignant melanoma; however, it has been reported, with dual effect, as both an oncomiR and tumor suppressor miRNA in some malignancies, such as breast cancer, meanwhile, the role of miR‐203 in melanoma stem cells or even metastatic cells is unclear. In the present study, after observation of upregulation of miR‐203 in melanoma patient's serum and also melanospheres as cancer stem cells model, we examined its overexpression on the stemness potential and migration ability of melanoma cells. Our data demonstrated that the increased miR‐203 level was significantly associated with significant increase in the ability of proliferation, colony and spheres formation, migration, and tumorigenesis in A375 and NA8 cells. All of these changes were associated with enhancement of BRAF, several epithelial to mesenchymal transition factors, and stemness genes. In conclusion, our results clearly determined that miR‐203 could be down‐regulateddownregulated in melanoma tissues but be overexpressed in melanoma stem cells. It has an important role as oncomiR and promote repopulation, tumorigenicity, self‐renewal, and migration. Therefore, we suggested overexpression of miR‐203 as biomarker for early detection of metastasis. However, more studies are needed to validate our data.


We investigate a parity-time (PT) symmetric system that consists of two symmetrically coupled asymmetric dimers. The enclosed magnetic flux controls the PT phase transition. The system can reenter the exact PT-symmetric phase from a broken PT-symmetric phase with large non-Hermiticity. Two-state coalescence may have one or two defective eigenstates. The topology of exceptional points is reflected by the magnetic flux independent phase rigidity scaling exponents. The topology changes when exceptional points coincide. The geometric phases accumulate when encircling the exceptional points and vary as the magnetic flux. The magnetic flux is favorable for the realization of high-order exceptional points. A triple point of different quantum phases has an order of four. The perturbation around the four-state coalescence leads to a fourth-root mode frequency splitting; the sensing sensitivity is significantly enhanced.


Chickpea is a major legume grown in Kenya. The agronomic performance, nodulation ability and grain crude protein are not fully exploited. Field experiments were conducted at Embu, Kenya to determine the effect of plant spacing and N-fertilizer rates on nodulation and protein content of selected chickpea varieties. A split-split plot design was used and replicated three times. Treatments consisted of main factor, variety in four levels (Saina K, Mwanza 2, Chania I, Chania III), sub factor, spacing in three levels (S1: 50 x 10; S2: 50 x 20; S3: 50 x 30 cm), and sub-sub factor, nitrogen  fertilizer rates in four levels of (0; 30; 60; 90 kg ha-1). Data on nodulation and CP was subjected to GLM. Spacing and N-fertilizer rates significantly affected nodule numbers, fresh weight and their sizes. Mwanza 2 x 50x10 cm x N30 posted highest nodule numbers while Chania III had highest protein content. Interactions of VS, VN, SN and VSN had no consistent pattern under nodule factors but were highly significant in percent CP. Hence, optimal interactive effects of VSN can improve nodulation factors and CP of chickpea. The information will help growers make informed decisions, and researchers in developing improved varieties.

 Key words: Chickpea, variety, spacing, N-fertilizer, nodulation, crude protein


Considerable variability exists in adherence to practice guidelines for Barrett's esophagus (BE). Rapid advances in management approaches to BE led to a new American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) medical position statement in 2011. Our aim was to assess how well members of the AGA Clinical Practice section adhered to these guidelines. A self-administered survey incorporating questions on diagnostic criteria, cancer risk estimates, screening, surveillance, and therapeutics for BE was distributed electronically to 5850 North American members of the AGA Clinical Practice section. The response rate was 470 of 2040 opened e-mails (23%). Intestinal metaplasia was required for diagnosis of BE by 90%, but the Prague classification was used by only 53% of those aware of it. The annual risk of progression to esophageal adenocarcinoma was reported as 0.1-0.5% by 76%. Screening practices were variable, with 35% screening all patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease and 15% repeating endoscopy in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease following a negative screening. Surveillance guidelines were followed by 79% for nondysplastic BE and 86% for low-grade dysplasia, with expert pathology confirmation of dysplasia reported by 86%. Proton pump inhibitor dosing was variable, with 18% administering twice-daily doses and 30% titrating dose to symptoms. Ablation therapy was recommended by 6% for nondysplastic BE, 38% for low-grade dysplasia, and 52% for high-grade dysplasia. There is satisfactory adherence to the new AGA guidelines with respect to diagnosis, cancer risk estimates, and surveillance intervals in a select group of respondents. However, adherence continues to be variable in the use of the Prague classification, screening, and dosing of antisecretory therapy. Use of ablation therapy increases with grade of dysplasia. The reason for continued variability in adherence to BE practice guidelines remains unclear, and more evidence-based guidance is required to enhance clinical practice.


Abstract : Our overall goal is to establish the groundwork for using clusters as the building blocks of new materials with tailored properties that are beneficial to the AFOSR. Our continuing program is composed of two interrelated themes: the first comprises the investigation of fundamental physical and chemical properties of cluster building blocks in isolation, while the second involves the study of cluster deposition and assembly, including optical and chemical characterization of the formed materials. The ability to tune the pertinent properties of matter would facilitate the design of devices that could behave ideally in a specific application. Our objectives are outlined as follows: 1. Explore the electronic and geometric structure of clusters to enable the design of stable motifs for use in high energy-density materials and nanocatalysis. 2. Characterize dynamical processes to allow the precise control of building block reactivity on the atomic scale. 3. Extend the formalism for describing the interactions of clusters in rarefied environments to build a methodology for treating deposited clusters. 4. Examine the intra and inter cluster length scale interactions of deposited clusters to determine how the properties of the nanoscale material emerge.


Let f̂ x = argmin f2F `x( , f) be the optimal task specific parameter for task μ by fixing representation . Thus by our definitions in Section 5, we get ⇡ ,x = ⇡ ,f̂ x . We assume w.l.o.g. that A = [K]. Remember that ` : 4(A)⇥A ! R is defined as `(v, a) = log(va) for some v 2 R and va is the coordinate corresponding to action a 2 A = [K]. We define a new function class and loss function that will be useful for our proofs


Background: In cerebral palsy (CP), there is damage to the cerebral cortex. The Korean Bobath Exercise (KBE) is based on brain plasticity theory. As a method of learning it may result in a better quality of motoric movement. This study aimed to examine the effect of KBE on change of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and motoric movement quality in CP.

Subjects and Method: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted at Yayasan Pembinaan Anak Cacat (YPAC) and Prof. Dr. R. Soeharso Orthopedics Hospital, Surakarta, Central Java, from October 2017 to February 2018. A sample of 34 children aged 2 t0 7 years with CP was selected for this study. This sample was allocated at random into the KBE group (n1=17) and the control group (n2=17). The dependent variable were BDNF and motoric movement quality. The independent variable was Korean Bobath Exercise. Pre and post peripheral BDNF exercise was measured in 8 weeks by ELISA blood test. Motoric development quality was measured by levelization. KBE was measured by scoring. The changes in BDNF before and after intervention between the KBE group and the control group were tested by t-test. The changes in motoric movement quality before and after intervention between the KBE group and the control group were tested by Chi-Square.

Results: Before and after intervention, the increase of BDNF in the KBE group (mean= 5.97; SD= 5.08) was higher than the control group (mean= 3.43, SD= 2.64) with p= 0.231, indicating that the KBE was not effective to increase BDNF. Before and after intervention, the increase of motoric movement quality in the KBE group (100%) was higher than the control group (57%) with p= 0.008, indicating the KBE was effective to increase motoric movement quality.

Conclusion: Data from the current study does not provide evidence thatKorean Bobath Exercise is effective in increasing brain derived neurotrophic factor. However, the current study gives evidence that Korean Bobath Exercise it is effective in improving motoric movement quality in children with cerebral palsy.

Keywords: Korean Bobath Exercise, brain derived neurotrophic factor, cerebral palsy


The current gold-standard diagnostic technique for IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the leading form of primary glomerulonephritis, is renal biopsy. CD89 (the main IgA receptor) is expressed on the surface of monocytes and plays a role in disease pathogenesis. Immunocomplexes formed by sCD89 (soluble form) and Gd-IgA1 are related to disease prognosis. We hypothesize that reduced CD89 surface expression on monocytes may be a marker of disease severity. We aimed to analyze leukocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood and CD89 surface expression on monocytes in a prospective study of 22 patients and 12 healthy subjects (HS). Leukocyte subpopulations and CD89 expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. IgAN patients had a higher percentage of activated and effector memory CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, a lower percentage of transitional B lymphocytes and plasmablasts, and a higher percentage of CD56dimCD16+ NK cells and myeloid dendritic cells compared with HS. Correlations between reduced CD89 expression levels on nonclassical monocytes, histological findings of a poor prognosis on renal biopsy and baseline renal function were observed. IgAN patients show a characteristic immunological pattern in peripheral blood. A reduced expression level of CD89 on nonclassical monocytes identifies patients with a worse renal prognosis.


The field of organic semiconductor based electronics has seen significant and unprecedented progress in the past decade. Low-cost, less energy-intensive and high-throughput production, implementation on flexible and non-planar surfaces, novel applications, as well as the potential to move to more environmentally friendly electronics makes this technology particularly attractive. A wide range of applications of organic electronics are being currently explored, including displays, lighting, solar cells, printed RFID tags and disposable low-cost sensors. Work in some areas, such as organic light emitting diodes used in displays, have matured and have moved into production. Other fields, such as organic RFID tags and sensors are already in industrial development, and preliminary products are expected within the next few years. This tutorial will start with a brief background of organic semiconductors. This will be followed by four sessions, each covering an area of organic electronic application - solar cells, display and lighting, RFID tags and sensors. The physics, device, circuit and production aspects relevant to each of the application will be covered in the sessions.


The purpose of this paper is to estimate the feasibility of a low-carbon society in Japan through developing an energy flow, carbon flow and cash flow. In addition to total primary energy supply (TPES) and final energy demand, the energy flow contains estimated renewable energy potential, energy services and energy losses. TPES in 2012 is estimated as 18.9 EJ, of which 17.9 EJ (= 17.9 ×10 18 J)was supplied by fossil fuels. Total renewable energy potential is estimated as 21.2 EJ which is enough to meet Japan's TPES. Wind energy has large potential of 18.3 EJ. As for demand sectors, the transportation sector has the largest energy losses, 2.62 EJ, due to low energy efficiency. Total CO 2 emission in 2012 was 1,223 Mt-CO 2 , of which 956 Mt-CO 2 was emitted from both coal and petroleum. Coal is mainly supplied to electricity generation sector, and petroleum is supplied to transportation sector. Total payment for energy supply in final demand sector is estimated to be 41.9 trillion JPY. Total CIF price of 20.6 trillion JPY is paid to foreign countries due to imported fossil fuels. This study indicates that introduction of renewable energy and energy supply system transition, in particular of the transportation sector and electricity generation sector, leads to CO 2 reduction and revitalizes local economies. Wind energy, which has a great potential, is important to design a low-carbon society.


Juice was made from carrot and pineapple and was blended with soymilk in the ratio 35%:35%:30% respectively and treated with powdered extract of A. danielli in varying proportions (1g, 2g and 3g). The treated samples were stored for twelve weeks with the control (sample without A. danielli extract) and analyses carried out. Ascorbic acid, total soluble solids and total sugar of the samples were analysed. The results showed that 5.0-7.50% of ascorbic acid, 0.95-1.86% of total soluble solids and 0.05-0.04% of total sugars, were lost in the treated samples, while the amount of ascorbic acid, total soluble solids and total sugars lost in the control samples was 17.50%, 7.12% and 0.90% respectively over the same period. Thus, the inclusion of powdered extract of A. danielli was able to reduce the loss of nutrients thereby preserving the chemical properties investigated in this research. Keywords : A. danielli extract, Stability, Juice extraction, Preservation, Blending


Recently, transform-based tensor nuclear norm (TNN) minimization methods have received increasing attention for recovering third-order tensors in multi-dimensional imaging problems. The main idea of these methods is to perform the linear transform along the third mode of third-order tensors and then minimize the nuclear norm of frontal slices of the transformed tensor. The main aim of this paper is to propose a nonlinear multilayer neural network to learn a nonlinear transform by solely using the observed tensor in a self-supervised manner. The proposed network makes use of the low-rank representation of the transformed tensor and data-fitting between the observed tensor and the reconstructed tensor to learn the nonlinear transform. Extensive experimental results on different data and different tasks including tensor completion, background subtraction, robust tensor completion, and snapshot compressive imaging demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method over state-of-the-art methods.


We briefly discuss a possible interconnection of vertical HI structures observed in the Milky Way Galaxy with large scale blow-outs caused by the explosions of multiple clustered SNe. We argue that the observed OB associations can produce only about 60 such events, or approximately one chimney per 3 kpc$^2$ within the solar circle. We also discuss the overall properties of HI shells in nearby face-on galaxies and the distribution of H$\alpha$ and dust in edge-on galaxies. We argue that the presence of dust in galactic haloes may indicate that radiation pressure is the most probable mechanism capable of transporting dust to large heights above the galactic plane. In order to make this possible, the galactic magnetic field must have a strong vertical component. We mention that SNe explosions can initiate the Parker instability which in turn creates large scale magnetic loops with a strong vertical component. Recent observations of nearby edge-on galaxies favour this suggestion.


Diabetes has become a major health challenge affecting nearly 300 million people around the world. Complications of diabetes can be prevented by proper monitoring and regulation of glucose concentration in blood plasma. Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems help to track the time course of blood glucose. These devices have the additional feature of giving threshold alert and predictive alert which is needed for an early warning of impending hypoglycemia. However, the accuracy of predictive alerts in currently available CGM devices is not very promising. Various algorithms have been developed in this regard by researchers. Still, a 100% accuracy has not been achieved. In our work, we have approached this prediction by training a simple neural network with the extracted features of continuous glucose monitoring sensor data time series. The data was obtained in three different ways, one set from the Self Monitoring Blood Glucose values, the second set from a diabetes resource and the third one from the patients using continuous glucose monitoring systems. A feed forward neural network with back propagation algorithm is trained with features of input patterns. The network is trained and validated to meet out the performance goal. The Root Mean Square Error between the actual glucose value and the predicted glucose value is used as the performance measure. It is observed that as the length of prediction horizon extends, the error increases. However, tracking of Hypoglycemic and Hyperglycemic trends are superior to the earlier approaches.


This paper studies quarterly employment flows of approximately 10,000 large U.S. manufacturing establishments during 1972:1-1980:4.After estimating the extent of short run microeconomic substitution between employment and hours per worker (hours-week), we construct measures of the path of the deviation between actual and desired employment based on the observed behavior of establishments' hours-week. These deviations are then used as the state variables upon which units decide their employment adjustments (microeconomic policy). Using this framework we find that: (i) Microeconomic employment adjustment policies are non-linear, with firms adjusting to large deviations proportionally more than to small ones; (ii) Employment adjustments are often either large or nil, suggesting the presence of non-convexities in the adjustment cost technologies; (iii) 60 to 90 % of aggregate employment fluctuations is due to changes in the cross sectional distribution of employment deviations, while the rest is due to microeconomic policy changes; (iv) Most of the net aggregate employment fluctuations from changes in the cross sectional distribution are accounted for by aggregate shocks, despite significant fluctuations in the distribution of idiosyncratic shocks and the marked countercyclical nature of their second moment(i.e. reallocation shocks) (v) Similarly, most of the net aggregate employment fluctuations due to microeconomic policy changes are accounted for by aggregate shocks; (vi) Aggregate shocks are also the dominant source of job destruction, but account for less than half of fluctuations in job creation; (vii) A simple parametric version of the aggregate model suggested by the microeconomic nonlinearities shown above has a mean square error 50% lower than its linear counterpart's.