: This paper is the first to present the dynamic buckling behavior of spherical shell structures colliding with an obstacle block under the sea. The effect of deep water has been considered as a uniform external pressure by simplifying the effect of fluid–structure interaction. The calibrated numerical simulations were carried out via the explicit finite element package LS-DYNA using different parameters, including thickness, elastic modulus, external pressure, added mass, and velocity. The closed-form analytical formula of the static buckling criteria, including point load and external pressure, has been firstly established and verified. In addition, unprecedented parametric analyses of collision show that the dynamic buckling force (peak force), mean force, and dynamic force redistribution (skewness) during collisions are proportional to the velocity, thickness, elastic modulus, and added mass of the spherical shell structure. These linear relationships are independent of other parameters. Furthermore, it can be found that the max force during the collision is about 2.1 times that of the static buckling force calculated from the analytical formula. These novel insights can help structural engineers and designers determine whether buckling will happen in the application of submarines, subsea exploration, underwater domes, etc.


Objectives : Burn is the important adverse effect of the moxibustion treatment. This research does with the purpose to utilize as basic data which the results of histological observation of the burn tissue which generates when operating various commercial indirect moxa (CIM) on the skin, evaluate the burn because of the surgical operation. Methods : It operated 6 kinds of CIM on the depilated abdomen of the rat. By using the H-E staining and TUNEL assay, the image was observed and analyzed. Results : It could be the moxibustion medical treatment using the CIM generated in the first degree burn until the third degree. And in some case, burn has not generated. By using the H-E stain, the second-degree burn and third degree was observed, and it was observed the first degree burn by using TUNEL assay. In the first degree burn, TUNEL reaction in the epidermal layer was confirmed. The damage to the dermal layer was observed in more than 2 degree burn. In the third degree, the tissue degeneration to the subcutaneous fat was observed but the thickness of the skin tissue was not observed. Conclusions : Basic data classifying the burn generated by the CIM treatment through the histological observation of the burn tissue caused by the CIM treatment were built according to this research result.


Abstract This study aims at detecting and evaluating differences in quantitative response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) with high doses of gonadotropins in women with low serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). About 369 first cycles in a real-life scenario in women between 21 and 43 years old and with AMH ≤0.9 ng/ml were analyzed. Older women had a significantly worse outcome with respect to young women, not only qualitatively, but also in terms of quantitative ovarian response to COS [odd ratio (OR) to obtain at least three MII oocytes with each increasing year of female age: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85 − 0.94; p < .001]. This study endorses that age is a significant factor when counseling patients with low AMH. AMH levels per se are not a reason to exclude patients from a COS treatment, since pregnancy and live birth can be achieved, especially in younger patients. However, with an AMH equally low, the ovarian response worsens with age, making questionable the effectiveness of a stimulation with high-dose gonadotropins in the older subgroup.


— Sodium formate is the chemical substance used for food additive. Catalase is the important antioxidative enzyme in protecting the cell from oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The resultant level of oxidative stress in sodium formate-treated lymphocytes was investigated. The sodium formate concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/mL were treated in human lymphocytes for 12 hours. After 12 treated hours, catalase activity change was measured in sodium formate-treated lymphocytes. The results showed that the sodium formate concentrations of 0.4 and 0.6 mg/mL significantly decreased catalase activities in lymphocytes ( P < 0.05 ). The change of catalase activity in sodium formate-treated lymphocytes may be the oxidative damage marker for detect sodium formate exposure in human.


Thirty patients with nipple retraction associated with duct ectasia have been studied to determine the clinical features of this condition. This association is a common one and the similarity of these nipple changes to those produced by cancer is emphasized. While clinical evaluation of the nipple changes may give an indication of the diagnosis, it is by no means absolute and mammography is advocated in all cases. Combined clinical and mammographic assessment will allow confident differentiation of the two causes in many cases, and a policy for management of nipple retraction is presented.


MS/MS is a widely used method for proteome‐wide analysis of protein expression and PTMs. The thousands of MS/MS spectra produced from a single experiment pose a major challenge for downstream analysis. Standard programs, such as MASCOT, provide peptide assignments for many of the spectra, including identification of PTM sites, but these results are plagued by false‐positive identifications. In phosphoproteomic experiments, only a single peptide assignment is typically available to support identification of each phosphorylation site, and hence minimizing false positives is critical. Thus, tedious manual validation is often required to increase confidence in the spectral assignments. We have developed phoMSVal, an open‐source platform for managing MS/MS data and automatically validating identified phosphopeptides. We tested five classification algorithms with 17 extracted features to separate correct peptide assignments from incorrect ones using over 2600 manually curated spectra. The naïve Bayes algorithm was among the best classifiers with an AUC value of 97% and PPV of 97% for phosphotyrosine data. This classifier required only three features to achieve a 76% decrease in false positives as compared with MASCOT while retaining 97% of true positives. This algorithm was able to classify an independent phosphoserine/threonine data set with AUC value of 93% and PPV of 91%, demonstrating the applicability of this method for all types of phospho‐MS/MS data. PhoMSVal is available at http://csbi.ltdk.helsinki.fi/phomsval.


The ubiquitous toxic metalloid arsenic elicits pleiotropic adverse and adaptive responses in mammalian species. The biological targets of arsenic are largely unknown at present. We analyzed the signaling pathway for induction of detoxification gene NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase (Nqo1) by arsenic. Genetic and biochemical evidence revealed that induction required cap `n' collar basic leucine zipper transcription factor Nrf2 and the antioxidant response element (ARE) of Nqo1. Arsenic stabilized Nrf2 protein, extending the t½ of Nrf2 from 21 to 200 min by inhibiting the Keap1·Cul3-dependent ubiquitination and proteasomal turnover of Nrf2. Arsenic markedly inhibited the ubiquitination of Nrf2 but did not disrupt the Nrf2·Keap1·Cul3 association in the cytoplasm. In the nucleus, arsenic, but not phenolic antioxidant tert-butylhydroquinone, dissociated Nrf2 from Keap1 and Cul3 followed by dimerization of Nrf2 with a Maf protein (Maf G/Maf K). Chromatin immunoprecipitation demonstrated that Nrf2 and Maf associated with the endogenous Nqo1 ARE enhancer constitutively. Arsenic substantially increased the ARE occupancy by Nrf2 and Maf. In addition, Keap1 was shown to be ubiquitinated in the cytoplasm and deubiquitinated in the nucleus in the presence of arsenic without changing the protein level, implicating nuclear-cytoplasmic recycling of Keap1. Our data reveal that arsenic activates the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway through a distinct mechanism from that by antioxidants and suggest an "on-switch" model of Nqo1 transcription in which the binding of Nrf2·Maf to ARE controls both the basal and inducible expression of Nqo1.


Leprosy has been a stigmatizing disease for centuries. Imagine yourself newly diagnosed with leprosy and while looking for information you find many negative images on the internet which reinforce your fears. The good messages, that leprosy is an infection curable with a 6 or 12 month course of antibiotics and is only mildly infectious, are hidden. We aim to alter this negative balance through the New Face for leprosy project showing leprosy patients having a normal life, working and having a family. In 2018 we photographed and interviewed patients in Ethiopia. They openly discussed their experiences, fears and hopes. When we showed these pictures in Ethiopia in February 2019, one patient said "we are beautiful", a new way of looking at herself. We presented these positive pictures of people affected by leprosy at meetings and at the 20th International Leprosy Congress in Manila, in September 2019, and people affected by leprosy wanted this project to expand. We have photographed and recorded patient stories in India, to catch their voices. We asked them what had been tough and what had given them hope. Many patients had been delayed in diagnosis because their symptoms were not recognized by health workers. Many patients had tried natural or spiritual remedies. When told of their diagnosis most felt despondent and even suicidal and could not share their diagnosis. Participants had taken the 6 or 12 months' course of anti-leprosy antibiotics that cures the disease. They had positive messages about taking antibiotics and knew that these were curative. They were often supported by staff from the referral centres and other patients. Women suffer a double jeopardy: they fear for their own position and worry about their daughters, fearful of the challenges in having a marriage arranged for them. These pictures show strong people who have overcome their diagnosis and even work in tough building and agricultural jobs. We shall be showing these pictures at exhibitions in London and India and around the UK. We are publishing these pictures in Leprosy Review and hope that it will stimulate recognition that people affected by leprosy are strong in overcoming challenges. These images will be available on the Lepra website. The project will be expanding to other countries. Globally about 220,000 new patients are diagnosed each year. A majority of these are in India. This work was supported by Lepra, Colchester UK and Lepra Society India. The patient interviews arranged by Lepra Society, India. Interviews and translation was done by Srinivas Yanamandra. All participants gave informed consent.


The effect of the consortium of Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Micrococcus spp on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in crude oil was carried out using standard microbiological methods. Spectrophotometer, gas chromatography and viable count which determined the optical density, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the total heterotrophic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria were used for the study and analysis was for a period of three weeks at one week interval. The values of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon decreased from 419 mg/l to 0.06 mg/l while the values of the optical density and viable counts, respectively, increased from 0.018 to 0.740 and from 9.80 x 105 cfu/ml to 2.74 x 106 cfu/ml. This research concluded that the consortium of these bacteria can be used for the decontamination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) polluted sites. Key words : Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Petroleum hydrocarbon, Biodegradation


Increasing penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has a substantial impact on the operation of power distribution networks. Given the fast-growing load demands from PEVs and unmatched infrastructure investment in transformer and feeder capacity, the PEV charging is subjected to both spatially and temporally security constraints beyond which the network failure may occur. This paper proposes a game-theory-based distributed charging control method to coordinate large-scale PEVs without compromising the security of the distribution network. Under a noncooperative game framework, a price-driven charging model is designed to minimize the cost of each individual PEV customer while satisfying the network loading constraints. Then, a Newton-type method is developed to find a better Nash equilibrium of the game model at a superlinear convergence rate. Furthermore, an accelerated gradient method is proposed to tackle the subproblem for each user's best response. The update of the user's best response is implemented in a distributed way in order to protect user's privacy. The convergence rate of the proposed algorithms is rigorously proved. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed methods are tested on the IEEE 13-bus system.


This small monograph consists of 11 essays in depth focusing on the single symptom of diarrhea. The editor and nine other authors discuss all aspects of this problem. The chapters vary from 14 to 94 pages in length, and each presents an orderly discussion of their topic with repetitions and the overlap of other sections largely removed. Most chapters are richly enhanced by charts, appendices of methods, reproductions of significant charts from the literature, or clear x-rays. Separate chapters on viral, bacterial, and other organisms producing diarrhea are extremely well done. Each reviews systematically the many etiological agents associated with diarrhea and pertinent examples of disease and diagnostic methods are provided. Nonspecific inflammatory disease, toxins, metabolic diseases, neoplasms, and malabsorption in children and adults are the basis of well-written chapters. Separate chapters are directed toward the problem on nonabdominal and occult causes of diarrhea, diarrhea in infants and children, and


The acoustic evoked potentials (AEP) of 100-300 ms latency, evoked by ultrasound irritation (20-80 kHz) in normal hearing subjects cannot be derived from deaf persons. There was no reaction of 10 patients with congenital or acquired deafness during ultrasound - ERA - examination according to the absent subjective hearing perception.


Women's scarcity in the STEM, especially in the IT sector is pronouncedly evident. Young women are obstructed from entering and remaining in IT by a broad range of social, educational, and labor market factors. In our paper, we would like to analyze the main barriers girls face in choosing IT, while also proposing potential methods to help them overcome these obstacles. In the second part of the paper, we will present a case study to illustrate in detail how the combination of the above methods can be put into practice to address and tackle the complex set of barriers girls face. We will first introduce a Hungarian annual program, Girls' Day ("Lányok napja"), specifically aimed to promote STEM to girls, then we will present two specific events organized for the 2020 edition of the program and designed with the above principles in mind. The interactive presentation, exposing girls to female role models of the field in a gamified way, and a game development exercise, building Scratch programming skills, have attempted to provide young women both with positive perspectives and experiences in IT, which are instrumental in helping them to surmount entrenched obstacles and raise their interest in the field.


Recent American Heart Association statistics indicate that approximately 5 million people experience heart failure, and that an estimated 400,000 to 700,000 new cases are expected annually. Improved efforts in the emergency care of myocardial infarction and the increased life expectancy of the population in general are credited for the rapidly increasing number of elderly adults with such chronic cardiac diseases as heart failure. New drug therapies are tested daily to improve the treatment of heart failure. However, drugs alone cannot improve the lives of elderly men and women with this disorder. Skillful delivery of expert care is necessary if advanced practice nurses are to reduce the burden of heart failure and improve the lives of the individuals who must live with this devastating disease.


Insulin growth-like factor-1 (IGF-1) and its main binding protein insulin growth-like factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3) play important roles in cancer development and progression. We hypothesize that circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 may have significant prognostic values in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients. We used 1,010 histologically confirmed RCC patients in this case series study to test this hypothesis. We constructed a weighted genetic risk score (GRS) using a large panel of genome-wide association study (GWAS)-identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to predict circulating IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 level, respectively. We analyzed the associations of the GRS with the prognosis of RCC patients using multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. We found significant associations between genetically predicted circulating IGF-1 level, but not IGFBP-3, and RCC prognosis. RCC patients with better prognosis had significantly higher baseline circulating IGF-1 level than those with worse prognosis. Dichotomized at the median value of GRS, patients with high IGF-1 exhibited significantly lower risks of recurrence (HR=0.81, 95% CI, 0.65-0.99, P=0.045) and death (HR=0.74, 95% CI, 0.60-0.91, P=0.004). If patients were dichotomized at the 75% value of GRS, those with the highest quarter of GRS had 27% lower risk of recurrence (OR=0.73, 95% CI, 0.55-0.96, P=0.025) and 34% lower risk of death (OR=0.66, 95% CI, 0.50-0.87, P=0.003) than the other three quarters of patients. High IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio was also associated with reduced risks of recurrence and survival. In conclusion, high circulating IGF-1 level and IGF-1/IGFBP-3 ratio at diagnosis is associated with better prognosis in RCC patients.


Experimental and numerical investigations were carried out using lamb waves to study the degradation in adhesive joints made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) adherends and epoxy adhesive. Degradation was inducted into the epoxy adhesive by adding different amounts of polyvinyl alcohol. Fundamental lamb wave modes were excited in the CFRP adherends using piezoelectric transducer disks and made to propagate through the adhesive layer. The received waveforms across adhesive joints with varied degradation were studied. A 2D finite element model was utilized to verify the experimental results. Good correlation was observed between numerical and experimental results. Details of the investigation and results obtained are presented in the paper.


We previously described two female patients who developed a post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) following each of two dural punctures separated by 9 (1) and 50 (2) years, respectively, and concluded that patients with a history of previous PDPH should be considered at high risk for subsequent PDPH most likely indefinitely (once a post-dural puncture headache patient – always post-dural puncture headache patient). Indeed, we recently encountered a 39-year-old parturient with a history of previous (3 years prior) PDPH [three epidural blood patches (EBPs) had been necessary to treat the severe cephalgia] who developed another PDPH following administration of labor analgesia (single intrathecal injection of opioids), and this time two EBPs were required to cure her symptoms. Pnemocephalus-related headache and any other intracranial pathology were ruled out by the computerized tomography of her cranium and consultation with the neurologist. This author is not aware of any other reports documenting administration of multiple EBPs on each occasion to treat symptoms of PDPH in the parturient and would welcome comments from colleagues from other institutions on their experience with similar (if any ?) cases.


The general technologies for fabricating drug delivery systems are briefly discussed in the present review. Furthermore, two types of commonly used polymers, biodegradable aliphatic polyesters for parenteral administration and cellulose-based polymers for oral uses, are presented by means of selected examples of their properties and applications to control drug release.


Opioid drug overdose kills over 16,000 Americans every year. Although some victims are famous - like actor Heath Ledger - the seriousness of the overdose epidemic has still not gotten the attention, or the response, it requires. Many of these deaths are completely avoidable because an overdose incident can be effectively reversed by the administration of naloxone - a safe and inexpensive antagonist. With little funding, some 60 programs operating in 17 U.S. states have begun training drug users and others who are likely to witness an overdose to recognize and reverse opioid poisoning by providing first aid and administering emergency doses of naloxone. There has also been work aimed at making it standard medical practice to prescribe companion doses of naloxone to all patients receiving powerful opioid medications. These efforts have resulted in the reversal of thousands of fatalities, without resulting in increase in risky behavior or other negative consequences trumpeted by the programs' opponents. Despite their unequivocal success, such programs face a number of critical barriers. Naloxone's prescription status creates many questions about how the drug can be made available to drug users or others who may be in a position to help. Healthcare providers are rarely informed about, or willing to participate in overdose prevention efforts, including naloxone prescription. Lack of robust research and resources hampers many of the existing programs and prevents their scale-up. Whether real or perceived, concerns about legal liability have discouraged government and clinical professionals from supporting these efforts. Law enforcement and political actors also oppose the initiatives for the fear of enabling or sanctioning illegal drug use, while witnesses of overdoses involving illegally-obtained drugs avoid summoning emergency response. After sketching out the contours of the overdose epidemic, this article systematically examines the constellation of regulatory, legal, and policy issues that are limiting the scale-up of vital efforts to stem the tide of opioid overdose in the US. Well-balanced action that integrates state policy reform, proactive FDA action, targeted public and healthcare professional education, and partnership between public health and law enforcement actors are necessary to assure that society can enjoy the benefits of adequate pain care while minimizing overdose deaths and other problematic and harmful use of these powerful drugs.


BACKGROUND
Models of care are needed to address physical activity, nutrition promotion and weight loss in primary care settings, especially with underserved populations who are disproportionately affected by chronic illness. Group medical visits (GMVs) are one approach that can help overcome some of the barriers to behaviour change in underserved populations, including the amount of time required to care for these patients due to socio-economic stressors and psychosocial complexities (1). GMVs have been shown to improve care in coronary artery disease and diabetes, but more evidence is needed in underserved settings.

OBJECTIVE
This project sought to evaluate a GMV incorporating a physical activity component in an underserved patient population, measuring biometric and motivation outcome measures.

METHODS
This project used a pre-post intervention study design through patient surveys at baseline and 12 weeks. We included validated motivational measures along with self-reported demographic information. A GMV intervention promoting physical activity and nutrition to promote weight loss was delivered by an interdisciplinary primary care team and community partners in a Federally Qualified Health Center in Rochester, NY. The intervention consisted of six, 2-hour sessions that occurred every other week at the clinic site.

RESULTS
Participants lost a significant amount of weight and maintained the weight loss at 6 months. In addition, there was a significant improvement in motivation measures.

CONCLUSION
This study provides preliminary evidence that our GMV model can improve weight loss and autonomous motivation in an underserved population. This project has potential for scalability and sustainability.


In the past twelve years, Aceh government in Indonesia has taken serious action in regulating the society by injecting Islamic laws into the regional laws. By the way of operating these laws into the city, the local government not only put prohibition billboard around the cities, regulating dress codes and limited time access to the parks, but also hire Sharia polices to patrol cities for religiously undesirable behaviors in the public space. If the offenders get caught, they will be taken to the Islamic court and threaten by paying fine, caning, or even imprisoning. A previous research by Center for the Study of Religion and Culture(CSRC) and local media have begun raising the questions on the possible impact Sharia law has on the sense of safety in the public space. This research explores, in particular, the impact of Sharia law on the sense of safety among different social groups. The following research questions are identified: (1) what in public spaces make people feel safe and unsafe because of law impact? (2) does Sharia law affect the comfortableness of the people in the public space? (3) does Sharia law related control mechanisms change people's behavior in the public space? (4) which group of people directly feel Sharia law impact on the sense of safety? Several methods for data collections are employed, including archival research, elite interviews, field observations and questionnaire to reveal both tangible and intangible factors that influence people's feeling on the sense of safety in relationship to the Sharia law. The result from survey was analyzed by T-Test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA) shows how social groups feel differently regarding the Sharia law related-control mechanisms. This research found that (1) male are dislike about the limited time access to the park at night then female;(2) unmarried people feel less comfortable about the dress code than married; (3) college students dislike Sharia police patrol than any other age groups. Overall, the control mechanisms also changed the way people behave in public space to be more acceptable to Muslim society.


We show how we have successfully identified the bug of a real chip by using formal verification techniques. Since excessive number of simulation cycles are necessary to debug the chip design, formal verification techniques, specifically CTL symbolic model checking, were adopted to identify the bug. We demonstrate several approaches including abstraction, which make it possible to apply symbolic model checking methods. The methods and ideas reported here are general enough for diagnosing other real chips.<<ETX>>


Abstract Objectives: To determine the attitude of general practitioners towards evidence based medicine and their related educational needs. Design: A questionnaire study of general practitioners. Setting: General practice in the former Wessex region, England. Subjects: Randomly selected sample of 25% of all general practitioners (452), of whom 302 replied. Main outcome measures: Respondents' attitude towards evidence based medicine, ability to access and interpret evidence, perceived barriers to practising evidence based medicine, and best method of moving from opinion based to evidence based medicine. Results: Respondents mainly welcomed evidence based medicine and agreed that its practice improves patient care. They had a low level of awareness of extracting journals, review publications, and databases (only 40% knew of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and, even if aware, many did not use them. In their surgeries 20% had access to bibliographic databases and 17% to the world wide web. Most had some understanding of the technical terms used. The major perceived barrier to practising evidence based medicine was lack of personal time. Respondents thought the most appropriate way to move towards evidence based general practice was by using evidence based guidelines or proposals developed by colleagues. Conclusion: Promoting and improving access to summaries of evidence, rather than teaching all general practitioners literature searching and critical appraisal, would be the more appropriate method of encouraging evidence based general practice. General practitioners who are skilled in accessing and interpreting evidence should be encouraged to develop local evidence based guidelines and advice. Key messages Despite considerable variation in 302 general practitioners' attitudes to the promotion of evidence based medicine, most were welcoming and agreed that it improved patient care There was a low level of awareness of extracting journals, review publications, and databases relevant to evidence based medicine, and the major perceived barrier to its practice was lack of personal time In their surgery only 20% of general practitioners had access to Medline or other bibliographic databases and 17% had access to the world wide web Most had some understanding of the technical terms used in evidence based medicine, but less than a third felt able to explain to others the meaning of these terms Respondents thought that the best way to move from opinion based practice towards evidence based medicine was by using evidence based guidelines or protocols developed by colleagues


ABSTRACT In this study, we analyse 126 secondary pupils' responses to national test questions designed to make them think and care about the history of national minorities in Sweden. Using a mixed method approach we find that historical thinking and empathy as caring are tightly interlinked in the responses. In particular, the cognitive act of corroborating historical sources about the treatment of minorities is linked to historical empathy as caring – while sourcing seems like a separate process. We also find that pupils struggle to link the past to the present and the future more than they do with sourcing and corroboration. Engaging with the past of discrimination of minorities makes pupils take critical positions beyond established dimensions of historical thinking. Our findings highlight how we need to better understand how to scaffold pupils' practical knowledge, skills and attitudes in ideologically and emotionally charged issues.


Both parametric and non-parametric approaches have demonstrated encouraging performances in the human parsing task, namely segmenting a human image into several semantic regions (e.g., hat, bag, left arm, face). In this work, we aim to develop a new solution with the advantages of both methodologies, namely supervision from annotated data and the flexibility to use newly annotated (possibly uncommon) images, and present a quasi-parametric human parsing model. Under the classic K Nearest Neighbor (KNN)-based nonparametric framework, the parametric Matching Convolutional Neural Network (M-CNN) is proposed to predict the matching confidence and displacements of the best matched region in the testing image for a particular semantic region in one KNN image. Given a testing image, we first retrieve its KNN images from the annotated/manually-parsed human image corpus. Then each semantic region in each KNN image is matched with confidence to the testing image using M-CNN, and the matched regions from all KNN images are further fused, followed by a superpixel smoothing procedure to obtain the ultimate human parsing result. The M-CNN differs from the classic CNN [12] in that the tailored cross image matching filters are introduced to characterize the matching between the testing image and the semantic region of a KNN image. The cross image matching filters are defined at different convolutional layers, each aiming to capture a particular range of displacements. Comprehensive evaluations over a large dataset with 7,700 annotated human images well demonstrate the significant performance gain from the quasi-parametric model over the state-of-the-arts [29, 30], for the human parsing task.


It is commonly known in Finland that Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is a tree of dry soils and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L) Karst.) is a tree of fresh soils. However, the concepts of dry and fresh soils still lack a precise defi nition. Consequently, the discussion on which soil/site is a pine or spruce habitat has continued over several decades. Moreover, in forest regeneration, the practice of tree species selection between the pine and the spruce has varied. We investigated the relationship between soil properties and pine–spruce species composition in a mature, naturally regenerated stand in southern Finland. We applied spatial analysis to divide the stand area up into 3–7 classes based on selected soil properties and then investigated the variations in species composition among those classes. The pine–spruce basal area ratio (BA of pines / BA of spruces) increased along with increasing mean particle size and proportion of coarse sand and gravel particle size fraction (0.6–20 mm) of mineral soil, and was lowest in classes, with the highest proportions of fi ne texture fractions. The results suggest that in southern Finland on sorted soils, pine is more competitive in regeneration and growth than spruce when mean particle size is above 0.44 mm or percentage of coarse sand and gravel is higher than 50%.


Abstract Genetically modified (GM) crops may threaten agrobiodiversity because: (1) genetic material could escape into and subsequently alter non-GM species; and (2) GM crops encourage farmers along an agronomic feedback loop encouraging input-intensive monocultures. However, in the Warangal district of Telangana, India, GM cotton farms also contain nearly 100 semi-managed vegetables, trees, and wild plants belonging to 39 botanical families. While farmers continue to plant poorly understood, deceptively labeled Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner) cotton seeds in their fields, they also maintain an average of 17 other plants on the same farms for home economic needs. This paper draws on surveys, field interviews, and ethnography conducted among randomly sampled Bt cotton farmers to show the full range of economic plants cultivated on Warangal GM farms. In doing so, I argue that some farmers have been able to preserve agrobiodiversity despite the pressures of GM cotton cash cropping. That agrobiodiversity has potential benefits for Indigenous knowledge and drawbacks for environmental and health concerns.


This paper presents the results of the classifiers we developed for the shared tasks in aggression identification and misogynistic aggression identification. These two shared tasks were held as part of the second workshop on Trolling, Aggression and Cyberbullying (TRAC). Both the subtasks were held for English, Hindi and Bangla language. In our study, we used English BERT (En-BERT), RoBERTa, DistilRoBERTa, and SVM based classifiers for English language. For Hindi and Bangla language, multilingual BERT (M-BERT), XLM-RoBERTa and SVM classifiers were used. Our best performing models are EN-BERT for English Subtask A (Weighted F1 score of 0.73, Rank 5/16), SVM for English Subtask B (Weighted F1 score of 0.87, Rank 2/15), SVM for Hindi Subtask A (Weighted F1 score of 0.79, Rank 2/10), XLMRoBERTa for Hindi Subtask B (Weighted F1 score of 0.87, Rank 2/10), SVM for Bangla Subtask A (Weighted F1 score of 0.81, Rank 2/10), and SVM for Bangla Subtask B (Weighted F1 score of 0.93, Rank 4/8). It is seen that the superior performance of the SVM classifier was achieved mainly because of its better prediction of the majority class. BERT based classifiers were found to predict the minority classes better.


In this technical guide we describe the Strategic Analysis and Knowledge Support System (SAKSS) concept developed by the International Food Policy Research Institute in response to the capacity gaps typically found in many African countries for generating and translating evidence into action. SAKSS is defined as a collaborative network that acts as a mechanism by which relevant evidence is generated and used to inform agricultural and rural development strategy formulation and implementation. SAKSS brings together two important concepts—"strategic analysis†and "knowledge support systems.†The strategic analysis component describes an integrated framework of analysis that helps identify strategy and investment options for achieving high-end development goals. This analysis is carried out within the context of a knowledge support system, a network that serves the evidence needs of strategy formulation and implementation. By providing a platform for exchange, information, data analysis, and knowledge can be compiled, synthesized, and packaged into evidence that is supplied on a timely and reliable basis to be of use during strategy processes.


In this paper, a self-adaptive algorithm of a packet scheduler is addressed as a crucial method of high-speed transmission of multimedia traffic in a shared wireless link, in accordance with new architectural functions. In the slot budget that is updated sequentially in the order of priorities of applications and sessions, adaptive modulation and coding options are considered to take into account radio links subject to fading and interference. The dedicated local packet scheduler that is in control of each type of application employs an application-sensitive scheduling algorithm. For real-time scheduler, the forward-equilibrium algorithm is introduced to consider the future state of delay. When it comes to non real-time scheduler, the adaptive-fair-selection algorithm is developed to provide the fairness between sessions. The global packet scheduler manages the overall operation of the dedicated local packet schedulers and supervises the slot budget in each transmission-time-interval making a final decision. The scheduler can provide the local fairness between sessions in each service class. Related to the bounds on delay, real-time sessions can be served with predefined requirements at the cost of increased packet dropping rates. Implementation complexity is thought to be simple, providing a low-complexity algorithm in the local scheduler for the nonreal-time class.


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between ownership structure and firm performance, including judicial system efficiency as a moderator to investigate the joint effects of both explanatory variables. Although prior studies have considered judicial system efficiency by examining de jure investor protection, this study identifies another useful proxy and explores de facto legal protection.

Design/methodology/approach

Ordinary least square multiple regression models were used to examine the influence of judicial efficiency, which was measured using the disposition time (DT) and legal origin, as a moderator of the relationship between ownership concentration and firm performance for a sample of 565 non-financial companies listed in Italy, France, Germany and Spain in 2013.

Findings

This paper shows that de facto investor protection ensured by an efficient judicial system is relevant to the relationship between firm performance and ownership structure. As a moderator variable, DT strengthens the intensity of this relationship in countries with low judicial efficiency, showing that ownership concentration leads to a better enhancement of firm performance and is, therefore, a more efficient governance mechanism in countries in which investor protection is weak.

Originality/value

The evidence presented expands the understanding of the link between firm performance and ownership structure. The institutional deficiencies suggest that internal governance mechanisms may substitute for external mechanisms in facilitating efficient governance. This study corroborates policymakers' concerns regarding the efficiency of judicial systems and their role in protecting the rights of minority shareholders. The results suggest a need for more efficient external mechanisms of investor protection to facilitate investment in equity capital. Moreover, this study shows that DT is a more accurate measure of investor protection than the traditional measure of de jure legal protection.


High-voltage bias testing of PV modules is known to be useful for revealing design, material and process flaws in PV modules. It is accepted that the hot and humid climate under high-voltage bias imposes a severely harsh environment on the PV modules and enhances the possibility of degradation. Test location is, therefore, important. A test methodology is being presented here that can provide useful information for testing PV modules at high voltage in nature's own laboratory in a relatively short time frame.


Pre-training and fine-tuning have achieved significant advances in the information retrieval (IR). A typical approach is to fine-tune all the parameters of large-scale pre-trained models (PTMs) on downstream tasks. As the model size and the number of tasks increase greatly, such approach becomes less feasible and prohibitively expensive. Recently, a variety of parameter-efficient tuning methods have been proposed in natural language processing (NLP) that only fine-tune a small number of parameters while still attaining strong performance. Yet there has been little effort to explore parameter-efficient tuning for IR. In this work, we first conduct a comprehensive study of existing parameter-efficient tuning methods at both the retrieval and re-ranking stages. Unlike the promising results in NLP, we find that these methods cannot achieve comparable performance to full fine-tuning at both stages when updating less than 1% of the original model parameters. More importantly, we find that the existing methods are just parameter-efficient, but not learning-efficient as they suffer from unstable training and slow convergence. To analyze the underlying reason, we conduct a theoretical analysis and show that the separation of the inserted trainable modules makes the optimization difficult. To alleviate this issue, we propose to inject additional modules alongside the pre-trained models (PTMs) to make the original scattered modules connected. In this way, all the trainable modules can form a pathway to smooth the loss surface and thus help stabilize the training process. Experiments at both retrieval and re-ranking stages show that our method outperforms existing parameter-efficient methods significantly, and achieves comparable or even better performance over full fine-tuning.


This paper studies the application of system reliability theory with certain modifications to a four lane highway. It can be modeled the four lane highway as a series parallel system. To analyze traffic accident frequency and reliability of each Lane, we generated number of accidents in each section by using simulation technique. Assuming that the time between two accidents will follow an exponential distribution, we determined reliability and accident frequency of each Lane along with its sections. Based on the results obtained conclusions were drawn.


This paper analyzes the demand for liquidity by US business firms using individual data. The theoretical background is the money demand model as proposed by Baumol and Tobin, and further extended by Miller and Orr (1966). Accordingly, a firm's money demand depends on firm size, on labor costs and on the cost of money. In this paper, the theoretical model has been modified to allow for firms' and industry heterogeneity. We use COMPUSTAT annual data for the period 1982-2000: the length of the time interval considered allows to treat measurement error which may affect the estimates. From the balanced and unbalanced panel estimations with fixed effects we infer that there are economies of scale in the demand for money by US firms, because the estimated sales elasticities are smaller than unity. In particular, the estimated sales elasticities are lower than those found in the previous literature, suggesting that the economies of scale in the demand for money by the US business firms are even bigger than formerly thought.


Chapter 1: Turning Points Part One: In Person Educational turning points Part Two: On the Phone Moving to a new city for work Part Three: On the Air Moving back home with parents Part Four: In Class The stages of culture shock Chapter 2: Learning a New Language Part One: In Person Two kinds of language learners Part Two: On the Phone Call to an English-language school Part Three: On the Air Is the adverb dying? Part Four: In Class How English forms new words Chapter 3: In the Money Part One: In Person Tips for managing your money Part Two: On the Phone Getting information about bank accounts Part Three: On the Air Lending money to relatives Part Four: In Class Credit card debt among young adults Chapter 4: Memories Part One: In Person Sense memories Part Two: On the Phone Argument about forgetting Part Three: On the Air Strategies for remembering information Part Four: In Class Mnemonics Chapter 5: Body Trends Part One: In Person Getting a tattoo Part Two: On the Phone Phone survey about beauty Part Three: On the Air Having plastic surgery to look younger Part Four: In Class Body image disorders in men Chapter 6: Discoveries Part One: In Person Exploring the planet Mars Part Two: On the Phone Call from an unknown relative Part Three: On the Air Finding a lost object Part Four: In Class Did Columbus really discover America? Chapter 7: Law and Order Part One: In Person Serving on a jury Part Two: On the Phone Reporting a crime to the police Part Three: On the Air Law to prevent panhandling Part Four: In Class Theories to explain criminal behavior Chapter 8: Lights, Camera, Action! Part One: In Person Interview with a film producer Part Two: On the Phone Recorded movie theater announcement Part Three: On the Air A film review Part Four: In Class How movie sound is created Appendix 1 Master Vocabulary List Appendix 2 Common Abbreviations and Symbols Used in Note-Taking Appendix 3 Summary of Street Guidelines Appendix 4 Sample Outlines for In-Class Lectures Audioscript


This study aimed to assess the implications of Zn enrichment in wheat grains as a function of contrasting genotypes, edaphic conditions and foliar fertilizers. Triticum aestivum L. varieties Roxo and Paiva were grown in four production fields, and sprayed with ZnSO4 (0, 16.20 and 36.40 kg/ha) Zn-EDTA (0, 6.30 and 12.60 kg/ha) and Tecnifol Zinc (0, 3.90 and 7.80 kg/ha). The heterogeneous edaphic conditions of the wheat fields were chemically characterized, it being found that soil properties determine different Zn accumulation in the grains of both genotypes. Foliar spraying enhanced to different extents Zn content in the grains of both genotypes, but the average of enrichment indexes varied among the wheat fields. Zinc mostly accumulated in the embryo and vascular bundle and to a lesser extent in the endosperm. Grain yield and test weight sprayed by ZnSO4 gave the highest values in both genotypes, but the opposite was found for Zn-EDTA. Considering the color parameters, lightness and red–green transitions were found to be a conjunction of genotype characteristics, fertilization types and edaphic conditions prevailing in each field. It is concluded that the index of Zn enrichment in wheat grains is a docket of edaphic conditions, genotype and type of fertilization.


ABSTRACT In this paper, I argue that the practices of stereoscopic photography throughout the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century can be interpreted as technological answers to many of the questions raised by the theories of art regarding the landscape genre, such as immersion, volume, scale, and subjectivity. However, it was not a direct influence, since stereoscopic photography was perceived as part of popular culture and, thus, excluded from the artistic field. Stereoscopy's middlebrow reputation is largely due to the perception that photography's automated character and its mass diffusion as a visual commodity would prevent it from gaining any artistic value. To assert the possibility of a filiation in landscape theories, I focus on two essays by Georg Simmel, 'The Alps' (1911) and 'The Philosophy of Landscape' (1913), which are representative of these modern debates. I argue that the exclusion of photography from Simmel's essays does not prevent us from a cultural reading, clarifying both that exclusion and the possibility of relating stereoscopic images to the pictorial challenges of the time. This is to state that visuality, although moulded by institutions and power, also spreads across many different social fields. I take as an example the alpine stereo photographs by the Portuguese amateur Manuel Alvarez, a tourist and photographer in the Swiss Alps at the same period of Simmel's essays.


Laparoscopic assisted proctocolectomy with ileoanal pouch is a technical alternative to the conventional open procedure. The aim of this technique are better cosmetics. Mobilisation of the colon is achieved laparoscopically. Rectal resection, J-pouch creation, and pouchanal anastomosis are performed via a Pfannenstiel incision. Laparoscopic assisted proctocolectomy has been performed in five selected patients, three female and two male aged 17 to 36 years. Operative time ranged from 305 to 420 minutes. Intra- and postoperative complications were not encountered. Postoperative hospital stay ranged from 13 to 16 days. On a scale from 1 to 10 the average quality of life was graded 9 and the overall satisfaction level with the results of surgery scored 10. Function was identical to open surgery in not selected patients.


Vagal afferents play a role in gut-brain signaling of physiological and pathological stimuli. Here, we investigated how backdiffusion of luminal HCl or NH(4)OH and pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion interact in the communication between rat stomach and brain stem. Rats were pretreated intraperitoneally with vehicle or appropriate doses of cimetidine, omeprazole, pentagastrin, dexloxiglumide (CCK(1) receptor antagonist), and itriglumide (CCK(2) receptor antagonist) before intragastric administration of saline or backdiffusing concentrations of HCl or NH(4)OH. Two hours later, neuronal activation in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) and area postrema was visualized by c-Fos immunohistochemistry. Exposure of the rat gastric mucosa to HCl (0.15-0.5 M) or NH(4)OH (0.1-0.3 M) led to a concentration-dependent expression of c-Fos in the NTS, which was not related to gender, gastric mucosal injury, or gastropyloric motor alterations. The c-Fos response to HCl was diminished by cimetidine and omeprazole, enhanced by pentagastrin, and left unchanged by dexloxiglumide and itriglumide. Pentagastrin alone caused an omeprazole-resistant expression of c-fos, which in the NTS was attenuated by itriglumide and prevented by dexloxiglumide but in the area postrema was reduced by dexloxiglumide and abolished by itriglumide. We conclude that vagal afferents transmit physiological stimuli (gastrin) and pathological events (backdiffusion of luminal HCl or NH(4)OH) from the stomach to the brain stem. These communication modalities interact because, firstly, acid secretion enhances afferent signaling of gastric acid backdiffusion and, secondly, gastrin activates NTS neurons through stimulation of CCK(1) receptors on vagal afferents and of CCK(2) receptors on area postrema neurons projecting to the NTS.


Helianthus verticillatus Small was first collected in western Tennessee by S.M. Bain in 1892. J.K. Small described it as a new species in 1898. The species was not seen again in the century following the original collection. It has had varied treatments over the years, as a species or as a hybrid. Between 1994 and 1997, several subpopulations were found and studied in northwestern Georgia and northeastern Alabama. In 1998 it was rediscovered in western Tennessee, near the original site, but apparently not at the same site. Analyses of the morphology of the H. verticillatus, along with a determination of the chromosome number, have permitted an updated morphological description and the conclusion that this taxon is not a hybrid, but a good diploid species of sunflower.


Citizens have filed more than two dozen suits and sent nearly four dozen notices of intent to sue EPA to implement the Clean Water Act's once vaunted "total maximum daily load" (TMDL) program. 33 U.S.C. §1313(d). The results are striking. Since 1997, states and EPA have identified nearly 20,000 waters previously thought to comply with water quality standards that do not. Since 2000, EPA has established or approved nearly 8,000 plans that aim to make these dirty waters fishable and swimmable. EPA is under court order to move the TMDL program along in more than 20 states. TMDL litigation, particularly that in the cases, however, display a program with spare bark and no bite. Leading and long-litigated cases in California, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, Maryland, Missouri and Virginia have concluded. Eight other cases settled by consent decree. Some of the news is good, but far more is dubious, for TMDL enthusiasts. This article discusses the various aspects of TMDL litigation and its demise, including the no-duty-to-establish TMDLs standard, the fact that TMDL applies to waters impaired by nonpoint as well as point sources, and the wide discretion that EPA retains to approve TMDL content.


Locomotive Mounted Wind Turbine (LMWT) is a mounted horizontal axis wind turbine system for heavy electric vehicles. This paper presents the design and implementation of LMWT to generate electricity from the vehicle. LMWT has several new advantages, including high RPM turbine, convenient weight, practical shape, direct storage and portability. And also, this paper evaluates the LMWT performance in terms of power generation. Here analyze that, with proper designing, LMWT can generate approximately 300W and above of power at vehicle speed of 80 km/hr which have a radius of 1m. A number of design considerations have taken into account specially for designing LMWT to ensure its proper functionality in practical heavy electrical locomotives. KeywordHawt-Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine, Lmwt-Locomotive Mounted Wind Turbine, Pmdc-Permanent Magnet Dc,Tsr-Tip Speed RatioWt-Wind Turbine __________________________________________________________________________________________________


Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that scholars in the information behavior (IB) field should embrace the theoretical framework of the everyday to explore a more holistic view of IB.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the theory of the everyday and delineates four opportunities offered by scholars of the everyday. The paper concludes with three examples that highlight what a more everyday-focused everyday information behavior might look like.

Findings

The theory of the everyday provides a useful theoretical framework to ground research addressing the everyday world as well as useful concepts for analysis and research methodology.

Originality/value

The theoretical framework of the everyday contributes to IB research by providing a theoretical justification for work addressing everyday life as well as useful concepts for analysis. The paper also outlines the benefits of integrating methods influenced by institutional ethnography, a methodology previously used to address the nuances of the everyday world.


Microfinance programme in Malaysia has been implemented since 1987 as one of the poverty eradication strategies in the country. There are three large microfinance institutions in Malaysia namely AIM, YUM and TEKUN that targeted to different groups of people. Each of the microfinance institution has its own lending systems and has been subsidised by the government since their existence. This paper compares the Malaysian subsidised microfinance institutions' lending systems with the unsubsidised microfinance institutions such as the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and People's Bank (Bank Perkreditan Rakyat/BPR) in Indonesia. This study found the Grameen Bank and BPR have more variety of microfinance services and flexible lending systems compared with Malaysian microfinance institutions.


Temperate species are projected to experience the greatest temperature increases across a range of modelled climate change scenarios, and climate warming has been linked to geographical range and population changes of individual species at such latitudes. However, beyond the multiple modelling approaches, we lack empirical evidence of contemporary climate change impacts on populations in broad taxonomic groups and at continental scales. Identifying reliable predictors of species resilience or susceptibility to climate warming is of critical importance in assessing potential risks to species, ecosystems and ecosystem services. Here we analysed long‐term trends of 110 common breeding birds across Europe (20 countries), to identify climate niche characteristics, adjusted to other environmental and life history traits, that predict large‐scale population changes accounting for phylogenetic relatedness among species. Beyond the now well‐documented decline of farmland specialists, we found that species with the lowest thermal maxima (as the mean spring and summer temperature of the hottest part of the breeding distribution in Europe) showed the sharpest declines between 1980 and 2005. Thermal maximum predicted the recent trends independently of other potential predictors. This study emphasizes the need to account for both land‐use and climate changes to assess the fate of species. Moreover, we highlight that thermal maximum appears as a reliable and simple predictor of the long‐term trends of such endothermic species facing climate change.


Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of alpha‐B‐crystallin and p53 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods: Alpha‐B‐crystallin and p53 expressions from 118 HNSCC were studied by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Results: Alpha‐B‐crystallin expression was seen in 28% (n = 33) of HNSCC. All except one poorly differentiated HNSCC were negative for alpha‐B‐crystallin. p53 expression was seen in 63% (n = 73) of HNSCC and was more common in moderately/poorly differentiated HNSCC (p = 0.034). The proportion of cases with positive staining for either alpha‐B‐crystallin or p53 was different in different anatomical locations in the head and neck. Patients with HNSCC having a high portion of tumour cells expressing p53 had a shorter survival than the other groups (p = 0.032). Conclusion: The expression of p53 and alpha‐B‐crystallin were related to the differentiation and site of the HNSCC. Alpha‐B‐crystallin was not a prognostic marker for HNSCC.


OBJECTIVES
To analyze the prevalence at birth and the spatial and temporal distribution of congenital anomalies (CAs) among live births in the state of Maranhão in 2001 to 2016. To describe demographic, gestational and neonatal variables of interest.

METHODS
Ecological, population-based study, using secondary data from the Live Birth Information System (SINASC). Annual prevalence of total and per-group CAs was calculated. Spatial analyzes were based on the Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) and the Moran I Index, and interactive maps were generated. Demographic, gestational and neonatal variables of interest available from SINASC were described in the group of newborns with CAs.

RESULTS
1,831,830 live births, 6,110 with CAs (33.4/10,000) were included. Higher frequencies occurred in more recent years. Spatial clusters have been observed in specific years. The prevalence of newborns with CAs was different between categories of variables considered as risk factors for this outcome.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence at birth of total CAs was lower than expected for major human defects (3%). The temporal peak of records in 2015/2016 is probably related to the increase in CAs caused by gestational infection by the Zika virus. The spatial clusters were probably due to variations at random due to the small number of births as they are not repeated in other years. Studies like this are the basis for the establishment of CA surveillance programs.


An association of carcinogenicity of toxic substances with fungi is shortly documented and discussed. The actions of the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are particularly examined; but it is emphasized that other carcinogenic mycotoxins are more frequent and therefore more dangerous. The man is unable to live estranged from them, because they are a great part in ecological systems and in the work-place, resulting a potentially major threat. The range of food and feedstuffs potentially affected has been increased in recent years. In effect contamination is liable to occur during transport, storage and food processing. These studies demand organized cooperation among mycologists, chemists, pathologists, pharmacologists, physicians. In Japan such extensive collaboration has a long history.


PurposeCryptocurrencies market have grown considerably since 2008 in terms of number and frequency of transactions, despite their advantages and disadvantages. Therefore cryptocurrency market is addressed frequently by financial and government institutions globally. Cryptocurrencies, which provide advantages in terms of time and costs such as instant transactions and low transfer fees, are seen as an alternative financial asset for investors. Therefore, cryptocurrency holders purposing of investing in its exchange rates are exposed to market risk. The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of cryptocurrency exchange rate returns with respect to each other. MethodologyThe relative efficiencies of exchange rate returns are compared with the second order stochastic dominance criterion. As a nonparametric approach Stochastic dominance is used in analyzing the risk of financial return series that do not exhibit a normal distribution. FindingsWhen the exchange rate returns of five different cryptocurrencies are compared with the second order stochastic dominance criterion, it is determined that there are effective currencies among the cryptocurrency returns in the said period. On the other hand, it is seen that there are currencies that do not have stochastic dominance among the cryptocurrency returns. ConclusionThe results results provide ideas for investors and researchers who want to include cryptocurrencies in their portfolios.


OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the effectiveness of non-surgical treatment of post appendectomy, abdominal abscesses in children at the Instituto Materno Infantil de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil and to compare the results of two anti-microbial schemes (Cefoxitin versus Amikacin plus Metronidazole). METHODS: the study corresponds to the period from January 1997 to January 2000. There were 427 appendectomies performed in children during this period and 41 of them developed intra-abdominal abscesses. Thirty-nine were studied. The diagnosis of the abscesses was based on clinical signs, laboratorial tests and ultrasound examination. RESULTS: abscesses developed in 9,6% of the cases. Healing of the abscess occurred in 89,7% of the patients treated with the anti-microbial schemes. There was no difference between the effectiveness of the two anti-microbial schemes used. CONCLUSIONS: non-surgical treatment of post appendectomy intra-abdominal abscesses, based on anti-microbial endovenous therapy is safe, effective and without mortality. The anti-microbial schemes tested showed similar results. The Amikacin plus Metro-nidazole association is recomended.


Abstract. Building a deep geological repository for the final disposal of nuclear waste implies not only changes in the underground but also landscape changes on the surface. Transformations of the surface – the landscape – are accompanied by changes in the perceptions of places and the activities of those living close-by, e.g. regarding leisure activities (cf. Devine-Wright and Batel, 2017; Gailing et al., 2020). Therefore, changed perceptions of a landscape may also have effects on the place attachments of individuals and collective groups who live in those transformed regions (cf. Knaps et al., 2022; Mihaylov and Perkins, 2014). Place attachment is defined as the emotional bond of individuals or collectives to certain locations or landscapes, which include both physical objects and social aspects (cf. Lewicka, 2011). Potentially affected local people want to be able to have an idea of what a repository might look like, even on the surface, how this would fit into the surrounding landscape, and what effects the construction and operation of a repository might have on a region. In this context, participation plays an important role, as shown, for example, by the extensive discussion on the placement of surface facilities in the sectoral plan procedure for deep geological repositories in Switzerland (cf. Neles, 2022). In the project TRANSENS, a transdisciplinary project on disposal research,
we conducted an empirical study with different actors on the role of place
attachment and perceptions of models of surface facilities of a repository.
Our research question is as follows: how do residents with different place attachments perceive landscape changes? For this purpose, we designed an
experimental workshop setting with different actors (students, people from
different regions in Germany, and transdisciplinary partners in TRANSENS). In this experimental setting, we conducted two surveys which were centred, first, on place attachment and, second, on perceptions of the visualized models of surface facilities integrated in different landscapes (which we showed the participants in a 3D virtual space). We also included a group discussion on the different perceptions and evaluated how the discussion changed the perception. The results of the workshop show that place attachment among the participants of the workshop is more or less pronounced and influences the perception of the visualized surface models differently (e.g. those who define "home" by its landscape elements attach great importance to changes in the landscape). Aesthetic aspects in relation to the embedding in the landscape are emphasized in the discussion. In addition, the group discussion had a rather positive influence on the perception of surface facilities. The findings of the experimental workshop are integrated in a transdisciplinary research design on spatial effects and governance in which we have already conducted several interviews (e.g. on place attachment) with individuals from three different regions of Germany. With our research, we aim to elaborate on how these findings are to be included in a place-sensitive and participatory long-term governance concept (cf.
Mbah and Kuppler, 2021).


The performance of the human eye and brain has failed to keep pace with the enormous technical progress in the first full century of radiology. Errors and variations in interpretation now represent the weakest aspect of clinical imaging. Those interpretations which differ from the consensus view of a panel of "experts" may be regarded as errors; where experts fail to achieve consensus, differing reports are regarded as "observer variation". Errors arise from poor technique, failures of perception, lack of knowledge and misjudgments. Observer variation is substantial and should be taken into account when different diagnostic methods are compared; in many cases the difference between observers outweighs the difference between techniques. Strategies for reducing error include attention to viewing conditions, training of the observers, availability of previous films and relevant clinical data, dual or multiple reporting, standardization of terminology and report format, and assistance from computers. Digital acquisition and display will probably not affect observer variation but the performance of radiologists, as measured by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, may be improved by computer-directed search for specific image features. Other current developments show that where image features can be comprehensively described, computer analysis can replace the perception function of the observer, whilst the function of interpretation can in some cases be performed better by artificial neural networks. However, computer-assisted diagnosis is still in its infancy and complete replacement of the human observer is as yet a remote possibility.


Recent studies on the analyticity of the general n-point Wightman functions and the retarded functions in quantum field theory are reviewed. According to Wightman, the conventional axiom of quantum field theory is transcribed into an equivalent set of properties of the Wightman functions. It is then shown that the Wightman functions are boundary values of analytic functions in complex coordinate spaces and the linear properties of the Wightman functions are transcribed into an equivalent requirement on domains of analyticity of these analytic functions. For the study of retarded functions, the contributions of vacuum intermediate states are systematically subtracted from the Wightman functions. The truncated Wightman functions thus obtained have the same linear properties as those of the Wightman functions except for a smaller support in the momentum space. A generali zation of 0-function (the step function of Heaviside) to the characteristic function of a convex polyhedral cone in an n-dimensional vector space is defined and is used to define the generalized retarded functions. The properties of the latter which are equivalent to the linear properties of the Wightman functions are stated. It is then shown that the generalized retarded functions are boundary values of analytic functions in complex momentum spaces and a part of the properties of the former are transcribed into an equivalent requirement on domains of analyticity of the latter. The whole discussion is carried out regardless of the choice between local commutativity and anticommutativity. The problem of obtaining the envelope of holomorphie remains unsolved.


Levamisole, in dosages of 2.5, 5, 10, and 25 mg/kg/day, was given orally by orogastric tube beginning 5, 10, 15, and 20 days after the infection of ICR mice with 50 third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Medication was given for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days. The mice in each group were sacrificed 3 days after cessation of treatment and the brains were examined for parasites. Complete anthelmintic effects could be obtained when treatment was started 10 days post-infection with dosages as low as 2.5 mg/kg/day for 21 consecutive days. Over 90% worm reduction was achieved in the two-week treatment group with medication beginning 5 days after infection at diverse dosages. High dose were given in the treatment groups beginning 15 days post-infection. When the commencement of medication was delayed to 20 days post-infection, worm reduction rates were around 50% in spite of long periods and/or high dosages of medication.


The Australian Ursulines represent an original case of contemporary female religiosity, which overcomes the boundaries of the religious and the secular, the past and the present, the female and the universal. Their model of religious life is a-institutional, inward-looking, a-hierarchical, democratic, and respectful of the members' choices. Furthermore, in their participation to civic life, the Australian Ursulines promote innovative social and political initiatives. They have recently developed these characteristics in continuation with the spirit and thought of the sixteenth-century foundress of their order, Angela Merici.


We constrain properties of ultrahigh energy cosmic ray (UHECR) source environments (and po-tentially astrophysical neutrino sources), including their photon temperature, gas density, size, magnetic field strength and coherence length, using UHECR and neutrino spectra and composition. Our analysis represents a new type of information on UHECR sources, independent of the mechanism responsible for the UHECR acceleration. We also explore the possibility of a common origin of UHECRs and astrophysical neutrinos and further constrain sources which are consistent with this possibility. We show that the common origin hypothesis can only be satisfied for certain hadronic interaction models, showing that multimessenger analyses have the power to also constrain hadronic physics beyond LHC energies.


OBJECTIVE
To establish a main lacrimal gland extirpation xerophthalmia model and to study the relationship between expression of apoptosis genes in various ocular surface cells (cornea and conjunctiva epithelium cells and Meibomian cells) and ocular surface sicca as well as tissue damages in this model.

METHODS
Twenty adult Wistar rats were included in this study and allocated to two groups randomly. Main lacrimal glands were excised in 10 animals and Schirmer I test, tear film break-up time (BUT) and fluorescence staining were performed before the operation and 3 days, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the operation. Ten experimental animals and ten normal animals in the control group were investigated by immunohistochemistry staining of the cornea, conjunctivas epithelium cells and Meibomian cells to detect the expression of Bax and Bcl-2 gene.

RESULTS
Schirmer I test and BUT were significantly lower in the experimental group 1-2 weeks after the operation. The difference became more prominent in the course of observation (P < 0.05). Fluorescence staining was positive in the experimental group. Cornea, conjunctival epithelial cells and Meibomian cells showed more increased expression of Bax in the experimental group [(503.47 +/- 343.73), (586.36 +/- 296.47), (436.61 +/- 246.96) every thousands cells] than that in the normal controls [(241.71 +/- 130.12), (311.03 +/- 142.33), (202.16 +/- 109.29) every thousands cells] (P < 0.05). Bcl-2 expression was decreased in the experimental group [(237.32 +/- 87.07), (236.07 +/- 81.24), (251.79 +/- 89.93) every thousands cells] as compared to the normal controls [(474.24 +/- 167.62), (342.81 +/- 114.57), (320.42 +/- 153.32) every thousands cells] (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
The apoptosis of the epithelial cells in cornea, conjunctiva and Meibomian cells may be one of the mechanisms lead to the destruction of ocular surface tissues in xerophthalmia.


Population-based disease registers serve a variety of purposes and have proven their value in stimulating and facilitating epidemiological research and health planning. The methods used to establish and maintain the Western Australian Cerebral Palsy Register are described. Efforts to reduce diagnostic variation by regular interobserver study meetings with clinicians have been highly productive in addition to promoting awareness of the requirements of the register. The existence of perinatal data sets as denominators are essential to monitor trends, which in turn generate hypotheses that can be readily investigated with the case population and basic variables already identified. The costs of setting up and running an ongoing register are thus offset by its output and potential uses. These, as well as its limitations, are discussed.


Timely and accurate estimation of the area and distribution of crops is vital for food security. Optical remote sensing has been a key technique for acquiring crop area and conditions on regional to global scales, but great challenges arise due to frequent cloudy days in southern China. This makes optical remote sensing images usually unavailable. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) could bridge this gap since it is less affected by clouds. The recent availability of Sentinel-1A (S1A) SAR imagery with a 12-day revisit period at a high spatial resolution of about 10 m makes it possible to fully utilize phenological information to improve early crop classification. In deep learning methods, one-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1D CNNs), long short-term memory recurrent neural networks (LSTM RNNs), and gated recurrent unit RNNs (GRU RNNs) have been shown to efficiently extract temporal features for classification tasks. However, due to the complexity of training, these three deep learning methods have been less used in early crop classification. In this work, we attempted to combine them with an incremental classification method to avoid the need for training optimal architectures and hyper-parameters for data from each time series. First, we trained 1D CNNs, LSTM RNNs, and GRU RNNs based on the full images' time series to attain three classifiers with optimal architectures and hyper-parameters. Then, starting at the first time point, we performed an incremental classification process to train each classifier using all of the previous data, and obtained a classification network with all parameter values (including the hyper-parameters) at each time point. Finally, test accuracies of each time point were assessed for each crop type to determine the optimal time series length. A case study was conducted in Suixi and Leizhou counties of Zhanjiang City, China. To verify the effectiveness of this method, we also implemented the classic random forest (RF) approach. The results were as follows: (i) 1D CNNs achieved the highest Kappa coefficient (0.942) of the four classifiers, and the highest value (0.934) in the GRU RNNs time series was attained earlier than with other classifiers; (ii) all three deep learning methods and the RF achieved F measures above 0.900 before the end of growth seasons of banana, eucalyptus, second-season paddy rice, and sugarcane; while, the 1D CNN classifier was the only one that could obtain an F-measure above 0.900 for pineapple before harvest. All results indicated the effectiveness of the solution combining the deep learning models with the incremental classification approach for early crop classification. This method is expected to provide new perspectives for early mapping of croplands in cloudy areas. Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 2673; doi:10.3390/rs11222673 www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing Remote Sens. 2019, 11, 2673 2 of 23


Mirroring the growing trend for firms to support their operations by locating activities abroad, research on the practice of offshoring has increased considerably in recent years. However, despite the mounting research, understanding of the key factors influencing decision-making for offshoring remains surprisingly limited due to fragmentation. In this study, we synthesize and integrate insights from different research domains in order to develop a comprehensive decisional framework for key offshoring decisions. The integrative decisional framework is based on a systematic review of offshoring research published in the most influential management and business journals in the past 25 years. In addition to providing a snapshot of the state of research on decision-making for offshoring, this study aims to stimulate future research by identifying promising research opportunities. In particular, we propose that future research should use alternative theories to incorporate overlooked aspects of decision-making, integrate different theories to account for the interdependencies between decisions, and adopt a portfolio perspective that considers each decision as part of an overall offshoring strategy.


Tested was the effectiveness of the digestive method for the isolation of Toxoplasma strains. This method was used to study the musculature of the diaphragm in 80 sheep, 40 cattle, and 80 pigs. Isolated were one strain that was pathogenic and 3 apathogenic strains for albino mice. They were found only in the diaphragm of sheep. It is believed that the digestive method is effective for the isolation of Toxoplasma strains.


The Art of Being Normal Lisa Williamson David Fickling Books, 2015, £7.69 (hb), 357pp. ISBN: 9781910200322

Recently there has been a wealth of creative work featuring transgender people on stage, page and screen. Add to that stories of transition from public figures and the rise in transgender


The object of this study was to assess the incidence and significance of atrioventricular block (AVB) induced by radiofrequency ablation of intranodal reentrant tachycardias. The study population was 18 patients aged 44 to 83, selected from a total population of 144 patients treated for recurrent, refractory tachycardias. These patients developed complete AVB (9 cases), 2nd degree ABV (3 cases) and 1st degree AVB (6 cases) either immediately or in the chronic phase after radiofrequency ablation. The outcomes were as follows: 1. In the 9 patients with complete AVB, the block regressed in a period ranging from 7 seconds to 5 minutes. It recurred as complete AVB 1 to 4 days later in 2 patients, and regressed again after a maximum of 10 days. One 47 year old woman had definitive complete AVB; 2. In the 3 patients with 2nd degree AVB, the block regressed within 7 days; 3. In the 6 cases of 1st degree AVB, 2 patients developed transient complete AVB the following day. The possible causes of AVB were: increased vagal tone in 1 case, ablation of the rapid pathway located in a postero-septal site in 8 cases and, in the remainder, pre-existing conduction defects. The authors conclude that transient complete AVB is common and usually has a good prognosis. Definitive complete AVB is a rare but possible (0.7%) complication of radiofrequency ablation of reentrant intranodal tachycardias; other forms of AVB generally regress quickly and, although they may recur within days, they carry a good prognosis in the following months. However, long-term follow-up remains necessary.


Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL

(Background) Bladder cancer (BC) is the fourth most common tumor diagnosed and the second most common cancer of the genitourinary tract in Japan. Though there have been significant advances in treatment, including surgical technique and adjuvant chemotherapy, approximately 70% of first diagnosed BC recurs after treatment, and 10% to 15% of recurrent tumors proceed to muscle invasion and metastasis. Therefore, it is crucial to find a new strategy for BC diagnosis and treatment based on recent genome analysis in BC oncogenesis. Our expression signatures of human cancer including bladder cancer (BC) revealed that the expression of microRNA-1 (miR-1) and microRNA-133a (miR-133a) were significantly reduced in cancer cells. In human genome, miR-1 and miR-133a located same chromosomal regions (miR-1-2 and miR-133a-1 on 18q11.2, and miR-1-1 and miR-133a-2 on 20q13.33) called cluster. In this study, we investigated the functional significance of miR-1 and miR-133a and identify the novel molecular targets regulated by miR-1 and miR-133a commonly in BC. (Methods) Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis assay was performed by restoration of mature miR-1 and/or miR-133a in BC cell lines. Genome-wide gene expression analysis was performed to identify the molecular networks of miR-1 and miR-133a by microarray technique. A luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the actual binding site between miR-1 and miR-133a and its candidate target genes. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis assays were performed to investigate the targets genes in BC cell lines. To investigate of expression of target genes, immunohistochemistry was performed by using BC tissue microarray. (Results) Restoration of miR-1 and/or miR-133a significantly inhibited cell proliferation migration and invasion in cancer cells. Apoptosis assay showed that significant apoptotic cells were induced by miR-1 and/or miR-133a transfection. Genome-wide molecular targets search and luciferase reporter assay showed that Transgelin2 (TAGLN2), prothymosin-alpha (PTMA) and purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) were directly regulated by miR-1 and miR-133a commonly. Silencing of the target genes studies demonstrated significant inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion, and increase of apoptosis in BC cells. Immunohistochemistry showed that TAGLN2 and PTMA expression level was significantly higher in BC than normal bladder epitheliums. (Conclusions) miR-1 and miR-133a function as tumor suppressor in BC. TAGLN2, PTMA and PNP were directly regulated by tumor suppressive miR-1 and miR-133a commonly. These genes may function as oncogenes contributed to cell proliferation and invasion in BC. Tumor suppressive miR-1 and miR-133a mediates novel molecular targets provide new insights into the potential mechanisms of BC oncogenesis.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1103. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1103


Abstract The article discusses the concept of love in Shakespeare's Sonnet 116. After introductory remarks on the poem, the philosophical context of Renaissance neoplatonism is outlined. Marsilio Ficino, Pietro Bembo and Baldassare Castiglione come into closer focus. Their writings emphasize that true love is not sensual, but spiritual, the body being, in the last resort, corruptible matter, treacherous, transient, the soul's prison. Love is the desire for beauty which is a reflection of God's eternal celestial light. Against this background, the theme of Platonic love in Shakespeare's poem is analysed. The sonnet hails ideal love as the friendship of souls, rising above amatory desire, and it praises love's constancy and time-transcending permanence, regardless of bodily decay or even the waning of the beloved's affection. From its position in the fair friend section of the sequence, the poem seems to apply particularly to the affective bond between men of rank and culture. Shakespeare's works present a great variety of love relationships, his occasionally Platonic frame of mind being one of the lesser known elements of his poetry.


Objective A sense of optimism, which derives from the ways individuals explain causes of daily events, has been shown to protect health, whereas pessimism has been linked to poor physical health. We examined prospectively the relationship of an optimistic or pessimistic explanatory style with coronary heart disease incidence in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study, an ongoing cohort of older men. Methods and Results In 1986, 1306 men completed the revised Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, from which we derived the bipolar revised Optimism-Pessimism Scale. During an average of 10 years of follow-up, 162 cases of incident coronary heart disease occurred: 71 cases of incident nonfatal myocardial infarction, 31 cases of fatal coronary heart disease, and 60 cases of angina pectoris. Compared with men with high levels of pessimism, those reporting high levels of optimism had multivariate-adjusted relative risks of 0.44 (95% confidence interval = 0.26–0.74) for combined nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease death and 0.45 (95% confidence interval = 0.29–0.68) for combined angina pectoris, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and coronary heart disease death. A dose-response relation was found between levels of optimism and each outcome (p value for trend, .002 and .0004, respectively). Conclusions These results suggest that an optimistic explanatory style may protect against risk of coronary heart disease in older men.


Academic institutions are finding they have to operate under a pro-active anti-plagiarism policy, where plagiarism is actively sought out as a serious breach of acceptable academic behaviour. This paper considers the reasons that institutions need such a policy and the issues they should be aware of when implementing one.


Abstract Increasing concentration in food processing has important economic implications for agricultural producers and consumers. This paper addresses the issue by focusing on a case where pure monopsony conditions appear to hold–catfish processing in West Alabama. Farm-level impacts of the market power imbalance are described via a six equation theoretical model. Results show price elasticity of farm supply governing the economic incentive to the processor for exploiting its market power: less (more) elastic supply implies greater (lesser) divergence between competitive and monopsony price. The theoretical model is operationalized using an indirect procedure recently suggested by Houck for estimating farm level supply elasticities. Based on these supply elasticities and historical prices, the model predicts a 12-35 percent potential reduction in prices received by West Alabama producers as a result of market power imbalance.


This paper is a case study of the Security and Risk Analysis Major at the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Pennsylvania State University. Fielded in the fall of 2006, the Security and Risk Analysis Major addresses government and industry needs for graduates better prepared for Information Assurance careers through a unique socio—technical curriculum. The program is the result of a thorough review of existing academic programs, published industry needs analyses, guidance from the federal government and recommendation from an advisory board created specifically for this program. The objectives of the major go beyond simply providing the theoretical framework and skill sets needed for a career in security and related analyses by providing exposure through problem based learning to current, real life challenges and problems. The pedagogy of the major is based on lecture, web-based learning, industry-endorsed case studies, term projects and industry-sponsored practice.


The purpose of this study is to determine aspects of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) political campaign in the 2019 Legislative general election. Political communication is one of the ongoing problems of the Prosperous Justice Party because it is still not optimally implementing forms of political communication to support the party with the community. The focus in this paper is on aspects of political campaigns in the political communication of the Prosperous Justice Party. This paper is the result of research using a descriptive qualitative approach. Data collection methods used include observation, interviews and documentation studies. The focus of the analysis of the results of the study shows that the political communication of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) seen from the aspect of political campaigns has not met the expectations of PKS. The conclusion of this study is that the political campaign carried out by the Prosperous Justice Party was interesting with its flashmob, but the party did not carry out a more attractive campaign for millennials even though in the 2019 legislative general election there were many millennials who were only able to cast their votes but because the campaign did not Embrace the millennials, it causes less political campaigns to be carried out. The results of this study are expected to be useful for the community, especially to understand the importance of political campaigns in political communication carried out by political parties, especially the Prosperous Justice Party


Technetium 99m hexamethylpropylene-amine oxime (HMPAO) is trapped by cerebral grey matter and the basal ganglia on its first pass through the brain. To assess its potential for studying patients with diseases of the basal ganglia, a study of 15 normal volunteers and 32 patients with known or suspected basal ganglia disease have been investigated. Sixteen patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease showed no abnormality of the basal ganglia and varying degrees of cerebral underperfusion consistent with their intellectual status. Eight patients with Huntington's chorea showed a characteristic pattern of reduced or absent caudate nucleus uptake. Patients with diseases affecting the basal ganglia, such as Fahr's disease, Wilson's disease and hemibalismus had varying degrees of basal ganglia underperfusion as demonstrated by an HMPAO scan. We believe that this new radiopharmaceutical for the demonstration of cerebral blood flow shows significant potential for the diagnosis and management of patients with basal ganglia disease.


Given the wide usage of Roundup, a common herbicide, the impacts of its presence in ecological communities are of great interest. Many studies have investigated the effects of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, on different factions of an ecosystem including on animals, plants, microorganisms, and nutrients. The current study expanded upon these works using Roundup instead of glyphosate to provide a realistic application in which to observe the development of microbial assemblages and nutrient composition in two different habitats. Winogradsky columns were prepared using benthic material from a ditch and a pond. Varying concentrations of Roundup were introduced to the columns at the beginning of the study and microbial growth and nutrient compositions from each column were measured weekly. The results indicate that the presence of Roundup has varying effects on microorganisms and nutrients. While photosynthetic microbes were negatively impacted, a shift in the microbial composition to heterotrophic microbes indicates that these microorganisms were able to utilize some ingredients in Roundup as a nutrient source. Additionally, the temporal analysis of nutrient compositions indicated that microbes metabolize glyphosate starting with the phosphate moiety even when the other compounds in Roundup are present. While these trends were observed in both benthic habitats, the composition of the ecological community can affect its ability to utilize the ingredients in Roundup as a nutrient source.


The draft of the EU Directive on Preventive Restructuring Frameworks and Second Chance (the "Directive") provides rules for adopting reorganisation plans in order to avoid insolvency. The draft Directive also provides rules on the related problem of interim financing. According to the draft Directive, interim financing should be encouraged and not be made subject to clawback unless parties have committed fraud or acted in bad faith. The Directive thereby fails to recognise that finance transactions are too diverse in nature to provide the company and its financial creditors with a transaction avoidance free period. If the Directive is adopted in its current form, it will open the door for opportunistic use of interim financing by both debtors and professional lenders. It will allow debtors to make final bets with other people's money and will also allow for conduit pipe financing which will reduce the exposure of existing shareholders. Lenders will also be able to make opportunistic use of the rules, most notably in the form of cross-collateralisation and aggressive loan-to-own strategies under the guise of interim financing.
There are several possible solutions to the potential for opportunistic use. The courts could be involved ex ante. This would, however, turn the Directive into a fully-fledged court supervised procedure instead of the currently intended preventive restructuring procedure which avoids such court procedures. An alternative would be to simply take out the provisions on interim financing. Another possibility would be to limit the protection offered in the Directive to cases of new security against new money necessary and used for the continuation of the business.


A joint rate-distortion control algorithm of multichannel sources is proposed to control the overall picture quality by putting some constraints on the encoder's quantization parameters and buffer state to allow a limited variable bit rate (VBR) coding within a group of pictures (GOP) block. A major drawback for video transmission over a conventional fixed rate channel without using a VBR encoder is that received picture quality varies greatly, resulting in non-uniform subjective perception. In order to minimize these effects buffered-constrained rate-distortion control within a GOP block level finds an optimal solution in a combined rate-distortion sense by permitting a VBR encoding as well as the direct feedback of the buffer state into the cost measure when multichannel programs are statistically multiplexed. Results indicate some quality gains over the conventional constant bit rate method.


A significant improvement of output power and external quantum efficiency (EQE) for nonpolar a-plane (11-20) GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on r-plane sapphire substrates has been demonstrated by using embedded pyramid-shape air-gap arrays on hexagonally patterned SiO<formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$_{2}$</tex></formula> layer. The air-gap structure was realized based on asymmetrical growth behavior of a-plane epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) GaN along <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">${+}{\rm c}$</tex></formula>-axis and <formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">${-}{\rm c}$</tex></formula>-axis. The output power and EQE of the a-plane LEDs with the air-gaps on patterned SiO<formula formulatype="inline"><tex Notation="TeX">$_{2}$</tex> </formula> have increased by more than 50% when compared to those of the conventional a-plane LEDs. Theoretical fit to the measured EQE suggested that the significant improvement of EQE was mainly attributed to the increase in light extraction efficiency (EXE). Light emission pattern analysis and ray-tracing simulation revealed that the air-gap arrays on top of patterned SiO<formula formulatype="inline"> <tex Notation="TeX">$_{2}$</tex></formula> enlarged the guided-light scattering at the air-gap surface due to the significant refractive index contrast with the GaN layer, followed by the improvement of EXE of nonpolar a-plane LEDs.