Even after more than a century of ichthyological research in the Congo basin, many rivers still remain almost terra incognita . The ichthyofauna of the rivers of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), a UNESCO World Heritage site, is no exception to this. Two major right bank affluents of the Congo flow through this park, i.e. the Luka (Lowa basin) in the northern and the Lugulu (Ulindi basin) in the south-western part of the park. A first overview of the current knowledge of the ichthyofauna of the region has been compiled based on the RMCA collection holdings from: (1) the Luhoho (headwater stream of the Lowa basin), (2) the downstream Lowa affluents and (3) recent collections (2009-2010) from the Lowa River itself. Unfortunately, data for the Luka and Lugulu, both situated inside the park, are missing. A total of 6 families, containing 12 genera and 24 species have been identified from the Luhoho basin near the northeastern border of the KBNP. With 12 species, Cyprinidae is the most species rich family followed by Amphiliidae (5) and Mochokidae (3). The downstream affluents of the Lowa harbour 15 families containing some 42 genera and, at least, 38 species as specimens of about 18 genera have not yet been identified up to species level. Here, Alestidae (8) appear to be most species rich followed by Claroteidae (7) and Cyprinidae (6). Finally, 10 families, containing 18 genera and 19 species, including a new Marcusenius species, are found in the Lowa River with both Mormyridae (4) and Cyprinidae (4) being the most species rich families. Respectively 18 (75%), 31 (82%) and 17 (89%) species are unique for each of these Lowa basin stretches. These observations probably do not simply reflect longitudinal patterns by distance but rather isolation by waterfalls.


Measurements of the production cross sections of inclusive, diand tri-jet events probe the dynamics of QCD and can constrain the parton proton structure. Double-differential cross sections are measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC and compared to expectations based on nextto-leading order QCD calculations. These measurements constitute precision tests of QCD in the new energy regime available at the LHC from proton-proton collision centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV. The study of di-jet systems is sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model in the form of an effective model of contact interactions. Limits on the compositeness scale parameter are measured to be in the 6.9 to 7.7 TeV range.


This text tries to show that the provisions of EU law and the doctrinal elaboration of a supranational principle of democracy provide a useful framework for the discussion of how to address the democratic legitimacy of international organizations. European social sciences, like the European public in general, have dealt impressively for quite some time with the issue of democracy in European integration, and have led by now to some significant declarations, provisions, doctrines, and cases. The debate on other institutions of public authority beyond the state is in a less developed state and has so far had few consequences in positive law. As comparison is a main avenue to insight, this article will present several elements of European positive law, and ask what can be learnt from these norms for the international debate. It will sketch the difficult path from a political idea to positive law (B.), present the path-breaking conceptual innovation in EU law (C.), highlight the importance of parliamentary institutions (D.), stress the importance of further instruments of accountability and responsiveness (E.), and conclude with a look at the role of domestic institutions (F.).


Real-time services, including constant bit rate (CBR) and real-time variable bit rate traffic (rt-VBR), have become increasingly important owing to the rapid proliferation of multimedia applications. A cell multiplexing method capable of handling real-time traffic should satisfy related quality of service (QoS) requirements, including cell transfer delay (CTD), cell delay variation (CDV) and cell loss ratio (CLR). In this paper, we present an efficient cell multiplexing method, called longest delay beyond expectation (LDBE), to schedule real-time and non-realtime traffic in ATM networks. For the real-time traffic, LDBE scheme can minimize the CDV, and reduce the CLR and CTD, particularly when different CDV tolerance (CDVT) values are applied at each node along the path of a connection. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed LDBE performs better than other multiplexing methods regarding these CLR, CDV and CTD criteria for real-time traffic. Furthermore, the proposed LDBE is also suitable for scheduling non-real-time traffic by providing a low CLR for non-real-time variable bit rate (nrt-VBR) and minimizing the CTD for unspecified bit rate (UBR) traffic. key words: cell multiplexer, QoS, ATM, GCRA algorithm


In a sustainable approach, it is essential to reduce waste materials for improving the urban environmental performance leads to development in the livable, sustainable, and greener city. In pursuit of this goal, iron lathe waste was used in this study as a replacement of fine aggregate to produce sustainable concrete. Iron lathe waste is generally a waste material from the lathe machine, which is abundantly available to an extent. These waste materials may lead to environmental and health concerns. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to experimentally examine the physio-mechanical characteristics of sustainable concrete incorporating lathe iron waste. The lathe iron waste dusts (LIWD) were used as a partial replacement of fine aggregate in different levels by weight (5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) to fabricate the sustainable concrete. The mechanical and physical properties of sustainable concrete were investigated by conducting tests, such as workability, ultrasonic pulse velocity, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength to investigate the properties of the alternative concrete comparing with that of conventional concrete. The experimental results showed that the LIWD significantly enhanced the tensile, flexural, and compressive strength of the concrete up to 13%, 19%, and 38%, respectively. Therefore, LIWD can potentially improve the serviceability of the structural elements.


Inheritance data from tetraploid Agrostis palustris Huds. populations produced by crossing selected plants from cultivated creeping bentgrass varieties is reported. Phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphoglucomutase, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, triosphosphate isomerase, anodal peroxidase, esterase, and alcohol dehydrogenase were resolved in a Tris-citrate/lithium -borate pH 8.3 buffer system. Acid phosphatase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, aconitase, malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and shikimic acid dehydrogenase were resolved in a histidine-citrate pH 5.7 buffer system. Four enzyme systems exhibiting polymorphism in the Tris-citrate/lithium -borate buffer system were selected for further genetics studies. Segregation data at the Tpi-1, Tpi-2, Got-2, Pgi-2, and Pgm-2 loci were used to identify allozymes and distinguish between allo- or autotetraploid segregation patterns. Two allozymes were identified at the Pgm-2 and Tpi-1 loci, while three allozymes were identified at the Got-2 and Tpi-2 loci. The Pgi-2 locus was highly polymorphic with six different allozymes identified. Fixed heterozygosity at the Tpi-2 and Got-2 loci and disomic segregation for a tetra-allelic individual at the Pgi-2 locus provided strong genetic evidence to support allotetraploid inheritance in creeping bentgrass. Additionally, one parental clone that exhibited high levels of self-fertility was identified and its breeding implications are discussed.


The authors report preliminary results of a study of the Hopfield series in rotationally cooled molecular nitrogen. By using angle resolved electron spectroscopy in combination with synchrotron radiation, partial cross sections and asymmetry parameters for formation of the vibrationally resolved X and A states of N2+ were measured in the region of the n=6 member of the Hopfield bands. The results are compared with earlier ab initio MQDT calculations and reflect qualitative agreement for the X 2 Sigma g+ decay channel, but sharp disagreement for the A 2 Pi u decay channel.


A series of visualization experiments were conducted to investigate the transport phenomena and interface behaviour during the freezing–thawing process of typical botanical tissues. Attention was paid to the growth of ice crystals and the advance of the phase-change interface. A comparison was made to identify the freezing/thawing behaviour for different tissues under various freezing conditions. Based on the experimental observation, analyses were conducted to explore the influence of water morphology on the freezing/thawing characteristics.


Objective: To screen the bioactivity of phthalazinone derivatives for AD treatment and investigate the potential pharmacological mechanism, the network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking were adopted in this study.Methods: Those phthalazinone derivatives with certain structures and physical properties were screened out by Pubchem database in this study. Besides, to explore the potential activity of these phthalazinone derivatives as drugs for AD treatment, network pharmacology study was employed, including targets prediction, gene enrichment analysis and network analysis. Network analysis of AD approved drugs and molecular docking studies were also adopted to further investigate drug-likeness of phthalazinone derivatives for AD treatment.Results: Five compounds and 57 common targets were recognized and adopted to the construction of compounds-targets network. 15 approved drugs with clear indication for AD were figured out, with 57 associated targets that originated from Homo sapiens. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that phthalazinone derivatives and approved drugs shared the same essential pathway (neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction) and other important pathways with associated targets. The result of molecular docking indicated that these phthalazinone derivatives could interact with essential targets stably.Conclusion: In silico analysis suggested that these derivatives are probable to be effective for the treatment of AD by interacting with the essential targets and initiating ATP binding, signal transduction, finally regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathway、calcium signaling pathway , and so on.


Myocardial bridging is a common coronary anomaly, which is generally described as a benign phenomenon. However, a growing number of studies consider this anomaly a relevant pathophysiological phenomenon with serious pathological consequences. Here we report on the case of an 88-year-old woman suffering from myocardial infarction and ventricular septal rupture, lacking any recognizable coronary disease except for a myocardial bridge causing the systolic compression of the left anterior descending coronary artery. A wide range of diagnostic procedures, including coronarography, echocardiography, and magnetic resonance imaging were used. The septal rupture was finally closed by using a percutaneous closure device. This event indicates that myocardial bridges – at least in some cases – may have notable clinical relevance.


The PAPILLON project aims at creating a cooperative, free, permanent, web-oriented and personalizable environment for the development and the consultation of a multilingual lexical database. The initial motivation is the lack of dictionaries, both for humans and machines, between French and many Asian languages. In particular, although there are large F-J paper usage dictionaries, they are usable only by Japanese literates, as they never contain both original (kanji/kana) and romaji writing. This applies as well to Thai, Vietnamese, Lao, etc.


: Two cases of unsuspected veno-occlusive disease of the liver were discovered at autopsy. Nearly all central veins and sublobular venules were occluded by lipogranulomas consisting of lipid-laden macrophages, epithelioid histiocytes, giant cells, fibroblasts, lymphocytes, and deposits of collagen. The process extended into the sublobular hepatic venules. Large hepatic veins were uninvolved. Known causes of veno-occlusive disease were ruled out, and the cause of the present cases is unknown.


Introduction: Information regarding the adhesion of bacterial species and plaque accumulation to bracket material is limited. Adequate information is needed in order to offer patients orthodontic treatment without significantly increasing their risk of developing white spots, caries, or gingival inflammation. Aim: To determine the levels of the caries-inducing S. mutans species on metallic, self-ligating and ceramic brackets and to compare the total bacterial counts and counts of species present on these bracket materials. Materials and Methods: By means of an in-vitro study, six commercially available bracket systems {3M Gemini (A), American Ortho (B), Ormco (C), Begg (D), Ceramic (E) and Self-ligating (F)} were compared. The brackets were bonded in the cell well culture plate and the agar plates were prepared. Brain heart infusion medium including bacteria and artificial saliva was introduced to each bracket system containing 10 premolar brackets and were incubated. After 72 hours, the adherent bacteria were then detached by sonication and the Colony-Forming Units (CFU) of Streptococcus mutans were calculated on each bracket and were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 17.0 for Windows. Results: Between the different bracket types, significant differences were found in terms of biofilm formation. The Begg brackets showed the least bacterial adhesion and the self-ligating brackets showed the highest bacterial adhesion and was statistically significant among all the groups (p<0.05). Ceramic brackets also showed a higher bacterial adhesion after the self-ligating brackets. Among the three groups of metallic brackets, 3M brackets showed the least bacterial adhesion but was statistically insignificant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Different orthodontic brackets serve as different loci for biofilm formation showing that the Begg brackets are the most hygienic among all the brackets taken in this study.


The use of the wind as a viable alternate for power generation became a reality for B.C. Telephone in 1982 at the Swindle Island Microwave site in Northern British Columbia. With diesel fuel costs approaching $5 per gallon delivered to a site which is accessed only by helicopter, the cost savings for fuel is estimated at over $14,000 annually at 25% duty cycle on the diesel generator. The power system consists of two 2000 watt wind generators connected to a 3000 A.H. battery designed for cyclic discharge applications. An 8.0kw diesel generator via two 50 amp chargers supply the 700 watt radio load and recharge the station battery in a cyclic mode in periods of low wind as well as provide power for lighting and test equipment as required during routine maintenance visits to the site. The system has been in operation in a trial mode for 18 months and was cut into service in the spring of 1984. During this period, several "teething" problems have surfaced and subsequently been resolved, including the destruction of the two wind generators blades and tail assemblies. At present, there are plans to retrofit a photovoltaic array to the power system to complement the wind generation plant. The paper will discuss the pro's and con's of wind generation as well as engineering considerations relating to site selection, system sizing, control and auxillary equipment as well as maintenance requirements and cost effectiveness.


Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious yet preventable disease. The low acceptance and cost of colonoscopy as a screening method for CRC make chemoprevention an important option. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), not currently recommended for CRC prevention, have the potential to evolve into the agents of choice for this indication. Here, we discuss the promise and challenge of NSAIDs for this chemopreventive application. Multiple epidemiologic studies, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of sporadic colorectal polyp recurrence, RCTs in patients with hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes, and pooled analyses of cardiovascular-prevention RCTs linked to cancer outcomes have firmly established the ability of conventional NSAIDs to prevent CRC. NSAIDs, however, are seriously limited by their toxicity, which can become cumulative with their long-term administration for chemoprevention, whereas drug interactions in vulnerable elderly patients compound their safety. Newer, chemically modified NSAIDs offer the hope of enhanced efficacy and safety. Recent work also indicates that targeting earlier stages of colorectal carcinogenesis, such as the lower complexity aberrant crypt foci, is a promising approach that may only require relatively short use of chemopreventive agents. Drug combination approaches exemplified by sulindac plus difluoromethylornithine appear very efficacious. Identification of those at risk or most likely to benefit from a given intervention using predictive biomarkers may usher in personalized chemoprevention. Agents that offer simultaneous chemoprevention of diseases in addition to CRC, e.g., cardiovascular and/or neurodegenerative diseases, may have a much greater potential for a broad clinical application.


To visualize HDR contents on low dynamic range displays, a fast and efficient TMO is often preferred. One way to achieve this is to use a Global TMO. However, Global TMO often results in poor contrast tone-mapped images and often needs a postprocess that enhances the contrast, such
 as Unsharp Masking. This work illustrates that such Unsharp Masking can be directly integrated into several global TMOs, resulting in an alternative framework to apply the Unsharp Masking to the HDR visualization pipeline. The proposed framework is fast and delivers images with a proper contrast
 without the need for the additional image sharpening at the post process.


Circulating human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), Schwangerschaftsprotein 1 (SP-1) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) were examined in 10 women with ectopic gestation in relation to distribution and intensity of staining for these molecules using immunohistochemical techniques applied to matched trophoblastic and decidualized endometrial tissues. All 10 women revealed strong staining for hCG and SP-1 in the syncytiotrophoblast, which was apparently unrelated to maternal levels of hCG and SP-1, levels being less than the 10th centile of the normal range in 9/10 and 7/10 women, respectively. By contrast maternal PAPP-A levels seemed to correlate with the intensity and the distribution of staining for PAPP-A. Circulating PAPP-A was undetectable (less than 5 mIU/l) in 4 patients, and below the 10th centile in the remaining 6. Using immunohistochemical techniques hCG, SP-1 and PAPP-A could not be demonstrated in any of the decidualized endometrial tissues studied.


The inhomogeneous cooling state describing the hydrodynamic behavior of a freely evolving granular gas strongly confined between two parallel plates is studied, using a Boltzmann kinetic equation derived recently. By extending the idea of the homogeneous cooling state, we propose a scaling distribution in which all the time dependence occurs through the granular temperature of the system, while there is a dependence on the distance to the confining walls through the density. It is obtained that the velocity distribution is not isotropic, and it has two different granular temperature parameters associated to the motion perpendicular and parallel to the confining plates, respectively, although their cooling rates are the same. Moreover, when approaching the inhomogeneous cooling state, energy is sometimes transferred from degrees of freedom with lower granular temperature to those with a higher one, contrary to what happens in molecular systems. The cooling rate and the two partial granular temperatures are calculated by means of a Gaussian approximation. The theoretical predictions are compared with molecular dynamics simulation results and a good agreement is found.


Introduction: Pain relief in pregnant women is regarded an important issue in obstetrics and gynecology. Labor pain can affect mother's decisions for having children in the future, and naturally it can also be effective in family relationships. Therefore, identification of a safe and efficient method seems essential. This study aimed to compare the severity of labor pain in mothers undergoing painless delivery with and without the use of Entonox. Methods: This randomized double-blind study was conducted in Motahari Hospital in Jahrom, Iran. The random sampling was used here. The sample consisted of all pregnant women who wanted to have vaginal delivery based on gynecologist's diagnosis. In this study, subjects were randomly divided into two groups of 40 people, including intervention (receiving Entonox) and control (control) groups. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics using non-parametric Mann-Whitney and Friedman tests and SPSS version 18. Findings: The median age was 25 in the case group (receiving Entonox) and 26 in the control group (not receiving Entonox). The majority of pregnant women had one child. The most common side effects of Entonox in the intervention group included xerostomia (13, 39.4%) and drowsiness (10, 30.3%). Mann-Whitney test results showed that the labor pain levels in the intervention and control groups was significant at first, third, and fourth and fifth hours (p-value 0.05).Conclusion: Findings showed that Entonox, as a safe method with fewer side effects for the mother and her baby during labor, has a higher potential compared other methods. Its analgesic effectiveness was considerably higher compared to other methods. Keywords: Entonox, Pain, Anesthesia


Abstract Background Noradrenaline is a major neuromodulator in the central nervous system, and it is involved in the pathophysiology of diverse neuropsychiatric diseases. Previous transcranial magnetic stimulation studies suggested that acute application of selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors enhances cortical excitability in the human brain. However, other, such like clinical effects, usually require prolonged noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor treatment, which might go along with different physiological effects. Methods The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute and chronic effects of the selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor reboxetine on cortical excitability in healthy humans in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study. Sixteen subjects were assessed with different transcranial magnetic stimulation measurements: motor thresholds, input-output curve, short-latency intracortical inhibition and intracortical facilitation, I-wave facilitation, and short-interval afferent inhibition before and after placebo or reboxetine (8 mg) single-dose administration. Afterwards, the same subjects took reboxetine (8 mg/d) consecutively for 21 days. During this period (subjects underwent 2 experimental sessions with identical transcranial magnetic stimulation measures under placebo or reboxetine), transcranial magnetic stimulation measurements were assessed before and after drug intake. Results Both single-dose and chronic administration of reboxetine increased cortical excitability; increased the slope of the input-output curve, intracortical facilitation, and I-wave facilitation; but decreased short-latency intracortical inhibition and short-interval afferent inhibition. Moreover, chronic reboxetine showed a larger enhancement of intracortical facilitation and I-wave facilitation compared with single-dose application. Conclusions The results show physiological mechanisms of noradrenergic enhancement possibly underlying the functional effects of reboxetine regarding acute and chronic application.


Fluorine-doped Tl(1223) superconductors were prepared starting from mixtures of oxides (carbonates) and fluorides (in particular TlF) under moderately high gas pressure (50 bar). The thermodynamics of the phase formation were found to be modified so that the melting point was lowered and the region where a liquid phase coexists enlarged. 90% phase purity was obtained for bulk materials with the composition , prepared by a two-step synthesis including TlF among the starting materials. The critical temperature remained approximately the same as for F-free samples , but a remarkable increase of the irreversibility line was observed below 75 K. The samples showed superconducting properties even for the highest amount of fluorine introduced (about one atom per formula unit). Ag-sheathed tapes were prepared by the conventional PIT method, using ex situ reacted Tl(1223) powders or producing the reaction in situ. Transport critical current densities of about were measured. This value is slightly lower than generally observed for F-free samples, but the magnetic-field dependence was slightly improved. The tape anisotropy could be increased to a factor of 2.5 by performing cycles of mechanical pressing and heating above the formation temperature. The results (in particular neutron scattering diffraction) indicate that, with high-pressure synthesis, F remains in the sample and substitutes for O in the TlO layers in the Tl(1223) phase.


Gold (Au) line patterns of 0.5 and 1 µm widths were fabricated on a silicon substrate covered with a Au thin film by thermal nanoimprint lithography with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and polystyrene (PS), followed by Au electrodeposition with their thin films as resist masks. We described the differences in the fidelity of the deposited Au patterns for linewidth and linewidth roughness and differences in undesired Au deposition in the masked regions between thin PMMA and PS films. The linewidths of the convex deposited Au pattern were larger than those of the concave nanoimprinted polymer pattern, and the deviation from the polymer concave pattern in the case of PS was significantly smaller than that in the case of PMMA. The linewidth roughness of the Au lines deposited with a PMMA mask was markedly high owing to particle-like Au deposition in comparison with that deposited with a PS mask. Undesired Au deposition occurred even on electrode surfaces masked with the thin PMMA and PS films. It was considered from these results that the difference in the size accuracy of Au electrodeposition between PMMA and PS was responsible for the resistance in the oxygen dry-etching step of a residual layer during thermal nanoimprint lithography in addition to polymer water absorbability in Au electrodeposition.


Dielectrophoresis (DEP) is one of the microfluid-based techniques that can manipulate the red blood cells (RBC) for blood plasma separation, which is used in many medical screening/diagnosis applications. The tapered aluminium microelectrode array (TAMA) is fabricated for potential sensitivity enhancement of RBC manipulation in lateral and vertical directions. In this paper, the migration properties of dielectrophoretically manipulated RBC in TAMA platform are studied at different peak-to-peak voltage (Vpp) and duration supplied onto the microelectrodes. Positive DEP manipulation is conducted at 440 kHz with the RBC of 4.00 ± 0.2 µm average radius attracted to the higher electric field intensity regions, which are the microelectrodes. High percentage of RBC migration occurred at longer manipulation time and high electrode voltage. During DEP manipulation, the RBC are postulated to levitate upwards, experience the electro-orientation mechanism and form the pearl chains before migrating to the electrodes. The presence of external forces other than the dielectrophoretic force may also affect the migration response of RBC. The safe operating limit of 10 Vpp and manipulation duration of ≤50 s prevent RBC rupture while providing high migration percentage. It is crucial to define the safe working region for TAMA devices that manipulate small RBC volume (~10 µL).


ABSTRACT Opportunity is an acknowledged, yet 'taken-for-granted' concept in occupational science, and specifically within occupational justice discourse. This paper presents a commentary on Peters and Galvaan's (2020) scoping review on the conceptualization of opportunity within occupation-based disciplines. The commentary focuses on three points: The first is the lack of definitional clarity on key terms identified by the authors, highlighting a need for research to advance how opportunity is conceptualized. The second provides a response to the findings of the first theme; "Opportunity conceptualized as synonymous with capabilities". Third, the commentary concludes by suggesting how the discipline of occupational science could expand on both the conceptualization and operationalization of opportunity, by introducing moral and political philosopher Axel Honneth's (1992, 1995, 2001) 'Theory of Recognition', to conceptualize intrinsic and interpersonal recognition as a key precursor for opportunity as it relates to notions of equity, power, and justice.


Microbial UDP-glycosyltransferases can convert many small lipophilic compounds into glycons using uridinediphosphate- activated sugars. The glycosylation of flavonoids affects solubility, stability, and bioavailability. The gene encoding the UDP-glycosyltransferase from Bacillus cereus, BcGT-3, was cloned by PCR and sequenced. BcGT-3 was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) with a glutathione S-transferase tag and purified using a glutathione Stransferase affinity column. BcGT-3 was tested for activity on several substrates including genistein, kaempferol, luteolin, naringenin, and quercetin. Flavonols were the best substrates for BcGT-3. The enzyme dominantly glycosylated the 3-hydroxyl group, but the 7-hydroxyl group was glycosylated when the 3-hydroxyl group was not available. The kaempferol reaction products were identified as kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol- 3,7-O-diglucoside. Kaempferol was the most effective substrate tested. Based on HPLC, LC/MS, and NMR analyses of the reaction products, we conclude that BcGT-3 can be used for the synthesis of kaempferol 3,7-O-diglucose.


Abstract BICEP2 is an evolution from the highly successful BICEP CMB polarization experiment. In turn Keck-Array is an array of BICEP2 like receivers to achieve an additional increase in sensitivity. All these experiments are located at the South Pole in Antarctica and target the CMB B-mode polarization signal which is predicted to exist in many simpler models of Inflation at angular scales of several degrees. The design and performance of BICEP2 and Keck-Array is described and some preliminary polarization maps are presented.


As the human vision is a definitive assessor of video quality, the expanded interest for no-reference subjective quality assessment (SQA) is focusing on a definitive goal of coordinating with human observation. However, the widely used subjective estimator-mean opinion score (MOS) is often biased by the testing environment, viewers mode, expertise, domain knowledge, and other factors which may influence on actual assessment. In this paper, a no-reference SQA metric is devised by simply exploiting the nature of human eye browsing on videos and analyzing the associated quality correlation features. The high efficiency video coding (HEVC) reference test model is first employed to produce different forms of coded video quality which then displayed to a number of partakers. Their eye-tracker recorded spatiotemporal gaze-data indicate more concentrated eye-traversing approach for relatively better quality. Thus, we calculate the quality assessment related to assorted features such as length pursuit, angle deflection, pupil deviation, and gaze interlude from recorded gaze trajectory. The content and resolution invariant operations are carried out prior to synthesizing them using an adaptive weighted function to develop a new quality metric-eye maneuver (EMAN). Tested results reveal that the quality evaluation carried out by the EMAN is comparatively better than MOS and structural similarity (SSIM) in terms of assessing different aspects of coded video quality for a wide range of single view video contents. For the free viewpoint video (FVV), where the reference frame is not available, the EMAN could also better distinguish different qualities compared to the MOS and SSIM.


Photoactivatable Pt(IV) prodrugs represent nowadays an intriguing class of potential metal-based drugs, endowed with more chemical inertness in their oxidized form and better selectivity for the target with respect to the clinically established Pt(II) compounds. In fact, they have the possibility to be reduced by light irradiation directly at the site of interest. For this reason, we synthesized a new Pt(IV) complex, [Pt(OCOCH3)3(4′-phenyl-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine)][CF3SO3] (1), that is well soluble in aqueous medium and totally unreactive towards selected model biomolecules until its reduction. The highlight of this work is the rapid and efficient photoreduction of 1 with visible light (460 nm), which leads to its reactive Pt(II) analogue. This behavior was made possible by taking advantage of an efficient catalytic system based on flavin and NADH, which is naturally present in the cellular environment. As a comparison, the reduction of 1 was also studied with simple UV irradiation, but both UV-Vis spectrophotometry and 1H-NMR spectrometry showed that the flavin-catalyzed reduction with visible light was faster. Lastly, the reactivity against two representative biological targets, i.e., human serum albumin and one monofilament oligonucleotide fragment, was evaluated by high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results clearly pointed out that the prodrug 1 did not interact with these targets until its photoreduction to the Pt(II) analogue.


Supply Chain Management is now a frequently encountered phrase these days, as managers strive to improve operational performance such that, a key feature of present day business is the idea that, it is supply chains that compete, not companies. Thus, the study determined the relationship between Supply Chain Management and operational performance of retailers in Makonde District. This was mainly because a number of retailers had been collapsing at an alarming rate. So, this drove the researcher to determine the kind, direction and strength of relationship between the Supply Chain Management (SCM) concept and operational performances in a way to sustain the retailers as the concept was gaining in popularity and importance in other parts of world like Brazil. SCM was bisected into three major components – materials and services flow, information flow and payment flow to enable a detailed and critical review of related literature. On the other hand, operational performance was conceptualized using competitive priorities literature. Theoretical and empirical gaps were identified as literature was being reviewed such as lack of a universally accepted definition of SCM. A correlational research design alternatively regarded as associational research was used for the study together with a contemporary research philosophy known as critical realism. The population of the study of 582 individuals which resulted in a sample size of 59 retailers was from all the retail companies in Makonde District where information was collected through use of questionnaires. Theoretical review was done to open up analysis of past events in order to investigate the research problem. Three theories were reviewed in the study – the coordination theory, Resource-Based View (RBV) and Relational View (RV). Basically, the research picked up from the point other researchers left off. Apart from what was argued by other prominent scholars in Supply Chain Management issues such as Lambert et al. 2005 and Stock et al. 2010 that, the concept of Supply Chain Management relatively lack the empirical evidence supporting the benefits attributed to Supply Chain Management. However this study empirically confirmed a positive relationship between Supply Chain Management (SCM) and operational performance of retailers in Makonde district in Mashonaland west province in Zimbabwe.


In this work, we synthesized graphene oxide functionalized a surface-imprinted polymer based on the self-polymerization of dopamine to generate the imprinted cavity. Using minocycline as the template molecule, effects of experimental conditions in the imprinting procedure such as γ-MAPS@GO percentage, template concentration, and self-polymerization time of dopamine on the selectivity and performance of the prepared molecularly imprinted polymers were investigated. The characteristics of the prepared surface-imprinted polymer were determined by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Fourier-transformed infrared spectra, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, atomic force microscope, and water contact angle. The prepared graphene oxide functionalized surface-imprinted polymer showed good recognition capacity and enrichment performance for tetracycline antibiotics and was successfully applied to the detection of the target analytes in milk samples.


Economic valuation that is constellation into AMDAL (as a EIAs) must contain three principles including: considering dialectical economic, environmental and social interests. This study was carried out utilizing a normative juridical research technique, the author use document study approaches to collect the data required for the study. The result is that human behavior that does not respect life and life presents the view that nature exists to be exploited for the greatest possible prosperity of humans. Sen's criticism of (i) respect for money as an episteme, (ii) justifies the means to achieve goals, (iii) loss of respect for the natural environment, (iv) has the opportunity to open a permissive attitude towards corruption. Sen's criticism provides a clear picture of economic valuation must be based on ethics.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of life after cochlear implantation in adult cochlear implant recipients and to assess the applicability of Nijmegen Cochlear implant Questionnaire (NCIQ).

METHODS
Thirty-two postlingually deaf patients, 19 males and 13 females, underwent cochlear implantation with the age at operation of 35.27 (18-66) during the period from 1996 to the end of 2006. NCIQ was used to investigate the application of the equipment, hearing ability, and emotional exchange ability.

RESULTS
All of the patients used their cochlear implants for 16 h every day on average with an experience in using such implant of more than 6 months. Improvement was seen in sound recognition, speech recognition, confidence, daily life, social exchange, and emotional behavior ability at different degrees. The improvement of confidence was very obvious. The speech communication ability of those with a hearing deprivation time longer than 5 years was lower than that of those with a shorter hearing deprivation time. Age and educational level did not influence the efficiency.

CONCLUSION
Cochlear implantation is a cost effective intervention in the postlingually deaf adults. NCIQ test can be used to evaluate the quality of life among postlingually deaf adult cochlear implant recipients in China.


This paper describes the Event Mining platform. The platform allows analyzing information extracted from Internet sources and structuring data for process mining execution according to event log format. The basic component of the monitoring system is the multifaceted ontology joined a few ontology types. The problem ontology describes domains representing research interests of experts needing analysis of world events to model global processes including events of specified types. Our goal for this part of KB is to provide users ability to independently expand the under study field without having any subject limitations, which makes it possible to talk about obtaining global processes models in result. The log ontology describes event logs formats. It is a "meta-ontology" for structuring data extracted from Internet. The sources ontology defines information sources used by experts for analysis. Ontologies are used to search information on events with information retrieval tools. Ontology-driven architecture is described. The algorithm for optimizing task of searching and structuring the information on events is presented. Some examples of event mining with different tools are considered in the paper.


Background: Marital dissolution is known to be among the most stressful life events with long-reaching negative consequences on individuals' lives. A limitation in research to date is that most studies have focused on the impact of marital disruption on well-being outcomes in younger adults. Furthermore, although population-based studies on divorce document a broad range of negative effects, more fine-grained analyses reveal a large heterogeneity in people's adjustment, which is still not well understood. Objective: The aim was to explore trajectories of psychological adaptation to marital breakup after a long-term marriage, and to examine variables accounting for recovery or chronicity in terms of intrapersonal resources (personality, trait resilience, and personal growth), relationship variables (satisfaction with ex-relationship, length of marriage, and time since divorce), and sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and financial situation). Methods: Latent transition analysis is used to examine the course of psychological adaptation (i.e., depressive symptoms, life satisfaction, hopelessness, mourning, and subjective health) to divorce over 2 years among 5 profiles of 308 divorcees (mean age: 55.6 years; average duration of former marriage: 23.62 years). We present two larger groups of individuals, one of which adapted very well ('resilients', 29%) and the other quite well ('average copers', 49%), as well as three groups with major difficulties ('vulnerables', 6%; 'malcontents', 12%, and 'resigned', 4%). In a second step, the differences between transition patterns were explored on the basis of the distal variables (i.e., intrapersonal resources, relationship variables, and sociodemographics). Results: Although the probability of upward changes was higher for those individuals with lower adaptation at time point 1, only a small number of individuals made an upward change from the maladapted to the well-adapted groups throughout the 2 years. The groups of copers and resilients remained stable in their psychological adaptation. The most consistent results related to upward changes were intrapersonal resources, namely the NEO personality traits and trait resilience. Conclusion: The majority of individuals divorcing after a long-term marriage adapt successfully over time. Adaptation trajectories depend primarily on intrapersonal resources. However, a minority of divorcees exhibit enduring difficulties. Knowledge about the diversity of these trajectories of vulnerability could be of great help for designing psychological interventions to better tackle this critical life event.


In this paper, first, I will try to
give a conceptual definition of relativism,
with the aim of singling out
the basic elements common to the
most relevant relativist conceptions.
I will qualify as �relativistic� all conceptions
in which all or a relevant part
of its criteria and beliefs necessarily
depend on a given context. Secondly,
I will deal with some critical observations
against relativism. From
this point of view, a problem arises
from the fact that many relativists
would like to have the chance of
expressing some objective judgments.
Lastly, I will propose a relativistic
conception: one that doesn�t incorporate
absolutist elements at all
and nevertheless could be able to
explain the presence of a common
core of criteria and beliefs in all our
conceptual schemes and beliefs.
Two distinctions are important here:
first, local conceptual schemes and long
term frameworks, and second, environment
and world. This last distinction
makes possible to speak, even inside
a coherent relativist epistemological
conception, of the existence of an
objective reality.


GMEs are genetically modified enzybiotics created through molecular engineering approaches to deal with the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance prevalence. We present a fully manually curated database, GMEnzy, which focuses on GMEs and their design strategies, production and purification methods, and biological activity data. GMEnzy collects and integrates all available GMEs and their related information into one web based database. Currently GMEnzy holds 186 GMEs from published literature. The GMEnzy interface is easy to use, and allows users to rapidly retrieve data according to desired search criteria. GMEnzy's construction will increase the efficiency and convenience of improving these bioactive proteins for specific requirements, and will expand the arsenal available for researches to control drug-resistant pathogens. This database will prove valuable for researchers interested in genetically modified enzybiotics studies. GMEnzy is freely available on the Web at http://biotechlab.fudan.edu.cn/database/gmenzy/.


We designed a computer scoring system to examine the correlation between the Draw-a-Person-in-the-Rain (DAPR) Test stress indicators and the Stress Reaction Questionnaire. Participants were 155 undergraduate college students in China. We extracted and calculated the following stress indicators as depicted in the DAPR artworks: number of raindrops, average distance between raindrops, average raindrop length, and area covered by raindrops. Results demonstrate that the level of stress response had significant positive correlations with the number of raindrops, the average distance between raindrops, and the area covered by raindrops. There was no significant correlation between stress response and the average raindrop length. Satisfactory positive correlations between the DAPR stress indicators and stress response indicate that the software scoring system of DAPR is objective and accurate. The use of software in assessing DAPR artworks may solve the problem of interrater reliability and may improve the scientificity of this technique.


This paper studies the use of deep learning models to model the complex effects of multipath propagation on GNSS correlation outputs. Particularly, we aim at substituting standard correlation schemes (that are optimal under nominal conditions) with Neutral Network (NN)-based correlation schemes, that are able to learn multipath channels, otherwise challenging to be captured by physics-based models. The solution involves the use of a Deep Neural Network (DNN) structure, which exploits the optimality of standard correlation schemes at the same time that adjusts its behavior to better model multipath. The proposed solution can be used in substitution of standard correlation, then seamlessly plugged on acquisition and tracking receiver blocks. Results on the currently trained model show promising time-delay tracking performances, when compared to standard correlation processing.


The research has been devoted to the study of the effectiveness of electrical stimulation of the interventricular septum. Representatives of the main group, which included 75 patients, who ventricular electrode was implanted in the middle third of interventricular septum. The results of this study showed that the implantation of the ventricular electrode in the middle part of the interventricular septum in complexity and security comparable with the technique of implanting electrodes into the right ventricle's apex. Experience has shown that to perform this technique does not require any special tools and its reproducibility is more than 97%. Long-term results of implantation of the electrode in the IVS show us the decrease of functional class of heart failure and increased tolerance to physical activity, compared with implantation in the ARV, which indicates the greater efficiency of the first method.


The purpose of this paper is to further investigate the solution space of self-similar spherically symmetric perfect-fluid models and gain a deeper understanding of the physical aspects of these solutions. We achieve this by combining the state space description of the homothetic approach with the use of the physically interesting quantities arising in the comoving approach. We focus on three types of models. First, we consider models that are natural inhomogeneous generalizations of the Friedmann universe; such models are asymptotically Friedmann in their past and evolve fluctuations in the energy density at later times. Secondly, we consider so-called quasi-static models. This class includes models that undergo self-similar gravitational collapse and is important for studying the formation of naked singularities. If naked singularities do form, they have profound implications for the predictability of general relativity as a theory. Thirdly, we consider a new class of asymptotically Minkowski self-similar spacetimes, emphasizing that some of them are associated with the self-similar solutions associated with the critical behaviour observed in recent gravitational collapse calculations.


Analysis of massive data sets is challenging owing to limitations of computer primary memory. In this paper, we propose an approach to estimate population parameters from a massive data set. The proposed approach significantly reduces the required amount of primary memory, and the resulting estimate will be as efficient if the entire data set was analyzed simultaneously. Asymptotic properties of the resulting estimate are studied, and the asymptotic normality of the resulting estimator is established. The standard error formula for the resulting estimate is proposed and empirically tested; thus, statistical inference for parameters of interest can be performed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated using simulation studies and an Internet traffic data example. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


This Closure Report (CR) presents information supporting the closure of Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 538, Spill Sites, located at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in Nevada. This CR complies with the requirements of the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996) that was agreed to by the State of Nevada, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The corrective action sites (CASs) within CAU 538 are located within Areas 2, 3, 6, 12, and 23 of the NTS. The purpose of this CR is to provide documentation for the absence of contamination or that the closure objectives have been met for each CAS within CAU 538.


Discrete event simulation (DES) is widely known to be a quantitative research tool. A simulation modelling process is mainly based on feeding quantitative data into a model to produce quantitative results in a structured sequential process. Qualitative approaches to research take a less structured approach with more of an inclination towards judgmental and expert knowledge rather than hard data. In this paper the authors suggest that DES can be employed as both a qualitative and quantitative research tool. The paper demonstrates how simulation may represent both stances either separately or combined. This is based on the fact that the basic objectives of simulation are either for understanding – which needs a qualitative perspective – or performance measurement – which a needs quantitative perspective. Traditional quantitative and qualitative methods are discussed showing how DES might cope with the weaknesses of both stances. A structure for using DES as a combined research methodology is proposed.


Filaments and filament bundles such as microtubules or actin interacting with molecular motors such as dynein or myosin constitute a common motif in biology. Synthetic mimics, examples being artificial muscles and reconstituted active networks, also feature active filaments. A common feature of these filament-motor systems is the emergence of stable oscillations as a collective dynamic response. Here, using a combination of classical linear stability analysis and non-linear numerical solutions, we study the dynamics of a minimal filament-motor system immersed in model viscoelastic fluids. We identify steady states, test the linear stability of these states, derive analytical stability boundaries, and investigate emergent oscillatory solutions and their properties. We show that the interplay between motor activity, aggregate elasticity and fluid viscoelasticity allows for stable oscillations or limit cycles to bifurcate from steady states. For highly viscous Newtonian media, frequencies at onset decay with viscosity μ as . In viscoelastic fluids that have the same viscosity as the Newtonian fluid but additionally allow for temporary energy storage, emergent limit cycles are associated with higher frequencies. The magnitude of the increase in the frequency depends on motor mechanochemistry and the interplay between fluid relaxation time-scales and time-scales associated with motor binding and unbinding. Our results suggest that stability and dynamical response in filamentous active systems may be controlled by tailoring the rheology of the ambient environment.


In an emergency situation, the information availability, reliability, security and delay of its delivery are critical to the success of rescue operations. The use of wireless sensor networks (WSN) in this type of applications allows having an almost real situation about the supervised area by collecting relevant information. This paper proposes a new Framework Ad-M-QoS-DS (Adaptive Management of QoS in different situations) that permits an adaptive management according to the QoS requirements of each situation in the supervised area by grouping multiple parameters. The proposed Framework Ad-MQoS-DS includes security architecture based on the base station.


Mutualistic symbiosis and eusociality have developed through gradual evolutionary processes at different times in specific lineages. Like some species of termites and ants, ambrosia beetles have independently evolved a mutualistic nutritional symbiosis with fungi, which has been associated with the evolution of complex social behaviors in some members of this group. We sequenced the transcriptomes of two ambrosia complexes (Euwallacea sp. near fornicatus⁻Fusarium euwallaceae and Xyleborus glabratus⁻Raffaelea lauricola) to find evolutionary signatures associated with mutualism and behavior evolution. We identified signatures of positive selection in genes related to nutrient homeostasis; regulation of gene expression; development and function of the nervous system, which may be involved in diet specialization; behavioral changes; and social evolution in this lineage. Finally, we found convergent changes in evolutionary rates of proteins across lineages with phylogenetically independent origins of sociality and mutualism, suggesting a constrained evolution of conserved genes in social species, and an evolutionary rate acceleration related to changes in selective pressures in mutualistic lineages.


This paper considers the design of interpolative sigma delta modulators (SDMs). The design problem is formulated as two different optimization problems. The first optimization problem is to determine the denominator coefficients. The objective of the optimization problem is to minimize the energy of the error function in the passband of the loop filter in which the error function reflects the noise output transfer function and the ripple of the input output transfer function. The constraint of the optimization problem refers to the specification of the error function defined in the frequency domain. The second optimization problem is to determine the numerator coefficients in which the cost function is to minimize the stopband ripple energy of the loop filter subject to the stability condition of the noise output and input output transfer functions. These two optimization problems are actually quadratic semi-infinite programming (SIP) problems. By employing our recently proposed dual parameterization method for solving the problems, global optimal solutions that satisfy the corresponding continuous constraint are guaranteed if the solutions exist. The advantages of this formulation are the guarantee of the stability of the noise output and input output transfer functions, applicability to design rational IIR filters without imposing specific filter structures such as Laguerre filter and Butterworth filter structures, and the avoidance of the iterative design of numerator and the denominator coefficients because the convergence of the iterative design is not guaranteed. Our simulation results show that this proposed design yields a significant improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared to the existing designs.


Initial studies indicate that computed tomography can detect both benign and malignant breast disease in both fatty and dense, thick breasts. CT may also be capable of diagnosing early cancer or a precancerous lesion in women with dysplastic breasts or patients who have had radiation therapy or surgery, whereas some of these lesions cannot be diagnosed by mammography because the breast is too dense.


UrbanSim(link is external) is a software-based simulation system for supporting planning and analysis of urban development, incorporating the interactions between land use, transportation, the economy, and the environment. It is the result of over 15 years of active research, and has been applied to planning processes of over a dozen regional governments and large cities. Recent improvements to UrbanSim include an accessibility engine to compute walking-scale accessibility metrics over a metropolitan area in less than a second, and the ability to run real estate pro formas on the complete set of parcels in a region to understand real estate development feasibility the way a developer might. The new methodology has also received interest from the travel modeling community, and a consortium of regions has funded a pilot to create an activity-based travel model using the same core framework. Synthicity(link is external) will be releasing UrbanCanvas publicly in spring 2015. UrbanCanvas is a 3D urban design platform that allows the editing of proposed developments which can be used to create scenario inputs to UrbanSim, as well as to view UrbanSim outputs as prototypical buildings. Synthicity hopes that UrbanCanvas can become a transformative technology that allows planners and citizens to weigh in on proposed developments early enough in the process to positively affect social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic outcomes of future population and economic growth.


Purpose: To evaluate Doppler sonographic findings of acute renal vein thrombosis in rabbit model induced by renal vein ligation, with an emphasis on the changes in resistive index (RI) on serial follow-up. Materials and Methods: Conventional and Doppler sonographies were performed immediately after ligation and 24, 48, and 72 hours after ligation in 12 rabbits weighing 4.5-5.0 kg. We focused on changes in kidney size and echogenicity with conventional sonography and resistive index by time interval and Doppler waveforms with Doppler sonography. Results: Kidney size increased markedly immediately after ligation, and increased slowly until 48 hours after ligation with no change observed afterwards. Echogenicity increased both in the renal cortex and the medulla. RI increased remarkably to an average of 1.38 immediately after ligation, and increased to a peak average of 1.64 48 hours after ligation. After 72 hours RI decreased slightly to 1.59. Reverse 'plateau-like' diastolic waveform was seen in 27 trials (56%) on follow up Doppler sonograms. Conclusion: The increase in RI was thought to be due to the increase in renal arterial vascular resistance caused by venous outflow obstruction. The decrease in RI with time suggested adaptation of intrarenal circulation to renal vascular change. Also, the reverse 'plateau-like' diastolic waveform was the predominant waveform.


The issue of inadequate housing is the difficulty that millions of lower and middle-income groups in urban areas of the developing world face. This study is an assessment of informal settlements and its impacts on housing developments in Debre Berhan town. The core problem identified in this research is the uncontrollable illegal division of lands for substandard housing. The study aimed to examine the characteristics informal settlements focusing on housing standards, causes of Informal settlements including their impacts in the housing developments, the different modes of informal land acquisition mechanisms, evaluating the legal responses for informal settlers to solve these impacts and to propose a possible preventive and curative solution for the informal settlement expansion in the town. The research design employed in the study was a mixed type and the combination of probability and purposive sampling techniques were used. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from primary and secondary sources, and the methods of data collection from primary were direct observation, interviews, field questionnaire surveys, and instrumental use. The result of the study of informal settlements in the town was characterized by legal, socioeconomic, and environment due to the inefficiency of the formal land supply process, to deliver adequate land for housing, population growth, urbanization, socio-cultural factors, and others. And the major mechanisms of informal land acquired through purchasing lands from informal land market and inheritance. The physical, social, political, and environmental problems were the impacts that are caused by informal settlements and the local government's response was regulating and demolition. The study recommended the entire land development and management system to address vital areas of strategic physical planning, cadastral surveying, land recording and registration, and well-managed land information system to improve the land availability factor in the town and help to control informal settlements. This research will have a positive contribution to promoting the realization of the right to adequate housing with security of tenure for informal settlements in Debre Berhan town.


In intensive care units (ICUs), besides routinely collected admission data, a daily monitoring of organ dysfunction using scoring systems such as the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score has become practice. Such updated information is valuable in making accurate predictions of patients' survival. Few prediction models that incorporate this updated information have been reported. We used follow‐up data of ICU patients who either died or were discharged at the end of hospital stay, without censored cases. We propose a joint model comprising a linear mixed effects submodel for the development of longitudinal SOFA scores and a proportional subdistribution hazards submodel for death as end point with discharge as competing risk. The two parts are linked by shared latent terms. Because there was no censoring, it was straightforward to fit our joint model using available software. We compared predictive values, based on the Brier score and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, from our model with those obtained from an earlier modeling approach by Toma et al. [Journal of Biomedical Informatics 40, 649, (2007)] that relied on patterns discovered in the SOFA scores over a given period of time.


The rotational structure of the bands with v' = 11 belonging to Fourth Positive System of 13CO molecule is given here. The perturbations caused by d3Δ state were analysed, and the perturbational parameters were evaluated. The inversion of d3Δ state was confirmed.


In this paper are exposed our latest experiments with the WebAudio API to design different types of gears for guitarists: real-time simulations of tube guitars amplifiers, fx pedals, and their integration in a virtual pedal board. We have studied different real guitar tube amps and created an interactive Web application for experimenting, validating and building different amp designs that can be run in browsers. Blind tests have been conducted with professional guitar players who compared positively our real-time, low-latency, realistic tube guitar amps simulations with state-of-the-art native equivalents. We also created a set of "virtual audio fx pedals" that implement popular audio effects such as flanger, chorus, overdrive, pitch shifter etc. These amps and pedals simulations can be packaged as "WebAudio plugins" and stored in plugin repositories (REST endpoints or local folders). We also developed a "host" application-a virtual pedal board-that allows us to scan repositories for plugins and to chain/assemble them. 1


Complexity of knowledge practices is undertheorized in education research because knowledge is often conceived cognitively. Legitimation Code Theory conceptualizes this com-plexity in terms of 'semantic density', which explores how meanings are interrelated within practices. This concept is becoming widely enacted in research, a flexibility that raises the question of identifying 'semantic density' in specific objects of study. This is the second of two papers that offer a 'translation device' for identifying 'epistemic-semantic density' (whe-re condensed meanings are formal definitions or empirical descriptions) in English discourse. The first paper (this issue) provided tools for exploring how individual words reveals different strengths of epistemic-semantic density. Those concepts revealed different degrees of com-plexity of knowledge. This paper outlines tools for exploring how the ways actors combine words reveals 'epistemological condensation' or strengthening of epistemic-semantic densi-ty. It provides typologies for identifying different kinds of 'clausing' and 'sequencing' and des-cribes how these types manifest varying degrees of increasing complexity. These concepts reveal different kinds of knowledge-building. Two contrasting examples, from a secondary school History classroom and a scientific research article, are analysed to illustrate the in-sights into complexity offered by the tools outlined in both papers.


COVID-19 and Brexit have given political impetus to re-examine Wales's place within the United Kingdom's devolution settlement. Health has been a key site for divergence in law and policy as between the administrations in Cardiff and London. In light of these contests, and the longer-running trends in devolution, this article considers whether a distinct 'Welsh' health law has now emerged. We examine the constitutional context and the range of sources for this new legal field. We argue that a set of values can be identified through an attentive reading of the legislative output of the Welsh Parliament, through reflection on the policy development of health in Wales, through the devolution process. While accepting that these are varied and heterogeneous, these values are as much an expression of universal ethical goals as they are of any delineable Welsh essence. No mere summation of positive law, these values allow one to define a distinctive realm of Welsh health law, have the potential to act as an interpretative lens for analysing law and policy flowing from Westminster, and could potentially act as a value structure for further Welsh legislation.


The correlation functional Ec[ρ] known in Levy's constrained search formulation of density functional theory is also one of the components of the energy functional in Frozen-Density Embedding Theory (FDET) [Wesolowski, Phys. Rev. A, 77 (2008) 012504] if the embedded wavefunction has the single determinant form. The relation between the FDET energy and quantities available from an auxiliary system is derived. In the auxiliary system, Ec[ρ] and its functional derivative (correlation potential) are entirely neglected. The relation is exact up to the quadratic terms density changes caused by electron-electron correlation. It is discussed in view of its practical applications in modelling electronic structure of embedded species.


A novel process for Boron doping of ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) films, using thermal diffusion, is described. Hall measurements show an increase in carrier concentration from 1013 to 1020 cm~3. Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy and x-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy show a band gap of 4.4 eV, a work function of 5.1 eV and a Fermi level at 2.0 eV above the valence band. Boron atoms distribution through UNCD films, was measured by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, revealing Boron atoms diffusivity of about 10~14 cm2/s. Raman spectroscopy and x-ray Diffraction analysis revealed that UNCD films did not suffer graphitization nor structural damage during annealing.


Eddy current testing (ECT) and ultrasonic testing (UT) have been widely used for the non-destructive testing of metal structures. ECT has a high capability of sizing surface breaking cracks and UT is suitable for sizing sub-surface breaking cracks in thick-wall structures. Based on this background, the authors have proposed a novel dual probe with simple structure combining an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) and Eddy current probe. The performance of the probe was verifi ed at room temperature. However, the operating temperature of boiling-water nuclear reactors is 300 degrees C. In this paper, the above dual probe is applied to monitoring of piping wall thinning in a high temperature environment. For this purpose, the structure and components of the probe are discussed so that the present probe should withstand 300 degrees C. Finally, the basic performance of the probe at high temperatures is investigated through an experiment using an electric furnace.


The design principles of traditional Islamic gardens i.e. Persian gardens are mostly based on the ancient traditions and religious practices derived from the revealed books besides the factors of climate and terrain. Initially, after Islam came to the world in the eighth century, its designs remain similar to the ancient gardens of Persia. However it gradually changed from the concept of private garden to a mix of both private garden and garden complexes. Besides being influenced by the culture of the local people and the preference of the Muslim rulers, the elements and form of it still remain similar to the ancient garden of Persia. Therefore, this study has established the distinguished tauhidic principles for the 21st-century Islamic garden by considering all the elements from the Persian Garden by closely relating to the verses, " …You do not see in the creation of the Most Merciful any inconsistency. So return [your] vision [to the sky]; do you see any breaks? Then return [your] vision twice again. [Your] vision will return to you humbled while it is fatigued. " (Qur'an, 67:3-4). As for the purpose of the study, the methods of content analysis and cross reference have been carried out by emphasizing on the divine sources; the Holy Quran and Hadith. The study concludes that the description of Paradise from all the revealed books is similar.


DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2012.103 Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/786 Date of Award 6-2012 Degree Name Master of City and Regional Planning Department City and Regional Planning Advisor Michael Boswell Abstract In preparation for a Climate Action Plan, this policy and practice audit provides an overview of current city policies and practices with the potential to impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. The audit builds upon information previously collected in a GHG emissions inventory report to identify policies that are consistent or inconsistent with emissions reductions goals. Preliminary GHG emissions reductions recommendations address policy gaps and opportunity areas in suggesting strategies to achieve GHG emissions reductions.  Download


This paper discusses the scalability issues of networked virtual environments (net-VEs). A most important problem of net-VEs is that the performance of the system is remarkably deteriorated when users increase in number. To solve this problem, we proposed two methods. The first method tries to equalize the load in each server by dynamically adjusting the size of the space managed by each server. The second method tries to reduce the amount of operations by changing the size of a management unit of the virtual space. To evaluate the proposed methods, we developed a multiple-server networked game called "CittaTron". Through several experiments, we show the effectiveness of our proposed method.


The aim of this study was to identify the Morpho-anthropometric profile of Igbabonelimhin acrobatic dancers in Esan community, Edo State . Morpho-anthropometric indicators of age, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), visceral fat and Body Fat Percentage were determined. A Cross-Sectional study involving twenty four (24) acrobatic dancers participated in the study which were drawn purposively. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentage for all the variables and Pearson's Correlation Coefficients (r) to assess the link and the degree of relation between them. The Results showed a BMI categorization of Normalcy indicating 75%, Underweight, Overweight and Obesity indicating 8.3% each while the Visceral Fat level categorization for ages 1-9 showed 83.3% indicating 0(Normal), ages 10-14 and 15-30 indicating 8.3% for both + (High) and ++ (Very High) respectively. Body Fat Percentage for ages 20- 39 indicated 100% 0(Normal), ages 40-59 indicating 50% 0(Normal) and 16.6% for –(Low), + (High) and ++ (Very High) respectively. Ages 60-79 indicated 66.7% 0(Normal) and 33.4% + (High). It also showed a significant correlation between the weight of acrobatic dancers on the height, BMI, Body Fat Percentage, Visceral Fat and no correlation between the ages of the acrobatic dancers on height, weight, BMI and percentage fat. Age and height also showed a negative correlation. BMI of the acrobatic dancers showed a positive significant correlation with Percentage Body Fat, Visceral Fat and their weight. It was concluded that Igbabonelimhin acrobatic dancing is a good physical exercise to develop and maintain good morpho-anthropometric profile. It is therefore recommended that continuous maintenance of healthy lifestyle and body composition among such acrobatic dancers should be ensured or encouraged.


Inspired by a cactus spine and trichomes integrated fog collection system, a strategy is presented to design a micro/nanostructured conical spine and Janus membrane integrative system (MNCS+JM). In this strategy, the surface of conical spine can be covered with rough micro and nanostructure (MNCS), so that the tiny fog-droplets can be captured, coalesced, and transported. Janus membrane (JM) with inside hydrophobic surface and outside hydrophilic surface is further used to control the water collection in process of droplet transport when the Janus membrane is vertically placed with different positions on the MNCS, thus MNCS+JM propel the droplet continuously for transport-coalescence-transport in a circle of droplet transport and collection. It is demonstrated that a higher fog collection rate can be achieved effectively, which is attributed to a cooperation effect between the Laplace pressure in difference and the released surface energy in droplet coalescence, in addition to wettability force of superhydrophobic-hydrophilic difference in the Janus membrane. This strategy of MNCS+JM offers an insight into the surface of materials to control the droplet transport for water collection in efficiency, which is significant to be extended into the realms of applications such as high-efficiency water collection systems, microfluidics devices, and others.


Studies have been made in the field and in the laboratory on the lifecycle, maintenance and host-parasite relationships of Ackertia globulosa, a filarial parasite of African rodents. In natural habitats in Kenya the parasite was found in 4 species of rodents, with a high prevalence of infection in Lemniscomys striatus striatus (the striped mouse). The adult worms are highly site-specific to the pulmonary arteries and release microfilariae that travel via the blood to the skin where they concentrate principally in the ears. This is a good adaptation to the feeding habit of the tick Haemaphysalis leachii leachii, which was identified as a natural vector of A. globulosa in Kenya and attaches preferentially to the head region on striped mice. A histological examination of tick attachment sites revealed that the ingestion of microfilariae may be further enhanced by their accumulation beneath the mouthparts during the 3 day feeding period. In H. leachii the microfilariae of A. globulosa develop to infective stage larvae in 14-18 days. Studies made by dissection and histological techniques revealed that development is intracellular and occurs for the first 9 days in the epidermis and for the next 5 days in fat cells. Third-stage larvae then enter the haemocoel and are transmitted to rodents when the ticks next feed. A. globulosa was established in the laboratory and maintained in mongolian jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) and laboratory bred striped mice. In experimentally infected rodents the Microfilarial densities were low although 63% developed patent infections. The prepatent period is 74-88 days and the adult worms survive for up to 500 days. The development of A. qlobulosa was studied in experimentally infected jirds. Microfilariae and adult worms caused no serious pathology in the vertebrate host although a few microfilariae were found in the eyes of heavily infected striped mice. The treatment of experimentally infected rodents with diethylcarbamazine resulted in the destruction of 80-100% of the microfilariae in skin but appeared to be ineffective against the adult worms. Skin responses seen in animals after drug treatment suggest that a Mazzotti-type reaction may have been elicited. The potential of A. globulosa in rodents as a laboratory model infection and primary chemotherapeutic screen for human onchocerciasis and streptocerciasis is discussed. An investigation was also made of possible relationships between tick-bits hypersensitivity in Mongolian jirds and the tranmission of Dipetalonema viteae by its soft tick vector. Jirds sensitised to the bites of Ornithodoros moubata produced vigorous immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions but remained fully susceptible to all stages of the arthropod and to infection with filarial larvae transmitted by infected ticks. Although the uptake of microfilariae by ticks fed on hypersensitive animals was relatively greater than on normal hosts, the difference was not sufficient to identify hypersensitivity to tick bites as a significant influence on the transmission of D.viteae. The relevance of these findings to the epidemiology of human filarial infections is discussed.


Manifestations of pulmonary disease in pediatric AIDS patients differ from those in adults. To evaluate whether differences in the frequency of alveolar macrophage (AM) infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV‐1) could account for these clinical distinctions, we undertook a comparative analysis of HIV‐1 DNA in AMs from pediatric and adult AIDS patients by enzymatic amplification. A higher frequency of viral DNA detection in pediatric cases (100%) compared with adults (67%) was observed. The sensitivity of detection was 1 viral DNA copy per 4000 AMs; matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells from six of seven pediatric and eight of nine adult patients tested HIV‐1 DNA positive. Adult but not pediatric patients exhibited a marked alveolar lymphocytosis, 32% mean lymphocyte count compared with 7.0%, respectively. These results suggest that the burden of HIV‐1 in the lungs of pediatric AIDS patients is greater than that in adults.


Starting from fundamental hydrodynamics and thermodynamics equations for thermoviscous fluids, a new modeling procedure, which is suitable to describe acoustic propagation in gas mixtures, is presented. The model revises the boundary conditions which are appropriate to describe the condensation-evaporation processes taking place on a solid wall when one component of the mixture approaches saturation conditions. The general analytical solutions of these basic equations now give a unified description of acoustic propagation in an infinite, semi-infinite, or finite medium, throughout and beyond the boundary layers. The solutions account for the coupling between acoustic propagation and heat and concentration diffusion processes, including precondensation on the walls. The validity of the model and its predictive capability have been tested by a comparison with the description available in the literature of two particular systems (precondensation of propane and acoustic attenuation in a duct filled with an air-water vapor saturated mixture). The results of this comparison are discussed to clarify the relevance of the various physical phenomena that are involved in these processes. The model proposed here might be useful to develop methods for the acoustic determination of the thermodynamic and transport properties of gas mixtures as well as for practical applications involving gas and gas-vapor mixtures like thermoacoustics and acoustics in wet granular or porous media.


This paper investigates a downlink power allocation scheme for application of non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) in visible light communication (VLC) systems. Aiming to achieve a flexible tradeoff between sum rate and user fairness depending on administrators' subjective setting and acquire the optimal solution for any setting, we formulate two optimization problems, which are closely aligned with the practical application. Specifically, one is user fairness-guaranteed sum rate maximization, the other is sum rate-guaranteed user fairness maximization. Moreover, through classified discussion around the threshold guaranteeing user fairness or sum rate, we present rigorous mathematical derivation and optimization analysis, and two corresponding algorithms are proposed. Furthermore, through numerical simulation, the superiority of our proposed algorithms over conventional schemes is verified in terms of meeting the practical demand and performance gain in sum rate, user fairness, and coverage probability.


We document a strong decline in corporate-diversification activity since the late 1970s, and we develop a dynamic model that explains this pattern, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The key feature of the model is that synergies endogenously decline with technological specialization, leading to fewer diversified firms in equilibrium. The model further predicts that segments inside a conglomerate should become more related over time, which is consistent with the data. Finally, the calibrated model also matches other empirical magnitudes well: output growth rate, market-to-book ratios, diversification discount, frequency and returns of diversifying mergers, and frequency of refocusing activity.


In a previous article (Hubbard and Williamson, see abstr. A20112, 1971) a method was developed for calculating the contribution to the absorbed fraction from multiply scattered gamma -rays. This method works well for those energies for which the interaction is almost entirely Compton scattering. The method does not work well at lower energies where the photo-effect becomes important. The author discusses changes in the formulation to allow for this.


Research suggests anxious children display increased attentional biases for threat-related stimuli. However, findings based upon spatial domain research are equivocal. Moreover, few studies allow for the independent analysis of trials containing neutral (i.e., potentially ambiguous) faces. Here, we report two temporal attentional blink experiments with high trait anxious (HTA) and low trait anxious (LTA) children. In an emotive experiment, we manipulated the valence of the second target (T2: threatening/positive/neutral). Results revealed that HTA, relative to LTA, children demonstrated better performance on neutral trials. Additionally, HTA children demonstrated a threat-superiority effect whereas LTA children demonstrated an emotion-superiority effect. In a non-emotive control experiment, no differences between HTA and LTA children were observed. Results suggest trait anxiety is associated with an attentional bias for threat in children. Additionally, the neutral face finding suggests HTA children bias attention towards ambiguity. These findings could have important implications for current anxiety disorder research and treatments.


The presence of disturbances can cause instability to the quadrotor flight and can be dangerous especially when operating near obstacles or other aerial vehicles. In this paper, a hybrid controller called state feedback with intelligent disturbance observer-based control (SFiDOBC) is developed for trajectory tracking of quadrotor in the presence of time-varying disturbances, e.g. wind. This is achieved by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technique with disturbance observer-based feedback linearization to achieve a better disturbance rejection capability. Here, the observer estimates the disturbances acting on the quadrotor, while AI technique using the radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) compensates the disturbance estimation error. To improve the error compensation of RBFNN, the k-means clustering method is used to find the optimal centers of the Gaussian activation function. In addition, the weights of the RBFNN are tuned online using the derived adaptation law based on the Lyapunov method, which eliminates the offline training. In the simulation experiment conducted, a total of four input nodes and five hidden neurons are used to compensate for the error. The results obtained demonstrate the effectiveness and merits of the theoretical development.


We demonstrate the tunable quantum beat of single photons through the co-development of core nonlinear nanophotonic technologies for frequency-domain manipulation of quantum states in a common physical platform. Spontaneous four-wave mixing in a nonlinear resonator is used to produce non-degenerate, quantum-correlated photon pairs. One photon from each pair is then frequency shifted, without degradation of photon statistics, using four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in a second nonlinear resonator. Fine tuning of the applied frequency shift enables tunable quantum interference of the two photons as they are impinged on a beamsplitter, with an oscillating signature that depends on their frequency difference. Our work showcases the potential of nonlinear nanophotonic devices as a valuable resource for photonic quantum information science.


A previous paper (Wells, 1969) described an investigation using Eysenck's Personality Inventory (EPI) to explore the personalities of patients attending venereal disease clinics. The results indicated that such patients, and particularly certain sub-groups, differed markedly from normal in their scores for introversion and neuroticism. Furthermore, these differences operated systematically and in a way which supported the clinical observations and predictions of venereologists. The present study extends the previous one by deriving further information about the pattern of introversion and neuroticism and by exploring the occurrence of a factor identified as Psychoticism (Eysenck and Eysenck, 1968a, b; 1969). This psychoticism factor (P), a predisposition to psychotic breakdown, and present as a graded characteristic in the normal population (Eysenck and Eysenck, 1968b), is of interest in exploring the personalities of patients in venereal disease clinics, many of whom exhibit pronounced psychiatric problems, though not selected primarily as a psychiatric group. The earlier study (Wells, 1969) elicited degrees of extroversion and neuroticism quite well related to known aspects of patients' psycho-sexual behaviour, which were extreme when compared with those in subjects judged to be normal by the EPI. This present study serves a similar purpose by exploring the V.D. patient's position on derived personality dimensions and relating this information to the normal standardization group and clinical samples, this time mainly in regard to psychoticism.


Osteoarthritis, the most common joint disease, affecting millions people world-wide, involves the degradation of the articular cartilage which provides frictionless contact between the bones in a joint during movement. To a first approximation, this tissue is composed of two components, a collagen framework and entrapped proteoglycans. The framework consists of type II collagen fibrils built on a type XI collagen core, and decorated with type IX collagen molecules and small proteoglycans. These composite fibrils give the tissue its integrity, tensile strength and ability to retain large proteoglycan aggregates. The extremely large size of the proteoglycan aggregates and their high negative charge endows them with an immense hydration capacity, giving cartilage the ability to absorb compressive loading by the slow displacement of bound water. Partial destruction or loss of the proteoglycans is the first step in the deterioration of cartilage as seen in arthritis. Subsequently, irreversible loss of collagen occurs leading to permanent cartilage degeneration. While glycosylhydrolases and free radicals could also participate, it is believed that proteolytic enzymes are the main agents responsible for the degradation of cartilage components in osteoarthritis. Currently two classes of proteases are thought to be the major mediators of collagen and proteoglycan cleavage. Collagen degradation was thought to be majorly due to the action of MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) collagenases while members of both MMP and ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) families are important mediators of the degradation of proteoglycans which due to their extended core protein conformation are susceptible to the action of many proteases (Mort and Billington, 2001). Recently however, there is increasing evidence for the role of the cysteine protease cathepsin K in collagen degradation in articular cartilage (Konttinen et al., 2002). The cleavage of cartilage proteins often occurs at specific sites on these molecules depending on the particular protease mediating the event. This results in the generation of characteristic Nand C-terminal epitopes that can be used for the production of antibodies specific for these cleavage products (anti-neoepitope antibodies) (Mort et al., 2003). A series of such antibodies has been produced and their specificities validated. These allow evaluation of the roles of different proteases in the degradation of collagen and proteoglycans in mouse models of osteoarthritis and in human and equine osteoarthritic cartilage using immunohistochemical methods and immunoassays.


A consortium of healthcare providers that took over the delivery of services at Brixton prison has been praised for the improvements it has achieved in the past 18 months. No deaths in custody have occurred since the consortium took over healthcare provision at the prison, and referral times to GPs and specialists have fallen.

Richard Bradshaw, director of offender health for England at HM Prison Service, told a meeting in London this week, "Brixton should be congratulated on its major turnaround in the last 18 months. It has been an absolute transformation, and lessons can be drawn for other prisons."

Denis O'Rourke, assistant director of mental health and adult services at Lambeth Primary Care Trust, told the meeting that when the trust took on the commissioning responsibility for Brixton prison in 2004 the service was generally poor and fragmented and had limited leadership and a poor staff …


Background Functional decline is a strong health determinant in older adults, and chronic diseases play a major role in this age-related phenomenon. In this study, we explored possible clinical pathways underlying functional heterogeneity in older adults by quantifying the impact of cardiovascular (CV) and neuropsychiatric (NP) chronic diseases and their co-occurrence on trajectories of functional decline. Methods and findings We studied 2,385 people ≥60 years (range 60–101 years) participating in the Swedish National study of Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC-K). Participants underwent clinical examination at baseline (2001–2004) and every 3 or 6 years for up to 9 years. We grouped participants on the basis of 7 mutually exclusive clinical patterns of 0, 1, or more CV and NP diseases and their co-occurrence, from a group without any CV and NP disease to a group characterised by the presence of CV or NP multimorbidity, accompanied by at least 1 other CV or NP disorder. The group with no CV and/or NP diseases served as the reference group. Functional decline was estimated over 9 years of follow-up by measuring mobility (walking speed, m/s) and independence (ability to carry out six activities of daily living [ADL]). Mixed-effect linear regression models were used (1) to explore the individual-level prognostic predictivity of the different CV and NP clinical patterns at baseline and (2) to quantify the association between the clinical patterns and functional decline at the group level by entering the clinical patterns as time-varying measures. During the 9-year follow-up, participants with multiple CV and NP diseases had the steepest decline in walking speed (up to 0.7 m/s; p < 0.001) and ADL independence (up to three impairments in ADL, p < 0.001) (reference group: participants without any CV and NP disease). When the clinical patterns were analyzed as time varying, isolated CV multimorbidity impacted only walking speed (β −0.1; p < 0.001). Conversely, all the clinical patterns that included at least 1 NP disease were significantly associated with decline in both walking speed (β −0.21–−0.08; p < 0.001) and ADL independence (β −0.27–−0.06; p < 0.05). Groups with the most complex clinical patterns had 5%–20% lower functioning at follow-up than the reference group. Key limitations of the study include that we did not take into account the specific weight of single diseases and their severity and that the exclusion of participants with less than 2 assessments may have led to an underestimation of the tested associations. Conclusions In older adults, different patterns of CV and NP morbidity lead to different trajectories of functional decline over time, a finding that explains part of the heterogeneity observed in older adults' functionality. NP diseases, alone or in association, are prevalent and major determinants of functional decline, whereas isolated CV multimorbidity is associated only with declines in mobility.


A long-term systematic survey of grassland communities was performed in the Biele Karpaty Mts. in Slovakia. The main aims of the research were i) syntaxonomical classification of meso- and subxerophilous grassland vegetation, ii) analysis of the main gradients in species composition, iii) evaluation of the effect of environmental factors on species composition of grasslands. The data set included 342 phytosociological releves of grasslands recorded between 1991 and 1999. For the classification of releves to associations, the expert system for identification of grassland vegetation of Slovakia was used. The main environmental gradients of species composition were analysed by detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). For the ecological interpretation of ordination axes Ellenberg indicator values were used. The relationship between species composition and environmental factors (geology, pedology, climate, topography, management) was analysed by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The expert system identified (according to association definitions) 220 phytosociological releves (64% of the whole data set). Grassland communities were classified within seven associations belonging to four alliances and three classes: Festuco-Brometea: Bromion erecti and Cirsio-Brachypodion pinnati; Molinio- Arrhenatheretea: Arrhenatherion; Nardetea strictae: Violion caninae. The results of the DCA support our assumption that the main environmental gradient in species compositions of grasslands is related to moisture and soil reaction (content of CaCO3 in the soil). The results of the direct gradient analysis (CCA) show that all 23 environmental variables explained 16.15% of the variability of the species data. The most important factors affecting the data variation were precipitation and geological bedrock.


Greater use of electric heating in residential areas in North America has led to the appearance of a new type of thermal stress resulting from service restoration following a power outage. This loading condition, known as cold-load pickup, is simulated on a sample of 18 distribution transformers by applying overloads up to three times the rated current at ambient temperatures as low as -40 degrees C. The data gathered is used to develop a thermal model representing the transient behavior of distribution transformers. The results are then generalized to produce a loading guide for evaluation of maximum hot-spot temperatures and loss of life under given cold-load pickup conditions. >