Joshua D. Welch: Computational Methods for Inferring Transcriptome Dynamics (Under the direction of Jan F. Prins) The sequencing of the human genome paved the way for a new type of medicine, in which a molecularlevel, cell-by-cell understanding of the genomic control system informs diagnosis and treatment. A key experimental approach for achieving such understanding is measuring gene expression dynamics across a range of cell types and biological conditions. The raw outputs of these experiments are millions of short DNA sequences, and computational methods are required to draw scientific conclusions from such experimental data. In this dissertation, I present computational methods to address some of the challenges involved in inferring dynamic transcriptome changes. My work focuses two types of challenges: (1) discovering important biological variation within a population of single cells and (2) robustly extracting information from sequencing reads. Three of the methods are designed to identify biologically relevant differences among a heterogenous mixture of cells. SingleSplice uses a statistical model to detect true biological variation in alternative splicing within a population of single cells. SLICER elucidates transcriptome changes during a sequential biological process by positing the process as a nonlinear manifold embedded in high-dimensional gene expression space. MATCHER uses manifold alignment to infer what multiple types of single cell measurements obtained from different individual cells would look like if they were performed simultaneously on the same cell. These methods gave insight into several important biological systems, including embryonic stem cells and cardiac fibroblasts undergoing reprogramming. To enable study of the pseudogene ceRNA effect, I developed a computational method for robustly computing pseudogene expression levels in the presence of high sequence similarity that confounds sequencing read alignment. AppEnD, an algorithm for detecting untemplated additions, allowed the study of transcript modifications during RNA degradation.


Personal audio logs are often recorded in multiple environments. This poses challenges for robust front-end processing, including speech/nonspeech detection (SND). Motivated by this, we investigate the robustness of four different privacy-sensitive features for SND, namely energy, zero crossing rate, spectral flatness, and kurtosis. We study early and late fusion of these features in conjunction with modeling temporal context. These combinations are evaluated in mismatched conditions on a dataset of nearly 450 hours. While both combinations yield improvements over individual features, generally feature combinations perform better. Comparisons with a state-of-the-art spectral based and a privacy-sensitive feature set are also provided.


Since information and communication technologies have become an integral part of our everyday lives, it only seems logical that the smart city concept should attempt to explore the role of an integrated information and communication approach to city asset management and raising the quality of life of its citizens. Raising the quality of life relies not only on improving the management of a city's systems (e.g. transportation system) but also on the provision of timely and relevant information to its citizens to allow them to make better informed decisions. This requires the use of forecasting models. In this paper, a support vector machine-based model is developed to predict future mobility behavior from crowdsourced data. Crowdsourced data are collected through a dedicated smartphone app tracking mobility behavior. The use of a forecasting model of this type can facilitate the management of a smart city's mobility system while simultaneously ensuring the timely provision of relevant pretravel information to its citizens.


Human phospholamban (PLN), a 30 kDa homopentamer in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane, controls the magnitude of heart muscle contraction and relaxation by regulating the calcium pumping activity of the SR Ca-ATPase (SERCA). When PLN is not phosphorylated, it binds and inhibits SERCA. Phosphorylation of PLN at S16 or T17 releases such inhibitory effect. It remains a matter of debate whether phosphorylation perturbs the structure of PLN, which in turn affects its interaction with SERCA. Here we examine by NMR spectroscopy the structure and dynamics of PLN pentamer with a physiologically relevant, phosphorylation-mimicking mutation, S16E. Based on extensive NMR data, including NOEs, dipolar couplings, and solvent exchange of backbone amides, we conclude that the phosphorylation-mimicking mutation does not perturb the pentamer structure. However, N R1 and R2 relaxation rates and N(H) NOEs suggest subtle differences in the dynamics of the extramembrane portion of the protein.


The title compound, [ZnCl2(C21H15N3)], was obtained from the reaction of ZnCl2·4H2O with 4′-phenylterpyridine (L) and disodium 2,6-dipicolinate. The Zn2+ cation is ligated by the N atoms of the tridentate L ligand and two chloride anions, forming a ZnN3Cl2 polyhedron with a distorted trigonal–bipyramidal coordination geometry. In the crystal, nonclassical C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds are observed.


In the query model of multi-variate function computation, the values of the variables are queried sequentially, in an order that may depend on previously revealed values, until the function's value can be determined. The function's computation query complexity is the lowest expected number of queries required by any query order. Instead of computation, it is often easier to consider verification, where the value of the function is given and the queries aim to verify it. The lowest expected number of queries necessary is the function's verification query complexity. We show that for all symmetric functions of independent binary random variables, the computation and verification complexities coincide. This provides a simple method for finding the query complexity and the optimal query order for computing many functions. We also show that if the symmetry condition is removed, there are functions whose verification complexity is strictly lower than their computation complexity, and mention that the same holds when the independence or binary conditions are removed.


Reordering under a random graph hypothesis can be regarded as an extension of clustering and fits into the general area of data mining. Here, we consider a generalization of Grindrod's model and show how an existing spectral reordering algorithm that has arisen in a number of areas may be interpreted from a maximum likelihood range-dependent random graph viewpoint. Looked at this way, the spectral algorithm, which uses eigenvector information from the graph Laplacian, is found to be automatically tuned to an exponential edge density. The connection is precise for optimal reorderings, but is weaker when approximate reorderings are computed via relaxation. We illustrate the performance of the spectral algorithm in the weighted random graph context and give experimental evidence that it can be successful for other edge densities. We conclude by applying the algorithm to a data set from the biological literature that describes cortical connectivity in the cat brain.


Youth unemployment is one of the major challenges that the majority of countries worldwide are faced with currently. In South Africa, youth unemployment has been escalating, despite the introduction of initiatives by the government to reduce unemployment. This study aims to identify the root causes of youth unemployment in South Africa and suggesting solutions to reduce youth unemployment. The researcher utilized secondary data obtained from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa, time-series data from the South African Reserve Bank and the Department of Higher Education and Training websites for conducting data analysis. The type of research methodology utilized by the researcher is a Quantitative research method. The findings of the study indicate that the root causes of youth unemployment include the poor education system resulting in a skills-mismatch, a shift of the economy from being driven by primary sectors which are labour intensive towards Tertiary sectors which are skills intensive, geographic migration and trade unions bargaining for wage increases. An econometric regression model was conducted by the researcher in Eviews 8 a statistical data analysis software using time series data from the South African Reserve Bank, with youth unemployment being the dependent variable. The results of the econometric regression model indicated that the variables inflation rate, Gross value added a proxy for Gross Domestic Product and the Total loan debt of the nation were statistically significant at a 5% level of significance. This means that youth unemployment is influenced by the inflation rate, Gross Domestic Product and the Total loan debt of the nation or government debt. Whenever there is an increase in the government debt that deprives the youth because there is no funding available for the government to invest in youth empowerment programmes. The researcher concludes by giving policy recommendations on possible solutions to youth unemployment.


Globally, 7% of women had experience non-partner sexual violence (SV) in their lifetime. Demonstrated consequences of SV include unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection and HIV, substance use and abuse and injury. According to the Nigeria 2013 National Demographic and Health Survey, 4.6% of Kaduna state women aged 15–49 have ever experienced SV, the highest in the Northwest zone of Nigeria. We carried out a study to describe the epidemiologic characteristics of reported SV cases in Kaduna state. We carried out a secondary data analysis of all SV records between 2013 and 2015 obtained from the Kaduna state police command family unit. We defined categories of SV according to the Penal code law of federation of Nigeria. We extracted information on sociodemographic characteristics of survivors and perpetrators, survivor/perpetrators relationship and medical outcome. A total of 90 cases of sexual violence reported from 9 of the 23 Local Government Areas within the period. A yearly increase in number of reported cases (24 (26.7%), 32 (35.6%), and 34 (37.8%) was observed from 2013 to 2015 respectively. Eighty-two (91.1%) of the survivors were female. The median ages (range) of survivors and perpetrators were 10 years (3–20 years) and 26 years (10–80 years) respectively. The SVs reported were indecent assault 5 (5.6%), unnatural offence 8 (8.9%), attempted rape 20 (22.2%) and Rape 57 (63.3%). Sixty-five (72%) of perpetrators were known to survivors. In 61 (67.8%) cases, a neighbor was the perpetrator of violence. Eighty-seven (96.7%) of cases received medical care and 56 (62.9%) survivors sustained injuries and laceration. In Kaduna State, reported sexual violence occur more frequently among children and youths. There is a need to enhance sexual violence awareness among parent and caregivers. We recommended that the state should carry out mass campaign on sexual violence awareness at community level.


The Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) provides a method for transmitting datagrams over serial point-to-point links. PPP is composed of three parts:


Dry etch resistance and antireflective performance were studied for a spun-on carbon film containing 90.4wt% of carbon. The refractive index of the spun-on carbon film at KrF wavelength (248nm) is n=2.17, k=0.37 and that at ArF wavelength (193nm) is n=1.44, k=0.39. The bilayer BARC system composed of upper spun-on glass (SOG) and lower spun-on carbon was evaluated. It reduces the reflectivity to 1% for KrF wavelength and 0.5% for ArF wavelength and the variation of the substrate thickness can be ignored. Resist profiles are obtained without any footing, residue, or standing-wave. The etch resistance of the spun-on carbon film is 1.3 times greater than that of the thermally oxidized novolak film (i.e., conventional under-layer for trilayer resist process).


The city of Doha is growing rapidly with emerging urban nodes and centers, housing development. Little attention however has been paid to several growth aspects including the understanding of urban space diversity and the resulting inhabitants' spatial experience, their attitudes toward emerging urbanized spaces. Utilizing a perceptual approach in the form of an attitude survey, this paper explores urban spaces in the city of Doha as perceived and experienced by different groups. An investigation of a number of key urban spaces is undertaken through the identification of key urban nodes that are identified based on parameters that include density, commercial activity, and public accessibility. Spaces are examined from the perspective of Doha's inhabitants using 490 responses to a survey questionnaire. The results delineate that urban spaces lack key conditions amenable to creating urban diversity. Nevertheless, they corroborate the postulation that urban spaces are perceived and experienced differently by different groups based on their gender, age, and cultural background. The paper concludes with suggestions toward a more inclusive approach to the design of the city's urban spaces.


Objective: The incidence of cases of older onset anorexia nervosa (AN) has increased in recent years. However, the literature on late-onset AN has been inconclusive. The goal of this study was to compare late-onset with early-onset cases of AN. Methods: Cases of AN presenting to an eating disorders treatment service were identified and the associated medical records were studied retrospectively. Results: Of the 577 cases of AN that were studied, 7.1% were late-onset. Unlike the early-onset cases of AN, the late-onset cases reported less teasing and more relationship problems as a trigger for the illness. They were also less likely to join the eating disorders treatment program. Otherwise, the late-onset AN cases were largely similar to the early-onset cases. Conclusions: Although differences exist between early-onset and late-onset cases of AN, these are few. Until stronger evidence emerges over time, there currently seems to be minimal justification to accord late-onset AN a unique position in psychiatric nosology.


Television series that mix real science and imagery science make up a fascinating genre in popular science. While previous research on entertainment media focuses on Western examples and seldom includes Asian TV series, this study explores how medicine is portrayed in four TV series located in a hospital setting which were broadcasted in Taiwan. Yet, they were produced in different cultures: Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and the United States. We found that the emphasis is more on the social contexts of medicine than on factual medical information. Yet, fictional TV series may be crucial for contextualizing science and science-based medicine.


There are no absolutely reliable methods of detecting precancerous change in the colons of patients with ulcerative colitis. Periodic surveillance colonoscopy and biopsy are the mainstay of follow-up of patients with extensive, longstanding disease.


In the zonal mean, the ITCZ lies at the foot of the ascending branch of the tropical mean meridional circulation, close to where the near-surface meridional mass flux vanishes. The ITCZ also lies near the energy flux equator (EFE), where the column-integrated meridional energy flux vanishes. This latter observation makes it possible to relate the ITCZ position to the energy balance, specifically the atmospheric net energy input near the equator and the cross-equatorial energy flux. Here the validity of the resulting relations between the ITCZ position and energetic quantities is examined with reanalysis data for the years 1979–2014. In the reanalysis data, the EFE and ITCZ position indeed covary on time scales of seasons and longer. Consistent with theory, the ITCZ position is proportional to the cross-equatorial atmospheric energy flux and inversely proportional to atmospheric net energy input at the equator. Variations of the cross-equatorial energy flux dominate seasonal variations of the ITCZ position. By contrast, variations of the equatorial net energy input, driven by ocean energy uptake variations, dominate interannual variations of the ITCZ position (e.g., those associated with ENSO).


Piecewise rotations are natural generalizations of interval exchange maps. They appear naturally in the theory of digital filters, Hamiltonian systems and polygonal dual billiards. We construct a rational piecewise rotation system with three atoms for which the return time to one of the atoms is unbounded. We show that the return map gives rise to a self-similar structure of induced atoms. The constructions are based on the angle of rotation π/7. Moreover, we construct a continuous class of examples with an infinite number of periodic cells. These periodic cells alternate between two atoms and they form a self-similar structure. Our investigation here may be viewed as generalizations of results obtained by Boshernitzan and Caroll, as well as Adler, Kitchens and Tresser, Kahng, Lowenstein and others. The main tools in the investigation are algebraic computations in a cyclotomic field determined by fourteenth roots of unity.


Twenty-five years ago, cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) was considered a rare, severe genetic small vessel disease leading to recurrent stroke and vascular dementia in midadulthood. Although it is now abundantly clear that CADASIL is at least as prevalent as more well-known genetic causes of dementia, such as Huntington disease and early-onset Alzheimer dementia, CADASIL remains stubbornly unknown, overlooked, and underrecognized. This may be partially attributable to the variable disease severity and presentation, as well as the clinical and neuroimaging overlap with sporadic causes of small vessel disease. In 2016, it was discovered that characteristic CADASIL-causing cysteine-altering NOTCH3 variants (NOTCH3cys) are unexpectedly frequent in the general population (1:300).1 This was a game changer in our understanding of CADASIL disease variability, leading to the identification of NOTCH3cys variant position as the most important CADASIL disease modifier. NOTCH3cys variants located in one of the first 6 EGFr domains of the NOTCH3 protein (EGFr 1–6) are frequent in CADASIL cohorts, rare in the population, and are associated with severe disease. Conversely, EGFr 7–34 variants are less frequent in CADASIL cohorts, highly frequent in the population, and are associated with a very broad disease spectrum ranging from "classical" severe CADASIL to a very mild small vessel disease and even nonpenetrance.2-7


The paper reviews the various courses offered by universities which combine engineering with management/business studies in various proportions, according to their objectives, and at the three levels of undergraduate, postgraduate and postexperience. A Section on research and research training is included since the interaction between research and teaching is no less vital in this than in more established subject areas. Moreover, the needs of industry and the nature of this form of interdisciplinary research place considerable demands on students, supervisors and research teams. Finally, some general conclusions are offered with respect to the roles and attitudes of the universities, industry and government.


Secondary leached porosity is common to dominant in near-surface to deep-subsurface lower Tertiary sandstone reservoirs along the Texas Gulf Coast. This secondary porosity is in the form of leached feldspar grains, volcanic rock fragments, carbonate cements, and carbonate-replaced grains. Leached porosity occurs in sandstones with compositions ranging from volcanic litharenite and lithic arkose to quartzose sublitharenite and quartzose subarkose. A generalized diagenetic sequence indicates that leaching is a multistaged phenomenon occurring at or near surface, at burial depths of 4,000 to 6,000 ft (1,200 to 1,800 m), and at burial depths of 7,000 to 10,000 ft (2,100 to 3,000 m). Feldspar grains are dissolved during the first stage, whereas grains, cements, and replacement products are dissolved during the last two stages. Intensity of leaching in each stage varies in different formations and in different areas. Plots of secondary porosity as a percent of total porosity versus burial depth show that secondary porosity is dominant beneath 10,000 ft (3,000 m) ranging from 50 to 100% total porosity. Above 10,000 ft nearly all samples have some secondary porosity, which is the most common porosity type in more than half of the samples. Similarly, individual plots for the Wilcox, Yegua, Vicksburg, and Frio sandstones all demonstrate the predominance of secondary leached porosity. Primary porosity is destroyed by compaction and cementation with increasing depth of burial. If this were the only porosity type, no deep, high-quality reservoirs would exist. Leaching, however, resurrects reservoirs after primary porosity has been reduced. Most productive lower Tertiary sandstone reservoirs, especially deep reservoirs, along the Texas Gulf Coast exist only because End_Page 1606------------------------------ of secondary leached porosity. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1607------------


Agile manufacturing is the main mode of global manufacturing in 21st century. The basic organizational form of it is dynamic alliance. As a new type of strategy for optimization and integration of enterprises' external resources, dynamic alliance is becoming an important component of many corporations' strategy. The selection of partners plays an important role in the foundation of dynamic alliance. The method based on fuzzy integral evaluation and rough set theory is effective to evaluate the partners. Fuzzy integral evaluation has been of great help in managing subjective judgment, and rough set theory is prevailing in managing the objective historical data. This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation method based on fuzzy integral evaluation method and rough set theory to evaluate partners. The conclusions which are more up to practice can be drawn by synthesizing the two algorithms.


Tolerance to marihuana was investigated in two experiments. Four men were given smoke from 435 mg of marihuana (1.5 Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) twice a day for ten days preceded and followed by three days of a placebo twice a day; three additional men were given a higher dose (2.8% THC). Time estimation was disrupted on the higher dose and gradually improved. Heart rate increase did not show tolerance. Enhancement of postural cradiovascular responses, when present, decreased in duration in three subjects. One developed a brief toxic psychosis, another pneumonitis of uncertain etiology. Dysphoric and psychotoxic effects were evident as a cumulative effect of the high dose. Three additional men were given the low dosage once a week for six to eight weeks, and time estimation and heart rate changes were similar to those seen with frequent administration at that dose. Tolerance, recently reported in man, probably requires more frequent administration or a different dosage than the schedules employed here.


Empirically, co-skewness of asset returns seems to explain a substantial part of the cross-sectional variation of mean return not explained by beta. Thisfinding is typically interpreted in terms of a risk averse representativeinvestor with a cubic utility function. This comment questions thisinterpretation. We show that the empirical tests fail to impose risk aversionand the implied utility function takes an inverse S-shape. Unfortunately, thefirst-order conditions are not sufficient to guarantee that the market portfoliois the global maximum for an inverse S-shaped utility function, and ourresults suggest that the market portfolio is more likely to represent theglobal minimum than the global maximum. In addition, if we impose riskaversion, then co-skewness has minimal explanatory power.


Abstract : Future Military ground vehicle power trains can benefit from a hybrid-electric drive approach, particularly in packaging flexibility where drive train components can be modular and conveniently distributed. Small component size and operation with high-temperature liquid coolant are essential factors in the flexible packaging concept. This paper describes the development of one component, a 220 kW traction motor drive for a hybrid-electric power train. Challenging requirements for the motor-drive include power densities of at least 25 kW/liter and 15 kW/kg at 105 deg C coolant temperature. To achieve these densities, power modules capable of high-temperature operation were developed using SiC normally-off JFETs. This paper will discuss the unique custom packaging of the SiC JFET devices, as well as the arrangement of key components/packaging and thermal management issues.


A 13-week study was carried out to investigate the potentials of peeled and unpeeled cassava roots as a substitute for maize in layers ration. Unpeeled cassava root meal was used at 3 levels of inclusion (25%, 50% and 100%) while the peeled cassava meal was used only at 25% level of inclusion in the diet. A total of 140 black harco pullets were randomly allotted to 5 experimental diets in line with cassava root meal inclusion as diet 1 (control diet without cassava root), diet 2 (25% unpeeled cassava root meal), diet 3 (50% unpeeled cassava root meal), diet 4 (100% unpeeled cassava root meal) and diet 5 (25% peeled cassava root meal). The study lasted for 13 weeks. No significant difference (p<0.05) were observed in the values obtained across the treatment groups for feed intake. Birds that were fed with 100% unpeeled cassava meal (diet 4) had significantly lowered body weight gain when compared with birds that were fed with diets 1, 2, 3 and 5 which had similar values. No significant difference was observed in the feed conversion ratio of birds fed with diets 1,2,3 and 5 but these values were significantly lower that the value for diet 4. Other performance indices like age at first egg and hen day production at 24 weeks were not affected by cassava root meal inclusion in the diets. The cost of producing feed using cassava root meal was however cheaper than maize based diet.


Biscuit is gaining increasing prominence in the diet of Nigerians since most of them have adopted the western lifestyle. It is therefore a veritable vehicle to improve the nutritional well being of Nigerians. Storage is known to affect the quality attributes of biscuit. A nutritionally improved biscuit had been formulated from optimised sweetpotato, pigeonpea and banana flour blend. This study therefore evaluated the some quality attributes of the nutritionally improved biscuit stored at room temperature of 85% relative humidity. The moisture, colour, textural properties, rancidity, microbial load and sensory properties of the biscuit packed in high density polyethylene pouches (HDPE) and low density polyethylene pouch (LDPE) were investigated at 2 weeks interval. The water vapour transmission rate of the high density polyethylene pack and low density polyethylene pack were 4.052 x 10-13 g/mm/day/mmHg and 6.566x 10-13 g/mm/day/mmHg, respectively. The moisture content, free fatty acid and peroxide values which increased during storage varied from 6.75 to 13.2%, 1.48 to 3.77% and 1.6 to 2.43 meqO2/kg, respectively in LDPE, while the values increased from 6.75 to 10.35%, 1.48 to 2.83% and 1.6 to 2.37 meqO2/kg, respectively in HDPE. The L*, a*, b*, hardness, springiness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness and overall acceptability of the biscuit decreased in both LDPE and HDPE during storage. The biscuits stored in LDPE and HDPE were acceptable till 4 and 6 weeks, respectively.


New forms of click chemistry present new opportunities in materials science. Sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange (SuFEx) is a recently discovered click reaction between molecules containing SOx F groups and silyl ethers, two functionalities that are orthogonal to all other known click chemistries, that generates sulfate or sulfonate connections upon the addition of certain organobases or fluoride sources. SuFEx also has several important advantages over other click reactions in that it is insensitive to ambient oxygen and water, and its precursor materials, especially SOx F, are chemically, UV, and thermally inert. This Concept article focuses on the unique reactivity of SuFEx and its relation to building high molecular weight polymers and surface coatings, both of which make it a powerful new tool for materials science.

publisher-specific, author manuscript: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions


Studies on the effect of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury on muscle performance have demonstrated that the normal PCL accommodates sensory nerve endings with capabilities that provide the central nervous system with information about characteristics of movement and position-related stretches of the PCL. Concerning the effect of PCL injury on performance of the quadriceps and hamstrings, there is disagreement in the literature. If there is an effect in the PCL-deficient knee, it is not as simple as that in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knee. Electromyographic studies have demonstrated that the gastrocnemius muscle is significantly activated during walking and isokinetic motion in the involved knee, as compared with the uninvolved knee. Results of a gait-analytic study suggested that there are significant differences in gait cycle between PCL-deficient and normal knees. These phenomena might be part of the compensatory mechanism in PCL-deficient knees, but the data on the effect of ...


Background Prospective observations of functional recovery are lacking in patients with autoimmune encephalitis defined by antibodies against synaptic proteins and neuronal cell surface receptors. Methods Adult patients with a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis were included into a prospective registry. At 3, 6 and 12 months of follow-up, the patients' modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was obtained. Results Patients were stratified into three groups according to their antibody (Ab) status: anti-NMDAR-Ab (n=12; group I), anti-LGI1/CASPR2-Ab (n=35; group II), and other antibodies (n=24; group III). A comparably higher proportion of patients in group I received plasma exchange/immunoadsorption and second line immunosuppressive treatments at baseline. A higher proportion of patients in group II presented with seizures. Group III mainly included patients with anti-GABABR-, anti-GAD65- and anti-GlyR-Ab. At baseline, one third of them had cancer. Patients in groups I and III had much higher median mRS scores at 3 months compared to patients in group II. A median mRS of 1 was found at all follow-up time points in group II. Conclusions The different dynamics in the recovery of patients with certain autoimmune encephalitides have important implications for clinical trials. The high proportion of patients with significant disability at 3 months after diagnosis in groups I and III points to the need for improving treatment options. More distinct scores rather than the mRS are necessary to differentiate potential neurological improvements in patients with anti-LGI1-/CASPR2-encephalitis.


The corrosion experiment was performed for 120 hours on the specimens in the natural seawater tank with four steps of the loaded torsional stress. The surface corrosion pattern of SCM440 area was showed global corrosion and narrow pitting, that was cause by galvanic corrosion between friction welded IN713LC and SCM440. But corrosion does not proceeded from IN713LC area. Initially, the average relative electrode potential and corrosion current were decreased suddenly, by and large, it was stabilized gradually tend to decreasing with the elapse of the immersion time. The corrosion rate was decreased by increasing the load stress, but 200 MPa specimen was showed most large value.


Dear Sir: The title "Spinal cord injury induced by a cervical spinal cord stimulator" is not justified by the data presented in the paper by Falowski et al. (1). The presence of the spinal cord stimulation (SCS) electrode was only one of several potential contributing factors and probably not the most important. The authors fail to mention that the MRI in Figure 3 shows a focal increase in the T2 signal in the spinal cord at the C4-5 disc space level, immediately behind a prominent disc protrusion and/or osteophyte. To my eye, this is the proximate "cause" of the spinal cord injury. The more subtle T2 signal changes extending above and below this level, at or about the levels formerly occupied by the SCS electrode, appear to be secondary (in importance and as to cause). The patient had undergone anterior C5-7 fusion 13 years before the injury, and as commonly occurs following such procedures, she developed adjacent segment degenerative changes. As is well described in the spine surgery literature, the fusion acts as a lever increasing biomechanical stress at adjacent segments, which can predispose these segments to long-term degeneration that compromises neural elements (2). To be sure, SCS electrodes occupy space, some more than others; for example, paddle electrodes occupy a greater cross-sectional area than do percutaneous electrodes. (The electrode design in this case is not specified.) The presence of an electrode in a stenotic spinal canal might increase the risk of neural injury, but the data presented in this case do not support this inference to any degree of certainty. This patient could very well have developed the same transitional segment disease and sustained the same neurologic injury in the absence of the electrode. A search for the cause of the injury might, instead, start with the event that precipitated the fall,". . . the patient reported feeling dizzy and lightheaded after taking her routine dose of tizanidine," a drug known to cause dizziness. In fact, blaming the fall for the spinal cord injury is simplistic; to the extent the spinal cord might already have been compromised, this might have contributed to the fall. To assert that an injury occurring in the presence of an SCS electrode is caused by the electrode is to engage in fallacious post hoc ergo propter hoc reasoning.


This objective of this econometrics study is to utilize Pesaran's (2001) Bounds Test to cointegration to study the relationship between gold prices and the US unemployment rate, using three different periods of monthly observation, Model I: 1978-2016, Model II: 1990-2016, and Model III: 2008-2016. Results reveal that there is a long run relationship between the price of gold and unemployment in Models II and III, with Model III representing the strongest and most significant relationship. During 2008-2016 the price of gold increases by 4.7% for every 1% change in the unemployment rate, ceteris paribus. The short run adjustment process however, is stronger between 1990-2016 than between 2008-2016. On the other hand, there is no observed no long run cointegrated relationship between the price of gold and unemployment during the 1978-2016 period. This direct relationship between gold price and unemployment has not been studied in the literature, so further work in this area may lead to greater insight into the impact of this macroeconomic variable on the price of gold


Macrocephaly-intellectual disability-left ventricular non compaction syndrome is a rare, genetic, syndromic intellectual disability characterized by motor and cognitive developmental delay with language impairment, macrocephaly, hypotonia, dysmorphic facial features (including long face, slanting palpebral fissures and prominent, flattened nose) and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Patients also present skeletal abnormalities (e.g. scoliosis, finger clinodactyly, pes planus), slender build and shy behavior. Strabismus and various neurological signs (including ataxia, tremor and hyperreflexia) may be associated, as well as epilepsy, autism and MRI findings showing a small cerebellum and abnormalities of the corpus callosum. A phenotypic variant with no cardiac involvement has been reported.


In this paper we present a formal framework and an experimental software supporting the user in the task of formulating a precise query ‐ which best captures their information needs ‐ even in the case of complete ignorance of the vocabulary of the underlying information system holding the data. Our intelligent interface is driven by means of appropriate automated reasoning techniques over an ontology describing the domain of the data in the information system. We will define what a query is and how it is internally represented, which operations are available to the user in order to modify the query and how contextual feedback is provided about it presenting only relevant pieces of information. We will then describe the elements that constitute the query interface available to the user, providing visual access to the underlying reasoning services and operations for query manipulation. Lastly, we will define a suitable representation in "linear form", starting from which the query can be more easily expressed in natural language. Author Keywords


This report describes the Commission's three reform plans. The first plan would make no other changes to the program. The second plan would slow the growth of Social Security through one major provision that would index initial benefits to prices rather than wages. The third plan would slow future program growth through a variety of measures.


Background. Genetic engineering of dendritic cells (DC) to express immunosuppressive molecule(s) offers potential for therapy of allograft rejection and autoimmune disease. Viral (v) interleukin (IL)-10, encoded by the Epstein-Barr virus, is highly homologous to mammalian (m) IL-10, but lacks certain of its T-cell stimulatory activities. Our aim was to evaluate and compare the influence of vIL-10 and mIL-10 gene transfer on the T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell stimulatory activity of DC, and their impact on the growth of transplantable tumors. Methods. Myeloid DC progenitors, propagated from the bone marrow of C57BL/6J (H2b) mice in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor + IL-4, were transduced using retroviral supernatant from the BOSC ecotropic packaging cell line. The function of the IL-10 gene-modified DC was assessed by examining their ability to induce naive allogeneic T-cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) generation. MCA205 (H2b) sarcoma cells mixed with either vIL-10-, mIL-10-, or Zeo (control gene)-transduced DC were inoculated intradermally into C57BL/6J (syngeneic) or BALB/cJ (H2d) (allogeneic) recipients, which were monitored for tumor growth. The role of specific host effector cell populations in tumor resistance was determined by antibody depletion. Results. Compared with control gene-modified DC, both vIL-10- and mIL-10-transduced DC, which secreted the transgene product, showed reduced surface expression of MHC class II and costimulatory molecules, and impaired ability to induce T-cell proliferation. vIL-10-transduced DC were also inhibited with respect to CTL induction but did not affect the generation of NK cells. By contrast, mIL-10-transduced DC augmented CTL generation and NK cell activity. In the tumor transplant model, vIL-10-transduced DC enhanced tumor growth both in syngeneic and allogeneic hosts, whereas mIL-10-transduced cells inhibited tumor development. Depletion of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells or NK cells in mice given mIL-10-transduced DC reversed this therapeutic effect. Conclusion. mIL-10 gene-modified myeloid DC promote CTL and NK cell-mediated responses and inhibit tumor growth. By contrast, vIL-10-engineered DC, which elicit diminished CTL responses and do not promote NK cell activity, seem to have therapeutic potential for inhibition of T cell-mediated immunity.


The task of revising the national standard on Dimensioning and Tolerancing, begun seven years ago, required close coordination between the Y14.5 Subcommittee and the US expert members who participated in related activities of the International Organization for Standardization. The revised drawing standard about to be issued reflects additional international alignments in areas of metrication, symbology, and conventions. Differences remain in the prescribed symbol for indicating a datum feature and in a Principle of Independency, the latter unacceptably absolving size limits from controlling the geometric form of an individual feature. More US member experts will be needed on the Y14.5 Subcommittee to uphold US viewpoints in the writing of international drawing standards of a pragmatic kind.


Objective.
To review a literature published over the past 5 years and our own data on the etiology of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI), antimicrobial resistance and its relationships between sepsis and choice of appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Materials and Methods.
National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) criteria were used to diagnose LRTI. A review of the articles regarding LRTI from the Russian and international English language journals published over 6 years was performed. Identification of microorganisms was performed by culture over the period of 2003–2013; since 2014, MALDI-TOF MS method was used for this purpose.

Results.
Despite the ongoing policy to limit the use of antimicrobial therapy in the ICUs, there is an increase in carbapenemase-producing isolates in the ICUs from 2.2% (2018) to 11.7% (2020, 9 months). Along with the trend to increase in carbapenemase-producing pathogens causing LRTI, their variability is also increasing. In particular, it applies to strains producing carbapenemases OXA-48 or combination of OXA-48 with KPC; with the trend to combined production of carbapenemase beginning at 2019.

Conclusions.
Carbapenemase producers are becoming more widespread in the ICU settings, including the lower respiratory tract in mechanically ventilated patients. Practitioners didn't get used to associate VAP with the Sepsis-3 criteria. The changes in etiology include the increased rate of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales and non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, primarily Acinetobacter spp., in Russia. It's due to improved quality of respiratory support and increased consumption of carbapenems, tigecycline and polymyxins. Significant increase of OXA-48-producing pathogens is likely to be associated with a poor compliance with temporary guidelines on COVID-19 with regard to antibiotic therapy.


Quasinormal modes are eigenmodes of dissipative systems. Perturbations of classical gravitational backgrounds involving black holes or branes naturally lead to quasinormal modes. The analysis and classification of the quasinormal spectra require solving non-Hermitian eigenvalue problems for the associated linear differential equations. Within the recently developed gauge-gravity duality, these modes serve as an important tool for determining the near-equilibrium properties of strongly coupled quantum field theories, in particular their transport coefficients, such as viscosity, conductivity and diffusion constants. In astrophysics, the detection of quasinormal modes in gravitational wave experiments would allow precise measurements of the mass and spin of black holes as well as new tests of general relativity. This review is meant as an introduction to the subject, with a focus on the recent developments in the field.


The popularity and acceptance of mobile devices is growing. It has reached a stage where various models and frameworks are now being developed to guide its adoption and implementation in the educational sector. This paper focuses on thedevelopment of a preliminary mobile learning framework for Namibian High Schools. The usage patterns of mobile devices were analyzed and a preliminary framework was developed to guide thedevelopment of a sustainable educational framework for mobile learning in Namibian high schools.


Public health authorities perform contact tracing for highly contagious agents to identify close contacts with the infected cases. However, during the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), this operation was not employed in countries with high patient volumes. Meanwhile, the Japanese government conducted this operation, thereby contributing to the control of infections, at the cost of arduous manual labor by public health officials. To ease the burden of the officials, this study attempted to automate the assessment of each person's infection risk through an ontology, called COVID-19 Infection Risk Ontology (CIRO). This ontology expresses infection risks of COVID-19 formulated by the Japanese government, toward automated assessment of infection risks of individuals, using Resource Description Framework (RDF) and SPARQL (SPARQL Protocol and RDF Query Language) queries. For evaluation, we demonstrated that the knowledge graph built could infer the risks, formulated by the government. Moreover, we conducted reasoning experiments to analyze the computational efficiency. The experiments demonstrated usefulness of the knowledge processing, and identified issues left for deployment.


Dynamic channel allocation (DCA) is increasingly being proposed and employed in various forms within cellular and cordless environments. DCA is attractive as it removes the complex reuse planning required for fixed channel allocation (FCA) systems. The performance of two distributed DCA algorithms, first available (FA) and least interfered channel (LIC) are compared in the form of grade of service (GOS) and quality of service (QOS) measurements. A DECT (Digital European Cordless Telecommunications) environment is used to examine their performance. (6 pages)


The 'fit for purpose' paradigm used for data quality assessment in electronic healthcare record (EHR) systems is not so fit when assessed in the light of secondary data use. An analysis of the difficulties encountered in trying to use existing EHR data for cohort identification for prospective clinical trials and retrograde data analytics, revealed the root causes to fall in three categories: (1) issues in workflow and data registration, (2) preventable inadequacies in software configuration and personalization and (3) software development issues on the side of the vendor. By reviewing secondary data use requirements and formulating value adding business rules, development and data collection practices can be steered towards greater value in secondary data consumption.


The effect of coupling a slab ocean mixed layer to atmospheric convection is examined in cloud‐resolving model (CRM) simulations in vertically sheared and unsheared environments without Coriolis force, with the large‐scale circulation parameterized using the Weak Temperature Gradient (WTG) approximation. Surface fluxes of heat and moisture as well as radiative fluxes are fully interactive, and the vertical profile of domain‐averaged horizontal wind is strongly relaxed toward specified profiles with vertical shear that varies from one simulation to the next. Vertical wind shear is found to play a critical role in the simulated behavior. There exists a threshold value of the shear strength above which the coupled system develops regular oscillations between deep convection and dry nonprecipitating states, similar to those found earlier in a much more idealized model which did not consider wind shear. The threshold value of the vertical shear found here varies with the depth of the ocean mixed layer. The time scale of the spontaneously generated oscillations also varies with mixed layer depth, from 10 days with a 1 m deep mixed layer to 50 days with a 10 m deep mixed layer. The results suggest the importance of the interplay between convection organized by vertical wind shear, radiative feedbacks, large‐scale dynamics, and ocean mixed layer heat storage in real intraseasonal oscillations.


This paper outlines the evolution of World Wide Web protocols. The paper reviews the original protocols developed for the web, in addressing, transport and data formats. A review of developments of the protocols is given, including developments of web data formats (HTML 4.0, cascading stylesheets and XML), transport (HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/NG) and addressing (URLs). The paper describes how the web initially lacked a metadata architecture and outlines the emergence of a metadata architecture for the web. The paper includes a review of web technologies which have a social impact on our society, including the Web Accessibility Initiative, the Digital Signature Initiative and the Platform for Privacy Preferences Project.


Background: Tooth wear, or as it is also often referred to as non-carious tooth surface loss (TSL), can be described simply as 'the pathological non-carious loss of tooth tissue'. Tooth wear is often multifactorial in nature, making clinical diagnosis difficult. Identification of the etiology is essential for the successful management of the pathology. Methods: A total of 120 patients of both male and female with tooth wear were selected from dental OPD. Patients with age group 25-65years with tooth wear in at least two teeth according to basic erosive wear examination (BEWE) were included. Questionnaire covering primary risk factors that might cause tooth wear was used Data was analyzed using SPSS version 24.0. Results: Out of the 120 tooth wear patients, 69(57%) were male and 51(43%) were females. tooth wear presented more in males as compared to females. 42.24% patients reported with habit of tea consumption and 32.5% with cold drinks. 45% males and 43.4% females had gastric reflex disease. 60.9% male patients had problem of bruxism and clenching. Conclusion: This study reported that TSL has a multifactorial etiology. Parafunction, gastro esophageal reflux disease (GORD) and consumption of carbonated drinks were the most commonly observed causative factors. Keywords: Tooth wear, Erosion, Abrasion, Attrition, Causative factor


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the conceptualisation of the festival customer experience by proposing a new framework based on three interrelated concepts: event design, social environment and digital environment.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a theory adaptation research design to adapt an existing customer experience framework to the specific context of festival customer experience based on the literature on customer experience and experiential marketing within events, festivals, tourism and leisure.FindingsBased on this new conceptual framework, the authors identify interrelationships between event design, social environment and digital environment which can be managed by festival organisers to improve the customer experience.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's analysis identifies five areas which are crucial for managing the contemporary festival customer experience. It offers researchers a conceptual framework for further development.Originality/valueThe paper proposes a new conceptual framework for festival customer experience which can be used to improve brand experiences at festivals. This is an emerging area which warrants further attention since festivals provide a valuable opportunity for brands to engage and build relationships with prospective and existing customers. This study is the first to combine insights from the interrelationships between event design, digital environment and social environment to better understand how to improve the management of brand experiences at festivals.


A major factor that contributes to persistent gender variation in labor market outcomes is women's traditional role in the household. Child-related absences from work imply that women accumulate less job experience, are more prone to career discontinuities and, hence, suffer a motherhood penalty. We highlight how the gender-driven career/family segmentation of the labor market may create a normative justification for parental leave rules as a means to enhance efficiency in the labor market and alleviate the gender wage gap. (JEL D82, H21, J31, J83)


Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) are crucial members of the ecosystem and economy of the Northwest Atlantic, and a challenging species for management, which in the United States is a multistakeholder process, involving commercial and recreational fishing interests, conservation organizations, state and federal governments, and other interested parties. Given the large number of stakeholders, fisheries management has been conceptualized as a governance network, through which multiple parties access the decision-making process and seek to influence the process or outcome. Network analysis is employed to assess the access pathways for scientific information, i.e. collaborative acoustic-survey data, into stock-assessment decisions and the development process for the fisheries management plan. The governance network map was constructed for US Atlantic herring management in 2006 and 2007. The pathways of information flow in the network showed that participants in the collaborative acoustic survey were well connected to the stockassessment and fisheries-management processes and decision-makers, particularly through key individuals bridging between the industry, science, and management communities. Heavy reliance on those individuals serving a bridging role made the network connectivity vulnerable, however. The network structure also demonstrated significant influence potential for acoustic-survey information. Ramifications for science-to-management pathways in fisheries are discussed.


The blind estimation technique is useful for an adaptive array antenna, a MIMO communication system and a cognitive wireless communication system. The independent component analysis (ICA) developing in the area of the image processing and the speech processing is a simple algorithm with demand upon less priori knowledge. In this report, it is described that an experiment of the blind signal separation of the microwave mixture signal consisted of two signals with QPSK modulation. The digital wireless communication system with two transmitters and two receivers was setting up to obtain the microwave mixture where a carrier frequency was 2.45GHz. The separated signals from the mixture using the ICA were good agreement with the source signals.


Abstract. ZY-3 satellite, launched in 2012, is the first civilian high resolution stereo mapping satellite of China. This paper analyzed the positioning errors of ZY-3 satellite imagery and conducted compensation for geo-position accuracy improvement using different correction models, including attitude quaternion correction, attitude angle offset correction, and attitude angle linear correction. The experimental results revealed that there exist systematic errors with ZY-3 attitude observations and the positioning accuracy can be improved after attitude correction with aid of ground controls. There is no significant difference between the results of attitude quaternion correction method and the attitude angle correction method. However, the attitude angle offset correction model produced steady improvement than the linear correction model when limited ground control points are available for single scene.


A parallel system bus arbitration between high-speed packet data control modules that enable communication between microprocessor modules in a more complex digital processing environment. The system has a simplified hardware structure, i.e. fast FIFO queue work 12.5MHz, TTLCMOS compatibility level of the clock signals, single bus master arbitration, synchronous clock, DMA, and unique module addressing of micro-processing system. The system includes a parallel data bus, which is shared bus master to issue a resident communication protocols and data transfer in each process module. In a dedicated serial bus arbitration lines for arbitration, and arbitration on the address line by the receiving module and to monitor the collision arbitration lines, so that access to the requested module to complete the parallel data bus.


The distinctive feature of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an immune reaction directed to diverse spectrum of autoantigens, which tends to change along with the disease spreading. The most common targets of the autoantibodies are protein and nucleoprotein components of cell nuclei: dsDNA, histones, nucleosomes, Sm antigen, and Ro and La antigens. Considering that the exact causes of this tolerance loss are unknown, a certain number of hypotheses are now discussed. One of the most promising is "waste disposal" concept, which makes a link between broken elimination of cellular debris, mononuclear phagocyte system dysfunction, and initiation of autoimmunity by the antigen presenting cells in SLE. This chapter concerns the ways nuclear antigens release from cells, necrosis, and apoptosis, as well as the key molecular mechanisms of transport and elimination of these antigens, its disturbances in SLE, and connection with innate immunity by mono- nuclear cells. Special attention is paid to nucleosomes and DNA degradation process, its principal factors (DNase I, C1q, SAP), blood DNA transportation by immune complexes, and immune stimulating action of DNA in SLE. Current pros and cons for the waste disposal concept and existing research trends in this field are discussed.


Characterizing the cross-links responsible for the covalent high-molecular-weight (HMW) species in therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) is of great importance as it not only provides a framework for risk assessment but also offers insights for process improvement. However, owing to the complexity and low abundance, identification of novel and unknown cross-links in mAb products can be very challenging. Here, applying a multipronged MS-based approach, we report the discovery of a novel covalent cross-link formed via an imine bond between lysine and serine residues. In particular, this Ser-Lys cross-link was found to be acid-labile and can be easily overlooked by conventional LC-MS techniques operated at low pH. It is worth noting that although imine-based cross-link has been previously reported in collagen protein cross-linking, this is the first time that a Ser-Lys cross-link has been found in a mAb product that contributes to covalent HMW species formation.


Prevalent area of exploitation of CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) systems is computer aided program creating for NC production equipment. However, CAM systems do not sufficiently cover all periods of production process and due to this, the necessity to define the systems of Computer Aided Production Engineering CAPE is obvious. CAPE is a subsystem of the system CIM including the computer aided systems of all activities connected with realization of product manufacturing.


An AOTF-based hyperpsectral tongue imaging system which can capture both spectral and spatial information of human tongue is developed and used in computerized tongue diagnosis. This new type of tongue imaging system has the advantage of having no moving parts and can be scanned at very high rates. This makes the structure of the new system more compact and more suitable for tongue images capture. A series of hyperspectral images of tongue surface and sublingual veins are captured by using the new system. The automatic tongue segmentation and tongue features extraction based on hyperspectral images are also discussed. Preliminary experiment results show a great deal of potential of this system for computerized tongue diagnosis.


The field of strategic entrepreneurship is a fairly recent one. Its central idea is that opportunity-seeking and advantage-seeking — the former the central subject of the entrepreneurship field, the latter the central subject of the strategic management field — are processes that need to be considered jointly. The purpose of this brief chapter is to explain the emergence of SE theory field in terms of a response to research gaps in the neighboring fields of entrepreneurship and strategic management; describe the main tenets of SE theory; discuss its relations to neighboring fields; and finally describe some research gaps in extant theory, mainly focusing on the need to provide clear microfoundations for SE theory and link it to organizational design theory.


Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is a global health burden, with the poorest five-year survival rate of the gynecological malignancies due to diagnosis at advanced stage and high recurrence rate. Recurrence in EOC is driven by the survival of chemoresistant, stem-like tumor-initiating cells (TICs) that are supported by a complex extracellular matrix (ECM) and immunosuppressive microenvironment. To target TICs to prevent recurrence, we identified genes critical for TIC viability from a whole genome siRNA screen. A top hit was the cancer-associated, ECM synthesis enzyme UDP-glucose dehydrogenase (UGDH). Immunohistochemistry was used to delineate UGDH expression in histological and molecular subtypes of EOC. Clustering analysis was performed to characterize EOC cell lines to aligned to the molecular subtypes observed in tumors. UGDH expression was modulated in the cell lines using inducible shRNA, and the effects on TICs and on the cells in the supporting microenvironment were examined. High UGDH expression was observed in the majority of high-grade serous ovarian cancers and variable expression was observed in clear cell, mucinous and endometrioid histotypes. A distinctive survival prognostic for UGDH expression was revealed when serous cancers were stratified by molecular subtype, where high UGDH was associated with a poor prognosis in the mesenchymal subtype. Using OV90 as a representative cell line for the mesenchymal subtype, we examined the effect of UGDH knockdown on the tumor cells alone, and on mesothelial support cells in co-culture with the tumor cells. Knock down of UGDH in the OV90 cells reduced the viability, sphere-formation and colony formation capacity of TICs and reduced extracellular hyaluronan production. Knocking down UGDH in the tumors affected the mesothelial cells in co-culture by significantly reducing the expression of ECM signaling and remodeling proteins Versican, Vitronectin, Laminin and matrix metalloprotease 1. These data show that modulation of UGDH expression in tumors influences cells in the microenvironment and reveal a distinct role for UGDH in the mesenchymal molecular subtype of EOC. UGDH is a strong prospective therapeutic target in TICs, for the treatment of metastatic and recurrent EOC, particularly in patients with the mesenchymal molecular subtype.
 Citation Format: Brittney S. Harrington, Rahul Kamdar, Nathan Wong, Carrie D. House, Christina M. Annunziata. Modulating UGDH expression in ovarian cancer tumor-initiating cells alters the tumor microenvironment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3188.


As technology advances towards more connected and digital environments, medical devices are becoming increasingly connected to hospital networks and to the Internet, which exposes them, and thus the patients using them, to new cybersecurity threats. Currently, there is a lack of a methodology dedicated to information security risk assessment for medical devices.
In this study, we present the Threat identification, ontology-based Likelihood, severity Decomposition, and Risk integration (TLDR) methodology for information security risk assessment for medical devices. The TLDR methodology uses the following steps: (1) identifying the potentially vulnerable components of medical devices, in this case, four different medical imaging devices (MIDs); (2) identifying the potential attacks, in this case, 23 potential attacks on MIDs; (3) mapping the discovered attacks into a known attack ontology - in this case, the Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classifications (CAPECs); (4) estimating the likelihood of the mapped CAPECs in the medical domain with the assistance of a panel of senior healthcare Information Security Experts (ISEs); (5) computing the CAPEC-based likelihood estimates of each attack; (6) decomposing each attack into several severity aspects and assigning them weights; (7) assessing the magnitude of the impact of each of the severity aspects for each attack with the assistance of a panel of senior Medical Experts (MEs); (8) computing the composite severity assessments for each attack; and finally, (9) integrating the likelihood and severity of each attack into its risk, and thus prioritizing it. The details of steps six to eight are beyond the scope of the current study; in the current study, we had replaced them by a single step that included asking the panel of MEs [in this case, radiologists], to assess the overall severity for each attack and use it as its severity...


This article uses case studies of visual art installations to elaborate an alternative view of the way art is experienced by museum and gallery visitors. In particular, it is argued that the orthodox and influential decoding perspective in the sociology of art overlooks the situated and experiential nature of art, especially when art takes the form of installations. In order to study experiences of art installations, this article draws on recent developments in cultural sociology and the sociology of music to reintroduce the idea of mediation into thinking about and with art. A focus on processes of mediation allows me to address the communications and interactions which emerged at the particular art installation under consideration here, a piece called PharmaConcert by Evgeniy Chertoplyasov that was displayed at the Winzavod Art Centre in Moscow in 2011. Detailed analysis of the forms of interactions at this exhibition shows that as audience members perceive artworks, they transform abstract expectations of artworks into a series of specific and situated actions. Simultaneously, other mediation processes reassemble the audiences through shared experience of contested meanings of an artwork. The paper challenges the orthodox sociological notion of what an 'audience' is and instead sees audiences as an emerging form of communication and interaction specific to a particular artwork / installation.


Purpose: When hypertonic solution 20% mannitol solution was injected into vein, inflammatory mediators and Mitogen-activated protein kinases activated by mannitol can directly induce the fading of vascular endothelial cell, which leads to phlebitis. The study aims to observe the influences of reparil-gel N coated at the proximal parts of the puncture point and basing on this along with infusing heated mannitol to veins to the injure and ultrastructure of veins which were infused the 20% mannitol solution by indwelling needle in vein. Methodology: There are 15 adult New Zealand rabbits. We randomly divided 24 ear veins of 12 adult New Zealand rabbits into Control group, Gelatum group, Gel heated group and injected 20% mannitol solution by vein detained needle in three groups. In Gelatum group, we coated the proximal end of the puncture point with a thin layer of compound aescine gel. Based on Gelatum group, we heated 20% mannitol solution to 35oC-37oC in Gel heated group. Then we observed the intravenous parts and took the veins of each group out to observe their morphology and ultrastructural after the second day of transfusion. 6 ear veins of the rest 3 rabbits as Health group weren't given any interventions, the veins were taken out to observe their morphology. Results: Comparison between Gelatum group and Gelatum heated group on vascular dilatation, Infiltration of inflammatory cell and Formation of thrombus had no significance, P> 0.05, while the case was different for the comparison on injury of vascular wall, perivascular edema and perivascular hemorrhage, P< 0.05). The statistical significance exists between control group and Gelatum group and Gel heated group, P< 0.05. It was observed under the electron microscope that, in control group, the membrane of endothelial cell peeled off and the mitochondria swelled and vacuolized. In Gelatum group, the membrane of endothelial cell was defective, the parts of the mitochondria were fuzzy, intercellular substance was slightly edematous. In Gel heated group, the mitochondria were clear and intercellular substance slightly swelled. It could be found that the function of phagocyte was complete. Conclusions: Compound aescine gel can prevent phlebitis or reduce the incidence of phlebitis. The combined intervention of coating with a thin layer of compound aescine gel and heating mannitol solution can produce better effect.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to assess the relationship between the endometrium and submucosal fibroids before and after uterine artery embolization (UAE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Contrast-enhanced pelvic 1.5-T MRI was performed in 49 women before and after UAE over a 2-year period. Dominant (largest diameter) fibroids in intramural, submucosal, subserosal, pedunculated subserosal, and endocavitary locations were assessed on pre- (baseline) and postembolization MRI. Size, locations of dominant fibroids relative to endometrium and serosa before and after embolization were compared. The ratio between the largest endometrial interface and the maximum dimension of the dominant submucosal fibroid (interface-dimension ratio) was determined on baseline MRI. The infarction rate for dominant fibroids was estimated after UAE.

RESULTS
One hundred forty dominant fibroids were identified on baseline MRI. Forty-nine (35%) were intramural, 39 (28%) were submucosal, 34 (24%) were subserosal, eight (6%) were pedunculated subserosal, and 10 (6%) were endocavitary in location on preembolization MRI. After UAE, of 39 dominant submucosal fibroids, 13 (33%) became endocavitary: complete (n = 4), partial (n = 9) on the basis of European Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (ESGE) classification. The preembolization mean interface-dimension ratio and mean diameters for dominant fibroids that became endocavitary were significantly greater than for those that did not become endocavitary after embolization (0.65 vs 0.32, p < 0.005; 8 vs 5.4 cm, p < 0.05, respectively). All dominant submucosal fibroids showed 100% infarction after UAE.

CONCLUSION
Submucosal fibroids with an interface-dimension ratio of greater than 0.55 are more likely to migrate into the endometrial cavity after UAE. The majority of these are expelled spontaneously without significant symptoms. Rarely, submucosal fibroids greater than 6 cm in size that become endocavitary may cause postprocedural complications requiring further intervention and medical treatment.


Photoemission spectra of vacuum deposited K-incorporated C60–KxC60 (x ≈ 6), before and after exposure to oxygen, show that the interaction between oxygen and potassium forms an overlayer of 40 A K-O complex with stoichiometry near to that of potassium peroxide K2O2 on the surface. In contrary to the oxidation of potassium film, no potassium oxide K2O has been observed.


Standard accounts of semantics for counterfactuals confront the true–true problem: when the antecedent and consequent of a counterfactual are both actually true, the counterfactual is automatically true. This problem presents a challenge to safety-based accounts of knowledge. In this paper, drawing on work by Angelika Kratzer, Alan Penczek, and Duncan Pritchard, we propose a revised understanding of semantics for counterfactuals utilizing machinery from generalized quantifier theory which enables safety theorists to meet the challenge of the true–true problem.


This book is a provocative study of church-state relations which addresses the difference between civil disobedience and revolution as practiced by Christians throughout history. Although Professor Villa-Vicencio states that it treats relations from the early church to the present, the purpose of the book is to demonstrate that church-state struggles in South Africa have followed theological traditions of the Christian church. The introductions to each section are superb, placing the selections in perspective and giving coherence to the author's thesis. Villa-Vicencio presents a different dimension of relations between the Christian church and the state. The major portion of the work is devoted to the role of blacks in the Christian church, especially within South Africa. Villa-Vicencio uses documents to justify the practice of civil disobedience and/or revolution when Christians are faced with human injustice. This justification is apparent as he builds his thesis and closes his book with the Kairos document, a document he believes is "one of the seminal documents in contemporary South African church history." The material presented shapes a powerful message.


Scientists sometimes have an uneasy feeling of doubt whether their epoch making discoveries are really benefiting mankind and try to argue themselves into the conviction that they are improving the social order. Fosdick of the Rockefeller Foundation asks "Can man control the forces he has let loose?" Carrel says that our stature is not adjusted to the environment which we have created and sometimes what the sciences have given to man has fallen into unsafe hands. Labor saving inventions, he says, have dislocated employment, stunted our mental and physical growth, interfered with improvement of the species which naturally results from the struggle for existence, invited the development of political tyranny, increased the number and magnified the power of death dealing machines, and so on. Whether or not these charges are borne out in our general social existence, we medical men must admit that sometimes as practitioners, let us say from


THE SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE Soviet Army's liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz was commemorated on 27 January 2005 by dignitaries who deliberated about what lessons the world should learn from the Holocaust. Russia's Vladimir Putin declared that 'any attempts to rewrite history, to put victims and executioners, liberators and occupiers on the same level, are immoral and incompatible with the thinking of people who consider themselves Europeans'. He expanded on this theme by coupling Nazis with terrorists: 'just as there could not be good or bad Nazis . . . there cannot be good or bad terrorists. Double standards are not only unacceptable here—they are deadly dangerous for civilisation'. For his part, Ukrainian President Yushchenko, himself the son of an Auschwitz survivor and grandson of a victim of the 1932 – 33 famine, used the same occasion to widen the geopolitical scope by including the Soviet terror. He asserted that two of the worst tragedies of the twentieth century took place in Ukraine—the [man-made] famine and the Holocaust. Putin's effort to mark the Holocaust as an incomparable example of state-run terror and Yushchenko's coupling of it with the Soviet devastation of Ukraine is not a dispute about whether these events occurred, but a dispute about their meaning. The same historical event has a different meaning for the victims than it does for the perpetrators. The meaning ascribed to such events is also influenced by their intended use in promoting partisan interests. While not directly connected to disputes outside Russia, a similar contestation of the meaning of the Stalin terror has been unfolding in Russia. Every national history is a collective autobiography which draws on a wide inventory of events from its past. Different constituencies may select different events and assign different meanings to the same events. For a dwindling generation of Russian survivors, the Gulag was the defining institution and experience of the USSR. These survivors represent millions of people terrorised during the Stalin era. Yet the terror imposed by the state is little noted in the post-Soviet version of Russia's history. Under Putin, efforts to incorporate these events into Russian history were largely dismissed. Almost 15 years after the end of the Soviet Union, with security as EUROPE-ASIA STUDIES Vol. 57, No. 8, December 2005, 1093 – 1119


An electrostatic kicker has been constructed for use in the Low-Energy Undulator Test Line (LEUTL) at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The function of the kicker is to limit the amount of beam current to be accelerated by the APS Iinac. Two electrodes within the kicker create an electric field that adjusts the trajectory of the beam. This paper will explore the static fields that are set up between the offset electrode plates and determine the reaction of the beam to this field. The kicker was numerically simulated using the electromagnetic solver package MAFIA [1].


delta-Hydroxy-alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds were prepared in one step via the vinylogous Mukaiyama aldol reactions with O,O-silyl ketene acetals. Isopropyl alcohol as additive and tryptophane-based B-phenyloxazaborolidinone were required for obtaining the gamma-alkylated product in high enantioselectivities.


Reliable source on medical liability law. Written by experts in the field, this Nutshell offers insight on establishing professional relationships and examines negligence-based claims, intentional torts, causation, damages, affirmative defenses, limitations, immunities, and liabilities. It also provides an overview of medical care liability issues affecting hospitals and managed care organizations.


Surface roughness is one of the most important properties in any machining process and
in micro milling it is really critical as the product needs to be of a very high surface
quality. Therefore the present research is aimed at finding the optimal process
parameters for end milling process and optimum surface roughness. In this study by
using regression model and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) which are widely used
for both modeling and optimizing the performance of the manufacturing technologies.
Optimum machining parameters are of great concern in manufacturing environments,
where economy of machining operation plays a key role in competitiveness in the
market. The End milling process is a widely used machining process in aerospace
industries and many other industries ranging from large manufacturers to a small tool
and die shops, because of its versatility and efficiency. The present work involves the
estimation of optimal values of the process variables like, speed, feed and depth of cut,
whereas the surface roughness was taken as the output. The obtained results proved the
ability of ANN method for End milling process modeling and optimization. The final
measurement experiment and predicting the error of surface roughness in neural network
have been performed to verify the surface roughness optimum error percentage 1.71μm.
For this study, the accuracy of artificial neural network and regression model 98.2% and
96.3 respectively.


A highly enantioselective and atom-economical [2 + 2] cycloaddition of various alkynes with trifluoropyruvate using a dicationic (S)-BINAP-Pd catalyst has been established. This is the first enantioselective synthesis of stable oxetene derivatives, whose structure has been clarified by X-ray analysis. This catalytic process offers a practical synthetic method for oxetene derivatives (catalyst loading: up to 0.1 mol %), which can serve as novel chiral building blocks for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and can also be transformed into a variety of enantiomerically enriched CF(3)-substituted compounds with high stereoselectivity.


The relationship between health care expenditure and income of transition economies which are members of the European Union are evaluated for the 1995 – 2011 period by Panel Smooth Transition Regression Model. In the study, a second model is established in order to evaluate the effect of age structure, which is an important factor in explaining changes in health care expenditures, by adding the ratio of population under 15 and the ratio of population over 65. In addition, the lagged value of the ratio of public expenditures on health care is added to the model. As a result of the study, there is only one relatively sharp transition observed if income and time are considered as explanatory variables in the related period, but actually by adding age structure variables this transition shows two rather smoother transition structures.


Increased use of alternative fuels and low commodity prices have contributed to the recent expansion of the U.S. ethanol industry. As with any competitive industry, some level of output price risk exists in the form of volatility; yet, no actively traded ethanol futures market exists to mitigate output price risk. This study reports estimated minimum variance cross-hedge ratios between Detroit spot cash ethanol and the New York Mercantile Exchange unleaded gasoline futures for 1-, 4-, 8-, 12-, 16-, 20-, 24-, and 28-week hedge horizons. The research suggests that a one-to-one cross-hedge ratio is not appropriate for some horizons.


Data of any kind structured, unstructured or semistructured is generated in large quantity around the globe in various domains. These datasets are stored on multiple nodes in a cluster. MapReduce framework has emerged as the most efficient technique and easy to use for parallel processing of distributed data. This paper proposes a new methodology for mapreduce framework workflow. The proposed methodology provides a way to process raw data in such a way that it requires less processing time to generate the required result. The methodology stores intermediate data which is generated between map and reduce phase and re-used as input to mapreduce. The paper presents methodology which focuses on improving the data reusability, scalability and efficiency of the mapreduce framework for large data analysis. MongoDB 2.4.2 is used to demonstrate the experimental work to show how we can store and reuse intermediate data as a part of mapreduce to improve the processing of large datasets.


This study examined the relationship between and the characteristics of five bamboos exotic in the cell walls. For this purpose, the bamboosexotic from Indonesia were separated into cells after drywood termites Incisitermes minor (Hagen) attack. SEM observations revealed that bamboos cells. Moreover, SEM analysis showed that the cellulose isolated from parenchyma cells. These results suggest that all the cellulose microfibrils in five bamboos different characteristics of cell function after drywood termite attack. History Article Received July 2015 Approved August 2015 Published September 2015


This paper summarises the findings of a study of textbooks costs reported elsewhere in a journal article and an associated open dataset. The cost of student textbooks is a huge concern in higher education, especially in North America. Less is known about the costs of textbooks in other parts of the world, including in Europe. We address this gap in the knowledge through a case study of one Irish higher education institution, focussing on the cost, accessibility, and licensing of textbooks. We report here on an investigation of textbook prices drawing from an official college course catalogue containing several thousand books. We explain how we sought to determine metadata of these books including: formats (e-book, PDF) that they are available in, whether they are in the public domain and their commercial prices. We detail the methods we used to estimate textbook costs by using the Google Books API and how we made the code and dataset freely available.


OBJECTIVE
The aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of erector spine plane block vs lumbar paravertebral block for early rehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Materials and methods: The study included 60 ASA ІΙ-ΙΙΙ patients (female/male = 35/25) aged 41-82 years, undergone total hip arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia. The patients randomly divided into two groups (n=30 in each) according to postoperative regional analgesia technique: paravertebral block (PVB) and erector spine plane block (ESPB). The time interval to meet three criteria: adequate analgesia (<4 points of VAS), opioid-free period longer than 12 h, and possibility to cover walking 30 m distance without time restriction was analyzed. We also analyzed opioid requirement postoperatively.

RESULTS
Results: The time interval to meet the three criteria after surgery was shorter to 9.4 h for patients in PVB group 36.3 h 95% CI 31.8 to 40.8 h than for patients in ESPB group 45.7 h 95% CI 40.1 to 51.3 h, (p = 0.016). During the first 24 h after surgery the total dose of nalbuphine per patient was significantly higher in ESPB group (10.7 95% CI 7.0 to 14.3) compared to PVB group (6.3 95% CI 3.7 to 9.0).

CONCLUSION
Conclusions: The paravertebral block and erector spine plane block provide quite effective pain relieve in patients undergone total hip arthroplasty (<4 points of VAS). PVB has more opioid-preserving effect than ESPB. The paravertebral block is superior to erector spine plane block for early rehabilitation after total hip arthroplasty (the time required for patients to meet the three criteria was shorter PVB than ESPB).


Due to the advantages of wide coverage and continuity, remotely sensed data are widely used for large-scale drought monitoring to compensate for the deficiency and discontinuity of meteorological data. However, few studies have focused on the capability of various remotely sensed drought indices (RSDIs) to represent the spatio–temporal variations of meteorological droughts. In this study, five RSDIs, namely the Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Health Index (VHI), Modified Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (MTVDI), and Normalized Vegetation Supply Water Index (NVSWI), were calculated using monthly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and land surface temperature (LST) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The monthly NDVI and LST data were filtered by the Savitzky–Golay (S-G) filtering method. A meteorological station-based drought index represented by the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was compared with the RSDIs. Additionally, the dimensionless Skill Score (SS) method was adopted to identify the spatiotemporally optimal RSDIs for presenting meteorological droughts in the Yellow River basin (YRB) from 2000 to 2015. The results indicated that: (1) RSDIs revealed a decreasing drought trend in the overall YRB consistent with the SPEI except for in winter, and different variations of seasonal trends spatially; (2) the optimal RSDIs in spring, summer, autumn, and winter were VHI, TCI, MTVDI, and VCI, respectively, and the average correlation coefficient between the RSDIs and the SPEI was 0.577 (α = 0.05); and (3) different RSDIs have time lags of zero–three months compared with the meteorological drought index.


Autophagy has been reported to be involved in supporting antigen cross‐presentation by dendritic cells (DCs). We have shown that DCs have the ability to store antigen for a prolonged time in endolysosomal compartments and thereby sustain MHCI antigen cross‐presentation to CD8+ T cells. In the current study, we investigated the role of autophagy in long‐term antigen presentation. We show that the autophagy machinery has a negative impact on storage of antigen in DCs. Atg5–/–DCs which are deficient in autophagy or DCs treated with common autophagy inhibitors showed enhanced antigen storage and antigen cross‐presentation. This augmented antigen cross‐presentation effect is independent of altered proteasome enzyme activity or MHCI surface expression on DCs. We visualized that the storage compartments are in close proximity to LC3 positive autophagosomes. Our results indicate that autophagosomes disrupt antigen storage in DCs and thereby regulate long‐term MHCI cross‐presentation.


The gene family of human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) encodes proteins with diverse and pleiotropic functions in normal physiology as well as in disease states. Currently, the most widely known KLK is KLK3 or prostate-specific antigen (PSA) that has applications in clinical diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer. The KLK gene family encompasses the largest contiguous cluster of serine proteases in humans which is not interrupted by non-KLK genes. This exceptional and unique characteristic of KLKs makes them ideal for evolutionary studies aiming to infer the direction and timing of gene duplication events. Previous studies on the evolution of KLKs were restricted to mammals and the emergence of KLKs was suggested about 150 million years ago (mya). In order to elucidate the evolutionary history of KLKs, we performed comprehensive phylogenetic analyses of KLK homologous proteins in multiple genomes including those that have been completed recently. Interestingly, we were able to identify novel reptilian, avian and amphibian KLK members which allowed us to trace the emergence of KLKs 330 mya. We suggest that a series of duplication and mutation events gave rise to the KLK gene family. The prominent feature of the KLK family is that it consists of tandemly and uninterruptedly arrayed genes in all species under investigation. The chromosomal co-localization in a single cluster distinguishes KLKs from trypsin and other trypsin-like proteases which are spread in different genetic loci. All the defining features of the KLKs were further found to be conserved in the novel KLK protein sequences. The study of this unique family will further assist in selecting new model organisms for functional studies of proteolytic pathways involving KLKs.


With ever-expanding datasets of domains, tasks and languages, transfer learning (TL) from pre-trained neural language models has emerged as a powerful technique over the years. Many pieces of research have shown the effectiveness of transfer learning across different domains and tasks. However, there remains uncertainty around when a transfer will lead to positive or negative impacts on performance of the model. To understand the uncertainty, we investigate how TL affects the performance of popular pre-trained models like BERT, RoBERTa and XLNet over three natural language processing (NLP) tasks. We believe this work will inform about specifics on when and what to transfer related to domain, multi-lingual dataset and various NLP tasks.


Joann Smith had risen to assistant brand manager at Bank One over seven years. Smith decided to follow in her father's footsteps and take over a State Farm Insurance agency in Lake Edna, Missouri. The agency had been run by Jeb Wright for 40 years. The (A) case provides data for assessing the business, developing a business plan, and setting goals for the business. The (B) case describes the people issues Smith faces.


Table of Contents * Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy of an anti-CEA bispecific antibody and 177Lu-labeled peptide: a phase I study in patients with advanced colorectal cancer * Abstract Objectives: Pretargeted radioimmunotherapy (PRIT) with bispecific monoclonal antibodies (bsMAb) in combination with a radiolabeled peptide reduces the radiation dose of conventional RIT to normal tissues by rapid tumor targeting and fast blood clearance of the radiolabeled molecule. In this phase I trial, PRIT was investigated in 20 patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC), using a humanized recombinant bsMAb, TF2, targeting carcinoembryonic antigen (CEACAM5) and the hapten-peptide, IMP288, which was radiolabeled with177Lu. The safety, pharmacokinetics, and tumor targeting of these agents were studied, by optimizing the dose schedule of the pretargeting system. Methods: We included four cohorts with five patients per cohort. We studied the interval between the bsMAb and peptide administration and its consequences for the blood clearance of the radiolabeled peptide (cohort 1: 5 days interval vs next cohorts: 1 day). We escalated TF2 dose to saturate tumor antigens (cohort 3: 150 mg TF2, vs other cohorts: 75 mg). Furthermore, we investigated the effect of labelling the same radioactivity doses to a lower peptide dose, which ideally would increase the fractional targeting to the tumors (cohort 4: 25 µg IMP288 vs other cohorts: 100 µg) A pre-therapy cycle with 111In-labeled IMP288 was used to predict the pharmacokinetics and tumor targeting of 177Lu-IMP288, and to assure safety of high 177Lu activity doses (3.7 GBq in cohort 1 and ≤ 7.4 GBq in cohorts 2-4). Toxicity was determined by NCI-CTC v3.0. Whole-body planar and SPECT images were acquired. Results: Toxicity was generally very mild, with only two patients showing grade 3-4 thrombocytopenia, and one with grade 3 dyspnea. Dose escalation did not increase toxicity. Rapid localization of the radiolabeled peptide in the tumor lesions was clearly visualized with scintigraphy within 1 h of injection, with excellent tumor-to-normal tissue ratios (>20 at 24 h after injection in all cohorts). Low absorbed radiation doses to the red bone marrow ( Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1755. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1755


The novel, titled Nero, the Bloody Poet, written by Kosztolányi in 1922, is about the deviant human being; the portrayal of a deteriorating era serves as background for the portrait of a degenerate personality possessed by the demon spirit – the amateur poet and the disturbed dictator at the same time. it is about a man who submitted himself to, and became the ambassador of, the evil in the world. However, the manifestation of evil cannot be solely related to the main protagonist of the novel. As nero was left alone to make his way in life the novel can also be accounted for as a story of value dissolution. Kosztolányi deliberately put evil in the centre of discussion in his novel and identified it with the fundamental problem of human existence. The reader witnesses several aspects and stages of the distortion of nero's character until finally distinguishes the inexperienced poet from the oppressive emperor. The use of the framework of the theory of value systems and the incorporation of Hermann Broch's conception of kitsch might open up new perspectives for the analysis of the novel in the future.


Two months later the patient felt well, but there was a small elastic swelling in the postero-inferior part of the tympanum; this was punctured with the galvanocautery point and again with the zinc electrolytic needle. On November 11, 1924, I removed a portion for microscopic examination, and there were found none of the alveolar masses of cells suggestive of endothelioma, but the naevoid vascular spaces were present, and at one extreme corner of the specimen there was a proliferation of the surface squamous epithelium suggestive of a low grade of malignant infiltration of the deeper tissues. November 18, 1924.-A tube of radon (17 millicuries with 0 3 mm. platinum filtration) was introduced into the growth and left for ten hours. Next day the growth was quite white, less resilient and less tender. Reaction showed itself by the formation of a thick, white, pultaceous exudate adherent to the walls of the deepest part of the meatus. It consisted of necrotic and scab-like material without any sign of actively growing epitbelial or other tumour cells. In May, 1925, the patient reported that he had had for the last two mionths no pain except a little smarting after introducing alcohol drops. Dr. van Voorthuijsen had examined him, in Java, and had found no trace of the tumour.


A stainless steel that contains aggressive negative ion was known to decrease the corrosion resistance. Stainless steel with super corrosion resistance was developed for improvement of corrosion resistance. Super duplex stainless steel is widely used under sever environment because if good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Also, Super duplex stainless steel has long life in severe environments by showing the enough strength and corrosion resistance. But duplex stainless steel is not stabilized compared to austenite stainless steel in corrosion resistance. In this study, corrosion characteristic were investigated to super duplex stainless steel with additive 0.2 % nitrogen with SiO₂ thin films coated or no coated by sol-gel method in 3.5% NaCl. From test results, corrosion current density in the heat-treated specimen for σ phase precipitation was higher than that of different heat-treated specimen. Also, SiO₂ colloidal-coated specimen had not occurred almost corrosion.


Temperature measurements in an automobile engine running in normal operating conditions have been obtained by observing the CARS spectra of molecular nitrogen. Pulsed lasers and a broad-band technique have been used to allow the single-pulse measurements necessary for studying combustion behaviour and cycle-to-cycle fluctuations. A fitting technique has been used to determine temperatures from the experimental data, with an uncertainty of about 50 to 100K. The authors discuss the problems that are still unresolved in order to achieve better accuracy: beside experimental refinements a further knowledge of molecular parameters seems to be required.


We revisit in this work the Locally Linear Embedding (LLE) algorithm which is a widely employed technique in dimensionality reduction. With a particular interest on the correspondences of nearest neighbors in the original and em- bedded spaces, we observe that, when prescribing low-dimensional embedding spaces, LLE remains merely a  weight preserving , rather than a neighborhood preserving algorithm. We propose thus a  "neighborhood preserving ratio"  crite- rion to estimate a minimal intrinsic dimensionality required for neighbourhood preservation. We validate its efficiency on a set of synthetic data, including S-curve, swiss roll, as well as a dataset of grayscale images.


This paper investigates the effects of area and location of a chip, the material from which it is encapsulated, the geometry of the test structures, accelerated stressing operations and process technologies on the reliability of a VLSI-level chip assembly by using a 12 mm /spl times/ 12 mm large-die-size test chip with various top two-level metal test structures. The test chip is fabricated in a generic 0.18-/spl mu/m six-level AlCu-HSQ interconnect process and using specific dual-damascene Cu-FSG technology for top two-level metal. The proposed model is applied to analyze the failure distribution and identify the failure mechanism. The experimental results indicate that the mechanical and electrical performance of the assembled test chip, both of which depend strongly on back-end processes, can significantly impact the failure distribution and the failure mechanism in testing of the reliability of the chip assembly.