Graphene exhibits unique mechanical, optical, and electronic properties, making it one of the most promising materials in prominent electronic devices [1]. To do so, it is essential to develop a method to synthesize large-scale high-quality graphene samples [2]. However, the most common growth technique, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), suffers from quality issues, which can arise from the hightemperature growth process as well as during the transfer process. In addition, chemical doping/cleaning process using plasma or wet chemistry further adds defects [3-4]. Therefore, in order to refine CVD graphene synthesis, transfer and post-treatment methods, it is important to effectively obtain information regarding defects and surface states during the process.


The process of rainfall partitioning is usually addressed by three components: rainfall interception, throughfall and stemflow. The occurrence and proportion of stemflow depends on many complexly interconnected factors. To contribute to the interpretation of these interdependencies, the influence of rainfall event characteristics and phenoseasons on stemflow development was analyzed with a new approach. In this study we have focused on the development of stemflow during 156 rainfall events with complete time series records for a single birch tree (Betula pendula Roth.) at a study plot in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. For each one of the selected events, diagrams of rainfall and stemflow development during the event were prepared and grouped according to their visual similarities using hierarchical clustering. Additionally, significant meteorological characteristics were determined for each group of events. Four characteristic types of stemflow response were identified and connected to the corresponding event characteristics. Events showing negligible stemflow response to rainfall increase were characterized with rainfall amounts lower than 5 mm, high rainfall intensities, and occurrence in the leafed phenophase. A slow stemflow increase, independent of the increase of the rainfall volume in the open, was recognized for rainfall events delivering less than 20 mm of rainfall during a 5-h duration on average. The majority of these events were observed in the leafed phenophase, corresponding to higher air temperature and vapor pressure deficit. The occurrence of stemflow events, whose development followed the increase of the rainfall amount, was not dependent on the phenophase. However, during these events the average air temperature and vapor pressure deficit were lower, the rainfall amount was larger and the rainfall duration longer in comparison to the events showing independent increase with rainfall. The fourth type of response of stemflow was defined by a strong stemflow response in connection to large rainfall amounts and the longest rainfall duration, as observed for events in the leafless period. The four characteristic types of stemflow response provide additional information on the possible proportion of the rainfall reaching the ground as stemflow.


Food restriction induces a loss of body mass that is often followed by rapid regaining of the lost weight when the restriction ends, consequently increasing a risk of development of obesity. To determine the physiological and behavioral mechanisms underlining the regaining, striped hamsters were restricted to 85% of initial food intake for 4 weeks and refed ad libitum for another 4 weeks. Changes in body mass, energy budget, activity, body composition and serum leptin level were measured. Body mass, body fat mass and serum leptin level significantly decreased in food-restricted hamsters, and increased when the restriction ended, showing a short "compensatory growth" rather than over-weight or obesity compared with ad libitum controls. During restriction, the time spent on activity increased significantly, which was opposite to the changes in serum leptin level. Food intake increased shortly during refeeding, which perhaps contributed to the rapid regaining of body mass. No correlation was observed between serum leptin and energy intake, while negative correlations were found in hamsters that were refed for 7 and 28 days. Exogenous leptin significantly decreased the time spent on activity during food restriction and attenuated the increase in food intake during refeeding. This suggests that low leptin in restricted animals may function as a starvation signal to induce an increase in activity behavior, and high leptin likely serves as a satiety signal to prevent activity during refeeding. Leptin may play a crucial role in controlling food intake when the restriction ends, and consequently preventing overweight.


Hyperspectral remote sensing can be a powerful tool for detecting invasive species and their impact across large spatial scales. However, remote sensing studies of invasives rarely occur across multiple seasons, although the properties of invasives often change seasonally. This may limit the detection of invasives using remote sensing through time. We evaluated the ability of hyperspectral measurements to quantify the coverage of a plant invader and its impact on senesced plant coverage and canopy equivalent water thickness (EWT) across seasons. A portable spectroradiometer was used to collect data in a field experiment where uninvaded plant communities were experimentally invaded by cogongrass, a non-native perennial grass, or maintained as an uninvaded reference. Vegetation canopy characteristics, including senesced plant material, the ratio of live to senesced plants, and canopy EWT varied across the seasons and showed different temporal patterns between the invaded and reference plots. Partial least square regression (PLSR) models based on a single season had a limited predictive ability for data from a different season. Models trained with data from multiple seasons successfully predicted invasive plant coverage and vegetation characteristics across multiple seasons and years. Our results suggest that if seasonal variation is accounted for, the hyperspectral measurement of invaders and their effects on uninvaded vegetation may be scaled up to quantify effects at landscape scales using airborne imaging spectrometers.


A wide variety of research is being completed and published in geography education. The purpose of this article is to provide a general overview of the different types of methodologies, research designs, and techniques used by geography education researchers. Analyzing three geography education journals, we found 191 research articles published about geography education, of which, 55 used a quantitative design, 65 used a qualitative design, and 71 used mixed methods. This article highlights specific articles to provide examples of how a variety of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods techniques were conducted and presented in the literature. The implications of this article is to provide geography education researchers with guidance when reporting research results in an effort to promote replicability and longitudinal research. Geography education benefits from all types of methodological  designs and techniques, each serving a different purpose based upon the individuals' inquires and research questions.


A new method is proposed for performing a Q-switched laser operation with mode locking by using a spherical mirror (SM) and one traveling wave acousto-optic modulator (AOM), the SMAOM method. The temporal, spectral, and energy output characteristics of a diode-pumped Nd3+:YAG laser with SMAOM, along with the new results on obtaining powerful ultraviolet and mid-IR radiation based on the pumping of nonlinear crystals by such a laser, are presented.


JAMES A. MARTIN, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA firstname.lastname@example.com JERROLD L. BELANT, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA TRAVIS L. DEVAULT, USDA/APHIS, Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, Ohio Field Station, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, Ohio 44870, USA BRADLEY F. BLACKWELL, USDA/APHIS, Wildlife Services' National Wildlife Research Center, Ohio Field Station, 6100 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, Ohio 44870, USA LOREN W. BURGER JR., Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA SAMUEL K. RIFFELL, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762,USA GUIMING WANG, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA


The terms gifted, talented, and intelligent all have meanings that suggest an individual's highly proficient or exceptional performance in one or more specific areas of strength. Other than Spearman's g, which theorizes about a general elevated level of potential or ability, more contemporary theories of intelligence are based on theoretical models that define ability or intelligence according to a priori categories of specific performance. Recent studies in cognitive neuroscience report on the neural basis of g from various perspectives such as the neural speed theory and the efficiency of prefrontal function. Exceptional talent is the result of interactions between goal-directed behavior and nonvolitional perceptual processes in the brain that have yet to be fully characterized and understood by the fields of psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Some developmental studies report differences in region-specific neural activation, recruitment patterns, and reaction times in subjects who are identified with high IQ scores according to traditional scales of assessment such as the WISC-III or Stanford-Binet. Although as cases of savants and prodigies illustrate, talent is not synonymous with high IQ. This review synthesizes information from the fields of psychometrics and gifted education, with findings from the neurosciences on the neural basis of intelligence, creativity, profiles of expert performers, cognitive function, and plasticity to suggest a paradigm for investigating talent as the maximal and productive use of either or both of one's high level of general intelligence or domain-specific ability. Anat Rec (Part B: New Anat) 277B:21-36, 2004.


Control circuits for DC/DC converters are usually implemented as analog or digital transfer function (PID, type HI etc.). These solutions are usually effective in the close vicinity of projected bias point, and its change causes worsening of stabilized output voltage properties. It's necessary to consider not only work mode (CCM, DCM), but also changes of bias point of the device. Main factors that influence bias point are: changes in loads resistance and changes in input voltage value. The solution to those problems could be using concept of controlling DC/DC converters using law of conservation of energy (project Bumblebee). During the work on the project Bumblebee characteristic oscillations in the steady state were observed. Similar oscillations occur in the current method (Current Mode) if do not use slope compensation coil current. The article shows the reason for this undesirable phenomenon and how to eliminate it.


Uncoupling Protein 1 (UCP1) is an inner mitochondrial membrane protein, uniquely expressed in brown adipocytes, which uncouples the mitochondrial respiration impairing ATP production and energy efficiency. The aim of the present study was to express UCP1 in liver mitochondria using a non-viral system in order to affect energy utilization. The effect of ectopic protein expression on liver energy metabolism, which was evaluated 42 h after DNA transfer, showed that mitochondria expressing UCP1 presented decreased ATP production, lasted more time in membrane potential state 3, and consumed more molecular oxygen to produce the same amount of ATP than the control group. In summary, the successful functionality of the mitochondrial protein, UCP1, after hydrodynamic delivery is a novel and significant finding. This approach could be useful to ectopically express mitochondrial proteins and, in this particular case, to manage metabolic disorders related to energy efficiency and expenditure, such as obesity.


In the present work we demonstrate the implication of excreted-secreted antigens in eliciting the protective cell-mediated immunity developed by rats toward Toxoplasma gondii. We first showed that 10(4) specific T cells from T. gondii-infected rats conferred to nude rats the ability to resist an infection by the highly virulent RH strain of T. gondii. In a second series of experiments, the role of excreted-secreted antigens in this protection was demonstrated. After the adoptive transfer to nude rats of various doses (10(3), 10(4), 10(5)) of excreted-secreted antigen-specific helper T cells (propagated in vitro during one month), significant protection toward T. gondii was induced. Moreover, these cells were responsible for a specific antibody response in nude rats, which are normally unable to develop any specific humoral response. The specificity of these antibodies was directed toward different molecules with molecular masses of 104, 97, 57, 39, 30, 21, and 18 kilodaltons; some of these have been previously characterized as major excreted-secreted antigens.


Corrosive burns of the esophagus constitute one of the most difficult problems in pediatric practice. 1 Lye is used by poor people as a detergent and in the home manufacture of soap. These people do not realize until it is too late that a solution of lye which will "eat the stains from the boiling kettle" will have a much more dire effect on the oral or esophageal mucosa. As shown by the following series, in 86 per cent of the instances of the accidental use of lye the blame could be directly placed on an adult who carelessly left powdered lye or a solution of lye in a familiar container within the reach of a hungry, thirsty or curious child. In 5 per cent of the instances a child was given a drink from a glass not known to have contained lye, and in 9 per cent the patient


Abstract Multiple bends in fiber contribute significantly to the increase in power loss in optical fiber cables. Bending losses are influenced by different optical parameters like Mode Field Diameter (MFD), Cut-off wavelength and MAC value. This paper highlights the results of a series of tests conducted, to determine the power loss of matched clad step index Single Mode Optical Fiber (SMF). The effect of MFD, Cut-off wavelength and MAC value have been studied with various macro and micro bend testing techniques. The testing techniques and relevant parameters, which effectively measure the bend sensitivity of SMF, have been identified.


In the last twenty years, several global targets for protection of marine biodiversity have been adopted but have failed. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) aims at preserving 10% of all the marine biomes by 2020. For achieving this goal, ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSA) have to be identified in all biogeographic regions. However, the methodologies for identifying the best suitable areas are still to be agreed. Here, we propose a framework for applying the CBD criteria to locate potential ecologically or biologically significant seamount areas based on the best information currently available. The framework combines the likelihood of a seamount constituting an EBSA and its level of human impact and can be used at global, regional and local scales. This methodology allows the classification of individual seamounts into four major portfolio conservation categories which can help optimize management efforts toward the protection of the most suitable areas. The framework was tested against 1000 dummy seamounts and satisfactorily assigned seamounts to proper EBSA and threats categories. Additionally, the framework was applied to eight case study seamounts that were included in three out of four portfolio categories: areas highly likely to be identified as EBSA with high degree of threat; areas highly likely to be EBSA with low degree of threat; and areas with a low likelihood of being EBSA with high degree of threat. This framework will allow managers to identify seamount EBSAs and to prioritize their policies in terms of protecting undisturbed areas, disturbed areas for recovery of habitats and species, or both based on their management objectives. It also identifies seamount EBSAs and threats considering different ecological groups in both pelagic and benthic communities. Therefore, this framework may represent an important tool to mitigate seamount biodiversity loss and to achieve the 2020 CBD goals.


OBJECTIVE: The aim of this 2-arm parallel study was to evaluate the alignment efficiency of heat-activated nickel-titanium (NiTi-TE) and superelastic nickel titanium (NiTi-PSE) archwires over the first 3 months of orthodontic treatment and compare these groups. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION: Randomized, double-blind, controlled, single-center trial in 52 patients with fixed orthodontic appliances from an orthodontic graduate program in the permanent dentition and moderate crowding in the lower arch. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to one of two interventions: NiTi-TE and NiTi-PSE archwires, 0.014-inch (3M Unitek™, CA, USA) with a follow-up period of 3 months. The primary outcome was the alignment efficiency determined by the reduction in Little's irregularity index (mm), measured in three points, T0: before the start of orthodontic treatment, T1: 1 month later, T2: 2 months later, T3: 3 months later. Data were analyzed using independent sample t tests and repeated measures ANOVA. RESULTS: 52 patients (NiTi-TE n = 26; NiTi-PSE n = 26) were randomized and analyzed (average age: 21.73; standard deviation (SD): 6.07; average lower anterior irregularity: 5.20; SD: 0.76) for intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis. No statistically significant differences between the groups were found (mean of the differences: T1: 0.20; 95% CI: –0.558; 0.958; T2: 0.49: 95% CI: –0.339; 1.319; T3: 0.33; 95% CI: –0.308; 0.968). The resolution of crowding with each of the wires was significant (P < 0.0001) at all times. Twelve participants (2 treated with NiTi-TE and 10 treated with NiTi-PSE) lost follow-up due to face-to-face dental-procedures restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the missing data was imputed. CONCLUSIONS: NiTi-TE and NiTi-PSE wires of 0.014-inch were similar in their clinical efficiency for the resolution of crowding during the first 3 months of orthodontic treatment. REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT03256279.


This article is a reflection on a collaborative learning process between a university department and a community-based organisation in creating intergenerational learning platforms. The process entailed the coming together of school learners, university students and community elders in a university setup. Participatory Appreciative Action Learning Research was employed. Purposive sampling was used. Data collection methods approach included were semi-structured interviews, one on one individual interviews and focus group discussions. Three generations, namely school learners, university students, and community elders, participated in selecting the learning areas. These included Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), nature conversation topics, peace-building, manners and Ubuntu, social entrepreneurship, and health issues. The purpose of this initiative was to transfer knowledge, skills, norms, wisdom, and values, among generations, through a collaborative effort between an academic institution and a community. It was hoped that this would provide opportunities for lifelong learning and sharing of knowledge and experience among generations. The collaborative intergenerational learning (IGL) process opened with a series of focused discussions about how to bring to mainstream education (both basic and higher education), platforms for learning that should be inclusive of all forms of knowledges, including indigenous knowledge (IK).


This paper is concerned with mixed monotone mappings in partially ordered
 cone metric spaces. We establish several fixed point theorems, which
 generalize and complement some known results. Especially, even in a partially
 ordered metric space, our main results are generalizations of the fixed point
 theorems due to Bhaskar and Lakshmikantham [T. Grana Bhaskar, V.
 Lakshmikantham, Fixed point theorems in partially ordered metric spaces and
 applications, Nonlinear Anal. TMA 65 (2006) 1379-1393].


Summary In the absence of vision, mobility and orientation are challenging. Audio and tactile feedback can be used to guide visually impaired people. In this paper, we present two complementary studies on the use of vibrational cues for hand guidance during the exploration of itineraries on a map, and whole body-guidance in a virtual environment. Concretely, we designed wearable Arduino bracelets integrating a vibratory motor producing multiple patterns of pulses. In a first study, this bracelet was used for guiding the hand along unknown routes on an interactive tactile map. A wizard-of-Oz study with six blindfolded participants showed that tactons, vibrational patterns, may be more efficient than audio cues for indicating directions. In a second study, this bracelet was used by blindfolded participants to navigate in a virtual environment. The results presented here show that it is possible to significantly decrease travel distance with vibrational cues. To sum up, these preliminary but complementary studies suggest the interest of vibrational feedback in assistive technology for mobility and orientation for blind people.


A type of semiconductor heterostructure fabricated by zinc-oxide films deposited on silicon substrates is investigated. The current-voltage characteristics under dark or illumination were determined. It is indicated that the sample is likely a semiconductor junction, and this structure generates an obvious photovoltaic effect. Spectral responses of photovoltage, cathodotoluminescence and excitation spectra at room temperature were employed to study the structural properties and the mechanism generating photovoltaic effect of the samples. The energy level and the process of electron transition in the ZnO film have also been deduced.


TITLE OF DISSERTATION: ESSAYS ON OPTIMAL AID AND FISCAL POLICY IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES Ryan Niladri Banerjee, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Dissertation directed by: Professor Enrique G. Mendoza Department of Economics Essay I: Which countries receive aid as insurance and why? A theory of optimal aid policy Empirical evidence shows that developing countries with opaque institutions receive procyclical Official Development Aid (ODA) while developing countries with transparent institutions receive acyclical or countercyclical ODA. This paper provides a dynamic equilibrium model of optimal aid policy that quantitatively accounts for this fact. In the model, the donor wants to (a) encourage actions by the aid receiving government that increase output and (b) smooth out economic fluctuations. The transparency of institutions in the country affects the donor's ability to distinguish downturns caused by exogenous shocks, from those caused by government actions. The solution to the donor's mechanism design problem is dependent on the transparency of government actions. If the donor has good information about government actions, aid policy is countercyclical and aid acts as insurance. However, if the donor is unable to infer perfectly the cause of the downturn, aid policy is procyclical to encourage unobservable good actions. The model predicts a similar pattern for ODA commitments for the following year which is supported by the data. For countries with opaque institutions procyclical aid is the result of optimal policies given the information constraints of donors. Essay II: New Evidence on the Relationship Between Aid Cyclicality and Institutions This paper documents a new fact: the correlation between official development assistance (ODA) and GDP is negatively related to the quality of institutions in the receipient country. Differences in institutional indicators that measure corruption, rule of law, government effectiveness and government transparency are particularly important. The results are robust to several modifications. The results hold for both pooled and within regressions specifications and for different sources of institutional quality measures. This fact also reconciles conflicting empirical results about the correlation between ODA and GDP in the literature. For instance, Pallage and Robe (2001) find a positive correlation in two thirds of African economies and half of non-African developing economies, but Rand and Tarp (2002) find no correlation in a different set of developing countries. First, once institutions are accounted for, African economies are not treated differently by donors. Second, the sample in Rand and Tarp (2002) comprises developing economies which have relatively good institutions, therefore, those countries receive acyclical or countercyclical aid. Essay II: Optimal Procyclical Fiscal Policy Without Procyclical Government Spending Procyclical fiscal policy can be caused by either procyclical government expenditure, countercyclical taxes or both. The majority of models which try to explain procyclical fiscal policy as the result of optimal policy have procyclical government expenditures. This paper develops a model which optimally generates procyclical fiscal policy while keeping government expenditures acyclical. Instead, taxes are optimally countercyclical. The model uses endogenous sovereign default to generate an environment where interest rates are lower in booms than in recessions. If household's have insufficient access to financial instruments it is optimal for the government to lower taxes and borrow during booms. This enables impatient households to benefit from the lower interest rates in booms by helping the consumer bring consumption forward. ESSAYS ON OPTIMAL AID AND FISCAL POLICY IN DEVELOPING ECONOMIES


Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) Roth (railroad vine) is a pantropical, perennial, trailing vine (Convolvulaceae) with showy pink flowers that grows on coastal beaches and dunes throughout the tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Here I present a summary of ecological, physiological and geomorphological aspects of the biology of I. pes-caprae . Its success as a colonizer of tropical shorelines may he attributed to the production of large numbers of fruits, long life cycle, high potential for water dispersal, resistance to salt spray, rapid growth, large neighborhood size, and vegetative reproduction. The species is important as a sand colonizer and plays a significant role in geomorphology. The plants often cover large areas and form a rather continuous mat that helps to keep the sand from moving and holds the substrate together. The flowers are visited by bees and other insects; Xylocopa species (Hymenoptera) are important pollinators. Ants visit extrafloral nectaries and help the plant increase reproductive success in some areas. The leaves and seeds contain the indole alkaloid ergotamine, which protects them from many herbivores. Flowers are sometimes eaten by herbivores, and a beetle ( Megacerus leucospilus) parasitizes the seeds.


ABSTRACT Critics argued that the 2007–09 financial crisis was failure of macroeconomics, locating its source in the dynamic, stochastic general-equilibrium model and calling for fundamental re-orientation of the field. Critics exaggerated the role of DSGE models in actual policymaking, and DSGE modelers addressed some criticisms within the DSGE framework. But DSGE modelers oversold their success and even claimed that their approach is the sine qua non of competent macroeconomics. The DSGE modelers and their critics renew an old debate over the relative priority of a priori theory and empirical data, classically exemplified in the Measurement without Theory Debate of the 1940s between the Cowles Commission and the National Bureau of Economic Research. The earlier debate is reviewed for its implications for the recent controversy. In adopting the Cowles-Commission position, some DSGE modelers would essentially straight-jacket macroeconomics and undermine economic science and the pursuit of knowledge in an open-minded, yet critical framework.


A cloned fragment of human glucocerebrosidase cDNA has been used as a probe to study restriction polymorphisms in the region of the gene for Gaucher disease. Variability in the size of fragments produced by digestion with the restriction endonucleases Pvu II and Kpn I was discovered. The Pvu II polymorphism was found to be a very prevalent one with a gene frequency of 0.65 for the Pv1.1- allele and 0.35 for the Pv1.1+ allele. Similar frequencies were encountered among diverse ethnic groups. Five of eight Jewish patients with Gaucher disease were found to be heterozygous for the Pvu II restriction polymorphism. One non-Jewish patient with type I Gaucher disease was heterozygous for the Kpn I variant. The existence of Gaucher disease genes in association with either allele of the ancient Pvu II polymorphism clearly indicates that, even within the Jewish population, the Gaucher disease mutation has occurred independently more than once. Presumably, different mutations have also occurred in the non-Jewish population.


Multiple-model fault detection is a powerful method for detecting changes, such as faults, in dynamic systems. In many cases, the ability of such a detection scheme to distinguish between possible models for the system dynamics depends critically on the control inputs applied to the system. Prior work has therefore aimed to design control inputs in order to improve fault detection. We previously developed a new method that uses constrained finite horizon control design to create control inputs that minimize an upper bound on the probability of model selection error. This method is limited, however, to the problem of selection between two models. In this paper we describe a new method that extends this approach to handle an arbitrary number of models. By optimizing subject to hard constraints, the new method can ensure that a defined task is fulfilled, while optimally discriminating between models. This means that the discrimination power of the designed control input can be much greater than that created by other approaches, which typically design 'auxiliary' signals with limited power so that the effect on the system state is small. Furthermore, the optimization criterion, which is an upper bound on the probability of model selection error, has a more meaningful interpretation than alternative approaches that are based on information gain, for example. We demonstrate the method using an aircraft fault detection scenario and show that the new method significantly reduces the bound on the probability of error when compared to a manually generated identification sequence and a fuel-optimal sequence


Linear inverse problems with uncertain measurement matrices appear in many different applications. One of the standard techniques for solving such problems is the total least squares (TLS) method. Recently, an alternative approach has been suggested, based on maximizing an appropriate likelihood function assuming that the measurement matrix consists of random Gaussian variables. We refer to this technique as the total maximum likelihood (TML) method. Here we extend this strategy to the case in which the measurement matrix is structured so that the perturbations are not arbitrary but rather follow a fixed pattern. The resulting estimate is referred to as the structured TML (STML). As we show, the STML can be viewed as a regularized version of the structured TLS (STLS) approach in which the regularization consists of a logarithmic penalty. In contrast to the STLS solution, the STML always exists. Furthermore, its performance in practice tends to be superior to that of the STLS and competitive to other regularized solvers, as we illustrate via several examples. We also consider a few interesting special cases in which the STML can be computed efficiently either by reducing it into a one-dimensional problem regardless of the problem size or by a decomposition via a discrete Fourier transform.


In this study, a recycling plan for waste concrete fine aggregate as fill material was researched by investigating environmental engineering properties. It is noted that the environmental influence of waste concrete fine aggregate is little since chemical level is satisfied the waste management standard. Waste concrete fine aggregate is not suitable for materials of anti-frost layer and sub-base layer since the particle-size distribution and engineering properties are not partially satisfied the quality standard. However, waste concrete fine aggregate can be recycled as materials of anti-frost layer and sub-base layer if we improve the engineering properties by mixing bigger aggregates than maximum particle size (5 mm) more than 25 percent of total weight.


Pedestrian malls - streets that have been dedicated to pedestrian use only - are a popular urban renewal tactic for stimulating economic growth in deteriorating central business districts by attracting commercial retail business. Because of benefits they bring to the downtown road system, pedestrian malls have been included as a means of route diversion in many lists of transportation system management tactics. Because there has been little documentation of the effects of pedestrian malls on transportation activities, the study reported here was undertaken. Officials of selected cities in other states, all of which have pedestrian malls, and merchants and shoppers on three malls in Virginia were surveyed to measure changes resulting from the construction of malls and identify specific problems relating to transportation in the areas of the malls. It was found that the construction of pedestrian malls had provided an impetus for improvements to the downtown transportation system. Problems with goods delivery were found to have increased, but most merchants had been able to adjust delivery operations to alleviate the problems. It was believed that access for users of the mall could be improved, but the methodology utilized in the study was unable to quantify the degree to which methods of improvement had been effective.


CONTEXT
New guidelines for HER2 testing have been introduced.

OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the difference in HER2 assessment after introduction of new cutoff levels for both immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and to compare interobserver agreement and time to score between image analysis and conventional microscopy.

DESIGN
Samples from 150 patients with breast cancer were scored by 7 pathologists using conventional microscopy, with a cutoff of both 10% and 30% IHC-stained cells, and using automated microscopy with image analysis. The IHC results were compared individually and to HER2 status as determined by FISH, using both the approved cutoff of 2.0 and the recently introduced cutoff of 2.2.

RESULTS
High concordance was found in IHC scoring among the 7 pathologists. The 30% cutoff led to slightly fewer positive IHC observations. Introduction of a FISH equivocal zone affected 4% of the FISH scores. If cutoff for FISH is kept at 2.0, no difference in patient selection is found between the 10% and the 30% IHC cutoff. Among the 150 breast cancer samples, the new 30% IHC and 2.2 FISH cutoff levels resulted in one case without a firm diagnosis because both IHC and FISH were equivocal. Automated microscopy and image analysis-assisted IHC led to significantly better interobserver agreement among the 7 pathologists, with an increase in mean scoring time of only about 30 seconds per slide.

CONCLUSIONS
The change in cutoff levels led to a higher concordance between IHC and FISH, but fewer samples were classified as HER2 positive.


In this research, design of advanced material for sunlight conversion requires focused research to obtain efficient photocatalytic system. Nanostructured ZnO was synthesized using spin coating technique. The structural, morphological and optical properties of annealed nanostructured ZnO thin film at 390 Co for 3 hours were characterized by x-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope AFM and UV-VIS spectrophotometer. Nanostructured ZnO was applied for removal Methylene Blue (MB) dye from water using sunlight induced photocatalytic process. Overall degradation of MB/ZnO was achieved after 120 minutes of sunlight irradiation while it needs more time for MB alone. The reaction rate constant fit pseudo first order for MB/ZnO degradation was 0.031 min−1 compared to 0.018 min-1 using blank sample. Annealed nanostructured ZnO thin film was considered as an excellent candidate to enhance photocatalytic system to convert sunlight to chemical energy based on interfacial charges transfer.


Von Willebrand disease (vWD), a disorder of primary hemostasis, represents the most frequently inherited bleeding diathesis, It is caused by a quantitative reduction or a qualitative abnormality, or both, of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a glycoprotein normally found in plasma, endothelial cells, subendothelial cell space, megakaryocytes and platelets. Patients with vWD represent a heterogeneous group with different phenotypes and with clinical symptoms that vary in severity. Many of the described types and subtypes of vWD are caused by mutations and aberrations of the vWF gene. The aim of this article is to highlight the impact of gene analysis on the current knowledge of the inheritance of vWD as well as on the structure-function relationship of vWF, and to focus on the available diagnostic laboratory tests and treatment options for patients with vWD, especially in childhood.


Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) caused by obstruction of the pulmonary arterial bed is an acute, life threatening, cardiovascular emergent situation. It is a reversible cause of right ventricular failure. The initial diagnosis majority may be missed due to symptoms and signs are nonspecific. Because of late detection of diagnosis is fatal, PE should be thought when acute dyspnea occurs. PE and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) are clinical situations related to venous thromboembolism (VTE). PE accompanies 50% to DVT (1). The real incidence of DVT and PE is not known due to nonspecific clinical situation. Pulmonary embolism occurs in 0.4% of hospitalized patients (2).


In anthropology, food is considered as cultural phenomenon that bears meaning and has four symbolic function, such as  social, group solidarity, food and soul tense, and symbolism of food in language. To enhance symbolic meaning of food,  these functions were sometimes linked to beliefs and superstitions supported by sanction, that is superstitious and concrete  punishment. The sanction took its form in kemponan expression. Kemponan is the belief of the society of West  Kalimantan that emerge in the context of ignoring food and beverages offer to someone. In the culture of offering food  and beverages, it is believed that person a who did not touch one serving that was offered, will meet disaster. This writting  slightly discussed about kemponan expression in cultural perspective. The methods used is qualitative descriptive.   Source of the data is oral and written one. Source of oral data gained by observation, while written one gathered by  scripts of folk tales that has been published. The technique of data collecting of the oral and written data are interview  and taking notes. Finally, the writting is narrowed down to an insight that an expression, despite assumed as a media  to express sense and sensibility, may show cultural events in each region, like kemponan expression that took root in  oral tradition of West Kalimantan society.


Prolongation of action potentials upon the addition of various cAMP increasing agents under Ca2+ free-EGTA condition, which was previously suggested to be produced by persistent Na+ influx through Ca2+ channel due to lack of Ca(2+)-mediated inactivation, was examined in isolated myocardial preparations from neonatal and adult guinea-pigs. Application of isoproterenol under Ca2+ free-EGTA condition produced prolongation of the action potential duration in both neonatal and adult preparations from various regions of the heart. Both in the neonate and adult, the prolongation in the right ventricular free wall and atrial preparations was smaller than that in preparations from other parts of the ventricle. In all regions of the heart except the right ventricle, the prolongation by isoproterenol was greater in the adult than in the neonate, no developmental difference was observed in the right free wall. In right ventricular free-wall preparations, the prolongation produced by forskolin and isobutyl-methylxanthine in the adult was larger than in neonatal ones. Our present results suggest regional and developmental difference in contribution of Ca(2+)-mediated inactivation of Ca2+ channels to the repolarization of guinea-pig myocardium. The developmental changes were similar to but much smaller than, those observed in the rat myocardium.


Two algorithms for eigenvalue problems in piezoelectric finite element analyses are introduced. The first algorithm involves the use of Lanczos method with a new matrix storage scheme, while the second algorithm uses a Rayleigh quotient iteration scheme. In both solution methods, schemes are implemented to reduce storage requirements and solution time. Both solution methods also seek to preserve the sparsity structure of the stiffness matrix to realize major savings in memory.

In the Lanczos method with the new storage scheme, the bandwidth of the stiffness matrix is optimized by mixing the electrical degree of freedom with the mechanical degrees of freedom. The unique structural pattern of the consistent mass matrix is exploited to reduce storage requirements. These major reductions in memory requirements for both the stiffness and mass matrices also provided large savings in computational time. In the Rayleigh quotient iteration method, an algorithm for generating good initial eigenpairs is employed to improve its overall convergence rate, and its convergence stability in the regions of closely spaced eigenvalues and repeated eigenvalues. The initial eigenvectors are obtained by interpolation from a coarse mesh. In order for this multi-mesh iterative method to be effective, an eigenvector of interest in the fine mesh must resemble an eigenvector in the coarse mesh. Hence, the method is effective for finding the set of eigenpairs in the low-frequency range, while the Lanczos method with a mixed electromechanical matrix can be used for any frequency range. Results of example problems are presented to show the savings in solution time and storage requirements of the proposed algorithms when compared with the existing algorithms in the literature.


SUMMARY Human tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium bovis surveillance is affected by a lack of data. The aims of the present study were: (i) to estimate the proportion of human TB caused by M. bovis over a period of 5 years in Bologna, Northern Italy, which, like most Western European countries, has been declared bovine TB-free; (ii) to compare the genetic profiles of M. bovis strains identified in humans with those circulating in cattle in the last 15 years in Italy. Among 511 TB patients, the proportion of human TB caused by M. bovis was 1·76%, significantly associated to extra-pulmonary localization (P = 0·004) and to being elderly (P < 0·001) and Italy-born (P = 0·036). The molecular epidemiology analysis by spoligotyping and Multilocus Variable Tandem Repeat Analysis confirmed that most M. bovis strains from Italy-born patients matched those circulating in cattle herds in Italy between 2001 and 2016. Two cases of Mycobacterium bovis BCG infection were also characterized. In conclusion, the rate of human TB caused by M. bovis was not negligible, highlighting the relevance of molecular typing in evaluating the effectiveness of programmes designed to eradicate TB in cattle in Italy.


Abstract For this study, we conducted a survey targeting elementary school students to examine how the type of family communication shows differences in the children's use of media to draw up effective measures to use media. The result of study is that meaningful differences showed according to the time spent watching TV(F=6.719, p<.05) and using PC(F=7.713, p<.05) or cell phone(F=6.404, p<.05). The authoritative type pursuing obedience preferred entertainment programs and spent much time watching TV and preferred entertainment games when using a PC. The deliberating type pursuing conversations preferred educational and informative programs when watching TV and informative programs when using a PC. This study is meaningful in that it presents lessons learned to draw up measures for children to effectively use media based on the study results. Key Words : Communication type, Family communication, Children's media, Time using media, Measures to use media * 국제문화대학원대학교 박사 과정


The research is being conducted to overview and emphasize on the comparative study of local banks to identify the effects of total quality management (TQM) in the banks to evaluate the financial performance which they are providing to their customers. Therefore the main objective of this study is to find out impact of TQM practices on the financial performance of the banks. Literature review reveals that the implementation of TQM practice in Pakistani banks is still at rudimentary level. It was also revealed that implementation of TQM practices lead high quality performance. Exploratory research has been used in order to have a better and deeper understanding of the research problem. Furthermore, since the problem could not be articulated with any precision, the research of an exploratory nature was required, also enabling to develop clear objectives. It took the form of literature searches, informal personal interviews with experienced people who are the bank customers or the bank employees as well as formal questionnaire filling by them. Sample size of 150 individuals has been selected in this research. Out of 150 respondents, 122 respondents have been used for data analysis, and 28 respondents whose responses have not been evaluated because of ambiguity. Comparisons of various service offerings provided by local banks have also been considered for the purpose of evaluating the service quality gaps. The outcomes of this study furthermore display that the use of financial performance assesses has a mediator function in the connection between TQM scheme and value performance. The outcomes furthermore show that an enhancement of value performance positively sways financial performance through improvements in enterprise performance. The banks should start a company's wide perception of TQM through seminar and workshop. The content of teaching of bank workers should be such that will enhance the implementation of the TQM. Employees' value perception and engagement through well-developed programmed should be granted broad publicity.


"The present study is limited to the programs of colleges and universities designed to meet the needs of the veterans. Its primary purpose is to make a survey of the policies and programs of a cross-section of institutions in the nation and to evaluate the programs in light of needs and purposes of veterans as shown by certain surveys....in conclusion the following evaluation is made of the results of this study: 1. The men and women returning from the armed forces to civilian life will have many adjustments to make. To facilitate these adjustments, additional education in many instances will be required. 2. The federal government has made it possible for a much larger number of veterans to return to school than could resume their education otherwise. 3. Not only will the students be more numerous than before, they will be more heterogeneous, thus presenting more complex problems for the schools. The changes being made to accomodate the veterans are obviously changes which do not fundamentally alter the characteristics of higher education. They are changes in the mechanics of education designed to assist veterans in making proper adjustments to academic and civilian life as quickly and as easily as possible."-- leaves 2,96.


The influence of haemodilution with colloids on somatosensory evoked potentials in non-premedicated volunteers is reported. In seven volunteers (randomized crossover design), blood (20 mL kg-1 within 30 min) was removed and simultaneously replaced by gelatin 3% or hydroxyethylstarch 6%. After 30 min, blood was retransfused within 30 min. Median and posterior tibial nerve somatosensory evoked potentials were recorded from the cortex, second cervical vertebra, Erb's point and 1st lumbar vertebra, respectively. One volunteer experienced a severe allergic reaction to gelatin, therefore only six gelatin trials were evaluated. Haemodilution decreased the haematocrit from 39.8 +/- 1.6% (mean +/- SD) to 31.1 +/- 2.0% (gelatin) and from 40.7 +/- 1.7% to 29.8 +/- 1.5 % (hydroxyethylstarch), respectively. Retransfusion increased haematocrit to 34.4 +/- 0.9% (gelatin) and to 34.2 +/- 1.3% (hydroxyethylstarch). Neither haemodilution with gelatin nor haemodilution with hydroxyethylstarch or retransfusion influenced evoked potentials. In conclusion, the treatment of blood loss up to 30% of estimated blood volume with gelatin or hydroxyethylstarch will not affect somatosensory evoked potential monitoring provided normovolaemic conditions are maintained.


Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA

Recent screening trials indicate that low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) reduces lung-cancer mortality in high risk subjects. However, high false positive rates, costs and potential harms highlight the need for complementary biomarkers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are tissue and disease specific molecules, actively released by cells in the circulatory system, which are associated with protein complexes and/or packaged in exosomes and microvesicles. Circulating miRNAs are rather stable and easily detectable in body fluids suggesting the possibility of using miRNAs as a new promising class of biomarkers.

Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively) of a non-invasive plasma miRNA signature classifier (MSC) to identify lung cancer occurrence and mortality was retrospectively evaluated in samples prospectively collected from smokers within the randomized Multicentre Italian Lung Detection (MILD) trial. Plasma samples from 939 subjects including 69 lung cancer patients and 870 disease-free individuals were analyzed using a Real-Time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) based assay for MSC. Combined sensitivity and specificity of plasma MSC and LDCT were assessed in a blinded validation study.

MSC correctly identified patients with lung cancer at 87% sensitivity, 81% specificity, and 99% NPV, and 18 of 19 lung cancer deaths at 95% sensitivity 81% specificity, and 99.86% NPV. MSC identified 43 of 49 (88%) LDCT-detected cancers, 8 of 9 (89%) interval cancers in the LDCT arm, and 9 of 11 (82%) cancers in the observational arm. Diagnostic performance of MSC was confirmed by time dependency analysis. MSC fell to negative after lung cancer resection in 16 of 22 evaluable subjects. In lung cancer patients, there was a trend in mortality across levels of MSC (p=0.0336) and survival rate significantly differed according to MSC in all subjects (X21=49.53, p<0.0001). Combination of MSC and LDCT resulted in a 5-fold reduction of LDCT false positive rate.

This large validation study highlights the clinical diagnostic and prognostic value of plasma MSC for lung cancer screening in high-risk populations. The combined use of LDCT and MSC could reduce the false positive rate of LDCT improving the efficacy of lung cancer screening.

Citation Format: Mattia Boeri, Carla Verri, Gabriella Sozzi, Luca Roz, Davide Conte, Paola Suatoni, Alfonso Marchiano, Carlo La Vecchia, Marta Rossi, Francesca Bravi, Eva Negri, Nicola Sverzellati, Ugo Pastorino. Clinical utility of a plasma microRNA biomarker within lung cancer screening. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 871. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-871


The article includes an analysis of the peace mission in Lebanon with the participation of the Polish Military Contingent. The organizational structure of the military health service securing our soldiers in that mission was also presented, bearing in mind the initial intended use of Polish units in this mission. The article is looking for an answer to the question about the importance of participation in peacekeeping missions of the Polish Armed Forces. It is also a description of the first mission in Lebanon, with a view to the re-participation of Polish troops in the mission at the end of 2019. Poland is considered a responsible member of NATO and the European Union.


Amputation is an infrequent but devastating outcome of meningococcal septicemia. We assessed daily living functions and quality of life in a cohort of children and young people, 3 to 5 years after limb amputations following severe meningococcal disease. All participants lived with their families in the community, with minimal assistance. Participants used effective strategies to compensate for motor impairment and generally had good quality of life, despite ongoing health problems (predominantly musculoskeletal). The degree of amputation did not predict the functional outcome. The surprisingly good outcomes we report should discourage clinicians from withdrawing intensive care support because of presumed poor outcomes after multiple amputations in severe meningococcal disease.


Several sets of wheat inter-varietal chromosome substitution lines (SLs) have been produced over the last fifty years at the CRI (formerly RICP) in Prague-Ruzyně, based on cytogenetic manipulations using aneu - ploids. Lines with defined genes have been obtained which significantly influence growth habit and flowering time and these have been used particularly in the study of the genetics and physiology of flowering. The sets of lines include substitutions of homoeologous group 5 chromosomes carrying vrn genes that control vernalisa- tion response, homoeologous group 2 chromosomes with Ppd genes controlling photoperiodic sensitivity, and some other substitutions, particularly those with chromosome 3B of the Czech alternative variety Ceska Přesivka where a novel flowering time effect was located. Although the phenotypic and cytological analysis of substitution lines has been continually carried out during backcrossing generations, only the use of molecular markers can allow an unambiguous characterization to verify that substitutions are correct and complete. This analysis has allowed incorrect substitutions or partial substitutions to be identified and discarded. This paper summarizes the results of recent molecular checks of the substitution line collections at CRI.


This paper expounds the concepts and pathogeneses of latent phlegm in the lungs, one of the basic TCM pathogenesis of COPD, and the theory of bacterial threshold in modern medicine. And it is presented that the process of repeated onset caused by latent phlegm in the lungs is just as the process of recurrent attack induced by airway bacterial colonization exceeding threshold.


To provide further information on the biochemical nature of the cellular and secreted forms of the mucin-like CA 125 ovarian cancer antigen. Pulse-chase experiments were performed in the NIH:OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cell line with [35S]Met/Cys radiolabeling. After pulsing the cells with radioisotope for 30 min and analyzing cell lysates by immunoprecipitation with anti-CA 125 antibodies, a doublet species (form B, approximately 400 kD) and a ladder of slower-moving components were detected by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. After a 4-hour chase period, a much larger species (form A) became evident. With further culture, the B form disappeared and the A form accumulated, suggesting a 'precursor-product' relationship between the two forms. The putative precursor species did not appear in the culture supernatant, but secretion of the mature species (form A) began after about 1 h of synthesis. Lectin-binding experiments demonstrated that the B form is a glycoprotein and not an early apomucin precursor. In contrast to other reports, no smaller species of the mature form of CA 125 were detected in this study. Trypsin digestion severely degraded the antigen but discrete smaller fragments were not formed. CA 125 antigen is synthesized through a glycosylated 400-kD precursor species. The mature form of the antigen appears in the cell after about 1 h of synthesis and in the culture medium after 1–4 h.


Current classification systems used for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in adult patients about to undergo total hip arthroplasty use a combined assessment of the acetabulum and femur which ignores femoral geometry and problems related to reconstruction of leg length. Currently accepted systems are those of Crowe and Hartofilakidis; it is our opinion that they do not predict surgical difficulties encountered at total hip arthroplasty. We describe a new classification system for adult DDH that divides the acetabulum and femur into separate components. The acetabular classification comprises: AI: Dysplastic acetabulum; AII: The acetabulum associated with a low femoral dislocation; AIII: The post-surgical acetabulum, with (AIIIa) or without retained metalwork (AIIIb). The femoral classification consists of: FI: Dysplastic femur but contained within true or low acetabulum; FII: The high femur; FIII: Post-surgical femur, again with or without metalwork (FIIIa and FIIIb). 50 pre-operative radiographs of hips with DDH about to undergo total hip replacement were assessed by orthopaedic consultants, registrars and medical students. They were classified using the new system, Crowe and Hartofilakidis systems. Interobserver and intraobserever reliability was assessed using Fleiss' kappa coefficient with combined (acetabulum and femur) kappa scores for the new system of 0.69 for interobserver and 0.67 for intraobserver reliability. This equated to 'substantial agreement' according to Landis and Koch and the new system showed at least comparable levels of reliability to the Hartofilakidis and Crowe systems. We have demonstrated reproducibility of our new classification system for DDH in the adult population and believe it could provide useful information when planning arthroplasty and be used to predict technical difficulties and outcome.


The characteristics of eigen waves of periodical structures consist of 2-D arrays of strip particles, in particular having the shape of letters C, S and nl are studied. Analytical and numerical results are presented. Study of eigen waves can be used for analyze property of polarization transformation by single complex array and multi-layered one.


Consideration is given to the effects of representations and operators in evolutionary algorithms. In particular, theorems are presented which establish, under some general assumptions, that no choice of cardinality of a representation offers any intrinsic advantage over another. Functionally equivalent algorithms can be constructed regardless of the chosen representation. Further, a similar effective equivalence of variation operators is shown such that no intrinsic advantage accrues to any particular one-parent operator or any particular two-parent operator.


To find an environmentally friendly and energy efficient alternative to acidic detergent for a milking system clean-in-place (CIP) process, this study investigated the feasibility of applying slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) alone to wash the system by cleaning soiled stainless steel (304) pipes, rubber gaskets, and PVC milk hoses, which were used in the milking system. The results showed that SAEW with appropriate parameters could achieve the same or even better hygienic effects compared with commercial detergent. Using response surface models, the SAEW parameters required to clean stainless steel were optimized at 9.9 min for the treatment time, 37.8 °C for the water temperature, and 60 mg/L for the available chlorine concentration; and were 14.4 min, 29.6 °C, and 60 mg/L for rubber gasket and PVC samples, respectively. After washing with the optimized parameter combination, bacteria and adenosine triphosphate on the three materials were almost non-detectable, indicating that SAEW has the potential to replace acidic detergents in CIP milking systems.


Background: It is a common tendency among medical professionals to practice self-medication when they themselves feel sick. The practice of self-medication gets incorporated in the medical professional's right from their undergraduate days. It assumes a special significance among medical students as they are the future medical practitioners.
Objective: To analyze the pattern of self-medication practice among undergraduate medical students.
Material and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study conducted among the 1st year medical students of MVJMC&RH, Bangalore.
Results: In our study, it was seen that majority (82.6%) of the participants were aware of OTC drugs. Self medication was seen among 56.6% of the medical students. Headache (76.3%) followed by fever were the most common ailments for which analgesics (60.1%) followed antipyretics were the most common OTC drugs used. . Confidence in self medication (46.2%), finding it cumbersome to go to doctor where the some of the reasons for using OTC drugs. Media advertisements (32.3%) followed by text book/journals were the most common source of information used to know about OTC drugs. Large number of students were aware of package insert/ prescription label (81.5%) and also they followed label instructions while self medicating (88.4%).
Conclusion: Our study shows that Majority of the participants were aware of OTC drugs & self-medication is widely practiced among them. In this situation, faculties should create awareness and educate their students regarding advantages and disadvantages of self-medication.


Cycling environmental conditions that vary with latitude have led to the evolution of intricate timing mechanisms. Nasonia vitripennis, a small parasitic wasp (Hymenoptera), is known to have strong light-driven seasonal response in the form of diapause (insect type of hibernation) signalled by short days of upcoming winter, as well as circadian rhythms in behaviours such as locomotor activity. Circadian rhythms are governed by a biological "clock", whose molecular composition differs between species. Whether this clock also regulates seasonal rhythms is debated, as the regulation of the "seasonal timer" is poorly known. Because Nasonia is missing the clock protein CRYPTOCHROME1, a "light-sensor" for the clock synchronisation in Drosophila, CRYPTOCHROME2 was hypothesised as possible light-sensor in Nasonia. Despite being a core clock component, various in vivo and in vitro experiments did not confirm CRYPTOCHROME2 as a light-sensor in Nasonia. The molecular basis of the seasonal response was studied in a set of genetically variable N. vitripennis lines from a single latitudinal location. Lines varied in the proportion of diapausing broods, under short day conditions, indicating variation in the regulation of the seasonal clock, possibly involving other regulatory pathways. This study has provided insight in the molecular regulation of the Nasonia clock and its light synchronisation, information that is important .for understanding how organisms adapt to a cycling environment.


This vision paper proposes an approach to use the most advanced word embeddings techniques to bridge the gap between the discourses of experts and non-experts and more specifically the terminologies used by the twocommunities. Word embeddings makes it possible to find equivalent terms between experts and non-experts, byapproach the similarity between words or by revealing hidden semantic relations. Thus, these controlledvocabularies with these new semantic enrichments are exploited in a hybrid recommendation system incorporating content-based ontology and keyword-based ontology to obtain relevant wines recommendations regardless of the level of expertise of the end user. The major aim is to find a non-expert vocabulary from semantic rules to enrich the knowledge of the ontology and improve the indexing of the items (i.e. wine) and the recommendation process.


The hook method has been used to obtain oscillator strengths for twenty lines in three branches of the (0, 0) band of the 2∑+-2Π system of OH. It is found that vibration-rotation interaction decreases the effective f-value for this band by about 7% over the first ten lines of each branch. The absolute f-value obtained for the rotationless molecule is f00 = (14·8 ± 1·3) x 10-4. Although this falls within the range of previous measurements, it is nearly twice as large as the value hitherto considered most probable. For the (1, 0) band, in which vibration-rotation interaction could not be measured, the absolute oscillator strength is found to be (8·9 ± 1·7) x 10-4, giving for the relative oscillator strengths the ratio f10/f00 = 0·60 ± 0·10.


Many goals in synthetic biology, including the elucidation and refactoring of biosynthetic pathways and the engineering of regulatory circuits and networks, require knowledge of protein function. In plants, the prevalence of large gene families means it can be particularly challenging to link specific functions to individual proteins. However, protein characterisation has remained a technical bottleneck, often requiring significant effort to optimise expression and purification protocols. To leverage the ability of biofoundries to accelerate design-built-test-learn cycles, we present a workflow for automated DNA assembly and cell-free expression of plant proteins that accelerates optimisation and enables rapid progression to characterisation. First, we developed a phytobrick-compatible Golden Gate DNA assembly toolbox containing plasmid acceptors for cell-free expression using E. coli or wheat germ lysates as well as a set of N- and C-terminal tag parts for detection, purification, and improved expression/folding. We next optimised automated assembly of miniaturised cell-free reactions using an acoustic liquid handling platform and then compared tag configurations to identify those that increase expression. We additionally developed a luciferase-based system for rapid quantification that requires a minimal 11 aa tag and demonstrate facile removal of tags following synthesis. Finally, we show that several functional characterisation experiments can be performed with cell-free protein synthesis reactions without the need for protein purification. Together, the combination of automated assembly of DNA parts and cell-free expression reactions should significantly increase the throughput of experiments to test and understand plant protein function and enable the direct reuse of DNA parts in downstream plant engineering workflows.


The effects of increasing environmental temperature and of exercise on some biochemical characteristics of the intestinal mucosa were analyzed in hamsters to determine whether damage occurs to the intestine during exercise, because long-distance runners complain of cramp, diarrhea, or retrostaltic symptoms, especially when exercise is performed at high temperatures. Two sets of experiments were carried out on groups of five animals. First, one group stayed at rest at 20 degrees C while another group performed exercise for 30 min at the same temperature. Second, one group of animals remained at rest at 20 degrees C for 16 h, a second group was placed at 32 degrees C for the same period, and a third group was subjected to the latter treatment but in addition performed two 20-min exercises. The animals were killed immediately after the experiment. After the small bowel was removed, biopsies were taken for histological examination, and the remaining small bowel tissue was homogenized for biochemical analysis. During exercise performed at 20 degrees C or during exposure to 32 degrees C, the DNA weight (expressed as a function of the protein weight) increased; the specific activity of sucrase, leucine aminopeptidase, diamine oxidase, and maltase decreased; spermine and putrescine content generally decreased; and the weight of mucosal proteins per length of intestine did not vary significantly. When exercise was performed at 32 degrees C, we noted few modifications in the values of the intestinal parameters tested, i.e., changes in only the weight of mucosa expressed as a function of bowel length and, perhaps, the spermine or putrescine content.


The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched in July 1999, and is returning exquisite sub-arc second X-ray images of star groups, supernova remnants, galaxies, quasars, and clusters of galaxies. In addition to being the premier X-ray observatory in terms of angular and spectral resolution, Chandra is the best calibrated X-ray facility ever flown. We discuss here the calibration of the on-axis effective area of the High Resolution Mirror Assembly. Because we do not know the absolute X-ray flux density of any celestial source, this must be based primarily on ground measurements and on modeling. We use celestial sources which may be assumed to have smoothly varying spectra, such as the BL Lac object Markarian 421, to verify the continuity of the area calibration as a function of energy across the Ir M-edges. We believe the accuracy of the HRMA area calibration is of order 2%.


Cold agglutinins are autoantibodies that agglutinate red blood cells at low temperatures, leading to haemagglutination and haemolysis. They are generally of no clinical significance. However, when people with cold agglutinins undergo cardiac operation with hypothermia and cold cardioplegia, they can experience complications. Thus, different perioperative management is required for such patients. We describe a 74-year-old man with cold agglutinins incidentally detected on the preoperative screening test. He had never experienced any complications or developed a haematological disease. Since cold agglutinins were incidentally detected on the preoperative test, a special strategy was used to manage the temperature of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and cardioplegia. He successfully underwent normothermic cardiac operation with warm cardioplegia. A continuous retrograde hyperkalaemic infusion and intermittent antegrade infusion of warm cardioplegia with normothermic CPB is one of the best methods to avoid hypothermia and excessive activity and metabolism of the heart, and to provide a suitable operative field.


Background Children and adolescents with cancer may experience multiple disease- and treatment-related symptoms that negatively affect health-related quality of life. Routine symptom surveillance thus constitutes an important component of supportive care in pediatric oncology. The Symptom Monitoring and Systematic Assessment and Reporting System in Young Survivors (SyMon-SAYS) system will administer, score, interpret, and display the results of symptom assessments captured weekly using patient-reported outcomes presented via the electronic health record (EHR) portal between clinic visits in oncology ambulatory settings, when patients are likely to be more symptomatic. This study is testing a digital system for routine symptom surveillance that includes EHR-based reports to clinicians and alerts for severe symptoms. Objective In this randomized trial, we are examining the effects of the SyMon-SAYS system on perceived barriers to symptom management, self-efficacy, and symptom severity. Better self-management and timely clinical intervention to address symptoms promote adherence to treatment plans, strengthen child and parent self-efficacy, improve interactions between children, parents, and their clinical providers, and optimize clinical outcomes. Methods The SyMon-SAYS system is integrated into the EHR to streamline the presentation of symptom scores and delivery of alerts for severe symptoms to clinicians using EHR (Epic) messaging functionalities. Children (aged 8 to 17 years) complete the weekly symptom assessment and review the symptom report by logging into the patient portal (Epic MyChart). This single-institution waitlist randomized controlled trial is recruiting 200 children (aged 8-17 years) with cancer and their parents, guardians, or caregivers. Participating dyads are randomly assigned to receive the intervention over 16 weeks (Group A: 16-week SyMon-SAYS intervention; Group B: 8-week usual care and then an 8-week SyMon-SAYS intervention). Analyses will (1) evaluate the efficacy of SyMon-SAYS at week 8 and the maintenance of those effects at week 16; (2) evaluate factors associated with those efficacy outcomes, including contextual factors, adherence to the SyMon-SAYS intervention, demographic characteristics, and clinical factors; and (3) evaluate predictors of adherence to the SyMon-SAYS intervention and preference of SyMon-SAYS versus usual care. Results Data collection is currently in progress. We hypothesize that at 8 weeks, those receiving the SyMon-SAYS intervention will report decreased parent-perceived barriers to managing their children's symptoms, increased parent and child self-efficacy, decreased child symptom burden, and ultimately better child health-related quality of life, compared to waitlist controls. Feasibility, acceptability, and engagement from the perspectives of the children with cancer, their parents, and their clinicians will be examined using mixed methods. Conclusions We anticipate that this system will facilitate prompt identification of problematic symptoms. Additionally, we hypothesize that with the availability of graphical symptom reports over time, and timely provider responses, children or parents will become better informed and take an active role in managing their symptoms, which will further improve clinical outcomes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04789720; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04789720 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/50993


This study investigates the extent of mathematical
creativity among 57 eight-grade talented students in the Mathematically Talented
Youth Program. We examine the reasoning these students applied in solving a problem;
the degree of mathematical creativity and aesthetic in their approach in solving
a non-routine mathematical problem; and explore whether the students' mathematical
thinking is dependent solely upon previous mathematical knowledge and skills. We
found that majority of the students relied on technical algorithm to solve the problem.
Although talented students coped well with the thinking challenge, most of them
operated at the basic level of creativity. One implication drawn from this study
is the need to broaden and develop mathematical-logical thinking both as specific
lessons and also as an integral part of other lessons in the program.


Introduction: The mesio-distal dimension of the maxillary anterior teeth is important in achieving pleasing dento-facial esthetics. However, little scientific data exists that evaluates sexual dimorphism and proportional dimensions of maxillary anterior teeth Purpose this study is thus to identify weather there is any sexual dimorphism observed between mesiodistal (M-D) dimension of permanent maxillary anterior teeth and to determine proportionate dimension of permanent maxillary anterior teeth. Material and Methods: Gypsum casts of 80 fully dentate dental students (14-30 years) were included in the study based upon the selection criteria. Results: Mesiodistal dimension of permanent maxillary anterior teeth and their proportionate relationship were established for establishment of norms for mesiodistal dimensions. Mesio-distal dimensions of male dentition for both right and left side teeth were greater than those of females (for the population in question), in accordance with previous studies. Ratio of mesiodistal crown dimensions of the maxillary lateral incisors to the maxillary central incisors was 78.06% in females and 80.73% in males. Ratio of the mesiodistal crown dimension of the maxillary lateral incisors to the maxillary canine was 87.96% in females and 90.77% in males and lastly, ratio of mesiodistal crown dimension of the maxillary canine to maxillary central Incisors was 89.36% in females and 88.94% in males. Conclusions: Mesio-distal dimensions of six anterior maxillary teeth measured from contact point to contact point were found to be comparable with existing data in the literature. Sexual dimorphism was evident from results. Conclusively, such guidelines in addition to the absolute mesio-distal dimensions can help in establishing better anterior micro-esthetics and tooth-lip relationships.


Background & Objectives The Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de-facto standard for the exchange of electronic documents. It is platform-independent, suitable for the exchange of medical data, and allows for the embedding of three-dimensional (3D) surface mesh models. In this article, we present the first clinical routine application of interactive 3D surface mesh models which have been integrated into PDF files for the presentation and the exchange of Computer Assisted Surgery Planning (CASP) results in liver surgery. We aimed to prove the feasibility of applying 3D PDF in medical reporting and investigated the user experience with this new technology. Methods We developed an interactive 3D PDF report document format and implemented a software tool to create these reports automatically. After more than 1000 liver CASP cases that have been reported in clinical routine using our 3D PDF report, an international user survey was carried out online to evaluate the user experience. Results Our solution enables the user to interactively explore the anatomical configuration and to have different analyses and various resection proposals displayed within a 3D PDF document covering only a single page that acts more like a software application than like a typical PDF file ("PDF App"). The new 3D PDF report offers many advantages over the previous solutions. According to the results of the online survey, the users have assessed the pragmatic quality (functionality, usability, perspicuity, efficiency) as well as the hedonic quality (attractiveness, novelty) very positively. Conclusion The usage of 3D PDF for reporting and sharing CASP results is feasible and well accepted by the target audience. Using interactive PDF with embedded 3D models is an enabler for presenting and exchanging complex medical information in an easy and platform-independent way. Medical staff as well as patients can benefit from the possibilities provided by 3D PDF. Our results open the door for a wider use of this new technology, since the basic idea can and should be applied for many medical disciplines and use cases.


For nearly 5 decades, methotrexate has been the backbone of moderate-to-severe psoriasis treatment. The benefits of methotrexate therapy include reliable efficacy, low cost, relative ease of administration, and its usefulness as part of combination therapy regimens, making it a drug of choice for treating psoriasis. While methotrexate can be administered orally, intravenously, or intramuscularly, the self-administered subcutaneous use of the drug is the most advantageous route. Subcutaneous methotrexate is associated with fewer adverse events and higher absorption rates, accompanied by bioavailability that is both linear and predictable throughout the range of possible doses. In addition, the subcutaneous route, when compared with oral administration, facilitates improved efficacy by promoting higher intracellular levels of long-chain methotrexate polyglutamates. Taken together, these features allow patients the highest probability of a successful therapeutic experience. Subcutaneous methotrexate should be considered a viable option for the appropriate patient with moderate-to-severe psoriasis.


A dry deposition scheme, originally developed to calculate the deposition velocities for the trace gases O3, NO2, NO, and HNO3 in the chemistry and general circulation European Centre Hamburg Model (ECHAM), is extended to sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfate (SO42−). In order to reduce some of the shortcomings of the previous model version a local surface roughness and a more realistic leaf area index (LAI), derived from a high-resolution ecosystem database are introduced. The current model calculates the deposition velocities from the aerodynamic resistance, a quasi-laminary boundary layer resistance and a surface resistance of the surface cover, e.g., snow/ice, bare soil, vegetation, wetted surfaces, and ocean. The SO2 deposition velocity over vegetated surfaces is calculated as a function of the vegetation activity, the canopy wetness, turbulent transport through the canopy to the soil, and uptake by the soil. The soil resistance is explicitly calculated from the relative humidity and the soil pH, derived from a high-resolution global soil pH database. The snow/ice resistance of SO2 is a function of temperature. The SO2 deposition velocity over the oceans is controlled by turbulence. The sulfate deposition velocity is calculated considering diffusion, impaction, and sedimentation. Over sea surfaces the effect of bubble bursting, causing the breakdown of the quasi-laminary boundary layer, scavenging of the sulfate aerosol by sea spray, and aerosol growth due to high local relative humidities are considered. An integrated sulfate deposition velocity is calculated, applying a unimodal mass size distribution over land and a bimodal mass size distribution over sea. The calculated sulfate deposition velocity is about an order of magnitude larger than that based on a monodisperse aerosol, which is often applied in chemistry-transport models. Incorporation of the new dry deposition scheme in the ECHAM model yields significant relative differences (up to ∼50%) in mass flux densities and surface layer concentrations compared to those calculated with a simple, constant dry deposition scheme.


The advent of reconfigurable assembly lines brought about increased manufacturing flexibility that enables an extremely efficient production. The machines in reconfigurable systems are characterized by ultra-fast orientation changes as well as fast tool changes. The lines often enable non sequential flow and large degree of automation (including routing). In this paper we suggest a simple column generation technique to efficiently utilize the various machines. We discuss the suitability of the suggested method to various reconfigurable systems. We also discuss other possible formulations that may be pursued in the future.


In this paper, we present the design of a bilingual corpus of French learners of Korean and Korean learners of French using the same experimental design. This language resource contains mainly speech data, gathered among learners with different proficiency levels and in different speaking contexts (read and spontaneous speech). We aim at providing a translated and annotated corpus to the scientific community which can be used for a large array of purposes in the field of theoretical but also applied linguistics.


Purpose: To investigative the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs pertaining to dietary supplements (DS) use in Jordan.
Methods: Participants were enrolled from four main cities in Jordan, viz, Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, and Mafraq, to fill a self-administered questionnaire which explored the objectives of the study.
Results: Most participants (80 %) knew what DS are. The prevalence of DS use was high (62.1 %) and significantly higher among females (p = 0.004). The most commonly consumed DS among users were in the form of multivitamins (93.0 %), vitamin D (65.8 %) and vitamin C (57.6 %). About half of the participants (46.2 %) believed that DS have no side effects. The most frequent source of information for participants about DS was from non-reliable references, such as social media. Self-prescription was the most common approach by DS users for supplement intake. Finally, the common hypothesis of associating healthy habits with DS use was not found to be true among Jordanians.
Conclusion: These results highlight the need to implement appropriate awareness programs for the public regarding DS benefits and hazards, and especially to advise the public not to initiate DS use without first consulting an appropriate healthcare professional.


To determine the influence of biological variation on the reliability of data from different types of urine specimens, we measured nine analytes in first-morning, randomly collected, and 24-h samples of urine from 53 healthy individuals (14 men and 39 women). The urines were collected once a week for 10 weeks. The data obtained were used as a basis for specimen collection and to gain insight into the influence of urine quantities in the diagnosis, screening, and monitoring of patients. We found that 24-h urine expressed in output rather than concentration units is the most reliable specimen for diagnosis and monitoring for most of the analytes studied. On the basis of the ratio between estimated within- and between-subject variation, the tests with greatest medical usefulness for diagnosis and screening of specific pathologies are those measuring protein and sodium. Moreover, the results indicate that urine creatinine may be a poor test for diagnosis, monitoring, and screening.


Orthotopic liver transplants (OLT) performed in certain combinations of donor and recipient rat strains, such as DA (RT1a) to PVG (RT1c), without immunosuppressive drugs could completely overcome major histocompatibility complex barriers. Although other organs transplanted in a similar fashion within the same combination have been promptly rejected, 60 day post‐OLT serum (POD 60) has been proven competent in rapidly reversing the established rejection in animal models. In order to understand the functional role of tolerogenic serum proteins and their involvement with immune response regulation, a comprehensive analysis surveying global changes in complex OLT systems by proteomic techniques was applied. The results display the varying protein expressions in sera extracted from naïve and transplanted animals on POD 60 with regard to immunosuppression. Among these proteins, haptoglobin (Hp) which is related to inhibition of T‐cell proliferation was found to be up‐regulated following OLT. In addition, the transcriptional expression level and intracellular localization of Hp correlated with the immune events. Hp also exhibited a strong in vitro immunosuppressive effect on the mixed lymphocyte reaction. In conclusion, the presence of Hp may play an important role in modulating the spontaneous tolerance of liver transplantation. Furthermore, the serum proteome map could provide guidance with respect to discovering potential protein targets in OLT tolerance and eventually prolong hepatic allograft survival in the future.


A novel disintegrin, stejnin, was purified from the Trimeresurus stejnegeri venom by gel filtration and reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. The molecular weight of stejnin was determined to be 7428 Da by MALD-TOF MS analysis. The cDNA encoding the precursor of stejnin was cloned from the venom gland. From the deduced amino acid sequence, stejnin is composed of 71 amino acid residues contains the tripeptide sequence Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD), a well-known characteristic of the disintegrin family. Stejnin strongly inhibited ADP- and ristomycin-induced human platelet aggregation with IC50 of 45 and 50 nM, respectively. Stejnin also possessed potent inhibited cell proliferation of ECV304 cells.


The paper provides design and performance data for two envisaged year-2050 state-of-the-art engines: a geared high bypass turbofan for intercontinental missions and a contra-rotating pusher open rotor targeting short to medium range aircraft. It defines component performance and cycle parameters, general powerplant arrangements, sizes and weights. Reduced thrust requirements for future aircraft reflect expected improvements in engine and airframe technologies. Advanced simulation platforms have been developed, using the software PROOSIS, to model the engines and details of individual components, including custom elements for the open rotor engine.
 The engines are optimised and compared with 'baseline' year-2000 turbofans and an anticipated year-2025 entry-into-service open rotor to quantify the relative fuel-burn benefits. A preliminary scaling with non-optimised year-2050 'reference' engines, based on Top-of-Climb (TOC) thrust and bypass ratio, highlights the trade-offs between reduced specific fuel consumption (SFC) and increased weight and engine diameter. These parameters are then converted into mission fuel burn using linear and non-linear trade factors from aircraft models.
 The final turbofan has an optimised design-point bypass ratio (BPR) of 16.8, and a maximum overall pressure ratio (OPR) of 75.4 for a 31.5% TOC thrust reduction and a 46% mission fuel burn reduction per passenger kilometre compared to the respective year-2000 baseline engine and aircraft combination. The final open rotor SFC is 9.5% less than the year-2025 open rotor and 39% less than the year-2000 turbofan, while the TOC thrust increases by 8% versus the 2025 open rotor, due to assumed increase in aircraft passenger capacity. Combined with airframe improvements, the final open rotor-powered aircraft has a 59% fuel-burn reduction per passenger kilometre relative to its year-2000 baseline.


Recruitment, compensation, job satisfaction and organizational commitment are 4 (four) independent variables used to examine the retention of permanent lecturers at PTS LLDIKTI Region III Jakarta. This study uses the indirect effect of recruitment, compensation and job satisfaction on the retention of permanent lecturers at PTS LLDIKTI Region III Jakarta with organizational commitment as a mediator. This indirect effect can be determined through the direct influence of recruitment, compensation, job satisfaction and organizational commitment on the retention of permanent lecturers at PTS LLDIKTI Region III Jakarta and the direct influence of recruitment, compensation, job satisfaction on organizational commitment. The method used in this study is a quantitative method with a descriptive type of research that describes the phenomenon being studied through regression equations. The regression equation was determined after all research data were tested with validity, reliability, normality, multicollinearity and heteroscedasticity tests from 300 respondents who were samples of all permanent PTS lecturers with university legal entities located in LLDIKTI III d/h Kopertis Region III classified into cluster 4 (coaching), as many as 15 private universities with a total population of 1297 (Kemendikbud RI, 2019). The simple regression equation is said to be significant and positive if tcount > t table. The multiple regression equation is significant and positive if Fcount > Ftable. The results showed that recruitment (X1), compensation (X2), job satisfaction (X3) and organizational commitment (X4) partially had a positive and significant effect on permanent lecturer retention (Y) because tcount > ttable (10,994; 6,243; 4,809 and 7,491 > 2,339). The effect in percent (%) is 28.9%; 11.6%; 7.2% and 15.8%. This effect is true because Fcount > Ftable (120.875; 38.976; 23.131 and 56.122 > 3,323). recruitment (X1), compensation (X2), and organizational job satisfaction (X3) partially have a positive and significant effect on permanent lecturer retention (Y). because tcount > ttable (18,405; 5,784 and 5,320 > 2338) The effect in percent (%) is 53.2%; 10.1% and 6.7%. This effect is true because Fcount > Ftable (338,747; 33,451 and 28,307 >3,323)


There is a distinction in scientific explanation between the explanandum, statements describing the empirical phenomenon to be explained, and the explanans, statements describing the evidence that allow one to predict that phenomenon. To avoid tautology, these sets of statements must refer to distinct domains. A scientific explanation of semantics must be grounded in explanans that appeal to entities from non-semantic domains. I consider as examples eight candidate domains (including affect, lexical or sub-word co-occurrence, mental simulation, and associative learning) that could ground semantics. Following Wittgenstein (1954), I propose adjudicating between these different domains is difficult because of the reification of a word's 'meaning' as an atomistic unit. If we abandon the idea of the meaning of a word as being an atomistic unit and instead think of word meaning as a set of dynamic and disparate embodied states unified by a shared label, many apparent problems associated with identifying a meaning's 'true' explanans disappear. Semantics can be considered as sets of weighted constraints that are individually sufficient for specifying and labeling a subjectively-recognizable location in the high dimensional state space defined by our neural activity.


In many sports, athletes are spatially separated from their coach while practicing an exercise. This spatial separation makes learning new skills arduous because the coach cannot give instructions or feedback on performance. We present the findings of an in the wild study that demonstrate the potential for teaching sport skills with realtime tactile instructions. We focused on snowboard training. Ten amateurs learned a riding technique with a wearable system that automatically provided tactile instructions during descents. These instructions were in sync with the movements of the snowboard and signaled how to move the body. We found that tactile instructions could help snowboarders to improve their skills. We report insights into the snowboarders' opinion and give recommendations for teaching sport skills with tactile instructions. Our findings help to identify the conditions under which tactile instructions can support athletes in sports training.


In this paper trade-offs in multiplier blocks are studied. Three different algorithms for realization of multiplier blocks are compared in terms of complexity, logic depth, and power consumption. A new algorithm that reduces the number of shifts while the number of adders is on average the same is presented. Hence, the total complexity is reduced for multiplier blocks implemented using serial arithmetic, where shift operations has a cost. The design of low power multiplier blocks is shown to be a more complicated problem than to reduce the complexity. A main factor that need to be considered is logic depth.


Based on the coexistence of the Blandford–Znajek and magnetic coupling processes in black hole (BH) accretion disc, a multi-parameter model for jet powers and radio loudness of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is studied. It turns out that radio-loudness of AGNs could be governed by five parameters: (i) the BH spin, (ii) a power-law index of the variation of the magnetic field on the disc; (iii) a parameter determining the position of the inner edge of the disc, (iv) the ratio of the pressure of the magnetic field on the horizon to the ram pressure of the innermost parts of an accretion flow, and (v) the ratio of the angular velocity of the open field lines to that of the horizon. The observed dichotomy between radio-loud and radio-quiet AGNs is well interpreted by the effects of the above parameters. Furthermore, we discuss the derivative of radio loudness of AGNs with respect to each parameter separately. In addition, the effect of the screw instability on radio loudness of AGNs is discussed.