ABSTRACT Background: Many students have incomplete or incorrect perceptions of science and scientists. These simplified images, mediated by media or influential agents of socialisation, result in common stereotypes. Especially for occupational choices it is important to convey an authentic image about science and scientists. Purpose: One manner to convey an authentic image and thus the aim of this study is the development and validation of scientific videos including collected activities of scientists. Program description: Professors were interviewed regarding their typical scientific activities. This was followed by the development of a questionnaire which was answered by junior scientists. Authentic scientific videos were developed and finally validated in a science lab for school-students based on qualitative and quantitative results. Sample: 92 junior scientists answered the questionnaire and eight professors and 96 students (31 girls and 65 boys; grade 10 to 13) were interviewed. Design and methods: The scientists were surveyed before the development of the videos. The RIASEC+N model was used to categorise the collected activities of scientists. Finally, students were interviewed for the video validation. Results: A number of different scientific activities of each RIASEC+N dimension could be detected, which were then integrated into four videos. The interviewed students who watched those videos successfully identified all of the activities. Conclusion: The working day of scientists contains more than stereotypical aspects and well-considered/planned videos are one suitable option to promote an authentic overview about science and scientists.


Near-threshold processes are considered in which the reaction products consist of an ion and two low-energy electrons, one of which may be weakly bound to the ion. Using a classical model the partitioning of the available energy between the two electrons has been evaluated.


The literature offers many explanations for why the IPO market cycles from hot to cold. These include theories in which hot markets represent clusters of IPOs in a new industry, and signaling models that predict that hot markets draw in better quality firms. Others suggest hot market IPOs' stock returns reflect their poor quality. We compare IPOs over cycles during 1975–2000 and find that hot and cold IPO markets do not differ so much in the characteristics of the firms that go public as in the quantity of firms that go public. Both hot and cold IPOs are largely concentrated in the same narrow set of industries and they have few distinctions in profits, age, or growth potential. Our results suggest that hot markets are not driven primarily by changes in adverse selection costs, managerial opportunism, or technological innovations, but more likely reflect greater investor optimism.


The proportion of active, dephosphorylated, pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was decreased in the mouse heart by obesity (by 56%), and this decrease in enzyme activity persisted during preparation and extraction of heart mitochondria. Phosphorylation and inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase may be a major factor in mediating the inhibitory effects of obesity on glucose oxidation in muscle, and this may represent an important mechanism in the development and/or expression of cellular insulin-resistance.


Blood transfusion is an important part of modern medicine and often a life –
saving procedure. But it carries the major risk of transmission of infections because of
large volume of human source material is infused directly into the body and blood
collected from a single infectious donor may be transfused to a large number of
recipients.1
Transfusion transmissible agents have certain characteristics. They are present
in an infectious or potentially infectious form in the blood, and are stable during
storage and transmitted via the parenteral route. Most importantly, they can cause
asymptomatic infections in the donor and an apparently healthy prospective donor
could potentially be harboring infections.
Prevalence of leptospirosis among voluntary blood donors in our study was
found to be 21%.
• Of the 100 samples studied, 31 were positive by DFM, 40 by MAT, 21 by
both DFM and MAT; however, none of the samples were found positive by
PCR.
• Leptospira survived for 48 hrs in stored plasma at 4-6°C and
24 hrs in fresh frozen plasma stored at -18oC.
• DFM technique can be used as a simple, rapid and inexpensive means of
leptospira detection.
• Leptospiral screening can be made mandatory in endemic regions like
Chennai after undertaking a larger study.


Software-Defined Radios (SDR) have developed exponentially in recent years. This is due to the high versatility that SDR platforms bring to communications systems. This survey aims at designing, developing, and validating a SDR-based Cognitive Radio Sensing System with a very high functionality to cost ratio. A Radio Band Power Measurement System will be implemented, as a proof of concept, which will perform Energy Detector sensing involving apriori knowledge of the target signal characteristics. Thus, it will identify available 6, 7 and 8 MHz Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) channels. The reliability and reconfigurability of the prototype reveal the added value that our approach brings to Spectrum Sensing.


Line separators are used to segregate text-lines from one another in document image analysis. Finding the separator points at every line terminal in a document image would enable text-line segmentation. In particular, identifying the separators in handwritten text could be a thrilling exercise. Obviously it would be challenging to perform this in the compressed version of a document image and that is the proposed objective in this research. Such an effort would prevent the computational burden of decompressing a document for text-line segmentation. Since document images are generally compressed using run length encoding (RLE) technique as per the CCITT standards, the first column in the RLE will be a white column. The value (depth) in the white column is very low when a particular line is a text line and the depth could be larger at the point of text line separation. A longer consecutive sequence of such larger depth should indicate the gap between the text lines, which provides the separator region. In case of over separation and under separation issues, corrective actions such as deletion and insertion are suggested respectively. An extensive experimentation is conducted on the compressed images of the benchmark datasets of ICDAR13 and Alireza et al [17] to demonstrate the efficacy.


ABSTRACT This study describes an assessment of an ocean-ecosystem model in simulating marine ecosystem dynamics in the Indian coastal waters. Long-term sustained in-situ observations of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a and dissolved oxygen (DO) collected in the coastal waters of India, and ship-based observations are used for this assessment. The model captures observed trend of temperature, salinity and chlorophyll-a with high correlation in both eastern and western shelf waters except for salinity and DO along west and DO along east coast. The model performs very well in simulating the Indian coastal shelf ecosystem dynamics. The seasonal occurrence of prominent phytoplankton bloom in the central-east coast during pre-monsoon, south-west coast during monsoon and north-west coast during post-monsoon is realistically reproduced by the model. The model also reproduces the seasonal presence of significantly low DO content in the upwelled water at a shallow depth leading to coastal hypoxia in the south-west and central-east coast of India during summer monsoon. A fine-tuned model is useful in understanding better Indian coastal shelf ecosystem and predicting future changes in time and space, like the occurrence of coastal hypoxia or anticipating phytoplankton blooms. Such information is useful for predicting potential fishing grounds in coastal waters and fisheries management.


This paper describes a novel streamline-based rate allocation approach to maximize oil recovery from polymerfloods and its application to an ongoing polymerflood in the Mangala field, India which is one of the largest polymerfloods in the world. With over 130 injectors and producers, the field-scale optimization is challenging because of the long simulation times, operational constraints at the well, group and field level and changing field conditions.
 The FM-1 unit which is the main producing zone of the Mangala field comprises of multi-layered single storied fluvial channel sands of thickness ranging 3-10m with excellent flow characteristics. The gross thickness of FM-1 is about 90m. The sand is under a five-spot pattern polymerflood with a well spacing of aproximately 200m. A finite difference simulator is used for modeling the polymerflood performance with all relevant physics (mobility control, adsorption, residual resistance factor, polymer rheology/shear thinning, inaccessible pore volume and time-dependent degradation). Streamlines are generated from the flux field extracted from the finite difference simulation and are used to calculate pair-wise efficiency for each injector-producer streamline bundle. The pair-wise efficiency quantifies how much oil is recovered given a barrel of water injection. The streamline-based optimizer iteratively reallocates the fluids to injectors and producers by diverting the injected fluid to high efficiency pairs located in unswept oil regions. After optimization, injection efficiency plots as well as streamline/time of flight plots are used to examine and visualize the flow pattern changes leading to the improved flood performance.
 The reservoir model is first calibrated with 10 years of waterflood history. The polymer injection concentration and tapering schemes are determined based on extensive laboratory experiments. The optimization focuses on reallocating the well rates while maintaining the well, group and field level constraints. Two optimization scenarios were studied to examine the potential benefits of rate allocation: (1) optimization of rate allocation for both injectors and producers, (2) optimization of rate allocation for injectors only. Both the scenarios yield improved oil recovery (~5 MMSTB), accelerated production and reduced polymer usage (utility factor). The streamline and injection efficiency plots clearly reveal regions of improved sweep efficiencies, providing an intuitive explanation of the enhanced performance.


Change is a regular occurrence in the healthcare system, but individuals might see it as difficult, stressful and frustrating. Implementing change with strategic planning and support for staff is an effective method. This article describes the change process for introducing a formal education programme for phlebotomy staff in an acute paediatric and maternity NHS trust hospital.


This article focuses on an action research project called Shape Your Life, developed to teach women and transgendered survivors of violence recreational boxing at the Toronto Newsgirls Boxing Club, Canada's only women-led boxing club. In this innovative project, participants were encouraged to explore "healthy aggression" as a means of initiating change in their lives. As most research on aggression in sport focuses on young men, the aggression of girls, women, and trans (transgendered and transsexual) individuals remains a much under-studied topic. This article attempts to open up further dialogue on gender, sport, and aggression by providing an account of survivors' aggression as an important source of empowerment, thereby moving beyond the narrow focus on female aggression as harm inducing and a cause for moral panic. The article also highlights the need for practical approaches to physical activity and sport programming that address the needs of participants whose lives are affected by gender-based vi...


Mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases mediate the phosphorylation and activation of nuclear transcription factors that regulate cell growth. MAP kinase activation may result from stimulation of either tyrosine-kinase (RTK) receptors, which possess intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, or G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR). RTK-mediated mitogenic signalling involves a series of SH2- and SH3-dependent protein-protein interactions between tyrosine-phosphorylated receptor, Shc, Grb2 and Sos, resulting in Ras-dependent MAP kinase activation. The beta gamma subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins (G beta gamma) also mediate Ras-dependent MAP kinase activation by an as-yet unknown mechanism. Here we demonstrate that activation of MAP kinase by Gi-coupled receptors is preceded by the G beta gamma-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of Shc, leading to an increased functional association between Shc, Grb2 and Sos. Moreover, disruption of the Shc-Grb2-Sos complex blocks G beta gamma-mediated MAP kinase activation, indicating that G beta gamma does not mediate MAP kinase activation by a direct interaction with Sos. These results indicate that G beta gamma-mediated MAP kinase activation is initiated by a tyrosine phosphorylation event and proceeds by a pathway common to both GPCRs and RTKs.


In this study, interannual change in riverflows of Porsuk Creek Basin was revealed by using long‐term minimum, maximum and mean riverflow data of stations located within the basin. Statistical methods were applied to hydroclimatological data which are grouped as (1) data completion , (2) data control, (3) trend analysis and (4) correlation analyses. By adopting this multiple‐method use, it is aimed to increase reiability of results and also reveal several varability components (inhomogeneity, persistence, periodicity, trend) in the time series. Significant decreasing trends were detected in riverflow data (both in mean, minimum and maximum series) for the 42 years period between 1970 and 2011. These significant decreasing trends were observed at 56.7% of mean riverflows, 48.3% of minimum riverflow and 65% of maximum riverflows at 0.05 significance level. According to results of test graphs of Mann‐Kendall Rank Correlation, the starting point for detected negative trend in the time series is concentrated at 1980s.


A decade of tobacco document research has been completed

With 10 years of tobacco documents research (TDR) completed, now is a reasonable time for those of us who conduct TDR to assess its legacy and its potential. In this issue of Tobacco Control , Stacy Carter thoughtfully depicts historical patterns in the conduct and reporting of TDR and how these patterns have evolved.1 She proposes "a process for planning and evaluating TDR that positions the researcher as constructor" rather than merely as a conduit of information contained in the documents, and encourages researchers to be more conscious of the analytic traditions they bring to their searching and analysis strategies. From this platform, we explore the following: What has been the added value of documents research? How can this added value be sustained? And, by what standards should future work be assessed?

TDR has helped us to better understand tobacco industry political and marketing strategies and research and design efforts, among others.2 Carter identified 173 papers that used tobacco documents. Much of this work could certainly have been written without the documents, based instead on observed behaviour. But the documents have added important depth in three ways.

First, the documents confirm what we are able to observe. This confirmation makes it impossible for a Gray Robertson to deny an industry connection,3 or for scientists to deny they have accepted industry money,4 or for politicians to repudiate contact with the tobacco industry.5 They have also given us more insight into cigarette design.6,7

Second, the documents have given us deeper insights into strategy. We can, for example, learn how the industry altered its framing of a political issue8 or how it segmented the population for targeting …


Theodor W. Adorno's classic study of Gustav Mahler's music defies traditional thematic analysis, which, according to Adorno, "misses the music's substance in its preoccupation with procedure." He reaches beyond the boundaries of conventional analysis for an understanding of the music through the composer's character, his historical, philosophical, and social background, and his moment in musical history. First published in German in 1960, this ground-breaking work quickly established itself as a bold new form of musical interpretation, expanding the framework in which the composer's character and, through this, his creations are more fully understood. Adorno illuminates his argument through evocative metaphors, vivid images, and unusual comparisons. The result is a densely layered, anti-systematic interpretation that reveals as much about Adorno as it does about his subject. One of the most original and highly regarded of modern musical commentators, and among the first to call himself a sociologist of music, Adorno was a philosopher, cultural critic, and composer. His unique critical method illuminated music by relating it to history and social milieu. He held that music was a nonconceptual language that represented yet transcended the social world; in music and art, aesthetic value and social relevance were necessarily united. The essential themes of his Marxism - reification, fetishism, the emancipatory role of art, and the dialectical relationship of affirmation and negation - were alive in even the most formal works of art. In Mahler's A Musical Physiognomy, Adorno views the composer's works as a continuous and unified development from his childhood response to the marches and folktunes of the Bohemian village where he was born. But despite its traditional roots, Mahler's music intentionally breaks the balance of established musical language.


Diabetic retinopathy is one of the most threatening complications of diabetes that leads to permanent blindness if left untreated. One of the essential challenges is early detection, which is very important for treatment success. Unfortunately, the exact identification of the diabetic retinopathy stage is notoriously tricky and requires expert human interpretation of fundus images. Simplification of the detection step is crucial and can help millions of people. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) have been successfully applied in many adjacent subjects, and for diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy itself. However, the high cost of big labeled datasets, as well as inconsistency between different doctors, impede the performance of these methods. In this paper, we propose an automatic deep-learning-based method for stage detection of diabetic retinopathy by single photography of the human fundus. Additionally, we propose the multistage approach to transfer learning, which makes use of similar datasets with different labeling. The presented method can be used as a screening method for early detection of diabetic retinopathy with sensitivity and specificity of 0.99 and is ranked 54 of 2943 competing methods (quadratic weighted kappa score of 0.925466) on APTOS 2019 Blindness Detection Dataset (13000 images).


The well-known z-buffer algorithm for solving the visible surface problem has a number of points in its favor, the main one being that it can be very efficiently implemented at little additional cost in many existing frame-buffer systems. The traditional software implementation of the algorithm assumes explicit initialization of both the image buffer and the z-buffer before each image is generated. We will describe a simple technique for synchronizing initialization and image generation so the two can be performed in parallel, effectively elimination the time needed for explicit initialization of the frame buffer. The technique assumes a modest investment in additional hardware within the frame buffer.


e11123 Background: HER-2 is a 185 kd protein composed of three domains: a cytoplasmatic domain, a transmembrane domain and an extracellular domain (ECD). The ECD of HER-2 can be cleaved from the surface of breast cancer cells by matrix metalloproteases and released into the serum where it is detectable using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The role of high level of ECD as a surrogate of response to trastuzumab treatment in metastatic setting is debated. Its role as predictive factor of response to lapatinib in HER-2 +metastatic breast cancer (MBC) progressing to trastuzumab is unexplored. Moreover it is unknown if high level of ECD in the adjuvant setting of HER-2+ pts with early breast cancer (EBC) could be an early marker of resistance to trastuzumab.

METHODS
serum was obtained from 40 HER-2 +pts: 19 MBC/21 EBC. Serum ECD was determined using commercial ELISA-kits (Oncogene Science). This ELISA uses a measure of 15 ng/ml as the upper limit of normal. A median of 3 samples was collected (2-5) every three months (+/-1 month). Median age was 55 (34-77), median PS was 1 (0-2) median number of therapy performed for MBC was 2 (2-6), 11 of these pts were treated with lapatinib for metastatic disease.

RESULTS
High level of ECD was detectable in 10 of MBC (25%) and in 4 of EBC pts (10%). Median PFS of MBC pts was 51 wks (CI 32-71). No relation was observed with high ECD levels and response to trastuzumab (p= 0.42) or lapatinib (p= 0.11) in MBC. HER-2 ECD level in EBC pts were not significantly associated with high istological grade (G1-G2 vs G3) (p=0.71), lymphonode involvement (N0-N1vsN2) (p= 0.63), degree of endocrine responsiveness respectively estrogen (<50% vs >50%) (p =0.5) and progesterone (<50% vs >50% )(p= 0.3), Ki67 high(≥ 15%) vs low (<15%) (p=0.9).

CONCLUSIONS
ECD measure in our experience did not predict benefit to trastuzumab or lapatinib. The prognostic value of ECD in EBC needs a larger population to be validated. Our study is ongoing and we have planned to enroll exclusively EBC pts in order to define the role of ECD in this setting, if any.


Liverpool LASER talks encourage artists, researchers and the public to question the work carried out by artists and scientists in transdisciplinary art-science spaces by recognizing shared aims, examining processes and constructing a shared language. In this paper, the authors reflect upon their first year as LASER hosts and propose that Liverpool LASER events—supported by an accessible network of leading artists and scientists—act as community "studio-laboratories," spaces where speakers and publics engage in two-way conversations, present and gain confidence in their ideas, gather feedback on new concepts and outputs, and facilitate knowledge transfer


Abstract We examined nest-site spacing and selection of nesting cliffs by Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) in central West Greenland. Our sample included 67 nesting cliffs that were occupied at least once between 1972 and 1999 and 38 cliffs with no known history of Peregrine Falcon occupancy. We measured 29 eyrie, cliff, and topographical features at each occupied nesting cliff and unused cliff in 1998–1999 and used them to model the probability of peregrines occupying a cliff for a breeding attempt. Nearest-neighbor distance was significantly greater than both nearest-cliff distance and nearest-occupied distance (the distance between an occupied cliff and one occupied at least once, 1972–1999). Thus, spacing among occupied cliffs was probably the most important factor limiting nesting-cliff availability, and, ultimately, peregrine nesting densities. Although some unused cliffs were unavailable in a given year because of peregrine spacing behavior, physical characteristics apparently made some cliffs unsuitable, regardless of availability. We confirmed the importance of several features common to descriptions of peregrine nesting habitat and found that peregrines occupied tall nesting cliffs with open views. They chose nesting cliffs with eyrie ledges that provided a moderate degree of overhang protection and that were inaccessible to ground predators. Overall, we concluded that certain features of a cliff were important in determining its suitability as a nest site, but within a given breeding season there also must be sufficient spacing between neighboring falcon pairs. Our habitat model and information on spacing requirements may be applicable to other areas of Greenland and the Arctic, and can be used to test the generalities about features of Peregrine Falcon nesting cliffs throughout the species' widespread distribution.


Aims and objectives: The objective of the present study is to assess the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the Adherence to a Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire (AHLQ) between Iranian patients with Cardiac Syndrome X (CSX).
Background: The burden of cardiac heart disease and related conditions remains high, with rates of hospitalization disability and cost on the rise. In addition, angina without coronary artery disease (CAD) has substantial morbidity and is present in 20% to 30% of patients undergoing angiography Adherence to a combination of healthy lifestyle factors has been shown to be related to a considerable reduction of cardiovascular risk.
Design: A Cross -sectional survey was used.
Methods: 100 Iranian patients, who referred to the Tehran Heart Center hospital, were recruited by randomized sampling. All the patients fulfilled the AHL questionnaire. Responses were analysed via exploratory factor analysis using primary elements analysis with varimax orthogonal rotation. The internal conformity reliabilities of the overall scale and its subscales were estimated via Cronbach's alpha coefficient. The reliability of the AHLQ was assessed for internal consistency and testretest reliability.
Result: The AHLQ variables are classified into six domains. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for each subscale was used to check the reliability of each scope. The reliability of each subscale was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha. The level of significance was evaluated at P < 0.05. The tool has shown satisfactory validity.
Conclusions: The Persian version of the AHL questionnaire is suitable to be used for Iranian patients with CSX disease or atherosclerosis. In addition, the AHLQ is a reliable and valid tool and could be used for evaluation of adherence to a healthy lifestyle in clinical research for Iranian patients with cardiovascular diseases.


INTRODUCTION
This study investigated the feasibility of a risk-based screening approach combined with testing of Group B streptococcus (GBS) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the effect on use of intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP) and the impact on the incidence of early-onset GBS infection (EOGBS).

METHODS
During one year, 551 women giving birth at Lillebaelt Hospital, Denmark, having one or more risk factors for EOGBS (previous birth of infant with EOGBS, GBS bacteriuria during current pregnancy, gestational age less than 37 weeks, rupture of membranes greater than 18 hours, and temperature ≥ 38 °C) were tested by a GBS PCR assay intrapartum. IAP was administered when the woman tested positive.

RESULTS
Among 2,889 women in labour, 19.1% (n = 551) had one or more risk factors for EOGBS, and 5.1% (n = 146) had both risk factors for EOGBS and a positive intrapartum GBS PCR test. In total, 185 women with risk factors for EOGBS received IAP. If the former risk-based approach had been applied, 551 women giving birth would have received IAP. Implementing IAP based on the GBS PCR results produced a two-thirds reduction of IAP. No children were diagnosed with EOGBS.

CONCLUSIONS
The GBS PCR assay was easy to perform and provided test results within 50 minutes. Implementation of risk-based screening combined with intrapartum GBS PCR testing reduces the use of IAP by two thirds compared with risk-based screening alone, thus minimising antibiotic resistance. The study material was too small to evaluate the effect on the incidence of EOGBS. Since EOGBS is a rare disease, more studies are required.

FUNDING
The study was supported by Forskningsraadet Lillebaelt Hospital, Udviklingsraadet Lillebaelt Hospital, Johs. M. Klein og Hustrus Mindelegat, the Region of Southern Denmark, Farusa Emballage A/S.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
not relevant.


A collective of 56 female and 54 male patients between 15 and 78 years were operated to prevent pulmonary embolism. 27 umbrella filters and 83 vena cava clips were implanted. Postoperative mortality was 15 per cent after umbrella filter implantation as compared to 0 per cent after clip application. 35 clip and 9 filter implantations were followed up by cavographic examination. Venograms were classified in three types according to caval patency. A significantly higher number of complications were observed after filter implantation. On the basis of a flow physics hypothesis an explanation is suggested for the liability to caval thrombosis after filter implantation. An evaluation of both operative methods and their indications is given.


Performance appraisal system is important to any organizational work performance; it determines the organization's success or failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of performance appraisal system at private universities in Kenya. The focus of the study was on the employees of Kabarak University. The study evaluated the purpose of performance appraisal in private universities and identifies relevant factors for achieving an effective performance appraisal. A cross-sectional survey was selected for this study because it was cheap to undertake compared to longitudinal survey and the results from the sample can be inferred to the larger population. The study population was all the employees of Kabarak University. The whole populations of staff were selected as respondents. A structured questionnaire was used to collect the data for analysis. The analysis of the collected data was done by help of SPSS and presented using of descriptive statistics, frequency tables, percentages and pie charts. The findings from the study have established that performance appraisal system is the only tangible metric way by which an organization can know the level of performance of its diverse employees. Although most employees are aware of the type of performance appraisal system used in the private universities, such systems are not based on any serious formal purpose for which they were designed. The effectiveness of performance appraisal systems in the private universities are only based on training to the employees involved in the rating/appraising process and are multirating systems. Conclusively, because the performance appraisal systems used in private universities are not effective and that they exist just as a matter of formalities, the private universities can not measure employees' performance hence making it difficult to achieve the intended Human Resource Management objectives.


Virtual reality technology involves computer graphics, artificial intelligence, network, sensor technology and many other aspects. It can use the powerful computing and graphics processing capabilities of computers to provide alternatives to the original and express its visual, tactile, and auditory technical means. According to archaeological research data And documentary records, virtual reconstruction and simulated display of the cultural heritage that has been wiped out. "Digital protection" of cultural heritage is a new way of protection, relying on computer technology, and the use of digital equipment to collect, save, process, output and disseminate the required information, including databases established on computer systems, So as to achieve the purpose of information sharing and dissemination. This article mainly studies the application research of virtual reality technology in the digital preservation of cultural heritage. Create an immersive environment for users, display the objects realistically in the virtual reality system, thereby digitizing the technical protection of cultural heritage; secondly, use the virtual environment model of material cultural protection to build and use the terrain to generate and edit The device imitates the terrain of the natural world to achieve its position and the effect of being in it. Finally, the radial basis function is used to calculate the value in the virtual environment, so that the digital preservation of cultural heritage is more accurate. Experimental data shows that 35.54% and 64.46% of users are more likely to use the handle to interact with three-dimensional objects. They believe that the speed of the handle has changed and the control is more precise. Experimental results show that: The virtual environment reality technology specification is more efficient than the original technology in the process of digitizing cultural heritage.


Due to its large-area capability and high resolution, photolithography is the preferred patterning method for pentacene thin-film transistors (TFTs) for display and circuit applications [1,2]. Since the morphology of thin pentacene films is very sensitive to solvents and heat [3,4], the photolithographic patterning of the source/drain contacts is ideally performed prior to the pentacene deposition, which explains the general preference for the bottom-contact (coplanar) TFT structure. However, as experiments [5] and simulations [6,7] have shown, the bottom-contact TFT structure is associated with substantially larger contact resistance than the top-contact (staggered) structure, which means that for the same channel length, top-contact TFTs are expected to provide larger transconductance and higher cutoff frequency than bottom-contact TFTs. Here we report on organic TFTs with Au top contacts patterned by ordinary photolithography and wet etching (using common solvents, photoresists, and etchants) having field-effect mobilities (0.4 cm2/Vs) and on/off current ratios (107) similar to those of optimized bottom-contact pentacene TFTs [1,2,5].


A B S T R A C T The present investigation shows the wear behaviour of as-cast and heat treated, A356 aluminium alloy reinforced with SiC and Graphite particles subjected to different ageing durations. The liquid metallurgy technique was used to fabricate the composites. The reinforcement content was varied from 0 to 9 % by weight in steps of 3 % of SiC p and fixed quantity of 3 % by weight of graphite particles. The castings w ere machined to ASTM standard and T6 heat treatment was carried out at 540 0C ± 5 for 12 hrs and quenched at 60 0C in water. All the specimens were artificially aged at different durations of 3, 6, 9 and 12 hrs at a temperature of 155 0 C ± 5. The wear tests were performed for alloy and composites by varying load, speed and sliding distance for both aged and as-cast conditions by using a pin on disc wear testing machine. The results reveal that the wear rate of composites was less than that of non-reinforced alloy. It was found that the wear resistances of A356-9 SiC p-3 Gr composites aged at 9 hrs showed better wear resistance compared with other samples. However in both aged and as-cast materials, the wear rate was increased with the increase in load, speed and sliding distance. The tested samples were examined and analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDX). © 2014 Published by Faculty of Engineering


[1] We investigate the heretofore unstudied role of volcanic and nonvolcanic sulfur aerosols and gases in the mesosphere. Two-dimensional microphysical calculations show that sulfur may be an important source of particles below the cold summer mesopause. Observed increases in SO2 with altitude in the upper stratosphere had previously suggested ultraviolet destruction of H2SO4, discounting its survival in the mesosphere. Laboratory measurements have now ruled out ultraviolet photolysis of H2SO4, however, and a recent proposal of visible and near-infrared photolysis of H2SO4 explains the SO2 observations. Our calculations show that enough H2SO4 survives this weak photolysis mechanism to produce significant sulfate aerosol surface area in the mesosphere. Neutralization of H2SO4 by metals on the surfaces of meteoritic dust is modeled and affects the mesospheric aerosol negligibly. We discuss the possible implications for this new class of particles for the formation of polar mesospheric summer echoes and polar mesospheric clouds in volcanically quiescent and active periods.


The revolution in understanding the etiology and clinical manifestations of the disruption of the tearing process and the development of dry eye syndrome (CVS) has occurred in last 20–30 years. It has been established that the loss of the tear film homeostasis can occur not only because of a violation of systemic and autoimmune disorders, but also as a result of a blinking disorder and distribution of the tear film over the ocular surface. Therefore, new pathogenetic disease development mechanisms have been identified. The prevalence of diseases of the ocular surface and CVD in recent years has increased significantly. It is mostly caused not only by scientific discoveries in the field of understanding, for example, the etiological and pathophysiological role of the neurosensory mechanism of development of CVS. An important aspect is the emergence of new risk factors that potentiate the development of ocular surface diseases and CVL. These factors include the use of various drugs — antidepressants, antihistamines, hormone therapy, and others; instillation of eye drops — antiglaucoma drugs, etc., as well as the appearance of little-studied factors such as cosmetology procedures (eyelids tattooing, eyelash extensions, botulinum toxin injections for aesthetic purposes, etc.). They are carried out in proximate close to the eye and eyelids, causing multiple pathological reaction. The experience of observing patients, literature data, and the conducted study have showed that various cosmetological effects in the periorbital zone, whose popularity has increased in recent years, may cause the appearance of iatrogenic dry eye syndrome. The following most vivid clinical examples will help, encountered in our practice, to illustrate the data presented. Collecting the anamnesis, it is necessary to identify the presence of risk factors for the development of diseases of the ocular surface and CVD, to eliminate them, if possible, and to carry out adequate pathogenically based therapy.


The purpose of the study was to determine whether a prototype aural training programme could successfully develop tertiary level aural training skills if face-to-face teaching components were replaced entirely by interactive CD-ROM delivery. Audiation is the ability by which one hears with the eyes (and, by extension, sees with the ears), and the reciprocal nature of listening and reading has long been recognised (Karpinski,2000). According to Allvin (1970), sound-to-sight and sight-to-sound skills can be developed through CAI with an effectiveness equal to face-to-face instruction. It appears that some aural skills assist naturally in the development of other aural skills; Carlsen (1969), for example,suggested that the effect of aural training by instruction generalised to sightsinging ability, while Baggaley (1974) writes in contrast that the ability to discriminate does not necessarily guarantee the ability to recognise and identify. Porter (1977) asserts what is now a generally known fact that one must teach for transfer, rather than to expect transfer to be automatic. A six-semester distance-mode prototype aural training programme was developed at the University of Southern Queensland and delivered to tertiary music students in all states of Australia as well as other countries including New Zealand, Singapore, south-east Asia and the United Kingdom. A pre-test/post-test model assessing three groups (internal, external and control) was applied at the beginning and end of the first semester of the six semester programme. The internal group received face-to-face teaching during the first semester; the external group received tuition via CD-ROM; the control group received no tuition in ear training. The study sought to compare results within and between the three groups in the areas of rhythmic perception, melodic perception, scale/mode recognition and interval recognition during this first semester of the study, and to find correlations between demographic data and test performance. External students achieved higher levels of improvement for all aural acuities than internal students and control group students. The findings indicate that students learning multiple instruments and students learning piano perform aural tasks better than students learning only a vii melody line instrument (including voice) or no instrument. In addition, internal students' results showed a greater ceiling effect than the externals', suggesting that the aural perception curriculum itself may need to take into account different individual levels of achievement. Tertiary music schools experiencing funding constraints may be able to re-organise aural tuition practice either to replace or to augment face-to-face classes with external aural training materials,without sacrificing the quality of their instruction.


A method was recently proposed for determining possible lattice sites of an unknown defect from polarization effects in its optical transitions. In this paper the method is tested using the optically excited 1.77 eV (700 nm) fluorescence of Fe3+ ions which predominantly occupy the T1 sites in orthoclase feldspar. The emission intensity depended on the polarization of the exciting photons and the emission was itself polarized. Two pairs of crystal field symmetry directions were deduced from polarization data for each of the transitions at 1.77, 2.79 and 3.26 eV, and one pair was aligned with symmetry axes in the average geometry of the four anions around the T1 sites. An analysis of EPR data for Fe3+ ions in feldspar showed that there was a symmetry axis in the crystal field similar to one of those deduced from the polarization data. Group theory calculations were used to determine if the transitions were dipolar—a major assumption of the method. Three symmetries (S4, C2v and C2) were found to lead to dipolar transitions consistent with the excitation results, and four (D2, C3, C2 and Cs) were consistent with a 1.77 eV dipolar emission.


An overhead catenary system is the one of the main subjects for increasing speed in electric railway. When a vehicle increases the speed over 350km/h, vibrations and wave propagation reflections occur severely. Therefore, the system suitable for the speed are needed. A wave propagation speed of contact wire is the main criteria to determine the tension for the system. Therefore, a train speed is restricted below 70% of wave propagation speed of it in European railway code. In this study, we measured a strain and uplift of contact wire while HEMU-430X tain is operated for the speed-up trial test in Kyungbu high-speed railway. The measured strain and uplift are analyzed with wave propagation speed according to the speed-up. The more a train speed reaches to a propagation speed, the more measured strain is high. Through the study, an experimental approach is performed about the code which a train speed is restricted below 70% of wave propagation speed of it.


Results of HCG-determinations in human serum and cystfluid of benign mammary tumors are presented. HCG was determined gy RIA in 40 samples from 30 patients with different forms of fibro-cystic mastitis. In 60% of the cases positive results were obtained. It is still unclear, whether the demonstrated substance is native HCG, a free beta-subunit, a mixture of both or a different substance with immunologic properties similar to those of HCG.


Every year more temporary migrant workers come to Canada to fill labour shortages in the agricultural sector. While research has examined the ways that these workers are made vulnerable and exploitable due to their temporary statuses, less has focused on the subjective experiences of migrant agricultural workers in regards their workplace health and safety. We conducted interviews and focus groups with migrant workers in the interior of British Columbia, Canada and used a narrative line of inquiry to highlight two main themes that illustrate the implicit and complex mechanisms that can structure migrant agricultural workers' workplace climate, and ultimately, endanger their health and safety. The two themes we elaborate are (1) authorities that silence; and (2) "I will not leave my body here." We discuss the implications of each theme, ultimately arguing that a number of complex political and economic forces create a climate of coercion in which workers feel compelled to choose between their health and safety and tenuous economic security.


Biodegradation is generally recognised as an important removal mechanism for pollutants in natural ecosystems. It determines the concentration of substances in the environment. According to the legislation of the European Union, there are three levels for biodegradability testing protocols for chemicals which cover different test conditions. This paper describes one such multilevel approach to biodegradation testing. Four different tests were performed on diethylene glycol and phenol. Diethylene glycol did not fulfill the requirements for ready biodegradable substances, while it degraded well in wastewater treatment plant simulation test. Phenol in turn, resulted ready biodegradable, and its biodegradability depended less on experimental conditions than the biodegradability of diethylene glycol. This corroborates the importance of combining different test methods to obtain relevant biodegradability data.


This report provides an overview of the economic issues surrounding the current debate over China's currency policy. It identifies the economic costs and benefits of China's currency policy for both China and the United States, and possible implications if China were to allow its currency to significantly appreciate or to float freely. It also examines proposed legislation in the 111th Congress that seek to address China's currency policy.


We have reported previously on seven genes (cps14B–H ) of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14, which are part of the type 14 capsular polysaccharide synthesis (cps14 ) locus. This study describes the cloning and sequencing of the remaining part of the cps14 locus. The entire cps14 gene cluster consists of 12 open reading genes (cps14A to cps14L ), which appear to be arranged as a single transcriptional unit. The flanking regions of the cps14 locus contain vestiges of insertion elements. Moreover, a 115‐bp‐long repeated DNA element, which is also present in several other intergenic regions on the pneumococcal chromosome, has been identified upstream of cps14AAll 12 open reading frames (ORFs) were inactivated by the insertion of a tetracycline resistance cassette. The cps14A to cps14J and cps14L mutants were unencapsulated, whereas only a limited amount of capsular polysaccharide was expressed by a cps14K insertion mutant. Comparison with DNA and protein sequences available in databases allowed us to predict functions for four out of the five new cps14 gene products. The biosynthetic function of Cps14I was determined experimentally by analysis of intermediates in the synthesis of the type 14 tetrasaccharide subunit, catalysed by membrane preparations of Escherichia coli expressing pneumococcal glycosyltransferases. The cps14I gene encodes the β‐1,3‐N‐acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity necessary for the addition of the third sugar in the synthesis of the type 14 repeating unit. The activity encoded by cps14J was established using a synthetic glycosyltransferase acceptor: cps14J encodes a β‐1,4‐galactosyltransferase, which requires β‐linked GlcNAc as an acceptor. Thus, Cps14J is responsible for the addition of the last (fourth) sugar in the synthesis of the type 14 subunit.


Summary: Epilepsy is common in individuals who are mentally retarded and/or otherwise multiply handi capped. These patients often display several seizure types. Seizure control may be difficult and drug interac tions common because of polytherapy. Cognitive, behav ioral, affective, and motor problems in these patients of ten confound accurate diagnosis and effective manage ment. Treatment often requires not only antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) but also psychoactive drugs and/or envi ronmental and personal support. To minimize unwanted drug effects, therapeutic strategies should focus on the administration of the fewest possible drugs at the lowest effective dose. The new AEDs may be of special value at times in these populations because they offer potential for improved efficacy, but especially because many of them provide better safety profiles and fewer pharmacokinetic interactions with other drugs.


East of the eastern American continental divide and south of fat 42.5°N, moderate to large historic earthquakes correlate strongly with times of high and low solid-earth tides. This effect is most pronounced when solar declination lies between 17°N and 17°S. Significant correlations also exist between major earthquakes, time of day, lunar declinations, and lunar phase.


Abstract Perched precariously within the socio-economic hierarchy of the Zimbabwean nation, young female students in tertiary institutions adopt different strategies to survive and sustain themselves as they continue with their studies. This article considers how young women constitute sexual subjectivity through an analysis of primary narratives circulating around specific sexual practices and decisions. Focus is placed on how young women's sexual choices are influenced and enveloped within unequal gender relations, which afford them little space to negotiate the nature of sexual relationships.


Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is rare complication after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPK). Here, we present a rare case of GVHD that developed in a SPK recipient. A 38-year-old female patient with end-stage renal disease due to type 1 diabetes mellitus underwent SPK from a deceased female donor. Four months after transplantation, she was readmitted with fever and abdominal pain and computed tomography revealed a retroperitoneal abscess. While being treated for the retroperitoneal abscess by percutaneous drainage and antibiotics, the patient developed skin rash and diarrhea. A skin biopsy performed at the time showed vacuolization and peri-venular lymphocytic infiltration compatible with GVHD. High-dose steroids resulted in complete remission of GVHD, and the patient was discharged after 2 weeks of treatment. This case demonstrates that early diagnosis of GVHD followed by timely treatment may led to a favorable outcome, and cautions that GVHD can occur in SPK patients.


SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer) modified bitumen is one of most widely used polymer modified bitumens in China. It is also not satisfactory when subjected to extreme conditions. Multiple-walled carbon nanotubes, as a type of advanced nanomaterial, are investigated extensively because of their strong adsorption capacity. Little research has been done about MWCNTs/SBS modified bitumen, and in view of this, the performance and modification mechanism of MWCNTs/SBS modified bitumen was investigated in this paper. Conventional bitumen tests, Brookfield viscosity, bending beam rheometer, and dynamic shear rheometer tests showed improved performance at high and low temperature. The optimum MWCNTs content was determined as 1.0%. FT-IR, bitumen four components, and thermal analysis tests were conducted and revealed that the addition of MWCNTs led to a decrease in the content of light components. In addition, the rate of decomposition and volatilization of saturates and aromatics was reduced and better thermal stability of bitumen was found. Fluorescence microscopy tests showed that MWCNTs improved the dispersion of SBS and storage stability of the binder. Finally a schematic was proposed to explain how MWCNTs improved the performance of SBS modified bitumen through their strong adsorption property created by π–π intermolecular forces.


Undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes has become a common condition in the US, comprising one‐third of all cases of the disease. We believe that screening for and detection of undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes is an important endeavor. In this review we provide evidence that diabetes is a condition that is appropriate for population screening and detection. This includes evidence that: 1 Type 2 diabetes is a significant health problem. It affects more than 16 million adults in the US and places these individuals at high risk for serious complications of the eyes, nerves, kidneys, and cardiovascular system. 2 There is a latent phase before diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. During this period of undiagnosed disease, risk factors for diabetic micro‐ and macrovascular complications are markedly elevated and diabetic complications are developing. 3 Diagnostic criteria for diabetes have been established and are based on plasma glucose values. These criteria define a group of individuals with significant hyperglycemia who also have a high frequency of risk factors for micro‐ and macrovascular disease. 4 The natural history of Type 2 diabetes is understood. In most patients, diabetes proceeds inexorably from genetic predisposition, through the stage of insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia, to beta cell failure and overt clinical disease. 5 There are effective and acceptable therapies available for Type 2 diabetes and its complications. Treating hyperglycemia to prevent complications is more effective than treating these complications after they have developed. Furthermore, guidelines for treatment to prevent cardiovascular disease in people known to have diabetes are more stringent than in those individuals who are not known to have diabetes. 6 There is a suitable test for screening for undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes that has high sensitivity and specificity – measurement of fasting plasma glucose. Guidelines for identifying persons at high risk for diabetes have been established. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Rationale: There is evidence that the serotonin (5-HT) deficits and related cognitive and mood impairments caused by +/-3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) may be mediated by neuroadaptations of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor. Objectives: The increase in sensitivity of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor caused by highdose, repeated MDMA treatment was assessed neurochemically, by measuring 5- HTP accumulation, and physiologically, via changes in body temperature. Methods: Experiment 1 confirmed the effects of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-npropylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) (0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1 mg/kg s.c.) on 5- hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) accumulation following 3-hydroxybenzylhydrazine dihydrochloride (NSD-1015) administration as a valid measure of 5-HT synthesis and hence 5-HT1A autoreceptor sensitivity in rats. Experiment 2 performed these procedures in additional animals, with half receiving MDMA (4x 10 mg/kg i.p. at 2 hour intervals) two weeks before testing. Body temperature changes due to the 8-OH-DPAT hypothermic response were tested using a rectal probe. Experiment 2b repeated the procedures in additional groups with lower doses of 8-OH-DPAT (0.0125 and 0.00625 mg/kg s.c.). Results: No significant changes in 5-HTP accumulation levels or changes in the hypothermic response to 8-OH-DPAT were found between MDMA pretreated rats and controls in Experiments 2 and 2b. Moreover, there was no substantial evidence of expected 5-HT deficits due to high-dose MDMA treatment. Conclusion: The results do not indicate an increase in sensitivity of the 5-HT1A autoreceptor, and hence the original hypothesis is not supported. However, there were a number of methodological issues, as indicated by the lack of MDMAinduced 5-HT deficits, which prevent a firm conclusion from being drawn. Future research is outlined to overcome these issues.


Evaporation of a liquid droplet containing a thin layer of surfactants atop could generate two-dimensional buckling on surfaces. Herringbone features were produced via embedded nanoparticle beds. We assign transient surface tension as the driving force for such a phenomenon. Considering the surfactant layer as a thin elastic film, a continuum model is employed to calculate the mechanical properties of the layer. Particularly, we estimated an elastic modulus of 4 GPa for the surfactant layer, indicating rather strong mechanical properties of these small molecules when they are close packed to form supramolecules via noncovalent binding.


AIM
We tried to develop a multimodal iron oxide nanoparticles (IO NP) imaging probe by an encapsulation method using specific amphiphiles for (68)Ga-labeling and lymph node-targeting.

MATERIALS & METHODS
Nanoparticles (NPs) were encapsulated with a solution containing polysorbate 60 and the amphiphiles. The prepared NPs were labeled with (68)Ga and tested in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS
Prepared 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid-IO-Mannose (NOTA-IO-Man) showed a narrow size distribution, and no significant aggregation or degradation under harsh conditions. The relaxivity coefficient of (68)Ga-NOTA-IO-Man was higher than that of ferumoxide. The accumulation of (68)Ga-NOTA-IO-Man in the lymph node after injection into rat's footpad was confirmed by both positron emission tomography and MRI.

CONCLUSION
We successfully developed PET/MRI dual-modality imaging probe targeting lymph nodes by using the facile encapsulation method.


Objective To investigate whether selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are associated with an increased risk of suicide related outcomes in adults. Design Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of SSRIs compared with placebo in adults submitted by pharmaceutical companies to the safety review of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Participants Over 40 000 individuals participating in 477 randomised controlled trials. Main outcome measures Suicide, non-fatal self harm, and suicidal thoughts. Results An estimated 16 suicides, 172 episodes of non-fatal self harm, and 177 episodes of suicidal thoughts were reported. We found no evidence that SSRIs increased the risk of suicide, but important protective or hazardous effects cannot be excluded (odds ratio 0.85, 95% credible interval 0.20 to 3.40). We found weak evidence of an increased risk of self harm (1.57, 0.99 to 2.55). Risk estimates for suicidal thoughts were compatible with a modest protective or adverse effect (0.77, 0.37 to 1.55). The relative frequency of reported self harm and suicidal thoughts in the trials compared with suicide indicates non-fatal end points were under-recorded. Conclusion Increased risks of suicide and self harm caused by SSRIs cannot be ruled out, but larger trials with longer follow up are required to assess the balance of risks and benefits fully. Any such risks should be balanced against the effectiveness of SSRIs in treating depression. When prescribing SSRIs, clinicians should warn patients of the possible risk of suicidal behaviour and monitor patients closely in the early stages of treatment.


How can those in the history of science, history of technology, and economics communicate more with each other than they are accustomed? How can they become more globally oriented? While these three disciplines today have more convergent interests than in the past, there is still a large potential for further exchange and involvement to explore and exploit. The contributors to this Focus section discuss a number of concepts that may serve as tools to bring these three disciplines more closely together and ease their evolution in a less Eurocentric direction. These concepts include trading zones, interaction and formalization, production, and machines and self-organization.


Empirical research findings have demonstrated the extremely high prevalence of mental health problems in university students. Such findings have reported anxiety as being one of the most common psychological problems experienced by university students. A convincing amount of literature highlighted the effect efficacy, personal control and irrational beliefs had on anxiety levels of clinical and non-clinical samples. Yet, there was a dearth of research examining the unique role locus of control, self-efficacy and irrational beliefs had on anxiety levels of university students. Thus, the primary aim of the current study sought to investigate the effect locus of control, self-efficacy and irrational beliefs had on anxiety levels of university students. The current sample consisted of 120 university students including 44 males and 76 females. The following measures were used; Beck Anxiety Scale, Rotter's Locus of Control scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and the Exam Belief Scale. Data was analysed using Standard Multiple Regression Analyses. Statistical analyses revealed that locus of control and self-efficacy were significant predictors of anxiety levels of university students. Irrational beliefs did not have a significant impact on university student's anxiety levels. In the final analyses, the model explained 52% of variance. The prevalence of anxiety in the current sample demonstrated high levels of anxiety among university students. Interestingly, self-efficacy was found to be the highest predictor of anxiety levels.


Obesity is a worldwide epidemic problem. The downward trend of an obesity onset age calls for research efforts on how to develop useful nutrition educational programs for children to maintain adequate body weight. Understanding the roles of objective and subjective body status in obesity-related attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors can provide important information. The current study aimed to examine obesity-related attitudes and knowledge and practices of eating behavior guidelines in relation to obesity and body shape satisfaction among children. The gender effect in the relations was also investigated. A self-administered survey was conducted with 260 fifth grade children at 2 public elementary schools in the suburbs of Seoul. Information on demographics, body size, body satisfaction, obesity-related attitudes and knowledge, and eating behaviors was collected. Study findings from one-way analysis of variance tests indicated no differences in mean scores of the attitudes, knowledge, and eating behaviors across the levels of obesity for both gender. The levels of body shape satisfaction was, however, found to be significantly related with the attitudes and eating behaviors in girls, while no such relation was seen in boys. Girls with lower body shape dissatisfaction had significantly more negative attitudes toward obesity which was not translated into practice of healthy eating behaviors. That is, contrary to general expectation, the level of practicing the eating behavior guidelines was significantly lower in those girls. While underlying reasons for this observation is not fully answered, gender-specific, body satisfaction-stratified, and behavior-focused approach in designing obesity prevention programs for elementary school girls is suggested efficient and useful.


The pressure-induced structural transitions of ZnTe are investigated at pressures up to 59.2 GPa in a diamond anvil cell by using synchrotron powder x-ray diffraction method. A phase transition from the initial zinc blende (ZB, ZnTe-I) structure to a cinnabar phase (ZnTe-II) is observed at 9.6 GPa, followed by a high pressure orthorhombic phase (ZnTe-III) with Cmcm symmetry at 12.1 GPa. The ZB, cinnabar (space group P3121), Cmcm, P31 and rock salt structures of ZnTe are investigated by using density functional theory calculations. Based on the experiments and calculations, the ZnTe-II phase is determined to have a cinnabar structure rather than a P31 symmetry.


This research focusses on computational cost reduction of transient simulations in many-query applications with varying model parameters, initial conditions and parametrised excitations. The typical model reduction approach is limited to the reduction of the dimension of the states or spatial variables, whereas the state-time model order reduction (STMOR) approach reduces both the states and the temporal dimension concurrently. A major novelty in the investigated STMOR approach is that the reduction occurs after time discretisation on an algebraic system of equations (AE).


Genes encoding fluoride transporters have been identified in bacterial and archaeal species. The genome sequence of the cariogenic Streptococcus mutans bacteria suggests the presence of a putative fluoride transporter, which is referred to as a chloride channel permease. Two homologues of this gene (GenBank locus tags SMU_1290c and SMU_1289c) reside in tandem in the genome of S. mutans The aim of this study was to determine whether the chloride channel permeases contribute to fluoride resistance. We constructed SMU_1290c- and SMU_1289c-knockout S. mutans UA159 strains. We also constructed a double-knockout strain lacking both genes. SMU_1290c or SMU_1289c was transformed into a fluoride transporter- disrupted Escherichia coli strain. All bacterial strains were cultured under appropriate conditions with or without sodium fluoride, and fluoride resistance was evaluated. All three gene-knockout S. mutans strains showed lower resistance to sodium fluoride than did the wild-type strain. No significant changes in resistance to other sodium halides were recognized between the wild-type and double-knockout strains. Both SMU_1290c and SMU_1289c transformation rescued fluoride transporter-disrupted E. coli cell from fluoride toxicity. We conclude that the chloride channel permeases contribute to fluoride resistance in S. mutans.


We investigated the chelating effect of FeCl3 on three beta-diketones, curcumin [1], (-)-3-(trifluoroacetyl)camphor [2] and 3-formylchromone [3], as judged by changes in their cytotoxicity and absorption spectra. Addition of an equimolar concentration of FeCl3 almost completely abrogated the cytotoxicity and changed the pattern of absorption spectra (decrease in the peak height at 430 nm) of [1], without affecting those of [2] and [3]. A semiempirical molecular orbital method (CAChe), based on these experimental data, proposed the estimated structure of [1] chelated with FeCl3 at 1:1 molar ratio. The present study suggests that [1], but not [2] and [3], is an iron chelator.


The problem of joint symbol synchronization and decoding of pulse position modulation (PPM) sequences in the deep-space photon-limited optical channel is considered. A new joint synchronizer and decoder for PPM on this channel is presented along with the design of codes having both good error control and synchronization properties for use with PPM signaling on this channel. The new approach presented in this paper provides a significant reduction in synchronizer/decoder complexity when compared to previous methods for joint synchronization and decoding.


SIR,-The incidence of scrotal carcinoma in workers exposed to mineral oil has recently been highlighted by a £10,000 award by Mr. Justice Swanwick.' Local inquiries in New South Wales by management, alerted to the possibility of danger of ca-:cinogenesis, prompted me to look into the matter. In 15 years I have not seen a single case of scrotal carcinoma in New South Wales, despite the fact that many thousands of workers are exposed to mineral oils. Two large insurance companies, which together handle over 50% of the workers' compensation insurance in this State, have never seen a case of scrotal carcinoma. (Squamous carcinoma is quite a common lesion in Australia, involving predominantly those sites exposed to strong sunshine.) Perhaps, in addition to providing impervious aprons for workers exposed to mineral oils, a daily shower at the end of the shift should be mandatory, and underwear and overalls should be laundered frequently. This procedure is voluntarily followed by the vast majority of workers in this State. Most people would agree that scrotal carcinoma should be an entirely preventable injury.-I am, etc., E. 0. LONGLEY. Division of Occupational Health, Department of Public Health, Sydney N.S.W., Australia.


ABSTRACT Thalassospira profundimaris WP0211T was isolated from a pyrene-degrading consortium, enriched from deep-sea sediment collected from the West Pacific Ocean. Here, we present the draft genome of strain WP0211T, which contains 4,380,232 bp with a G+C content of 55.19% and contains 4,040 protein-coding genes and 45 tRNAs.


ABSTRACT In socially responsible investment (SRI), engagement forms one of the core strategies of institutional investors. In investigating the case of Dutch pension funds, this study answers the following questions: what networks shape engagement with investees, and what factors determine the effectiveness of engagement? The methods we used were interviews and a multiyear survey. Engagement was practised by 82% of the largest Dutch pension funds in 2016 and was implemented by asset managers and service providers. However, these actors are isolated from actors outside the financial sector. The legitimacy of the investor influences the effectiveness of engagement, whereas the number of shares is less important. The relationship between the engager and investee and the receptivity of the investee towards engagement are also of importance. Engagement can be made more effective when pension funds focus on specific themes, target companies open to engagement, and also seek collaboration with societal and policy actors.


This paper describes a mechanical monolithic tunable sensor prototype with elliptical hinges, shaped with electric-discharge-machining, that can be used both as seismometer and, in a force-feedback configuration, as accelerometer in the control of mechanical suspensions of interferometric gravitational waves detectors. The monolithic mechanical design and a laser optical readout make it a very compact instrument, very sensitive in the low-frequency seismic noise band and with a very good immunity to environmental noises. The theoretical sensitivity curves and the simulations show a very good agreement with the measurements. Very interesting scientific result its measured natural resonance frequency of ≈ 70mHz with a Q ≈ 140 in air.


This study considers the relationship between immigration and Portuguese tourism demand for the period 1995-2008, using a dynamic panel data approach. The findings indicate that Portuguese tourism increased significantly during the period in accordance with the values expected for a developed country. The regression results show that income, shock of immigration, population, and geographical distance between Portugal and countries of origin are the main determinants of Portuguese tourism.


Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a primary myocardial abnormality characterized by diastolic dysfunction and congestive heart failure of unknown etiology. It is a cardiac disorder most common in cats (Felis catus), and is reported as a rare condition in dogs. There are racial, sex and age predisposition in cats. Clinical signs commonly found are anorexia, nausea, vomiting, acute dyspnea, paresis or paralysis of hind limbs. Radiographic and electrocardiographic exams are critical to understanding the disease, but Doppler echocardiographic imaging is the definitive method for diagnosis. Our objective is to report the appearance and Doppler ultrasonography in a case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a 3-year-old Persian cat.


There is an increasingly diverse population of students entering mathematics courses
in higher education. While this enriches the environment it can bring challenges that
higher education institutions need to address. This chapter will introduce the idea
of neurodiversity and provide further details about four of these: dyslexia, dyspraxia,
Asperger's syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The main focus of
the chapter will be to consider the impact for neurodiverse students of four factors in
undergraduate mathematics: notes, lectures, assessment and departmental provision.
The chapter will explore the barriers that higher education institutions often pose for the
neurodiverse student and suggest ways in which mathematics can be made more accessible
and departments achieve greater inclusivity. The discussions are illuminated through
vignettes of individual neurodiverse students and their journey through mathematics.


Various methods can be used for evaluating human-robot interaction. The appropriateness of those evaluation methodologies depends on the roles that people assume in interacting with robots. In this paper we focus on developing an evaluation strategy for the bystander role. In this role, the person has no training in interacting with the robot and must develop a mental model to co-exist in the same environment with the robot.


Random constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs) have been widely studied both in AI and complexity theory. Empirically and theoretically, many random CSPs have been shown to exhibit a phase transition. As the ratio of constraints to variables passes certain thresholds, they transition from being almost certainly satisfiable to unsatisfiable. The exact location of this threshold has been thoroughly investigated, but only for certain common classes of constraints. In this paper, we present new bounds for the location of these thresholds in boolean CSPs. Our main contribution is that our bounds are fully general, and apply to any fixed constraint function that could be used to generate an ensemble of random CSPs. These bounds rely on a novel Fourier analysis and can be easily computed from the Fourier spectrum of a constraint function. Our bounds are within a constant factor of the exact threshold location for many well-studied random CSPs. We demonstrate that our bounds can be easily instantiated to obtain thresholds for many constraint functions that had not been previously studied, and evaluate them experimentally.


Photoacoustic (PA) techniques provide optical absorption contrast and spatial information at an ultrasound resolution in deep biological tissues. Among the greatest challenges encountered in the PA examination of bone is the analysis of trabecular bone, which holds key chemical and physical information required for bone health assessments. Ultrasound detection is naturally registered with PA detection; therefore, in this study, we propose ultrasound guidance for the PA detection of trabecular bone. We perform both numerical simulations and an in vivo experiment on a human subject to investigate the possibility of ultrasound-guided detection and segmentation of photoacoustic signals from bone tissue in vivo in a non-invasive manner. The results obtained from the simulation and in vivo experiment suggest that the ultrasound-guided PA method can distinguish PA signals from trabecular and cortical bones as well as from the overlying soft tissue. Considering that the PA technique is non-ionizing and non-invasive, it holds potential for clinical bone health assessment.


This literature review aims at providing a comprehensive and consolidated representation on how Digital Transformation in Marketing has, so far, influenced value making for businesses and discuss prospective ways ahead. In particular, current key concepts that need to be redefined have been spotted, as well as challenges in the digital marketing sector that need to be tackled with regards, especially, to social media and mobile marketing. A new structured approach is proposed on how businesses can stay up to date, exploiting the advantages, while minimizing the effects of disadvantages, of an almost inescapable decision to adopt, develop and implement a Digital Marketing Strategy. Future in marketing seems to embrace augmented and virtual reality as it's natural progression, therefore, technology along with development and adoption of specific organizational capabilities and management tools respectively, integration of robust business processes, such as effective media derived data conversion and resource transformation exchange, and certainly, acquisition of invaluable human expertise, provide a solid basis for businesses to stay competitive in a fast changing and challenging marketplace. A systematic, five-step research method process for literature review has been used, taking into consideration article publication year 2020 onwards, from credible academic database sources.


Electromagnetic absorbers are elements designed to avoid (or at least reduce) re- ∞ection of electromagnetic energy in a given frequency band, which could otherwise be harmful to living beings, or simply cause interference with other electronic equipment. Thus, this article presents the results achieved by using a metaheuristic for optimizing their design in the frequency range of wireless communications, i.e., between 0.8 and 1.9GHz. In this case, the algorithm pro- posed by Formato in 2007, i.e., Central Force Optimization (CFO), was used. Moreover, the approach laid out by Qubati and Dib in 2010, i.e., acceleration clipping, was also implemented. Results are compared between these two variants, and using difierent initial distributions (i.e., uniform, mixed, and random). Furthermore, a two-stage process was executed, striving to re- duce the number of dimensions of the problem, thus allowing for further optimization. In the flrst stage of this procedure, all unknowns were considered (i.e., two variables for each layer, each one representing a given material and its thickness), and the algorithm was run 10 times. During the second stage, the materials of the best run were flxed, and the algorithm was also executed 10 times, just that in this case it only had to operate on half of the dimensions (i.e., one for each layer, which represents the flxed material thickness). It was found that, for a three layered electromagnetic absorber, better results than previously reported ones for Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and for interval analysis, were possible, though only for the modifled CFO algorithm.


This paper reports on the design and fabrication of enhancement-mode high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in AlGaN/GaN FinFET technology with 100 nm of gate length (Lg = 100 nm). Provided by the lateral as well as the vertical modulation of the fin-shaped channels, the threshold voltages of the designed transistors are made possible to be shifted toward the positive direction, enabling the enhancement-mode (E-mode) of operation. The fabricated FinFETs also exhibit highly-improved off-state performance with minimised short-channel effects (SCE) as a result of the enhanced gate control. A very high on/off current ratio of 108 and a sub-threshold swing of 75 mV/decade are recorded by the E-mode devices with a threshold voltage of +0.2 V, showing substantial potential for high speed logic, mixed-signal and power electronics applications.


Abrupt and serious circulatory changes may take place during and after operations under general anesthesia in patients who have had extensive thoracolumbar sympathectomy performed previously. These changes should be anticipated and treated promptly and vigorously, if prevention is not possible. Experiences with 23 such cases are presented.


Carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes from agricultural soils have been considered as one of the important environmental impact issue, due to their role in global warming and also its mitigation by carbon (C) sequestration in soils. Substantial scope of C sequestration with the application of inorganic fertilizers and manures has been reported, but the long-term effects of continuous application need to be critically examined. To study the effect of continuous differential application of NPK fertilizers and farmyard manure (FYM) in maize-wheat cropping system, CO2 fluxes were measured via closed chambers and gas chromatography in a long-term experiment in progress for the past 42 years. The average daily CO2 fluxes differed significantly amongst various treatments and were 55, 26 and 92% higher in NPK, N and NPK + FYM treatments over the control in the maize crop season and 43, 8 and 83% in the wheat crop season. Highly significant correlation of CO2 emissions was found with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the maize and the wheat crop seasons. Although, CO2 emissions were higher from long-term inorganic fertilizers and FYM treatments, still they are environmentally sustainable management practices, as they increased soil fertility and crop yields which consequently resulted in higher atmospheric CO2 capture by plants and carbon sequestration in soils.


A new and improved cultivar of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), Okashana-1, was released in Namibia in 1990 and was rapidly adopted in Ovamboland. However, as most farmers do not buy new seeds each year, any genetic trials of the cultivar on actual farms would be affected by cross-pollination. The present study clarified the characteristics of Okashana-1, as found on actual farms. In addition, this research also examined the interrelationships between the environmental status, traditions, livelihood, and subsistence activities in the study area and the cultivar characteristics.


A novel setup for testing of stiffened panels in ship decks subjected to axial and lateral loads is developed in the Department of Ocean Engineering, IITMadras. The entire setup consists of self-straining test rig, imperfection measuring device, displacement controlled hydraulic jacks, rigid grillage, inflatable air balloon with and without opening, and a data acquisition system. The fabricated deformable test rig replicates similar boundary conditions along the loaded and unloaded edges of stiffened panels in between transverse stiffeners of a ship deck. An imperfection measuring device located on the test rig is designed and fabricated to measure geometrical initial imperfections on the plate and stiffener. A unique displacement controlled twin hydraulic jack system is developed to apply axial load on the panel. A rigid grillage connected to the bottom of the test rig to act as reactive support for the application of lateral load on the panel is fabricated by performing static nonlinear analysis using ANSYS. An inflatable air balloon with and without opening is fabricated to simulate constant cargo (lateral) load acting on the panels. The applied axial load and produced axial deformation measured by load cells and LVDT, respectively, is plotted simultaneously while testing using an integrated data acquisition system. Nonlinear finite element analysis of tested specimens is performed using ANSYS to compare the ultimate load obtained from experiments. A close agreement between the experimental data and finite element analysis results indicates realistic simulation of truly combined axial and lateral loads with deformable supports acting on stiffened panels as in ship decks achieved in the laboratory and numerically.


The promise of industrial biotechnology has been around since Chaim Weizmann developed acetone–butanol–ethanol fermentation at the University of Manchester in 1917 and the prospects nowadays look brighter than ever. Today's biorefinery technologies would be almost unthinkable without biotechnology. This is a growing trend and biorefineries have also increased in importance in agriculture and the food industry. Novel biorefinery processes using solid state fermentation (SSF) technology have been developed as alternative to conventional processing routes, leading to the production of added-value products from agriculture and food industry raw materials. SSF involves the growth of microorganisms on moist solid substrate in the absence of free-flowing water. Future biorefineries based on SSF aim to exploit the vast complexity of the technology to modify biomass produced by agriculture and the food industry for valuable by-products through microbial bioconversion. In this review, a summary has been made of the attempts at using modern microbial SSF technology for future biorefineries for the production of many added-value products ranging from feedstock for the fermentation process and biodegradable plastics to fuels and chemicals.


This paper examines whether the degree of convergence between occupational aspirations and actual occupational achievement can elucidate the relationship between socioeconomic status and sickness absence. The analyses draw on survey data from a longitudinal study following 1,552 respondents from adolescence through young adulthood linked to register data on sickness absence. Occupational aspirations in adolescence were contrasted with actual occupational achievement in young adulthood and used to predict sickness absence. In accordance with existing research, socioeconomic status significantly predicted sickness absence, even after controlling for several relevant variables. Including aspiration achievement in the analysis reduced the relationship between socioeconomic status and sickness absence, while aspiration achievement was significantly related to sickness absence. The findings indicate that aspiration achievement mediates the relationship between socioeconomic status and sickness absence.


Chemokines can be produced by gliomas, which mediate the infiltration of microglia, a characteristic feature of glioma‐associated neuropathogenesis. ATP that is released at a high level from glioma has been reported to play a regulatory role in chemokine production in cultured glioma cells. The objective of this study was to define the potential role of extracellular ATP in the regulation of macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α (MIP‐1α) and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1(MCP‐1) expression in glioma‐associated microglia/macrophages. The results showed that Iba1+ and ED1+ microglia existed in the tumor at 3 and 7 day after injection of C6 glioma cells into the rat cerebral cortex (dpi). ED1+ microglia/macrophages or Iba1+ microglia in the glioma were also colocalized to MIP‐1α‐ and MCP‐1‐expressing cells. In vitro study indicated that treatment with ATP and BzATP (an agonist for ATP ionotropic receptor P2X7R) caused an increase in the intracellular levels of microglial MIP‐1α and MCP‐1. By using an extracellular Ca2+ chelator (EGTA) and P2X7R antagonists, oxidized ATP (oxATP) and brilliant blue G (BBG), we demonstrated that BzATP‐induced production of MIP‐1α and MCP‐1 levels was due to P2X7R activation and Ca2+‐dependent regulation. Coadministration of C6 glioma cells and oxATP into the rat cerebral cortex resulted in a reduction of MIP‐1α‐ and MCP‐1‐expressing microglia/macrophages. We suggest, based on the results from in vivo and in vitro studies, that a massive amount of ATP molecules released in the glioma tumor site may act as the regulator with P2X7R signaling that increases MIP‐1α and MCP‐1 expression in tumor‐infiltrating microglia/macrophages. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


DNA harvested directly from complex natural microbial communities by PCR has been successfully used to predict RNase P RNA structure, and can potentially provide an abundant source of information for structural predictions of other RNAs. In this study, we utilized genetic variation in natural communities to test and refine the secondary and tertiary structural model for the bacterial tmRNA. The variability of proposed tmRNA secondary structures in different organisms and the lack of any predicted tertiary structure suggested that further refinement of the tmRNA could be useful. To increase the phylogenetic representation of tmRNA sequences, and thereby provide additional data for statistical comparative analysis, we amplified, sequenced, and compared tmRNA sequences from natural microbial communities. Using primers designed from gamma proteobacterial sequences, we determined 44 new tmRNA sequences from a variety of environmental DNA samples. Covariation analyses of these sequences, along with sequences from cultured organisms, confirmed most of the proposed tmRNA model but also provided evidence for a new tertiary interaction. This approach of gathering sequence information from natural microbial communities seems generally applicable in RNA structural analysis.


As an institutionalized subfield of academic research, Creole studies (or Creolistics) emerged in the second half of the 20th century on the basis of pioneering works in the last decades of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Yet its research traditions—just like the Creole languages themselves—are much older and are deeply intertwined with the history of European colonialism, slavery, and Christian missionary activities all around the globe. Throughout the history of research, creolists focused on the emergence of Creole languages and their grammatical structures—often in comparison to European colonial languages. In connection with the observations in grammar and history, creolists discussed theoretical matters such as the role of language acquisition in creolization, the status of Creoles among the other languages in the world, and the social conditions in which they are or were spoken. These discussions molded the way in which the acquired knowledge was transmitted to the following generations of creolists.


Design of an optimal controller minimizing the integral of squared error (ISE) of the closed-loop system for an interval plant via evolutionary approaches is proposed in this paper. Based on a worst-case design philosophy, the design problem is formulated as a minimax optimization problem from the signal energy point of view, and subsequently solved by two interactive genetic algorithms. To ensure robust stability of the closed-loop system, root locations of the Kharitonov polynomials associated with the characteristic polynomial are used to establish a constraint handling mechanism for incorporation into the fitness function to effectively evaluate chromosomes in the current population. To accelerate the derivation process to obtain the optimal controller, alternative approaches based on the two-phase evolutionary scheme are also proposed, in which the worst-case ISE is suitably estimated via information provided by the Kharitonov plants. Thus, the derived controller not only stabilizes the interval plant, but also minimizes the ISE criterion of the closed-loop system. Constraints on higher order plants and controller order commonly encountered by conventional design methods are therefore removed by using the proposed approach.


We consider goods that can be shared with k-hop neighbors (i.e., the set of nodes within k hops from an owner) on a social network. We examine incentives to buy such a good by devising game-theoretic models where each node decides whether to buy the good or free ride. First, we find that social inefficiency, specifically excessive purchase of the good, occurs in Nash equilibria. Second, the social inefficiency decreases as k increases and thus a good can be shared with more nodes. Third, and most importantly, the social inefficiency can also be significantly reduced by charging free riders an access cost and paying it to owners, leading to the conclusion that organizations and system designers should impose such a cost. These findings are supported by our theoretical analysis in terms of the price of anarchy and the price of stability; and by simulations based on synthetic and real social networks.


The Red-capped Lark Calandrella cinerea inhabits some of the most highly threatened grassland ecosystems in Kenya. Although previous studies have been undertaken on feeding ecology of this species, a knowledge gap still exists in relation to its nest food provisioning behaviour. We studied the food provisioning behaviour of Red-capped Larks in open grassland habitat at Kedong Ranch in Naivasha, Kenya. Observations were completed on 18 active nests for a total of 163 observation hours between 07:00 and 18:00. Results confirmed that nestling diet comprised insect larvae (including caterpillars), grasshoppers, butterflies/moths, ants and beetles. Food provisioning rates for males and females combined, as well as independently, did not vary with the nestling age. In relation to specific prey items, provisioning rates of insect larvae and butterflies/moths during different hours of the day did not vary. However, there was a significant difference in provisioning rates of grasshoppers for the time periods. The findings provide an understanding of food requirements and feeding behaviour of the Red-capped Lark, and therefore are important for predicting how future changes in the availability of food resources could infl uence feeding, reproductive success, and possibly survival of the species. Keywords: Kedong Ranch, lark, grassland, nestling diet, insects


MOTIVATION
Studying biological systems, not just at an individual component level but at a system-wide level, gives us great potential to understand fundamental functions and essential biological properties. Despite considerable advances in the topological analysis of metabolic networks, inadequate knowledge of the enzyme kinetic rate laws and their associated parameter values still hampers large-scale kinetic modelling. Furthermore, the integration of gene expression and protein levels into kinetic models is not straightforward.

RESULTS
The focus of our research is on streamlining the construction of large-scale kinetic models. A novel software tool was developed, which enables the generation of generic rate equations for all reactions in a model. It encompasses an algorithm for estimating the concentration of proteins for a reaction to reach a particular steady state when kinetic parameters are unknown, and two robust methods for parameter estimation. It also allows for the seamless integration of gene expression or protein levels into a reaction and can generate equations for both transcription and translation. We applied this methodology to model the yeast glycolysis pathway; our results show that the behaviour of the system can be accurately described using generic kinetic equations.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION
The software tool, together with its source code in Java, is available from our project web site at http://www.bioinf.manchester.ac.uk/schwartz/grape

CONTACT
email@example.com

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.


In our study we try to evaluate the contribution of the Black Sea water body to the amount of precipitation across the historical region of Moldova, which encompasses the territory situated between the Carpathian Mountains in West and the Dniester River valley in East. We chose this region for its homogeneity from the point of view of weather circulation types. We used 8 weather stations from ECAD daily datasets which cover the entire region for 32 years (1961-1992). NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Maps were used to identify the weather pattern favourable for the humid air masses advection from the Black Sea towards the region of Moldova. According to this analysis just about 4% (around 10-15 days per year) are characterised by these conditions. Generally, these conditions are related to the action of Mediterranean cyclones in South-Eastern Europe, especially those with a backward trajectory. Despite this weak annual frequency, these weather patterns contribute with 1520% to the total amount of precipitation in Moldova. Without this contribution Moldova region would be characterised by more pronounced arid climate features. The weather pattern, the annual regime of this contribution, the regional distribution will be presented in detail within the present work.


The design of multifunctional materials with tailored wetting and adhesion properties under different environmental conditions (dry or wet air, water, or extremely cold conditions/icing) is of paramount importance. It is still a challenging task to produce intelligent materials that are sticky/nonsticky only when it is desired. Controlled surface design based on the understanding of the effects of chemical functionality and polymer architectures can help to solve this problem. In this paper we report on the synthesis of adaptive PEG–PDMS brushes with different architectures (random copolymer and block copolymer) and investigation of their effect on the wettability and adhesiveness in wet and under water conditions. This study contributes to the development of materials with reversibly switchable and adaptive adhesiveness under controlled environmental conditions.


In this paper, we propose a novel multiple-access interference (MAI) cancellation technique using a reference signal, which contains no data components (data-free) of the desired signal, and then simplifies the receiver configuration in synchronous M-ary frequency-shift keying optical code-division multiple-access (FSK-OCDMA) network. In doing so, we have taken advantage of a recently introduced energy-saving unipolar prime-code family, referred to as double-padded modified prime-code (DPMPC) as the spreading codes. In the theoretical analysis, the system upper bounded bit error rate (BER) is derived taking into account the Poisson effect on the I/O characteristics of the photodetectors. We have found that when the bit rate is constant, the capacity of this system increases by employing the proposed interference canceller and spreading code as compared with the synchronous M-ary pulse-position modulation OCDMA system with an existing interference canceller. In contrast to wavelength-division multiple access, a fewer set of wavelengths is needed as a result of only M-ary source coding.


Trust management, broadly intended as the ability to maintain belief relationship among entities, is recognised as a fundamental security challenge for autonomous and self-organising networks. In this work, we focus on the evaluation process of trust evidence in distributed networks, where no pre-established infrastructure can be assumed. After casting the problem into the framework of estimation theory, a distributed maximum likelihood trust estimation algorithm is proposed. Strong parallels with spin glasses theory are shown, providing key insights about the algorithm performance and limitations, as well as useful formulas for parameters tuning. The problem is also formulated as an inference problem on a Markov random field, and an alternative fully distributed algorithm based on message passing techniques is then proposed. This work presents a mathematically rigorous analytical approach to the trust management problem, and proposes the use of statistical physics methods not only to understand the complex dynamics that arise from the interactions of peers in decentralised networks but also to design robust protocols whose performance can be rigorously evaluated.