A red tide occurs when cell densities of autotrophic microalgae and some heterotrophic protists increase dramatically and thereby change the color of the sea. Red tides sometimes have negative impacts on human activities, such as fisheries and tourism. Most red-tide flagellates display diurnal vertical migration (DVM) in which cells normally migrate upward during the day and downward at night. This behavior promotes active growth, due to the effective acquisition of nutrients and light, as well as population density increase and cell aggregation. However, the factors and their interactions influencing DVM remain to be clarified, such that no algorithm exists that can precisely simulate the DVM pattern and the development of a red tide in the field. Chattonella marina complex (hereafter Chattonella) is a representative microalga of harmful red tides and some previous studies has suggested that Chattonella's DVM plays important roles in development of a red tide. Chattonella can produce a large amount of superoxide (•O2 −), which is responsible for the regulation of various physiological processes as well as its toxicity against microorganisms and animals. In the present study, we examined the effects of strain, growth phase, cell density, and nutrient deficiency on the pattern of DVM. In addition, we also measured the •O2 − level in most experiments to assess the relationship between DVM and •O2 − production. Some strains displayed clear DVM, whereas others aggregated at the surface all day in a fixed condition. Strains' DVM patterns did not show a relationship with •O2 − production. Moreover, the DVM became less clear at high cell density and in nitrogen- or phosphorus-depleted conditions. Although a previous study reported that the •O2 − production rate increased during the light period and decreased during the dark period, regardless of cell density, the diurnal pattern of •O2 − became less clear at a higher cell density in a Chattonella strain used in the present study. Our findings indicate that DVM and •O2 − production by a Chattonella population composed of various strains can change across developmental phases and environmental conditions. This characteristic may produce adaptability in species and increase the chances of a massive population increase.


Background: Intra-articular calcaneus fractures result in heel shortening, widening, varus malalignment, and loss of height. Little has been written regarding superior displacement of the calcaneal tuber, which warrants consideration as previous literature has demonstrated issues arising from a shortened triceps surae. We sought to determine the amount of tuber elevation seen in calcaneus fractures as compared to normal calcanei and propose 2 new measurements that aid in quantifying displacement and may aid in the surgical management of calcaneus fractures. Methods: Lateral radiographs of 220 normal calcanei were examined. Two novel measurements, the talo-tuber angle and talo-tuber distance, were used to establish normative data for calcaneal tuber positioning. Lateral radiographs of 50 calcaneus fractures treated operatively were examined and the same measurements were obtained before and after surgery to determine the amount of superior tuber elevation. Results: Normative data demonstrated a mean of 38.6 degrees (±SD = 4.3, range: 26.2-58.4) when using the talo-tuber angle and 54.5 mm (±SD = 7.3, range: 36.2-72.6) when using the talo-tuber distance in normal calcanei. Patients sustaining calcaneus fractures demonstrated a mean of 29.5 degrees (±SD = 5.9, range: 20-46.4) for the talo-tuber angle and 39.0 mm (±SD = 9.4, range: 24.0-62.9) for the talo-tuber distance. These values changed to a mean of 37 degrees (±SD = 5.2, range: 26.4-50) for the talo-tuber angle and 51.8 mm (±SD = 8.6, range: 33.2-75.7) for the talo-tuber distance after surgery. There was a statistically significant difference (P value < .01) for both talo-tuber angle and distance between normal and fractured calcanei. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was excellent. Conclusion: Superior displacement of the calcaneal tuber is a deformity seen in intra-articular calcaneus fractures that has been poorly described that warrants increased awareness and correction at the time of surgery. We propose 2 novel measurements with associated normative data that may aid surgeons in quantifying this deformity and assessing anatomic reduction. Level of Evidence: Level III, comparative study.


Objective. To evaluate trunk muscle strength and EMG activation during isokinetic axial rotation at different angular velocities. Method. Twenty-four healthy young men performed isokinetic axial rotation in right and left directions at 30, 60, and 120 degrees per second angular velocity. Simultaneously, surface EMG was recorded on external oblique (EO), internal oblique (IO), and latissimus dorsi (LD) bilaterally. Results. In each direction, with the increase of angular velocity, peak torque decreased, whereas peak power increased. During isokinetic axial rotation, contralateral EO as well as ipsilateral IO and LD acted as primary agonists, whereas, ipsilateral EO as well as contralateral IO and LD acted as primary antagonistic muscles. For each primary agonist, the root mean square values decreased with the increase of angular velocity. Antagonist coactiviation was observed at each velocity; however, it appears to be higher with the increase of angular velocity. Conclusion. Our results suggest that velocity of rotation has great impact on the axial rotation torque and EMG activity. An inverse relationship of angular velocity was suggested with the axial rotation torque as well as root mean square value of individual trunk muscle. In addition, higher velocity is associated with higher coactivation of antagonist, leading to a decrease in torque with the increase of velocity.


In this work, we have studied the fossil rodent, insectivore and chiropteran faunas, of a new locality from the AlmenaraCasablanca karstic complex, named ACB MB (Castellon, east Spain). We consider an early Ruscinian age for this site, close to the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, and infer warm and relatively humid conditions from the analysis of the micromammal assemblage. We remark the presence of two species of Eliomys in ACB MB, rare in localities of this age, and the lack of any gerbil remains, fossil markers of faunal interchanges between Africa and Europe in the context of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, recorded in the nearby late Miocene site of ACB M


It is considered that the early Jinning period granitoids from southern Anhui Province belong to the continental crust transformation (S) type and have their own characteristics which are different from those for general continental crust transformation type granitoids. They were formed at the early stage of the late Proterozoic era when that region was at an island-arc stage of the continental margin environment. By that time the continental crust was just formed and had a nature of juvenile crust. It is this juvenile crust that determined a series of characteristics of that type granitoids and made them a relatively independent rock type. They are the products formed by the continental crust in a certain stage of development.


Only a few Institutions in Europe can praise to be such an important chapter of the European culture like the University of Coimbra, and its unique philosophical tradition, already started in the Middle Ages, is still nowadays a crucial passage to understand the entire History of Philosophy. The Conimbricenses.org project aims to contribute to demonstrating that. Launched online in 2018 by the University of Coimbra's Instituto de Estudos Filos o ficos (IEF), under the direction of Prof. Mario Santiago de Carvalho and the coordination of Dr. Simone Guidi, it will give access from worldwide to a large collection of information, accurate entries, updated bibliographies, and direct links to the digital version of the most important documents related to Coimbra.


The photophysical properties of the N—H and N-methyl derivatives of 1,2-, 2,3- and 1,8-naphthalimides have been studied. The shift of the fluorescence emission position as a function of the solvent polarity indicates only a weak variation of dipole moment for the excited state compared with the corresponding value in the ground state (5.7 D for 2b, 2.8 D for 3b and <2 D for 4b, 1 D ≈ 3.335 64 × 10–30 C m, and 2b, 3b and 4b are N-methyl-1,2- naphthalimide, N-methyl-2,3-napthalimide and N-methyl-1,8-naphthalimide). However, important modifications of the photophysical properties are observed which depend on the relative position of the dicarboximide moiety on the naphthalene ring: the intersystem crossing rate constant of 4b increases dramatically by three orders of magnitude compared with that of 2b; simultaneously, the fluorescence quantum yield decreases from 0.77 to 0.03, although the corresponding rate constant, kf, increases. This difference is found to arise from the energy gap between the lowest1(π, π*) singlet excited state and the upper 3(n,π*) triplet state, which is of the order of 9 kcal mol–1 for 2b and less than 2 kcal mol–1 for 4b in acetonitrile solution. Protic solvents increase the energy difference between the n,π* and π,π* states thus decreasing the mixing of the two levels; as a consequence, the lifetime of 4b is increased, i.e. from <60 ps in hexane to 2.1 ns in trifluoroethanol. A triplet–triplet annihilation process occurs with the N-methyl derivatives 3b and 4b which leads to a monomer delayed fluorescence with the former, and mainly to a delayed excimer emission with the latter.


This paper presents a new cooperative MAC (Medium Access Control) protocol for IEEE 802.11-based mesh networks. The protocol is characterized by two features: on-demand relaying and selection of the best relay terminal. "On-demand relaying" means that a cooperative communication
occurs only when a destination terminal fails in decoding the data transmitted by a source terminal. This approach allows minimization of bandwidth degradation due to both cooperation implementation and cooperative communications. "Selection of the best relay terminal" means that a relay selection is implemented when cooperation is needed. This feature allows maximization of the spatial diversity order. The outage probability of the new protocol is compared to the outage probability of other cooperative MAC protocols.


Laser is one of the most important discoveries in the 20th century, and inorganic semiconductor lasers (ISCL) are most frequently used in many applications nowadays. Organic semiconductor lasers (OSCL) have many attractive features when they compared to ISCLs, such as flexibility, human friendliness, feasible and inexpensive production process, light weight, and multicolor emission. However, electrically driven OSCLs (el-OSCL) have not yet been realized, although they are possible in an optically driven mode. Here, we report that an el-OSCL can be realized in field-effect transistor (FET) structure. The FET el-OSCL with distributed feedback (DFB) construction is made using a BP3T single crystal as a lasing medium electrostatically laminated on a silicon substrate modified with periodically patterned polystyrene. An emergent sharp-linewidth emission spectrum to the resolution limit of a detector and a non-linear increase in intensity above the threshold current density of ca. 1 kA cm-2 was observed, being indicative of lasing. Discussions on the possible realization of lasing in el-OSCLs can be made from the comparison between optical and electrical-driven mode.


Spermidine, a ubiquitous polyamine, is known to be required for critical physiological functions in bacteria. Two principal pathways are known for spermidine biosynthesis, both of which involve aminopropylation of putrescine. Here, we identified a spermidine biosynthetic pathway via a previously unknown metabolite, carboxyaminopropylagmatine (CAPA), in a model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 through an approach combining 13C and 15N tracers, metabolomics, and genetic and biochemical characterization. The CAPA pathway starts with reductive condensation of agmatine and l-aspartate-β-semialdehyde into CAPA by a previously unknown CAPA dehydrogenase, followed by decarboxylation of CAPA to form aminopropylagmatine, and ends with conversion of aminopropylagmatine to spermidine by an aminopropylagmatine ureohydrolase. Thus, the pathway does not involve putrescine and depends on l-aspartate-β-semialdehyde as the aminopropyl group donor. Genomic, biochemical, and metagenomic analyses showed that the CAPA-pathway genes are widespread in 15 different phyla of bacteria distributed in marine, freshwater, and other ecosystems.


We examine the use of RFID (Radio Frequency Id) technology on supply chain management (SCM) systems for a retail store chain. RFID technology may trigger frequent activities in the supply chain such as inventory processing and reordering. We classify the RFID readings according to the transactions they may trigger. We then use the classification to estimate the information processing load rate. A possible application of RFID in retail stores is in shelf replenishment systems. We present a cost benefit analysis for such an application. Our formulas for computing load rates and conducting cost benefit analysis will be of use to information system designers.


Abstract— The photocycle of the proton pump bacteriorhodopsin contains two consecutive intermediates in which the retinal Schiff base is unprotonated; the reaction between these states, termed M1 and M2, was suggested to be the switch in the proton transport which reorients the Schiff base from D85 on the extracellular side to D96 on the cytoplasmic side (Váró and Lanyi, Biochemistry30, 5016–5022, 1991). At pH 10 the absorption maxima of both M1 and M2 could be determined in the recombinant D96N protein. We find that M1 absorbs at 411 nm as do M1 and M2 in wild‐type bacteriorhodopsin, but M2 absorbs at 404 nm. Thus, in M, but not M2 the unprotonated Schiff base is affected by the D96N residue replacement. The connectivity of the Schiff base to D96 in the detected M2 state, but not in M1, is thereby established. On the other hand, the photostationary state which develops during illumination of D85N bacteriorhodopsin contains an M state corresponding to M1 with an absorption maximum shifted to 400 nm, suggesting that this species in turn is affected by D85. These results are consistent with the suggestion that M1 and M2 are pre‐switch and post‐switch states, respectively.


Research suggests that eating vegetables benefits both human health and the environment. However, in the UK, very few people are eating enough vegetables. This is contributing to the global burden of diet‐related disease and associated costs, as well as undermining the possibility of a sustainable UK food system. The Peas Please initiative was launched in 2017 to encourage organisations and businesses across the food system to pledge their commitment to helping the British public increase their vegetable consumption. Since the implementation of the Peas Please initiative 95 organisations have pledged to support Peas Please and, at the time of writing, an additional 89.9 million portions of vegetables have been grown, served and sold by pledgers. This article describes the Peas Please initiative and its rationale, highlights some of the key outcomes of the programme, and outlines next steps for increasing commitment to the programme.


Summary: Between 1970 and 1985, a total of 3,895 persons 5=40 years of age were treated for hip fracture in a Danish municipality. The female:male ratio was 2.7. The cumulative survival was estimated and compared with that of the age- and sex-matched general population. The analysis showed that (a) the mortality was increased compared with the expected mortality, especially during the first year (19% for women, 25% for men), but a statistically significant excess mortality could be demonstrated up to 10 years after a hip fracture; (b) the mortality increased with age, even after adjustment for the expected higher mortality of the elderly; and (c) the mortality was higher for men than for women, even after adjustment for the expected higher mortality of males. This difference was already present after the first 2 weeks among patients 3*70 years of age


Village-Owned Enterprises, or BUMDes, are local business institutions that use village resources to enhance the village economy. However, in numerous locations where BUMDes already exist, some of these BUMDes are not working smoothly and are inactive. As a result, the construction of a BUMDes business unit must be tailored to the capabilities of the community. The purpose of this research is to explore more into the role of BUMDes for SMEs in agriculture and livestock. This study employed a qualitative research method with a descriptive approach. This study's data is derived from primary sources. While data gathering is accomplished by the use of observation, interviews, and documentation. According to the study's findings, BUMDes Purworejo and BUMDes Lugusari have been able to support the community's economy in their villages, where the majority of residents work in the agricultural and livestock industries. BUMDes Purworejo and BUMDes Lugusari contribute to the village economy through business units such as PAMDes, Quail Farms, Village Markets, and Pond Management Businesses.


Cancer is a metabolic disease. Cancer cells, being highly proliferative, show significant alterations in metabolic pathways such as glycolysis, respiration, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism. Metabolites like peptides, nucleotides, products of glycolysis, the TCA cycle, fatty acids, and steroids can be an important read out of disease when characterized in biological samples such as tissues and body fluids like urine, serum, etc. The cancer metabolome has been studied since the 1960s by analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Current research is focused on the identification and validation of biomarkers in the cancer metabolome that can stratify high-risk patients and distinguish between benign and advanced metastatic forms of the disease. In this review, we discuss the current state of prostate cancer metabolomics, the biomarkers that show promise in distinguishing indolent from aggressive forms of the disease, the strengths and limitations of the analytical techniques being employed, and future applications of metabolomics in diagnostic imaging and personalized medicine of prostate cancer.


Considering the limitation of off-line simulation and the high cost of many real-time simulation equipments used in aeronautical and astronautical fields, a low-cost embedded real-time simulation system has been developed for the research of satellite attitude control. By using the mature ARM/DSP chip as the processor and the embedded Linux operating system in the target machine, and the monitoring and management interface based on the graphical programming language LabVIEW in the host computer, this system has successfully addressed key technical issues of real-time simulation. It has optimized the four essential components of the satellite attitude control closed-loop system. Initial application of the system has validated its effectiveness, and therefore proved that it will be significant in the engineering applications.


Measurement of inosine-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) activity or gene expression was used as a further approach in pharmacokinetics (PK)/pharmacodynamic (PD)-guided mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) therapy. Forty-four de novo kidney transplant patients were enrolled; 35 of these completed the study, and were followed for 24 weeks for clinical status, PK parameters, IMPDH activity and IMPDH1/2 gene expression. IMPDH activity and expression were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells before transplant and at week 2,4,12 and 24, drawn before (t0) and 2 h (t2 h) after MMF administration. No significant correlation was found between IMPDH activity/expression and PK parameters. For both genes, significant enhancement in t2 h expression was observed, then decreases towards week 24 with a trend following steroid dosages. Seven patients experienced acute rejection (AR) and exhibited significantly higher pre-transplant expression of both IMPDH1 (median 3.42 vs. 0.84; p=0.0025), and IMPDH2 genes (135 vs. 104; p=0.0218) with respect to non-rejecting patients. A significant association was also found between pre-transplant IMPDH1 mRNA and haematological complications (p=0.032). This study suggests that high steroid dosages may influence IMPDH1/2 expression, hampering their use as a PD biomarker, particularly during the early post-transplant period. The measurement of pre-transplant levels of IMPDH1/2 may contribute to prediction of individual drug responsiveness to improve the clinical management of patients in MMF therapy.


Summary There are numerous information privacy approaches based on the four major models of privacy protection. That is, Comprehensive Privacy Laws, Sectoral Privacy Laws, Privacy Self-Regulation, and Technologies of Privacy. These solutions, used individually or without proper system privacy design considerations, have not been very effective. This is because there has been little in the way of instruction on how developers and designers are supposed to use these privacy tools. In this paper we address the problem by providing a privacy solution for integration into information systems called Shield Privacy. The Shield Privacy solution provides an effective system wide approach to privacy protection. It integrates relevant components from the various privacy models. We have implemented our Shield Privacy in a collaborative environment application. In this paper we also describe the prototype and discuss its advantages and areas of future work.


A new broadband low-noise amplifier (LNA) is proposed. The conventional common gate (CG) LNA exhibits a relatively high noise figure, so active gm-boosting technology is utilized to restrain the noise generated by the input transistors and reduce the noise figure. Theory, simulation and measurement are shown. An implemented prototype using 0.13 ?m CMOS technology is evaluated using on-wafer probing. S11 and S22 are below ?10 dB across 0.1?5 GHz. Measurements also show a gain of 18.3 dB with a 3 dB bandwidth from 100 MHz to 2.1 GHz and an IIP3 of ?7 dBm at 2 GHz. The measured noise figure is better than 2.5 dB below 2.1 GHz, is better than 4.5 dB below 5 GHz, and at 500 MHz, it gets its minimum value 1.8 dB. The LNA consumes 9 mA from 1.5 V supply and occupies an area of 0.04 mm2.


Abstract A new pore forming process for the casting of microarray holes in Al components was proposed. This pore forming process depended on both the poor wettability of C and Al, and high strength of extension of carbon fibre. In contrast to conventional pore forming methods, such as mechanical or special process, the proposed method did not require any additional sophisticated equipment and acquired super large aspect ratio by casting. Aiming at demonstrating the feasibility and making comparative superiority of the proposed pore forming method, pore forming principle and the regularities of aperture were studied. The results show molten aluminium pore formed around the carbon fibre bundle. The actual diameter of holes is almost 20% larger than that of the theoretical value, the average aspect ratio of holes reaches 290 and the average diameter of holes is ∼0·222 mm under the influence of loose quantity.


Received July 29, 2021 Revised August 30, 2021 Accepted September 19, 2021 Available Online December 30, 2021 This study aimed to improve the students' critical thinking ability through learning activities using a science e-magazine of socioscientific issues-based inquiry model on additive and addictive material. This study used a one-group pretest-posttest design. This study also investigated the validity, practicality, and effectiveness of the science e-magazine of socioscientific issues-based inquiry model on the students' critical thinking abilities. Data collection techniques used validation, observation, and test. The average students' critical thinking ability was seen from the overall n-gain score of 0.34 in moderate criteria. The data analysis technique was intended to find out the improvement of critical thinking using paired sample t-test with sig result that was 0.000, so that if H0 is rejected, it means there was an increase in the ability of critical thinking students on VIII A class at Junior High School 1 Pamekasan after the learning activities. Students' responses and implementation were analyzed using descriptive analysis. E-magazine development was accompanied by the compiling of other learning tools such as syllabus, lesson plan, student worksheet, and critical thinking tests. E-magazine was saved in pdf format, making it easier for students to read them on smartphones or laptops. The average response of students to the learning activities was 80% and to the e-magazine was 80%.


This paper presents the extension of an existing mimimally supervised rule acquisition method for relation extraction by coreference resolution (CR). To this end, a novel approach to CR was designed and tested. In comparison to state-of-the-art methods for CR, our strategy is driven by the target semantic relation and utilizes domain-specific ontological and lexical knowledge in addition to the learned relation extraction rules. An empirical investigation reveals that newswire texts in our selected domains contain more coreferring noun phrases than prononimal coreferences. This means that existing methods for CR would not suffice and a semantic approach is needed. Our experiments show that the utilization of domain knowledge can boost CR. In our approach, the tasks of relation extraction and CR support each other. On the one hand, reference resolution is needed for the detection of arguments of the target relation. On the other hand, domain modelling for the IE task is used for semantic classification of the referring nouns. Moreover, the application of the learned relation extraction rules often narrows down the number of candidates for CR.

With respect to the minimally supervised learning of relation extraction grammars, we design and evaluate two integration strategies: (i) resolution after the complete pattern acquisition process and (ii) resolution embedded in the iterations of the learning process. The evaluation helps us to gain and substantiate a relevant insight: CR effectively improves recall in both strategies but it can hurt the precision because of its error spreading potential.


This paper deals with the epigram of Herodicus ( apud Ath. 5.222a). First it is exam-ined as a piece of Greek literature—with a history, a number of imitators, a Greek intellectual and scholarly context, and the expressive resources of the Greek language. Several cruces are discussed, but the meaning of the final two words of the poem— θεόπαις Βαβυλών—is of particular importance. The internal syntactic structure of the compound adjective θεό-παις is analysed using comparative evidence from Greek. But the actual comparandum that is argued to be crucial for establishing its meaning is an epithet of Babylon found in Akkadian and Sumerian. The basis for the relevance of this is the existence of Akkadian texts in Greek script (the 'Graeco-Babyloniaca'), which are reviewed in full as part of the evidence for cultural contact in Hellenistic Babylon.


The use of soft-switching converters in association with switched reluctance motors (SRM) potentially allows the fabrication of motor drives with increased power density and with better efficiency than other types of drive system. Additionally, the SRM can be operated with high reliability at very high speeds in harsh environments. As a result, a soft-switched SRM drive system can compete favourably with other drive types, in applications where compactness and robustness are required. In this work, the feasibility of a soft-switched reluctance drive is evaluated using simulations and validated with experimental results.


Denpasar as the capital city of Bali is facing high population growth each year from urbanization. One impact of this phenomena is decreasing the land provision for settlement. The growth of new settlements in Denpasar city currently featured a different character from the Balinese Traditional Houses of Bali Apanaga (BAP) in general, both from their forms and appearances; spatial patterns; materials and ornaments used. Contemporary houses in Denpasar are considered as a form of violation from traditional concepts and neglecting local identity. This paper investigates the ideas that are being used in modern houses and settlements in Denpasar today. A case study method was applied to several settlements in Denpasar using a qualitative approach for data analysis. Furthermore, reviews of the significant modern concepts were compared to the idea of BAP and Bali Aga (BA). The results show that significant concepts of forms, as well as the spatial patterns of BA houses and settlement houses which represent Balinese indigenous houses, have been more adopted by well-designed modern houses and settlements in Denpasar than the concept of BAP.


Enzymatic hydrolysis of xylan represents a promising way to produce xylooligosaccharide (XOS), which is a novel ingredient in functional food. However, the recalcitrance of xylan in natural lignocellulosic biomass entails effective and robust xylanases. In the present study, we reported the isolation of a thermophilic Streptomyces sp. B6 from mushroom compost producing high xylanase activity. Two xylanases of Streptomyces sp. B6 belonging to GH10 (XynST10) and GH11 (XynST11) families were thus identified and biochemically characterized to be robust enzymes with high alkaline- and thermostability. Direct hydrolysis of neutralized viscose fiber production waste using XynST10 and XynST11 showed that while XynST10 produced 23.22 g/L XOS with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 2-4 and 9.27 g/L xylose, XynST11 produced much less xylose (1.19 g/L) and a higher amounts of XOS with a DP = 2-4 (28.29 g/L). Thus, XynST11 holds great potential for the production of XOS from agricultural and industrial waste.


The paper centers on the continued development of the symmetric measurement equation (SME) filter developed by Kamen' for track maintenance in multiple target tracking. In this approach there is no need to correctly associate measurements and targets before target state estimation can take place. Rather the data association problem is embedded in the process of target state estimation. The "first order" version of the SME filter is an extended Kalman filter (EKF), and thus the computational requirements for filter implementation are comparable to that for a standard Kalman filter. In addition, in contrast to probabilistic data association filters, the estimator does not rely on the computation of probabilities for correct measurement/target associations. The SME filter is based on a standard state model for the target state trajectories. However, in contrast to existing approaches, the measurements are defmed in terms of nonlinear symmetric functionals of the target positions, except for one of the measurements which is defmed to be a scaled sum of the target positions. The measurement functions are defmed so that in the noise-free case, the target position vector for each coordinate can be determined up to a permutation of elements from knowledge of the measurements. In this paper, we define the measurements in terms of sums of products of the target coordinate positions. The performance of the SME filter is investigated via a computer simulation of the six-target case.


This article aims to investigate Cyberbullying and the civil responsibility of schools in Brazil. It sought to analyze aspects of students' digital life, accelerated social relations in the "performance society", the competitiveness between private schools, and how it provides a negative environment that facilitates the emergence of Cyberbullying. It was concluded that, with the advent of the first three federal laws dealing with bullying and cyberbullying in Brazil (2015-2018), the malicious omission of schools to comply with the norms described in these laws entails an effective harm to the whole school community. unprotected for not having an effective and permanent program of prevention and control of acts of Cyberbullying. We used bibliographical research and doctrinal notes to carry out this work.


The purposed of this study was to develop and evaluate a Web-based for medical terminology educational program. Method: For the development of this program, the NBISD model was applied as a basic model and WBI ID Process Action model was applied. It was executed for 15 weeks along with off-line lectures. After the operation of this program to 210 nursing students, learners`` responses were analyzed twice (at 5th week and 15th week). Result: The satisfaction with this program was slightly above the center point, But the structure of system and composition of design were high score, The results of the final evaluation were more positive than those of the interim one, This program have the advantage of easy accessibility and easy understandability with picture and testing. Conclusions: This study proved the importance of the suitability of learning contents and learning form in developing WBI programs and showed possibility for applying WBI to medical terminology. In order to enhance the effects of Web-based medical terminology educational program for, it is necessary to perform analytic comparison with the effect of W BI based on self-directed learning.


SUMMARY

A novel, multidimensional small baseline subset (MSBAS) methodology is presented for integration of multiple interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data sets for computation of 2- or 3-D time-series of deformation. The proposed approach allows the combination of all possible air-borne and space-borne SAR data acquired with different acquisition parameters, temporal and spatial sampling and resolution, wave-band and polarization. The produced time-series have improved temporal resolution and can be enhanced by applying either regularization or temporal filtering to remove high-frequency noise. We apply this methodology to map 2003–2010 ground deformation of the Virunga Volcanic Province (VVP), North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The horizontal and vertical time-series of ground displacement clearly identify lava compaction areas, long-term deformation of Mt Nyamuragira and 2004, 2006 and 2010 pre- and coeruptive deformation. Providing that enough SAR data is available, the method opens new opportunities for detecting ground motion in the VVP and elsewhere.


The two-dimensional Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki (AKLT) model on a honeycomb lattice has been shown to be a universal resource for quantum computation. In this valence bond solid, however, the spin interactions involve higher powers of the Heisenberg coupling (S[over →](I)·S[over →](j))(n), making these states seemingly unrealistic on bipartite lattices, where one expects a simple antiferromagnetic order. We show that those interactions can be generated by orbital physics in multiorbital Mott insulators. We focus on t(2g) electrons on the honeycomb lattice and propose a physical realization of the spin-3/2 AKLT state. We find a phase transition from the AKLT to the Néel state on increasing Hund's rule coupling, which is confirmed by density matrix renormalization group simulations. An experimental signature of the AKLT state consists of protected, free S=1/2 spins on lattice vacancies, which may be detected in the spin susceptibility.


We performed a series of experiments to examine the possibility that a theoretically proposed and indirectly empirically confirmed form of electromagnetic field emission from living beings appears to modify physical characteristics of water. We pursued three types of experiments. In the first one, we tried to examine whether and in what way water exposed to growing and dying spruce seedlings through a quartz test tube (therefore with no chemical contact), influences the germination of seeds and the growth of seedlings of the same species. The second type focused on the issue of whether and in what way distilled water, equally exposed to growing and dying spruce seedlings as well as to different ontogenetic phases of mealworm beetle, can be modified and this modification later on reproduced through a specially developed method of electrophotography. The third type of experiments presented here attempts to find out whether an emission from human hands can non-chemically modify the physical characteristics of distilled water. Their statistical analysis revealed the existence of two different groups of people: those capable of imprinting some form of highly reproducible radiation into water and those at most capable of imprinting only some sort of highly variable radiation. In the future this line of research could provide a scientifically based testing of the actual capabilities of the so-called biotherapists to perform this kind of unconventional healing. The present experiments also represent further indirect evidence for a form of electromagnetic emission from living beings and that such emission alters water in an as yet unknown way.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Salmeterol and fluticasone propionate are well established in the treatment of childhood asthma, and their combination is effective in children aged 4-11 years. Asthma guidelines recommend that the inhaler device best suited to the individual should be used to administer asthma treatment. The aim of this study was to further evaluate the efficacy of salmeterol/fluticasone propionate combination (SFC) delivered by the Diskustrade mark (50/100mug, one inhalation twice daily) and compare it with that observed when SFC is delivered by a chlorofluorocarbon-free pressurised metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) [25/50mug, two inhalations twice daily] in children aged 4-11 years with persistent asthma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
This equivalence study had a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-group design and comprised asthmatic children aged 4-11 years who required beclometasone (beclomethasone dipropionate) </=500 mug/day (or equivalent). After a 2-week run-in using existing inhaled corticosteroid therapy, patients were randomised to receive SFC via Diskustrade mark (n = 213) or pMDI (n = 215, with 82% using a spacer) for 12 weeks. Salbutamol (Ventolin((R))) was provided for symptomatic relief. The primary endpoint was mean morning peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) recorded by patients during weeks 1-12. Secondary endpoints included other lung function parameters, day- and night-time symptoms, use of rescue medication and percentage of symptom- and salbutamol-free days. Adverse events and 12-hour overnight urinary cortisol concentrations were monitored to assess safety.

RESULTS
Treatment with SFC, delivered by either device, was highly effective in improving patients' morning PEF and asthma symptoms. Over the whole study period, morning PEF (mean +/- standard error) improved by 37.7 +/- 3.1 L/min in the Diskustrade mark group and by 38.6 +/- 3.0 L/min in the pMDI group. The -0.9 L/min difference between groups (95% CI -7.1, 5.4) was within the predefined criterion for equivalence of (i.e. -15, 15 L/min). The median percentage of symptom-free and rescue medication-free days and nights increased considerably in both groups. For all efficacy parameters assessed, improvement occurred for all age groups as early as weeks 1-4, and was sustained over the 12 weeks. Both Diskustrade mark and pMDI treatments were well tolerated and their safety profiles were comparable.

CONCLUSION
SFC delivered via Diskustrade mark or pMDI was shown to be highly effective in asthmatic children aged 4-11 years. Children as young as 4 years were able to use the Diskustrade mark and pMDI effectively. The combination is clinically equivalent when administered via either device in this patient population. This means that both Diskustrade mark and pMDI (+ spacer) are suitable for administration of SFC, which provides prescribers/users with a choice of device.


The problem of diffraction of an E-polarized plane wave by a perfectly conducting wedge, having the illuminated side loaded with a thin dielectric slab of which the relative permittivity is not much larger than unity, is treated. The solution is given in an integral form, consisting of geometrical optics and associated diffraction terms, by applying an approximate boundary condition at the dielectric surface. The diffraction integrals involved are evaluated asymptotically in terms of Fresnel's integrals. Using the reciprocity principle, the results are extended to the cylindrical-wave excitation. The validity of the results is verified by comparison with experiment for the case of a dipole-fed dielectric-loaded strip.


Unhealthy food behaviors are the major contributing factors to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among adolescents in India. Knowledge and practices related to unhealthy eating are significant factors influencing adolescents' food behavior. In this scoping review, we aim to map evidence and identify gaps on knowledge, practices, and the influencing factors associated with unhealthy food behavior among Indian adolescents by examining the existing literature. Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework and the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers' manual were used for this review. After the screening, 33 articles were identified according to the inclusion criteria. Data extraction was performed according to the study objectives, followed by narrative summarization. The studies included a total of 20,566 adolescents. Most studies reported insufficient knowledge about healthy food choices among adolescents. Diet intake patterns among the adolescents showed a lower amount of fruits and vegetables and an increase in fried items, sugar-sweetened beverages, packaged food, and fast food in both sexes, with a broader association with peer influence (21.2%), parental unhealthy food behavior (15.1%), place of residence (6.06%), emotional status (6.06%), and mass media exposure (18.1%). The scoping review highlights the need for targeted interventions aimed at improving the knowledge and practices of Indian adolescents by promoting healthy food choices and sensitizing them about the risk of non-communicable diseases. The analysis of evidence around adolescent dietary behavior in India shows a monotonous, limited, and narrow range in scope, indicating the extended need for research.


A method for the suppression of coherent noise in seismic data based on the eigendecomposition of a data covariance matrix is demonstrated. Based on the Karhunen-Loeve transform, the proposed procedure is useful against noise energy exhibiting both two-dimensional space and time coherencies or coherent two-dimensional patterns which are not necessarily linear and therefore cannot generally be velocity-filtered. This method trains on a region containing the undesired coherent noise; the dominant eigenvectors determined from the covariance matrix of that noise are used to reconstruct the noise in the region of interest. Subtracting the reconstruction from the original data leaves a residual in which the coherent noise has been suppressed. In the example considered, this method effectively suppresses the noise in a record of marine seismic data containing backscattered source energy. >


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The strict and approximate relationship that bases on the binomial series expansion are received in the article for calculating the difference of the modulation (DDM) depth of the signals that emitted by the two-frequency instrument landing system (ILS). A comparison is given of the results that are computed by the approximate and the exact formulas for the DDM. It takes into account that the signals "suppressed carrier sideband only" and "Carrier plus sideband" are out of phase. The behavior of the DDM in the localizer area is presented. The article is interesting for the developers of the ILS and for the specialist in start-up of the localizer and the glide-path transmitter and for the professional radioservices specialists of airport and for the related disciplines university teachers and students.


For expressing the condolences on the passing away of Dr. Hsiang-Tung Chang, one of the distinguished members of the Chinese Academia of Sciences, the pioneer studies on cortical dendritic potentials that Dr. Chang carried out in the 1950s and the prosperous progresses since then, especially, concerning the modifications of synaptic plasticity by the dendritic back-propagating action potentials were briefly reviewed.


Objective:  Our aim was to determine the frequency and demographic characteristics of the patients presenting at the department of pediatric dermatology with complaints of mouth and lip lesions and to compare their epidemiological data with the literature in this study. Material and Methods:  Of the 3000 children aged between 0 and 16 who presented at the pediatric dermatology outpatients between 2011 January and 2011 December, the children who had been brought with complaints of mouth and lip sores were retrospectively assessed in terms of age, gender, socio-economic level (SEL), medicine use, disease history, systemic disease and presence of genetic disease. Results:  Of the pediatric patients brought with mouth complaints, 64 (58%) were girls and 46 (42%) were boys. Fifteen ifferent oral mucosal diseases were detected in 110 patients (3.6%). The most frequent oral mucosal diseases were RAS (recurrent aphthous stomatitis) (16.3%, n=18), perioral dermatitis (14.5%, n=16), and hand foot mouth disease (13.6%, n= 15). Conclusion:  Although oral mucosal diseases are less frequently seen in children compared to adults, early diagnosis and treatment are important since they may be a sign of systemic disease, affect growth and development and may lead to psychological problems.


The latest in "Sports Illustrated" series of best-selling, sport-specific coffee-table specials, "The Golf Book" will be the must-have holiday gift for golfers and golf fans. With lavish photography and award-winning writing from "Sports Illustrated" archives, this majestic new volume tracks golf history from 19th century Scotland to Tiger Woods' latest heroics on the green. In 288 over sized pages, "The Golf Book" celebrates the royal and ancient game as only "Sports Illustrated" can, showcasing its biggest personalities (Nicklaus, Hogan, Palmer, to name just a few) and top performances in richly illustrated display. The, sport's most beautiful landscapes, most treasured courses and most renowned artifacts are depicted in stunning large-format detail. With precision and passion "The Golf Book" tees it up and hits it straight down the fairway. "Sports Illustrated" has commissioned a definitive panel of experts - including PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, USGA director David Faye, Royal & Ancient chief Peter Dawson, LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens and the SI Golf group - to select the 20 Greatest Golfers of all-time, "The Golf Book" gatefold will show the players interacting at the mythical "Sports Illustrated Invitational." We can't reveal who'll be on the tee, but you might see Arnold Palmer comparing swings with Bobby Jones, or Ben Hogan marveling at Tiger Woods' driver.


It was observed that food restriction significantly increase gonadal development for about two months indicating that hypothalamo hypophyseal gonadal axis becomes more sensitive to feeding stress during the early breeding period than the other reproductive phases. Normal testicular development was also not seen in the spotted munia in which food was restricted for two times each of 3 hour duration, despite the fact that daily food consumption was not significantly less (only by 6.60%) compared to the control group. This suggests that daily restriction in feeding for a longer period (total 6 h or more) may also alter the reproductive function in wild birds.


The present study was designed to investigate the seasonal changes in the abundance and biomass of zooplankton and their relationships with water quality parameters in mudflat shallow estuary, Helleh River, Persian Gulf (Iran). The zooplankton consisted of Acartia sp., Euterpina sp., Oithona spp., Oncaea sp., Paracalanus sp., Corycaeus sp., Labidocera sp., Macrosetella sp., Microsetella sp., Temora sp., copepod copepodid, copepod nauplii, Barnacle, Polychaeta, Conchoecia sp. (Ostracoda), Hyperid, Decapoda (zoea and megalopa), Actinula, Echinopluteus, Mollusca, Tintinnopsis sp., Ctenophora ( Boliopsis sp.), Protozoa ( Discorbis sp.), cumacea ( Diastylis sp.), Cnidaria (Siphonophora and Phialidium), Nematoda (Pratylenchus spp.), Urocordata ( Oikopleura spp.), fish eggs and fish larvae. The maximum biomass was estimated at estuary mouth in all seasons, the highest values in autumn (97.8-255.6 mg/m 3 ) and the lowest in winter (5.5-68.2 mg/m 3 ). The seasonal abundance (density) of zooplankton was 21237±2419, 45739±6053, 5242±648, and 12905±1867 ind./m 3 in summer, autumn, winter and spring, respectively. There was a significant correlation (P<0.01) between zooplankton abundance as well as biomass with salinity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll a . Based on PCA (Principal Component Analysis), the most important factors in mudflat shallow river–estuarine system that could describe most changes of biomass and abundance of zooplankton were salinity, chlorophyll a , temperature and pH,  respectively.


Periodontitis, an inflammatory disease initiated by Gram-negative bacteria such as Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), is considered as a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Our study aimed to determine the effect of Pg and its LPS on the expression of peptidyl arginine deiminase isotypes (PADs) in human primary chondrocytes (HC). HCs were infected with Pg and activated by its LPS (LPS-Pg). The mRNA expression levels of human PADs (1, 2, 3, 4 and 6) and bacterial enzyme (PADPg) were quantified by RT-qPCR. Cellular extracts served to measure the enzymatic activities of PADs and PADPg and to visualize the profiles of citrullinated proteins/peptides by Western blotting. Our data showed significant inhibitions of mRNA expressions of human PAD-2, PAD-3 and PAD-4 during infection of HC with live Pg. Activation of HC by LPS-Pg increased mRNA expressions of human PAD-2 and PAD-3. The PADPg enzymatic activity was significantly increased in only infected HC. Analysis of citrullinated proteins/peptides profiles revealed the occurrence of low molecular bands only in cellular extracts from HC infected with Pg. Our data showed that Pg and its LPS differentially regulate the expression of PADs in human chondrocytes and that Pg favors the apparition of new citrullinated proteins/peptides.


The mechanisms involved in the activation of persulfate by nanosized zero-valent iron (NZVI) were elucidated and the NZVI transformation products identified. Two distinct reaction stages, in terms of the kinetics and radical formation mechanism, were found when phenol was oxidized by the persulfate/NZVI system. In the initial stage, lasting 10 min, Fe0(s) was consumed rapidly and sulfate radicals were produced through activation by aqueous Fe2+. The second stage was governed by Fe catalyzed activation in the presence of aqueous Fe3+ and iron (oxyhydr)oxides in the NZVI shells. The second stage was 3 orders of magnitude slower than the initial stage. An electron balance showed that the sulfate radical yield per mole of persulfate was more than two times higher in the persulfate/NZVI system than in the persulfate/Fe2+ system. Radicals were believed to be produced more efficiently in the persulfate/NZVI system because aqueous Fe2+ was supplied slowly, preventing sulfate radicals being scavenged by excess aqueous Fe2+. In the second stage, the multilayered shell conducted electrons, and magnetite in the shell provided electrons for the activation of persulfate. Iron speciation analysis (including X-ray absorption spectroscopy) results indicated that a shrinking core/growing shell model explained NZVI transformation during the persulfate/NZVI process.


Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is an integral membrane protein of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) that catalyzes the rate limiting step in the monounsaturated fatty acids from saturated fatty acids. Selection for fatty acids traits based on molecular marker assisted selection is needed to increase a value of chicken meat. This study was designed to analyze expression and associations of SCD gene polymorphisms with fatty acid traits in F2 kampung-broiler chicken cross. A total of 62 F2 kampung-broiler chicken cross (29 males and 33 females) were used in this study. Fatty acid traits were measured at 26 weeks of age. Samples were divided into two groups based on fatty acid traits (the highest and the lowest). Primers in exon 2 region were designed from the genomic chicken sequence. The SNP g.37284A>G was detected and polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was then used to genotype. The expression of SCD gene was analyzed using quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). The result showed that there were three genotypes (AA, AG, and GG) found in this study. The SCD|AciI polymorphism was significantly associated with palmitoleic acid (C16:1), fatty acids total and saturated fatty acid in 26 weeks old of F2 kampung-broiler chicken cross (P<0.05). The SCD gene was expressed for polyunsaturated fatty acids in liver tissue in two groups of chickens. In conclusion, the SCD gene could be a candidate gene that affects fatty acids traits in F2 kampung-broiler chicken cross.


This paper explores the relation between Justice Sensitivity and an attentional bias
toward just and unjust stimuli by the means of the visual dot probe task. This task has been applied sucessfully in anxiety research and works as follows: (In)justice-related and neutral stimuli are presented briefly at alternative locations on a computer screen, and a small visual probe is displayed subsequently in one of these
locations. It is assessed how rapidly participants identify a probe replacing the
neutral or the (in)justice-related word, respectively.
It was found that the higher a person scores in Justice Sensitivity, the more he or she displays a bias toward unjust (but not just) stimuli after witnessing an unjust incident. Unfortunately, this result is impaired severely by lacking reliability of the dot probe task.
In a second study, the dot probe task is employed to train participants to focus on or avoid (in)justice-related stimuli by displaying the probe always in the former location of the (in)justice-related or the neutral word. A training toward (in)justice was expected to produce a more pronounced attentional bias, stronger emotional and behavioral reactions to actually observed injustice, higher Justice Sensitivity scores, and a higher willingness to act against observed injustice. The training to avoid (in)justice should have a reversed effect. Against expectations, the training groups showed no according differences.
However, when the original JS scores were included in the analysis, one of the predicted training effects was confirmed: persons who were trained to pay attention to (in)justice were more willing to show solidarity by contributing time or money to Amnesty International than persons trained to avoid (in)justice.


To improve the quality or performance of lecturers need an assessment. Assessment of lecturers can be done by Leaders and Chairman of Study Program such as assessment of Teaching, Research, Dedication, Responsibility, Personality, Loyalty, Cooperation, Leadership. Problems that have occurred so far to assess the performance of lecturers are still not optimal because there is no system / method used for assessment. It is therefore necessary to  making a decision support system using the Technique For Other Reference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). This method is able to choose the best alternative from the existing alternative. The alternative is the lecturer who will be assessed it's performance. The result obtained by using this method is to know the lecturer who has the best performance. The best lecturers' determination will be issued in the form of numerical values and sorted by the largest value to the smallest value. From 5 alternative lecturers that have been tested are Lecturer 1, Lecturer 2, Lecturer 3 Lecturer 4 and Lecturer 5, then selected Lecturer 2 which has the best performance with a preference value of 0.5341.


Dilute Oxygen Combustion (DOC) burners have been successfully installed and operated in the reheat furnace at Auburn Steel Co., Inc., Auburn, NY, under Phase 3 of the Dilute Oxygen Combustion project. Two new preheat zones were created employing a total of eight 6.5 MMBtu/hr capacity burners. The preheat zones provide a 30 percent increase in maximum furnace production rate, from 75 tph to 100 tph. The fuel rate is essentially unchanged, with the fuel savings expected from oxy-fuel combustion being offset by higher flue gas temperatures. When allowance is made for the high nitrogen level and high gas phase temperature in the furnace, measured NOx emissions are in line with laboratory data on DOC burners developed in Phase 1 of the project. Burner performance has been good, and there have been no operating or maintenance problems. The DOC system continues to be used as part of Auburn Steel's standard reheat furnace practice. High gas phase temperature is a result of the high firing density needed to achieve high production rates, and little opportunity exists for improvement in that area. However, fuel and NOx performance can be improved by further conversion on furnace zones to DOC burners, which will lower furnacemore » nitrogen levels. Major obstacles are cost and concern about increased formation of oxide scale on the steel. Oxide scale formation may be enhanced by exposure of the steel to higher concentrations of oxidizing gas components (primarily products of combustion) in the higher temperature zones of the furnace. Phase 4 of the DOC project will examine the rate of oxide scale formation in these higher temperature zones and develop countermeasures that will allow DOC burners to be used successfully in these furnace zones.« less


Let X be a standard Borel space (i.e., a Polish space with the associated Borel structure), and let E be a countable Borel equivalence relation on X, i.e., a Borel equivalence relation E for which every equivalence class [x]E is countable. By a result of Feldman-Moore [FM], E is induced by the orbits of a Borel action of a countable group G on X. The structure of general countable Borel equivalence relations is very little understood. However, a lot is known for the particularly important subclass consisting of hyperfinite relations. A countable Borel equivalence relation is called hyperfinite if it is induced by a Borel ℤ-action, i.e., by the orbits of a single Borel automorphism. Such relations are studied and classified in [DJK] (see also the references contained therein). It is shown in Ornstein-Weiss [OW] and Connes-Feldman-Weiss [CFW] that for every Borel equivalence relation E induced by a Borel action of a countable amenable group G on X and for every (Borel) probability measure μ on X, there is a Borel invariant set Y ⊆ X with μ(Y) = 1 such that E ↾ Y (= the restriction of E to Y) is hyperfinite. (Recall that a countable group G is amenable if it carries a finitely additive translation invariant probability measure defined on all its subsets.) Motivated by this result, Weiss [W2] raised the question of whether every E induced by a Borel action of a countable amenable group is hyperfinite. Later on Weiss (personal communication) showed that this is true for G = ℤn. However, the problem is still open even for abelian G. Our main purpose here is to provide a weaker affirmative answer for general amenable G (and more—see below). We need a definition first. Given two standard Borel spaces X, Y, a universally measurable isomorphism between X and Y is a bijection ƒ: X → Y such that both ƒ, ƒ-1 are universally measurable. (As usual, a map g : Z → W, with Z and W standard Borel spaces, is called universally measurable if it is μ-measurable for every probability measure μ on Z.) Notice now that to assert that a countable Borel equivalence relation on X is hyperfinite is trivially equivalent to saying that there is a standard Borel space Y and a hyperfinite Borel equivalence relation F on Y, which is Borel isomorphic to E, i.e., there is a Borel bijection ƒ: X → Y with xEy ⇔ ƒ(x)F ƒ(y). We have the following theorem.


In CSMA/CA-based, multi-hop, multi-rate wireless networks, spatial reuse can be increased by tuning the carrier-sensing threshold (Tcs) to reduce the carrier sense range (dcs). While reducing dcs enables more concurrent transmissions, the transmission quality suffers from the increased accumulative interference contributed by concurrent transmissions outside dcs. As a result, the data rate at which the transmission can sustain may decrease. How to balance the interplay of spatial reuse and transmission quality (and hence the sustainable data rate) so as to achieve high network capacity is thus an important issue. In this paper, we investigate this issue by extending Cali's model and devising an analytical model that characterizes the transmission activities as governed by IEEE 802.11 DCF in a single-channel, multi-rate, multi-hop wireless network. The systems throughput is derived as a function of Tcs, SINR, beta, and other PHY/MAC systems parameters. We incorporate the effect of varying the degree of spatial reuse by tuning the Tcs. Based on the physical radio propagation model, we theoretically estimate the potential accumulated interference contributed by concurrent transmissions and the corresponding SINR. For a given SINR value, we then determine an appropriate data rate at which a transmission can sustain. To the best of our knowledge, this is perhaps the first effort that considers tuning of PHY characteristics (transmit power and data rates) and MAC parameters (contention backoff timer) jointly in an unified framework in order to optimize the overall network throughput. Analytical results indicate that the systems throughput is not a monotonically increasing/decreasing function of Tcs, but instead exhibits transitional points where several possible choices of Tcs can be made. In addition, the network capacity can be further improved by choosing the backoff timer values appropriately.


Currently the evaluation of the psycho-physical condition of individuals performing at-risk activities involves either subjective evaluations or invasive biological tests, and is not often indicative of the actual ability of the subject to perform the specific activity. We propose a new methodology based on posturographic and reaction time measurements, derived from the strict relationship between the control strategies used to maintain the erect posture and the psycho-physical abilities of an individual. These strategies are affected by fatigue, diseases and substances such as alcohol and drugs. The measuring device consists of a posturographic platform, a hand-held trigger and a personal computer running the software. The subject is asked to perform simultaneously two tasks: move the center of mass of the body to follow a target on the screen, and react to the appearance of another stimulus by pressing the trigger. The task is made more complicated by randomly presenting the stimuli and by the presence of "dummy" targets the subject is supposed to ignore. Evaluating how accurately the subject follows the target, the reaction times, as well as the number of reactions to "dummy" targets allows to quantify the psycho-physical condition of the individual. This methodology could be used as a real time, fast and quantitative measure to improve road and workplace safety, not invading the privacy of the subject, easily relating to real-world activities, and not requiring highly trained personnel to administer the test.


We consider the minimum order graphs with a given cop number. We prove that the minimum order of a connected graph with cop number 3 is 10, and show that the Petersen graph is the unique isomorphism type of graph with this property. We provide the results of a computational search on the cop number of all graphs up to and including order 10. A relationship is presented between the minimum order of graph with cop number $k$ and Meyniel's conjecture on the asymptotic maximum value of the cop number of a connected graph.


RP&M (Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing) is the most appropriate technology for the small-lot production system, because the production cycle is getting shorter owing to various needs of the consumer. In this paper, rapid tooling technology is applied to the casting process. The casting process has the ability to reflect complicated shapes in one process. But it has not been widely used to make a die and mold because of the poor surface quality caused by air bubbles on the surface of the casting product. In this study, the porous casting mold is fabricated from a mixture of plaster and water-soluble binder. The porous casting mold can improve the characteristics of casting products with the help of the vacuum sealed casting process. The vacuum sealed casting process is an advanced technology that removes the air bubbles between the porous casting mould and the liquid metal, thus making the surface of the casting product finer. The purpose of this paper is to develop a high quality shoe mold using porous casting mold and to apply the RP&M technology to the shoe industry.


The olfactory sense measures the chemical composition of the environment using a diverse array of olfactory receptors. In vertebrates, the olfactory receptors reside in a mucus layer in the nasal cavity and can thus only detect odorants that are inhaled with the airflow and dissolved in mucus. These physical processes fundamentally affect how many odorant molecules contact the receptors. We hypothesize that the olfactory system works efficiently by optimizing the placement of receptors for maximal information transmission. Using a simplified model, we capture all relevant physical processes and show that odorant concentrations generally exhibit an exponential distribution. Combining this result with information theory, we further show that receptors separated into distinct spatial zones maximize the transmitted information. Our results are consistent with experimentally observed receptors zones and might help to improve artificial smell sensors.


The Q3s dummy is a three year old child crash dummy optimized for side impact crash testing. The dummy is built on the platform of the standard Q3 dummy that is part of the Q-series of child dummies developed in Europe to replace the P-series. Enhanced lateral biofidelity, durability and additional measurement channels have been designed into the Q3s dummy. The dummy features a new head that eliminates previously reported high frequency noise, an extensible neck that combines improved frontal flexion performance with the lateral and tensile performance of the Q series necks, a highly deformable shoulder with shoulder deflection measurement, a new arm with improved flesh characteristics, a laterally compliant chest and a pelvis with improved upper leg flesh, floating hip cups, and pubic load transducer. Biofidelity performance for the lateral 3 year old ATD is validated against the scaled biofidelity targets published by Irwin et al. (2002) This paper will describe the construction of the dummy and the laboratory biofidelity performance.


BACKGROUND
An elevated thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is essential for the uptake of radioiodine into thyroid remnants and residual thyroid cancer in patients undergoing high-dose radioiodine therapy (HD-RIT). Recently, the use of recombinant human thyroid stimulating hormone (rh- TSH) has increased in preference over the conventional method of thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW). However, the clinical influences of the two methods, aside from the therapeutic effects, have not been widely evaluated. The aim of this work was to investigate the influences of the two methods, particularly on the renal function and external radiation dose rate (EDR) from patients undergoing HD-RIT.

METHODS
From February 2012 to November 2016, 667 patients (M:F=138:529, mean age: 47.7 ± 11.8 years), who underwent first HD-RIT (120, 150, or 180 mCi, 1 mCi = 37 MBq) for ablation of remnant thyroid tissue or residual thyroid cancer, were enrolled. Patients who were proven to have distant metastasis to lung or bone were excluded. Low- to high-risk patients based on 2015 American thyroid association management guidelines who underwent first HD-RIT in our department were included. The period from total thyroidectomy to HD-RIT was limited within 12 months. The following parameters were collected and evaluated: age, gender, histology type and TNM stage of thyroid cancer, glomerular filtration rate on the admission day for total thyroidectomy (baseline GFR), GFR on the day of HD-RIT (follow-up GFR), thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels on the day of HD-RIT, and EDR on the discharge day after HD-RIT.

RESULTS
There were 386 patients using the THW method and 281 patients choosing the rh-TSH method. The baseline GFR of the THW group (106±16 mL/min/1.73 m2) and that of the rh-TSH group (104±17 mL/min/1.73 m2) were within normal limits and there was no significant difference. However, follow- up GFR of the THW group (84±17 mL/min/1.73 m2) was much lower than that of the rh-TSH group (104±16 mL/min/1.73 m2) (P=0.000). In the THW group, the follow-up GFR decreased significantly (P=0.000), yet the follow-up GFR of the rh-TSH group was not statistically different when compared with its baseline GFR (P=0.142). EDRs were lower in all rh-TSH subgroups compared to those of THW subgroups with statistical significance. Tg and TSH levels were not different between the two groups, excluding a few small-sized subgroups analyses.

CONCLUSIONS
In this retrospective analysis of renal function and EDR, the use of rh-TSH appears to help maintain renal function and finally decrease EDR in contrast to the THW method when undergoing HD-RIT.


Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative disease that gravely affects patients and imposes an immense burden on caregivers. Apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) has been identified as the most common genetic risk factor for AD, yet the molecular mechanisms connecting APOE4 to AD are not well understood. Past transcriptomic analyses in AD have revealed APOE genotype-specific transcriptomic differences; however, these differences have not been explored at a single-cell level. Here, we leverage the first two single-nucleus RNA sequencing AD datasets from human brain samples, including nearly 55,000 cells from the prefrontal and entorhinal cortices. We observed more global transcriptomic changes in APOE4 positive AD cells and identified differences across APOE genotypes primarily in glial cell types. Our findings highlight the differential transcriptomic perturbations of APOE isoforms at a single-cell level in AD pathogenesis and have implications for precision medicine development in the diagnosis and treatment of AD.


The paper uses Italian daily data from January 1991 to July 1992 (a period in which the lira belonged to the narrow EMS band without foreign exchange controls) to measure the relationship between liquidity and interest rates. The high quality of the data allows us to separate that part of interest rate variability due to foreign exchange factors (i.e. interest rate linkages in the EMS) from that attributable to other (`domestic') factors. We compare and evaluate alternative indicators of daily liquidity in a system of monthly average computation of reserve requirements. We find clear evidence of the existence of liquidity effects on interest rates and, in contrast to the pre-1990 period, find that foreign exchange factors have had a dominant influence, directly or through their effect on domestic liquidity, on interest rate variability.


The effect of six different types of activated carbons has been studied in view of their applicability as functional fillers upon the dielectric and microwave properties of natural rubber based composites. It is found that the textural characteristics of the studied active carbons exert influence both on the real part of dielectric permittivity and dielectric loss angle tangent, as well as on the microwave properties of the studied composites. The composite containing activated carbon on the basis of wooden material possesses the highest value of the total shielding effectiveness in comparison with the composites, containing another activated carbons. It has the lowest values of specific surface area, area and volume of micropores and the highest values of external surface area, volume of mesopores and average pore diameter. With gradually increasing the values of the indices in the first group and gradually decreasing the values of the indices in the second group, the value of total shielding effectiveness decreases. It is obvious that these indices have influence on the rubber matrix-filler particle interactions, such as multicontact chain adsorption to the surface of the filler. The spatial inhomogeneities formed give rise to polarization phenomena and to a frequency dependence of the dielectric properties.


We develop a theory to describe the dynamics of a driven-dissipative many-body Fermi system, to pursue our proposal to realize exotic quantum states based on reservoir engineering. Our idea is to design the shape of a Fermi surface so as to have multiple Fermi edges, by properly attaching multiple reservoirs with different chemical potentials to a fermionic system. These emerged edges give rise to additional scattering channels that can destabilize the system into unconventional states, which is exemplified in this work by considering a driven-dissipative attractively interacting Fermi gas. By formulating a quantum kinetic equation using the Nambu-Keldysh Green's function technique, we explore nonequilibrium steady states in this system and assess their stability. We find that, in addition to the BCS-type isotropic pairing state, a Fulde-Ferrell-type anisotropic superfluid state being accompanied by Cooper pairs with non-zero center-of-mass momentum exists as a stable solution, even in the absence of a magnetic Zeeman field. Our result implies a great potential of realizing quantum matter beyond the equilibrium paradigm, by engineering the shape and topology of Fermi surfaces in both electronic and atomic systems.


This paper describes a high-power flywheel energy storage device with 1 kWh of usable energy. A possible application is to level peaks in the power consumption of seam-welding machines. A rigid body model is used for controller design, stability, and robustness analysis. Flywheel systems tend to have strong gyroscopic coupling which must be considered in the controller design. The gyroscopic coupling can cause instability in addition with system nonlinearities, digitization, time delay, filter characteristics, and adaptive unbalance cancellation. Different approaches, such as decentralized control, controller design with a linear quadratic regulator (LQR), and cross feedback control are analyzed. Cross feedback control leads to a better system performance and is easy to implement. Experimental results are given. The startup behavior and the disturbing forces of the system while rotating are shown.


This paper evaluates whether performance of positive P/E firms are significantly different from negative P/E firms. It also investigates the characteristics of positive P/E firms and negative P/E firms and determine whether the differences in characteristics are statistically significant. Both Mood Median test and Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K-S) test are used in this paper to examine the significance of results on data gathered for four Asian countries (China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore) for the period from 2004 to 2014. Findings of this study show that the performance between positive P/E firms and negative P/E firms was significantly different, especially in terms of stock price returns, EBIT margin, current ratio, cash, assets turnover, EPS growth, EBIT growth, revenue growth, and market capitalization. Such results are partly consistent with previous studies and contribute to this area of study by examining new characteristics between firms with positive P/E and negative P/E.


An examination of the effects of artificial stress induced by adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) on total and differential leukocyte counts, plasma cortisol levels, metabolic profiles and peripheral blood polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) function was performed on Japanese Black steers kept in a cold environment, with the following regimes; 1) -5 degrees C x ACTH (100 IU/day for 3 days), 2) 0 degrees C x ACTH, 3) 15 degrees C x ACTH and 4) 15 degrees C x PBS. Blood samples were collected before and at 1, 2, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr prior to the application of the stressor. The plasma cortisol level was found to greatly increase at one hr after the first treatment of ACTH, particularly so in animals exposed to -5 degrees C. Total leukocytes (-5 degrees C and 0 degrees C experiments, respectively), the monocytes (-5 degrees C), neutrophils and eosinophils (-5 degrees C, 0 degrees C and 15 degrees C, respectively) obviously increased just after the first administration, although lymphocyte counts at -5 degrees C were inversely related to those described above. All of these tendencies were augmented by the cold environment except for eosinophils. The chemiluminescent (CL) response of PMN decreased in the ACTH-administered steers at an early stage of post-administration, however, it tended to recover from the lower-than-base value in the cold-affected steers. ACTH administration resulted in higher plasma glucose (Glu) compared to a control, although only steers housed at -5 degrees C evidently showed lower plasma inorganic phosphorus (IP). No abnormal serum acute phase protein, or immunosuppressor, was noted. ACTH thus appears not only to promote physiological reactions but also to temporarily suppress PMN cellular immune function in Japanese Black steers. Although, a cold environment rapidly restored the CL activity to over the pre-administrational value, suggesting that a vital response was activated by crymo-stimuli.


Concerning the different interpretation on the pathological and clinical evolution of the TMJ dysfunctions, the most common of these pathology is the condyle-disk incoordination. This study analyzed the evolution of TMJ dysfunctions examined at the maxillo-facial department of the University of Rome "La Sapienza". The non therapeutic approach does not consider an addition al control-sample of the non treated being itself a control-sample of a parallel work whose aim was to analyze patients who had undergone a complete therapeutic cycle.


Abstract Purpose MacCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare autosomal dominant osteo-hormonal disorder. MAS is characterized by a severe form of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, 'café-au-lait' pigmentation of the skin and multiple endocrinopathies. MAS was shown to be caused by mosaic missense somatic mutations in the GNAS gene coding for the alpha-subunit of the stimulatory G-protein. MAS is also associated with radiation-induced malignant tumors, like osteosarcoma, fibrosarcoma and chondrosarcoma but their origin remains misunderstood. In parallel, bisphosphonates treatment was shown to improve the MAS patients' outcome, notably by increasing bone density but, again, the molecular mechanisms supporting these observations remain misunderstood. Materials and methods Here, by using fibroblast and osteoblast cell lines derived from 2 MAS patients, the major radiobiological features of MAS were investigated. Notably, the clonogenic cell survival, the micronuclei and the γH2AX, pATM and MRE11 immunofluorescence assays were applied to MAS cells. Results It appears that cells from the 2 MAS patients are associated with a moderate but significant radiosensitivity, a delayed radiation-induced nucleoshuttling of the ATM kinase likely caused by its sequestration in cytoplasm, suggesting impaired DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) repair and signaling in both fibroblasts and osteoblasts. Such delay may be partially corrected by using bisphosphonates combined with statins, which renders cells more radioresistant. Conclusions Our findings represent the first radiobiological characterization of fibroblasts and osteoblasts providing from MAS patients. Although the number of studied cases is reduced, our findings suggest that the MAS cells tested belong to the group of syndromes associated with moderate but significant radiosensitivity. Further investigations are however required to secure the clinical transfer of the combination of bisphosphonates and statins, to reduce the disease progression and to better evaluate the potential risks linked to radiation exposure.


This study extends the recent research on the significant non-linear association between perceived assertiveness and a leader's social and instrumental outcomes. Using a 3 X 2 X 2 between-participants experimental design (N = 469), with three levels of assertiveness (high; moderate; low), two levels of gender (male; female), and two levels of LeaderMember Exchange (LMX) quality (low; high), this study tested the main effects of assertiveness on leader social and instrumental outcomes, as well as the moderating effects of gender and LMX quality. The main effects hypotheses for assertiveness were supported, and as expected the moderate assertiveness condition was more predictive of positive leader outcomes when compared to the other two conditions. Gender did not significantly alter the main effects of assertiveness on leadership outcomes. However, LMX did interact significantly with assertiveness in predicting leadership effectiveness.


Abstract Multistability and chaotic scenario of arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic waves in a quantum plasma consisting of negative ions, positive ions and electrons are investigated. The normalized basic equations are transformed to a four dimensional conservative dynamical system by introducing a travelling wave variable. Stability of the fixed points for the corresponding linearized system is briefly examined. Chaotic and quasi-periodic features of the arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic waves are discussed using effective tools, viz. phase orientations, time series graph and graphs of Lyapunov exponents. Multistability phenomena is established with the help of phase spaces, largest Lyapunov exponents and cross-section of basins of attraction. The chaotic phenomena is further verified by 0−1 test. Results of this study can be applied in understanding dynamical phenomena of arbitrary amplitude ion-acoustic waves in quantum pair-ion plasmas.


Genomic selection has been implemented over the years in several livestock species, due to the achievable higher genetic progress. The use of genomic information in evaluations provides better prediction accuracy than do pedigree-based evaluations, and the makeup of the genotyped population is a decisive point. The aim of this work is to compare the effect of different genotyping strategies (number and type of animals) on the prediction accuracy for dairy sheep Latxa breeds. A simulation study was designed based on the real data structure of each population, and the phenotypic and genotypic data obtained were used in genetic (BLUP) and genomic (single-step genomic BLUP) evaluations of different genotyping strategies. The genotyping of males was beneficial when they were genetically connected individuals and if they had daughters with phenotypic records. Genotyping females with their own lactation records increased prediction accuracy, and the connection level has less relevance. The differences in genotyping females were independent of their estimated breeding value. The combined genotyping of males and females provided intermediate accuracy results regardless of the female selection strategy. Therefore, assuming that genotyping rams is interesting, the incorporation of genotyped females would be beneficial and worthwhile. The benefits of genotyping individuals from various generations were highlighted, although it was also possible to gain prediction accuracy when historic individuals were not considered. Greater genotyped population sizes resulted in more accuracy, even if the increase seems to reach a plateau.


Energy levels of internal waves are estimated from seismic reflection data. Three legacy seismic sections from 1993 and 1997 obtained off the Iberian Peninsula have been analyzed for acoustic reflections within the water column. The reflections are aligned continuously for up to several kilometers over large parts of the sections and in the depth interval from 200 to 2000 m. Depth variations of these reflections are thought to be caused by the background internal wave field. From the variations we derive horizontal wave number spectra of normalized internal wave displacement. The general slope of the power density spectra is remarkably consistent for all sections and agrees well with model spectra for internal waves. Significant differences within the sections can be found when sufficiently large subsections are averaged. The spatial variation of the energy level indicates increasing internal wave activity with shallower water depths as well as near a subsurface eddy.


Electrical stimulation of neural responses is used both scientifically in brain mapping studies and in many clinical applications such as cochlear, vestibular, and retinal implants. Due to safety considerations, stimulation of the nervous system is restricted to short biphasic pulses. Despite decades of research and development, neural implants are far from optimal in their ability to restore function and lead to varying improvements in patients. In this study, we provide an explanation for how pulsatile stimulation affects individual neurons and therefore leads to variability in restoration of neural responses. The explanation is grounded in the physiological response of channels in the axon and represented with mathematical rules that predict firing rate as a function of pulse rate, pulse amplitude, and spontaneous activity. We validate these rules by showing that they predict recorded vestibular afferent responses in macaques and discuss their implications for designing clinical stimulation paradigms and electrical stimulation-based experiments.


This research is to examine the level of entrepreneurial behavior between first year and final year student in Malaysia Public University. This paper provides a brief review on factors affecting student's entrepreneurial behavior. The purpose is to find the factor that influences entrepreneurial intention and how Entrepreneurial University's system has cultivated entrepreneurial behavior amongst students. This paper discussed the findings of the research and to examine whether the objectives of this research can be achieved. The research comes out with findings and analysis of data from the conducted study. In accordance with the study objectives, the researchers explored the factors that affecting student's entrepreneurial behavior from three dimensions which are education, culture, and personal attitudes. Conclusion and recommendations will be suggested in the last chapter. This chapter also interpreted the results of study based on the respondent's feedback through answers the questionnaire that distributed. Lastly, the limitations and future research of the study will also be discussed at the end of research.


Background: Date fruits are allergenic and standardized extracts are required for diagnosis and therapy of this allergy. Since there are several cultivars of dates, this study was carried out to assess the allergenicity of different cultivars in order to select suitable source material for standardization. Methods: The protein profiles of 18 of the most commonly sold varieties were compared by SDS-PAGE and their relative allergenicity assessed by SPT and IgE-based ELISA and immunoblotting. Thirty-two date fruit-sensitive patients were skin tested with a pooled extract from all the cultivars. Six of the patients with high SPT results (≥3+) who volunteered were further tested with the 18 cultivars and their sera used in ELISA and immunoblotting. Results: Six of the cultivars gave high SPT-positive reactions in ≥4 of patients. Five of these high SPT-reactive cultivars gave high IgE ELISA scores (≥0.58) but individual cultivars varied in their number of IgE immunoblot bands. Cultivar-specific IgE-binding patterns indicated that only certain cultivars bound IgE at molecular weights of ≤14.3 and 27–33 kDa whilst all cultivars bound to a 54–58 kDa doublet. Cultivars that bind to the ≤14.3 and 27–33 kDa bands appeared to form the majority of the high SPT-reactive cultivars. When individual sera of 24 of the 32 SPT-positive patients were used in IgE immunoblots with the pooled cultivar extract, all sera bound IgE at ≤14.3 and 27–33 kDa and about 60% of sera bound to a 54–58 kDa doublet bands. Conclusions: These results indicate that allergenicity of date fruits is a cultivar-specific phenomenon. Sixty to 100% of sera from date fruit-allergic patients bind IgE to three major allergens of ≤14.3, 27–33 and 54–58 kDa. Five of the cultivars that evoke high SPT reactions, high IgE ELISA scores and bind IgE to the major allergens, can be selected for the preparation of 'in-house' allergen extracts and for allergen standardization.


The formation of gold particles in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in the presence of cellulose has been studied. In this reaction, cellulose is the reducing agent for the Au(III)–Au(0) reduction. At the same time, cellulose is a (moderately efficient) template for the formation of various gold particles. The gold particle morphologies and sizes mainly depend on the reaction temperature. Morphology and size are less affected by the cellulose or gold precursor salt concentration. The change in the particle shapes can be assigned to the role of the cellulose as a template in conjunction with an effect provided by the ionic liquid. Overall, the approach reported here presents a (partly) sustainable approach towards gold microparticles. It uses a simple metal salt, a reducing agent/template from renewable raw materials, and an ionic liquid, which can (in principle) be retrieved after the reaction. The only side products are oxidized cellulose fragments and oxidation products from the gold salt.


Ag can form core–shell structures with other non-precious transition metals, which is a promising candidate as an efficient and cost-effective electrocatalyst to replace Pt and RuO2 for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) in fuel cells and metal–air batteries. In this paper, polyicosahedral (plh) Ag32X6 (X 1⁄4 3d transition metals) core–shell structures are calculated systematically by the density functional theory (DFT) method to predict their electrocatalytic activities for ORR and OER. It is found that the strain on the outer shell of the core–shell structures can be an intrinsic descriptor that describes the bifunctional catalytic activities of the catalysts. A higher compressive strain leads to more positive charge on the surface of the shell and consequently higher catalytic activities. The results provide a theoretical base for the rational design and screening of the Ag-based core–shell catalysts for clean energy conversion and storage.


IN a previous paper we have discussed the different explanations proposed for the pathogenesis of so-called retinitis albuminurica. Based on 19 personal observations, we have adopted the opinion that the disease should be called the neuro-retinitis of Bright's disease, in order to point out first the constancy with which the papillary lesions are found and secondly that there is not such causal relationship between retinitis and nephritis as the usual name would seem to imply. In fact Bright's disease seems to be not a simple kidney process, but a more general metabolic disturbance touching at the same time, independently, kidney, retina and other territories in the body. The discussion about this problem has continued actively during the last few years and although the most authoritative opinions are pretty close, a real understanding of the pathogenic mechanism is yet wanting. The older theories which tried to identify different toxic products, accumulating in the body as a result of kidney insufficiency, and causing the retinitis, could not be verified. The most popular were those of Widal (azothaemia) and of Chauffard (cholesterinaemia). In the same line Poyales has recently pointed once more to the hypercreatininaemia. The most authoritative workers, however, tend to-day to admit the direct, immediate influence of local circulatory troubles in the production of the retinal lesions. That such troubles are themselves due to some toxic influence, of renal or general origin, remains very probably true, and we shall return to that point later on. But if these all admit a vascular disease, they are far from admitting the same causal mechanism. We could divide into two classes the explanations given for a vascular origin of neuroretinitis, one considering the necessity of a real vascular lesion, which precedes the parenchymal process, the other admitting the existence of simple functional troubles, which are followed as a result, by parenchymal and vascular lesions. .v. Michel has admitted since 1899, a causal relationship between arteriosclerosis and retinitis. Vascular lesions (contraction, sinuosities, sclerosis) are usually found on ophthalmoscopic 697


We describe a method to update the velocity model from the residual move-out information contained in 3-D angle-domain common-image gathers. The 3-D angle-domain common-image gathers computed after wave-equation migration are functions of the aperture angle and the reection azimuth angle. We perform a velocity error analysis by semblance using 2-D and 3-D residual move-out functions. Both functions enable us to update the velocity model. The 3-D function leads to a better estimation of the velocity error in the case of 3-D events.


Dogs provided with one denervated gastric pouch in the distal part of the corpus fundus and another of equal size in the proximal part were studied during stimulation with bethanechol chloride. Dose-response curves were determined for acid output and for mucosal blood flow, which was measured with the neutral red technique. ED50 for acid output was almost identical for the two pouches, giving a value of 1.13 (median) for the ratio of ED50 proximal pouch to ED50 distal pouch, which is between the ratios of 3.54 and 0.65 noted for pentagastrin and histamine, respectively in earlier investigations. The ED50 for blood flow was significantly lower than that for the simultaneous acid output, with a value of 0.28 for the ratio of ED50 blood flow to ED50 acid output, which gives an intermediate position between the ratios for pentagastrin (0.13 and 0.21 for the distal and proximal pouch, respectively) and histamine (0.61 and 0.73) obtained in earlier investigations. It could be hypothesized that the above differences in ratio between these three agonists reflect a difference at the receptor level of the parietal cells and the arterioles.


Knowledge of tissue conductivities is needed to construct reliable volume conductor models of the human body and the head in solving forward and inverse bioelectric field problems. In this study three different estimation algorithms are applied to in vivo human head tissue resistivity estimation by using EEG and MEG data. The applied algorithms are conventional least-squared error algorithm (LSEE), Bayesian MAP algorithm and statistically constrained minimum mean squared error estimator (MiMSEE). The algorithms intake a priori information on body geometry (realistic boundary element model), statistical properties of regional conductivities (assumed to be uniformly distributed between upper and lower bounds), linearization error and instrumentation noise. The EEG-MEG data set has been obtained from a source localization experiment in which the median nerve has been stimulated. The anatomical boundary information has been extracted from 256 T1-weighted MRI images. The MEG data have been obtained by using a 31-channel magnetometer over the somatosensory cortex. By using the data, scalp, skull and brain conductivities have been estimated and estimation variances are calculated by using the algorithms. It is shown that MiMSEE algorithm gives lower error rates than the other two algorithms. The calculated error rates are 90 % for the LSEE, 20.5 % for the Bayesian MAP estimator and 12.5 % for the MiMSEE.