Fluoride levels in leaves of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) collected in late summer were used to predict geographical distributions of average seasonal pasture forage and hay fluoride levels near a source of airborne fluorides. Simple linear regression models with various logarithmic transformations were tested. Greatest proportions of the total variation were explained by the linear regression model for second-cutting hay (81%) and by a logarithmic transformation of the dependent variable for average pasture forage (63%). None of the models tested were found adequate for predicting fluoride levels in first-cutting hay. Isopleth maps based on predicted fluoride values compared favorably with those derived from direct measurements. The use of black locust foliage as a quantitative bioindicator of geographical forage fluoride levels can provide considerable savings in material and personnel in long term fluoride surveys.


Traditional tools in the domains of thermal design and control of building systems usually rely on a deterministic approach. Building systems, on the other hand, are strongly influenced by meteorological variables, which obviousy are characterized by a stochastic nature. Due to this mismatch, traditional tools can neither evaluated properly the fluctuations of the solar and heat load intensities for design puroposes, nor anticipate their stochastic behavior to optimize the thermal control of building systems. The aim of this research is the application of stochastic methods to overcome this difficulty.


This book presents a collection of selected relevant papers that were published during the CADIAL (Computer-Aided Document Indexing for Accessing Legislation) project. Taken as a whole, this collection represents a thorough description of the motivations, methods, procedures, and results of the project within the covers of a single book. The chapters of this book are composed of these papers, and while some were simply corrected, others were rewritten to a certain degree, and some are being published here for the first time. We believe that this book presents the overall goal of the project – the construction of a durable infrastructure for a publicly accessible service for automatic indexing and retrieval from a database of 20,000 official documents of the Republic of Croatia – along with the way this goal was achieved.


This study aims to determine the program of daily habituation activities in shaping the character of students of SMP Negeri 6 Pekalongan City, looking for what characters are to be formed in each daily habituation activity program, and concepts in psychological learning theory in explaining the process of habituation activities in shaping student character. This research is included in the field research with a descriptive qualitative approach. The results of the study of daily habituation programs in SMP Negeri 6 Pekalongan City are scheduled and conditional, namely tadarus and prayers before KBM (religious and disciplinary), duha prayer (religious and responsibility), dzhuhur prayers (religious and responsibility), canteen honesty (honesty), orderly coming and going home (discipline and responsibility), orderly appearance (discipline and responsibility), respectful flags singing the national anthem, and folk songs (love of the motherland and national spirit), group class picket (care about the environment and responsibility), conditioning the cleanliness (care for the environment), separation of organic and non-organic waste (care for the environment and responsibility). From the daily habituation program can be explained psychological approach, especially with learning theories, including (1) changes in student behavior with habituation activities and carried out repeatedly will be a reinforcer in student behavior in addition to reward and punishment as a reminder process for students, (2 ) students' self-awareness in behaving because of changes in student behavior needs to be seen from the cognitive development of students. Some students are still in the level of concrete operations and most have entered the formal operational stage so students are able to think more mature and able to think logically and logically. In addition, changes in student behavior are formed due to the process of imitation and demonstration from teachers in particular, and friends at school in general. So the role of the teacher, the school environment and the cognitive abilities of students is an important key in shaping behavior.


It is now apparent that as a measure to contain Covid-19 pandemic the scope for strict lockdown is rather limited because of its serious negative impact on the lives and livelihood of people. Therefore measures such as wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding crowded places turn out to be the most important ways of preventing spread of the virus. However, adoption of and adherence to these practices depends largely on voluntary compliance as it is difficult to strictly monitor people's behavior. In this paper the authors argue that for better results we need to first understand the reasons for non-adherence, and in an attempt to understand, the emerging field of behavioral economics can be of help. Different elements of behavioral economics, such as, the prospect theory with its cognitive biases like heuristics, anchoring, salience, and above all, social norms are capable of explaining many of the behaviors that have relevance to management of the pandemic. The moral philosophic position that underlies behavioral economics can be located somewhere between libertarianism and paternalism. While libertarianism tends to prioritize an individual's freedom to choose, paternalism takes the view that the individual may not always know what is good for her/him. 'Libertarian paternalism', on the other hand, would allow public institutions to influence one's behavior while respecting freedom of choice. In the absence of hard data, popular media reports and anecdotal evidence have been used in this essentially interpretative exercise.


Objective:To study the clinical features and nasal image of children with nasal tumors.Method:The samples of 40 cases of pediatric nasal tumors, which were diagnosed based on pathology, were collected. Clinical features, pathological histology and imaging characteristics were also summarized.Result:There were 23 cases of benign tumors and 17 cases of malignancy. The most common benign tumors were angiofibroma (7 cases), capillary hemangioma (4 cases) and ossifying fibroma (4 cases), while the most common malignant tumors were lymphoma (10 cases) and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (3 cases). In all cases, 10 tumors arose from sinus, 7 tumors limited in the nasal cavity or nasal vestibule, 8 tumors located in sinonasal, 10 tumors are originated from nasopharyngeal area and (or) postnaris, 3 cases located in the lateral nasal, 2 cases located in the nasal septum. CT or MRI found that 13 cases showed bone destruction, 5 cases showed bone absorption, 14 cases involvement of adjacent structure, 6 cases with cervical lymph node enlargement.Conclusion:The common nasal tumors in children include lymphoma, angiofibroma, capillary hemangioma, ossifying fibroma and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma. Clinical manifestations of pediatric nasal tumors were atypical, the diagnosis mainly dependent on pathology and imaging examination. CT and MRI examination can well depict the site of tumors, the bone change of the around situation and the encroachment of the tumor accurately, and may play an important role in clinical diagnosis and staging of the tumors, constituting the treatment plan and prognosis evaluation.


The green economy is an activity based on environmentally friendly projects or at least an economy that does not add new hindrances to the environment or increase the degree of pollution. The GCC Countries encounter many challenges to transforming into a green economy in order to achieve sustainable development. The green economy movement might be inconsistent with the fact that the GCC countries are oil producer countries and depend mainly on fossil fuels, which directly affects the environment, and their economies are not based on the principle of greening. Accordingly, this study aims to explain the green economy by studying its history, definition, objectives, and how it can be implemented or transformed into it. The study moves to the GCC Countries' experiences in the field of transition to a green economy in order to achieve sustainable development, and presents the most common green economy indicators. Finally, this study deals with the criminal guarantees available for commitment and continuation of this environmentally friendly economy, by addressing the means of criminal protection. To achieve the purpose of the study, the descriptive, analytical approach was used to present the theoretical literature and the initiatives of the GCC Countries. In addition, analyzing the Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) clarifies the aspects of criminal protection for the green economy. The study found the need to adopt the concept of a green economy for its impact on achieving sustainable development for the GCC. The study found that the GCC countries still occupy delinquent ranks in the green economy despite their adoption of many green initiatives and the existence of the legislative framework. Thus, it is crucial to reconsider the legislation with regard to the penal aspect, especially the expansion of green alternative penalties.


Objective: To analyze the performance of emergency response to 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) positive cases in an international test competition in an Winter Olympic Game venue and provide evidences for the COVID-19 prevention and control in similar competitions. Methods: A retrospective analysis on the epidemiological investigation and nucleic acid test results of the cases, the implementation of prevention and control measures, including the communication with sport teams and others, was conducted. Results: The positive cases of 2019-nCoV among entering people were detected before entry, at airport, hotel and venue. Two positive cases were reported before entry, 2 positive cases infected previously and 3 asymptomatic cases were reported after the entry. The venue public health team and local CDC conducted epidemiological investigation and contact assessment jointly in a timely and efficient manner. No local secondary transmission occurred, but the nucleic acid test results of positive persons fluctuated, posing serious challenges to the implementation of prevention and control measures. Conclusion: In large scale international competition, there is high risk of imported COVID-19. It is necessary to fully consider the fluctuation of nucleic acid test results, the criteria for determination and cancellation of positive results and give warm care to positive cases in the emergency response.


Interferometer techniques, involving cross-spectral analysis and angles of arrival methods, have been used to measure the Doppler velocities and apparent locations of scatterers within the broad beam of the MF radar antenna. Attempts are made to follow the scatterers as they progress through the beam, advected by the wind. In the few cases in which this is possible, detailed comparisons between Doppler and spaced-antenna derived velocities are made. For the majority of cases the scatter is consistent with short lived scatterers and/or multiple wave motions, to which the spaced-antenna method is physically and practically more appropriate. The azimuthal asymmetry of Doppler velocity fluctuations is used to infer gravity wave phase velocity directions, and to determine the momentum deposition due to wave saturation for short time intervals.


Marketing co-operatives (MCs) are analysed from an incomplete contracting perspective. The requirement of the domination of control by the members of an MC is a threat to the survival of an MC in markets where the level of asset specificity at the processing stage of production is increasing. However, an MC may remain an efficient governance structure when the increasing level of asset specificity is compensated for by a sufficient increase in the extent of product differentiation.


In the presence of a catalytic amount of bis(acetylacetonato)cobalt(II), various olefins are hydrated with oxygen and secondary alcohol to afford the corresponding alcohols together with alkanes and ketones via Oxidation-Reduction process. Effect of additives in the present hydration reaction shows that 2,6-lutidine and 2-picoline inhibit the production of alkanes in a large extent to result in the better yielding of alcohols.


This tutorial introduces the basic features of the Quartus R II Simulator. It shows how the Simulator can be used to assess the correctness and performance of a designed circuit.


Although permanent hair dyeing gives an advantage to wash fastness, it may introduce damages on hair skin from the oxidant used. On the contrary, when...


Deployment of a wireless sensor network (WSN) system is a critical step because theoretical models and assumptions often differ from real environmental characteristics and performance at the deployment site. In addition, such systems are often located in areas that are difficult to reach or even in-accessible for certain periods of time. Therefore, it is imperative to verify the functionality of the system at the time of the deployment, thus lowering the risk of early failures. Coincidentally, the validation minimizes the expense of revisiting the site in the near future for re-deployment, maintenance, or repairs. In this paper we present a deployment time validation framework SeeDTV that consists of techniques and procedures for WSN status assesment and verification. SeeDTV is supported by a portable, lightweight, and low power in-situ user interface device SeeMote. SeeDTV has demonstrated the potential for early problem detection at three levels of WSN in-situ validation: sensor node devices, wireless network physical and logical integrity, and connectivity to the back-end such as a data server over the Internet. SeeDTV is presented in the context of LUSTER -- an environmental sensor network for ecological monitoring under a shrub thicket canopy on islands off the coast of Virginia.


Subesophageal ganglia and the first four ventral chain ganglia from earthworms of the genus Lumbricus were examined by light and electron microscopy. Trypan blue injections indicated that this substance does not pass beyond the cord sheath. Tritiated isoleucine displayed a general non‐neuronal distribution after one‐half hour exposure but the amino acid was progressively concentrated in neurons at 1 and 2 hours. Ultrastructural studies indicated that a form of cytoplasmic inclusion was common to glial cells and neurons, and that a similar type material was present extracellularly in the cord sheath. Three distinct variations of glial cytoplasm were recognized at the ultrastructural level, and these appeared to be conditioned by the location of the glial cell in the nervous system. A sequence of morphology was observed which suggests that glial cells in the earthworm transport material from the cord sheath to the neurons. The glia directly associated with neurons sent a number of invaginating processes into the neuron which may from the anatomical basis for exchange of materials.


This paper analyzes the relationship between children's day care and fertility in Germany. First, different modes of childcare are discussed with regard to their availability and costs. We then estimate the impact of having access to public day care and care in social networks on first birth probabilities of western German women in the 1980s and 1990s. The empirical analysis does not reveal any statistically significant effect of childcare availability on fertility. We conclude that the overall institutional constraints of day care in (western) Germany prevent the compatibility of childrearing and employment, thereby forcing women to choose between a continuous employment career or childlessness. (AUTHORS)


More than a hundred thousand dengue cases are diagnosed in India annually, and about half of the country's population carries dengue virus-specific antibodies. Dengue propagates and adapts to the selection pressures imposed by a multitude of factors that can lead to the emergence of new variants. Yet, there has been no systematic analysis of the evolution of the dengue virus in the country. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of all DENV gene sequences collected between 1956 and 2018 from India. We examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of India-specific genotypes, their evolutionary relationship with global and local dengue virus strains, interserotype dynamics and their divergence from the vaccine strains. Our analysis highlights the co-circulation of all DENV serotypes in India with cyclical outbreaks every 3-4 years. Since 2000, genotype III of DENV1, cosmopolitan genotype of DENV2, genotype III of DENV3 and genotype I of DENV4 have been dominating across the country. Substitution rates are comparable across the serotypes, suggesting a lack of serotype-specific evolutionary divergence. Yet, the envelope (E) protein displays strong signatures of evolution under immune selection. Apart from drifting away from its ancestors and other contemporary serotypes in general, we find evidence for recurring interserotype drift towards each other, suggesting selection via cross-reactive antibody-dependent enhancement. We identify the emergence of the highly divergent DENV4-Id lineage in South India, which has acquired half of all E gene mutations in the antigenic sites. Moreover, the DENV4-Id is drifting towards DENV1 and DENV3 clades, suggesting the role of cross-reactive antibodies in its evolution. Due to the regional restriction of the Indian genotypes and immunity-driven virus evolution in the country, ∼50% of all E gene differences with the current vaccines are focused on the antigenic sites. Our study shows how high incidence and pre-existing population immunity are shaping dengue virus evolution in India. Author summary Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease with four closely related serotypes of the virus (DENV1-4). Further, cross-reacting dengue antibodies from a previous infecting dengue serotype can protect or enhance infection from other serotypes. This can force the emergence of new dengue variants that find ways to escape the immune action or take advantage of it. In endemic countries like India, high rates of previous dengue infection can drive the evolution of dengue serotypes in complex ways. We compare all published dengue virus sequences to understand how new variants of dengue are emerging in India. Dengue cases and corresponding viruses display triennial surges. Further, the dengue envelope protein for each serotype shows recurring divergence and reversal towards its ancestral strain over a three-year window. Such fluctuations are also correlated among the dengue serotypes in India and could arise from the changing levels of cross-reactive antibodies. This, combined with the regional exchange of the virus among Asia-Pacific countries, has led to the emergence of India-specific DENV lineages, including a new DENV4 (Id) variant. This has also contributed to significant variations in the epitope regions of the current dengue viruses in India compared to the vaccines with implications for their efficacy.


There are growing vulnerabilities in Bringing Your Own Device (BYOD) implementation which may not have been fully identified by organisations. It is very difficult to identify, monitor and evaluate the fast growing number of threats and vulnerabilities in a BYOD system, leading to delayed time in preparing and loading a patch which is a periodic process (Static) in most organisation, resulting in risk as the process is not continuous (dynamic) Computer security managers have the task to identify and evaluate these vulnerabilities according to their risk and threat to the network. One database which is known to contain identified vulnerabilities is the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE), Common Vulnerabilities Scoring System (CVSS) on the other hand provides numeric scores to each vulnerabilities in the CVE database based on their characteristics and security impact. This assessment is on relevant work to check the various data collected on vulnerability and threat related to BYOD and conduct a vulnerability scoring exercise to report on possible scoring framework.


Vattenfall and Svenska Kraftnat perform start-up tests, where hydropower generators are used to power up the electrical grid in case of a blackout. To monitor the electrical grid, Phasor Measurement Units (PMU) are used. Each PMU is individually equipped with a GPS-receiver to precisely timestamp the data relative to the official time UTC. During the test, it is also of interest to timestamp the measurement signals from individual hydropower generators to later compare with PMU-data, and thus study the power grids impact on the generator. The aim is to work out an appropriate method to make these measurements and to build a data acquisition system, capable of timestamp data relative to UTC, from a generator in one of Vattenfalls hydroelectric power stations. The problem is that the generator is located in an underground station which hampers the reception of GPS-signals and wiring should be avoided if possible. Time synchronization has been solved by using Vattenfalls network, which is synchronized by the network protocol NTP. The network includes the concerned hydropower stations and thus can wiring from the surface be avoided. The maximum error for the server in the specific hydroelectric power station is bounded within [-4.62, 3.18] ms relative to UTC. The conclusion is that Vattenfalls NTP-network meets the requirements to distribute time. A platform from National Instruments, programmed with the graphical language LabVIEW, has been used for data acquisition. The platform is programmed to synchronize its internal clock to a NTP-server, timestamp the input signals and save the data on the internal hard drive.


Gum Arabic has been seen as a symbol of the 'noble Orient' and later as a symbol of trouble. It is the hardened sap of varieties of acacia trees which grow exclusively in the Sahel, an area stretching across the African continent just south of the Sahara. From the time of the Crusades, when Europeans purchased it in Arab countries, it has played an ever-growing role in the global economy. It is now a common ingredient in foods, sodas, and cosmetics. Combining cultural history with travel writing, Dorrit van Dalen follows the fascinating history and shifting meanings assigned to gum Arabic from Shakespeare to Bin Laden and from the Industrial Revolution to a veteran of a recent coup d'état in Chad. She shows that both Western and African civilisations would not be the same without these tears of the acacia.


The aim of the study was to assess genotypical differences over different stages for morphophysiological parameters associated with iron (Fe) deficiency and their effect on yield. The factorial pot experiment was comprised of two major factors, i) soil-Fe status of natural vertisol [Fe-sufficient and Fe-deficient soils], and ii) genotypes [CP-3443, CP- 4105, CP-3486 and CP-4069] with differential iron-induced deficiency chlorosis (IDC) response. Data were recorded and associations between different traits were estimated. Under Fe-deficient soil, tolerant genotype (CP-3443) recorded significantly higher chlorophyll content, peroxidase activity in leaves, and better yield compared to susceptible genotypes which verified usefulness as IDC tolerant potato genotypes characteristics.


Background and Purpose— The present study was performed to determine whether antisense inhibition of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) protein expression decreases focal ischemic brain damage. Methods— Male spontaneously hypertensive rats underwent 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and 24-hour reperfusion. Rats were infused with ICAM-1 antisense or control oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) (48 nmol/d ICV) or vehicle, starting 24 hours before MCAO and continuing until the time of death. ICAM-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) mRNA levels were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. ICAM-1 protein knockdown was confirmed by Western blotting. Infarct volume was quantified by the use of cresyl violet–stained brain sections. Neurological deficits were evaluated. Mean arterial blood pressure was recorded by laser Doppler. Tissue penetration of antisense was confirmed by the use of fluorescent ODNs. Results— Transient MCAO upregulated ICAM-1, but not VCAM-1, mRNA expression in the ipsilateral cortex between 3 and 72 hours of reperfusion. ICAM-1 antisense infusion prevented ischemia-induced ICAM-1 protein expression and reduced total infarct volume (by 53%; P <0.05; 226±35 mm3 in control ODN group and 104±27 mm3 in antisense ODN group; n=8 each) and mean neurological deficit score (by 44%; P <0.05; 2.4 in control ODN group and 1.3 in antisense ODN group; n=8 each). Neither control nor antisense ODN had any effect on mean arterial blood pressure and the physiological parameters monitored during MCAO. Compared with noninfused control, intracerebroventricular infusion of artificial cerebrospinal fluid or antisense or sense ODN had no significant effect on the regional cerebral blood flow changes that accompanied ischemia and reperfusion. Conclusions— Increased ICAM-1 expression is implicated in the pathogenesis of focal ischemia since ICAM-1 protein knockdown decreased ischemic brain damage. The mechanism by which ICAM-1 inhibition offers neuroprotection is independent of blood pressure modulation.


Our objective in the INEX 2012 campaign was to integrate the semantic tags and the linked data in our proximity retrieval model. This model was sucessfully used in previous INEX campaigns and obtained good results, particularly in 2007 with the second place in the Ad Hoc Track Focused Task [1], and in 2010 with the rst place in the Ad Hoc Track Relevant in Context Task [2] Though we had several discom tures with the collection because i) there were several versions of the collection, the last one available at the end of June, one week before the initial run submission deadline, ii) the di erent versions were di cult to follow because they were not clearly identi ed, iii) not every documents were well formed according to the XML format, iv) the provided DTD gives little information on the actual structure and its semantics, v) the documents contains many semantic annotations but the underlying ideas used to generate them are not documented making them di cult to apprehend. We present in section 2 how we processed the documents to alleviate the problems with the DTD. Thus we only have been able to do some basic experiments presented in section 3. In section 4 we present our work in progress.


In spoken term detection (STD) systems, approximate subwordlevel matching of query term and automatically transcribed spoken documents is often employed for its reasonable accuracy and efficiency. However, high out-of-vocabulary (OOV) rate often degrades the subword-level recognition accuracy and affect the STD performance. This paper describes the usage of new expanded acoustic representations of subword sequence for improved scoring between OOV query term and subwordunit transcription. Each subword is expanded in corresponding subword's HMM states and each state is represented as a new acoustic structural feature, a distribution-distance vector (DDV). The proposed DDV representation and scoring is easily combined with two typical baseline STD approaches: a DTW-based approximate matching with subword-level acoustic dissimilarity measure and a lattice-based confidence scoring of subword n-grams. The experimental result showed that the proposed DDV-based scoring method significantly outperforms the simple DTW-scoring baseline with very little increase in the required search time. The combination of the DDV-based scoring with the confidence-based scoring showed the complementary effect and attained the best STD performance compared with the NTCIR-10 SpokenDoc2(SDPWS) submitted results when only the NTCIR reference automatic transcript is used. A preliminary experiment with spoken query terms also showed that the significant improvement for OOV queries.


Objectives: To explore the experiences of participants following structured multidisciplinary team training and identify challenges towards its implementation in postgraduate training.
Study Design: Qualitative case study research.
Place and Duration of Study: Pak-Emirates Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from Oct 2017 to Mar 2018.
Methodology: The multi disciplinary team training was structured according to Ostergaard et al (2008) framework and comprised of pre-reading task, mini lecture, demonstration, reflective discussion using bad and good multi disciplinary teamwork videos followed by simulation-based exercise (briefing, immersion, debriefing and feedback). Four training sessions were conducted with four multidisciplinary teams, each comprising of residents from Paediatrics, Gynaecology/Obstetrics and Anaesthesia and a nurse. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all the participants (n=16). Data were transcribed and verbatims were thematically analysed using O'Sullivan and Irby (2008) model.
Results: The participants were predominantly females (81.25%) with age range of 20-30 (62.5%) years. The multi-disciplinary team training resulted in increased interest, technical competence, and communication skills. The participants reported improvement in decision-making and development as team member/leader. They experienced interprofessional learning. Some personnel, systemic and resources related challenges towards its implementation were also identified.
Conclusion: This study found that a structured multidisciplinary team training of postgraduate residents and nurses in neonatal resuscitation is worthwhile. The potential benefits such as improved competence, commu-nication skills and decision-making abilities outweigh the personnel, systematic and resources related challenges. Future studies should consider multidisciplinary team training of healthcare professionals.
Keywords: , , ,


Red blood cells (RBCs) have traditionally been seen as simple carriers of gases and nutrients in the body. One important non-canonical function of RBCs in the cardiovascular system is the regulation of nitric oxide (NO) metabolism. It was shown that RBCs can scavenge NO, transport NO metabolites, and produce NO in hypoxic conditions, thereby inducing hypoxic vasodilation. RBCs also express an endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). However, its physiological significance has been controversial for many years. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the experimental research on RBC eNOS signaling in vivo. These data show that RBC eNOS signaling modulates intracellular NO production and NO-heme levels, as well as extracellular paracrine NO metabolite signaling, which contributes to regulating peripheral vascular resistance, blood pressure, and cardioprotection. Additionally, this article explores the potential intracellular molecular mechanisms and the implications of RBC eNOS in cardiovascular health and disease.


We study the problem of circular seriation, where we are given a matrix of pairwise dissimilarities between $n$ objects, and the goal is to find a {\em circular order} of the objects in a manner that is consistent with their dissimilarity. This problem is a generalization of the classical {\em linear seriation} problem where the goal is to find a {\em linear order}, and for which optimal ${\cal O}(n^2)$ algorithms are known. Our contributions can be summarized as follows. First, we introduce {\em circular Robinson matrices} as the natural class of dissimilarity matrices for the circular seriation problem. Second, for the case of {\em strict circular Robinson dissimilarity matrices} we provide an optimal ${\cal O}(n^2)$ algorithm for the circular seriation problem. Finally, we propose a statistical model to analyze the well-posedness of the circular seriation problem for large $n$. In particular, we establish ${\cal O}(\log(n)/n)$ rates on the distance between any circular ordering found by solving the circular seriation problem to the underlying order of the model, in the Kendall-tau metric.


Licochalcone E a phenolic constituent of licorice that is reported to exert excellent anti-cancer effects. In the present study, to investigate the effect of licochalcone E oral administration on the solid tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells, 4T1 cells were injected into the inguinal mammary fat pads of syngeneic female BALB/c mice. One week after the injection the mice were subjected to oral gavage for 25 days with licochalcone E (0, 7, or 14 mg/kg body weight/day). Licochalcone E treatment induced a significant reduction in solid tumor growth, which was accompanied by 1) reduced Ki67 (prototypic cell cycle related nuclear antigen), cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)2, CDK4, cyclin A, and cyclin D1 and 2) increased numbers of TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells with increased Bax and cleaved caspase-3 expression but reduced Bcl-2 expression in tumor tissues. Licochalcone E also reduced the expression of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGF-R2, CD31 (platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1), VEGF-C and LYVE-1 (lymphatic vessel endothelial receptor-) in tumor tissues. In addition to tumor growth, oral licochalcone E administration markedly reduced the number of pulmonary tumor nodules. In lung tissues, licochalcone E induced a significant reduction in the levels of cytokines and angiogenesis-related proteins including DPPIV (CD26), endoglin (CD105), MMP-9, C5a, interleukin (IL)-1ra, IL-16, MIG (CXCL9). In vitro culture studies showed that licochalcone E dose-dependently inhibited the migration of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells at concentrations of 0-20 μmol/L without significant changes in cell viability. Licochalcone E significantly reduced secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9, urokinase-type plasminogen activator and VEGF in concentration-dependent manners in MDA-MB-231 cells. These results demonstrated that licochalcone E inhibits solid tumor growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells and these effects were mediated via the reduction of a wide variety of cytokines and chemokines, which subsequently inhibits tumor angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis, proliferation, and metastasis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 591. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-591


Experiments on transportational cyclic steps were presented in the preceding companion paper. In the present paper a theoretical explanation of cyclic steps is delineated in terms of upstreammigrating steps of permanent form. The data of the companion paper are used to deduce relations for resistance and entrainment into suspension that apply in the absence of steps. These relations are then used in combination with a quasi-steady shallow-water formulation of the conservation of momentum, flow mass, mass of sediment in suspension and bed sediment in order to develop a complete formulation of steps. The theory is generally successful at explaining most aspects of transportational cyclic steps.


We introduce a novel methodology for identifying worst-case test vectors for sequential circuits in ASIC devices exposed to total dose. Testing of sequential circuits requires the use of sequence of test vectors. Those test vectors we generated using cell-level fault models for failures induced by total dose. In this paper we focused on three types of failures: logic, leakage current, and delay failures. A novel cell-level fault model for delay failures induced by total dose is introduced in this paper. This methodology was validated using SPICE simulation as well as experimental results.


Correction for 'Machine-learning-assisted screening of pure-silica zeolites for effective removal of linear siloxanes and derivatives' by Shiru Lin et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 3228–3237.


Background: Salmonella is one of the most important foodborne pathogens, causing outbreaks of human salmonellosis worldwide. Owing to large scales of consumption markets, pork and poultry that contaminated by Salmonella could pose a tremendous threat to public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the contamination of Salmonella from chicken, pork and the environment in slaughtering and retailing segments in Chongqing, China.
Results: A total of 115 Salmonella isolates were recovered from 1122 samples, with 10.76% (47/437) in slaughterhouses and 10.07% (68/675) in supermarkets. 30 different serotypes were identified, in which S. Derby, S. London and S. Rissen were mostly detected. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and resistance genes verification were carried out to investigate the relationship between phenotypes and genotypes. Altogether, 75.65% isolates showed resistance to tetracycline, followed by 60.87% to doxycycline and 69.5% to ampicillin. More than half (50.43%) of the isolates were multidrug resistant, which were mostly from supermarkets (P<0.05). According to antibiotic resistance genes detection results, a high correlation between antibiotic phenotypes and genotypes was presented by lactam-, tetracycline-, and sulfonamide-resistant isolates. Multilocus sequence typing results showed 24 out of 115 isolates were ST40, which was the most prevalent. Furthermore, isolates from supermarkets (n=15) had more sequence types than that in slaughterhouses (n=3).
Conclusion: Our study highlighted the fact that Salmonella contamination were more severe in pork production chain than that of chicken. Isolation rates were similar in slaughterhouses and supermarkets for both pork and chicken, but isolates from supermarkets had more MDR profiles and represented a wide range of serotypes and sequence types, indicating that more diverse sources of contamination in retailing.


This study was carried out in Bassa local government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. The study aimed at evaluating the body characteristics of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats in study location. A total of one hundred and nine (109) matured WAD goats, comprising of twenty-seven (27) males and eighty-two (82) females, were randomly selected for the study. Animals were randomly selected across locations within the local government area. Sick and pregnant animals were not included in the study. Animals were selected based on the phenotypic appraisal only. Data were measured from various body parameters, these include; Live Body Weight (BW), Chest Girth (CG), Height at Withers (HW), Body Length (BL), Head Length (HL), Neck Length (NL), Ear Length (EL), Horn Length (HnL), Tail Length (TL) and Leg Length (LL). Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. Results obtained showed that sex had a significant effect (p< 0.05) on all the body parameters considered. This trend confirms sexual dimorphism in WAD goats in the study location.


This article engages critically with Margaret Gilbert's proposal that joint commitments are necessary for collective emotions. After introducing Gilbert's concept of joint commitment (Section 2), and the joint commitment account of collective emotions (Section 3), we argue in Section 4 that research from developmental psychology challenges the necessity of joint commitments for collective emotions. In that section, we also raise a more principled objection to Gilbert's account, independently of developmental considerations. Section 5 develops a complementary line of argument, focused on the notion of mutual recognition. While we agree with Gilbert that mutual recognition has an important role to play in an account of collective emotions, we take issue with her attempt to analyse face-to-face based mutual recognition in terms of the concept of joint commitment. We conclude by sketching an alternative analysis of collective emotions that highlights the role of interpersonal identification and socially mediated self-consciousness.


This paper describes design studies, protective relaying, operating experience, and an automatic control system for a 115-kV capacitor installation involving back-to-back capacitors. The design studies evaluated switching concerns and equipment requirements for the installation. The paper details concerns which are unique to back-to-back capacitor installations. The automatic control system is designed to implement switching strategies based on power flow levels, system voltage, and equipment protection. The operating experience includes switch restrikes which are suspected to have caused equipment failures. These restrike transients are analyzed and solutions to the problem described.


Numerical simulations of unsteady cavitating flow around a NACA66-mod hydrofoil were performed using the partially-averaged Navier—Stokes method with different values of the resolution control parameters (fk = 1.0−0.2, f = 1). With decreasing fk, the predicted cavitating flow becomes unsteady as the time-averaged turbulent viscosity at the rear part of the attached cavity is gradually reduced. For fk = 0.9 and 0.8, the cavity becomes unstable and its length dramatically expands and shrinks, but the calculation fails to predict the vapor cloud shedding behavior observed experimentally. With smaller fk less than 0.7, the cloud shedding behavior is simulated numerically and the predicted cavity shedding frequency increases. With fk = 0.2, the whole cavitating flow evolution can be reasonably reproduced including the cavity growth/destabilization observed previously. The reentrant flow along the suction surface of the hydrofoil is the main trigger to cause the vapor cloud shedding. The wall pressure along the hydrofoil surface oscillates greatly due to the dynamic cavity shedding. Comparing the simulations and experiments, it is confirmed that for the PANS method, resolution control parameters of fk = 0.2 and f = 1 are recommended for numerical simulations of unsteady cavitating flows. Thus, the present study shows that the PANS method is an effective approach for predicting unsteady cavitating flow over hydrofoils.


Supercritical water oxidation of isopropyl alcohol was investigated in a pilot-scale reactor. A computational fluid-dynamics model developed reveals the detailed flow field, chemical-component distribution, temperature distribution, and salt-particle trajectories in the reactor flow domain. The near-wall fluid temperature from the numerical analysis was compared with experimental temperature data. The temperature comparison was within a 3% error band. The effect of the chemical kinetic rate was investigated for four different rates. Turbulent salt-particle trajectories were also calculated to investigate the effect of particle sizes on salt deposit on the wall. Also, a method of calculating the adiabatic reaction temperature was developed to estimate reaction temperatures prior to a full numerical simulation.


Abstract Background A frequent consequence of stroke is impaired mental function, which often affects the ability to perform activities and participate in life situation. In occupational therapy practice, performance-based instruments during activity and participation are often used. However, it is important to assess if the instruments used are valid, reliable and responsive. Objective The objective of this systematic review is to investigate measurement properties of performance-based instruments to assess mental function during activity and participation in persons who have survived stroke. Material and methods Systematic database searches of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and OTseeker will be conducted. COSMIN Risk of Bias checklist will be used to evaluate methodological quality of the included articles. Measurement properties of the included studies will be rated against criteria for good measurement properties. The overall evidence of each measurement property per instrument is graded using a modified GRADE approach. Results Results will be presented in text and tables. Conclusions Conclusion will be drawn up-on the overall evidence to give recommendations on the most suitable instrument. Significance It is expected that findings of the review will provide evidence to guide professionals in the selection of a performance-based instruments to measure mental function in practice and research. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42018086744


This is a preparatory report for the Solomon Islands towards the Small Islands Developing States (SIDs) Sustainable Development (SD) Conference in Samoa next year. The report assessed substantive issues pertinent to the 4 conference objectives (assess progress & gaps, seek political commitment, identify new and emerging challenges and opportunities, and priorities for the conference), identified key issues and barriers to the implementation of the conference objectives, and practical and pragmatic actions at the country level, and identified opportunities for cooperative partnerships. The priorities of the Solomon Islands for the 2014 Conference centres on the economic pillar of SD with a clear intention to provide the necessary resources to address the environmental and social protection pillars. Listed below is a synthesis of priorities derived from relevant national policy documents: ? Equitable and Sustainable Rural and General Economic Development ? Good Governance and Leadership at all levels ? Invest in Human Resources, Education Infrastructure and Institutional Development ? Improve Health and Medical Services ? Improve Water Supply and Sanitation ? Law and Order and Peaceful Country ? Improve Social and Cultural Services ? Promote Green Growth ? Improve the Integrity of Marine and Oceans Environment and Resources? Increase Education and Employment Opportunities ? Sustainability of Livelihood and Access to Basic Infrastructure and Service ? Environment Protection and Resource Management ? Invest in Renewable Energy Resources to progressively replace fossil fuel use for electricity generation ? Enhance ICT Connectivity ? Promote Private Sector Development ? Promote and Develop the Tourism Sector ? Promote and Invest in Sustainable Agriculture for National Food and Water Security ? Promote and Invest in Sustainable Oceanic Fisheries through measures such as expanding pole and line, onshore landing and processing of catch, investment in the local fishing industry and ensuring appropriate infrastructure to support fisheries development. ? Build on the Gains from MDGs, MSI and Rio+20 outcomes ? Merge the Inter-Governmental Processes of MDGs and SD goals ? Cost Effective and Sustainable Service Delivery Modality for SD goals


Title: #Hashtag: the implication of it as a marketing tool on brand awareness in Twitter: A Study on the Sportswear Industry

Date of the Seminar: 31 May 2016

Course: BUSN 39 Degree project in Global Marketing, Master Thesis

Authors: Bochen Zhang, Farhan Rashid Ahmed Ansari, Sky Preedanon

Supervisor: Veronika Tarnovskaya

Thesis purpose: The Purpose of this thesis is to explore how companies can use hashtags as a communication strategy to raise brand awareness. This research aims to develop a framework for practitioners to create effective hashtags that function as marketing communication tool.

Empirical data: In this thesis, the researchers applied netnography to collect data on Twitter. The researchers first collected all the hashtags used by Adidas, Reebok, and Under Armour during the year of 2015. Secondly, the researchers observed all the tweets which contains the hashtags used by these three companies.

Conclusion & Suggestions: From the theoretical point of view, this research gives a new understanding of how hashtags can be effectively used on Twitter. The researchers found that the effectiveness of the hashtags as marketing tool was mainly affected by how consumers interpret them. If the hashtags are misused, it will create confusion among other users and lead to failure on raising brand awareness. From a managerial standpoint, the present research explored the vital components of successful hashtags and further developed a framework to guide companies to effectively increase brand awareness by using hashtags. This framework highlighted four suggestions for creating effective hashtags. Companies should make the hashtag be specific and brand related, ensure effective integrated marketing communication plan, and try to avoid identical hashtags. If companies incorporated these three suggestions but the outcome still does not meet their expectations. They should create a complementary hashtag to give consumers a more distinctive message.


An overview of the iris image segmentation methodologies for biometric purposes is presented. The main focus is on the analysis of the ability of segmentation algorithms to process images with heterogeneous characteristics, simulating the dynamics of a non-cooperative environment. The accuracy of the four selected methodologies on the UBIRIS database is tested and, having concluded about their weak robustness when dealing with non-optimal images regarding focus, reflections, brightness or eyelid obstruction, the authors introduce a new and more robust iris image segmentation methodology. This new methodology could contribute to the aim of non-cooperative biometric iris recognition, where the ability to process this type of image is required.


Sensitivity for screening gynecologic cytology appears to be correlated with workload, but data in the literature is limited. We gathered all known published data that included independently estimated measures of sensitivity and workload, for manual and automated screening, including individual cytotechnologist (CT) and laboratory data. We then attempted to synthesize the best estimates of sensitivity with workload volume. While this interpretation is limited by the scarcity of collected data and the few assumptions needed to combine the data, our results suggest that manual and automated screening correlate differently with workload. Manual screening was directly related to total workload volume, appeared to reach near 100% sensitivity for some individual CTs at workloads of ∼30 slides/day, and decreased to below 80% sensitivity at ∼70 slides /day. Most CTs performed at a higher sensitivity than the laboratory averages, but a small subset of CTs had significantly lower sensitivities with similar workload volumes. Sensitivity of automated screening, on the other hand, was more closely correlated with epithelial cell abnormality (ECA)‐adjusted workload (ECA × total slides/day). While these results are preliminary and additional studies are warranted to confirm them, our results may be useful in monitoring workload limits in gynecologic cytology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


One of the sources of "success" of the Foksal Gallery was beyond any doubt the functioning formula based on cooperation of artists and critics, who ran the critics' gallery. This process can be apparently seen in the program manifests from 1966–1981, which fulfillment were the artistic activities led in and outside the Gallery. The mentioned cooperation was formed on the experience from the terrains of Lublin – the "Zamek" Group and the "Struktury" magazine (the second half of the 50's), and Warsaw – apprenticeship at M. Bogusz in his Krzywe Kolo Gallery (the beginning of the 60's). Critics like W. Borowski, A. Ptaszkowska, M. Tchorek, focused later on such artists like T. Kantor and H. Stazewski, were able to start implementing their project of a gallery. In the text Introduction to a general theory of Place (1966) they declared that the gallery will be given to an artist, so it could become his own workshop, an open space. Exhibitions, such as environment checked in those postulates. In 1968, another manifest was formed – What we do not like about the Foksal PSP Gallery, which was immediately answered by the artists. Winter Assemblage (1969) was planned as a series of actions without any clear beginning and end. In the same year, after the actions taken on the Zlote Grono symposium in Zielona Gora, in the New Regulations of Foksal PSP Gallery, there was a suggestion of transforming this institution into a type of information point, which was suppose to accept incoming information without any selection. However, the project led to a conf lict and Foksal collapsed. In 1970 on an Art Symposium Wroclaw '70, A. Turowski – who joined the Gallery at that time – presented the Centre of Artistic Searches project. The Centre was formed to "serve the artist and their work" in a modern way, by popularizing and documenting it, and simultaneously deter mining experimental searches. In subsequent theoretical propositions – Living Archive and Documentation (1971) – the authors postulated accepting a strategy defining the work of art in a moment, in which it was "neutrally present" and at the same time they were objecting to the domination of the documentation on artistic fact. The soon organized shows became the unmasking of the ways the institution worked – prolonged the lasting of an impermanent work of art, which were the new forms of artistic utterances. After 1981 the program activity of the Gallery was in a considerable degree limited.


The radiative heat loss from a receiver of a dish solar collector is numerically investigated. The dish solar collector considered in this paper consists of a receiver and multi-faceted mirrors. In order to investigate the performance comparison of dish solar collectors, six different mirror arrays and four different receivers are considered. A parabolic- shaped perfect mirror of which diameter is 1.40 m is considered as the reference for the mirror arrays. The other mirror arrays which consist of twelve identical parabolic-shaped mirror facets of which diameter are 0.405 m are suggested for comparison. Their reflecting areas, which are 1.545 , are the same. Four different receiver shapes are a conical, a dome, a cylindrical, and a unicorn type. The radiative properties of the mirror surfaces and the receiver surfaces may vary the thermal performance of the dish solar collector so that various surface properties are considered. In order to calculate the radiative heat loss in the receiver, two kinds of methods are used. The Net Radiation Method that is based on the radiation heat balance on the surface is used to calculate the radiation heat transfer rate from the inside surface of the receiver to the environment. The Monte-Carlo Method that is the statistical approach is adopted to predict the radiation heat transfer rate from the reflector to the receiver. The collector efficiency is defined as the results of the optical efficiency and the receiver efficiency. Based on the calculation, the unicorn type has the best performance in receiver shapes and the STAR has the best performance in mirror arrays except the perfect mirror.


Context The road safety situation in Myanmar is deteriorating. It has experienced a dramatic increase in the number of road fatalities and injuries. The majority of fatalities occurs among 2–3 wheel motorcyclists, which accounted for 58% of total road deaths. Motorcyclist safety is a major issue for Mandalay Region, with robust efforts being reported by the police to improve helmet wearing. Process The Myanmar Road Safety Action Plan 2014–2020 intends to achieve a 90% helmet-wearing rate across the country. Recognizing the danger to safety, the AIP Foundation implemented the Helmet Education and Distribution (HED) program in Mandalay in 2017. Objectives - Increase helmet use among students who are often motorcycle passengers. - Improve the road safety knowledge of teachers and students. During 2018–2020 the program donated 5,027 helmets and educated 7,392 students at six program schools. Analysis To assess the effectiveness of intervention activities, monitoring and evaluation methodologies were applied. One method was filmed helmet observation, and the other was a questionnaire for base-line knowledge across two periods: pre- and post- intervention. Outcomes Overall, helmet-wearing rates increased from 1.9% pre-intervention to 53.3% post-intervention. The knowledge about helmet safety of students of all grades improved, with the percentage of students receiving good and excellent scores increasing from 45% to 62%. Learning Outcomes The success of HED in Mandalay provides critical evidence to support the expansion of this school program. Furthermore, improving enforcement and community awareness is crucial to increasing helmet use and contributing to sustainably reduce road traffic fatalities in Myanmar.


The timing of crustal thickening in the northern Central Andean Plateau (CAP), at 13–20°S, and its relationship to surface uplift is debated. Zircon qualitatively records crustal thickness as its trace element chemistry is controlled by the growth of cogenetic minerals and relative uptake of light and heavy Rare Earth Elements. Jurassic to Neogene zircons from volcanic rocks, sandstones, and river sediments reveal shifts in trace element ratios suggesting major crustal thickening at 80–55 Ma and 35–0 Ma, coincident with high‐flux magmatism. An intervening magmatic lull due to shallow subduction obscures the magmatic record from 55 to 35 Ma during which thickening continued via crustal shortening. Protracted thickening since the Late Cretaceous correlates with early elevation gain of the CAP western margin, but contrasts with Miocene establishment of near modern elevation in the northern CAP and the onset of hyperaridity along the Pacific coast, highlighting their complex spatial and temporal relationship.


This paper presents the ultra wideband (UWB) module which contains an antenna, switches and a low noise amplifier (LNA). In order to accomplish small size and low cost, the antenna is designed using organic substrates and other parts are fabricated on the same printed circuit board (PCB) as the antenna. Size of the antenna is 20 mm times 15 mm and size of the UWB module is 20 mm times 35 mm. The antenna is designed by three-dimensional electromagnetic (3D EM) simulator. Input VSWR and radiation patterns of the antenna are measured. Measurement results confirm that the performance of the fabricated antenna is similar to simulation results. Input VSWR is less than 1.6 at the frequency band of 3 GHz to 5 GHz. Data transmission rate of the module is simulated using the measured antenna parameters. Results of system simulation show that the module is useful for UWB applications. This is the first report of a UWB module with an antenna using organic substrates as far as authors get to know


A total of 93 Harris-Galante Porous I (HGP- I) prostheses were analyzed with a mean follow-up of 10.2 years. Thigh pain (28 hips) correlated with unstable fixation (P<.005), female gender (P<.045), young age (P<.05), poor distal femoral fill (P<.002), subsidence (P<.0001), and osteolysis (P<.05). Thirteen stems and 6 metallic shell cups were revised. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed 13-year survival rates of 92.5% +/- 5.8% for the metallic shell cup, 79.7% +/- 13% for the HGP-I cup, and 76.3% +/- 14.0% for the stem. Five polyethylene liners were changed because of wear >1 mm. Radiographic loosening occurred in 8 cups. Radiographic bone ingrowth was present in 54 stems, stable fibrous fixation was present in 24 stems, and unstable fixation was present in 15 stems. The mean polyethylene wear was 0.17 mm/y. Eleven hips (11.8%) had acetabular osteolysis, and 24 (25.8%) had femoral osteolysis, the latter being more frequent in unstable stems (P<.007). The HGP-I metallic cup shows better clinical and radiographic results than the stem, which frequently is associated with pain, unstable fixation, and osteolysis. Excessive polyethylene wear is frequent.


This essay examines the influence of Situationist thought on aesthetics in postwar Britain through a close analysis of Throbbing Gristle, a fine-arts-cum-pop group responsible for the invention of the dystopian subculture Industrial Culture. Framing the group's work as a response to the politics of 1970s Social Art, the article argues that Throbbing Gristle's techno-libertarian aesthetics represent a deliberate effort to foreground and maintain deep-seated contradictions within the concept of the art of everyday life. By emphasizing the aesthetic side of Situationist thought, the article also offers a new framework for understanding and interrogating the legacy of the Situationists after 1968.


The present study is oriented towards a historical context of the aspects and factors that have arisen during the peace process in Colombia, which dates back to the years of the independence of South America, in which they made use of violence in order to fight for the freedom of the Spanish yoke, and although in that battle the nation achieved its freedom, the waves of violence did not cease, years later and due to disagreements in the state policy before the liberal and conservative parties, groups of confrontations originated in the rural area of Colombia, in the search for power, domain, justice, social rights, among others. Thus, armed groups emerged in Colombia that began with the function of protecting their lands, and as the years passed they demanded land rights and better working conditions. The main objective of this investigation is to analyze from a historical perspective those facts that gave rise to the armed groups in conflict and the actions of the government against these facts, applying a qualitative research approach, of documentary bibliographic type, because the information compiled was through secondary sources, and performing the historical analysis through a timeline of the relevant aspects to finally establish the conclusions of the study.


Increased PD-L1 expression has been reported in HIV-1-infected individuals, but the mechanisms leading to PD-L1 upregulation remain to be elucidated. Here we demonstrate that HIV-1-derived Toll-like receptor (TLR)7/8 ligands can induce MyD88-dependent upregulation of PD-L1 on plasmacytoid dendritic cells, myeloidic dendritic cells and monocytes. These data suggest a mechanism through which HIV-1-derived TLR ligands might contribute to the functional impairment of virus-specific PD-1-positive T cells by inducing the upregulation of PD-L1 on antigen-presenting cells.


In this paper, we report on our investigation of human-AI collaboration for mind-mapping. We specifically focus on problem exploration in pre-conceptualization stages of early design. Our approach leverages the notion of query expansion — the process of refining a given search query for improving information retrieval. Assuming a mind-map as a network of nodes, we reformulate its construction process as a sequential interaction workflow wherein a human user and an intelligent agent take turns to add one node to the network at a time. Our contribution is the design, implementation, and evaluation of algorithm that powers the intelligent agent (IA). This paper is an extension of our prior work [1] wherein we developed this algorithm, dubbed Mini-Map, and implemented a web-based workflow enabled by ConceptNet (a large graph-based representation of "commonsense" knowledge). In this paper, we extend our prior work through a comprehensive comparison between human-AI collaboration and humanhuman collaboration for mind-mapping. We specifically extend our prior work by: (a) expanding on our previous quantitative analysis using established metrics and semantic studies, (b) presenting a new detailed video protocol analysis of the mind-mapping process, and (c) providing design implications for digital


In the present work we analyze the socio-educational inclusion policies applied to the middle level in Argentina, specifically addressing the Return to Study plan, implemented in the province of Santa Fe. The field work was done with plan workers, we start from an anthropological approach, from which we analyze representations and practices that are generated during the implementation of the program. Also, we try to track the traces and contradictions of multiple historical processes that are condensed in the present. Thus, we can better understand how this policy is inserted in relation to others implemented in previous decades. This will serve to problematize the antinomy and complementarity of universal and focused policies, their continuity or rupture, taking as a guideline the type of subjectivities that tend to delimit the policies and the conceptions that guide them. In this way, we will see that in the implementation of inclusion policies different types of governmentalities are put into tension, from which relationships, classifications and practices are constructed, interpellating the subjectivity of the recipients and that of the state agents themselves


The microstructure and superconducting properties of Bi-2223/Ag tapes fabricated in high magnetic fields were investigated. The results show that the partialmelting temperature has influence on the formation of Bi-2223 phase and the Jc. The optimum partial-melting temperature is 855°C. The magnetic field during sintering at 830°C has no influence on the formation of Bi-2223 phase and the Jc. However, the magnetic field during partial-melting process has obvious influence on the formation of Bi-2223 phase and the Jc. The tape partially melted with 10 T magnetic field shows stronger c-axis alignment of Bi-2223 phase and higher Jcvalue than that partially melted without magnetic field.


PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between cash flow uncertainty and the underpricing of real estate investment trust (REIT) initial public offerings (IPOs) using hand-collected data on income guarantee in Thailand from January 2005 to December 2019.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses linear regression to determine the relationship between underpricing (initial return) and proxy for cash flow uncertainty (income guarantee), controlling for other factors. Because issuers can use several actions to signal their quality under asymmetric information, the joint decisions are analyzed as simultaneous equations and estimated using three-stage least square (3SLS) to address potential endogeneity concern.FindingsThis article finds that underpricing, on average, is negatively related to income guarantee, which is a proxy for ex ante cash flow uncertainty. The relationship is economically and statistically significant and robust to simultaneous equations estimation. Further investigation shows that REITs with income guarantee tend to have lower systematic risk (measured by CAPM beta) and returns, making the nature of some REITs more debt-like than equity-like.Practical implicationsFor issuers, the result suggests that offering income guarantee (which is more costly for assets with lower quality) can be a useful signal of asset quality to investors and reduce IPO discount. For institutional and retail investors, the results are informative about the risk-return tradeoffs in REIT IPO investment opportunities. Income guarantees makes REIT exposure more fix income-like, so there is a need to consider the credibility of the guarantor as well.Originality/valueThis article is the first to use income guarantee as an ex ante measure of cash flow uncertainty and explicitly investigates its linkage to IPO underpricing. This aspect of uncertainty and IPO underpricing remains little-studied in the academic literature. It also contributes to the growing literature of REIT IPOs in Asia.


We introduce a framework that allows for the construction of sequent systems for expressive description logics extending ALC. Our framework not only covers a wide array of common description logics, but also allows for sequent systems to be obtained for extensions of description logics with special formulae that we call"role relational axioms."All sequent systems are sound, complete, and possess favorable properties such as height-preserving admissibility of common structural rules and height-preserving invertibility of rules.


Plot, the ―sequence of interrelated events‖ (Foster in Pickering and Hoeper 1981:14), is a building element of literary works. This literary element assists in text reading and interpretation processes because the element shows the sequences of interrelated events that help in understanding text development. In the processes of text reading and text interpretation, plot is commonly analyzed literarily with the specific concern only to the elemental sequences of a plot. The concern to the sequences makes the plot analysis as the description of a certain construction, a text structure. Actually, plot analysis could also be conducted linguistically by analyzing certain linguistic elements and the contribution of these linguistic elements to plot description, as discussed in stylistics. The appearances of the stylistic and structural methods require two analysis types: the linguistic and the literary analyses. The stylistic method covers the linguistic analyses of the lexical items and their semantic sense relations, and the structural method covers a literary discussion on the plot sequences of the three texts. The linguistic based and literary based analyses are interrelated each other by the description of the semantic sense relations of the chosen lexical items in order to describe the sequencing of the texts' plot. Based on the analysis, the three Doyle's detective short stories are built from similar plot sequences. Each sequence is also composed from some other similar features which are arranged in a similar chronology. In summary, three plot sequences –exposition, action and climax— are built from two main features, and the other two plot sequences –resolution and conclusion— are developed by three composing features. Exposition consists of the narrative of a pre undisturbed situation and the narrative of the crime. Action consists of the deducting efforts prior to the crime scene investigation and the described actions taken during the crime scene investigation. Climax is the revelation of the tools used in the murders and the murderers themselves. Resolution shows the crime solving by mentioning the relationship of the information in the introduction, particularly the second part, and the actions taken in the Action. Conclusion ends the stories by stating punishment for the guilty murderers, the reward for the victims or the falsely accused participants and the common conclusion for public consumption. Among the five, a close similarity is seen in three plot sequences: exposition, action and resolution. Their relation is proven by the similar lexical items used in the features of the three plot sequences. The similarity causes a linkage of logics of a detective story.


Vagal paragangliomas (VPs) are rare tumors arising from paraganglionic tissue within the vagal nerve's perineurium. Usually, benign vascular tumors, VPs tend to invade the surrounding structures. Herein, we report the case of a VP presenting as a neck mass, which was evaluated as a glomus caroticum tumor preoperatively. A 65-year-old female complaining of a left-sided neck mass and intermittent hoarseness was assessed and operated on for possible glomus caroticum tumor. During the tumor excision, the vagal nerve was also involved, and hence, sacrificed. Histopathological examination revealed an encapsulated tumor associated with a nerve and ganglion and immunohistochemical staining tested positive for succinate dehydrogenase, confirming the diagnosis of VP. Postoperative residual hoarseness was corrected by vocal rehabilitation. While evaluating a retropharyngeal prestyloid neck mass, a VP should always be considered. Surgical excision involving vagal scarification, followed by vocal rehabilitation may be the appropriate treatment strategy.


LinkedIn has become the premier social media site for professionals, most employers will search for a job candidate on LinkedIn despite this many students use a range of other social media. LinkedIn has many powerful tools and inherent capabilities that facilitate the range of networking that students engage in to find internships, placements, jobs, and to make professional connections, and keep them.
The aim of this project is to leverage the social capital within the networks of our alumni by creating a LinkedIn group to connect Fashion and Textiles academics, alumni and undergraduates.
The course team of BA (Hons) Fashion & Textile Buying Management has been encouraging undergraduates to join the University of Huddersfield alumni group on LinkedIn since 2013. This enterprise employability initiative has provided new focus and updated information on graduate destinations and career progression, as well as enhancing networking opportunities for undergraduates. Additionally, recent graduates have been invited back to give a presentation of their experiences and advice to undergraduates. This indicates an increased potential to more actively utilize alumni as role models and mentors as well as a willingness of alumni to act as mentors and facilitators. We recognised in previous cohorts a slow build take-up to engage as "future professionals", and this year we have adopted the University of Huddersfield ADA Teaching and Learning project framework to facilitate a series of workshops and activities during the 2016/17. This academic year 2016/17 we have started immediately to launch Linkedin with Year 1, in Term 1, in Week 1. BA FTBM year 1 students have responded enthusiastically and very professionally, and the project has attracted increased numbers of alumni and business partners to connect with the School of ADA, Department of Fashion & Textiles.


This work investigates the effect of Cu content and Ga grading on the performance of CIGS cells, by means of numerical simulations and comparison with corresponding experiments. Different Ga profiles and Cu average concentrations are considered. We show that the optical effect of Cu content must be properly taken into account to model NIR absorption. As far as the GGI profile is concerned, we show that the main improvement can be obtained by increasing the GGI ratio toward the back-side; an optimized notch bandgap profile can be designed with the help of these indications.


A team of nurses has reduced the number of emergency admissions at their trust by monitoring adult patients in their homes at night. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust's integrated crisis response service has prevented 42 admissions since its launch in September last year. Nurses look after patients at home between 10pm and 7.30am, and can call on a team of more experienced nurses if specific interventions are deemed necessary. Clinical lead Jo Beeching said: 'We have seen benefits for patients who have become confused because of infections. We also take people who have had falls but who do not require hospital treatment.'


New experimental data for the evolution of deep-water wave packets has been presented. The present experimental data shows that the local maximum steepness for extreme waves is significantly above the criterion of the limiting Stokes waves. The wavelet spectra of the wave groups around the breaking locations indicate that the energy of higher harmonics can be generated quickly before wave breaking and mainly concentrate at the part of the wave fronts. After wave breaking, however, these higher harmonics energy is dissipated immediately. Furthermore, the variations of local peak frequency have also been examined. It is found that frequency downshift increases with the increase of initial steepness and wave packet size.Copyright © 2011 by ASME


Abstract Employing a framework at the intersection of psychological anthropology and narrative theory, I provide a critique of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) approaches to sexual offender rehabilitation. I demonstrate that what forensic psychologists refer to as a "cognitive distortion" or "thinking error" is often embedded within a broader narrative, and that these narratives reveal the existence of identifiable strategies designed to communicate something salient, enduring, and moral about the offender. Through the examination of narratives offered by imprisoned sexual offenders, several such narrative strategies containing the seeds of moral agency are identified. It is suggested that CBT's current focus on cognitive distortions effectively eliminates this narrative context and thus serves to disguise and even eradicate the positive, moral notions of self that most offenders exhibit in some form or another. A rehabilitative approach that works with narrative, facilitating development of shared narratives among offenders and therapists, would allow for the emergence of a plan for morally agentive living, transcending what is currently possible within the hostile, challenging framework of CBT. [narrative theory; cognitive behavior therapy; moral agency; sexual offenders; prisons]


This study focuses on the classification of pathological voice using GMM (Gaussian Mixture Model) and compares the results to the previous work which was done by ANN (Artificial Neural Network). Speech data from normal people and patients were collected, then diagnosed and classified into two different categories. Six characteristic parameters (Jitter, Shimmer, NHR, SPI, APQ and RAP) were chosen. Then the classification method based on the artificial neural network and Gaussian mixture method was employed to discriminate the data into normal and pathological speech. The GMM method attained 98.4% average correct classification rate with training data and 95.2% average correct classification rate with test data. The different mixture number (3 to 15) of GMM was used in order to obtain an optimal condition for classification. We also compared the average classification rate based on GMM, ANN and HMM. The proper number of mixtures on Gaussian model needs to be investigated in our future work.


The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) is a transmembrane receptor that initiates a self-propagating inflammatory cascade and has been implicated in the onset of complications involved with aging, diabetes and neuroinflammation. Soluble RAGE (sRAGE) inhibits this inflammatory signaling by competitively binding to RAGE ligands without stimulating downstream effectors. Evidence from our lab demonstrates chronic aerobic exercise increases the cleaved isoform of sRAGE (sRAGEc). However, the effects of acute aerobic exercise on sRAGEc production have not been comprehensively examined. Furthermore, recent data suggests that estrogen may play a role in exacerbating RAGE signaling and perturbing sRAGE production in diabetic women. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to investigate changes in plasma sRAGE with acute aerobic exercise in both lean healthy (LH) and obese insulin resistant (OB-IR) individuals. A secondary objective of the study was to compare exercise responses between men and women. 8 LH participants (4 M, 4 F) and 14 OB-IR participants (4 M, 10 F) were recruited for the study. VO2max was determined via treadmill test and participants returned to the lab on a separate day following an overnight fast and exercised at 65% VO2max for 30 minutes. Blood samples were collected before and following exercise after participants rested in seated position for 30 minutes. Quantification of plasma sRAGE and endogeonous secretory RAGE were determined via ELISA and sRAGEc was calculated by subtraction. Between-group comparisons were made via independent T Test and the effect of gender was analyzed via two-way ANOVA. At baseline the OB-IR group was older (41±3 y vs. 26±1 y, p<.001), more obese (BMI 35.1±0.9 vs. 22.2±0.9 kg . m−2, p<.001) and less aerobically fit (VO2max 27.8±1.8 vs. 50.2±2.9 mL/kg−1. min−1, p<.001) compared the LH group. There was no main effect of group (OB-IR vs. LHC) on change in sRAGE or sRAGEc in response to exercise (ΔsRAGE 20.3±53.2 vs. 13.8±34.4 pg/mL, p=.93), (ΔsRAGEc 28.7±47.1 vs. 14.4±34.8 pg/mL, p=.33). However there was an effect of gender on the response to acute exercise. Males in both groups saw a significantly greater increase in plasma sRAGE (131.49±46.46 vs. −46.94±39.23 pg/mL, p<.05) and plasma sRAGEc (127.73±47.04 vs. −36.08±34.13 pg/mL, p<.05) compared to females. This study is the first to show that young healthy women and obese/insulin resistant women have an impaired ability to increase sRAGE plasma levels with acute aerobic exercise. Recent data has suggested that estrogen can exacerbate RAGE signaling as well as inhibit sRAGE production although the precise mechanism for this interaction is unclear and warrants further investigation.


Hyperhomocysteinemia is believed to be responsible for the development of vascular disease via several mechanisms, including the impairment of endothelial-cell functionality. In-vitro studies have demonstrated that homocysteine decreases the production or bioavailability of vasodilator autacoids, such as prostacyclin and NO. Here, we show that the treatment of human endothelial cells with noncytotoxic homocysteine concentrations leads to a dose-dependent decrease in both the secretion of the vasoconstrictor agent endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the level of its mRNA. Homocysteine had an inhibitory effect at pathophysiological (0.1 and 0.5 mmol.L(-1)) and pharmacological noncytotoxic (1.0 and 2.0 mmol.L(-1)) concentrations. Mean percentage variation from control for ET-1 production was -36. 2 +/- 18.9% for 0.5 mmol.L(-1) homocysteine and -41.5 +/- 26.8% for 1.0 mmol.L(-1) homocysteine, after incubation for 8 h. Mean percentage variation from control for steady-state mRNA was -17.3 +/- 7.1% for 0.5 mmol.L(-1) homocysteine and -46.0 +/- 10.1 for 1.0 mmol.L(-1) homocysteine, after an incubation time of 2 h. ET-1 production was also reduced by incubation with various other thiol compounds containing free thiol groups, but not by incubation with thiol compounds with no free thiol group. Co-incubation of cells with homocysteine and the sulfhydryl inhibitor N-ethylmaleimide prevented the effect of homocysteine on ET-1 production, confirming a sulfhydryl-dependent mechanism. Based on the reciprocal feedback mechanism controlling the synthesis of vasoactive mediators, these preliminary data suggest a mechanism by which homocysteine may selectively impair endothelium-dependent vasodilation by primary inhibition of ET-1 production.


Background: Cyanthillium cinereum known as Poovamkurunilla in Tamil is one among the traditional medicinal plants
which has proven properties.
Aim: Hence, this study is aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of Cyanthillium cinereum
in two groups.
Methodology: The oral pathogens such as Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis and C.
albicans were used to assess the antimicrobial efficacy of Cyanthillium cinereum in two groups(Group 1 - Aqueous extract
of C.Cinereum leaves; Group 2 – C.Cinereum whole plant using agar well diffusion method at various concentrations that
ranges from 25 µL, 50 µL and 100 µL. Anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated using protein denaturation assay. Statistical
analysis was performed using SPSS version 23. Independent t test and One-way ANOVA were used for measure between
group analysis and Repeated measures ANOVA were used for measure within group analysis.
Results: Increasing the concentration increases the response too against oral microbes. Group 1 shows better antimicrobial
properties than group 2. Statistically significant differences were found on all concentrations taken into consideration.
Whereas both the groups show equal anti-inflammatory activity when compared with diclofenac. Statistically significant
difference was found on all comparisons except Group 1 versus Group 2 in all the concentrations (p=0.358).
Conclusion: The study revealed that C.Cinereum leaves exhibit strong antimicrobial activity against oral microbes except
Candida albicans. Both Group 1 and Group 2 exhibit better anti-inflammatory activity than standard values. Further it has
to be tested for its cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity for future usage of Cyanthillium cinereum in applications in the
pharmaceutical industry.


Impermeable aquifer boundaries affect the flow of groundwater, transport of contaminants, and the drawdown of water levels in response to pumping. Hydraulic methods can detect the presence of such boundaries, but these methods are not suited for mapping complex, 3D geological bodies. Airborne electromagnetic (AEM) methods produce 3D geophysical images of the subsurface at depths relevant to most groundwater investigations. Interpreting a geophysical model requires supporting information, and hydraulic heads offer the most direct means of assessing the hydrostratigraphic function of interpreted geological units. This paper presents three examples of combined hydraulic and AEM analysis of impermeable boundaries in glacial deposits of eastern Nebraska, USA. Impermeable boundaries were detected in a long-term hydrograph from an observation well, a short-duration pumping test, and a water table map. AEM methods, including frequency-domain and time-domain AEM, successfully imaged the impermeable boundaries, providing additional details about the lateral extent of the geological bodies. Hydraulic head analysis can be used to verify the hydrostratigraphic interpretation of AEM, aid in the correlation of boundaries through areas of noisy AEM data, and inform the design of AEM surveys at local to regional scales.


Sleep is generally regarded important for maintaining one's physical and psychological well-being. For the competitive athlete, many factors may negatively impact on his or her sleep, possibly resulting in compromised athletic performance. These factors include alterations in diet, changes in ambient temperature and/or altitude, traveling across time zones, and anxiety. In this article, an attempt is made to synthesize the relevant knowledge with regard to sleep and athletic performance. Sleep and performance are highly individual specific, with many interdependent factors influencing the expression of both variables. Recommendations for future research that addresses the unique demands of athletes are presented.


A new party, of the Nation Party"), the of NU's central leadership to obtain a good share of popular votes in the coming general elections scheduled for mid-1999. Does this mean that NU is re-emerging as a political party making its recent efforts to go back to the 1926 Khittah almost irrelevant? The reader will find a number of clues to answer this and other questions about NU in this book. The author analyzes NU from within but communicates well with outsiders through social science language. The very fact that such an insightful young political scientist has emerged from the NU circles suggests that its recent metamorphosis is substantial.


The species Mycobacterium avium includes several subspecies representing highly specialized avian and mammalian pathogens, non‐obligatory pathogens of immune compromised humans and saprophitic organisms. Recently obtained information concerning the diversity of M. avium genomic structures not only clarified phylogenic relationships within this species, but began to shed light on the question of how such closely related microorganisms adapt to the occupation of distinct ecological niches. In this review we discuss specific features of M. avium genetic composition, as well as genetic and molecular aspects of M. avium hominissuis (MAH)‐triggered disease pathogenesis, including virulence, penetration, immune response manipulation and host genetic control.


Abstract Background: Ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) is a common complication after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We aimed to investigate the frequency of IMR following first-time AMI and its association with infarct location, in-hospital mortality, and complications. Methods: From September 2011 to November 2012, all patients with a diagnosis of first-time acute ST-elevation MI were enrolled in the study. Patients with previous MI and heart failure, organic mitral valve disorders, and previous mitral surgery were excluded from the study. The patients' baseline characteristic, echocardiographic parameters, and complications were recorded. The frequency of IMR after AMI and its relation to infarct location and in-hospital mortality were evaluated. Results: Altogether, 250 patients (180 male) at a mean age of 60.21 ± 12.90 years were studied. IMR was detected in 114 (45%) patients. There was no association between the presence of MR and gender, systemic hypertension, smoking, diabetes mellitus, or body mass index; however, serum LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in the patients with IMR . The most frequent territory of MI was anterior in the patients without MR, while the anterolateral territory was the most common one in the patients with IMR. The patients with IMR had more reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, more elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and higher pulmonary arterial pressure (p values < 0.001, < 0.001, and < 0.001, respectively). Stage III diastolic dysfunction was more frequent in the patients with IMR. All the deaths occurred in the IMR patients, who also had more complicated AMI. Conclusion: IMR following AMI is highly prevalent, and it complicates about half of the patients. Regarding its relation to the AMI complications, assessment of the MR severity is necessary to make an appropriate decision for treatment.


Purpose: The efficacy and safety of scleral buckling (SB) versus combination SB and pars plana vitrectomy (SB + PPV) for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) repair remains unclear. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to identify comparative studies published from Jan 2000–Jun 2021 that reported on the efficacy and/or safety following SB and SB + PPV for RRD repair. Final best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) represented the primary endpoint, while reattachment rates and ocular adverse events were secondary endpoints. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: Across 18 studies, 3912 SB and 3300 SB + PPV eyes were included. Final BCVA was nonsignificantly different between SB and SB + PPV (20/38 vs. 20/66 Snellen; WMD = −0.11 LogMAR; 95% CI: [–0.29, 0.07]; p = 0.23). Primary reattachment rate was similar between procedures (p = 0.74); however, SB alone achieved a significantly higher final reattachment rate (97.40% vs. 93.86%; RR = 1.03; 95% CI: [1.00, 1.06]; p = 0.04). Compared to SB + PPV, SB alone had a significantly lower risk of postoperative macular edema (RR = 0.69; 95% CI: [0.47, 1.00]; p = 0.05) and cataract formation (RR = 0.34; 95% CI: [0.12, 0.96]; p = 0.04). The incidence of macular hole, epiretinal membrane, residual subretinal fluid, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, elevated intraocular pressure, and extraocular muscle dysfunction were similar between SB and SB + PPV. Conclusions: There was no significant difference in final BCVA between SB + PPV and SB alone in RRD. SB alone offers a slightly higher final reattachment rate along with a reduced risk of macular edema and cataract. Primary reattachment rate and the incidence of other complications were similar between the two procedures.


Using survey data, this paper presents a comprehensive analysis of student engagement for different groups of students, many of which may be classified as "nontraditional". The analysis presented in this paper is based on Kahu's framework for student engagement. Both the antecedents as well as consequences of engagement are incorporated in the framework used in this paper. The research highlights the role that active teaching strategies may play in this engagement framework. An important contribution of this research is to show that non-traditional students generally display greater engagement than traditional students. However, while there is a strong connection between active teaching strategies and engagement for traditional students, this link is weak for non-traditional students. The results presented in this paper highlight the need for greater inclusiveness in the design of active teaching strategies.;


SIR, I certainly agree with Dr Ramsay that his case report (Ramsay, 1977) provides circumstantial evidence that oral oxytetracycline may induce photosensitivity to UV-A radiation. However, the presence of polymorphic light eruption in the same patient and the absence of repeated light testing and assays of blood tetracycline levels in the patient make it difficult to be dogmatic about the results. One can only say that on the evidence offered oxytetracycline-induced UV-A photosensitivity in his patient was very possible. On the other hand, in the patient I reported, photobiological testing in the UV-A and visible spectra was carried out on each of her six admissions, with varying oxytetracycline blood levels, the wavelengths and radiation doses being shown in Table i. These radiation doses were very similar to those used by Dr Ramsay. On no occasion was there any detectable skin reaction to UV-A radiation.


In this paper, we present a proposal to extend the rough terrain adaptability by means of teleoperation. In the proposed teleoperation system, a master interface has been designed to map the lower limp joint angles of human operator to those of the humanoid robot. The advantage of such system is that the human operator can control the humanoid naturally, as if he is the humanoid, due to the structural similarity of the interface worn by the human operator and the humanoid robot.


The point of departure for this discussion on pain and identity is an examination ofover 6,000 photos of self-injury, taken from an Internet site. The central issue isself-injury in the form of skin cutting. With a perspective derived from discourseanalysis and feminism, these images are analysed as semiotic and linguistic entitiesthat communicate important messages from bodies in a postmodern society.Notions of the sublime, obscene and other conceptions of limitlessness are centralto the understanding of cutting and the images of it. A discussion of ElaineScarry's definition on pain leads to an understanding of pain not as a physicalsensation but as a semantic state of chaos, of disorder and trauma. Cutting could beseen as a means to (re)create order and as an expression of anger and resistancewhich has a hidden political potential. Cutting by women also challengeshegemonic notions on femininity. By using psychoanalytic theories of the skin'simportance for identity, the article ends with a suggestion that the actual placewhere identity is constituted is the skin. This theory gives an understanding as towhy skin is being cut as a way to re-establish order when the subject is threatened.


In recent years a discussion has been taking place on whether it would make sense to work towards a Joint Declaration on Church, Eucharist and Ministry between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches. The invitation was made by Cardinal Koch who, however, set a preliminary condition that the twofold Grunddifferenz both with regard to their understanding of the Church and their model of unity would first be overcome. After introducing Cardinal Koch's views on the matter, this article discusses a number of recent documents by ecumenical bodies and contributions by individual theologians – all written on the occasion of the 2017 commemoration of the 500 th anniversary of the symbolic start of the Reformation – that, explicitly or implicitly, comment on aspects of Cardinal Koch's proposal.


The growing public nature of academic journals along with current best practices of sharing primary data for scientific research are profoundly valuable for the understanding of a species and their conservation efforts. On the other hand, public spatial data on endangered species may be easily abused by wildlife criminals. In this paper, we discuss how geo-indistinguishability, a formal notion of privacy for location-based systems, can be used to add noise to published spatial data whilst allowing quantification of such tradeoff.


Platinum-group minerals (PGM) have been identified in chromitite from two localities in the Pindos ophiolite complex in Greece, Milia and Korydallos. At Milia, the PGM are predominantly Os, Ir, and Ru, i.e. , IPGE-bearing, as is typical of many chromitites in ophiolitic complexes; they consist mainly of IPGE alloys and sulfarsenides rather than laurite. At Korydallos, the assemblage is dominated by Pt- and Pd-bearing PGM characteristic of rarer Pt- and Pd-enriched ophiolites. These PGM include Pt–Pd alloys with the base metals Ni, Cu, and Fe, and traces of Au, PGM arsenides and sulfarsenides, sperrylite and members of hollingworthite – irarsite – platarsite solid-solution series. The base-metal-enriched minerals at Korydallos include a Cu-rich Pd–Pt alloy and a Ni–Fe alloy with 1–2% Pd. The association of Pt- and Pd-bearing PGM with base metals suggests that these PGE were collected by small quantities of immiscible sulfide liquid. The PGM are irregular in shape and are located almost exclusively in the altered silicate matrix interstitial to the chromite grains, on the edges of chromite grains, and in veins of silicate cross-cutting chromite. We suggest that the IPGE-bearing and Pt- and Pd-bearing PGM alloys and sulfarsenides are secondary and were formed by loss of sulfur and gain of arsenic during serpentinization. A further stage of alteration produced oxides and hydroxides of Pd around the PGE-bearing alloys and arsenides.


Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ECG-gated acquisition displays the blood pool as a signal void and thereby provides high contrast differentiation between cardiovascular structures and soft-tissue masses. The role of MRI for the detection and definition of the extent of paracardiac and intracardiac masses is reviewed. The extension of mediastinal, lung, and upper abdominal tumors to the heart and pericardium is depicted favorably by MRI and this attribute is also demonstrated. It is anticipated that MRI will have an increasing role in the evaluation of primary and secondary masses of the heart and pericardium.