A result of Graber, Harris, and Starr shows that a rationally connected variety defined over the function field of a curve over the complex numbers always has a rational point. Similarly, a separably rationally connected variety over a finite field or the function field of a curve over any algebraically closed field will have a rational point. Here we show that rationally connected varieties over the maximally unramified extension of the p-adics usually, in a precise sense, have rational points. This result is in the spirit of Ax and Kochen's result saying that the p-adics are usually C2 fields. The method of proof utilizes a construction from mathematical logic called the ultraproduct. The ultraproduct is used to lift the de Jong, Starr result in the equicharacteristic case to the mixed characteristic case.


Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are self-organized networks that do not rely in their operation on wired infrastructure. As in any networking technology, security is an essential element in MANET as well for proliferation of this type of networks. But supporting secure communication in MANETs proved to be a significant challenge, mainly due to the fact that the set of nodes in the network can frequently and rapidly change and due to the lack of access to the wired infrastructure. In particular, the trust model and the authentication protocols, which were developed for wired and infrastructure-based networks, cannot be used in MANETs. In this paper, we address the problem of efficient authentication of mobile users distributed in geographically large networks and we propose a new authentication scheme for this case of MANETs. The proposed scheme exploits randomized groups to efficiently share authentication information among nodes that together implement the function of a distributive certification authority (CA). We evaluate the performance of the proposed randomized groups authentication scheme based on two metrics: the total cost of the scheme's operation and its reliability. As an example of the results and as a reference point, we show that the proposed scheme achieves successful authentication when the random group size is around 10 - 12 nodes, irrespectively of the number of mobile nodes, of the number of CAs, and of the mobility model of the nodes in the network


High heels must have been a man's idea--"Their asses will look good and they'll be crippled!"--Rick Overton, Comic Strip Live, 1991) AS A LITERARY SCHOLAR, I am embarrassed to admit that I was well into my graduate career before I thought to ask, Why does Cinderella's fate hinge upon a shoe, of all things? Surely it is no accident that the foot (as opposed to some other body part) features so prominently in the tale. The question came to me when I was teaching Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street, in which female feet and shoes are strangely and strikingly bound up with romance and sexuality. The answer began to take shape during a fortuitous study break spent on what turned out to be one of those rare, rich morsels of late-night television--namely, the observation by comedian Rick Overton cited above. What started as a little piece of mind-candy developed into an intellectual smorgasbord, with entrees from folklore, ethnography, Chicano studies, feminism, and human ethology. Although the following discussion addresses Cisneros's work in particular, its scope extends far beyond literature and even folklore: Cisneros's use of the foot/shoe motif sheds light on male manipulation of female sexuality and thus on the design and operations of the human mind. In the chapter "The Family of Little Feet," Esperanza and her friends seem excessively excited by the experience of prancing around in the cast-off high heels which have been given to them: "Do you like these shoes? Rachel says yes and Lucy says yes and yes I say these are the best shoes. We will never go back to wearing the other kind again." (41) Why all the excitement? The answer to this question lies in the girls' budding sexuality and its concomitant power. High heels accentuate the "female"--elongating the legs, elevating and making more prominent the buttocks, and causing the hips to sway pronouncedly. When the girls slip the shoes on, they suddenly discover, "We have legs"--legs that are "good to look at, and long" (40). Almost immediately after they put the shoes on, the girls begin acting in a sexually provocative manner: Rachel teaches Esperanza and Lucy how to "cross and uncross [their] legs" (40) and the three of them begin "strutting" (41) in their high heels. They are no doubt imitating the slightly older girls in the neighborhood who have already begun to attract sexual attention and of whom Esperanza speaks in admiring and envious tones. They have yet to realize, however, that like these older girls, they too possess sexual power--they seem surprised that their mock-sexy posturing draws sexual attention: "On the avenue a boy on a home-made bicycle calls out: Ladies, lead me to heaven. But there is nobody around but us." (41) Their resolution to "never go back to wearing the other kind" of shoe comes after they realize that the shoes make them sexually attractive to the men around them: Esperanza comments that they strut "[d]own to the comer where the men can't take their eyes off of us" (40). They also appear to sense that their strutting has an effect on women as well: "In front of the laundromat six girls with the same fat face pretend we are invisible. They are the cousins, Lucy says, and always jealous." (41) This power to arouse men and to make women jealous initially exhilirates them--they "just keep strutting" (41), enjoying for the moment their position as the source rather than the object of power. This power begins to frighten them, however, when their bluff is called by a drunken bum who offers Rachel a dollar for a kiss. A discussion of female power might seem out of place in a text which focuses primarily on the rigid control of women by men. However, even in a relentlessly partiarchal society, women have a power over men which only the aging process can take away: the power to sexually arouse. That the girls are at least subconsciously aware of the power the female physique has over the male libido is apparent in their deceptively innocent conversations: "You need them [hips] to dance" (49) says Lucy, to which Esperanza responds, "I don't care what kind I get. …


Abstract:Marianne Moore's poetry demonstrates a persistent interest in decorative art objects. She often uses observation of these objects as an occasion for social criticism, but she acknowledges the way that objects can exceed or elude the attempt to use them toward such ends. Moore is attracted to decorative art objects for this very reason: they can be used but never used up. They are more like performances of utility than inherently useful objects. Insofar as her collections of decorative art objects resist didactic interpretation, they resemble the "cabinets of curiosity" that were popular during the seventeenth century, and are described in the work of Sir Thomas Browne. Like Browne, Moore cultivates a mixture of irony and sincerity as she plays with resemblance and contiguity in her poetry's cabinets of curiosity.


Nowadays cities, as well as Cultural Heritage, are facing new challenges due to the public financial straits and the increasing need to deliver innovative service to manage a wide heritage. Great expectations are in put the Smart City paradigm relying on the capability of the city to realize and scale up intangible infrastructures based on new typologies of partnerships for the development of services. The paper presents a design framework aimed to transform Cultural Items in Smart Cultural Objects (SCO), meant as sources and recipients of advanced information applied on 'Widespread Built Cultural Heritage'. The aim has been not just to enhance the artifacts with their own quality, but their unique social, communal, anthropological and urban-infrastructural meaning. The ability to manage efficiently heterogeneous data and the levels of global connectivity, as well as the real-time interaction, perception, localization, communication, and identification, made possible by cloud computing and Internet of Things, to allow the changeover from Cultural Objects to SCO. The framework, here exposed, aims to provide an extensive and robust theoretical support to design and to manage the processes of Cultural Objects and Cultural bins, implementing a methodological system and an advanced environment based on ICT technologies for recording, storage, processing, access and presentation of Cultural Heritage (CH) data in a Smart Management environment. The framework has been applied in two projects for a prototypical case study of widespread urban CH. Keywords: cultural heritage, human smart city, co-design, internet of things, heritage management and communication.


Human papillomavirus (HPV) is necessary for the development of cervical carcinoma, and incorporation of molecular testing for HPV in screening and patient management has been proposed. Sufficient scientific evidence exists to recommend HPV DNA testing in the triage of women with equivocal cytology and in follow-up after the treatment of precursor lesions. However, due to a low clinical specificity and positive predictive value, HPV DNA testing has so far not been recommended as primary screening in Europe. In general, diagnostic HPV tests have to demonstrate accuracy, reproducibility and clinical utility before they can be used in patient management and implemented in cervical cancer screening programmes. In this article we give an overview of RNA-based HPV diagnostics and the role of E6/E7 mRNA detection as a predictive marker for the development of cervical carcinoma. HPV E6/E7 mRNA testing for high-risk types seems to correlate better with the severity of the lesion compared with HPV DNA testing, and is a potential marker for the identification of women at risk of developing cervical carcinoma. Commercial assays for simultaneous genotyping and detection of E6/E7 mRNA from the five most common high-risk HPV types are now available and require further evaluation for primary screening, triage and follow-up after treatment.


Abstract Objectives The goal of our study was to evaluate the potential role of sTNF-RI as a biomarker of renal involvement in SLE patients and active SLE. Methods The study sample consisted of two cohorts. The discovery cohort included 16 SLE patients without renal involvement (non-LN), 60 lupus nephritis (LN) patients and 21 healthy controls (HCs) and the replication cohort included 18 SLE non-LN patients, 116 LN patients and 36 HCs. Results The sTNF-RI levels differed significantly in the discovery cohort. The plasma sTNF-RI levels were higher in LN patients than in non-LN patients (p = .009) and HCs (p = 4 × 10−6). Plasma sTNF-RI levels were significantly higher in non-LN patients than in HCs (p = .03). The finding was confirmed in independent replication cohort (LNs vs. non-LN, p = 4.053 × 10−7; LNs vs. HCs, p = 2.395 × 10−18; non-LN vs. HCs, p = 2.51 × 10−4). The plasma sTNF-RI levels were associated with disease activity, renal function in SLE patients and urine protein in LN patients. The multivariate analysis revealed that high sTNF-RI was an independent risk factor for renal involvement. The multivariate logistic regression results suggested that high TNF-RI, high systolic blood pressure, high serum creatinine, low C4 and positive anti-dsDNA were independent risks of active SLE patients. A nomogram was constructed based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis and it was practical in predicting the risk of the active SLE patients. Immunohistochemistry suggested that the expression of TNF-RI in the kidney was increased. Conclusions Plasma sTNF-RI might be a good biomarker of renal involvement and disease activity in SLE patients.


Is the ABPI code too restrictive? I ask this question because I never imagined it was, particularly when, several years ago with Richard Smith (who this month laments the failure of medical leadership over the MTAS issue: JRSM 2007;100:486), I edited a BMJ theme issue on the relationship between doctors and the pharmaceutical industry (www.bmj.com/content/vol326/issue7400). At the time the issue created a storm, not least because of its provocative cover depicting pharmaceutical representatives as lizards, but mostly because many readers misinterpreted the message of the theme issue as being an urgent need for doctors to cut ties with industry. The myriad entanglements between doctors and industry were vividly discussed, but the central argument of the issue was subtler than most people had patience for.

The pharmaceutical industry had delivered many benefits, we readily agreed, and would continue to do so with its research acumen and commercial clout. Doctors were required to engage with the information received from companies, and learn from and contribute to the development of new products as well as the safety and efficacy of established ones. But the myriad entanglements between doctors and industry had become a problem. What was the real purpose of gourmet meals, all-expenses paid travel, and an evening of lap dancing? The time had come, we argued, not to sever ties with industry but to disentangle and forge a new relationship with patient care as its focus.

Since that edition of the BMJ, the medical mood has appeared to swing further against industry. The rise of doctors supporting 'No Free Lunch' (www.nofreelunch-uk.org) has contrasted neatly with the industry's pain over drug scandals such as the one surrounding Vioxx. Drug representatives are finding it harder to see doctors and the good old lunchtime meeting now requires other means of sustenance. The industry watchdog, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), has even brought in more stringent guidance around gifts that doctors can receive from companies. Companies themselves are fearful of breaching the ABPI code and public punishment.

You might then argue that this is the correct balance of forces: a clever industry intent on selling, controlled by a regulator intent on ensuring that the quality of the product is what counts and not the brilliance of the marketing, and doctors disentangled from anything worth more than £6.

Yet I guess the debate is not yet done, and my reasons are based on feedback I hear from doctors. Some are furious at the hypocrisy of journal editors who fund their million pound publications from industry sponsorship and advertising but spend their time preventing practising doctors from enjoying an evening pizza. Others believe that they should be allowed to interact freely with industry to gather as much information as they wish in whatever way they wish, since they are smart enough to make their own clinical decisions. More still are angry at their inability to organize educational meetings and conferences because the climate of fear on both sides means that funding is next to impossible to obtain.

These sentiments come from presidents of Royal Colleges and full-time clinicians at the 'coal face'. The line in the sand, many doctors believe, has been drawn in the wrong place. Can this be true? Has disentanglement been misinterpreted for intolerance? Or is it just that the silent majority are quietly content? I remain of the view that the relationship between doctors and industry must be transparent, disentangled, and focused on patient care. But there is also a genuine debate waiting for a home, and the JRSM is willing to consider contributions to this important and fascinating discussion. Is the ABPI code too restrictive? Is the current relationship between doctors and industry another manifestation of the infringements on the clinical freedom of doctors? You tell us over the next few weeks and the best contributions will be published in the January issue.


Aims: To determine whether "herbal creams" reported as being effective for the treatment of childhood atopic eczema contained corticosteroids. Methods: Patients attending the paediatric dermatology clinic at Birmingham Children's Hospital, April 2001 to March 2002, and who reported using "herbal creams" with good effect for atopic eczema were asked to submit the cream for analysis. Hydrocortisone, clobetasone butyrate, betamethasone valerate, and clobetasol propionate were analysed by HPLC. Results: Twenty four creams from 19 patients, median (interquartile range) age 3.82 (0.69–7.98) years were analysed. All five creams labelled Wau Wa and the two labelled Muijiza cream contained clobetasol propionate. Thirteen of 17 unnamed creams contained corticosteroids: clobetasol proprionate (n = 4), clobetasol proprionate + hydrocortisone (n = 1), betamethasone valerate (n = 2), clobetasone butyrate (n = 3), and hydrocortisone (n = 2); there was an unidentified peak in one. Further analysis suggested Wau Wa cream contained approximately 20% proprietary Dermovate Cream in a paraffin base. No parents were aware that the creams contained steroid. Conclusions: The majority of herbal creams analysed illegally contained potent or very potent topical steroids. There is an urgent need for tighter regulation of herbal creams and for increased public education about the potential dangers of alternative therapies.


A version of the method of discrete vortices is proposed for the numerical integration of a singular and a hypersingular integral equation of the first kind on an interval in the case when the right-hand side of the equation contains a delta function.


Background: Both malaria and latent tuberculosis ( LTB) are possible factors related to decreased COVID-19 mortality. The malaria endemicity variable is a possible confounder when conducting a study on the correlation of LTB prevalence to COVID-19 mortality. Studies regarding LTB prevalence" according to different studies" did not adjust malaria endemicity as a possible confounder. Many malaria-endemic countries are high TB prevalent. Malaria-free countries could be: high, moderate, or low in TB prevalence. The main aim of this study is to look for the influence of TB prevalence on COVID-19 mortality. TB prevalence reflects LTB prevalence in the absence of malaria endemicity as a possible confounding factor in TB studies. Material and methods: The total chosen countries were 69 non-malaria endemic countries. Countries were classified according to TB prevalence groups into low, moderate, and high prevalent groups. Covid-19 deaths/Million(M) inhabitants were taken as reported on September 2, 2020. "Kendall's-τ Correlation Coefficient", "Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney test were used in statistical analyses.Results: We found inverse relationships between TB prevalence and COVID-19 deaths/ (M) inhabitants and a highly positive significant correlation coefficient was reported (0.008) in Kendall's-τ correlation coefficient test. Kruskal-Wallis test showed a significant relationship within studied groups. Furthermore, the low TB prevalent group had significant reverse associations with both high and moderate TB prevalent groups in the Mann-Whitney test.Conclusion: In the absence of possible malaria confounding, TB prevalence in malaria-free countries is inversely related to COVID-19 mortality in a highly significant association.


A magnetic guidance methodology to rotate a device around the catheter axis is proposed. The specific medical application is to intracranial aneurysms. An endovascular device, the asymmetric stent, has a low porosity region that is rotated to cover the aneurysm neck so as to reduce the blood flow into and hence obliterate the aneurysm. The magnetic guidance system consists of a magnetic device attached to the asymmetric stent and an external homogeneous magnetic field of 0.1 T. This magnetic field puts a torque on the magnetic moment of the magnetic device, thereby rotating the stent for proper orientation. For the magnetic device with the required magnetic moment of 0.001 A m2, a cylindrical neodymium permanent magnet is proposed due to its favorable material characteristics while a coil electromagnet with iron core appears impractical due to demagnetizing effects.


ABSTRACT The Cenomanian Dunvegan Formation is divided into ten regressive-transgressive allomembers designated J-A in ascending order, and represents a large delta complex deposited over about 2 m.y. Valley systems were mapped on the upper surfaces of allomembers H to E, using 4800 well logs and 40 outcrop sections distributed over 50,000 km2. Valleys trend broadly NW to SE across a delta plain that expanded in width from 150 to over 300 km during progradation of the deltas that comprise allomembers H to E. The longest valley can be traced for up to 330 km. A few valleys can be traced seaward into low-sinuosity distributaries feeding delta lobes. Most other valleys disappear within 20-30 km of the lowstand delta front, at a point interpreted to separate the falling stage from the lowstand systems tract. Most valley systems have a dendritic pattern, although an apparently anastomosed pattern is observed in some areas. Individual valley reaches have a strong NW-SE and NE-SW preferred orientation, with abrupt, approximately right-angle bends and junctions. These valley trends mimic those of faults in the underlying Carboniferous rocks. Valley depths range between 15 and 40 m, and average depths range from 19.1 to 23.8 m, with an overall average of 21.3 m. There is no systematic variation in depth along the length of individual valleys. Valleys are typically 1 to 2 km wide, but can expand to a maximum of 10 km, sometimes, but not always in the vicinity of confluences. Valley-fills are dominated by fine- to medium-grained sandstone, up to 97% in some wells. Sandstone probably represents multi-storey point bars. Mudstone tends to form a greater part of the fill (up to 50%), in more seaward reaches. Muddy deposits are generally concentrated in the upper 5-15 m of valley-fills, where muddier-upward units might represent heterolithic point-bars and/or tidal flats whereas sandierupward units could represent bay-head deltas. Valley incision is considered to be most probably attributable to eustasy coupled with climatically driven changes in the ratio of sediment load to discharge. Neither tectonic tilting, nor changes in the rate of subcrustal loading appear to provide plausible explanations for incision and filling. End_Page 277------------------------


In T lymphocytes, the CD2 and CD5 glycoproteins are believed to be involved in the regulation of signals elicited by the TCR/CD3 complex. Here we show that CD2 and CD3 independently associate with CD5 in human PBMC and Jurkat cells. CD5 coprecipitates with CD2 in CD3-deficient cells and, conversely, coprecipitates with CD3 in cells devoid of CD2. In unstimulated CD2+ CD3+ Jurkat cells, CD5 associates equivalently with CD2 and CD3 and is as efficiently phosphorylated in CD2 as in CD3 immune complexes. However, upon activation the involvement of CD5 is the opposite in the CD2 and CD3 pathways. CD5 becomes rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated after CD3 stimulation, but is dephosphorylated upon CD2 cross-linking. These opposing effects correlate with the decrease in the activity of the SH2 domain-containing protein phosphatase 1 (SHP-1) following CD3 activation vs an enhanced activity of the phosphatase after CD2 triggering. The failure of CD5 to become phosphorylated on tyrosine residues in the CD2 pathway has no parallel with the lack of use of zeta-chains in CD2 signaling; contrasting with comparable levels of association of CD2 or CD3 with CD5, zeta associates with CD2 only residually and is nevertheless slightly phosphorylated after CD2 stimulation. The modulation of CD5 phosphorylation may thus represent a level of regulation controlled by CD2 in signal transduction mechanisms in human T lymphocytes.


Previously, we have indicated that Hot Water Extract (HWE) from Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) of Ganoderma lucidum enhanced immune function of normal mice, and improved antioxidant activity and enhanced immune function of immunosuppression mice induced by cyclophosphamide (Cy). Here we performed the high throughput RNA sequencing strategy using Illumina HiSeq™ 2000 to characterize the spleen transcriptome from normal (CK1), HWE-treated (CK2), Cy-treated (CY) and both high dose HWE and Cy-treated mice (CH). From the RNA Sequencing, total mapped reads of map to Gene in CK1, CK2, CY and CH was 54 759 942, 54 678 926, 44 728 132 and 54 006 596, respectively. And gene expression was significantly different among CK1 and CK2, CY and CH. Compared with CK1, the gene expression of Ugt1a6b was down-regulated in CK2 after HWE treated. In addition, compared with CY, multiple tumor suppressor or tumorigenesis genes were down-regulated, such as Cdkn1a, Cdkn1b, Mapk10, Vash1, and Tnc and other genes in CK2 and CH. Taken together, our study highlighted the spleen transcriptome profiles of C57BL/6 mouse in response to HWE from SMS of G. lucidum and Cy, and indicated that HWE can improve the immune function of the mouse and accelerated the recovery of immunosuppression in Cy-treated mice.


The article examines the transformation of relations between the state and the Church in the aspect of the repressive policy of the Soviet government on the example of the Nizhny Novgorod diocese in the period 1918 – 1921. This study reflects issues directly related to the reaction of the church administration to the unfolding full-scale persecution. The author compares the situation in the Nizhny Novgorod diocese with the historical circumstances in other dioceses of the Russian Orthodox Church and finds that the Nizhny Novgorod scenario is typical. Nevertheless, there are some features of the historical picture on the Nizhny Novgorod land, due to certain circumstances and personal characteristics of representatives of both secular and Ecclesiastical authorities. This article hypothesizes that the loyal position of the ruling bishop and the diocesan council in relation to the Soviet government did not lead to the cessation of persecution, but contributed to a partial improvement in the state of church affairs in the field. The analysis of the historical situation shows how the degree of loyalty of the diocesan administration towards the new government has changed, taking into account the aggressive pressure from the ruling circles. Russian Russian Orthodox Church. The results of this study can be used in works aimed at studying the history of the Russian Orthodox Church during the period of the beginning of the persecution to obtain a holistic picture of church life, the life of believers in Russia on the example of the Russian province.


141 ISSN 1758-1907 10.2217/DMT.13.71 Diabetes Manage. (2014) 4(2), 141–151 Summary A literature search for clinical trials evaluating the role of bypass surgery for revascularization of diabetics with significant coronary artery disease that reported results in that past 4 years was undertaken. Six clinical trials were identified that recently reported intermediate to long-term outcomes of coronary bypass in diabetic patients. Three studies were conducted exclusively in diabetics, while three represent subset analyses of larger trials. Two meta-analyses of the clinical trial data and several large database studies have been reported in the past few years as well. We will review the major findings of these studies and the implication of their findings for clinical practice. We will also identify areas where persistent uncertainty remains.


We determine crystal-like materials that can be fabricated by using a standing acoustic wave to arrange small particles in a non-viscous liquid resin, which is cured afterwards to keep the particles in the desired locations. For identical spherical particles with the same physical properties and small compared to the wavelength, the locations where the particles are trapped correspond to the minima of an acoustic radiation potential which describes the net forces that a particle is subject to. We show that the global minima of spatially periodic acoustic radiation potentials can be predicted by the eigenspace of a small real symmetric matrix corresponding to its smallest eigenvalue. We relate symmetries of this eigenspace to particle arrangements composed of points, lines or planes. Since waves are used to generate the particle arrangements, the arrangement's periodicity is limited to certain Bravais lattice classes that we enumerate in two and three dimensions.


A programmable phase-locked-loop (PLL)-based frequency synthesizer, capable of automatically adjusting the nominal center frequency of the voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) to an optimum value is described. In fully integrated PLLs, the VCO output frequency should be tunable over a wide range of frequencies, covering the desired range of the synthesizer output frequencies, for all processing variations and operating conditions. A wide tuning range realized by making the VCO gain K/sub o/ large has the unwanted effect of increasing the phase noise at the output of the VCO, and hence the PLL as well. In this work, the wide tuning range is realized by digital control, with process variability managed through self-calibration. The PLL is only required to pull the oscillator output frequency to account for the digital quantization, temperature variations, and some margin. This allows the K/sub o/ to be small, with better noise performance resulting. The prototype self-calibrating frequency synthesizer, capable of operating from 80 MHz to 1 GHz, demonstrates a measured absolute jitter of 20-ps rms at 480-MHz operating frequency. The prototype IC is fabricated in a 0.35-/spl mu/m 3-V digital CMOS process.


Cocaine is used as an illicit substance responsible for the most common cause of drug-related death. It is a stimulant that acts on the sympathetic nervous system and cardiovascular system leading to exaggerated, prolonged sympathetic activity due to the accumulation of neurotransmitters. Cardiovascular side effects of cocaine are coronary artery spasms, myocarditis, arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is characterized by transient hypokinesis, akinesis, or dyskinesis of the left ventricle (LV) wall with or without apical involvement in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Cocaine-induced TCM is an extremely rare condition emphasizing the need of its prompt diagnosis by the physicians. We present a case report of a 54-year-old male, brought to the emergency department (ED) after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (CA), found to have TCM in the setting of cocaine use. Clinicians need to understand the association between cocaine use and the development of TCM as cardiomyopathy of this type can result in complete remission after discontinuing the offending agent.


The Classical Trajectory Monte Carlo (CTMC) method has been applied to the study of atomic hydrogen collisions. The classical dynamics consists here in a four-body Coulomb problem formulation involving two protons and two electrons. For each atom a microcanonical ensemble has been used for constituting the initial conditions of the trajectories. The asymmetry introduced in the calculations by giving to the projectile atom initial positions with variable impact parameter b values in relation with the target one, is waived by the correct statistical treatment, in accordance with the physical symmetry of the collision. In the studied collision energy region, 5 to 200 keV, the obtained values compare favorably with existing experimental data and quantal calculations. For low energies, the integration of trajectories corresponding to the cases of ionization (direct and transfer ionization of the projectile and of the target), has to be improved in order to comply with the well-known problem of the saddle points.


First of all, the authors would like to thank the anonymous referee for this discussion and its constructive comments, corrections and suggestions that ensued. We have carefully replied to all its comments and the paper has been improved following its recommendations. All technical corrections suggested by the referee have been carefully performed. Answers have also been provided for all comments and changes have been performed accordingly. Please find below the answers to the comments:


The 2 microns DNA-dependent destabilization of yeast chimeric chromosomes III, IV, V was analysed. The comparison of its peculiarities with the earlier localized sites of episomal plasmid integration allowed to derive genetic regularities of destabilization process. Two destabilization rules that describe patterns of the loss of genetic information in the chromosome were formulated. The usefulness of this for mitotic intrachromosomal gene mapping in yeast was demonstrated using plasmid integration site mapping in chromosome I.


This study is the machining of fuel supply pipe used in large vessels. The fuel supply pipe of large vessels have effects to reduce engine exhaust because of common rail system and show excellent fuel efficiency so it is in the limelight as a vessel engine of next generation. At present, the shape of fuel supply pipe of common rail used for huge two-stroke & low-speed vessels is like a peanut hole so the second machining is necessary after the first machining. There is high error rate for machining and the materials waste caused by machining error is serious. Also, in this time the request for increasing the length of fuel supply pipe is suggested in the world market, it's judged that current methods will show higher error rate for machining. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to improve the machining process used originally. For that, the system controlling the process was developed as well as surface roughness and straightness which are evaluation items of fuel supply pipe were measured so that improved process can be observed in real time.


PURPOSE
Presence of intratumoral T-cell infiltration has been linked to improved survival in ovarian cancer patients. We questioned whether antibody immunity specific for ovarian cancer tumor antigens would predict disease outcome. We evaluated humoral immune responses against ovarian cancer antigens p53, HER-2/neu, and topoisomerase IIalpha.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Serum was collected from 104 women (median age, 59 years; range, 34 to 89 years) at the time of their initial definitive surgery for ovarian cancer. Serum was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies to p53, HER-2/neu, and topoisomerase IIalpha proteins. Antibody immunity to tetanus toxoid was assessed as a control. The incidence of humoral immunity at the time of diagnosis to any of these three antigens was tabulated. For patients with advanced-stage disease (III/IV), correlation was made between the presence of tumor-specific immunity at the time of diagnosis and overall survival. Patients were followed for a median of 1.8 years.

RESULTS
Multivariate analysis showed the presence of p53 antibodies to be an independent variable for prediction of overall survival in advanced-stage patients. Overall survival was significantly higher for patients with antibodies to p53 when compared with patients without p53 antibodies (P = .01). The median survival for p53 antibody-positive patients was 51 months (95% CI, 23.5 to 60.5 months) compared with 24 months (95% CI, 19.4 to 28.6 months) for patients without antibodies to p53.

CONCLUSION
Data presented here demonstrate that advanced stage ovarian cancer patients can have detectable tumor-specific antibody immunity and that immunity to p53 may predict improved overall survival in patients with advanced-stage disease.


Native (n) but not single stranded (ss) DNA was found to induce release of 3H-serotonin (5-HT) from platelets of the majority of normal individuals. However, ssDNA markedly enhanced 5-HT release induced by heat-aggregated IgG (aggIgG), while less enhancement was seen using nDNA. Similar enhancement was produced by polyinosinic acid but not by polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid. The ability of ssDNA to potentiate aggIgG-induced 5-HT release seemed specific for aggIgG, since no effect on ADP or epinephrine-induced release was observed and thrombin-induced release was inhibited. In contrast, nDNA in high concentrations (100 micrograms/ml) potentiated ADP, epinephrine, and thrombin-induced 5-HT release. These results suggest that ss-and nDNA may interact with platelets by different mechanisms and provide a means by which DNA, released at sites of tissue injury, could modulate the role of platelets in the inflammatory response. The ability of DNA to enhance the aggIgG-induced platelet release reaction may be important in immune complex diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus.


a-Isopropylmalate isomerase, the second enzyme specific for leucine biosynthesis, can be purified from extracts of yeast utilizing a chromatographic procedure that allows separation of proteins in the presence of high concentrations of (NH,)$O,. The purification procedure utilizes the stabilizing effect of glycerol and (NH,),SO, on the isomerase and their opposing effects on protein retention on valine-Sepharose and leucine-Sepharose. The method effectively separates the isomerase from fumarase, a stable internal marker protein that was co-purified in early steps. High ionic strength hydrophobic chromatography, based on differential retention as a function of the length of the hydrophobic sidearm and ionic strength, yields approximately 200-fold purified cu-isopropylmalate isomerase and may be of general utility in purifying unstable enzymes requiring high ionic strength.


SUMMARY

The annual cycle of Lesser Redpolls breeding in Northumberland is described. Birds return in late April and could rear at least two broods, in the absence of predation, before they begin to moult in early August. The complete moult of both sexes usually begins just after the last brood of young reaches independence. Moult ends in late September and the adults then move southwards immediately. Juveniles also finish their partial moult before they migrate, but those which finish moult well before the adults, apparently wait for the latter before undertaking extensive southward movements, though some disperse over short distances in early September. Some adults and juveniles caught during moult at one site returned to moult there in later autumns, even though they did not breed there.

Movement in autumn from Britain to the Continent takes place only at the short sea-crossings. More recoveries are obtained abroad in years of poor birch seed crop in southern England.

Moult of the remiges and rectrices of the adults is described, and its progress recorded by a numerical scoring system whose merits are discussed. The moult score of the primary feathers follows an approximately linear relationship with date, and the moult scores of all individuals of each sex in each year have been used in regression analyses to yield averages of the duration, start and end of moult, an average daily increase of primary moult score, and the spread of the start of moult within each sample of birds. The results are discussed in relation to breeding and migration.

The rates of moult of the primaries, secondaries and tail are not independent of each other, though, in contrast to the primaries, the secondary moult score does not increase linearly with date. The average daily increase of primary moult score is closely correlated with the number of primaries growing simultaneously. Each primary took about 16 days to complete growth in each year, but the duration of moult varied between 43 and 56 days in different years.

Variation in the timing and duration of moult of Redpolls in Norway, Iceland and Britain is discussed in relation to the breeding season.

Plumage sequences of the Lesser Redpoll are reviewed, with emphasis on their application to separation of sex and age classes. Wing lengths of the males and females of a given age overlap considerably, and abrasion alters these lengths only slightly. Older birds have longer wings.

Weight changes of adults and juveniles in autumn are examined in detail. Weight variation of individual birds in August and September is more often due to hourly changes in response to feeding than day-to-day changes in response to temperature. Weights of adults, but not first-year birds, decrease at the start but then increase towards the end of the moult, but apparently there is no deposition of fat for migration. Weights of birds caught during their southward movement also show no increase, nor did a group of Lesser Redpolls caught near Oxford in December. It is suggested that day length may be an additional reason for southward migration, besides a reduction in food supply.


Tverberg's theorem says that a set with sufficiently many points in $\mathbb{R}^d$ can always be partitioned into $m$ parts so that the $(m-1)$-simplex is the (nerve) intersection pattern of the convex hulls of the parts. The main results of our paper demonstrate that Tverberg's theorem is but a special case of a more general situation. Given sufficiently many points, all trees and cycles can also be induced by at least one partition of a point set.


Abstract—The Na+-Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) is one of the essential regulators of Ca2+ homeostasis in cardiomyocytes and thus an important modulator of the cardiac contractile function. The purpose of this review is to survey recent advances in cardiac NCX research, with particular emphasis on molecular and pharmacological aspects. The NCX function is thought to be regulated by a variety of cellular factors. However, data obtained by use of different experimental systems often appear to be in conflict. Where possible, we endeavor to provide a rational interpretation of such data. We also provide a summary of current work relating to the structure and function of the cardiac NCX. Recent molecular studies of the NCX protein are beginning to shed light on structural features of the ion translocation pathway in the NCX membrane domain, which seems likely to be formed, at least partly, by the phylogenetically conserved α-1 and α-2 repeat structures and their neighboring membrane-spanning segments. Finally, we discus...


Pyruvate is a hub of various endogenous metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, TCA cycle, amino acid, and fatty acid biosynthesis. It has also been used as a precursor for pyruvate-derived compounds such as acetoin, 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BD), butanol, butyrate, and L-alanine biosynthesis. Pyruvate and derivatives are widely utilized in food, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, feed additives, and bioenergy industries. However, compounds such as pyruvate, acetoin, and butanol are often chemically synthesized from fossil feedstocks, resulting in declining fossil fuels and increasing environmental pollution. Metabolic engineering is a powerful tool for producing eco-friendly chemicals from renewable biomass resources through microbial fermentation. Here, we review and systematically summarize recent advances in the biosynthesis pathways, regulatory mechanisms, and metabolic engineering strategies for pyruvate and derivatives. Furthermore, the establishment of sustainable industrial synthesis platforms based on alternative substrates and new tools to produce these compounds is elaborated. Finally, we discuss the potential difficulties in the current metabolic engineering of pyruvate and derivatives and promising strategies for constructing efficient producers.


The front cover of a book usually contains the title, the authors'names, the publisher's logo and an illustration. All these elements announce the content of the book, and the paraverbal elements (illustration, typographical arrangement…) can also be used to awaken the curiosity of the potential reader. This article deals with the reproductions of art works chosen by the editors for the front covers of Translation Studies books. Cover illustrations are treated here as a kind of "definition of translator's work through a pictorial metaphor", i.e. as a representation of how translation can be understood or as an indication of its important features. The analysis of these illustrations shows the various means used by the publishers of Translation Studies books to define translation through pictures.


Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of preconception endurance exercise training with voluntary exercise activity during pregnancy in mother mice on lipid profile in adult offsprings. Materials and Methods: Twenty four C57BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into four subgroups: trained in preconception period and exercised during pregnancy (TE)(20.3±1.02g); trained in preconception periods but unexercised during pregnancy (TC)(21.58±0.4g); untrained in preconception periods but exercised during pregnancy (CE)(21.02±0.23g); untrained and unexercised (CC)(19.23±0.45g). Trained mice were subjected to a protocol of moderate endurance exercise training over a period of 4 weeks for 5 days before pregnancy. The fasting blood samples were collected from adult mice(8 weeks old) and serum levels of glucose and lipid profile were measured. Data were analyzed using two way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. Results: The Glucose test results in offspring showed that there was a significant interaction between group and sex and group main effect (p<0.001) Glucose levels of male offspring were significantly lower in TC and TE groups. Results on LDL also showed that the sex main effect was significant (p<0.001), and LDL levels of male born to TE and TC dams lower than in female offspring. Conclusion: Improving the mother's physical fitness by providing regular endurance training in the preconception period and maintaining it by exercise activty throughout pregnancy may have potential for eliciting positive changes in lipid profile of offspring, specially males.


INTRODUCTION The nature of the soil surface is the key factor in deciding how rainfall will infiltrate and move through the soil, i.e. whether water will move downwards or sideways. Surface soil hydraulic properties control the rate of entry (i.e. infiltration) but, if unimpeded vertically, incoming water will move through the regolith as percolation to reach the water table. More commonly, however, there is a reduction in the permeability in the upper soil horizons at various points because of the presence of more impervious soil layers. These deflect water laterally, either at the surface (as infiltration excess (Hortonian) overland flow , HOF (Horton, 1933; 1945)) or subsurface (as subsurface stormflow , SSF , or interflow ) (Chorley, 1978). This SSF can emerge at the surface as return flow and combine with precipitation falling on saturated soils to produce saturation (or saturation-excess ) overland flow, SOF . This is also known as the Dunne mechanism (Dunne and Black, 1970a, b). As highlighted by Bonell and Williams (1989), the soil hydraulic properties of 'undisturbed' tropical landscapes tend to be in equilibrium with the prevailing rainfall characteristics (notably short-term rain intensities). Thus in closed tropical forest, HOF is not generally favoured (exceptions will be outlined later) because the dense root mat and the incorporation of soil organic matter in the topmost soil layers encourage very high infiltration rates. Annual erosion rates from closed tropical forests at the headwater catchment scale are thus small in comparison with disturbed landscapes (see Douglas and Guyot; Chappell, Tych et al. , this volume).


Poverty is currently a major problem that must be resolved in various regions in Indonesia, including areas in Java. Java Island is the island with the highest number of poor people compared to other islands in Indonesia. The aim of this study was to determine the determinants of poverty levels in Java and formulate policy recommendations that can be implied to overcome poverty. Research variables have used secondary data from six provinces in Java sourced from the Central Statistics Agency, namely poverty level data, Human Development Index (HDI), inflation rate data, open unemployment rate data, and Regional Minimum Wage data (UMR). The data was compiled into panel data and analyzed using OLS Model. The analysis showed that the determinants of poverty levels in Java were inflation rates, Human Development Index, Regional Minimum Wages, and open unemployment rates, so that all determinants need to be considered properly to formulate policy recommendations that able to overcome poverty in Java.


Changes in land cover mainly brought by humans could alter how landscapes function, which has an impact on the variety and health of the local biota. This study examined the fragmentation shifts of the Capisaan Cave System surface landscape by looking at changes in land use and land cover using Landsat images, ArcGIS and Google Earth imageries to generate classified land covers for the years 2001, 2005, 2010, 2016 and 2019. Fragmentation was analyzed through FRAGSTATS with forest; shrubland and orchard (SO); and agriculture and clearing (AC) as class types. Results showed that the most significant change in the landscape was in the year 2010 with AC significantly increasing its area and aggregation causing other class types to exhibit more fragmentation. Forest and SO covers displayed huge losses indicated by decreased class area and average size of patches accompanied by a more subdivided landscape shown by their increased number of patches. Although forest and SO slightly recovered in the class area in 2016, values were far from recovering to 2001 values. FRAGSTATS data suggest lowering biodiversity values and paying importance to reserve size in the maintenance of species diversity. The edge effect as a result of class and landscape fragmentation in forest vegetation might have been reduced at the landscape level as indicated by the reduced fractal dimension, as well as sustaining patch cohesion and increased clumpiness. However, abatement of edge effect could be easily limited and reversed if the reduction of the total area of forest available in the landscape continues.


Under conditions of language contact, a language may gain features from its neighbors that it is unlikely to have gained endogenously. We describe a method for evaluating pairs of languages for potential contact by comparing a null hypothesis, in which a target language obtained all its features by inheritance, with an alternative hypothesis in which the target language obtained its features via inheritance and via contact with a proposed donor language. Under the alternative hypothesis, the donor may influence the target to gain features, but not to lose features. When applied to a database of phonological characters in South American languages, this method proves useful for detecting the effects of relatively mild and recent contact, and for highlighting several potential linguistic areas in South America.


This paper presents a novel wavelet-based travelling wave fault location algorithm for aged underground cables in transmission systems. Such transmission systems consist of overhead lines combined with underground power cables. Applying the singularity detection feature of wavelets as a powerful signal processing tool, the first and second initial arrival of the voltage travelling waves at the first end of the overhead as well as at the terminal end of the aged cable line can be identified reliably without the need for detection the sign of these waves. In this paper modal signals, rather than the phase signals, are the inputs to the relay.The proposed algorithm is capable of eliminating the effect of the change in the propagation velocity of the travelling waves over the age of the cable. It can be used on-line following the operation of digital relays or off-line using the data stored in the digital transient recording apparatus. Extensive simulation studies carried out using ATP/EMTP show that the proposed algorithm provides an accepted degree of accuracy in fault location under different fault conditions.


We show compactness in the locally smooth topology for certain natural families of asymptotically conical self-expanding solutions of mean curvature flow. Specifically, we show such compactness for the set of all two-dimensional self-expanders of a fixed topological type and, in all dimensions, for the set of self-expanders of low entropy and for the set of mean convex self-expanders with strictly mean convex asymptotic cones. From this we deduce that the natural projection map from the space of parameterizations of asymptotically conical self-expanders to the space of parameterizations of the asymptotic cones is proper for these classes.


In this article, we report the unique microstructural characteristics of YBa_2Cu_3O_7-x (YBCO)/BaSnO_3 (BSO) nanocomposite thin films on LaAlO_3 (LAO) substrates. The BSO secondary phase grows as self-assembled vertically aligned nanopillars uniformly distributed in the superconducting YBCO matrix. Detailed microstructure and strain studies including x-ray diffraction, cross-section and plan-view transmission electron microscopy, and geometric phase analysis reveal that, as the BSO doping concentration varied from 2 mol% to 20 mol%, the nanopillar density increased from 0.26 × 10^11/cm^2 to 1.44 × 10^11/cm^2 while the diameter of the nanopillars remains relatively constant (7–8 nm in diameter). The strain state of the YBCO matrix is affected by both lateral and vertical lattice strains; while, the BSO lattice is strongly tuned by YBCO rather than the substrate. A high-density array of dislocations in the order of 10^13/cm^2 was observed along the vertical heterogeneous interfaces throughout the YBCO film thickness for all doping concentrations.


There have long been case reports linking silica exposure to a variety of autoimmune diseases (systemic sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, chronic renal disease). Evidence of this association in larger epidemiologic studies has been increasing in the last decade. We summarize this evidence here, and present some plausible mechanisms which have been discussed in the literature. The link between silica exposure and autoimmune disease may have been missed in cohort mortality studies because autoimmune diseases are rarely underlying causes of death. Similarly, case-control studies of autoimmune diseases have often failed to consider occupational exposure to silica. Further research is needed in occupationally exposed populations to verify this association. The link between respirable silica exposure and autoimmune disease may have some bearing on the possible association between silicone breast implants and autoimmune disease, although the nature of the silica involved is quite different in the two situations.


It is widely accepted that children enjoy some form of a right to bodily integrity. However, there is little agreement about the precise nature and scope of this right. This paper offers a conceptual analysis of the child's right to bodily integrity, in order to further elucidate the relationship between the child's right to bodily integrity and considerations of autonomy. Following a discussion of Leif Wenar's work on the structure and justification of rights, I first explain how the adult's right to bodily integrity can be distilled into separate elements that may plausibly be justified by different moral considerations. In particular, I claim that this analysis suggests that whilst the adult's right to bodily integrity is not wholly reducible to bodily autonomy, autonomy nonetheless remains entwined with our understanding of this right in a number of ways. On the basis of this discussion, I go on to outline three important complexities that arise when we consider the child's right to bodily integrity, before particularly focusing on the question of how third parties should determine whether or not to perform a physical interference upon a child who lacks decision-making capacity. Here, I raise some objections to Earp and Mazor's recent attempts to answer this question, before briefly defending an 'autonomy-based interests' account of permissible interference, an account that shares in what I take to be the spirit, if not the precise letter, of these earlier views.


Structural health monitoring is focused on damage detection or approximate estimation of damage size. By predicting the damage or effect of damages, possible accidents could be prevented. This paper proposes to apply a machine learning technique to estimate the effect of structural damage made by animals on the flight. The classification algorithms are applied and results of them are compared by using an extensive set of real bird strikes data.


Abstract The main aim of this case report is to thoroughly describe the steps of diagnosis and treatment in the rare incidence of patellar tendon gouty tophus. The case of a 53-year-old man manual worker who was treated with open excision of the lesion, following failure of extended medical treatment with rheumatological input, is presented. Surgical treatment led to full restoration of the patient's knee function. Open or arthroscopic surgery is a viable option for the unusual case of intratendinous patellar gouty deposition if the patient fails medical management. Medical treatment should still be the mainstay.


To obtain a molecular level view of the interface of a latex particle with water solvent, atomistic simulations using two different force fields were performed for a slab of methyl methacrylate (MMA)/n-butyl acrylate (BA) random copolymer in water. The carbonyl groups at the polymer/water interface were found to orient significantly toward the water phase. We calculated the copolymer/water and the copolymer/vacuum interfacial tensions, and predict a contact angle for water on copolymer of 77°, consistent with experimental values. We also calculated bulk densities of MMA/BA copolymer, and PMMA and PBA homopolymers, which compare well with experiment, and the structure factor for PMMA, which agrees with neutron scattering results. The simulated Tg of PMMA is not far from its experimental value, despite the much shorter chains and faster cooling rates of simulations versus experiments, because these two effects tend to cancel each other. When we correct for these effects, the predicted Tg is within 5 K of th...


Dengue is one of the most dangerous diseases in the worlds. In particularly in East Java province Indonesia, dengue has been identified as one of the major causes of death. Hence, it is important to investigate the factors that induce the number of dengue incidences in this region. This study examines climate and socio-economic conditions, which are assumed to influence the number of dengue in the examined region. The semiparametric panel regression approach has been applied and the results are compared with the standard panel regression. In this case, the socio-economic condition is treated parametrically while climate effect is modeled nonparametrically. The analysis showed that the number of dengue incidences is significantly influenced by the income per-capita and the number of inhabitant below 15 years. Furthermore, the dengue incidence is optimum under rainfall of 1500 to 3670 mm, temperature of 22 to 27 degree and humidity of 82 to 87%. The elasticity allows us to identify the most responsive and most irresponsive district towards the changes of climate variable. The study shows that Surabaya is the most responsive district with respect to the change of climate variables.


Summary form only given. A partial list of features on which human movement control systems (HMCSs) and robotic movement control systems (RMCSs) differ is presented. It is concluded that along with the obvious stimulation that is generated back and forth between the study of the HMCS and that of RMCS, it is tempting to point only to the similarities between the two systems. However, it should be remembered that differences do exist between these systems and forced attempts to prove similarities may be very misleading. >


The composition of the cell nucleus is highly heterogeneous, with different constituents forming complex interactomes. However, the global patterns of these interwoven heterogeneous interactomes remain poorly understood. Here we focus on two different interactomes, chromatin interaction network and gene regulatory network, as a proof-of-principle, to identify heterogeneous interactome modules (HIMs) in the nucleus. Each HIM represents a cluster of gene loci that are in spatial contact more frequently than expected and that are regulated by the same group of transcription factor proteins. We develop a new algorithm MOCHI to facilitate the discovery of HIMs based on network motif clustering in heterogeneous interactomes. By applying MOCHI to five different cell types, we found that HIMs have strong spatial preference within the nucleus and exhibit distinct functional properties. Through integrative analysis, this work demonstrates the utility of MOCHI to identify HIMs, which may provide new perspectives on 3D genome organization and function.


Focused ultrasound has been shown to increase the permeability of the blood–brain barrier and its feasibility for opening the blood–spinal cord barrier has also been demonstrated in small animal models, with great potential to impact the treatment of spinal cord (SC) disorders. For clinical translation, challenges to transvertebral focusing of ultrasound energy on the human spinal canal, such as a focal depth of field and standing-wave formation, must be addressed. A dual-aperture approach using multifrequency and phase-shift keying (PSK) strategies for achieving a controlled focus in human thoracic vertebrae was investigated through numerical simulations and benchtop experiments in ex vivo human vertebrae. An ~85% reduction in the focal depth of field was achieved compared to a single-aperture approach at 564 kHz. Short-burst (two-cycle) excitations in combination with PSK were found to suppress the formation of standing waves in ex vivo human thoracic vertebrae when focusing through the vertebral laminae. The results make an important contribution toward the development of a clinical-scale approach for targeting ultrasound therapy to the SC.


Collaboration is at the heart of the academic enterprise; the proposal for national collaboratory seeks to support these collaborative efforts by means of a variety of computing technologies. The authors examine the assumptions of the model of collaborative work behind the collaboratory proposal and suggest ways of extending that model. They draw on a case study of collaborative efforts in classical scholarship in order to explore more fully the existing modalities of academic collaboration as it actually occurs. The development of a broader understanding of collaborative activities will enable one to more effectively address the national collaboratory challenge.<<ETX>>


The design of cesium-selective ionophores must include the nature of cesium-water interactions. The authors have carried out extensive ab initio and density functional theory calculations of hydrated cesium cations to obtain reasonably accurate energetics, thermodynamic quantities, and IR spectra. An extensive search was made to find the most stable structures. Since water...water interactions are important in the aqua-Cs+ clusters, the authors investigated the vibrational frequency shifts as a function of the number of water molecules and the frequency characteristics with and without the presence of outer-shell water molecules. The predicted vibrational frequencies were then compared with the infrared photodissociation spectra of argon-tagged hydrated cesium cluster ions. This comparison allowed the identification of specific hydrogen-bonding structures present in the experimental spectra.


Indoor Positioning System (IPS) can determine someone's position inside a building. The common method used is implemented by WiFi signal strength analising. This paper discusses about how to do IPS using K-Means and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) method, that also analyze the accuracy. K-Means is used to cluster dataset. Each data in certain cluster then classified using KNN method. The dataset consists of 11658 Received Signal Strength (RSS) from 177 Access Point (AP) in UKDW. Accuracy of system analized using 10-fold Cross Validation method which is applied in a range of k=2 to k=11 for clusterisation process, then k=1 to k=5 for classification process. Based on the experiment results, system can determine someone's position with 88.49% accuracy which k optimum is 10 for clusterisation process, and k=1 for classification process.


In this work we study the effect of electron correlations in molecular transistors with molecular bridges based on 1,4-benzene-dithiol (BDT) and 2-nitro-1,4-benzene-dithiol (nitro-BDT) by using ab initio electron propagator calculations. We find that there is no gate field effect for the BDT based transistor in accordance with the experimental data. After verifying the computational method on the BDT molecule, we consider a transistor with a nitro-BDT molecular bridge. From the electron propagator calculations, we predict strong negative differential resistance at small positive and negative values of source-drain voltages. The explanation of the peak and the minimum in the current is given in terms of the molecular orbital picture and switch-on (-off) properties due to the voltage dependencies of the Dyson poles (ionization potentials). When the current is off, the electronic states on both electrodes are populated resulting in the vanishing tunneling probability due to the Pauli principle. Besides the minimum and the maximum in the I-V characteristics, we find a strong gate field effect in the conductance where the peak at V(sd) = 0.15 eV and E(g) = 4x10(-3) a.u. switches to the minimum at E(g) = -4x10(-3) a.u. A similar behavior is discovered at the negative V(sd). Such a feature can be used for fast current modulation by changing the polarity of a gate field.


1. Increase knowledge of geometric optics and the optical system of the eye. 2. Increase familiarity with all optic tests. 3. Develop protocols for testing for common complaints.


At present, artificial intelligence in the form of machine learning is making impressive progress, especially the field of deep learning (DL) [1]. Deep learning algorithms have been inspired from the beginning by nature, specifically by the human brain, in spite of our incomplete knowledge about its brain function. Learning from nature is a two-way process as discussed in [2][3][4], computing is learning from neuroscience, while neuroscience is quickly adopting information processing models. The question is, what can the inspiration from computational nature at this stage of the development contribute to deep learning and how much models and experiments in machine learning can motivate, justify and lead research in neuroscience and cognitive science and to practical applications of artificial intelligence.


This paper provides a historical background and review of the literature on intergroup dialogues, with a focus on community-engaged dialogues. The authors illustrate the format, purpose, and community factors involved in the Day of Dialogue (DOD), an intergroup community dialogue series. An expansion of Zuniga and Nagda's (2001) stages of intergroup dialogue is used to critically examine dialogue issues and provide a structure for culturally appropriate, community-engaged implementation. Lessons learned from three years of DOD implementation are provided, including the following themes: Balancing process and content, maintaining flexibility, defining roles, identifying biases, identifying/engaging key players, allowing voices to be heard, mindfulness toward environment/structure, and promoting movement towards action. Concrete suggestions to guide future practice around creating effective, culturally appropriate, and community-engaged dialogues, as well as effectively empowering communities and fostering social change, will be discussed.


In this paper, indexing is used as a common framework to represent, index and retrieve images on the basis of color and shape invariants.To evaluate the use of color and shape invariants for the purpose of image retrieval, experiments have been conducted on a database consisting of 500 images of multicolored objects. Images in the database show a considerable amount of noise, specularities, occlusion and fragmentation resulting in a good representation of views from everyday life as it appears in home video and consumer photography in general.The experimental results show that image retrieval based on both color and shape invariants provides excellent retrieval accuracy. Image retrieval based on shape invariants yields poor discriminative power and worst computational performance whereas color based invariants image retrieval provides high discrimination power and best computational performance.Furthermore, the experimental results reveal that identifying multicolored objects entirely on the basis of color invariants is to a large degree robust to partial occlusion and a change in viewing position.


wnloade kground: False-positive recall is a recognized disadvantage of mammographic breast screening, and te of such recalls may be higher in younger women, potentially limiting the value of screening below . thods: Attendance and screening outcome data for 53,884 women in the intervention arm of the U.K. ial were analyzed to report observed false-positive recall rates during 13 years of trial fieldwork. The ial was a randomized controlled trial of the effect of mammographic screening from age 40 on breast mortality, conducted in 23 National Health Service screening centers between 1991 and 2004. Women mized to the intervention arm were offered annual invitation to mammography from age 40 or 41 to . ults: Overall, 7,893 women (14.6% of women the intervention arm and 18.1% of women attending at ne routine screen) experienced one or more false-positive screen during the trial. The rates of falseve mammography at first and subsequent routine screens were 4.9% and 3.2%, respectively. The ative false-positive rate over seven screens was 20.5%. Eighty-nine percent of women who had a falsee recall at their previous screen attended their next invitation to routine screening. clusions: The rates of false-positive recall in the Age trial were comparable with the national screening m; however, the positive predictive value of referral was lower. Experiencing a false-positive screen did em to lessen the likelihood of re-attendance in the trial. act: The question of greatly increased false-positive rates in this age group and of their compromising re-attendance is refuted by the findings of this study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 19(11); 2758–64. ©2010 AACR.


Previous studies have been conducted in order to figure out which type of polymer has the best chemical or mechanical properties such as resistance and durability. However, knowing which type of polymer is appropriate for agricultural use is fundamental and should not be neglected. For this purpose, a study of the impact of two low-density polyethylene (LDPE) greenhouse cover-films (monolayer and tri-layers) on the growth and yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) species, has been carried out in the semi-arid region of Tiaret city in Algeria. The present study is directly related to the field of agro-ecology. It consists on comparing the influence of the microclimates such as temperature and relative humidity together with the luminous flow inside the two greenhouses, on the evolution and the final yield of two varieties of tomato. Statistical analysis was established to compare the evolution of tomato plants from the initial state to the final stage of development. It showed that there was indeed a difference in development between tomato plants. In addition, the production yield of both Marmande and ACE 55 VF varieties was 3.1 kg/m2 and 2.9 kg/m2 respectively for the monolayer film versus 2.3 kg/m2 and 2.0 kg/m2 for the tri-layers film. The results also indicated that even though the tri-layers film had superior life span and better resistance to the external factors than the monolayer film, the internal conditions of the greenhouse covered by the monolayer film were more suitable for tomato culture in the harsh environment of semi-arid areas.

Keywords: Polymer; Development; Monolayer; Tri-layers; Biometry; Production; Climate

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A hydrodynamical model for electron transport in silicon semiconductors, which is free of any fitting parameters, has been formulated on the basis of the maximum entropy principle. The model considers the energy band to be described by the Kane dispersion relation and includes electron-nonpolar optical phonon and electron-acoustic phonon scattering. The set of balance equations of the model forms a quasilinear hyperbolic system and for its numerical integration a recent high-order shock-capturing central differencing scheme has been employed. Simulations of an n+-n-n+ silicon diode have been presented and comparison with Monte Carlo data shows the good accuracy of the model and performance of the numerical scheme. Here the results of simulations of a silicon MESFET in the two-dimensional case are presented. Both the model and the numerical scheme demonstrate their accuracy and efficiency as CAD tools for modeling realistic submicron electron devices.


The purpose of this study is to explore the possibilities of critical autoethnographic study in helping multilinguals become more aware of the larger politics underlying the relationship between language and identity, examine their own roles and vulnerabilities in social situations, and work towards the transformation of an ethical subject. Although there is literature to show how mobility and the large-scale, global flows of people in the current era are increasingly dissolving essentialist ideas of race, nationality, cultural practices, linguistic identities and so on, twenty-first century multilingual accounts still exemplify a deep level of anxiety, confusion and frustration on issues of authenticity and legitimacy in relation to language and identity. Critical reflexive multilingual accounts can play an important role in transforming these vulnerabilities into knowledge, capital, and necessary vulnerabilities. This study adds to this growing body of work. Using my own multilingual experiences as data in the form of diary entries, photographs, correspondences with others, media clips, and memories, I demonstrate not so much how individuals are able to take an active role in self-interpreting and constructing their own lives, which is self-evident, but rather, the process of how individuals can learn to think differently and re-frame or re-signify their understanding in order to open up multiple future possibilities. Starting with my own critical incidents of feeling dispossession in one of my languages (Korean) in my linguistic repertoire, I draw on a wide range of scholarly literature to critically self-analyze and interpret past and present experiences, desires, intentions, complicities, and performances using a narrative structure. By placing my experiences within a scholarly framework, this study attempts to demonstrate the importance of questioning what lies behind everyday utterances and life events, and to think about the political and ethical implications of the utterances, thoughts, actions, and stories of the self and others. As a result of this work, I argue that troubling one's own epistemological understanding of language and identity enables one to re-imagine and re-fashion one's identity. In the case of this work, the study has enabled me to re-signify my identity from a "multilingual" to a "multivocal" identity.


Let M be the phase space of a physical system. The dynamics is determined by the map T : M-->M, preserving the measure mu. Let nu be another measure on M, dnu=rho dmu. Gibbs introduced the quantity s(rho)=-integralrho log rho dmu as an analog of the thermodynamical entropy. Attempts to reach a closer analogy between thermodynamical and Gibbs entropy lead to the idea to modify the last one and to replace it by the so-called coarse-grained entropy. The dynamics transforms nu in the following way: nu[mapsto]nu(n), dnu(n)=rho composite functionT(-n)dmu. Hence, we obtain the sequence of densities rho(n)=rho composite functionT(-n) and the corresponding values of the Gibbs and the coarse-grained entropy. We discuss the following question: To what extent the Gibbs and coarse-grained entropy are physical? More precisely: (1) do they grow under the dynamics, generated by T? (2) What properties of the dynamics are responsible for this growth? (3) To what extent can this growth be independent of arbitrariness in the construction of the coarse-grained entropy?


This note addresses the problem of position control of mobile manipulators operating in the task space with state constraints. A relatively simple class of task space regulators consisting of a generalized transpose Jacobian controller with a nonlinear quasi-velocity term, an integral term including a function of manipulator coordinates and the task error plus the gradient of a kinematic criterion function, is proposed. The Lyapunov stability theory is used to derive the control scheme. Through the use of the gradient of the criterion function, an optimal solution to the mobile manipulator task is ensured. The performance of the proposed control strategy is illustrated through computer simulations for a mobile manipulator operating in a three-dimensional task space.


Background Cu-Al-Ni shape memory alloys (SMAs) possess two-way shape memory effects, superelasticity, and damping capacity. Nonetheless, Cu-Al-Ni SMAs remain promising candidates for use in biomedical applications, as they are more economical and machinable than other SMAs. Ensuring the biocompatibility of Cu-Al-Ni SMAs is crucial to their development for biomedical applications. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the toxicity of Cu-Al-Ni SMAs using a Probit dose–response model and augmented simplex design. Methods In this study, the effects of Cu2+, Al3+ and Ni2+ metal ions on bacteria (Escherichia coli DH5α) using Probit dose–response analysis and augmented simplex design to assess the actual toxicity of the Cu-Al-Ni SMAs. Results Extraction and repetition of Escherichia coli DH5α solutions with high Cu2+ ion concentrations and 30-hour incubation demonstrated that Escherichia coli DH5α was able to alter its growth mechanisms in response to toxins. Metal ions leached from Cu-Al-Ni SMAs appeared in a multitude of compositions with varying degrees of toxicity, and those appearing close to a saddle region identified in the contour plot of the augmented simplex model were identified as candidates for elevated toxicity levels. When the Cu-13.5Al-4Ni SMA plate was immersed in Ringer's solution, the selective leaching rate of Ni2+ ions far exceeded that of Cu2+ and Al3+. The number of Cu2+, Al3+ and Ni2+ ions leached from Cu-Al-Ni SMAs increased with immersion time; however, at higher ratios, toxicity interactions among the metal ions had the effect of gradually reducing overall toxicity levels with regard to Escherichia coli DH5α. Conclusions The quantities of Cu2+, Al3+ and Ni2+ ions leached from the Cu-13.5Al-4Ni SMA plate increased with immersion time, the toxicity interactions associated with these compositions reduced the actual toxicity to Escherichia coli DH5α.


We present a method to represent input texts by contextualizing them jointly with dynamically retrieved textual encyclopedic background knowledge from multiple documents. We apply our method to reading comprehension tasks by encoding questions and passages together with background sentences about the entities they mention. We show that integrating background knowledge from text is effective for tasks focusing on factual reasoning and allows direct reuse of powerful pretrained BERT-style encoders. Moreover, knowledge integration can be further improved with suitable pretraining via a self-supervised masked language model objective over words in background-augmented input text. On TriviaQA, our approach obtains improvements of 1.6 to 3.1 F1 over comparable RoBERTa models which do not integrate background knowledge dynamically. On MRQA, a large collection of diverse QA datasets, we see consistent gains in-domain along with large improvements out-of-domain on BioASQ (2.1 to 4.2 F1), TextbookQA (1.6 to 2.0 F1), and DuoRC (1.1 to 2.0 F1).


The absence of a common and universal approach to IT project management allows us to formulate a problem to analyze and study when choosing the most efficient project management methodology. The relatively small number of scientific works summarizing practical experience of a theoretical approach allowed us to formulate a generalized mathematical model for a common IT project lifecycle estimation in this work using waterfall, agile or hybrid approaches for the project management. Based on the advantages and disadvantages of existing methodologies that we revealed, it appears that use of agile approaches within stages of the cascade methodology approach improves the process of IT project management compared to a pure cascade implementation. Moreover, the recursive application of an iterative approach at certain stages of the project implementation worsens the characteristics of the project life cycle and can be used only to reduce a certain class of project risks. The results of our study allow us to propose a semi-empirical method for project planning estimation accuracy and attainability of the declared project implementation characteristics. All of this should have a positive impact on the effectiveness of the IT project management strategy choice.


Sex work migration involves a huge number of females from Nigeria, and has attracted concerns within and across the country. To add to ongoing conversations about responsible migration, our review underscores the prevalence of sex work migration in Edo State, Nigeria, the drivers and interventions.,The review adopted exhaustive search terms coined with the aid of "Boolean Operators". Search terms were entered into several search engines and databases to elicit peer-reviewed and grey literature within sex work migration and human trafficking for commercial sex. An output of 578 studies was recorded with 76 (43 academic papers and 33 grey literature) meeting the inclusion criteria.,The study acknowledged wide-spread prevalence of sex work migration involving Nigerian females who are largely from Edo State. It achieved a prioritization of the factors that drive sex work migration based on how frequent they were mentioned in reviewed literature: economic (64.4%), cultural (46%), educational (20%), globalization (14.5%) and political factors (13.2%). Several interventions were highlighted together with their several limitations which include funding, absence of grass-roots engagement, dearth of appropriate professionals, corruption, weak political will, among others. A combination of domestic and international interventions was encouraged, and social workers were found to be needful.,Our systematic review is the first on this subject, as none was found throughout our search. It seeks to inform policy measures and programmes, as well as horizontal efforts poised to tackle the rising figures of sex work migrants and attendant consequences in Nigeria.


This article aims to repoliticize modern financial risk management by offering a genealogical reading of its contested religious and cultural history. While identifying, calculating, and selling risk is at the heart of the modern financial markets, the normative commitments of modern financial risk management remain both hidden from view and politically unquestioned. The article argues that the commercialization of risk in finance should not be understood as a reaction to objectively existing danger, but as a profitable cultural process that rests upon gendered constructions of danger and security. The article examines the role of risk in the recent proposals for a new Capital Accord by the Basle Committee for Banking Supervision, and argues that the financial industry is reluctant to accept domains of incalculability in the new Accord.


In the paper a non-linear mathematical model for the performance assessment and the design improvement of small single-phase PM synchronous motor is proposed. The calculation of the model parameters is carried out by 2D FEM analyses suitably corrected to take also into account of the 3D effects. The procedure implemented in a numerical code allows to investigate significant design aspects related to a motor configuration adopted for small fan appliances.


Abstract: Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) based polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), with different concentrations of Cyphos® IL 104 as the membrane extractant/carrier, were studied for their ability to extract Au(III) from hydrochloric acid solutions. Some of the PIMs also contained one of the following plasticizers or modifiers: 2-nitrophenyloctyl ether, dioctylphthalate, 1-dodecanol, 1-tetradecanol, or tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate. The best performance, in terms of extraction rate and amount of Au(III) extracted, was exhibited by a PIM consisting of 25 wt% Cyphos® IL 104, 5 wt% 1-dodecanol, and 70 wt% PVC. An almost complete back-extraction of the Au(III) extracted from this membrane was achieved by using a 0.10 mol L−1 Na2SO3 receiver solution at pH 8. The stoichiometry of the extracted Au(III)/Cyphos® IL 104 adduct was determined as [P]+ [AuCl4]− H+ [PO2]− where [P]+ and [PO2]− represent trihexyl(tetradecyl) phosphonium and bis(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl) phosphinate ions, respectively. Back-extraction of Au(III) is suggested to occur by reduction of Au(III) to Au(I), with the formation of the species [Au(SO3)2]3− in the aqueous receiver solution. Loss of 1-dodecanol from the newly developed PIM to the aqueous solutions in contact with it was observed, which indicated that this membrane was suitable for single use in the efficient recovery of Au(III) from hydrochloric acid solutions of electronic scrap or recycled jewelry.


Populations of oscillators that present both local and global coupling can exhibit diffusive instabilities leading to a rich variety of wave patterns. We investigate the selection of these structures near a supercritical Hopf bifurcation described by a modified complex Ginzburg-Landau equation.


Fluorescence characteristics and light-induced absorbance changes of 5 plastome mutants of Oenothera, all having a defect in photosynthesis, were investigated to localize the site of the block in their photosynthetic mechanism and to relate mutational changes in the plastome to specific biochemical events in photosynthesis. In 4 of the mutants examined photosystem 2 was largely, or completely, nonfunctional. Excitation of system 2 did not cause reduction of oxidized cytochrome f in these mutants. The system-2 dependent absorbance change at 518 mmu seen in normal leaves was absent in the mutants. Moreover, the mutants had a high initial fluorescence in the presence and in the absence of 3- (3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea, which did not change during illumination, indicating that the reaction centers of system 2 were affected by the mutations. Photosystem 1 functioned normally.A fifth mutant had an impaired photosystem 1. Even high intensity far-red light did not lead to an accumulation of oxidized cytochrome f as was seen in normal plants. Photosystem 2 was functioning, as evidenced by the fast reduction of the primary system-2 oxidant, and by the characteristics of the 518-mmu absorbance change.Because 1 of the 2 photosystems is functional in all mutants, and because they all have the enzymes of the photosynthetic carbon cycle, it appears that the effect of the mutation is specific. The results suggest that the plastome controls reactions within the electron-transport chain of photosynthesis.


Operation scheduling (OS) is a fundamental problem in mapping an application to a computational device. It takes a behavioral application specification and produces a schedule to minimize either the completion time or the computing resources required to meet a given deadline. The OS problem is NP-hard; thus, effective heuristic methods are necessary to provide qualitative solutions. We present novel OS algorithms using the ant colony optimization approach for both timing-constrained scheduling (TCS) and resource-constrained scheduling (RCS) problems. The algorithms use a unique hybrid approach by combining the MAX-MIN ant system metaheuristic with traditional scheduling heuristics. We compiled a comprehensive testing benchmark set from real-world applications in order to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed algorithms. For TCS, our algorithm achieves better results compared with force-directed scheduling on almost all the testing cases with a maximum 19.5% reduction of the number of resources. For RCS, our algorithm outperforms a number of different list-scheduling heuristics with better stability and generates better results with up to 14.7% improvement. Our algorithms outperform the simulated annealing method for both scheduling problems in terms of quality, computing time, and stability


Info 2021 The conventional method for detecting blood abnormality is time consuming and lacks the high level of accuracy. In this paper a MATLAB based solution has been suggested to tackle the problem of time consumption and accuracy. Three types of blood abnormality have been covered here, namely, anemia which is characterized by low count of red blood cells (RBCs), Leukemia which is depicted by increasing the number of white blood cells (WBCs), and sickle cell blood disorder which is caused by a deformation in the shape of red cells. The algorithm has been tested on different images of blood smears and noticed to give an acceptable level of accuracy. Image processing techniques has been used here to detect the different types of blood constituents. Unlike many other researches, this research includes the blood sickling disorder which is epidemic in certain regions of the world, and offers a more accuracy than other algorithms through the use of detaching overlapped cells


A growing body of literature explores the process of coproduction by citizens and government employees in providing goods and services, yet research that attempts to link coproduction to organizational performance offers contradictory findings. It is possible that these conflicting results are a consequence of trying to compare distinct categories of coproduction. This study identifies types of coproduction, classified by which organizational tasks citizens can influence during stages of policy design and implementation, and tests whether these types have different effects on student proficiency in Mathematics and English Language Arts using data from New York City schools between 2007 and 2009. This study then tests the degree to which different types of coproduction moderate the negative effect of environmental turbulence on performance. Results confirm that types of coproduction have varying effects on organizational performance and can reduce, and even eliminate, the negative effect of a turbulent environment on student outcomes.


An in situ NMR study of tert-butanol dehydration in 95 and 85% sulfuric acid did not indicate the formation of tert-butyl cations as active reaction intermediates. Instead, only NMR lines from oxonium ions under the condition of fast exchange with water and the acid were observed. It is most likely that, in the concentrated acid, the active intermediates of this reaction are represented by tert-butyl sulfuric ester which probably is a precursor of invisible tertbutyl carbenium ions representing short-lived excited or transition states.


Egypt's Nile delta, only ~1 m above mean sea level at the Mediterranean coast, is subject to uneven rates of submergence. This is a response to several factors leading to increasing land lowering (subsidence) of the northern delta and adjacent seafloor, plus an accelerating rise in eustatic (world) sea level in the Mediterranean. An average eustatic sealevel rise of ~3 mm/yr represents only ~26% to 45% of total relative sea-level rise measured along this margin. Three factors leading to subsidence are neotectonic lowering, compaction of Holocene sequences, and diminished sediment replenishment by much reduced Nile flow to Egypt's coast. Subsidence accounts for variable average land lowering of ~3.7 mm/yr of section in the NW delta, ~7.7 mm/yr in the N delta, and ~8.4 mm/yr in the NE delta, based on compaction rates of strata thicknesses that decrease down-core between top and base of Holocene sections in 85 drill cores distributed along the delta margin. Among present critical challenges are marked reduction of Nile water and sediment below the High Aswan Dam that can now reach the delta coast. It is expected that problems of fresh water and energy poverty in the lower Nile Basin are likely to be seriously exacerbated in years ahead by construction of Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD). Completion of this, the biggest hydroelectric structure in Africa, is this year. Egypt, the Sudan, and Ethiopia must resolve the looming crisis of diminished Blue Nile water and sediment distribution to the lower Nile Basin and Egypt's delta margin.